Information about cancer, settlements and Mesothelioma

Will Health Care Reform Kill Medicare Advantage?

2010-11-16T01:04:00.001-08:00

It has been six months since the highly contested Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also called health care reform, became law. Polls show that people remain worried about how the law will affect their health care. There is a lot of talk about big cuts in Medicare, and seniors are worried their coverage will be reduced or that their doctors will no longer accept Medicare. Should they be worried?

The worst news is for people who love their Medicare Advantage plans. This program pays private insurance companies to enroll seniors in managed-care networks. Many plans offer more benefits than "plain" Medicare, such as dental and vision coverage and health club memberships.
The problem with Medicare Advantage is that taxpayer's aren't getting their money's worth from the program. Much of the recent increases in Medicare costs can be traced to overpayments to insurance companies offering the subsidized plans.You've heard that Medicare is going broke? Well, Medicare Advantage is a big reason for that.
A Medicare Advantage benefit costs the government 14 percent more than exactly the same benefit offered through regular Medicare. In some parts of the country, the difference is as high as 20 percent. That extra money is being eaten up in marketing and administrative costs, and in profits to the insurance companies.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, all Medicare beneficiaries, including those enrolled in regular Medicare, are paying for these overpayments through higher premiums. HHS says that this year these subsidies are adding about $3.60 per month to premiums.
But there is no proof that the program is providing better health care than regular Medicare; just that it's more expensive. And for this reason, most of the cuts to Medicare provided in the health care reform law are cuts to Medicare Advantage, not regular Medicare.
These cuts won't go into effect all at once. In 2011, the subsidy going to private insurance companies will be frozen at 2010 levels. After that, the payments will be reduced an average of 12% per year, until costs are more in line with the cost of regular Medicare. Beginning in 2014, the private insurers offering Medicare Advantage plans must maintain a "medical loss ratio" of at least 85%, which is a fancy way of saying that 85 percent of the subsidies and premiums they receive must be paid out in benefits. On the other hand, companies that meet certain benchmarks for quality of service are eligible for a bonus.
Bottom line: according to the Congressional Budget Office, by 2019 the private insurance companies offering these plans will receive $136 billion less than they would have received at the current level of subsidy.
Naturally, the private insurance companies do not like this one bit, and they say they will drop out of the program if these cuts aren't repealed. And when those Medicare Advantage taxpayer subsidies stop being a cash cow for those companies, they might very well drop out of the program. Companies that stay in the program probably will eliminate some of the extra benefits that make Medicare Advantage popular.
Some seniors will be unhappy about this, but it's important for them to understand why it is happening -- Medicare Advantage as it is has been dragging the entire Medicare program closer and closer to bankruptcy.
Before the Medicare program began in 1965, only 56 percent of people over age 65 had any health insurance. Today, without Medicare, the percentage of seniors with health insurance would be very tiny, indeed. It's a sad fact that in our autumn years, nearly all of us will suffer increasing problems with our health. Some ailments -- arthritis, heart disease -- are common, and some are rare, such as mesothelioma cancer, rarely diagnosed before the patient is 50. Either way, senior health care is expensive, and private insurance companies don't want seniors as customers -- unless taxpayers are supplying the profits.
In 2009, while health care reform was being hotly debated in Congress and town hall meetings all over America, some insurance companies deliberately misinformed their customers about what the bill would do to their Medicare Advantage Plans. One major Medicare Advantage provider sent out a letter to its Medicare Advantage customers claiming that Congress and President Obama would cut "important benefits and services" provided by Medicare.
Remember the stories about silver-haired grandmothers marching in protests with signs saying "Keep Government Out of My Medicare"? People laughed at them, but it's possible those were misinformed Medicare Advantage customers.
But the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not cutting any benefit from Medicare. In fact, it is adding a few new benefits. Beginning this week, Medicare patients will not have to pay a co-payment to the doctor for preventive care or for an annual checkup. The health care reform law also will gradually close the infamous "doughnut hole," the gap in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage that costs some Medicare patients thousands of dollars every year.
Last year, the trustees of the Medicare program announced that by 2017, the part of Medicare that pays hospital bills would be out of money, and Medicare would have to stop paying those bills. This year, the same trustees said the hospital fund should be good until 2029, thanks mostly to the health care reform bill. This tells us the struggle to save the program isn't over, but we're moving in the right direction.
As we get closer to the November midterm elections, watch out for politicians citing the cuts to Medicare Advantage as a reason to repeal the health care reform bill. Without those cuts, Medicare itself is in grave danger.

Barbara O'Brien is a concerned citizen who writes the popular political blog, The Mahablog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_T._O'Brien

The Highest Rated Debt Settlement Elimination Program For 2010

2010-11-16T00:52:00.000-08:00

The Highest Rated Debt Settlement Elimination Program For 2010

Would you like to know much more information on the greatest debt settlement applications for 2010? You will find some new programs and let me tell you, they're exciting.

As a result of economic recession around the globe, the burden of credit card loans has increased tremendously. At initial, using credit score cards might seem overwhelming but eventually, when the unpaid arrears start accumulating, the consumers find it tough to spend even the minimum balance monthly. Once the customers face such a situation, declaring bankruptcy may be the only choice which can give them relief from the debt burden. However, they ought to also think about some other alternatives which may be much more suitable.
The Federal Trade Commission has passed particular new legal guidelines in the year 2010 for enabling consumers to get out from the unsecured credit score card money owed in a legal way and to prevent them from filing bankruptcy. This new law makes the financial debt negotiation process a lot much more legitimate and less risky for the consumers. Due to the new legal guidelines of 2010, only the legit businesses will probably be able to supply their services. This is simply because the new credit score card laws have been made stricter for the loan settlement companies to be able to end the malpractices of some companies that had been taking undue benefits from the clients in the past.
The FTC's new rules clearly put a ban on any kind of advance charge being charged from the customers. This also means that consumers now have the security of hiring only those financial debt settlement companies which have a successful past record of negotiating with the consumers' creditors for reducing the balances in a legal manner. Customers are only liable to spend the charge if the loan negotiating business gets the debts settled. Therefore, all those businesses, which did not render any services as promised and still had been charging enormous amount of money from the consumers, will probably be thrown out from the market owing to these new financial debt relief regulations.
Collectors are also in favor of negotiating the debts since the government's new laws give them assurance of obtaining at least some percentage of their cash back instead of a complete loss. Thus, now consumers having loans of much more or equal to $10,000 can get their financial debt amounts settled legally. A consumer's financial debt could be reduced up to 50% to 70% from the total amount, depending on the performance from the financial debt settlement company he chooses.
In the event you have over $5,000 in unsecured financial debt it may be a wise financial choice to think about a debt settlement. Due to the recession and overwhelming amount of people in financial debt, collectors are having no option but to agree to debt settlement deals. To find legit financial debt reduction help in your state and get free financial debt advice then check out the following link.
There are also businesses who can assist you eliminate your money owed in just a few months. They buy out your money owed and you only have to spend them back 55 cents for each dollar you owed. This is worth checking out in my opinion.

About the Author

By: Bob Mason

To learn more about the best debt settlement program of 2010, just visit debt settlement. Learn how to get the results you want FAST, with a low monthly payment.

(ArticlesBase SC #3471526)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - The Highest Rated Debt Settlement Elimination Program For 2010

Credit Card Facts and Why Debt Settlement Makes SenseCredit Card Facts and Why Debt Settlement Makes Sense

2010-11-11T02:44:00.000-08:00

According to the Survey of Consumer Payment Choice," Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, January 2010, the mean, or average, unpaid credit card balance last month was $3,389. The median is $90. And Experian marketing insight snapshot, March 2009 says that the average balance per open credit card (including both retail and bank cards) was $1,157 at the end of 2008. That's up from $1,033 at the end of 2006, a growth of nearly 11 percent in two years. (Source )

If you have a $5,000 at an 18% interest rate and are paying about $200 a month, minimum, how long do you think it would take you to pay it all off? -- 11 years. And that's assuming that you have stopped charging on your cards. In those 11 years, the $5,000 you owe would actually balloon to $7900 by the time you've paid in full.
And what if your total credit card debt amount is double that amount, $10,000? If you pay the minimum payment, it would take you 22 years to be debt free.
But don't despair, the good news is, you have the option of settling debt with your creditor. It used to be that they are not open to being paid with less than the full amount, but since the recession, they have gotten wiser, and depending on the negotiation, are now settling for less than the full amount.
Debt settlement can be done d.i.y. (do it yourself) or via a debt settlement company. You would save on fees if you do it on your own but you may be compromising the opportunity to settle for the best possible percentage. Remember that debt negotiators know your creditors. All of them and are therefore familiar with their business temperament.
If you're wondering just how much a professional debt settlement is going to cost you, the industry standard is 15% of the total debt amount or 20-25% of the settlement amount. As for the fee structure, you should be glad to know that as of October 2010, debt settlement companies are not allowed to charge upfront fees anymore or charge any fees, without having settled anything yet.
So, if you are already burdened by your huge credit card balances and they are past due too, now is the best time to try debt settlement, and be debt free in less than three years.

Summer Quinne is a debt consultant at http://franklindebtrelief.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Summer_Quinne

Sell Your Structured Settlement With Ease

2010-11-11T02:42:00.001-08:00

Sell Your Structured Settlement With Ease

Structured settlements are a method of payment for personal injury compensation. They are intended to provide long-term, stable income for claimant to cover medical and living costs. Instead of receiving one big lump sum, which can be more of a burden than a solution,(especially for someone who has not had a lot of money before) the claimant will receive regular monthly or annual payments.

This provides greater financial security and ensures that claimant will have funds to provide for his family now and in the future.
So why would you want to sell your structured settlement? Let's read more to get a better idea of what we mean.
Even though they are an excellent way of settling personal injury cases, structured settlements have few disadvantages. Before they are signed, they can have many different payment options.
These can be annual payments, monthly, bi-monthly, or any combination of the above.
You can even arrange for every tenth payment to be larger than regular ones, if you need to. In that sense, structured settlements are very flexible.
However, once signed, they are difficult to change.
This could be a problem in the future. Life does not always go as you plan it. You may find yourself in a situation where you need substantial amount of cash, whether is that down payment for a new home or college tuition. Sometimes the only solution is to sell your settlement to get a quick injection of income.
There are plenty of companies on the market that specialize in buying structured settlements. They all offer different terms so it is a good idea to ask around before selling.
The basic principle is the same with all of them. You sell your future income for the lump sum paid to you today.
If you have decided to sell, one thing must be clear to you, you will not get as much money as you would from your original settlement.
The difference between what you get and the amount of settlement is a profit margin for the company. Be careful when looking at your options. Is the difference worth getting your money today instead of in 5 or 10 years?
One other thing to consider is inflation. One hundred thousand dollars in 1980 is not the same value in 2010 or later. Money drops its value over time and the longer you wait, the more value you will lose. All these factors are important when deciding to sell your structured settlement and should be considered carefully.

About the Author

By: Paul Easton

Paul Easton writes on many subject including How to Sell Structured Settlements at his specialist website with FREE Advice: http://www.StructuredInsuranceSettlements.com/

(ArticlesBase SC #2943013)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Sell Your Structured Settlement With Ease

Will Health Care Reform Kill Medicare Advantage?

2010-11-05T00:27:00.001-07:00

Barbara O'Brien is a concerned citizen who writes the popular political blog, The Mahablog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_T._O'Brien

Lung Cancer Vs Mesothelioma

2010-11-05T00:21:00.001-07:00

Cancer is a leading cause of death in America, claiming an estimated 569,490 lives in 2010 alone. Over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year, and although this amount has decreased over the past fifteen years, many lives are still disrupted by cancer diagnoses. Two deadly forms of this disease are lung cancer and mesothelioma, but these are not quite the same disorder.

First, both lung cancer and mesothelioma can affect the lungs. However, mesothelioma describes a problem that attacks specialized cells that make up a lining called the mesothelium. The mesothelium is present around the lungs, heart, abdomen, and testicles, meaning that mesothelioma can strike other areas besides just the lungs. On the other hand, lung cancer strictly affects the actual cells that make up the lungs. Both cancers can spread to other areas, though, through a process called metastasis.
Also, because both cancers can occur in or near your lungs, they can manifest with several of the same symptoms. You can experience coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and chest pain. However, in 25% of lung cancer cases, there may be no symptoms until the tumors are discovered via x-ray or other devices.
Next, both cancers can be treated with the same combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, like other cancers. However, inconsistent survival rates for mesothelioma suggest that people's prognoses depend more on unconventional treatment or individual situations rather than on the cancer treatment. Additionally, lung cancer is the most deadly form of this disease, and it is fairly consistent with its death rates, unlike mesothelioma.
Lastly, there are several different causes of the two different cancers. Mesothelioma is almost always the result of exposure to asbestos. Lung cancer can also be caused by asbestos exposure. In addition, though, it can also arise due to smoking, secondhand smoke, radon gas exposure, air pollution, and lung diseases.
If you have developed mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, you should make sure that you are thoroughly informed of your treatment options and outlook before making any major decisions. For more information, please visit the Mesothelioma Resource Center today.

James Witherspoon

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Witherspoon

New Financial Debt Settlement Applications For 2010

2010-11-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

New Financial Debt Settlement Applications For 2010

New Financial debt Settlement Programs for 2010

Are you looking for a good debt settlement plan? Do you've too several money owed and really feel like you can never spend them off? Then this article might help you.

You see, you will find some new programs that affect financial debt settlement in 2010. New laws had been passed protecting consumers from bad practices in this industry and as a result some great programs have emerged.

With traditional financial debt settlement programs, you would need to wait 3 to 4 many years to see results. By results, I mean your debts had been paid off and you could start the credit score repair procedure after many years of credit score wreckage. This is a lengthy time to wait, but was still a short quantity of time as compared to how lengthy it would take should you were just making your minimum payments.

Now, there is really a new plan. Instead of waiting 3-4 years, your money owed are bought out within the beginning of the plan and also you credit score report will show your balances cleared out. This indicates the natural credit score rebuilding procedure can occur a lot sooner than with traditional applications. They buy out your money owed on the promise that you're heading to pay them back. They don't charge interest, but a small monthly fee for this service. The monthly payment you make is heading to be far less than paying all your minimum payments.

They also guarantee to settle your money owed for at least 55 cents on the dollar, which includes their fees. This indicates should you owe 10K you are only heading to need to pay $5500.

This is an incredible offer for individuals who feel overwhelmed with debt and would like to eliminate their debts in the shortest quantity of time possible.

To learn much more about this new financial debt settlement program in 2010, just visit the links below.

About the Author

By: Bob Mason

To learn more about this program, just visit Best Debt Settlement Program. You can have your debts bought out upfront and start seeing results fast! Debt Settlement Program 2010.

(ArticlesBase SC #3292865)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - New Financial Debt Settlement Applications For 2010

Credit Card Debt Settlements in 2010

2010-11-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

Credit Card Debt Settlements in 2010 - Is Debt Settlement a Legitimate Option?

etting access to plastic money and gaining a card has become very easy. You just have to open up a bank account and in hardly 10 working days you get a credit card. In 2010 many people have acquired credit cards. The problem starts when one becomes unable to pay back their credit card debts. People using credit card have to file for bankruptcy when they cannot think of any other way to get rid of credit card debt. Bankruptcy is a loss for both borrowers and lender and now a day's lender are persuading their clients to go for credit card debt settlement. Credit Card Debt settlement in 2010 has sky rocketed because people are becoming more and more aware of settling debt by this legitimate way.

Credit card debt settlements in 2010 have been a very good option for borrower's view point. This is because when they file for bankruptcy, their credit reports get negatively affected. If we compare debt settlement with bankruptcy we will notice that although both of these options have a negative impact on our credit rating but bankruptcy is a disaster for a credit report.

How does settlement deals in 2010 work? In settlement plans; both the borrowers and lenders negotiate or bargain on the amount of debt that need to be paid back and settle for a lower amount. This goes in the benefit of both the parties as these deals result in bringing back blocked money into circulation and saves you from paying extra.

If you are making your credit card payments regularly then you cannot qualify for debt settlement. If you have not paid any amount for past 5 to 6 months then the lending company will try to settle debt by offering you a debt settlement plan. A US citizen should have up to $10,000 unsecured debt in his account to qualify for such a program.

In the process of negotiating for a settlement a debtor will have to prove to the creditor that he has no money to pay back and will file bankruptcy to get rid of his debt. Once the creditor is certain that the debtor will not be able to pay; he offers a plan to the debtor. The debtor can negotiate on the total amount that need to be paid back and a new schedule to make the payment. The negotiated amount can be lowered by 50% and a very relaxed schedule of repayment can be figured out. Settlement is undoubtedly the most legitimate way of solving debt problem.

Getting out of debt through a debt settlement process is currently very popular but you need to know where to locate the best performing programs in order to get the best deals. To compare debt settlement companies it would be wise to visit a free debt relief network which will locate the best performing companies in your area for free.

About the Author

By: arnoldfraizer

freedebtsettlementsolutions.com is a matchmaker in the debt settlement industry. They have paired up thousands of consumers up with debt settlement companies who are most likely to get consumers the best deal.
http://www.freedebtsettlementsolutions.com

(ArticlesBase SC #2429495)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Credit Card Debt Settlements in 2010 - Is Debt Settlement a Legitimate Option?

New Financial Debt Settlement Applications For 2010

2010-11-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

New Financial Debt Settlement Applications For 2010

New Financial debt Settlement Programs for 2010

Are you looking for a good debt settlement plan? Do you've too several money owed and really feel like you can never spend them off? Then this article might help you.

They also guarantee to settle your money owed for at least 55 cents on the dollar, which includes their fees. This indicates should you owe 10K you are only heading to need to pay $5500.

This is an incredible offer for individuals who feel overwhelmed with debt and would like to eliminate their debts in the shortest quantity of time possible.

To learn much more about this new financial debt settlement program in 2010, just visit the links below.

About the Author

By: Bob Mason

To learn more about this program, just visit Best Debt Settlement Program. You can have your debts bought out upfront and start seeing results fast! Debt Settlement Program 2010.

(ArticlesBase SC #3292865)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - New Financial Debt Settlement Applications For 2010