This is actually my own press release. Enjoy:
Several new implementations on the Short Term health Insurance website make user experience faster and easier than ever.
Greensboro,NC,March,29,2008 -- Several new innovations are making the Short Term Health Insurance website even easier to use. The relationship between Short-Termhealthinsurance.com and Celtic Life and health is now more efficient as quote and buy technology is drastically improved in order to make it easier than ever to buy insurance online.
"We always expect Celtic to provide quality products, but this new software has enabled even more people who want health insurance plans easier access to these affordable programs," said Brian Thacker, president of ThackerAgency.com. Thacker Agency is the parent company of http://www.short-termhealthinsurance.com.
"We are determined to making the user experience simple and understandable when it comes to online insurance access. We want people who need it to be able to get affordable plans as quickly and easily as possible. This new online system that Celtic has provided makes shopping for affordable and quality health insurance as fast as brewing a cup of coffee."
The Short-Term Health Insurance website has even more up its sleeve, as it offers a new insurance plan known as the Amigo Medical Insurance Plan. This is the only health insurance plan available that does not require a social security number in order to be purchased, but that is still available to citizens of the United States.
Applicants are not required to live in the United States for two years before eligibility like with most short term health insurance products available in the marketplace. More than eleven states are currently offering this new Amigo health insurance plan. It is only a matter of time before other states across the country begin to offer this form of insurance to their residents.
The Amigo health insurance plan offers quotes both in Spanish and in English, and offers temporary health insurance with doctor office co payments of $50, while most other short term health insurance plans do not offer co payment plans. The main goal for the short-term health insurance website is to improve user experience, offering any type of insurance product that a visitor may require.
Brian Thacker is the founder of the short-termhealthinsurance.com website and has been offering health insurance benefits to individuals for nearly 15 years. Originally only individuals residing in North Carolina could take advantage of this unique opportunity to find the right insurance, but now Thacker's short-term health insurance services are being offered nationally and worldwide as well.
The Short Term Health Insurance website is providing a true solution for a largely untapped marketplace by providing information relating to an important and inexpensive alternative to traditional medical insurance plans like COBRA. The Short-Term health insurance website is consistently growing to offer new insurance plans to meet a variety of needs and provide solutions for people from all walks of life.
Contact information :
Brian Thacker
Short Term Health Insurance
Greensboro, NC
866-373-4948
http://www.short-termhealthinsurance.com
Monday, March 31, 2008
Why Not Single Payer?
This is an article examining the different ideas involved with the health care single payer movement within our government. It is a must read for all who want to know more about the ins and outs of the health care situation within our government today.
Why Not Single Payer? Part 5: The Single Payer Health Care Movement and the Plans of the Democratic Presidential Nominee
Before introducing Chairman John Conyers and Courtney Farr of the California Nurses Association, let me outline a few principals for our discussion this afternoon about how progressives should respond to the health care proposals of the leading Democratic presidential contenders.
First, if we have a Democratic president and an increased Democratic Congressional majority after November, we will have the best opportunity to enact Universal Healthcare in America since the Truman administration. If we blow it, the opportunity could be lost for another generation.
Second, this kind of fundamental social change will never take place only from the top. It requires a mass movement pushing from below. If history proves anything, it's that Washington only enacts major social change if prodded by large scale social movements such as the union movement, the civil rights movement, the women's movement and the anti-war movement. There already is a strong mass movement of unions, doctors, nurses, churches and community organizations building support for Medicare for All as embodied In HR 676 sponsored by Chairman Conyers. It has, I believe, over 80 Congressional co-sponsors--that's nearly 1/3 of the Democrats in the house-- and has been endorsed by over 235 union organizations in 40 states, as well as many citizens, religious and medical organizations.
Continue reading the article here.
Why Not Single Payer? Part 5: The Single Payer Health Care Movement and the Plans of the Democratic Presidential Nominee
Before introducing Chairman John Conyers and Courtney Farr of the California Nurses Association, let me outline a few principals for our discussion this afternoon about how progressives should respond to the health care proposals of the leading Democratic presidential contenders.
First, if we have a Democratic president and an increased Democratic Congressional majority after November, we will have the best opportunity to enact Universal Healthcare in America since the Truman administration. If we blow it, the opportunity could be lost for another generation.
Second, this kind of fundamental social change will never take place only from the top. It requires a mass movement pushing from below. If history proves anything, it's that Washington only enacts major social change if prodded by large scale social movements such as the union movement, the civil rights movement, the women's movement and the anti-war movement. There already is a strong mass movement of unions, doctors, nurses, churches and community organizations building support for Medicare for All as embodied In HR 676 sponsored by Chairman Conyers. It has, I believe, over 80 Congressional co-sponsors--that's nearly 1/3 of the Democrats in the house-- and has been endorsed by over 235 union organizations in 40 states, as well as many citizens, religious and medical organizations.
Continue reading the article here.
Private health insurance available, survey shows
This is what I've been trying to say. I know there are alternatives. People don't realize that there are alternatives so they don't seek them out. There are great alternatives for health insurance in America.
Private health insurance available, survey shows
Survey says: Help is available if you lose your health insurance in this spiraling economy.
Considering the looming recession, many people worry most about health insurance. That's according to a new survey. Nearly half of those polled say, after a job loss, they would pay credit cards bills late, but only 7% say they'd let their health insurance payments slide.
"You know the good news is today that even if you do lose your job there's a very, very vibrant private health insurance market and certainly there are ways to save money and continue your health insurance even if you have to pay for it yourself."
Sam Gibbs, consumer advocate, says COBRA -- the continuation of your health insurance from your company -- is expensive. However, he says the private health insurance market offers alternatives, allowing you to pick and choose which benefits you want and how high a deductible -- just like your car insurance.
Continue reading the article here.
Private health insurance available, survey shows
Survey says: Help is available if you lose your health insurance in this spiraling economy.
Considering the looming recession, many people worry most about health insurance. That's according to a new survey. Nearly half of those polled say, after a job loss, they would pay credit cards bills late, but only 7% say they'd let their health insurance payments slide.
"You know the good news is today that even if you do lose your job there's a very, very vibrant private health insurance market and certainly there are ways to save money and continue your health insurance even if you have to pay for it yourself."
Sam Gibbs, consumer advocate, says COBRA -- the continuation of your health insurance from your company -- is expensive. However, he says the private health insurance market offers alternatives, allowing you to pick and choose which benefits you want and how high a deductible -- just like your car insurance.
Continue reading the article here.
Private hospital boss slams insurance plan
This is an article from a doctor in Hong Kong concerning their debate on health care. He says that the young should subsidize the elderly in the system rather than having everyone covered under the same system. I think it is interesting to see how the international community deals with the same issues that we have here. I agree with this doctor. After the last post about Medicare going broke, I think we should probably listen to this man. Enjoy the article.
Private hospital boss slams insurance plan
The elderly and the young should receive subsidies to help them buy health-care insurance instead of making the scheme mandatory for all age groups, according to the deputy chief of one of the city's major private hospitals.
Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital deputy medical superintendent Kwong Kwok-hay said a mandatory insurance scheme, which has been highlighted in the government's health-care reform proposal, would deprive people of choices.
"A mandatory scheme means the young and healthy are forced to subsidize those who are chronically ill and old," Kwong said.
Kwong also accused Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat- ngok of trying to interfere with the market by proposing to standardize and regulate inpatient and specialist charges at private hospitals.
The Standard reported yesterday that Chow planned to set up a mechanism through which insurance firms and the private medical sector could hammer out standard pricing for inpatient and specialist services if the community adopts the option of social health insurance or a mandatory insurance scheme.
"It is a violation of free market principles," Kwong said. "If the government is so keen on an insurance scheme, it would be better to use public resources to buy insurance for two age groups, children under 12 and those over 65.
Continue reading the article here.
Private hospital boss slams insurance plan
The elderly and the young should receive subsidies to help them buy health-care insurance instead of making the scheme mandatory for all age groups, according to the deputy chief of one of the city's major private hospitals.
Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital deputy medical superintendent Kwong Kwok-hay said a mandatory insurance scheme, which has been highlighted in the government's health-care reform proposal, would deprive people of choices.
"A mandatory scheme means the young and healthy are forced to subsidize those who are chronically ill and old," Kwong said.
Kwong also accused Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat- ngok of trying to interfere with the market by proposing to standardize and regulate inpatient and specialist charges at private hospitals.
The Standard reported yesterday that Chow planned to set up a mechanism through which insurance firms and the private medical sector could hammer out standard pricing for inpatient and specialist services if the community adopts the option of social health insurance or a mandatory insurance scheme.
"It is a violation of free market principles," Kwong said. "If the government is so keen on an insurance scheme, it would be better to use public resources to buy insurance for two age groups, children under 12 and those over 65.
Continue reading the article here.
Medicare Insurance Program is in Serious Trouble
And this is the 800 lb gorilla that none of the candidates want to talk about. This is an article from the Florida Medicare Foundation that says Medicare will be insolvent in 2019 if nothing is done. This means. . . "A person who is 54 years old today cannot be assured that Medicare hospital insurance benefits will be there when he or she turns 65 and first becomes eligible for Medicare." It says that as of next year, Medicare will be spending more money than it brings in. Medicare costs account for nearly 500 billion dollars each year. Every candidate talks about providing health insurance to people who don't have it now as though it is a tragedy. But I would prefer that they focus on ensuring that the health care that they have already promised can be delivered before they move on to promise more that they can't deliver. Enjoy this important article.
Florida Health Insurance Consultant Says Medicare Insurance Program is in Serious Trouble
With most of the health insurance debate focusing on universal health care, Medicare Trustees admitted this week that the Medicare Hospital Trust Fund, and the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund "expenditures are growing more quickly than the rest of the economy - that is troubling news," according to Morgan Moran of Florida Health Insurance Web, a health insurance consultant.
(PRWEB) March 31, 2008 -- No other topic is more important to Florida, than health insurance. Florida continues to lead the way in terms of sheer numbers of newly arriving retirees, each of these new Floridians hope their savings, and health insurance policies will be enough to get them through their golden years. Then, the latest news from Medicare arrived and is bad news for Florida. "Currently Medicare expenditures eat up 3.2% of the GDP a total of ($432 Billion)," Morgan Moran of Florida Health Insurance Web, said in a phone interview, "the total is expected to rise to 1 Trillion dollars by 2083."
The government needs to act quickly to address Medicare's fiscal health, and enact steps which would postpone the insolvency date. Congress should quickly act on this warning, which would allow the program to be modernized and transformed.
The health insurance consultant continued, "The latest figures show Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2019." This year the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will pay out more than its earns, and over the next 10 years (equal to $342 billion). "Funds will more than likely need to be transferred from the Federal treasury to cover beneficiaries' hospital insurance expenses," said Moran.
Florida Health Insurance Consultant Moran is quoted as saying, "The government needs to act quickly to address Medicare's fiscal health, and enact steps which would postpone the insolvency date. Congress should quickly act on this warning, which would allow the program to be modernized and transformed." More information on this story is available at the insurance web site www.FloridaHealthInsuranceWeb.com.
A Medicaid Services Administrator, Kerry Weems states, "A person who is 54 years old today cannot be assured that Medicare hospital insurance benefits will be there when he or she turns 65 and first becomes eligible for Medicare."
Continue reading the article here.
Florida Health Insurance Consultant Says Medicare Insurance Program is in Serious Trouble
With most of the health insurance debate focusing on universal health care, Medicare Trustees admitted this week that the Medicare Hospital Trust Fund, and the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund "expenditures are growing more quickly than the rest of the economy - that is troubling news," according to Morgan Moran of Florida Health Insurance Web, a health insurance consultant.
(PRWEB) March 31, 2008 -- No other topic is more important to Florida, than health insurance. Florida continues to lead the way in terms of sheer numbers of newly arriving retirees, each of these new Floridians hope their savings, and health insurance policies will be enough to get them through their golden years. Then, the latest news from Medicare arrived and is bad news for Florida. "Currently Medicare expenditures eat up 3.2% of the GDP a total of ($432 Billion)," Morgan Moran of Florida Health Insurance Web, said in a phone interview, "the total is expected to rise to 1 Trillion dollars by 2083."
The government needs to act quickly to address Medicare's fiscal health, and enact steps which would postpone the insolvency date. Congress should quickly act on this warning, which would allow the program to be modernized and transformed.
The health insurance consultant continued, "The latest figures show Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2019." This year the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will pay out more than its earns, and over the next 10 years (equal to $342 billion). "Funds will more than likely need to be transferred from the Federal treasury to cover beneficiaries' hospital insurance expenses," said Moran.
Florida Health Insurance Consultant Moran is quoted as saying, "The government needs to act quickly to address Medicare's fiscal health, and enact steps which would postpone the insolvency date. Congress should quickly act on this warning, which would allow the program to be modernized and transformed." More information on this story is available at the insurance web site www.FloridaHealthInsuranceWeb.com.
A Medicaid Services Administrator, Kerry Weems states, "A person who is 54 years old today cannot be assured that Medicare hospital insurance benefits will be there when he or she turns 65 and first becomes eligible for Medicare."
Continue reading the article here.
Health care-malpractice legislative dispute goes on
In out litigious society, malpractice lawsuits have grown into an epidemic. While people are due compensation in the case of an improper action by a doctor, these lawsuits cause the cost of health care to rise exponentially. The reason they rise is the cost of the malpractice insurance for the doctors goes up and they pass that cost on to the fees for the patients. This is an article on how Pa is trying to solve the problem in the legislature. This is a major prong of the problems involved in the rising cost of health care.
Health care-malpractice legislative dispute goes on
Faced with a Monday deadline, Senate Republican leaders yesterday called on House leaders to consider legislation that would extend for another year a program that reduces doctors' costs for malpractice insurance.
The issue of extending the reductions through the state's MCare abatement program "should be considered on its own merits," said Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester, who issued a joint statement with Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, and Banking and Insurance Committee Chairman Don White, R-Indiana.
But Gov. Ed Rendell and House Democrats, who control that chamber, have linked the reductions, known as MCare abatements, to a House bill that would extend more affordable health insurance to the state's uninsured.
Mr. Rendell set a Monday deadline for progress on the combined package. Earlier this week, he began sending letters to the state's doctors saying the deadline would not be met and that the higher bills were coming due.
Continue reading the article here.
Health care-malpractice legislative dispute goes on
Faced with a Monday deadline, Senate Republican leaders yesterday called on House leaders to consider legislation that would extend for another year a program that reduces doctors' costs for malpractice insurance.
The issue of extending the reductions through the state's MCare abatement program "should be considered on its own merits," said Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester, who issued a joint statement with Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, and Banking and Insurance Committee Chairman Don White, R-Indiana.
But Gov. Ed Rendell and House Democrats, who control that chamber, have linked the reductions, known as MCare abatements, to a House bill that would extend more affordable health insurance to the state's uninsured.
Mr. Rendell set a Monday deadline for progress on the combined package. Earlier this week, he began sending letters to the state's doctors saying the deadline would not be met and that the higher bills were coming due.
Continue reading the article here.
Punjab to introduce health insurance scheme
This shows what India is doing to help give access to health care for the most poor. America already has a Medicaid system for the indigent, and a Medicare program for the elderly. But this shows how other countries are catching up to where our social safety nets are. To hear the politicians you'd never know we had it better than anyone.
Punjab to introduce health insurance scheme
Keeping in view the fast increasing costs of medical treatment, the Punjab government was shortly implementing a special Health Insurance Scheme for the people belong to Below Poverty Line families, so that the poor people could also avail the advanced medical facilities in the private hospitals.
This was disclosed by Ramesh Inder Singh Chief Secretary Punjab, while addressing the concluding function of three day North Zone Inter Medical and Dental Colleges Tournament at Dyanand Medical College and Hospital last night.
Further elaborating, the Chief Secretary said that apart from BPL families, the insurance would also be extended to the small farmers and farm laborers through village level Agri Cooperative Societies.
Continue reading the article here.
Punjab to introduce health insurance scheme
Keeping in view the fast increasing costs of medical treatment, the Punjab government was shortly implementing a special Health Insurance Scheme for the people belong to Below Poverty Line families, so that the poor people could also avail the advanced medical facilities in the private hospitals.
This was disclosed by Ramesh Inder Singh Chief Secretary Punjab, while addressing the concluding function of three day North Zone Inter Medical and Dental Colleges Tournament at Dyanand Medical College and Hospital last night.
Further elaborating, the Chief Secretary said that apart from BPL families, the insurance would also be extended to the small farmers and farm laborers through village level Agri Cooperative Societies.
Continue reading the article here.
Health-care insurance gaps affect all of us
This article goes over the increases in costs to health care and how people without insurance affect those costs for everyone. There's enough money, it just gets sloshed around.
Health-care insurance gaps affect all of us
Maria Gomez knows firsthand the devastation that can hit families who don't have health insurance.
Gomez is chief executive of Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care in Washington, D.C. The clinic serves Latinos who have no insurance or are underinsured.
The fact that 47 million people -- 9 million children -- are uninsured has been one of the top issues in the presidential campaign. Equally troubling is this statistic: The lack of health-care coverage is most acute among Hispanics and African Americans, many of whom work in low-wage jobs without benefits or are employed by small businesses that don't offer coverage.
"Things are getting worse," Gomez said. "What we are seeing is a lot of people coming in who cannot qualify for government programs."
Continue reading the article here.
Health-care insurance gaps affect all of us
Maria Gomez knows firsthand the devastation that can hit families who don't have health insurance.
Gomez is chief executive of Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care in Washington, D.C. The clinic serves Latinos who have no insurance or are underinsured.
The fact that 47 million people -- 9 million children -- are uninsured has been one of the top issues in the presidential campaign. Equally troubling is this statistic: The lack of health-care coverage is most acute among Hispanics and African Americans, many of whom work in low-wage jobs without benefits or are employed by small businesses that don't offer coverage.
"Things are getting worse," Gomez said. "What we are seeing is a lot of people coming in who cannot qualify for government programs."
Continue reading the article here.
Cautionary Health Care Tales
Here is an article that examines the problems with the brand new government mandated health care programs in Massachusetts and California. Enjoy the article.
Cautionary Health Care Tales
Plans for universal coverage in California and Massachusetts have been beset by problems.
The collapse of health reform in California and ominous signs from Massachusetts spell big trouble ahead for reforming the nation's health care system no matter who is elected President. The lessons from those states, which have tried hard to bring insurance coverage to all residents, are worth heeding for anyone sitting in the White House next year. They also raise the question of whether it is possible, either fiscally or politically, for states to do the job. Indeed, failure in California and troubles in Massachusetts indicate that the underlying problems that bedeviled reform efforts fourteen years ago are still with us, and could doom yet another attempt to change the American way of health care.
Although Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama try to distinguish between their plans, both are variants of the Massachusetts model. That scheme requires everyone to get health coverage, and it imposes tax penalties on people who don't -- the so-called "individual mandate." In both Obama's and Clinton's plan, people do not have a right to health insurance, as is the case in truly universal national health insurance systems, such as in France and Canada, where everyone is guaranteed coverage, with care paid for through a broad-based tax.
Continue reading the article here.
Cautionary Health Care Tales
Plans for universal coverage in California and Massachusetts have been beset by problems.
The collapse of health reform in California and ominous signs from Massachusetts spell big trouble ahead for reforming the nation's health care system no matter who is elected President. The lessons from those states, which have tried hard to bring insurance coverage to all residents, are worth heeding for anyone sitting in the White House next year. They also raise the question of whether it is possible, either fiscally or politically, for states to do the job. Indeed, failure in California and troubles in Massachusetts indicate that the underlying problems that bedeviled reform efforts fourteen years ago are still with us, and could doom yet another attempt to change the American way of health care.
Although Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama try to distinguish between their plans, both are variants of the Massachusetts model. That scheme requires everyone to get health coverage, and it imposes tax penalties on people who don't -- the so-called "individual mandate." In both Obama's and Clinton's plan, people do not have a right to health insurance, as is the case in truly universal national health insurance systems, such as in France and Canada, where everyone is guaranteed coverage, with care paid for through a broad-based tax.
Continue reading the article here.
Majority of U.S. Doctors Back National Insurance Plan
This is an interesting article because it seems to indicate that doctors want to be on the government system. But if you look further into the article and see who is most for it, you will see that psychiatrists (who typically provide services that aren't covered under private health insurance) are the most for the government payer system at 83%. Insurance fraud and waste is huge now. Under a federal system I imagine that the doctors will figure out exactly how to milk it to their advantage without having to deal with the legal teams of the insurance companies. I agree that the system needs to be a not-for-profit system. But I disagree that the government will be able to administer it. I'd prefer seeing the government make Medicare solvent before promising more care it can't provide. Enjoy the article anyway. . .
Majority of U.S. Doctors Back National Insurance Plan
A majority of American doctors now support the concept of national health insurance, which represents a shift in thinking over the past five years, a new survey finds.
Typically, national health insurance plans involve a single, federally administered social insurance fund that guarantees health coverage for everyone. In most cases, these plans eliminate or substantially reduce the role of private insurance companies.
A survey conducted last year of 2,193 physicians across the United States found that 59 percent support "government legislation to establish national health insurance," while 32 percent oppose it, and 9 percent are neutral. In 2002, a similar survey found that 49 percent of physicians supported the concept, while 40 percent opposed it.
Continue reading the article here.
Majority of U.S. Doctors Back National Insurance Plan
A majority of American doctors now support the concept of national health insurance, which represents a shift in thinking over the past five years, a new survey finds.
Typically, national health insurance plans involve a single, federally administered social insurance fund that guarantees health coverage for everyone. In most cases, these plans eliminate or substantially reduce the role of private insurance companies.
A survey conducted last year of 2,193 physicians across the United States found that 59 percent support "government legislation to establish national health insurance," while 32 percent oppose it, and 9 percent are neutral. In 2002, a similar survey found that 49 percent of physicians supported the concept, while 40 percent opposed it.
Continue reading the article here.
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