| State health care reform worth another try
When the state legislature actually did its job in September and passed a real solution to the health care crisis (the California Health Insurance Reliability Act), The Record claimed this could be the beginning of an inefficient bureaucracy similar to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The current system we endure is inefficient - with 6,000 insurance plans and 69 government agencies attempting to deliver care to 37 million Californians. Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed last year's bill, claiming it was socialism. This year, he has his own universal health care proposal. A step in the right direction, his plan leaves many exemptions and assumptions that don't add up to universal care for all Californians. Health-insurance company profits soared 246 percent from 2000 to 2004.
Insurance associations falling by the wayside
A major source of health insurance for people who work for themselves has all but disappeared, casting thousands of contractors, freelancers and solo practitioners into the ranks of the uninsured with little hope of obtaining new coverage. Health plans offered by professional associations were once safe havens for millions of people who couldn't obtain coverage anywhere else. But, as medical costs have soared, groups representing professions as varied as law and golf have been forced to stop offering the benefit or been dropped by insurers. More than 8,000 California Realtors and their families could be next if Blue Shield of California succeeds with its plan to cancel their association health coverage. "It's a real stab in the heart," said Marcy Garber, 62, a Los Angeles real estate agent whose history of breast cancer makes her an almost-certain reject if she seeks similar coverage on her own.
Nationwide Announces New Board Members
COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nationwide today announced the election of M. Diane Koken and Jeffrey W. Zellers to the Board of Directors for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Koken was elected to a three-year term and Zellers to a one-year term. "Diane and Jeffrey add valuable economic and financial experience to the Nationwide board," said Chairman Arden L. Shisler. "Their individual areas of expertise will add depth to an already outstanding board of directors and will help Nationwide address the increasingly complex issues of corporate governance and business development." Koken is the former Commissioner of Insurance for Pennsylvania. Originally appointed by Governor Tom Ridge in 1997, Koken was reappointed in 2003 by Governor Ed Rendell and was Pennsylvania's second longest serving Insurance Commissioner.
The New Suburban Poverty
Rockingham County, North Carolina, has never been known for its opulence, but until recently most residents would not have hesitated to describe it as comfortably middle class. For several decades the county, a rectangular block of land in the north central part of the state, owed its prosperity to textile mills and tobacco plants, industries that weren't always friendly to unions but that nevertheless furnished the local workforce with jobs that paid enough to raise a family and buy a nice house somewhere. Among those to do so was Johnny Price, a 44-year-old African-American who lives in a ranch house with green shutters on a street called Sparrow in a leafy residential subdivision on the outskirts of the town of Eden. Two towering oak trees dominate Price's front lawn. In his driveway sits a navy blue station wagon.
By Ridge Mahoney
The arrival of an international celebrity and fashion icon who also plays midfield is just one of many radical changes in store as Major League Soccer enters the big time. MUCH BUZZ ABOUT BECKS. When will he arrive? Where will he and Victoria live, and where will the kids go to school? Will the team travel by charter or private jet to avoid massive crowds and possible security problems? Nearly lost in the blizzard of speculation about David Beckham is how well will he play when burdened by insane scrutiny, summer heat, long flights and a whole new supporting and opposing cast? Will even the most sinuous free kick be savored by fans new not only to MLS, but to soccer? Also under intense scrutiny will be the teams themselves and the league. A single-entity league founded on stringent financial strictures, a rather haphazard history of procedures and policies, and the very notion of professional soccer in America is destined to be examined, analyzed and dissected as never before.
American Homestar Partners with The Home Depot to Provide Quality ...
HOUSTON -- American Homestar Corporation (Pink Sheets: AHMS) today announced a new initiative, with The Home Depot, to provide housing to the Gulf Coast markets affected by hurricanes in 2005. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, more than 250,000 homes were destroyed throughout the Gulf Coast, leaving nearly 800,000 people without a principal residence. Rebuilding efforts have been slow in many areas due, in part, to shortages of construction materials and skilled construction labor. The Home Depots Home Services, in partnership with Homestar Builders (a division of American Homestar Corporation), has just introduced the Homestar Homes program, which provides high-quality, affordable, permanent homes to residents who plan to rebuild in the area. Nine different home models, ranging from 620 to 2,078 square feet, have been developed for the introduction of this program.
Boy's Death Spurs Drive for Dental AID To Poor
Posted March 14, 2007 - The death of a Maryland boy last month from an infection that started with an abscessed tooth has spurred lawmakers to demand better dental care for poor children. Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old homeless child, died Feb. 25, in a Washington hospital after an infection from a molar spread to his brain, reported The Washington Post. At the time of his illness, his family's Medicaid coverage had lapsed. Even on the state plan, his mother said, the children lacked regular dental care, and she had great difficulty finding a dentist. .
CMS Clarifies Guidelines For National Provider Identifier (NPI ...
(April 9, 2007)--The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is implementing a contingency plan for covered entities (other than small health plans) who will not meet the May 23, 2007, deadline for compliance with the National Provider Identifier (NPI) regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. The final rule establishing the NPI as the standard unique health provider identifier for health care providers was published in 2004 and requires all covered entities to be in compliance with its provisions by May 23, 2007, except for small health plans, which must be in compliance by May 23, 2008. "The enforcement guidance released today clarifies that covered entities that have been making a good faith effort to comply with the NPI provisions may, for up to 12 months, implement contingency plans that could include accepting legacy provider numbers on HIPAA transactions in order to maintain operations and cash flows." said CMS Acting Administrator Leslie V.
Governor pitches tax plan at Avon farm
AVON - During the second day of his "Investing in Families" bus tour, Gov. Rod Blagojevich made a stop in Avon Tuesday afternoon to discuss his new Illinois Covered health insurance plan at the Buchen family farm.The Buchens live just outside of Avon on a 700-acre farm that has been in the family since the 1860s.The governor's four-day tour aimed to promote awareness for the his new tax proposal to fund the Illinois Covered health insurance plan. Illinois Covered will offer affordable, quality, comprehensive health insurance to all Illinois residents. The governor hopes to fund this by implementing a gross receipts tax on businesses that gross more than $2 million each year in sales or do not currently offer health insurance for their employees. .
Motorcycle Insurance 101: The Essentials
(NAPSI)-A motorcycle is a significant investment. Before you get your motor running and head out on the highway this season, you owe it to yourself to make sure your insurance is up-to-date and you're properly covered. "Just as riding a motorcycle is much different than driving a car, riders should know that their motorcycle insurance needs are different, too," said Rick Stern, motorcycle product manager, The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies. Here Are Some Tips: Update Your Policy. First, verify that all your coverages are still in force. Be aware that some companies have a winter layaway period during which some coverages are restricted. Check with your insurance company to see if you currently have any type of limited coverage. Next, note any changes such as additional riders or a new garaging address.
Of power-sharing arrangements and conflict transformation
Two noteworthy stories made international news last week. The first one was from UK and a newspaper headline read, "Historic breakthrough: Britain rushes to enact historic N. Ireland deal" and the second, from North America went thus, "Québec federalists' win a boost for unity".
In Belfast, arch enemies Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein created a watershed in Northern Irish politics when they held their first ever face-to-face meeting and agreed to restore power-sharing on May 8 - just hours before a midnight deadline set by Britain and Ireland.
Meanwhile in Québec, the federalists won a close election dashing separatist hopes of holding another referendum on secession from Canada. Of particular significance was the unexpected surge in support for Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ), the new kid on the block which favours greater autonomy for Québec but opposes secession.
NTSB: Cause Of July 2004 CFIT Accident Remains A Mystery
Undetermined. That's the Probable Cause ruling from the National Transportation Safety Board regarding a suspicious July 2004 controlled-flight-into-terrain crash of a Piper Navajo in the eastern Adirondacks of upstate New York. As Aero-News reported, pilot Milton Marshall and passenger Michael Keilty were killed when the twin-engine aircraft flew into a heavily wooded area near Ticonderoga, NY under clear skies. In the days following the July 10, 2004 accident, it came to light Keilty was under FBI investigation for allegedly defrauding senior citizens -- and he had attempted to take out a life insurance policy on himself the day before the crash. The Connecticut Post reports investigators also found the magazine from a .380-caliber pistol at the impact site, with two rounds missing.
Reps reveal rift on health care
STAMFORD -- Legislative leaders will likely boost Medicaid reimbursements to physicians and expand the Husky insurance plan for uninsured children by the time the session ends in June, state House and Senate leaders said yesterday.
But when it comes to paying for health care, the agreements end.
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There's a market for swapping homes for vacations even in out-of ...
WHEN Nancy Atwater first heard about home exchange programs, she thought it would be a great way to travel. Her only concern: Who would want to vacation in her home in Sperry, Okla.? The appeal of home exchange vacations where people swap homes, and often vehicles and even pets is basic: free lodging with many of the comforts of home. It's easy to imagine swapping for a vacation destination a loft in New York, a pied-a-terre in Paris, a beach house in Florida or a ski condo in Aspen. But what if your hometown doesn't immediately come to mind when vacations are being planned? "At first there was skepticism about who would want to come to Oklahoma, but the answer is all sorts of people," Atwater said. "It's people who realize the U.S. is more than just the East Coast and the West Coast." Over the years, she and her husband, both retired, have arranged three exchanges through home-swapping Web site HomeLink International.
Australia: Tips And Traps When Entering Into Commercial Contracts ...
It is becoming commonplace for consensual alternative dispute resolution (ADR) clauses to be included in a wide variety of commercial contracts, including construction and franchise agreements. Additionally, Courts in Queensland, together with many Tribunals, have the power to coerce litigants to attend and participate in various forms of ADR. .
Auto thefts reduced in city
According to the recently released 2007 Auto Theft Prevention Authority report, the city saw a reduction in auto theft related crime much higher than the state-wide trend. The report, which publishes statistics two years after the time period measured, showed a 21.8 percent drop in auto thefts in the city, versus a 3.8 percent drop throughout Michigan, said Valdis Vitols, the executive director of the Auto Theft Prevention Authority (ATPA), a four-man department at the Michigan State Police. “We've been able to learn a lot about auto theft that has led to the reductions," he said. “We now know what types, of vehicles, what colors, what features, and where vehicles are likely to be stolen. We also know that most vehicles will be taken from the southeast Michigan area." The authority was created 19 years ago, when auto thefts had reached an all-time high, Vitols said.
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