Georgia Health Insurance 411

Archive for October, 2009

Got gas? Maybe you have a soy problem. The folks at Consumer Reports pass along this tip.

Whenever I drink soy milk I experience gas, cramps, and bloating. Would other soy foods cause similar distress? —J.K., New York City

You may find certain soy foods easier to digest. The body lacks the necessary enzyme to completely digest the type of carbohydrates in soy milk, soy flour, soybeans, and other legumes, producing uncomfortable gas in susceptible people. However, edamame, or boiled green soybeans, is harvested before the carbs form. And processing removes the carbs from certain other soy foods like tofu, tempeh, miso, and an ingredient called soy protein isolates. You may still be able to enjoy soy milk and flour by taking an alpha galactosidase supplement (Beano), which reduces gas by facilitating digestion of the troublesome carbs. (People with diabetes should check with their doctor before taking Beano, since it produces a type of sugar that might hinder blood-glucose control.)

Enjoy!

Does having high blood pressure affect your ability to find affordable Atlanta health insurance? It depends . . .

If your blood pressure is controlled with diet and exercise, you probably won’t have a problem. If controlled with 1 medication and there are no co-morbidity issues, it shouldn’t be a problem.

If you have high blood pressure and are overweight, or use tobacco, or have other issues such as high cholesterol, finding affordable health insurance will be a bit more challenging.

One way to prevent or control high blood pressure is naturally through diet and exercise. The folks at Consumer Reports gets to the core of apple therapy.

• Prevent disease. Apples are a natural source of health-promoting phytochemicals that have been found to lower blood pressure and protect against circulatory problems caused by diabetes. Study have also shown the phytochemicals found in apples help keep LDL (bad) cholesterol levels under control.

• Strengthen bones. Apples and apple juice contain the mineral boron, which has been shown to strengthen bones—a good defense against osteoporosis.

• Protect your heart. Apples are a rich source of soluble fiber, such as pectin, which helps to prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, thus reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

• Breathe easier. One study found that apple-eaters had better lung function and lower risk of respiratory disease, including asthma, than non-apple eaters.

• Fight cancer. Cornell University researchers identified a group of phytochemicals in apple peel that appear to kill or inhibit the growth of at least three different types of human cancer cells, including colon, breast, and liver cancers.

• Get quick energy. On the go? Apples are an easy, portable snack—and provide a great-tasting energy boost. This also makes them a good choice for kids’ lunches.

• Freshen your breath. Some believe that eating an apple is a natural remedy for bad breath. The rough texture of the food can help loosen food, while your saliva will help wash it away.

Gives new meaning to an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

We have a great track record in finding affordable health insurance for people with medical problems. In the last few months we have helped people who were rejected for health insurance an affordable major medical plan. Compare plans and coverage, find affordable Georgia health insurance at our site.

Atlanta health insurance companies ask all kinds of things about your health in determining what kind of offer, it any, they will make when you apply for health insurance. They want to know about your height, weight, tobacco usage and any medication you take.

Heart conditions, including related issues like high blood pressure or cholesterol, are reviewed in assessing your risk. According to the folks at Real Age, eating pumpkin is good for your heart.

Canned or fresh, pumpkin is a superfood, according to the authors of SuperFoods HealthStyle. And this squash is especially good for your ticker because it’s chock-full of carotenoids that are known to reduce heart disease risk.

And that’s not all, according to the book’s authors, Steven G. Pratt, MD, and Kathy Matthews. Pumpkin is also a good source of potassium, magnesium, fiber, and antioxidant vitamins C and E. So don’t think of this squash as merely a fall doorstep jazzer upper

Pumpkin is good for your blood vessels as well.

Pumpkin makes an incredibly rich and flavorful base for all sorts of soups, stews, and desserts. And it’s absolutely packed with blood-pressure-friendly nutrients.

Pumpkin flesh is crammed full of phenols — a type of health-promoting antioxidant that’s found in many plant-based foods. But pumpkin phenols may have particularly body-kind qualities. In cell studies, phenols from pumpkin flesh put a damper on the same enzyme that some blood pressure drugs target to reduce vascular tension. In other words, the phenols in pumpkin may help keep blood vessels relaxed, which means better blood pressure and better heart health.

When you scoop out your pumpkin, save the seeds so you can roast them. Pumpkin seeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid — a healthy fat that also helps protect blood vessels.

OK, so pumpkin may not be as much fun as a Snickers, but we are talking about your health here.

While the kids are carving the jack-o-lantern, take some time to compare affordable health insurance plans in Georgia.

Obamacare will expand welfare (Medicaid) roles to provide coverage for the uninsured. Most states will have to increase taxes to pay for the surging Medicaid recipients.

Notice I said MOST states.

According to the Christian Science Monitor at least four states will have their Medicaid bills paid for by Washington.

Last month, Reid improved the health bill for Nevada by winning assurances that Nevada would be one of only four states to be fully funded by the federal government for the first five years of expansion of Medicaid – a key element in plans to expand health coverage.

This is the same Harry Reid who said $54 BILLION is not a lot of money.

Seems Sen. Reid isn’t real popular in his home state of Nevada and is polling in the mid  30′s heading towards the election next year. You don’t suppose ole Harry is trying to BUY an election with OUR money do you?

Oink!

No word on who the other 3 states are that will be paid off to support Obamacare.

High blood pressure is a factor to consider when applying for Atlanta health insurance. Some health insurance companies will rate up your premium for HBP while others will not. How your policy is underwritten is determined by a number of factors including your height, weight and tobacco use.

If you are taking medication for HBP, the health insurance company will want to know which medication(s) you take, the dosage and how long you have taken the medication. If your doctor is still trying to stabilize your blood pressure, or if you have stopped taking the medication AMA, you may not be able to get coverage.

Did you know there are ways to reduce your blood pressure naturally? In addition to diet and exercise, there is evidence that drinking tea can lower your blood pressure.

The folks at Real Age give us this bit of information on lowering your blood pressure.

Tea brewed from lovely flower buds may help keep your blood pressure in check — if those buds are hibiscus.

In a study, drinking 3 cups of hibiscus tea per day appeared to help lower systolic blood pressure by an average of seven points in people with prehypertension or mildly elevated blood pressure.

Hibiscus tea is a great way to enjoy a healthy, satisfying drink and possibly lower your blood pressure naturally.

If you have high blood pressure, or other ailments, and you are looking for affordable health insurance in Atlanta, give us a call.

Harry Reid (D. NV) says that tort reform would only save $54 billion per year in health care costs. Gee, Harry, I don’t know. That seems like a lot of money to me. I guess folks in Obamington don’t count money the way we do in Georgia.

Just another stupid government trick.

The CBO projects 14,000,000,000 will go on welfare if the Baucus health care bill is enacted. According to the Directors blog:

Under the proposal, the share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage would rise from about 83 percent currently to about 94 percent. Roughly 23 million people would purchase their own coverage through the new insurance exchanges, and there would be roughly 14 million more enrollees in Medicaid and CHIP than is projected under current law. Relative to currently projected levels, the number of people either purchasing individual coverage outside the exchanges or obtaining coverage through employers would decline by several million.

So 14 million, some of whom may have private coverage now, will find themselves getting second class  health care through the welfare system. Americans who voted for change you can believe in will find themselves at welfare offices signing up for SCHIP (Peachcare in Georgia) and Medicaid.

Since Medicaid and SCHIP pay providers 20 – 25% less than private health insurance moving in this direction will actually be less expensive than putting these people on private plans. That means Congress is pretty shrewd in playing to those who are looking for a handout from the working class. Just like Oliver Twist, those who receive care through Medicaid will be coming back asking “Please, may I have some more?”

In most areas less than half the physicians are willing to treat Medicaid patients, so one wonders if putting more people on welfare medicine will put a bigger strain on the system.

Currently, those of us with private insurance are paying higher medical bills, and in turn, higher health insurance premiums, to subsidize the shortfall that results from treating Medicaid patients. As more go on the dole, expect the cost of our health care to rise and likewise so will health insurance premiums.

Medicaid and SCHIP are federal programs that are at least partially funded at the state level. Each state will have to raise taxes to cover the cost of expanded Medicaid and SCHIP roles. How much is anyone’s guess but Tennessee’s Democratic Governor Bredesen had this observation.

Gov. Phil Bredesen warned Tuesday that pending federal health care legislation could cost Tennessee far more than the $735 million “best estimate” his administration previously has cited.

The $735 million would stretch over five years, but “in addition, there are huge unknowns for the states in this reform,” Gov. Bredesen said, estimating that those costs, if realized, could exceed another $3 billion from 2014 to 2019.

You need to know that any estimates by the CBO do not include cost shifting and tax increases at the state level. Neither do they include increases in health insurance premiums.

When you add it all up you have to wonder just how much this whale is actually going to cost the taxpayers. Just another stupid government trick.

When is a budget cut not a budget cut? When the cost is in a separate spending bill . . .

Congress is playing tricks with your money, but then, why is this news?

In an effort to make Obamacare “deficit neutral” Congress proposes $500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next 10 years. CMS (Center for Medicare Services) already has in place a 21% cut in physician fee’s to kick in on January 1, 2010.

But wait!

CMS has proposed cuts in physician fees every year for the last (I lost count) several years and each year, under pressure from physician groups, somehow finds the money to wipe out the cuts and even pay a little more than the year before.

But this time they really mean it. Physicians are getting rich on Medicare and the country needs them to man up (or woman up as the case may be) and take one for the good of the country.

So how will Congress make Obamacare deficit neutral and keep the $500 billion in forecasted savings?

By passing a separate bill allowing physicians to remain whole.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday morning quietly set in motion legislation that could cost more than $200 billion over 10 years – without cuts or revenue to offset the spending — on a separate track from a larger healthcare bill that President Barack Obama and Senate Democratic leaders have vowed would not add to the budget deficit.

How is that for being sneaky?

They cut Medicare by $500 billion in one bill and increase Medicare funding by $200 billion in a completely separate bill.

Problem solved!

Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress has been adamant that “paygo” would reign when it comes to new spending or tax cuts. The healthcare reform bill, with a cost ranging from just over $800 billion to just over $1 trillion, would also be subject to that standard.

But lawmakers and the White House have sought a means to exempt the physician payments from paygo requirements. Congress has acted time and again to protect doctors from pay cuts and would inevitably to so again.

Because of that, many Democrats argue, the fact that the budgetary baseline assumes those cuts and characterizes as a fix as new spending does not reflect reality.

Since when does anything in Washington resemble reality?

The congressional budget resolution contains provisions that originated in the House allowing Congress to pass a physician payment fix without paying for it.

How does one “fix” the payment problem without really, you know, paying for it?

And folks thought Enron had creative accounting. This makes Bernie Madoff seem like a rookie.

Bet you didn’t know that in 2008 the IRS collected $194 billion in taxes to fund Medicare but then CMS paid out $391 billion in benefits to Medicare beneficiaries.

Health care reform will be a piece of cake. Just pass the legislation and then don’t pay for it.

No problem.

The SSA will announce no 2010 COLA for seniors on Social Security but Obama has a plan. Instead of a cost of living increase, 50 million seniors will get $250 checks.

Medicare part A deductibles will increase but most will see no change in Part B premiums or deductibles. However, roughly a fourth will see increases in part B premiums.

Medicare Part D premiums will increase as will drug prices. Of course that just means you will satisfy your donut hole much quicker.

Overall, CMS is proposing a 21.5% decrease in funding for physician payments. This means fewer physicians willing to treat Medicare patients.

Changes you can believe in.

Yes you can.

We have 535 elected officials in Washington, most of whom have never held a real job or run a company, that have decided the insurance industry needs more governance. They say the insurance industry is a monopoly and needs more competition.

The entire insurance industry got the exemption in 1945’s McCarran-Ferguson Act on the grounds that it was not engaged in interstate commerce, and, federal anti-trust probes would interfere with state rules.

Unlike other industries, insurance companies are allowed to discuss pricing, territories and other practices that would be considered collusion if not for the exemption.

Most insurance policies, particularly health insurance, are not sold across state lines. (Exceptions are group health plans where employers have operations in multiple states). As such, companies and their products are regulated at the state level, not the federal level.

While there may not be any laws prohibiting carriers from discussing “”pricing, territories and other practices” there is no proof that such practices occur. In fact, carriers strictly guard their pricing structure and do not share it with anyone and certainly not competitors. To suggest otherwise is foolish and terribly misinformed.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer cited Justice Department statistics that found 94% of the nation’s insurance markets are “highly concentrated” and that in nearly 40 states, two firms control over half the market.

Sen. Schumer has a law degree but never practiced law and has never held a real job. He has been in politics since 1975 which makes him qualified to do nothing other than waste taxpayer money. If in fact two firms control over half the market as alleged, that is proof to anyone who ever studied business courses or worked in the real world that they must be doing something right.

When real businesses compete a dominant player almost always rises to the top. They do so by offering a product the majority of consumers want at a price their customers deem to be competitive.

In most markets Blue Cross is the dominant player. If they are offering a plan for $400 per month and that is overpriced, other health insurance companies will simply undercut their price or deliver more value for the same price. When that happens, Blue is no longer the dominant player and they lose market share.

But if other carriers are unable to beat that price then Blue retains market share.

In many areas Wal-Mart dominates market share and they do it in such a way that competitors are squeezed out of the market. If Wal-Mart should get greedy and decide to raise prices that would invite new competition which would lessen their market dominance.

This is true of any industry, including health insurance. Why is this so difficult for Sen. Schumer to understand? Perhaps it is because he has never had a real job.