Archive for 'Health'

Health Care Reform Was Passed!! I Can Get Coverage Now…. Or So I thought

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 at 2:50 am  
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Health Care Reform Was Passed!! I Can Get Coverage Now…. Or So I thought

So the days of hearing ‘we cannot cover you due to x medical condition” are soon coming to a close. However, don’t be so fast to leave your company-offered and probably too expensive group plans yet! The health care reform that was passed doesn’t do as much as you may think it does.

 

As a health insurance agent myself, I cannot tell you how many people I talk with on a daily basis who believe that they will immediately be eligible for medically-underwritten (individual health insurance) plans. I also cannot tell you how many of those people believe there is more to the bill than there actually is. The short and sweet of it is: hold your horses! Nothing went into effect immediately. In fact, unless you are a child under the age of 19, you will still be declined for medical conditions until the year 2014! Beginning September 23, 2010, those under 19 will no longer be denied due to medical conditions and that is it. The rest of us will have to wait nearly 4 years to feel the impact of the health care bill. Well, except for our taxes inevitable going up to support it; that should be coming rather quickly. In any case, so many people heard ‘health care reform” and “no more denials” and jumped the gun wanting policies issued right away and folks, that’s just not the way it is going to work.

 

In talking with a hundred or so people a day, one point is often overlooked by them. Insurance companies charge a monthly premium based on things like height, weight, age, whether or not medicines are being taken, and overall health, denying those whose medical background is too risky. There is a reason for this; insurance companies don’t want to go bankrupt by paying the claims of the chronically ill. Now being that health care reform has been passed, let me ask you a rather logical question: if insurance companies come 2014 are no longer allowed to deny people due to medical conditions meaning, they are forced to take on those who unfortunately have things such as cancer, AIDS, emphysema, COPD, diabetes, etc then where is the money going to come from to help pay these inevitable and rather huge claims? The answer is: YOU! Every one of you. Not only the sick, but the healthy. In 2014, one of two things is GOING to happen. Either everyone’s rates are going to jump astronomically or…. private insurance companies will go bankrupt. This simple fact seems to have gotten lost somewhere in translation between the excitement of finally being able to get coverage and sitting down and thinking about what it really means to all of us. For the man who just had a heart attack and cannot get medical coverage right now because of it, sure- he may feel a lot better knowing that there is something out there that will eventually help him; but at what cost? If the insurance company you choose in 2014 is willing to accept you, but at 00 per month, was the reform really as great as many make it seem to be? Probably not. Most people cannot afford the rates as they are now let alone once everyone is considered acceptable. I’ll let you in on a little insider information, which, really, should be common knowledge by now- health care reform did nothing to put a cap on what the insurance companies can charge. So, whether you can’t have medical coverage because of health conditions or because you can’t afford it, in the end, what is the common fact? You STILL don’t have medical coverage.

 

Health insurance companies are taking a preemptive strike as well. Many of the carriers in each state have pulled out of the child-only market beginning October 1, 2010. Meaning, they will no longer be issuing policies to those under 19 and in some cases under 26. Why? Because as I stated earlier, beginning September 23, 2010, those who do continue to cover kids only will have to accept sick kids. Once again, there was nothing in this bill that required insurance companies to stay in the child-only market. In fact, there will be very few options for parents to look at come what is now 7 days away.

 

What good does this health care reform really do? Well, that is up to personal opinion. There are some who believe the intention of this bill is to bankrupt insurance companies, which would transition the country into a state of having social health care. In other words, the USA would become a socialist nation and we would get there in a back handed way- instead of telling people ‘hey, we are moving towards socialism and we are going to start with your healthcare”, just pass a bill that looks good on the surface, yet has a hidden agenda in the background. Again, these are just the opinions of some, and probably does not represent the opinions of the masses. However, it does make you think- if this bill were truly intended to help Americans gain access to healthcare within the private sector and hold insurance companies accountable, then why was there no clause in the bill preventing them from leaving the market where kids are concerned?  Why was there no clause placing a cap on what insurance companies can charge?

 

‘So, I’ll just go without health insurance if I can’t afford it once the bill takes full effect”. Not so fast! If you can’t afford to pay for health insurance, then how will you be able to pay your fine for not having it? What fine, you ask? Yet another fact that got lost in translation is that if you do not have health insurance come a certain point in 2014, and you are not eligible for a federal program of some sort such as Medicaid, then you will be fined yearly. If you do not pay the fine, it first increases, and if still not paid, you are looking at imprisonment. In the United States as it is right now, the only times you see health insurance and jail time going hand-in-hand is when someone commits insurance fraud or when the company does something unethical and we see the CEO go to the clink. Come 2014, we will see health insurance and jail time sharing a relationship for those who do not purchase it! Which, as many of you know, but for those who don’t, that is against the constitution. However, that is another topic for another time.

 

The bottom line is, while many are both for and against health care reform, there are a lot of facts that people don’t seem to be aware of. So, to recap, unless you are under 19, you will see no changes in your acceptability regarding medical coverage until 2014. Come 4 years from now, your health insurance rates will skyrocket, placing coverage out of reach for many. A few years after that and maybe even sooner, you will most likely see many insurance companies leaving the market as they will not be able to keep up with the claims, and finally, if you do not purchase health insurance, you will face fines and possibly jail time.

I am a first time mom of a 3 month old baby girl. I work from home as a health and life insurance agent. I have always had a passion for writing and I love Articels Base because it’s a great way to reach a large audience and feel like someone juat may listen to what I have to say!

Taking A Stand – Health Care, Education, And Economy

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 at 7:24 pm  
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Taking A Stand – Health Care, Education, And Economy

I believe with strong leadership, hard work and a dedication to problem solving, we can improve the lives of our society and create a new vision for Northern Virginia.

The Economy

There is an enormous need to improve the economic climate within our communities throughout northern Virginia. Thousands of families throughout NOVA are struggling to afford the expenses associated with life, including childcare. To help families within NOVA I support President Obama’s strategy to expand the child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help provide relief for parents and care givers. Currently only 35 percent of the first ,000 incurred from childcare expenses by a family with one child and a family with two or more children the first ,000. The credit is not refundable, therefore upper-income families unreasonably benefit while families that earn less than ,000 a year obtain less than a third of the tax credit. I advocate reforming the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to ensure low-income families to receive more credit for their child care debuts.

Additionally, it is imperative that we create training programs for clean technologies.

I advocate for additional funding to expand federal job training programs to include green technologies training, like advanced manufacturing and weatherization training. This type of job training program will help fuel our economy and create sustainable green jobs.

I support President Obama’s plan to help expand lending to small business through tax cuts and assistance to community banks. The program is designed to have billion in returned cash for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) made available to help smaller banks lend to local businesses. Small businesses are the fabric of our economy it is imperative that we provide financial support to create jobs, ignite entrepreneurship and innovation.

Health Care

The Healthcare system in this country is broken and I will fight to fix the system. The United States pays more than any other industrialized country, yet lacks national coverage for all Americans. At the same time, healthcare is inextricably linked to our future fiscal health. Therefore, in order to reduce costs and improve quality for all Americans, three principles must be met in any legislation that passes congress: (1) national coverage; (2) ending insurance company abuses; (3) providing choice and competition in the market.

To meet these principles healthcare reform must contain several different provisions. First, we must find a plan to increase the number of Americans with healthcare. If done properly, it would expand the insurance pool, include more Americans and reduce the costs of premiums. Second, Americans must be protected from the worst insurance company abuses by ending their practices of denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, capping total coverage, and dropping or reducing coverage when people get sick and need it the most. Additionally, reform should mandate how much of a patient’s premium must go toward their care, as opposed to the marketing, profits and salaries for insurance companies.

To provide choice and competition into the market reform should include a national exchange, whereby individuals and small businesses can join together to expand the insurance pool for cheaper insurance. Included within this exchange should be a national option. A national option would be non-profit and have the ability to provide comprehensive care for the best price. Including an American option in the exchange would keep private insurers costs from rising and keep them honest.

To keep health insurance affordable our system must shift to preventative care. For example, if more mobile clinics were put in impoverished and rural community’s potential medical issues could be identified early and treated. This would help to combat the high volume of patients visiting hospitals and help reduce cost. Additionally, we should provide tax credits to small businesses to help healthcare become affordable care. To combat the high volume of patients we should provide more mobile clinics in impoverished communities. Tax credits should also be made available to individuals and families that make below the poverty level. Lastly, waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare system must be rooted out to keep the long-term stability of our Medicare system for seniors.

Implementing these reforms must be done in order to meet the challenges of our nation. The costs of healthcare are driving more Americans into bankruptcy and making our businesses less competitive to foreign competitors. These reforms would reduce our deficit and begin to get our fiscal house in order. I will be a strong believer in healthcare reform.

Education

Our education system has many issues and in need for solutions to combat challenges that Americans are faced with everyday. Our children are falling behind in comparison to other developing nations. To provide our children with a bright future the United States must be at the forefront of innovation. First, we must support children with special needs and invest in early childhood education, because the period before a child enters into kindergarten is the most critical to their educational development. To attain this goal we must dramatically increase funding for Head Start and other Parent Readiness programs that have proved effective in getting our children ready for their education. Funds must be allocated properly to ensure that classrooms are managed efficiently and effectively.

Second, we must improve our K-12 education system. I talked to many parents across northern Virginia and listen to their concerns about the increasing dropout rate and if American students are being prepared to compete with the world. To achieve this goal, funding must be provided in order to bring technology and up-to-date textbooks into the classrooms. Additionally, we must rebuild crumbling schools and reward teachers based on merit and provide incentives to attract quality teachers. I support the President’s Race To The Top Program and will advocate to reform the No Child Left Behind Act to support schools that need improvement. Additionally, I believe that our school days and hours should be extended, so that our children are getting not only high quality education, but as much education throughout the year as our global competitors.

Third, we must expand access to higher education. The high school education that gave our parents and grandparents a career is simply not enough in today’s fast-developing world. Today, in order to purchase a home, support a family and retire comfortably, a college education is a necessity. Unfortunately, college and other advance training has become unaffordable for many Americans that is why I support expanding Pell grants and tax credits to families to help pay for education.

Expanding these programs will be costly, but they are worth the investment. I believe that government has the responsibility to invest in its future leaders, inventors and communities. We cannot compete globally if we are not developing better products and technologies. Failure is not an option we must improve our educational system, as a member of Congress I will push to refocus our Nation’s effort to strengthening our intellectual capital.

I believe with the right values, dedication, leadership and communication a new vision for Northern Virginia is possible. Let’s make it happen.

Ronald Mitchell has worked as an advocate, organizer and served his country in the armed forces. He holds a law degree from the University of Pittsburg, has earned his MBA, and is also a graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. Ronald is also the CEO of the B.E.M. Foundation, a mentoring program that reaches out to at risk youth using today’s technology.

How To Create Health Care Marketing Campaign Headlines That Attract Immediate Attention

Thursday, March 31st, 2011 at 2:00 am  
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How To Create Health Care Marketing Campaign Headlines That Attract Immediate Attention

Whether your health care marketing campaigns involve print materials like newsletters or newspaper ads, or you’re making use of the internet for health care online marketing campaigns featuring website articles and subscriber emails, creating headlines that attract immediate attention is crucial to success. While the content you provide in your newsletter, newspaper ad, website article, or subscriber email is ultimately the most important, your headline is what will attract a reader to want to read what you have to say.

Creating headlines that demand attention and compel a person to want to read your information is an art in itself, but it’s a lot easier when you know a few simple rules. This article looks at how you can create great headlines that attract the attention of your audience.

Become Your Audience

One of the first things you should do is to put yourself in the shoes of your audience so you can get in their frame of mind to answer the question, “What will reading this do for me?” If your headline doesn’t answer the question, the reader has no reason to read further.

Your headline should pique a reader’s interest by addressing a problem and then connecting with them by hinting at a solution that will hook them into reading more. Every headline must have a definite purpose and it should address a specific audience. For example, are you talking to parents with young children, to the elderly, or to people suffering from a certain health condition?

You should only use easy to understand words in your headlines. You’re not trying to talk down to your audience, you just want to keep it simple. After all, if your headline is difficult to understand because you use complicated words, a reader is going to think the rest of the content will be even harder to comprehend.

Formulas That Grab Attention

While using a formula to create a headline won’t necessarily work for every campaign, formulas can at least help get you started.

•    How To: How-to headlines promise the reader advice, information, or a proven solution to a problem. How-to headlines can also involve “Ways to” or “Steps to.” For example, “6 Easy Steps to Avoiding Urinary Tract Infections Forever.”

•    Reasons Why: Reasons why headlines do just that, give reasons why. For example, “5 Reasons Why Making Sure Your Child Gets Enough Vitamin D is More Important Than Ever.”

•    Question: If you know your audience has a particular question in mind, ask that question as your headline. For example, “Want to Know How You Can Finally Get a Good Night’s Sleep?”

•    Statement: With a statement headline, you just state it like it is and you provide a benefit to your reader, whether it’s a 50% discount on tooth whitening, introducing a brand new location that makes it more convenient for patients, or informing readers of a new breakthrough cancer treatment that may save their life.

Whether you’re creating print health care marketing campaigns in Sarasota, health care online marketing campaigns in Tampa, or a mixture of both anywhere in the U.S., taking the time to create a winning headline can mean the difference between a winning campaign and a campaign that doesn’t deliver for you or your audience.

Chris Harmen writes for Knight Marketing, a company that specializes in developing health care marketing campaigns in Sarasota and health care online marketing campaigns in Tampa.