End to hidden tax is priority in health reform by EasyToInsureME

President Barack Obama and doctors attending the American Medical Association convention didn’t exactly hit it off during the president’s address a week ago. Despite cheering for Obama’s call for reform that brings care to all Americans, the physicians offered visible disapproval of the president’s stated unwillingness to seek broader protection for doctors from medical malpractice suits.
Washington pledges to move quickly with health reform, but there are many miles to go and mountains to cross.

Obama’s goal of providing health care insurance to all is a top priority, but how to achieve the objective will be the subject of an intense battle. Privately insured individuals have a lot at stake.

Sue Berkowitz is the director of the S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Center (www.scjustice.org). Frank Knapp Jr. is the president and CEO of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce (www.scsbc.org). In a recent submission, they note the consumer health organization Families USA released a report that reveals that privately insured residents of South Carolina and other states pay a “hidden health tax” every year averaging $1,017 for family and $368 for individual health insurance to subsidize health care for the uninsured.

This happens because health-care providers must increase their costs to cover those with insurance in order to pay for the uncompensated care to the uninsured. The insurance companies then pass on these higher costs to their policyholders in the form of higher premiums.

This hidden health tax actually would be a lot higher, but the uninsured do struggle to pay for some of their care (37 percent), and charity and other programs pay about 26 percent of their care, Berkowitz and Knapp write.

“Nationwide this hidden health tax was approximately $42.7 billion dollars in 2008. So are individuals and businesses that pay this extra premium every year getting their money’s worth in helping the uninsured? Not hardly.”

The problem is particularly acute in places such as The T&D Region, where a higher-than-average number of people live at or below the poverty line.

Berkowitz and Knapp explain: “The uninsured delay seeking medical care because they don’t have coverage and don’t have extra money from their paychecks to pay to see a doctor. So by the time they finally do seek medical care, they are much sicker. That’s why uninsured adults are more likely to be diagnosed with a disease in an advanced stage, which costs more to treat. The health care received by the uninsured is thus untimely, often inadequate and doesn’t include essential preventative care.”

More than 1 million South Carolinians were uninsured over the past year. All of them are receiving poor-quality health care partially subsidized through the hidden health tax that drives up the premiums of the privately insured. And with rising costs, fewer and fewer businesses are able to offer the benefit of health insurance. The problem is growing and will continue to grow without a change in the way the system works.

Berkowitz and Knapp say “it is time for every individual and business owner paying for health insurance to demand that we fix this costly, inefficient health-care system. Of course, every uninsured individual and business unable to afford health insurance for employees should also demand change.

At the White House, in Congress and in the offices of physicians, there is realization that the present system is broken.

Coming together to fix it will involve compromise and even sacrifice. But the end result should be as the two writers state: “All Americans and businesses deserve an affordable health-care system that controls costs, requires all to share the costs fairly, is accessible and delivers high-quality health care.”

EasyToInsureME.com offers clients the easiest way to buy individual health insurance. Free services include instant online health insurance quotes, custom proposals for each client, free phone consultation, and 10-minute application by phone. Our services are free because we are paid by the health insurance company not by our clients.

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Pennsylvania health insurance : Rendell takes action by EasyToInsureMe

With the four strokes of his pen, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell took action on four health care reforms in the state, including the expansion of COBRA health and increasing the age limit for a dependent coverered under a parent’s health plan.
Three of the four bills Rendell signed June 10 were part of his “Prescription for Pennsylvania” series of reforms and another, the expansion of the COBRA program, was originally proposed as a part of a package of health care bills by Senate Republicans.

Rendell praised the work of the legislature in “working together to pass these bills which will help provide health care coverage for thousands of uninsured Pennsylvanians, reduce the cost of health care and will improve health care quality for all Pennsylvanians,” he said in a statement.

Over the last few years, Rendell and the Senate Republicans have battled over his desire to expand health coverage in the state.

SB 189 allows uninsured single, adult children up to age 30 to be covered by their parents’ health insurance plan. Parents must pay the premiums and coverage hinges on an employer’s willingness to offer the benefit to employees with children.

The bill takes effect in six months and coverage will be on a rolling basis after that as contracts are renewed, according to the governor’s office.

The expansion comes amidst research last year that 40% of the state’s total uninsured population, or 383,298 residents, are between the ages of 19 and 29. The new legislation will help reduce that number, Rendell said.

“[This bill] will be the answer to the prayers of parents whose kids will be graduating from college and will be kicked off their health insurance policies because they’ve reached the maximum age,” the governor said. “Parents and kids are stressed because the kids are now uninsured and are having trouble finding jobs, with health insurance, due to the current economic situation.”

HB 109 expands federal COBRA law to Pennsylvania businesses with fewer than 20 employees through a “mini-COBRA” program. The bill allows these employees to continue receiving health insurance at the business’ expense for up to nine months.

Legislators piggybacked on the federal stimulus plan, which permits employees who lose their jobs and qualify for COBRA to receive a government subsidy of 65% for their care. In Pennsylvania, small business employees who lost their jobs between July 10 and Jan. 1, 2010, will be eligible for the subsidy.

Rendell said this bill will help “relieve the worry” of small business employees about to lose their job and now have the opportunity to keep health coverage while searching for new employment.

The other bills signed by Rendell were HB 84, prohibiting health care providers from seeking reimbursements for a serious, preventable medical error, or “never events,” and SB 89, reauthorizing the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4), which the governor called “the nation’s premier health care data collection and reporting agency.”

The Pennsylvania Association of Health Underwriters, a trade group representing many Pennsylvania health insurance agents and brokers, had lobbied in support of three of the bills signed by the governor. They were the bills prohibiting providers from filing insurance claims for adverse foreseeable events, the COBRA expansion and the reauthorization of the PHC4, according to its contract lobbyist, Vince Phillips.

EasyToInsureME.com offers clients the easiest way to buy individual health insurance. Free services include instant online health insurance quotes, custom proposals for each client, free phone consultation, and 10-minute application by phone. Our services are free because we are paid by the health insurance company not by our clients.

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Secrets to Lower Health Insurance Rates by Carlos Scarpero

Health insurance rates have gone up over the past ten years but you don’t have to pay more for your health coverage. There are certain “secrets” that can save you money and help you pay lower health insurance rates.
Number One The very first thing to know is that a well-informed consumer always pays less for everything! Yes, that’s right. Simply by digging around and getting as much information as possible, you can save hundreds of dollars per year on your health insurance or any item you might be thinking of purchasing.

Searching for the best prices on everything is so much simpler these days with the convenience of the Internet. It is easy and takes so little time to research health insurance rates on the World Wide Web. After you visit a few of the web sites which offer health insurance you’ll have a pretty good idea of the type of information which will be required on their questionnaire.

Health insurance companies want to know all the standard stuff about you and each member of your family that will be included on the policy. Things such as:

Name Address Age Social Security Number Drivers License Number General health questions Any pre-existing conditions

If this seems like a lot to you, then you might consider making your first application at one of the online sites which specializes in getting you multiples health insurance quotes by filling out only one questionnaire. Normally, the questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete and within 24 hours you can expect to receive at least half a dozen health insurance rates from a variety of companies.

This can be very helpful but it might not give you a full and complete view of the best rates out there. It might also be a good idea to stop in at a couple of local companies in your neighborhood to ask about their health insurance rates and plans.

Many times, health insurance is offered at lower rates by companies that you already do business with, such as Triple A, the largest motor club association in the United States. If you are already a member, you can call their toll free number or go to their web site and fill out a simple questionnaire to receive their health insurance rates. If you are not a member, then it’s a simply matter of joining and it could certainly save you money in the long run.

Another great way to save money on your health insurance rates is to get healthy and stay that way! Join a gym and work out 3 times per week. Cut back on your intake of fried and fatty foods and begin to live a more wholesome lifestyle. Smokers pay much higher health insurance rates. If you’re a smoker, then it’s worth your time and trouble to get into a “Stop-Smoking” program and kick the habit. This can save you hundreds of dollars per year on your health insurance not to mention the agony of possible future health problems.

Your health insurance rates don’t have to skyrocket! Take control and begin to save money today!

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Would you like to save money on your health insurance? Save big money on health insurance and get helpful money saving tips by going to www.free-health-insurance-quote.net

Protect Your Home While You’re Away by Sarah Maple

Empty homes provide summer burglars with easy pickings. In the excitement of preparing for your holiday, double checking your home cover is up-to-date might not seem very appealing. But when you leave your home empty you leave it at risk, so it is absolutely essential that you make sure it is secure and protected.
The summer is a peak time for burglaries, with 42% more theft claims than in the winter months according to Saga Home Insurance, which also says that nearly half of all burglaries occur when a home is empty.

What should you do to protect your home?

You need to do everything you can to make it look as though you are still at home.

Measures such as cancelling the milk and newspapers, and getting timers on your lights can be helpful, but it’s also worth asking a friend or member of the family to act as a housesitter while you are away, or at least to push any protruding post through your letter box.

Decent window and door locks are vital, as is a burglar alarm (according to recent research from Confused.com, 16 million homes in the UK do not have an alarm fitted), and having these in place could also reduce your home insurance premiums.

Also look at access to your back garden or the side of your property. Do you have a sturdy gate with a lock, or is it easy for somebody to access your land without being seen?

Whatever you do, don’t leave a spare set of keys in the garage or shed - even if you think they are well hidden.

Ensure you insure your property

These preventative measures are important but the reality is that burglaries still happen. They are always upsetting and some things are irreplaceable, but knowing that home insurance could recompense you for your belongings is invaluable.

Yet despite this, Confused.com estimates that almost 10 million households in the UK do not have any form of home insurance.

Is your home underinsured?

Even those who do have contents insurance are often significantly underinsured. This happens because, as we increase our possessions over time, we tend to forget to increase our contents insurance to cover the extra value. This is a potentially expensive problem, particularly when you consider that research by Sainsbury’s found that the cost of replacing the contents of the average British home is £45,000.

Cover your car

If you are taking your car on holiday you might be making long car journeys or driving in unfamiliar areas. A bump on holiday could be costly and comprehensive car insurance could save you hundreds of pounds.

Even if you are leaving the car at home this year, it could be at risk of theft. If you only have third party cover, upgrading could be a smart move and needn’t mean vastly increased premiums.

Whatever you do, don’t neglect your home and possessions when you go away. It can cost surprisingly little for the peace of mind that your property is protected.

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Looking to get a cheap home insurance quote then try confused.com who compare home insurance from 54 of the UK’s leading home cover providers. So visit now to find great buildings and contents cover.