Obama: 'Closer than ever' to health care reform, but 'not there yet'

Article By: David Jackson
Posted By: Srividya Srinivasan

President Obama hailed today's Senate committee health care vote as a "critical milestone," but added that "the bill is not perfect and we have a lot of difficult work ahead of us."

"Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back," Obama said, urging supporters to "dig in and work even harder to get this done."

That said, Obama praised the efforts of the Senate Finance Committee, particularly chairman Max Baucus, D-Montana. The president also saluted Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, the lone Republican to back the bill, for "both the political courage and the seriousness of purpose that she's demonstrated throughout this process."

"We are now closer than ever before to passing health reform," Obama said. "But we're not there yet."

He added: "There's still significant details and disagreements to be worked out over the next several weeks as the five separate bills from the Senate and the House are merged into one proposal," Obama said.

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Insurance for Natural Disaster

By Minjune Kim

If your home is located in a designated flood-risk area, then you should ensure you take out a good home insurance policy which will leave you fully covered should you be unlucky enough to find a river running through your living room.

With earthquakes rocking countries on the other side of the globe, Americans need to keep in mind that the natural disaster can affect them as well.According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), 39 states have experienced earthquakes since 1900, and all 50 states have witnessed damage from the natural disaster. The last major earthquake the lower 48 experienced was a 6.7 magnitude shakeup that occurred in 1994 in Northridge, California.

Homeowners need to realize that their standard home insurance policies do not cover damages from earthquakes. The California Department of Insurance notes that many people in the state may opt to get earthquake home insurance in order to reduce the cost of repairs associated with the natural disaster.

People who live on flood plains in the country are charged on average £345 more for their home insurance policy than residents in similar property elsewhere in the UK.A spokesman for the General Consumer Council, which compiled the report, said: "People can't afford to take out household insurance even though they know they are more vulnerable going forward to flooding."

Make sure you read your home insurer’s policy documents carefully and watch out for any exclusions. Read the terms and conditions for any additional benefits, such as an emergency payout to cover temporary accommodation and emergency supplies if your home has to be evacuated. Also, don’t forget to check the small print for any exclusions which could invalidate any claim and cost you more money.

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Low-income auto insurance bill vetoed

Written by Marc Lifsher
Posted by Minjune Kim

Efforts to extend a state-backed auto insurance program for low-income Californians failed after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have kept it going until 2016.
State law requires all drivers to carry minumum levels of liability insurance, and the low-income policy provides affordable coverage to motorists over the age of 19 with good driving records. The current program is scheduled to expire on Jan. 1, 2011.
Schwarzenegger said he vetoed a bill by Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) because "the effectiveness of the program is questionable given the number of policies in effect and low participation rate amongst the insured."
The governor suggested for Jones and the bill's sponsor, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, to send him a refined proposal next year.
Consumer advocates argued that the low-cost insurance program has been effective and criticized the governor for his veto.
"This veto is out of touch with the real economy that many Californians are facing," said Douglas Heller, executive director of the Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog. "Why should a program that has allowed nearly 50,000 Californians to buy auto insurance instead of driving uninsured and doesn't cost the taxpayers a dime be on the governor's chopping block?"

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AIG sells Taiwan insurance unit for $2.15 billion

Posted by: Andrew Pia

Written by: Faith Hung

TAIPEI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - American International Group (AIG.N) has agreed to sell it's Taiwan life insurance unit for $2.15 billion, a key step in its effort to raise cash after a U.S. government bailout last year saved the company from collapse.

Primus Financial, a new firm founded by Citigroup's (C.N) former investment banking head in Asia and a Chinese partner, has agreed to purchase Nan Shan Life, AIG said on Tuesday, ending a roughly five-month auction that saw several corporate and private equity bidders pursue the division.

With the Nan Shan agreement sealed, AIG is now focused on raising cash from two other major assets in Asia. Hong Kong-based life insurer AIA is seeking a more-than $2 billion initial public offering while American Life Insurance Co, which generates half its revenue in Japan, is seeking a reported $5 billion in an IPO.

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Insurance Fraud

Posted By: Lisa Matthys

Written By: South Florida Business Journal

A Miami insurance agent has been arrested for the second time in two months for submitting thousands of fraudulent premium finance contracts for fictitious policyholders.

Jose V. Peris, 52, is owner and president of Insurance Force Corp. dba FED USA Insurance Agency.

According to the Florida Division of Insurance Fraud, Peris submitted more than 3,800fake policies and stole more than $14 million.

More than $7 million has not yet been recovered.

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The Flaws in Insurance Coverage

Written By: Lisa Matthys

Are insurance coverage requirements too specific? One family’s story may have insurance companies reevaluate their cutoffs for insurance coverage.

Alex Lange, son of Bernie and Kelli Lange, was denied insurance coverage by an insurance underwriter for Rocky Mountain Health Plus because their baby had a pre-existing health condition, obesity. When Bernie and Kelli went shopping for better premiums, they learned that their baby’s size matters.

At four months old, baby Alex weighs 17 pounds at 25 inches tall. Based on his height and weight, he is in the 99th percentile subject to obesity most likely due to breast-feeding and his great appetite.

No matter how healthy the infant, most insurers won’t cover a baby over the 95th percentile including Rocky Mountain Health Plus. But no parent is going to deny their child food just so they can remain within the 95th percentile. Dr. Doug Speedie, medical director at Rocky Mountain Health Plus, believes that it is possible for a baby to be above the 95th percentile and still be healthy, and admits that the system is flawed.

To many supporters, this story gives reason for health reform. In a highly profitable industry, insurance companies regularly deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions that make them a financial risk. Aware of the flaws in the system, many health-care reformers are taking aim at the practice of underwriting. With current debates and lobbyists, the health-care system will most certainly experience changes over the next few years.

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Zimbabwe Health Care System Declines

Posted By Pete Hill

An article in the British medical journal Lancet paints a devastating portrait of the collapse of Zimbabwe’s health care system, once one of Africa’s best. Although the article never mentions President Robert Mugabe by name, it suggests that his authoritarian rule, stretching back nearly three decades, is largely to blame.
Life expectancy in the country is now just 43 years, because so many young adults die of AIDS. But the article, whose lead author is Dr. Charles Todd, a former chairman of the University of Zimbabwe’s medical school, points to many failures that government could have prevented.
Maternal mortality more than quadrupled from 1990 to 2007, to 725 mothers’ deaths per 100,000 live births. In 1994, 80 percent of children received all their basic vaccines; by 2007, only 53 percent did.

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Posted by Lindsey Connell

The US health insurance industry has launched a last-minute attack on Democratic healthcare reform efforts, releasing a report late yesterday predicting that insurance premiums will rise sharply if a chief proposal becomes law.

The report by accountancy PriceWaterHouseCoopers was paid for by America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group that until now has reluctantly cooperated with president Barack Obama and the Democrats' effort to overhaul the US Healthcare system.

The trade group had been working behind the scenes to help shape legislation, and Democrats blasted the timing and authorship of the report. The report was released just two days before the Senate finance committee is set to vote on a 10-year, $829bn bill that is seen as the most likely to win congressional approval. The trade group that funded it was instrumental in sinking president Bill Clinton's healthcare reform effort in the 1990s.

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Ploua

Pe-aici cand ploua, ploua indesat,
Nu tine ca la noi un ceas ori doua.
Ca ziua ploua, ploua pe-nserat,
Si cand se crapa iar de ziua, - ploua.

Vremea mohorata de azi m-a dus, de cateva ori, cu gandul la versurile lui Toparceanu. Si daca trupul imi este prizonier la birou, in fata unui monitor cenusiu, langa o fereastra intre deschisa prin care se aud picaturile de ploaie cazand cu tristete, mi-am ingaduit sa cutreier cu gandul, pentru cateva momente, prin locuri minunate. Pe care le stiu atat de insorite, atat de vesele…

M-am oprit pentru o clipa in Atena, pe strada Adrianou, la o taverna tipica si m-am asezat la masa care-mi ingaduie sa privesc tacut spre Acropole. Ospatarul mi-a adus, neintarziat, o carafa cu vin rosu din care am sorbit usor in asteptarea salatei grecesti, a frigaruilor din piept de pui si a sosului tzatziki. In dreapta mea, un localnic imi recomanda si un pahar cu uzo. Efxari'sto po'li…

Apoi, m-am regasit pe strazile din Barcelona, plecand grabit din Piata Catalonia pe Rambla si dorindu-mi doar sa ajung la un restaurant din Port Vell, unde se serveste o paella extraordinara cu fructe de mare. Caut o masa mai retrasa, de unde pot contempla marea si-mi torn un prim pahar cu sangria rece. Este atat de cald…

In loc de desert, savurez o plimbare pe stradutele inguste din cartierul Montmartre. Le zambesc pictorilor care impanzesc drumurile in panta si ma odihnesc la o mica braserie din spatele bazilicii Sacre Coeur: cu peretii acoperiti de tablouri si fotografii vechi, cu muzica jazz pe fundal, cu meniul scris de proprietar pe o tablita. Ma incumet la niste tarte de somon si un pahar de vin recomandat special de un fermecator garcon…

Si, intr-un tarziu, revin in Bucuresti. Aproape s-a innoptat. Acum nu mai ploua.

Mississippi Court Rules Home Insurance Policy Covers Hurricane Wind Damage

Posted By Rico K. Setyo
By Insurance Journal

In a 9-0 decision, the Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that so-called "all-risk" home insurance policies may cover wind damage from hurricanes, even in situations where the loss is later exacerbated by water from storm surge.
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The state high court decision found that language in a policy may exclude storm damage when it is caused by a combination of wind and water acting together. But if wind and water damage can be distinguished, this exclusion does not apply. The court said a jury must decide whether the damage to the home of Margaret and Magruder Corban was caused by wind or water.

The ruling is a blow to some insurers that had argued that such damage is excluded by anti-concurrent cause (ACC) and other language in their policies. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had sided with insurers in previous cases.

The state's high court has now decided that the ACC clause is not applicable because the wind and water losses were separate or in sequence, and not "indivisible." Justice Michael K. Randolph wrote for the unanimous court:

"We conclude that the ACC clause has no application for losses caused by wind peril. An insurer may not abrogate its duty to indemnify for such loss by the occurrence of a subsequent, excluded cause or event."

Once the wind loss occurred, the homeowners were entitled to coverage under the policy, the Mississippi court said.

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A Few Words can make a Big Difference

By Rico Setyo

The phrase “anything you say can be used against you” is not only relevant in the situation where a police officer catches you near the scene of a crime but it is also relevant when you file insurance claims.

An insurance claim is the actual application for benefits provided by an insurance company. For those who have insurance must first file an insurance claim before any money can be disbursed. Based on the insurance company’s assessment of the circumstances they may or may not approve the claim (Pollick).

One instance where words become an issue to insurance companies is when you get into a car accident. If either party of the accident apologizes, the claim becomes invalid for a couple of reasons. First reason is an apology can be and will be seen to insurances companies as taking the blame for an accident. Second reason is because you are claiming fault in the situation, the insurance companies do not have any reason provide monetary assistance or repairs to your car. Many people have the tendency to apologize even though it might not even be their fault but because of this natural instinct to apologize, many insurance companies are taking a “few words” to their advantage (Ong). The best thing to do is just to stick to facts without expressing any opinion (LawCore).

JD Howard, who is a founder of an insurance company in Springfield, Mo. States that over the years the philosophy of insurance companies have changed and gone more corporate. From “having a mandate” to pay our clients, to finding every possible reason to not pay our clients, the change is drastic. Many people spend thousands of dollars of insurance and a few simple words can determine whether you get insured or not.


http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-insurance-claim.htm

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091007-709024.html

http://www.lawcore.com/car-accident/insurance-claims.html

CDHPs and HSAs? The ABCs of health insurance

Posted by Ka Lee Angel Lee

By TOM MURPHY (AP)

More workers are likely to be offered a health insurance option that offers a lower premium, but could mean higher out of pocket costs, when open enrollment begins at many companies in coming weeks. Here are some tips for evaluating these new plans, called consumer directed health plans, and the alphabet soup of options this open enrollment season.
What's a consumer-directed health plan?
This is insurance that typically carries a premium lower than traditional coverage, but the trade-off is accepting a deductible that tops $1,200 and can stretch as high as $10,000 for some family plans. Typically, that deductible must be paid before insurance coverage starts.
That can mean paying for bills for blood tests, X-rays or a doctor's office visit in full instead of the usual $20 co-pay many have become accustomed to. Consumer-directed plans are paired with a special account to help manage these expenses. The most common are health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs).

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What Last Movie Would You Want To Watch In Your Life?

If you could only see just one more movie in your life, what would it be? Please explain your answer.

(Many thanks to Shiela- [Bluebirdy] of Life 4-Hours At A Time for the question)

Tags: Casablanca, For Whom The Bells Toll, Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, Quo Vadis, Star Wars, Gone With The Wind, Sound of Music, Independence Day, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, Jaws, The Exorcist, Superman, Batman, Spiderman, X Men, Breakfast at Tiffany, West Side Story, Titanic, Pretty Woman

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Philippines

Viewpoint/Opinion

Democrats Force Changes In Baucus Health Bill

Written by Julie Rovner
Posted by Stefanie Marty

The health overhaul bill expected to emerge this week from the Senate Finance Committee was supposed to be the one to win at least some Republican backing. But committee Chairman Max Baucus ultimately found himself scrambling to win the backing of enough Democrats to get the bill through.

As the committee wrapped up its formal debate around 2 a.m. last Friday, its top Republican, Iowa's Chuck Grassley, pronounced the verdict Baucus least wanted to hear.

"You know, there's a product here that most of the people on my side, maybe all of the people on my side, may not vote for next week," he said.

Fight Over Children's Health Insurance

The bill Baucus originally brought to his committee three weeks ago was mostly the product of months-long negotiations between three Democrats on the committee and three Republicans. In order to try to win some of those Republican votes, Baucus made many concessions, some of which made Democrats furious.

One big one: The bill would have eliminated the government's popular Children's Health Insurance Program for many children, instead making them eligible for subsidized private insurance through new insurance exchanges. That didn't sit very well with people such as West Virginia Democrat Jay Rockefeller, who helped create the CHIP program.

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Children’s Health Insurance

Written by Stefanie Marty

A recent study showed that children with health insurance coverage in families where parents are uninsured are at greater risk of missing necessary health-care services than children in families where both children and parents are insured. The study incorporated children between the age of 2 and 17 and included more than 43,000 children over five years. The necessary services which these children are more likely to miss include seeing a doctor, getting dental care and accessing prescription medications. Further they also receive less counseling on healthy eating, routine exercise, use of a safety or booster seat, and use of seatbelts or bike helmets.

These findings show the necessity of not only extending health insurance to children, but parents as well. Dr. Jennifer E. DeVoe, the lead author of the study, said, that the children’s health insurance program is going in the right direction and more and more kids are getting insurance coverage, but the importance is not to stop now. It is crucial that families, kids as well as parents, are covered.

This necessity is also shown by the Commonwealth Fund Commission, which released its second state scorecard report. The report revealed that since 2007 health insurance coverage across states for adults has declined while the coverage for children increased.

One way health insurance for uninsured children is offered is by states that have in place federally approved programs. The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides health insurance coverage to uninsured children up to age 19. SCHIP is a state administered program and the guidelines on eligibility and services are set by the participating states. It is possible that families who do not qualify for Medicaid, because they earn too much, qualify for SCHIP. The insurance provided by the SCHIP pays for doctor visits, immunizations, hospitalization and emergency room visits.

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New Trend: Seniors are cashing out their life insurances

by Michael Rivezzo


Senior citizens are raising cash by selling their life-insurance policies to investors that will profit from them when they die. Policies worth $10 billion face value were sold last year alone with a $8 billion increase from 2002.Federal lawmakers are starting to get worried about this ever increasing trend because it is unregulated with no one watching out for individuals who sell their policies or the investor buying them. Seniors who need cash are starting to sell their policies to third-party investors for a substantial lump sum, then soon transferring ownership of their policy to the investor. This investor will continue to pay the insurance premium and becomes the beneficiary.

Some advisors are telling clients to also be cautious because there is not a real indicator to determine how much a policy should actually be worth and also the market for life settlements isn't very efficient. Advisors suggest that the only people that should be selling their polices are people in dire need of money who don't have no where to go and also people whose policy has outlived their use. Many seniors that have sold their policies already have children that are independent and they have no need for the money so they are cashing them out early.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/30/business/moneywatch/main5353961.shtml

http://www.newschief.com/article/20091002/NEWS/910025031/1053?Title=Some-seniors-cashing-out-life-insurance-policies

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574447350852232082.html

Children's health insurance: How much aid is enough?

By Richard Wolf

Posted by Michael Rivezzo

The view of Midtown Manhattan rising majestically above the Hudson River doesn't get much better than from here. And the cost of living doesn't get much higher.
It's little wonder, then, that Anna Velazquez says she and her husband, José, can't afford private health insurance for their two children on a $57,000 family income.

Lucky for them, they live in New Jersey. The state has the nation's highest income eligibility level for the Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal-state partnership created in 1997 to help families who earn too much to get Medicaid. Under CHIP, which will expire Oct. 1 unless President Bush and Congress agree to renew it, families of four can get coverage with incomes up to $72,275 — 350% of the federal poverty level. The Velazquezes pay $18.50 a month per child; taxpayers cover the rest.

"What would I do without health insurance?" says Velazquez, 39, who works at a health center. "I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, worrying about my kids."


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Mars funebru

Considerat initial un poet simbolist, George Bacovia [al carui pseudonim provine din limba latina Bachus via, unde insemna Calea lui Bachus], si-a depasit epoca, poezia sa fiind afiliata curentelor de gandire noi, pusa în paralel cu teatrul absurdului, cu anumite curente ale modernismului poetic, cu suprarealismul, dicteul automat, imagismul sau chiar expresionismul dar si cu scoli filozofice cum ar fi existenţialismul etc. Astfel, Bacovia poate fi considerat unul dintre cei mai importanti poeti romani, fiind totodata si autorul care a reusit sa execute un urias salt canonic de la statutul de poet minor la cel de autor clasic al literaturii romane.

Ce m-a determinat sa scriu randurile de mai sus? Ecoul versurilor acestui poet ascuns in spatele unui om incomplet, fara baza corporala, ros pana in strafunduri de contradictii. Versuri pe care le-am recitit de curand:

Ningea bogat, si trist ningea, era tarziu,
Cand m-a oprit, in drum, la geam, clavirul;
Si-am plans la geam, si m-a cuprins delirul

Amar, prin noapte vantul fluiera pustiu.

Car Insurance could provide a roadmap for health insurance reform

By: Christina Dove

As the debate over healthcare reform continues, there have been a few proposals to make our health insurance similar to the policies of our car insurance. It is required for everyone to have car insurance in order to be able to drive. The equivalent for health insurance is that everyone would need to have health insurance in order to live. This causes a lot of controversy because people do not feel that the government has that kind of control over them and it violates our free liberty established in the constitution.

Although, there are still many facets of the health care reform that need to be finalized, we can adapt many of the same principles to health care that we already use for car insurance. For instance, the portability of car insurance is definitely an advantage in that it can be carried across states with different jobs, etc. In addition, the price that people pay for car insurance is directly related to their driving habits (accidents, tickets, etc) as well as their grades for their children. The equivalent could be for those who maintain a healthy lifestyle and remain in good health. This would provide an incentive for people to make better lifestyle choices, since the price they are paying for health insurance would be affected.

It will still be a significant amount of time before this issue is resolved, there are so many proposed solutions and ideas to improve our current system and to make it as affordable as possible for everyone. The Democrats and Republicans are going to have to work together and come up with a compromise on the best solution for America at this time and perhaps use car insurance as a base model.

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/10/one-argument-that-has-been.php

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703298004574457352744634762.html

http://blogs.ajc.com/kyle-wingfield/2009/10/06/health-care-which-is-the-real-party-of-no/?cxntfid=blogs_kyle_wingfield

Health Insurance Reform Must Include Public Option

Posted by: Andrew Pia Written by: Sen. Sherrod Brown

A majority of Americans support a public option. An overwhelming majority of Democrats in Congress support a public option. Doctors support a public option. Why then is the public option seen by some as the third rail of health insurance reform?

We know the disturbing facts by heart: Millions of Americans are one illness -- or one pink slip -- away from bankruptcy because of high health care costs and lack of access to affordable insurance. 30 million Americans are without health insurance. Nearly 400 Ohioans lose their insurance every day.

Middle class families pay $1,000 annually in hidden taxes to recoup the cost of care for our nation's uninsured.

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