Medicare Supplemental Insurance Quotes

Medicare supplement insurance, also known as Medigap insurance, is a private health insurance option designed to provide additional benefits above those offered through Medicare Part A and Part B. When searching for Medicare supplement insurance quotes you will only have twelve possible options to consider. This will simplify the process as other types of health insurance have well over 100 different options. The available Medigap options have been structured by the federal government to provide additional health care coverage where it is most needed. By limiting the options, the confusion of choosing the right supplemental plan is greatly reduced.

If you are eligible for Medicare Part A, you are able to purchase a Medigap plan if you do so during the open enrollment period, which is the six month period immediately following your enrollment in Medicare Part A. You must also be enrolled in Medicare Part B to qualify for Medicare supplemental insurance. You are not obligated to purchase a supplemental plan during this open enrollment period, but failure to do so could cause problems later on if you change your mind or experience medical problems that would justify this additional coverage.

Make an informed decision about Medigap insurance

It is essential for you to be well informed when shopping for Medigap insurance coverage. Knowing your options and understanding the included benefits decreases the likelihood of later discovering that you are underinsured. A very helpful tool is to compare the different companies that offer this type of coverage. Differences between insurance companies can include:

• Participating provider network
• Premium charges
• Financial strength
• Customer Service history

Keep in mind that with this type of coverage it is really simple to compare rates because of the standardized polices. Even though policies have the same benefits (for example Plan F from Humana will have the same benefits as Plan F from Blue Cross) premium quotes may vary.

Which Medicare Supplemental Plan is best for you?

Before making any decision you should try to best determine and anticipate your likely future health care needs. Because different Medigap insurance plans provide different benefits, make sure you understand each one of these benefits and how they might relate to your health status. For example, if you are interested in benefits for preventive health care you should lean towards one of the policies that offer this benefit.

Once you decide which Medicare Supplemental Plan will best fit your needs, the next step is to find out which insurance companies offer this Plan so that you can compare their rates. Working with a health insurance broker that is licensed to sell Medigap insurance plans from multiple insurance companies is a great place to start. You will not pay an additional fee for the convenience of working with a broker because the premiums are determined by the insurance company and can’t be altered.

How do I get Medicare Supplement insurance quotes?

Getting a Medicare Supplement insurance quote online is now a simple and secure process. Keep in mind that sometimes personal information is required in order to provide you with your list of plan options. The information listed below should be sufficient enough for any broker to provide you with a quote:

• Your name
• Your age
• State of Residence
• Zip Code
• Medicare Part A and Part B enrollment
• Phone number

Medicare Supplement insurance quotes tips

Start your researching a quote requests at least 3 months in advance of becoming Medicare eligible. Rates are subject to change and could adjust slightly by the time that you are qualified to enroll in a Medigap plan. So, have a first choice and a second choice plan for back up.

Visit the Medicare.gov website to make sure that you are looking at all of the options available in your state. They have a very useful “Plan Locator” tool that will provide you with a comprehensive list.

Work with a licensed broker in your state that represents the majority of the insurance companies on the list you have obtained from Medicare.gov. If you can’t find an agent for all of your Plan options, you may need to contact the insurance carrier directly.

Purchasing process for a Medicare Supplemental Plan

Once you have chosen the right Medicare Supplemental Plan, you will need to complete the application and approval process. This can be simple if done timely and accurately.

Filling the application

Your agent or broker that assisted you with selecting the right Plan will also be able to provide you with the necessary enrollment application. Every insurance company has their own application, so make certain that the application agrees with the insurance company that you have selected. These applications are usually quick and easy to complete and are just 2-3 pages in length.

The application can be delivered to your agent, who will submit it on your behalf. An initial premium payment may be required along with the application. Always make the check payable only to the insurance company.

Receiving Approval and ID Cards

If your application is completed properly, approval should only take 5-10 business days. You will receive notice of approval prior to receiving your insurance ID cards, which will typically arrive 2-3 weeks later. Your coverage will always become effective on the first day of the month following the date that your application was submitted.

Student Health Insurance Quotes

If you are a fulltime student between the ages of 17 and 29, student health insurance may be right for you. In fact it may even be required of you. There are several options for student health insurance, you may look for private student health insurance on the open market, or you may opt for the student health insurance plan offered by the institution you are attending. Expect to pay more for private student health insurance of course, but generally these student policies carry greater benefits than those provided by the university.

Whichever you choose, even if your particular school does not require it, student health insurance is a great way to ensure academic success.
Student health insurance typically covers:

• Regular medical exams
• Payments for catastrophic care
• And emergency procedures

How do I get a student health insurance quote?

Nowadays it is really simple to get free quotes online. You merely have to provide some simple personal information in a completely secure fashion, to receive a free student health insurance quote.

You may be asked to provide:

• Weight/Height
• Tobacco usage history
• Your Address
• Phone number
• Gender
• Email address
• Date of birth

Today most colleges and universities, require health insurance. The good news is that as such most schools are affiliated with top heath insurance providers, and because of the relatively low-risk involved in this group - rates for student health insurance are generally low.

Private student health insurance is another option. Private student heath insurance is usually purchased by:

• Those who need a more specific kind of coverage
• Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions
• Students who are interested in spending a term studying abroad
• Or individuals who think that the coverage offered by the college or university does not fulfill their needs.

Private health insurance tends to be a little bit pricier but offers additional benefits that most university health plans do not - for example, dental, vision, and prescription coverage.

Comparing carriers

The easiest way to compare different carriers is online. Using online comparison tools you can quickly see which company offers the best benefits for you needs and budget. When you know your options, the better the chances that you will purchase the health plan with the most benefits at the best rates.

When getting any student health insurance quote, make sure you understand your policy thoroughly before purchasing. If you are unsure about anything that is or is not covered, speak to an agent or your schools benefits advisor.

Eligibility

Most insurance companies do not offer student health insurance to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. Exclusions may be made for certain preexisting conditions.

Student health plans are generally available to individuals between the ages of 17 to 29. Depending on the insurance company and state, some other exclusions and requirements must be met in order to obtain student health coverage.

If you are interested in student health coverage do not hesitate to look for more information and obtain a free student health insurance quote online. Remember it is always important to know your options to make an informed decision about health insurance.

Individual/Family Health Insurance Quotes

You have options when it comes to finding health insurance.

It is free for consumers to request health insurance quotes from licensed health insurance agents and brokers. A good health insurance agent will advise you on your private-market health insurance options from different insurance carriers and different plan types. They should understand your health, family and financial profile, and guide you towards a health plan that best serves your needs. Their job is to assist you in making the best health insurance decision for you and your family, and you should work with only the agents who have your interests at heart. You may speak to several agents to determine who can serve you the best.

What is an indemnity medical health insurance

The common form of health insurance is called as the indemnity insurance policy, which is also known as fee-for-service, in which the insurer pays for the cost of covered health care services after they have been provided with the bills and money receipts. In most indemnity insurance plans, the patient is free to choose his own doctor or hospital. However, some diseases are not covered by such plans. The person opting for insurance has to check it out before hand. Moreover, there is a certain time limit, for example, Mr. X has paid his first premium on the first day of the current calendar year. If he fall sick, say within fifteen days time of the first premium paid, then he may not get the coverage. The Insurance Companies thus goes for a thorough medical check-up of the person prior to issuing the health insurance policy to someone. Therefore, prior to opting for a health insurance, one must see all the rules and regulations attached to it, which may vary from companies to companies. What you have to do at the first hand is, read the concerned health insurance policy in details. Ask any queries which might disturb you to the representative of the concerned Insurance Company. You have to make your self sure that, you understand precisely what your policy does and does not cover. Thereafter, there is very little chance of coming across with unpleasant surprises at a later stage. Here is a checklist of some aspects, which are to be surely clarified prior to taking out a policy. The check list includes: i) whether the said policy cover only the treatment including operations ii) Is there any restrictions Because, many available policies in the market will often exclude different factors such as: treatment for alcohol and drug abuse; dental treatment/ surgery; HIV/AIDS-related illnesses; infertility treatment; normal pregnancy; cosmetic surgery to solely enhance appearance, etc. This list is not exhaustive and you should ask the insurer for details about your particular policy, iii) what is the coverage period , iv) what is the mode of payment of premium, renewal of policy, v) no claim bonus in case you renew the policy later, etc., and so on and so forth.

In todays competitive world, there are various types of health insurance, and more choices, than ever before. The Insurance Companies are competing with each other and every one of them has to survive. Therefore, many flexi plans are available for the people. You may be the first timer to buy a health insurance plan, or you may already have opted for a certain health insurance plan but want to consider changing plans. You may be a single person or a married one. You may want to cover both yourself and your wife, you may have children or without any issues, having old dependent parents; all this will be covered and answered by different plans available in the market. Help line numbers of the Companies or the Insurance agent will provide you assistance regarding how to choose a health insurance plan and which best meets the needs of you and that too as per your budget.

Moreover, the medical insurance document requires so many declarations from your end. You must declare everything on the application form, even if you think it is boring and unimportant on your part. Take some pain and fill-in-up all the information sought in the application form or any other form supplied by the Insurance Company. There should not be doubt in mind that, you are giving all true and accurate information as it forms the basis of the contract you make. If certain information is inaccurate or has been left out, or has been found incorrect later on, the insurer might refuse to pay your claim. In addition to this vital information, some other important aspects are as follows: the health insurance policies generally only cover you for disorders which have not affected you in the past. There are so many conditions attached to it. Any of your suffering, which is going on or has suffered from in the past, is known as pre-existing conditions. Most of the individual policies including some group policies generally not cover pre-existing conditions. Provisions are there that, some policies cover a pre-existing condition but only after a specific period of time has lapsed since your last treatment or visit to a doctor for the same condition. In this regard, the Insurance provision will allow you for a waiting period. For example, you might have a waiting period of between six months and two years before coverage begins. Therefore, make it doubly sure that, you checked your policy carefully to make sure if you can be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition.

Now, let us have a discussion about another important aspect, i.e. how to claim for a health care insurance. The health Insurance companies have to deal with thousands of claims every day. All the claims needs to be processed as per framed guidelines of the Company and subsequently passed for payment or to be denied, if does not meet the terms of the provision. Since, majority of the claims job is related with paper work, spot verification, etc. therefore often, it may take some time to release the fund. It is a very tedious job. Everyone seeks that; their claim should be cleared within a short span of time. Many smart companies give smart services to its customers. But, many other Companies, especially in country like India; some Companies are Govt. owned Corporations, which takes unnecessary time to settle claims. Whenever you want to make a claim, it is advisable to contact the insurer before you actually receive treatment, or going for hospitalization, if possible. Subsequently, the insurer can confirm the specifics of your cover and can also check that the treatment is within any relevant limits. Then, the company would provide you with the related information like whether you have to make payments first and then be reimbursed or whether the insurance company can make arrangements to pay directly to the Hospital against your bill. On your part, it is very vital that, paper work should be in order and complete in all forms after submitting the claim. Under any circumstances, you are not supposed to claim falsely. Otherwise, if you caught in such a situation, companies may file legal action against you. Dont forget to keep a full set of Xerox copies of all relevant papers with you.

Now, very particularly a question will come to our mind. This irksome question is, what kind of action can we take in case; the insurance company rejects a claim, which we feel as a valid claim In such a situation, if the company refuses the claim, the most advisable part is to insist for a reply in writing from the companys end. Moreover, re-submission of claim can be another solution. Many other matters of concerns can be settled across the table through discussions. For this, we have to ensure that, our problem has been told in clear language. In such cases, citing of Policy number, submission of all medical records such as test reports, prescriptions, cash memos of medicines, doctors records/advise, discharge certificate, etc. must be submitted. Moreover, copies of all earlier correspondences must also to be kept. But, if it is an injustice, dont hesitate to get the best service even with the help of Insurance regulatory Board and law of the land and also to protect our rights.

In the developed countries, both form of Health Insurances, i.e., private health insurance and public health insurance is present among masses. But, in a developing country like India, the private health insurance is more common among people rather than the public health insurance schemes. Many of the public health insurance schemes are very good on papers, but in reality, it is not reaching to the poor. In this regard, another answer can be the Community based health insurance (CBHI) programmes. This type of programme in rural or semi urban areas in India is an alternative arrangement to provide health insurance to the poor, i.e., low-income groups. In India, the Prime Minister has launched an universal health insurance scheme which is similar to CBHI as mentioned above, which can take care of the poor and downtrodden in the society provided it runs as per its policies and goals and reaching rightly to the target group. Moreover, the development of private health insurance can bring potential risks and benefits in terms of health care access for the clients including poor. Moreover, even the private health insurance market lacks development due to the want of regulatory decisions on the supply of health services and the demand for health insurance.

In country like India, the insurance business is still a monopoly of the private Insurance Companies. In fact, for all practical purposes, the only medical insurance policy available for the people in India is the Medi-claim policy. This policy is available through the subsidiaries of the General Insurance Corporation (GIC) of India. Moreover, in India, the government has some schemes meant for its employees such as the ESIS (Employee State Insurance Scheme) and the CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme), etc. After the economic liberalization in India, many foreign Insurance companies entered in to Indian market. They also cover the health insurance sector under its various schemes. In India, now-a-days, many employers provide medical insurance as a standard perquisite to many of their employees, through the group insurance schemes, where the premium is less than a personal insurance policy. The premium is either paid by the Employer or deducted from the medical benefits enjoyed by the employee. In many cases, the employer pays a part of the cost. Not all employers, however, offer health insurance to its employees. Therefore, it is a fact that, in India, health care is still lagging specially with regard to poor and lower middle calls category.

Therefore, once again it is a repetition that, the insurance business in India is still a monopoly. The question arises to the common man is, whom to insure, only to himself or some or all the members of the family; and how much amount to insure for each one of them. Obviously, this is a very confusing situation. This situation is not the same in countries like USA. In USA, there are a wide variety of medical insurance schemes available for the citizens. A person can choose a policy from the health maintenance organization (HMO) or from preferred provider organizations (PPO). But, this brings confusion to all most all the policy buyers. Therefore, one has to be very careful at the time of buying a policy. It is a very simple matter that, once money has been spent for treatment, it should be realized through the Insurance policy. But, the insurance company will be more happy in case of low reimbursements from their part and receiving higher premiums from your end, you have to be very careful to choose the right policy and therefore to take guidance from all Help Lines and also from the Professional Agents. Health to all is still a distant dream in developing countries like India. By opting for health insurance policies, you can protect yourself and your family members from odd situation of life arising out of illnesses, etc.

What is the need for medical health insurance plans

These plans are necessary for people from all walks of life. In majority of the cases, it is known to all of us that, medical care is expensive and the costs related to medical care, hospitalization, medicine is growing upwards day-by-day. In this regard, the graph is in ascending order. Thus, the health insurance plan will certainly assist the concerned person financially. In third world countries and many other developing nations, Health Insurance plans helps the people, specially the poor and lower middle class people in a great extend and can act as a succor at the time when disease struck the family or any one of the members of the family. No one wants to fall ill. But, who knows what will happen to us.

Therefore, health insurance plan for everyone has emerged as the need of the hour. By this, one can protect himself from any sort of illness and related surgery, hospitalization, cost of medicine, etc. On the other hand, if you obtained a health insurance policy, then in case of medical expenses, a third-party, namely, the insurance company, or the employer, will pay for the said costs, if such provision exists. This can certainly relieves the amount of pain, anxiety and financial burden of the concerned person. Therefore, the necessity of the health insurance arises. As already described, who will pay your bills if you have a serious accident or suffering from a major illness Remember, we have to buy health insurance for the same reason for what we buy other kinds of insurance, i.e., to protect ourselves financially at the odd time. With health insurance, we protect ourselves including the family. As it is difficult to predict about the load of the medical bills, therefore, let the health insurance policy and the related Company thinks about it. In a good year, our costs may be low. But incase of illness, at certain amount of time, the higher medical bills can come across in front of us as a boomerang and then this will be covered by a third-party payer, not by us provided we opt for a health insurance.

Medical health insurance

Life is precious. We dont know what will happen to us in near future and we are also unaware about what type of problem may disturb us at what point of time Remember, distress and calamities will not come to us with prior intimation. There is no alert message or danger alarm in this regard. Therefore, we have to act as a pro-active person and therefore, as a matter of fact the only answer to it is buying an insurance policy. Today, in this article we will not peep into medical health insurance as a whole, but we will see only a segment of it, i.e., Health insurance.

Health insurance is nothing but a plan, for which you have to pay previously in the form of a premium. This will provide medical services or medical indemnities for medical health insurance care, which are in need at the time of illness or disability. For this, a voluntary plan has to be opted. This voluntary plan may be commercial or non-profit subject to the nature of the plan. There are various options available such as individual plan as well group insurance plans. A person can act as the main prosper and may include his family members and near and dear ones. In case of compulsory group health insurance plans, these are usually related to social security plans.

Now, lets see into historical aspect of medical health insurance. Most probably, for the first time during the period 1883-84, a compulsory accident and sickness insurance plan was introduced in Germany at the initiative of Otto von Bismarck. Later on, many countries find it very suitable and effective. Thereby, countries like Great Britain, the erstwhile Soviet Union, France, etc. adopted this unique system of health insurance plan after the First World War. In Great Britain, the Government declared the National Health Insurance Act in the year 1946, which came into effect with most comprehensive compulsory medical care plan. Under this plan, individuals were allowed to obtain free medical attention from any doctor, who is a participating member in the National Health Service. Later on, on the basis of this plan, many countries including Europe and Asia designed and adopted several kinds of health insurance plans. The United States is the only nation without some form of comprehensive national health insurance.

Handicap on Gathering the Local Public health Data

Health is something real important. That is why; we need to maintain it well, or if it was possible, we should be able to improve it. For some reasons, some of us want to improve the lever of the local health.


Surely, to be able to improve it, we should make sure that we could get many kinds of information about the local public health. But somehow, that efforts might not as smooth as it was planned.



There are some handicaps on the field. Gathering the local public health data wasn’t as easy as it was planned. In facts, for some privacy reasons, the local community prefers the keep the information.

The Important of the Availability of the Local Health Data

For some reasons, there are many kinds of things that should be done to deliver the perfect health improvement program. There are many factors that determine the success of the program.

First of all; we should collect all data that we needed to determine the perfect program. The most important data that we should gather is the local public health data. Without it, we couldn’t determine the perfect data.

It would be extremely important to have the perfect data. Without the perfect data, the programs wouldn’t have the perfect direction. That is why, the valid data is important in this program.

Gathering the Necessary Data

Improving the health love of the local community is something that should be done. To be able to do that, the program should have some supporting data. The data must be complete.

More importantly, the data that contains of local public health data should be valid. This is necessary so the programs could be done perfectly. Without the valid data, it would be a bit difficult to determine the perfect programs.

There are many kinds of local public health data that should be gathered to support the program. The data of the age, sickness, pattern of sexual behavior and many other supporting data are important.

California HIPAA Dance (Redux)

Another change for HIPAA in California.

Blue Shield of California, in response to Anthem's proposed premium payment arrangement (which is apparently not going to be fully implemented), has taken the following action with regard to HIPAA plan enrollments in California.

Effective 3/2/10, PPO enrollments from HIPAA plans will no longer offer any date of the month not before application receipt date. Now, 1st or 15th of the month following approval of the application.

Book Review: S.P.E.E.D.

This book was sent to me by Matt Schoeneberger, who co-authored it with Jeff Thiboutot. Both have master's degrees in exercise science and health promotion. S.P.E.E.D. stands for Sleep, Psychology, Exercise, Environment and Diet. The authors have attempted to create a concise, comprehensive weight loss strategy based on what they feel is the most compelling scientific evidence available. It's subtitled "The Only Weight Loss Book Worth Reading". Despite the subtitle that's impossible to live up to, it was an interesting and well-researched book. It was a very fast read at 205 large-print pages including 32 pages of appendices and index.

I really appreciate the abundant in-text references the authors provided. I have a hard time taking a health and nutrition book seriously that doesn't provide any basis to evaluate its statements. There are already way too many people flapping their lips out there, without providing any outside support for their statements, for me to tolerate that sort of thing. Even well-referenced books can be a pain if the references aren't in the text itself. Schoeneberger and Thiboutot provided appropriate, accessible references for nearly every major statement in the book.

Chapter one, "What is a Healthy Weight", discusses the evidence for an association between body weight and health. They note that both underweight and obesity are associated with poor health outcomes, whereas moderate overweight isn't. While I agree, I continue to maintain that being fairly lean and appropriately muscled (which doesn't necessarily mean muscular) is probably optimal. The reason that people with a body mass index (BMI) considered to be "ideal" aren't healthier on average than people who are moderately overweight may have to do with the fact that many people with an "ideal" BMI are skinny-fat, i.e. have low muscle mass and too much abdominal fat.

Chapter 2, "Sleep", discusses the importance of sleep in weight regulation and overall health. They reference some good studies and I think they make a compelling case that it's important. Chapter 3, "Psychology", details psychological strategies to motivate and plan for effective weight loss.

Chapter 4, "Exercise", provides an exercise plan for weight loss. The main message: do it! I think they give a fair overview of the different categories of exercise and their relative merits, including high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). However, the exercise regimen they suggest is intense and will probably lead to overtraining in many people. They recommend resistance training major, multi-joint exercises, 1-3 sets to muscular failure 2-4 days a week. I've been at the higher end of that recommendation and it made my joints hurt, plus I was weaker than when I strength trained less frequently. I think the lower end of their recommendation, 1 set of each exercise to failure twice a week, is more than sufficient to meet the goal of maximizing improvements in body composition in most people. My current routine is one brief strength training session and one sprint session per week (in addition to my leisurely cycle commute), which works well for me on a cost-benefit level. However, I was stronger when I was strength training twice a week and never going to muscular failure (a la Pavel Tsatsouline).

Chapter 5, "Environment", is an interesting discussion of different factors that promote excessive calorie intake, such as the setting of the meal, the company or lack thereof, and food presentation. While they support their statements very well with evidence from scientific studies, I do have a lingering doubt about these types of studies: as far as I know, they're all based on short-term interventions. Science would be a lot easier if short-term always translated to long term, but unfortunately that's not the case. For example, studies lasting one or two weeks show that low glycemic index foods cause a reduction in calorie intake and greater feelings of fullness. However, this effect disappears in the long term, and numerous controlled trials show that low glycemic index diets have no effect on food intake, body weight or insulin sensitivity in the long term. I reviewed those studies here.

The body has homeostatic mechanisms (homeostatic = maintains the status quo) that regulate long-term energy balance. Whether short-term changes in calorie intake based on environmental cues would translate into sustained changes that would have a significant impact on body fat, I don't know. For example, if you eat a meal with your extended family at a restaurant that serves massive portions, you might eat twice as much as you would by yourself in your own home. But the question is, will your body factor that huge meal into your subsequent calorie intake and energy expenditure over the following days? The answer is clearly yes, but the degree of compensation is unclear. Since I'm not aware of any trials indicating that changing meal context can actually lead to long-term weight loss, I can't put much faith in this strategy (if you know otherwise, please link to the study in the comments).

Chapter 6, "Diet", is a very brief discussion of what to eat for weight loss. They basically recommend a low-calorie, low-carb diet focused on whole, natural foods. I think low-carbohydrate diets can be useful for some overweight people trying to lose weight, if for no other reason than the fact that they make it easier to control appetite. In addition, a subset of people respond very well to carbohydrate restriction in terms of body composition, health and well-being. The authors emphasize nutrient density, but don't really explain how to achieve it. It would have been nice to see a discussion of a few topics such as organ meats, leafy greens, dairy quality (pastured vs. conventional) and vitamin D. These may not help you lose weight, but they will help keep you healthy, particularly on a calorie-restricted diet. The authors also recommend a few energy bars, powders and supplements that I don't support. They state that they have no financial connection to the manufacturers of the products they recommend.

I'm wary of their recommendation to deliberately restrict calorie intake. Although it will clearly cause fat loss if you restrict calories enough, it's been shown to be ineffective for sustainable, long-term fat loss over and over again. The only exception is the rare person with an iron will who is able to withstand misery indefinitely. I'm going to keep an open mind on this question though. There may be a place for deliberate calorie restriction in the right context. But at this point I'm going to require some pretty solid evidence that it's effective, sustainable, and doesn't have unacceptable side effects.

The book contains a nice bonus, an appendix titled "What is Quality Evidence"? It's a brief discussion of common logical pitfalls when evaluating evidence, and I think many people could benefit from reading it.

Overall, S.P.E.E.D. was a worthwhile read, definitely superior to 95% of fat loss books. With some caveats mentioned above, I think it could be a useful resource for someone interested in fat loss.

From Wall Street Journal "The Wellpoint Mugging"

A very interesting article from the Wall Street Journal.

The Wellpoint Mugging

Some parts of the article are quite telling.

He ought to subpoena California's political class because Wellpoint's rate hikes are the direct result of the Golden State's insurance regulations—the kind that Democrats want to impose on all 50 states. Under federal Cobra rules, the unemployed are allowed to keep their job-related health benefits for 18 to 36 months. California then goes further and bars Anthem from dropping these customers even after they have exhausted Cobra. California also caps what Anthem can charge these post-Cobra customers.

This next one hits home for me as one of the leading Anthem HIPAA producers in California. While I know that Anthem is taking losses on the guaranteed-issue side, I also am confident that my book of Anthem HIPAA business (which apparently is #2 in the state of CA right behind e-healthinsurance)is not creating losses. Yes, the whole pool is losing money and Anthem has been covering almost 80% of it for several years (same with MRMIP). However, I always strive to do proper case development before I pick the appropriate HIPAA plan for a client and find I have a fairly even spread between my three California major medical carriers. And no, Anthem has not invited me to lunch for my high HIPAA production LOL!

This explains why Anthem lost $58 million in California on its post-Cobra customers in 2009. If WellPoint didn't raise premiums amid these losses, it would soon be under assault from its shareholders, if not out of business.

The company presented its findings to California insurance commissioner Steve Poizner last November, who had a month to review the proposed increases and never objected. But recently amid the White House campaign, Mr. Poizner has joined the chorus claiming to be "skeptical" of the increases and demanding that Anthem postpone them while he conducts a review. Anthem has done so.

More HIPAA Dancing

I have learned that Anthem Blue Cross California has again changed its position with regard to HIPAA enrollments.

Apparently they have backed off of the "no premium" with application design (which virtually guaranteed a 60-day minimum gap in coverage) and will allow premium submission with the application in the near future.

The current no premium program was only in effect on the HMO HIPAA plans, not the PPO HIPAA plans. Anthem had indicated a desire to have a unified HIPAA application with no premium pre-payment possible. Apparently this has been scrapped and HIPAA applicants will soon be able to pre-pay premiums for both HMO and PPO HIPAA plans with Anthem Blue Cross CA.

phil heath Kai Greene Branch Warren after the 2009 Mr Olympia video phil heath met rx

phil heath



video of phil heath Kai Greene and Branch Warren after the 2009 Mr Olympia, phil heath was unlucky at the 2009 mr olympia due to some illness going into the mr olympia bodybuilding contest.

but aspect to see phil heath pushing for the 2010 mr olympia title and in much better condition then the 2009 mr olympia contest.

phil heath is wearing a met rx t-shirt in the video not sure if phil heath is still sponsored by met rx or not now.

Part Deux: Is The California Individual & Family Health Insurance Market In Critical Condition?

Having recently watched the "bi-partisan" meeting in Washington and many videos on youtube, I wonder if the problem is "un"-fixable.

Speaker Pelosi, in a recent youtube video answering questions on the meeting, pointed out two things which are absolutely of concern. 1, our health insurance system is employer-based in design and function. 2, there are many more people not covered under the employer-based system who choose to remain on the sideline than those who participate in the non-employer health insurance market.

I won't go through the numbers again since they are covered under part one of this topic below. Suffice to say, nearly two-thirds of those who should participate in the health insurance market in California for individual & family coverage do not. No employer-sponsored health plan, whether fully insured or self-funded, could operate at a participation level of 33% or less. Employer plans require 75% of all eligible employees to participate. I have worked in the past for employers who made it mandatory to buy a health plan through their fsa/cafeteria plan unless one had a valid waiver (so as not to mess up participation).

With rare exception, most every vlog I have seen, including the grilling of Anthem/Wellpoint CEO Braly in Washington, have had a nasty, negative tone. While it is without doubt that people are upset by the rate changes and popular press, there are implications to this notwithstanding the fact that my study below shows that even with the "massive" rate increase, Anthem prices below most of the other California carriers for like coverage (including 2 not-for-profits).

Now here's your "inside scoop" for the day, dear readers. I have it on good authority that a very large health insurance company in California (which shall remain anonymous), in the last six months, approached the state regulatory agency/ies to review the option of cancelling the individual & family market product and bailing out. To be clear as to what is at stake....

IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, ONE OF THE LARGEST HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES IN CALIFORNIA ADDRESSED TO A STATE REGULATORY DEPARTMENT THE POSSIBILITY OF NO LONGER SELLING HEALTH INSURANCE TO INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES IN CALIFORNIA.

The writing is on the wall across the spectrum of carriers. Sales of new plans are flat. HIPAA plans have been reformated to high deductibles and expensive HMO plans to stem the bleeding in that pool. Programs like Tonik for individuals and BeneFits for small group have experienced less-than-stellar sales.

The only two PPO programs (non-HIPAA) that are selling at all right now are SmartSense by Anthem and VitalShield by Blue Shield. Even in those cases, the sales of new plans is not keeping up with the cancellation of existing subscribers.

Anthem has launched three new product portfolios for IFP in the last six months--Core Guard, Clear Protection, and coming April 1, Premier. I will be curious to see whether or not new enrollments in these plans (lower cost) will overtake defections off of coverage as is the current trend.

Until and unless this trend shifts, the IFP market is going to be chaotic at best. Continuous premium increases will become the norm, and this in turn will drive more people off of coverage which will create a repetitive cycle.

So, Dave, you ask, what is your solution to the problem?

Well, I see two choices.

One, like Speaker Pelosi mentioned, mandate coverage and penalize those who do not participate. Increase participation to as close to 100% as possible, guarantee-issue health insurance coverage with no pre-existing conditions problems and create an incentive (tax or othewise) for people to participate in addition to a penalty.

Two, and this is one I may favor over the first one, kill off all non-employer coverage plans and go to a single payer exchange for coverage (with a mandate or incentive). The exchange could offer compliant private plans from carriers that wish to offer them and/or public plans like Medicare/FEHB or other plans designed under federal mandates. Allow carriers to sell private plans outside of the exchange to those who can qualify and wish to purchase outside of the exchange.

Make the exchange available to those who cannot obtain employer-sponsored coverage and do not wish to or cannot purchase a private plan outside of the exchange. Also, provide that any employer under 20 employees (2-19) who chooses the exchange over the group plan must pay a penalty per employee to the exchange, and any company over 20 employees must either provider group coverage or pay a payroll tax penalty per employee to the exchange.

Magnesium and Insulin Sensitivity

From a paper based on US NHANES nutrition and health survey data (1):

During 1999–2000, the diet of a large proportion of the U.S. population did not contain adequate magnesium... Furthermore, racial or ethnic differences in magnesium persist and may contribute to some health disparities.... Because magnesium intake is low among many people in the United States and inadequate magnesium status is associated with increased risk of acute and chronic conditions, an urgent need exists to perform a current survey to assess the physiologic status of magnesium in the U.S. population.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that's slowly disappearing from the modern diet, as industrial agriculture and industrial food processing increasingly dominate our food choices. One of the many things it's necessary for in mammals is proper insulin sensitivity and glucose control. A loss of glucose control due to insulin resistance can eventually lead to diabetes and all its complications.

Magnesium status is associated with insulin sensitivity (2, 3), and a low magnesium intake predicts the development of type II diabetes in most studies (4, 5) but not all (6). Magnesium supplements largely prevent diabetes in a rat model* (7). Interestingly, excess blood glucose and insulin themselves seem to reduce magnesium status, possibly creating a vicious cycle.

In a 1993 trial, a low-magnesium diet reduced insulin sensitivity in healthy volunteers by 25% in just four weeks (8). It also increased urinary thromboxane concentration, a potential concern for cardiovascular health**.

At least three trials have shown that magnesium supplementation increases insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant diabetics and non-diabetics (9, 10, 11). In some cases, the results were remarkable. In type II diabetics, 16 weeks of magnesium supplementation improved fasting glucose, calculated insulin sensitivity and HbA1c*** (12). HbA1c dropped by 22 percent.

In insulin resistant volunteers with low blood magnesium, magnesium supplementation for four months reduced estimated insulin resistance by 43 percent and decreased fasting insulin by 32 percent (13). This suggests to me that magnesium deficiency was probably one of the main reasons they were insulin resistant in the first place. But the study had another very interesting finding: magnesium improved the subjects' blood lipid profile remarkably. Total cholesterol decreased, LDL decreased, HDL increased and triglycerides decreased by a whopping 39 percent. The same thing had been reported in the medical literature decades earlier when doctors used magnesium injections to treat heart disease, and also in animals treated with magnesium. Magnesium supplementation also suppresses atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of the arteries) in animal models, a fact that I may discuss in more detail at some point (14, 15).

In the previous study, participants were given 2.5 g magnesium chloride (MgCl2) per day. That's a bit more than the USDA recommended daily allowance (MgCl2 is mostly chloride by weight), in addition to what they were already getting from their diet. Most of a person's magnesium is in their bones, so correcting a deficiency by eating a nutritious diet may take a while.

Speaking of nutritious diets, how does one get magnesium? Good sources include halibut, leafy greens, chocolate and nuts. Bone broths are also an excellent source of highly absorbable magnesium. Whole grains and beans are also fairly good sources, while refined grains lack most of the magnesium in the whole grain. Organic foods, particularly artisanally produced foods from a farmer's market, are richer in magnesium because they grow on better soil and often use older varieties that are more nutritious.

The problem with seeds such as grains, beans and nuts is that they also contain phytic acid which prevents the absorption of magnesium and other minerals (16). Healthy non-industrial societies that relied on grains took great care in their preparation: they soaked them, often fermented them, and also frequently removed a portion of the bran before cooking (17). These steps all served to reduce the level of phytic acid and other anti-nutrients. I've posted a method for effectively reducing the amount of phytic acid in brown rice (18). Beans should ideally be soaked for 24 hours before cooking, preferably in warm water.

Industrial agriculture has systematically depleted our soil of many minerals, due to high-yield crop varieties and the fact that synthetic fertilizers only replace a few minerals. The mineral content of foods in the US, including magnesium, has dropped sharply in the last 50 years. The reason we need to use fertilizers in the first place is that we've broken the natural nutrient cycle in which minerals always return to the soil in the same place they were removed. In 21st century America, minerals are removed from the soil, pass through our toilets, and end up in the landfill or in waste water. This will continue until we find an acceptable way to return human feces and urine to agricultural soil, as many cultures do to this day****.

I believe that an adequate magnesium intake is critical for proper insulin sensitivity and overall health.


* Zucker rats that lack leptin signaling

** Thromboxane A2 is an omega-6 derived eicosanoid that potently constricts blood vessels and promotes blood clotting. It's interesting that magnesium has such a strong effect on it. It indicates that fatty acid balance is not the only major influence on eicosanoid production.

*** Glycated hemoglobin. A measure of the average blood glucose level over the past few weeks.

**** Anyone interested in further reading on this should look up The Humanure Handbook

Lindeberg on Obesity

I'm currently reading Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's magnum opus Food and Western Disease, recently published in English for the first time. Dr. Lindeberg is one of the world's leading experts on the health and diet of non-industrial cultures, particularly in Papua New Guinea. The book contains 2,034 references. It's also full of quotable statements. Here's what he has to say about obesity:

Middle-age spread is a normal phenomenon - assuming you live in the West. Few people are able to maintain their [youthful] waistline after age 50. The usual explanation - too little exercise and too much food - does not fully take into account the situation among traditional populations. Such people are usually not as physically active as you may think, and they usually eat large quantities of food.

Overweight has been extremely rare among hunter-gatherers and other traditional cultures [18 references]. This simple fact has been quickly apparent to all foreign visitors...

The Kitava study measured height, weight, waist circumference, subcutaneous fat thickness at the back of the upper arm (triceps skinfold) and upper arm circumference on 272 persons ages 4-86 years. Overweight and obesity were absent and average [body mass index] was low across all age groups. ...no one was larger around their waist than around their hips.

...The circumference of the upper arm [mostly indicating muscle mass] was only negligibly smaller on Kitava [compared with Sweden], which indicates that there was no malnutrition. It is obvious from our investigations that lack of food is an unknown concept, and that the surplus of fruits and vegetables regularly rots or is eaten by dogs.

The Population of Kitava occupies a unique position in the world in terms of the negligible effect that the Western lifestyle has had on the island.

The only obese Kitavans Dr. Lindeberg observed were two people who had spent several years off the island living a modern, urban lifestyle, and were back on Kitava for a visit.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who has a scholarly interest in health and nutrition, and somewhat of a background in science and medicine. It's extremely well referenced, which makes it much more valuable.

Dissolve Away those Pesky Bones with Corn Oil

I just read an interesting paper from Gabriel Fernandes's group at the University of Texas. It's titled "High fat diet-induced animal model of age-associated obesity and osteoporosis". I was expecting this to be the usual "we fed mice industrial lard for 60% of calories and they got sick" paper, but I was pleasantly surprised. From the introduction:

CO [corn oil] is known to promote bone loss, obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and thus represents a useful model for studying the early stages in the development of obesity, hyperglycemia, Type 2 diabetes [23] and osteoporosis. We have used omega-6 fatty acids enriched diet as a fat source which is commonly observed in today's Western diets basically responsible for the pathogenesis of many diseases [24].

Just 10% of the diet as corn oil (roughly 20% of calories), with no added omega-3, on top of an otherwise poor laboratory diet, caused:

• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• The replacement of bone marrow with fat cells
  
• Diabetes
• Insulin resistance
  
• Generalized inflammation
• Elevated liver weight (possibly indicating fatty liver)
  

Hmm, some of these sound familiar... We can add them to the findings that omega-6 also promotes various types of cancer in rodents (1).

20% fat is less than the amount it typically takes to make a rodent this sick. This leads me to conclude that corn oil is particularly good at causing mouse versions of some of the most common facets of the "diseases of civilization". It's exceptionally high in omega-6 (linoleic acid) with virtually no omega-3.

Make sure to eat your heart-healthy corn oil! It's made in the USA, dirt cheap and it even lowers cholesterol!

Anthem: The Tale of the Tape in California

I was curious about the impact of the now-delayed Anthem Blue Cross rate increase on premium levels. I could only think of one way to find out, so I ran quotes on myself in Gilroy for four comparative coverage plans from the four California health carriers. Kaiser and Blue Shield are not-for-profit, so they should win, right? The results may surprise you!

The rates below include the Anthem rate increase scheduled for March 1, 2010.

1500 Deductible HSA Plan (or closest match)

#1 Anthem Blue Cross Lumenos 1500 HSA...............$243.00
#2 Health Net CA 2500 HSA (closest).................$246.00
#3 Blue Shield CA 1800 HSA (closest)................$311.00
#4 Kaiser 1500 HSA..................................$349.00

3500 Deductible Traditional PPO (or closest)

#1 Health Net Value PPO 4000 (closest)..............$179.00
#2 Anthem Blue Cross 3500 PPO.......................$224.00
#3 Kaiser 3000 Plan (closest).......................$277.00
#4 Blue Shield CA Essentials 3000 (closest).........$352.00

$0 Deductible PPO/HMO RightPlan Clone with Comprehensive Rx (or closest)

#1 Anthem Blue Cross RightPlan 40 PPO...............$358.00
#2 Health Net NetFirst PPO..........................$383.00
#3 Kaiser HMO (closest match).......................$457.00
#4 Blue Shield CA Active Start 35...................$504.00

1500 Deductible HMO Plan

#1 Kaiser 30/1500...................................$365.00
#2 Anthem Blue Cross HMO (w/1500 deductible)........$654.00
#3 Health Net HMO 40................................$670.00
#4 Blue Shield CA Access+ HMO.......................$798.00



I have not included the SmartSense plans, nor the the Core Guard and Clear Protection plans offered by Anthem. However, those three portfolios all price even more favorably against the in-state competition.

Anthem Agrees To Delay Rate Increase in California

On Saturday (2/13) Anthem agreed to hold off on the March 1 rate increases until May 1 at the soonest. This will give time for independent actuaries and auditors to determine if the increase in rates is appropriate.

Anthem to delay insurance rate hike amid criticism