| Incentive to serve
When considering the quality of a Richmond officer's compensation package, Richmond City Manager David Evans said it is important to look at the total benefit package. Some RPD officers' families agree.The father of three children, RPD Senior Patrolman Tim Craft pays nearly one-third of his total take-home paycheck into the city's family health insurance plan. The youngest in the Craft family, 6-year-old Jared, is a special-needs child. The total cost of the Richmond HMO family plan is $1,011.94 each month. The city pays $255.18 of that cost. "We are on the lower health plan and it doesn't cover hardly anything," said Linda Craft, Tim's wife. "We couldn't afford (the HMO plan)."Even on the minimum family plan, the Craft family is responsible for $410.72 each month. That cost does not include any dental or vision insurance."We have even thought about switching to Blue Cross/Blue Shield because it is cheaper than what we pay through the city," Linda Craft said.
Bredesen Formally Launches CoverKids Program
Gov. Phil Bredesen on Monday traveled to a suburban YMCA in Nashville, the Bellevue Family YMCA and J.L. Turner Lifelong Learning Center, to officially launch CoverKids, which provides comprehensive health coverage to uninsured children who do not qualify for TennCare. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will administer CoverKids.
"Over 100,000 Tennessee children go without any health insurance every year. Starting today they are covered," Bredesen said. "CoverKids provides access to complete health care coverage for these children so they have the opportunity for a healthy start in life."
He said CoverKids offers comprehensive health insurance coverage for children 18 years-old and younger, similar to the benefits offered to dependents of state employees. Emphasis is placed on preventive care and services most needed by children, including vaccinations, well-child visits, healthy babies program, and developmental screenings.
General insurers may cut share of TPA business
MUMBAI: With big names in the insurance industry buying equity interest in third party administrators (TPAs), general insurance companies are planning to withdraw their business from them.
This could blow a Rs 500-700 crore hole in revenues of TPAs like Paramount, Family Health Plan and Medi Assist say experts. A third party administrator works on behalf of an insurance company to manage claims and customers.
Sources said United India and National Insurance have sent out circulars to these TPAs informing them of their decision.
Others like New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and private players like ICICI Lombard and Iffco Tokio are also expected to follow suit.
At present, TPAs earn over 75% of their business from the public sector companies, with the balance coming from private players.
Individual Health Insurance Overpriced - Insurance Consultant Needed
Florida Health Insurance Consultants are recommended for anyone buying health insurance. Recent polls taken by the Wall Street Journal said, "18 percent of American's do not have health insurance coverage" of any kind. 40% of those polled did not know the difference between a PPO and an HMO. Finding affordable health insurance has never been easy; it is not 'one size fits all.' Now, with the increases in policy rates, hardly anyone in Florida can 'afford' to stay healthy. Depending on your current state of health, budget and individual needs, the best insurance for you may be far different than the best insurance for a friend or another family member. What can you do protect your family? Contact an expert insurance consultant and talk to them about your needs. They can show all available policies, not just one policy from one carrier.
Beitlich Touts Health Care Plan to State Senate Committee
The leader of the Wisconsin Farmers Union says the state government is doing great work when it comes to reforming health care. At a public hearing in Eau Claire on Thursday, WFU President Sue Beitlich told the State Senate Committee on Health and Human Services that she 'is encouraging to know that legislators see our needs and are working to create change in this vital area.'
In particular, Beitlich says her group favors State Senator Mark Miller's Wisconsin Health Security Act--which she feels is the most comprehensive proposal, specifically in its potential to help family farmers, small business owners, and employers and their employees.
"In Wisconsin in 2005 there were an estimated 500,000 adults without health insurance--a conservative estimate that is growing--and the number of children without insurance grew from 91,000 to 110,000 in 2005," Beitlich told the panel.
Going beyond money, benefits
When 5,300 Houston janitors went on strike last fall, they were seeking a raise to $8.50 an hour, paid family health insurance and full-time work. But city of Houston employees, who'll begin contract negotiations today, haven't been as focused on pay and benefits. The Houston Organization of Public Employees, which represents 13,000 employees at City Hall, are looking for a better performance evaluation system and a chance to offer ideas on how to improve city services, according to union officials. "I think voice is more important than more money," said Damon Russell, a truck driver in the public works department and a member of the new 38-employee negotiating team. Employees want respect at work and to feel a sense of pride for doing a good job for their fellow Houstonians, said Russell, who was recently promoted and now earns $9.42 an hour.
Bill would give domestic-violence survivors time off work to get help
Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking could take unpaid leave from their jobs to get services or treatment under a bill headed for a vote of the Oregon Senate. The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 946 on Wednesday. Jill Raichel of Hillsboro, a social worker and mental-health therapist, said such a law could have shielded her in a previous job from an abusive ex-husband who came to her workplace and threatened her and co-workers. "I did not feel I could obtain the support I needed to protect myself and thus had to resign from my job. This was a financial and emotional burden for me and my children, which resulted in our having to relocate and for me to acquire a new job," Raichel said. "Having a law, such as the one proposed, could have prevented me from this upheaval in my children's lives." The bill also won support from Rob Quesnel of Tualatin, the Oregon director of American Family Insurance, the nation's third largest mutual-insurance company.
Blagojevich questions Jackson's opposition to tax plan
ROCKFORD (AP) - Businessman Duntai Mathews knows it's important to have healthy employees at his small woodworking company, it's finding the money to pay for their medical insurance that's the problem.So Mathews and his family go without insurance and he doesn't offer it to his 11 employees either."I need it," said Mathews, who is backing Gov. Rod Blagojevich's $7.6 billion business tax plan to make access to health care affordable in Illinois and generate money for schools and property tax relief.Mathews said private insurance companies want to charge him $6,200 a month to cover his employees and Blagojevich's plan to offer low-cost health insurance for workers would do it for $2,800 a month.But Blagojevich's tax plan has outraged many other business owners, who predict it would force them to raise prices and cut jobs.
Bill's aim is to ease big pain for docs
Dr. Randy Wexler spends about an hour and a half each day away from patients, working on health-insurance paperwork. This includes going over changes in contracts and verifying for insurers that even longtime patients are indeed patients. On top of the time the Gahanna family physician spends on insurance is the time his nurses and office workers spend on the phone with insurance companies checking patients' coverage, resubmitting claims and updating Wexler's credential forms. "Right now, we spend an inordinate amount of time on paperwork," Wexler said. That could change. A bill introduced in the Ohio Senate and House aims to reduce the insurance paperwork. The bill, backed by the Ohio State Medical Association, would mandate clearer contracts, Web-based access to check patient coverage, and a standard online form for credential verification.
Financial 'Carrot' is a Healthy Incentive
Or is it? Before long, your employer may connect your health directly with your paycheck. In the future, more Midlands workers will be able to save on health insurance by improving their scores on standard medical tests through company-sponsored wellness programs. That also means most people who don't participate and don't get healthier would pay more. It's a national trend that could place Omaha in the forefront because of the city's 25-year history of promoting wellness in the workplace. Midlands employers battling high health care costs are starting to give direct financial rewards -- up to a 20 percent discount on insurance premiums -- to employees and, sometimes, to their family members who improve their health. "I think eventually everyone will migrate to this type of situation," said Michael Demman, chief executive of SimplyWell, an Omaha workplace wellness program that serves 125 businesses with a total of 75,000 employees nationwide.
Insurance tax break a welcome breather
The first time Stacy De Smet was faced with an increase in health insurance premiums for the employees at her advertising agency, she was shocked. "My reaction was, how am I going to continue to pay for this?" said De Smet, president of Synectics in Huntsville. "But how can you take that benefit away when employees are accustomed to it?" The company, which De Smet started four years ago, offers health insurance to its three full-time employees and pays half of the cost of premiums. De Smet is pleased to be able to offer the benefit at her small company. "It doesn't come cheap, though," she said. The company's share of one family plan and two single health-care plans is more than $600 a month. The cost of premiums has increased since the company started offering health insurance coverage in late 2004.
EBI, Fidelis to answer insurance questions
Elmira Business Institute and Fidelis Care will host a Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus enrollment open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at EBIs campus, 4100 Vestal Road, Vestal. The event will include enrollment counselors from Fidelis who will answer questions about the free or low-cost health insurance programs they offer, including the states Child Health Plus for children under 19 regardless of income and Family Health Plus for adults ages 19 to 64. To enroll in either program, those who attend will have to bring proof of age, income and address. Both programs are open to Broome County residents who are not eligible for Medicaid. Enrollment counselors will also assists visitors in the Medicaid enrollment process. Debbie Swartz Vestal index
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Canadian versus US health care
Canada and the U.S. used to be twins when it came to public-health measurements. Now, after 35 years of Canadian universal health care, Canada's infant mortality rate is two thirds of that in the U.S, life expectancy is higher, and the per capita spending is half that in the U.S.
A member of our family, in the U.S., was hospitalized without benefits or health insurance and had to sell their home to pay medical bills. This is a common experience for many of the 45 million people in this country who cannot afford health insurance.
I have many relatives who have been cared for under the Canadian system, and I don't know anyone who had to sell their home to pay their medical bills. Yes, Canada has some problems with its delivery system. Some people may have to wait for elective surgery while the well-to-do will go across the border to be first in line.
4/10 life insurance customers ripped-off by ratings
Shocking research from specialist insurance website BestDealInsurance.co.uk reveals how greedy life insurers are making huge profits from loading up customers' life insurance premiums for what are sometimes only minor ailments. David Thomson, Chief Executive from the company says: “It is scandalous just how many consumers are getting hammered by their life insurer for so-called health risks. For example, if you want insurance and a family member has multiple sclerosis some companies will impose a limitation on to what you are covered for.
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How to Get Low Cost/free Health Insurance For Kids
Under the federal Insure Kids Now program, each state has a program to help qualifying working families get health insurance for their children. Difficulty Level: Average Time Required: Varies Here's How: Determine the program requirements for your state by visiting the Insure Kids Now Web site. (See Related Features for links)If your family qualifies, Call Toll Free number listed for your state to request an application and program handbook.Complete and return the application.
Tips: Each state has developed its own Web site with information about its specific Insure Kids Now program. (See Related Features for links.)Maximum allowable family incomes vary from state to state. [See Related Features for links to state program details.]Call Toll Free 1-877-KIDS NOW (1-877-543-7669) for program information and assistance.
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