Archive for May, 2009

Florida Health Insurance Minority Health Initiative

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

State Senator Arthenia Joyner (D-Tampa) on Tuesday welcomed reassurances from the governors office that a move to transfer the innovative Office of Minority Health into a sprawling division within the Florida Department of Health would be rejected.

The decision came less than 24-hours after the Tampa Democrat sent a letter to Governor Charlie Crist, urging him to rethink his agencys pending action.

The Office of Minority Health is currently on the cutting edge with regard to research, cultural competency and health equity policy, Joyner wrote. This momentum must be continued. Moving this office into a large department division will most certainly diminish the capability of the office to continue developing and implementing direly needed policies and strategies essential to eliminating health disparities among racial and ethnic populations.

“It is my deepest fear that the focus and progress of the program will be lost by swallowing this mission within an immense bureaucracy.

At issue was an abrupt decision by DOH to transfer the highly effective Office of Minority Health into the agencys sprawling Division of Family Health Services.

Established by the Legislature five years ago, the Office of Minority Health was launched by the former governor as a way to close the widening gap in health care for minority and ethnic residents by providing community medical outreach services, among other programs.

Since then, the group has made significant headway in rolling back not only the disparity in health services available to such groups, but the high costs taxpayers shoulder due to over-reliance on indigent emergency room care.

This has been accomplished at little cost to the state. Staffed by five including the director, only three full time members of the unit are paid by the state; the other two are funded through federal grant money.

Since its inception, the Office of Minority Health has been extremely effective, already touching 50,000 lives throughout Florida and saving taxpayers potentially millions of dollars, said Sen. Joyner. The medical treatment this office spearheads costs on average about $100. Compare that to the typical emergency room visit costing taxpayers roughly $1600. Thats a huge savings.

Cut this last legislative session by $1 million, the office has been struggling to complete a series of innovative initiatives, among them an agency-wide strategic and operational plan, along with a county-by-county database so that private health care organizations and residents can track community needs and progress.

The sudden decision to absorb into a larger, more cumbersome bureaucracy such a dynamic office noted as much for saving lives as for saving money made little sense, particularly in light of the economic conditions the state currently confronts, according to Joyner.

Nationwide, our state comes in 45th in health care rankings, much of it due to the lack of health insurance and health care options for a large group of our diverse population. The worsening economy is only compounding matters.

The Senator said she was heartened to hear that the governor pledged to protect the groups independence, while continuing to report to the agencys deputy surgeon general.

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Florida Health Insurance
Vista Health Insurance

EasyToInsureME offers clients the easiest way to buy individual health insurance. Free services include instant online health insurance quotes, custom proposals for each client, free phone consultation, and 10-minute application by phone. Our services are free because we are paid by the health insurance company not by our clients.

Shield Your Future with Professional Liability Insurance

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Since more people are seeking compensation daily all across the nation, public liability insurance is becoming more of a requirement. It is time for you to consider obtaining professional liability insurance (PLI) if you don’t have it yet. A professional is hired with the thought that they have the skills and wisdom to do a certain job. When they don’t fulfill the requirements expected of them, this causes a liability that could make the hurt party file a legal claim. This article discusses tips on why you need PLI, and what to keep an eye out for.

What is PLI? Should a professional be subject to legal claims of fault for an accident or injury to other individuals, PLI is an insurance policy that would serve to protect the accused professional. An enterprise must carry professional liability insurance if it poses any sort of danger to the general public. Also, many businesses and customers will need to see proof that you carry PLI even before they will consider working with you, in case the unthinkable should happen and a claim has to be made.

PLI is a specialty coverage which is not offered with business or homeowner’s policies. A personal liability policy covers money that must be paid due to things wrongly done or not done in the course of ones work. This can include the costs of legal defense as well as claims of medical negligence or malpractice, including court costs. The amount that PLI coverage covers is bound by the coverage limits in the client’s insurance policy.

Professional liability insurance is available in many versions and includes all kinds of professionals. Intellectual property infringement insurance covers you against claims of software processes and systems, as well as claims of copyright infringement. Coverage from personal injury insurance protects the policy holder from claims of slander, libel, and invasion of privacy suits. Medical professional liability insurance covers medical claims, mistreatment in nursing homes, and dental misconduct.

The last thing most professionals would like to happen in their career is to end up with an enormous compensation bill, but if you don’t carry professional liability insurance, that is the exact scenario that you could wind up with. If you are negligent and a claim is made against you, you could be ordered by a court to pay the complete amount of the awarded damages, regardless of whether you have insurance or not. Your personal possessions will be at risk of being seized if you do not own liability insurance and can not pay the claim. The wisest course of action is to be sure that you are covered as you could find yourself facing claims anywhere from several thousand dollars to millions of dollars.

As a shrewd businessman, Donald Arnissane uses Insurance Pointe for his Miami general liability insurance. Knowing that they offer the best coverage, Donald recommends Insurance Pointe to anyone looking for homeowners, automobile, or E&O insurance agent in Florida.

Get Online Insurance Quotes from an Independent Resource

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Buying auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance or any other type of insurance can be a very confusing and difficult process. The prices between competing insurance providers can vary by hundreds of dollars, and each different type of insurance comes with many options in terms of coverage, deductible and other features for the policy. When you talk to multiple insurance companies, how do you know you are comparing similar policies?

One way to take a lot of the uncertainty out of the process and streamline your ability to compare insurance quotes that you know will be similar is to use one of the many online insurance tools available that take your information and come back with multiple quotes from a number of different insurance providers. As a matter of fact many insurance providers offer this type of service. They collect your information, compile quotes from a number of insurance providers - including themselves - and return a group of these quotes back to you.

This service might not always find the insurance provider that’s offering the service quote the lowest each time, but that provider does have an advantage in seeing the other quotes before coming up with its quote and it has already collected your information. If you choose another provider you might possibly be required to re-enter your information and insurance needs at the website of your choice. A way to avoid these issues is to make use of an independent website to request and compare insurance.

Advantages of independent websites

There are two clear advantages to using an independent website for comparing insurance quotes. The first is obvious - because the independent site has no preference over which insurance provider returns the best rate, or most complete policy for the price, an independent website will return every quote it collects from various insurance providers. The site will also not attempt to beat any quotes because it only serves as a clearinghouse for insurance quotes, it is not providing insurance.

The second advantage is insurance providers have a strong interest in offering their best possible rate to independent insurance quote websites. If you are seeking auto insurance, take the time to enter your information and get back six quotes from different providers do you expect any negotiation or a new lower quote from any of the insurance companies? Of course not, you expect to get your quotes and make a decision from that list. Insurance providers know this and also know they are competing with other providers looking for your business. Knowing this ensures you will get the best possible rate from each company hoping to provide you insurance.

Compare Insurance Quotes/Plans Online - FREE Multiple Competing Insurance Quotes For Car/Auto Insurance, Home Insurance Plans, Compare Life Insurance, Health Insurance And Renters Insurance Quotes. Provides Insurance Quotes Comparison Facilities for Car Insurance, Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Life Insurance, Health Insurance and Renters Insurance at - www.wecompareinsurance.com

Making Health Insurance Affordable

Monday, May 25th, 2009

As health insurance costs are increasing we have to take more responsibility for our health insurance coverage. With health insurance cost rising health insurance companies are constantly coming out with new health insurance plans. New plans offer you flexibility to customize your own health insurance plan. Most health plans in the past were packaged with features that some of use did not need that we ended up paying for them. We know that car insurance offers us flexibility to where you can pick your limits deductibles and the types of coverage that you want. It is only when people could not afford their health insurance anymore that insurance companies had to come up with new ways to make health insurance affordable. Packaged plans that offered 5 dollar co-pays and pay for your gym memberships is over. Why pay for the plan features that you are never going to use. Most of us and our parents come from the world where large companies paid for their health insurance plans. Large companies do have advantage of numbers; more people are part of the group the more competitive monthly rates are.

First I want to address or health insurance quote shopping. If you are looking for some great deal a plan that covers everything for small monthly premium you are going to be very disappointed. Health insurance prices are health insurance prices no matter what insurance company you go with. The main difference how insurance companies compete with offering more affordable health insurance rates is by being more creative in their plan design. Stays away from good deals in health insurance, chances are the plans are not going to cover anything when you have a claim. Then you will end up with bills from the hospital and your health insurance premiums.
Health insurance companies like Assurant Health underwritten by Time Insurance offer health insurance plans where you design your own plan. It is one of the only large reputable health insurance companies to offer customizable health plans. They offer five plan designs two of them are Health Savings Account qualified health plans and the other health plans are your standard PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). What makes Assurant Health unique is that every type of plan give you opportunity to customize that plan by choosing co-pay or no co-pay option, choice of deductible, prescription drug coverage deductible, dental discount plan or dental insurance and some plan specific options. If you are looking for simple to use and simple to understand HSA account plans, Assurant is one of the first companies to offer HSA plans.

When designing your own health insurance plan keep in mind of your previous health insurance usage. Choosing deductible for your health insurance plans will make the largest difference in your monthly price. Keep in mind in most cases deductible applies only to when you are hospitalized. That meant when you are admitted to the hospital. Most health insurance plans will cover you doctor visits, physical exams, prescriptions drugs and your lab work with a co-pay before you meet the deductible. If you choose a high deductible plan and something does happen to you that you end up in the hospital for something major and you do not have money at the time to cover your deductible. Every hospital will work with you by offering you payment methods. This way you can take as much time to pay off that deductible. Therefore it does not make any sense in most cases not choosing a plan with high deductible. Get health plans with high deductible and you are going to save thousands on your health insurance. Some companies like Assurant Health offer you option to where if you choose a health plans with deductible of thirty five hundred of higher you automatically qualify for two year rate guarantee. Save money monthly and avoid rate increased. Just with little knowledge and understanding of how health insurance works you save thousands with the health coverage that you need.

Jesse Seagle- leading consultant for employer group and individual/family health insurance. Marketing consultant for major health insurance resource websites and brokerage firms online. Some of the websites consultant and/or administrator assurant quotes and healthnet health insurance.

Your guide to holiday cancellation insurance

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

Choosing to take out a cancellation insurance policy can save you from a huge headache, and significant financial loss, in the event of your travel plans going belly-up. However, not every possible reason for holiday delay or cancellation is covered as standard by these policies now often called trip protection cover.

Acceptable reasons for delay:

Cancellation and curtailment insurers offer differing amounts of compensation depending on the reason given for curtailment. The most common causes of delay are as follows, and are usually covered as standard but make sure you read your policys terms and conditions very carefully so that you know exactly which reasons you can claim for

Natural disasters - lost, stolen or damaged travel documents - hijacking - lost, stolen or damaged money - delay caused by a bad traffic accident en route - bad weather - unexpected need for quarantine - unannounced strikes at airports, en route, or in your destination country.

Look out for any limits set on the amount of reimbursement you will receive each day in the event of delayed travel, as most insurers will set a standard flat rate. The majority of policies also have a set period of time that the trip must be delayed by before you can claim usually this is between 6 and 12 hours.

You may wish to choose an insurance policies that offers some extra cover that will provide for extra accommodation or food costs in the event of a holiday delay, as not all insurers cover these costs as standard.

Trip cancellation

The number of possible causes for holiday cancellation is vast. Many of these causes will be covered as standard by cancellation insurance policies, others will not.

Inclusive holiday packages are a good option as these tend to offer customers the right to cancel for any reason in exchange for a small cancellation waiver fee. This means that should your trip be cancelled, you will get some, if not all, of the cost of your holiday back read your policys terms and conditions to see what size of refund you are entitled to.

Covered reasons for cancellation may include:

Accident en route - flood or fire at home - injury to one of the travel party - being selected for jury duty - illness - hijacking - natural disasters.

Most cancellation policies will not cover these reason as standard:

Self-inflicted injuries or illness injury or sickness contracted through the use of illegal substances - change in your financial situation leaving you unable to afford your holiday - change in plans - contractual obligations.

For great deals on multitrip travel insurance visit Go Travel Insurance.

Report Shows Ohio Health Insurance Companies Use Near-Monopolies to Set Prices : Dave Harding

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Progress Ohio, as part of the Health Care for America Now campaign, released a new report today showing that consolidation in the private health insurance industry is creating skyrocketing premiums for both patients and employers. In Ohio, the state overall and eight out of twelve of Ohio’s metropolitan areas are considered “highly concentrated” under U.S. Department of Justice guidelines. This kind of consolidation means that an insurer can, without fear of consequences, raise premiums and/or reduce the variety of plans or quality of services offered to customers.

For family health coverage in Ohio from 2000 to 2007, the average employer’s portion of annual premiums rose 75 per cent, while the average worker’s share grew by 80 per cent. During the same period, the median earnings of Ohio workers increased 9 per cent, from $25,017 to $27,255. During that time health insurance premiums for Ohio working families rose 8.5 times faster than median earnings.

“When just a couple of companies hold a near-monopoly, they not only set the prices, but they also make the rules and call the shots,” said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of Progress Ohio. “Private health insurance companies have proven year after year they’ll do whatever they want when left to their own devices.”

“With the monopoly in the Ohio health insurance market, many Ohioans are uninsured or underinsured. We are widening our health disparity and poverty gaps,” said Megan Davis, Director of Health Policy at the Children’s Defense Fund - Ohio. “We need a public health insurance plan to drive the competition needed in the market place. We will only meet our needs when we provide high-quality, comprehensive care to all children and pregnant women in America with enrollment in a simple, seamless system. We can no longer neglect the needs of our children, and with a public health insurance plan, we will be moving toward a healthy future.”

The American Medical Association reports that the health insurance marketplace is dangerously concentrated with 94 percent of local markets in the United States currently considered highly concentrated. And contrary to what the health insurance industry claims, these mergers have undermined market efficiency. Premiums nationwide have gone up an average of more than 87 percent over the past six years.

“There is no real choice or competition in the private health insurance market, and only giving everyone the option of a public health insurance plan will guarantee we get quality, affordable health care we all can count on this year,” said Cathy Levine, UHCAN-Ohio’s Executive Director. “A public health insurance option will force private health insurance companies to control cost, guarantee quality, stop hiding what they will and won’t cover, and put people’s health before corporate profit.”

“We need a public plan to increase competition and lower costs across the board,” said Marianne Steger, Director of Health Care and Public Policy at AFSCME Ohio Council 8 AFL-CIO.

“In Cincinnati where one insurance plan owns 76% of the market employers and individuals pay the highest amount for health care. At the same time the insurance industry has raked in 428% profit increase in seven years. This cries out for the need of competition.”

Facts about the insurance industry in the state of Ohio:

* WellPoint, Inc., Ohio’s biggest health insurer, controls 41 percent of the state’s market. WellPoint and Medical Mutual of Ohio together hold 58 percent of the market.

* Local markets are even more concentrated. In Dayton, WellPoint and United Health Group Inc. together hold 89 per cent of the market. In Cincinnati-Middletown, WellPoint and Humana, Inc. hold 84 per cent of the market.

* WellPoint, Inc.’s reported net income jumped from $226 million in the year 2000 to $3,345 million in 2007, representing a 1,380 per cent increase. During the same period United Health Group’s net income rose from $736 to $4,654 million; Humana’s net income leaped from $90 to $834 million.

* 2007 CEO compensation at WellPoint, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group was $9.1, $10.3, and $13.2 million, respectively.

* For family health coverage in Ohio during this period, the average annual combined premium for employers and employees rose from $6,596 to $11,636

* For family health coverage in Ohio from 2000 to 2007, the average employer’s portion of annual premiums rose 75 percent while the average worker’s share increased 80 percent.

Quoting and Saving on your health insurance has never been easier…EasyToInsureME

Ohio health insurance
medical mutual

EasyToInsureME offers clients the easiest way to buy individual health insurance. Free services include instant online health insurance quotes, custom proposals for each client, free phone consultation, and 10-minute application by phone. Our services are free because we are paid by the health insurance company not by our clients.

Vision Insurance Care For Your Eyes While You Save Money

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Your vision is the most important part of your life as you see the beautiful world around you through your eyes. So make a note that you take proper care of your eyes and have regular check-up of your eyes. If you are affected with eye problems, then it is recommended to opt for vision care insurance as your eyes are very important. Although there are vision corrective procedures that you can go for, but it is advisable to insure your vision before indulging yourself in such heavy pocketed vision corrective surgeries.

Vision insurance is not simply putting on eye glasses. Its much more than that. Even if you have a severe eye disease, your vision coverage will provide you with eye prescriptions like glasses or contact lenses helping to reduce the costs you will have to bear yourself.

Vision insurance is a form of coverage that is often not included in many insurance plans offered by employers, although it is becoming more common today. These are benefit programs where the employee selects the coverage plan as desired and pays the premium. Most plans provide the minimum coverage, eye exam, glasses, contacts lenses and glaucoma testing with the amount paid depending on the terms of the policy.

Vision insurance policy not only covers eye care solutions and regular visits to the doctor, rather it also helps you to save money which can otherwise become a costly affair for you. Obtaining this value-added vision insurance, you will have access to a network of eye care providers including ophthalmologists and optometrists, optical laboratories, eyewear stores, and LASIK/PRK surgeons. Routine eye check-ups and preventive eye care services are also added in these insurance policies that are provided at reduced rates.

The best thing about vision insurance is that the insurance companies are bound to implement quality standards while choosing the service providers. This way you are assured of being taken care under a reputed eye doctor or eye care center.

There are mainly two vision insurance plans available. One is the benefits package and the other one is the discounted plan. While the former one requires an annual premium to be paid in exchange of eye care services, the latter provides you eye care services with a fixed discount rate after you pay annual premium and a deductible. You can opt for any plan that is suitable to your pocket.

The cost of vision insurance depends upon the design of the program and type of service available. You can obtain a vision insurance plan on individual basis or group basis. As an individual, you can select your own insurance plan. Group vision insurance can be acquired through your association, company or a government program like Medicare.

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Van Insurance from Trident

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Is van insurance dramatically different from car insurance? In many ways no insofar as the primary types of cover are concerned, e.g. Third Party, Third Party fire and Theft and Fully Comprehensive.

But because most vans are designed to primarily carry goods and not people alone, save for the driver and possibly a passenger, the cover is applied differently with the Insurance companies worrying equally about the human factor and the goods in transit. They particularly want to know where the goods will be left overnight. And what might appear surprising the minimum age of the driver as well as the drivers capabilities.

As with cars the younger you are the higher the premium you will have to pay. It seems very unfair but the statistics do show that under 25 van drivers are a much higher risk than those over 25 and here the insurance companies have evidence that is beyond doubt.

Where the van is not part of a fleet, i.e. a group with a minimum count of 3 vehicles, the rates will vary dependent on whether the van is used for single stop deliveries or multi-stop. Clarification on the vehicles security system is integral and some Insurance companies may even insist on armour plating, yes really!

If its being used by a building contractor for example, where will his/her work tools kept at night and will the place where they are stored be secure and insured?

Another problem with vans is whether they are multiple or individual locking? Are they being used as farm vehicles or off road? The permutations can be endless, so whilst we all think it is being used for business just as where it will be parked overnight i.e. in a garage, on or off road, the nature of the business will generate substantial differences on what applicable rate of insurance cover will be required.

There are schemes where No Claims Bonuses are transferable from private cars and vice versa. So the more information that can be supplied prior to purchasing cover, the better, and by definition the greater the opportunity to establish economic rates.

The Insurance Broker you chose to use should be able to discuss all the various permutations with you, subject to the facilities they have available from Insurance companies. Please remember no one broker will be able to cover the whole market although they may infer that they can.

Even with the Internet being to some all singing and dancing an Insurance Broker who is not tied to one or two Insurance companies alone on their panel but has access to substantially more will clearly become apparent.

That might sound obvious, but the deal you get will improve the greater the competition available it is perfect street level economics.

Certainly there is a market off screen where Underwriters can be dramatically more competitive on pricing and cover and where they specialise more so than others.

In truth, only a good Insurance Broker will know where to access the best rates, making the Internet in some instance singularly redundant. As a service facility it is brilliant but as a user you will know unless you ask eth right questions it gets you nowhere.

A good broker is reliant on repeat business and it is of no value to give poor service as the Client will go elsewhere, such is the level of competition in todays market place.

So given the van may be your livelihood, and with it off the road you could be subject to serious financial loss. Its always best to check that bit further or use your Broker to save you the time and effort and most importantly money to get you the right deal.

Finally remember that the premium you pay for cover can be affected by increasing the excess you pay before the insurance company is committed to pay.

What you must be mindful of is that there are two types of excess. The compulsory one and the voluntary one. The compulsory one is set in stone; it is the voluntary one that can vary. Added together they take the onus off the Insurance company to a substantial degree and place it firmly back onto the paying Client.

So please be careful assuming what you think you might be saving when you pay for your insurance cover. Internet sites have been very bad at not making this integral point clear and unfortunately many more.

Trident Insurance was formed in 1995 and became part of Advanced Insurance Centres Limited in June 2000.We are specialist insurance brokers, dealing in a whole range of packages. From car to van insurance , we are confident we can help. Please visit our website at http://trident-insurance.co.uk

Get Out of Debt by Practicing Frugality - Save on Home and Auto Insurance

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

If you have a home, you must be paying home insurance and if you own an automobile, you must be paying auto insurance. In most states, it is mandatory for you to carry the minimum amount of insurance policies for both these assets. If your debt load seems insurmountable and you are working out on a plan to get out of debt, it is important for you to increase your income and practice frugality so that you could also save a decent amount of money and make extra payments towards the high rate debts. In this series, you should also be very careful while signing up for a home or auto insurance policy. Here is a brief rundown on how to save on insurance.

Shop Around

Whether it is about getting a new policy or renewing an existing policy, it always pays to shop around a bit. Do a thorough comparison-shopping by requesting free quotes from different companies. Compare these quotes and sign up with the one that offers you the lowest rates.

You Can Get Better Rates By Raising Your Deductibles

If you don’t make claims very often, raising your deductibles can be a great idea, as it can help you get insurance policies at much better rates. For example, you can easily save at least 25% on your insurance by raising your deductibles to $1000. This strategy can thus significantly reduce your monthly premium payments. Since this is a stage when your focus is mainly on the process to get out of debt, it is definitely worth saving on insurance by raising your deductibles.

Package Deal Can Also Save You Big Bucks

You can also save big bucks by opting for a package deal. Try to get both home as well as auto insurance policies from the same company. This way, you may qualify for some specific discount. I did this a few years ago and I was surprised to see that my overall premiums dropped about 18%. So, think about it.

Install Safety Equipment

You can qualify for an additional discount by installing safety equipment in your home as well as vehicle. Installing security systems, anti-theft systems, smoke detectors, and deadbolts does not cost you much, but once installed, they can substantially reduce your monthly premiums.

Don’t Switch To A Different Insurer Every Year

It has been found that if you continue with a specific insurer for more than three years, they offer you a special discount. Last year, my insurer reduced my premium by 5%. Therefore, if you are happy with the terms and rates offered by your insurer, you had better continue with them.

In order to evaluate the above points, all you have to do is make a few phone calls or visit a couple of websites. You will only have to spend an hour or so and you can easily trim your insurance expenses by at least 10%. Even if you save only $25 a month, you are actually saving a whopping $300 a year, that too, for just an hour of work. You can use this amount towards debt repayment and thus can speed up the process to get out of debt. Tomorrow, we will see how to save on housing.

Meanwhile, do visit my website debt consolidation payday loan for detailed information on credit counseling and how to repay debts and enjoy a debt free life.

Group urges more competition in health insurance : Rod Boshart

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Iowa individuals and businesses need a public health insurance option that would provide a competitive choice in a private market dominated by two corporate providers, a citizen advocacy group said Wednesday.

Charlie Wishman of the Iowa Citizen Action Network, or ICAN, said the combined market share of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group Inc. currently is 80 percent statewide and it stands at 74 percent in the Quad-Cities, according to a study issued by the Health Care for America Now campaign.

The two companies share in other Iowa locations are 95 percent in Cedar Rapids, 90 percent in Sioux City, 86 percent in Iowa City and Ames, 85 percent in Waterloo-Cedar Falls and 80 percent in Des Moines, he said.

During a teleconference, Wishman said continued consolidation in the private health insurance industry has meant skyrocketing premiums for both patients and employers because an insurer can raise prices or reduce the variety of plans or quality of services offered to customers without fear of market consequences.

When just a couple of companies hold a near-monopoly, they not only set the prices, but they also make the rules and call the shots, said ICAN executive director Betty Ahrens, who serves as a consumer advocate to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Its time for real comprehensive reform that includes regulation and the choice of a public health insurance plan so we are no longer at the mercy of the private health insurers in Iowa.

Ahrens said it is still unclear how a public health insurance plan might be financed, although participants likely would pay premiums similar to private insurance and some government subsidy would be required for low-income and high-risk coverage. She said several possible funding sources are under study in Congress and President Barack Obama has proposed ending upper-income tax cuts started under the Bush administration as a source for financing a public health insurance option.

In Iowa, Wishman said the commercial health insurance business is dominated by a few companies, preventing new competitors from entering the market and allowing the most powerful hospitals and doctors to raise rates with minimal resistance. Freedom from genuine competition also has allowed insurers to reap sizable profits and raise premiums with impunity.

ReShonda Young, a small business owner from Waterloo, said she recently investigated health-insurance coverage for her companys employees and found all eight quotes were for plans that fell under the Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield umbrella. She said her Alpha Express business faces payroll cost increases of 12 percent, excluding dental and vision benefits, even before health conditions of employees are factored in.

She said a public health insurance option would be wonderful given the current private-sector options.

Danny Homan, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, said health insurance premiums for Iowa working families have increased 73 percent from 2000 to 2007 at the same time that those workers median earnings increased 19 percent.

Wellmark officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Quoting and Saving on your health insurance has never been easier…EasyToInsureME

United HealthCare
blue cross blue shield

EasyToInsureME offers clients the easiest way to buy individual health insurance. Free services include instant online health insurance quotes, custom proposals for each client, free phone consultation, and 10-minute application by phone. Our services are free because we are paid by the health insurance company not by our clients.