Anthem Blue Cross Health Care Gives the Gift of Health to Californians
By Peterr Nike
Anthem Blue Cross is giving the gift of health to Californians as the Anthem Blue Cross Health care Bus travels the state offering free health evaluations. Launched last year December from the Anthem offices in Woodland Hills, California, the bus will depart on a multi-city tour to include Los Angeles, Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai, Fresno, Sacramento and San Francisco.
“On board the Anthem Blue Cross Health Fair Bus visitors will receive, free-of-charge, a health evaluation consists of a full lipid panel; weight, height and waist measurements; blood pressure test; and Body Mass Index analysis. Together, these tests provide a snapshot of one’s personal health,” explained Leslie A.
Margolin, president of Anthem Blue Cross. “Anthem is also committed to the community, offering this service regardless of employment, immigration or insurance status. By proactively empowering individuals with vital, personal, medical information, we are taking an important step toward keeping Californians healthy with their insurance plans.”
“We’re particularly excited about this tour because we’ll be reaching several populations that might not necessarily have access to basic primary healthcare,” noted Margolin. “For example, in the greater Los Angeles area we are partnering with strong community organizations such as the Urban League, P.A.T.H. (People Assisting the Homeless) and the Kedren Community Mental Health Center — offering the free health screenings to their constituents. Anthem is committed to improving the lives of the people we serve and the health of our communities.”
The Washington Post-ABC News poll found 57 percent of Americans either strongly or somewhat support “having the government create a new health insurance plan to contend with private health insurance plans.” Some 40 percent said they were strongly or somewhat conflicting to the so-called public option, which President Barack Obama has said he favors but does not consider a non-negotiable component of any health care reform.
The vision of a government-administered health care program faces steep opposition from many in Congress, particularly in the Senate, though House Speaker Democrat Nancy Pelosi has said any House of Representatives bill will include such an option.The poll, which questioned 1,004 adults between October 15-18, also found support among a majority of the US population for a law that would require all Americans to have health insurance.
Barack Obama has said universal coverage is necessary to bring costs down across the board, and 51 percent of Americans said they would support mandatory coverage, while 47 percent were opposed. One issue on which there was broad agreement was the effect any health care reform would likely have on the US deficit, which has ballooned amid US government stimulus spending. Only 10 percent of those surveyed believed claims that health care reform could decrease the deficit, while 68 said they expected it would increase the US deficit.
But for 31 percent of Americans, an increase would be a worthwhile tradeoff for universal health care plans, the poll found, compared to 37 percent, who said reform would not be worth the deficit increase.
Margolin, president of Anthem Blue Cross. “Anthem is also committed to the community, offering this service regardless of employment, immigration or insurance status. By proactively empowering individuals with vital, personal, medical information, we are taking an important step toward keeping Californians healthy with their insurance plans.”
About the Author: Peterr nike is a Expert author for Health Insurance California. He has written articles like California health net coverage. For information visit our site http://www.goodhealthquotes.com/. Contact him at goodhealthquotes123@gmail.com
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Tips For Taking Responsibility For Your Own Health and Understanding the Health Care Account
By Kevin Gianni
This interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni’s Renegade Roundtable, which can be found at http://www.RenegadeRoundtable.com. In this excerpt, Dr. Jason Deitch shares on taking responsibility for our own health and understanding the health care account option.
Dr. Deitch is the co-author of the best-selling book “Discover Wellness: How Staying Healthy Can Make You Rich.” Dr. Deitch is also the founder of Discover Wellness Center and the Chief Wellness Officer of the Master’s Circle and WellCall, Inc.
Kevin: We’re about 20 minutes into the call. I just want to remind you that you can find out more information about Dr. Jason at this address: www.discoverwellnesscenter.com. Dr. Deitch, I want to take it back to the consumer here and I want to talk about this team. This team sounds a little bit overwhelming. From someone that may be thinking they don’t have the money to be supporting a team to help with their health. What can you say about that?
Dr. Deitch: Yeah. That’s always one of the first things that comes up. Here’s my belief on this. The reality is that more people these days have a greater financial stake in their health or sickness than ever before. There’s a growing trend that I predict will continue to grow, obviously depending on what happens as our new president comes in and what policies may take place, but the reality will be no matter what happens, consumers will be at greater risk financially the more they are at greater risk with their health. Thuat’s just going to be the trend.
So what really needs to happen for people is they have to realize that their health is their responsibility. Our health is our responsibility. Up until recently I believe that the consciousness that people have had, consumers have had, is that, “If it has to do with my health it should be covered by my insurance.” It’s the only place in our economy that we believe should be free and taken care of. I think it’s our responsibility as providers to start waking people up to the facts.
The facts are that your health insurance is really more like your car insurance. Most people don’t expect their car insurance to cover gas and tires and wipers and even little minor fender-benders. Most everybody knows that if you go to your insurance if you have even a minor fender-bender, what’s going to happen to your insurance rates? They’re going to go up. So most people have been trained to Understand that. In healthcare we haven’t gotten that point across. We need to.
The trend that I predict and we write about in the book, our last chapter is “Staying Healthy Can Make You Rich” is really all about the new trend of high- deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts. There may be some controversy about it. It’s not perfect for everyone in every circumstance but there is a large population of people that they’re great for that really could be putting pre-tax dollars into their own health savings accounts that would allow them to do one of two things. I think this is the opportunity and I think this is really where it gets, not everybody but most people most of the time are going to benefit and be able to use dollars to be able to invest in their health by using what I think of as inexpensive healthcare modalities. One of two things will happen. Either you’ll be able to use your health savings account money when recommended by a doctor for qualified medical expenses… A chiropractor is the perfect type of doctor because they tend to be holistic by nature and this ties back into creating a wellness network. So under the laws, and if those people who are using health savings accounts, when a service is recommended by a doctor, by a chiropractor perhaps, it could be a naturopath or others, that service then can be qualified, may be qualified, obviously check your laws and all of those things to not misinterpret what I’m saying, but those are qualified expenses to be paid for with pre-tax dollars. Now that gives you an instant 30 to 40 percent, depending on your tax bracket, savings on these types of services, which is tremendous.
The best opportunity really is for people to understand that when they are investing in their health and these types of services that they are in fact able to also save and kind of create an additional retirement fund. So if you’re not able to use your health savings account money, let that accumulate, you can in fact accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime, if you start early enough, for your retirement. You’ll probably use this money sooner or later at some point in time, but to be able to accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars of pre-tax dollars as an additional retirement account, gives you a very good incentive to want to do what you can to get well and stay well. I believe, as I said, for most people, most of the time, getting and staying well is a majority of the things you can do for yourself. Then you have additional support and help from those providers who can help you with the things that you can’t necessarily do for yourself.
Kevin: Right. Some people may not know exactly what a health savings account is. Can you just briefly explain that? I didn’t realize that they can accrue interest. Is that correct?
Dr. Deitch: Yes, they do accrue interest. It’s very much like an IRA or an additional retirement account of sorts. You accumulate your money. You get to keep it. It’s yours. That’s the incentive. That’s the point. And that is really the essence of how staying healthy can make you financially rich. We mean rich in all sense of the word. We know that richness in life is your ability to have freedom and freedom comes from your ability to be healthy and well and make the choices you want to make because you’re not hindered by some sort of health condition that prevents you from doing that. But financially, yes, you can retire with hundreds of thousands of dollars if you follow this program that we talk about in the book, by following these recommendations.
A health savings account is something that has recently become popular, because of new laws passed only two years ago, that is a bank account that you have to have a high-deductible health plan, a qualifying high-deductible insurance program plan that would allow you to then get a health savings account and put, every year it changes, it’s approximately 2,900 dollars per year or approximately over 5,000 dollars for a family, to put that money, pre-tax like you would a retirement account, pre-tax, into your own account that is your money. If you don’t spend it you keep it. I think that is a tremendous incentive for people to invest in their well being so they don’t have to spend it. It’s there if you need it and many of us are going to require a greater and greater security blanket. After several years you can have tens of thousands of dollars in your own account, which again is pre-tax dollars to spend on any type of healthcare or medical care that may be necessary to supplement these high deductibles 2, 3, 4, 5 thousand dollars at a time. If you’re doing this properly you’ll have that money in an account so you in fact don’t really have the risk that you may have even if you go through a traditional insurance program.
People think that if you have a low deductible, maybe 500 or 1,000 dollars, which used to be traditional, that you were in a much safer position. What people need to learn more about are these new types of plans. If you do find yourself having high expenses in many cases the low-deductible plans also may have what they call an 80/20 policy where you’re still responsible for 20 percent of your co-payments. Your out of pocket expense can add up very quickly if you were to need and use your insurance. The high-deductible plans, although you’re responsible for your first deductible, maybe 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 dollars, many of these plans cover you 100 percent once you’ve covered your deductible. So depending on your perspective and your attitude as to how you choose to use your insurance will depend on really how you use it. I think that there is a tremendous education for most people to realize that it’s far better to put that money into your own pocket, far better for you to become more responsible for your own health, accumulate those dollars, have access to any type of provider you would like to see and pay them directly for it. Because the reverse psychology is that many people, and I know people and I’m sure you do too Kevin, that go, “I pay a fortune for my health insurance. I’ve got a sniffle, I’ve got a sneeze, I’ve got an ache and a pain, I’m going to the doctor because I’m paying for it. I’m going to get my money’s worth.” There’s a lot of critics that may argue that people don’t get the care that they need. I will argue that there are too many people that are almost hypochondriacs about it because they think that they’ve got to go get care because they’re paying for it.
I just don’t think consumers are yet educated enough consumers. And that’s our job, that’s our role. I think that’s the potential that’s going to really help a new paradigm come into place. Doctor means teacher and as healthcare providers I don’t think our job is to do things to people, it’s really to teach them a better way. We will see how things evolve with our new president but there must be a better way. I promise you one thing, we can’t afford the existing system much longer.
About the Author: To read the rest of this transcript as well as access The Renegade Roundtable experts just like Dr. Jason Deitch please click here! Kevin Gianni is an internationally recognized health advocate, author & film consultant. He has helped thousands of people take control of their own health naturally. For more information visit raw food diets and holistic nutrition.
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Online Health Food Stores Provide More Details on Health Drinks
By Cliff Smith
It may not always be easy to determine what items are really good for you by looking at nutrition fact labels, but online health food stores often have far more details available to consumers about products such as health drinks. This can help clear up some of the confusion for online health food store shoppers who want the highest quality nutrition. In typical retail supermarkets, items such as natural foods and health drinks may have only one natural ingredient, but still be labeled as “natural”.
Online health food stores are usually very thorough in describing the true nature of their products. They assure customers that things like preservatives, isolated vitamins, artificial dyes or sweeteners are not included in their health drinks. The owners of these smaller operations may even know their suppliers personally and visit the manufacturing facilities. This can give them additional certainty that the products are processed at low temperatures to maintain whole food structures of the truly natural ingredients. Unfortunately, some of the so-called health drinks and foods at typical stores are devoid of nutrients because of the packaging processes, but consumers are never made aware of this fact.
Here are examples of a few items you may find at an online health food store that appear the same as typical store bought items on the surface, but are vastly different in the way they are processed:
? Vitamins – At an online health food store it is more likely these are whole food vitamins, not isolated, which provides the body with more effective absorption of nutrients.
? Natural low carb foods – These are not fake-food substitutes, but real, all natural food formulas prepared with your total health in mind.
? Health drinks and herbal teas – These are not enhanced vitamin waters or colored sport drinks, but herbal beverages with whole food ingredients.
Often, these online health food store products provide more effective results with fewer empty calories and less wasted money.
Many of the natural foods and health drinks from an online health food store can contain ingredients from plants grown on small farms, without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. This is vastly different from mass-produced products made with so-called “natural” ingredients that have been manufactured on giant factory farms with artificial fertilizers and dangerous pesticides. You would be surprised to know how many non-organic foods, and even some labeled as “natural”, have been grown that way. The USDA defines organic products as those produced by farmers practicing soil and water conservation. In addition, organic farmers must make use of renewable resources to protect the environment. This is the type of detailed information you are likely to find in health drinks at a reliable online health food store.
Some individuals avoid healthy lifestyles because they believe the cost is too great or that alternative choices will rob them of modern day conveniences. However, it’s important to realize now that modern technological advances can bring those conveniences to anyone with access to the Internet. Google or other search engines now provide an easy way to locate an “online health food store with all natural health drinks”.
Don’t be stuck under the false assumption that you can’t afford natural foods or health drinks without major sacrifices. It’s easier than ever to order health drinks from an online health food store and uncover more detailed information on what you are buying than you could ever find in a typical retail store.
About the Author: As the owner of an online health food store, Cliff Smith has firsthand knowledge of the highest quality health drinks available today. Cliff is a serious athlete who has logged thousands of miles on his mountain bike over rugged terrain throughout the southwestern United States. He is also a professional actor. See and hear his work at www.VoiceCreation.com.
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A Review Of All Health Content – The New Private Label Rights Health Site.
By Adam Tijerina
As a member of several private label rights (PLR) sites, I was kind of skeptical of this new offering called All Health Content. The idea is to deliver only health content. The name says it all right?
The sales letter didn’t sound too salesy or filled with too much hype and there were very few grammatical errors so that’s a good sign.
This PLR site says it offers 30 health related articles a month, 10 recipes, 10 product reviews, health related affiliate program suggestions, a special report to offer as a bonus for subscribers to your list, and a members only forum.
So as a skeptic I signed up for All Health Content at http://www.allhealthcontent.com.
First impressions:
Compared to other sites where most of the articles are hard to read and need heavy editing because they are written by non-native English writers, All Health Content’s articles are much better. You can actually read them and understand what you are reading instead of trying to figure out what the writer is trying to say. That’s a good start.
The articles I browsed through were on timely subjects including anti aging, insomnia, weight loss tips and more. The product reviews are setup to be used for adding your affiliate links. Some recent product reviews included a review of Weight Watchers, the Low Glycemic Index diet, and a review of Suzanne Sommer’s latest diet just to name a few.
If you run a health related blog, you can add some of these product reviews to your blog or you can start a health product review site.
A new addition is a monthly special report you can offer as a bonus to visitors to get them to signup to your list.
And support? Yes, I can personally attest to timely support turnaround times. Even if it happens to be at 3 AM. I got an email from support at 3 AM to verify my email address.
Cons of All Health Content:
The number of articles can be an issue since they are not all written about the same topic or keyword. You won’t be able to start a 60 page content site in the first month. I did find one or two small errors in the articles so you still will have to read through before you use them.
When you put it all together you could do a lot worse than All Health Content especially when you compare this site to other PLR sites that offer up to 1,000 articles a month for $30 that need heavy editing. The quantity of content is a small issue but the quality makes up for it in my opinion.
About the Author: Warning: Do not order All Health Content until you read this. All Health Content Review Discover what’s missing from this PLR site and how it can cost you.
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Health And Medical Insurance – Comparing Managed Care Health Plans
By Kay Lowe
Health insurance plans have been forced to take action to contain costs of quality health care delivery as health care costs have skyrocketed. Health insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays have steadily increased, and health insurance companies have implemented certain strategies for reducing health care costs. “Managed care” describes a group of stratgies aimed at reducing the costs of health care for health insurance companies.
There are two basic types of managed care plans; health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, and preferred provider organizations, or PPOs. So which health plan is best? How do you choose what type of health insurance best suits the health care needs of you and your family?
Both HMOs and PPOs contain costs by contracting with health providers for reduced rate on health care services for its’ members, often as much as 60%. One important difference between HMOs and PPOs is that PPOs often will cover the costs of care when the provider is out of their network, but usually at a reduced rate. On the other hand, most HMOs offer no coverage for health care services for out-of-network providers.
Both HMO and PPOs also control health care costs by use of a gateway, or primary care provider (PCP). Health insurance plan members are assigned (or select) a primary care practitioner (physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner). usually a family practitioner or internal medicine doctor for adult members or a pediatrician or family care practitioner for childern. The primary care provider is responsible for coordianting health delivery for plan members. Care by specialist physicians require referral from the primary care provider. This cost containment strategy is intended to avoid duplication of services (for example, the cardiologist ordering tests that have already been done by the PCP, or a sprained ankle being referred to an orthopedic) and avoid unnecessary specialist referrals, tests and/or procedures.
HMO and PPO plans also contain costs by requiring prior approval, prior authorization, or pre-certification for many elective hospital admissions, surgeries, costly tests and imaging procedures, durable medical equipment and prescription drugs. When such services are required, the provider must submit a request to the health insurance plan review department, along with medical records that justify the service. The request is reviewed by the health insurance company to determine whether the services are justified as “medically necessary” according to the health plan policy and guidelines. Review is usually performed by licensed nurses, and, if the reviewer agrees that the service is necessary, approval is given and the service will be covered by the health insurance plan.
As health care costs continue to rise, many indemnity health insurance plans, or “fee for service” plans are being forced to adopt some managed care strategies in order to provide quality health care and keep health insurance premiums affordable. And as long as health care costs continue to rise, the distinctions among PPO, HMO, FFS and other health insurance plans will become blurred. Rest assured, however, that managed health care is here to stay
About the Author: Kay Lowe holds a Master’s degree in health care and has 30+ years experience in the health care field. She is also webmaster for http://www.Health-Infosource.com, a website dedicated to disseminating health information.
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