Most of us would have heard the term COBRA popping up when leaving a job, being laid off or in the process of a divorce. COBRA or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 was instituted to allow people to continue health care insurance coverage provided by their employers even after they have retired or been terminated from work or by spouses after a divorce, as long as they pay the premiums themselves. This act, while a boon for those laid-off or divorced, is confusing to many. I’ve tried to simplify as much as possible a few salient facts about COBRA :
• You qualify for COBRA if you work for a company that has more than 20 employees, are covered under a group plan as an employee of the company who has retired or been terminated or a spouse, ex-spouse or a dependant child of such an employee.
• COBRA coverage does not last forever – you’re covered for up to 18, 29 or 36 months of coverage depending on both the qualifying event (termination, retirement, death or divorce) and the beneficiary’s status (employed, capable of earning). Termination or reduction of working hours enables you and your dependants for coverage up to 18 months, divorces, legal separation and death get your dependants 36 months of coverage, and dependant children who lose their dependant status get up to 36 months.
• Most people find insurance a more costly affair once they’ve signed up for COBRA after a lay off and wonder why. This is because your employer pays a part of your premium while you’re a full-time employee. So if thought your monthly premium was $350 and are presented with a bill for $663 at the end of each month when on COBRA, don’t be surprised or shocked. It only means that your employer has been paying $300 for you – the $13 is the 2 percent administrative fee you’re obligated to pay under COBRA. Before you sign up for COBRA, find out from your employer how much premium you have to pay each month.
• Don’t wait too long to find your own insurance even if your coverage under your employer’s plan lasts you for a long period of time. Start looking for alternatives at once. It’s going to be a difficult process, especially if you’ve just lost your main source of income. But consider the alternative - if you suffer a serious medical complaint in the time you’re still under your COBRA coverage, it’s going to be doubly hard and much more expensive to procure your own health insurance. Also, you may not get coverage for the said complaint and its related diseases in your new plan.
• You lose your coverage under COBRA if you’re eligible for Medicare, if you miss out on paying a premium, if your employer stops maintaining a group health plan or if you obtain coverage that is not subject to any limitations under another health plan.
• COBRA coverage is suited for those who are already being treated for some illness under the current plan and for those whose next employer does not offer healthcare coverage.
• If the beneficiary becomes disabled within 60 days of COBRA election, coverage is extended for another 11 months.
• While the first premium must be paid 45 days after election, you can pay other premiums monthly, weekly or quarterly.
• Federal employees are not covered by COBRA
By-line:
Sarah Scrafford is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of RN. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Cut Health Insurance Costs Now!!!
HSA Major Medical Health Plans Offer Savings and Tax Benefits
Most of us are affected by today's economic environment, high gas prices, and the increasing costs of living. The health insurance industry is not exempt from increasing costs, however there may be an answer to controlling rate increases while maintaining health coverage and financial protection.
New health savings accounts (HSA's) represent a viable option for those searching for low cost health insurance. A health savings account is a special tax-sheltered savings account for medical expenses and is similar to an IRA in concept. Instead of purchasing high-priced health insurance with low co-pays, you buy lower cost health insurance (with a high deductible) for the "big bills" and deposit the difference in the HSA to cover the "small bills." Money deposited into health savings accounts is 100% tax deductible and can be easily accessed by check or debit card to pay medical bills tax-free including expenses not covered by insurance like dental and vision. Monies not used for medical expenses remain the property of the individual account holder, not the insurance company.
The benefits of health savings accounts are numerous and include the following:
Lower monthly health insurance premiums
More stability in premiums
Immediate tax savings
Long-term growth potential
Tax-free withdrawals to pay medical expenses
Tax-free withdrawals to pay for long-term care insurance or COBRA premiums
Freedom to choose your own medical providers
More control over your own healthcare decisions
If you are looking for low cost health insurance and have a desire not to pay high health insurance premiums while reducing federal income taxes, you should definitely contact us for more information on health savings accounts. Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and PacifiCare all offer excellent HSA compatible plans. Health savings accounts are the wave of the future! You owe it to yourself to check them out!
For a FREE, no-obligation health quote, please email us the ages and home zip codes of all parties to be covered, any medical conditions or current medications, and information on your current health plan including deductible and monthly premium. We will be happy to run a comparison against several less costly HSA compatible plans. We also have a team of networking professionals who can also analyze your other insurance needs such as homeowners, auto, life, and disability coverage. Our focus is on serving our clients through high ethics, product knowledge, and professionalism.
Most of us are affected by today's economic environment, high gas prices, and the increasing costs of living. The health insurance industry is not exempt from increasing costs, however there may be an answer to controlling rate increases while maintaining health coverage and financial protection.
New health savings accounts (HSA's) represent a viable option for those searching for low cost health insurance. A health savings account is a special tax-sheltered savings account for medical expenses and is similar to an IRA in concept. Instead of purchasing high-priced health insurance with low co-pays, you buy lower cost health insurance (with a high deductible) for the "big bills" and deposit the difference in the HSA to cover the "small bills." Money deposited into health savings accounts is 100% tax deductible and can be easily accessed by check or debit card to pay medical bills tax-free including expenses not covered by insurance like dental and vision. Monies not used for medical expenses remain the property of the individual account holder, not the insurance company.
The benefits of health savings accounts are numerous and include the following:
Lower monthly health insurance premiums
More stability in premiums
Immediate tax savings
Long-term growth potential
Tax-free withdrawals to pay medical expenses
Tax-free withdrawals to pay for long-term care insurance or COBRA premiums
Freedom to choose your own medical providers
More control over your own healthcare decisions
If you are looking for low cost health insurance and have a desire not to pay high health insurance premiums while reducing federal income taxes, you should definitely contact us for more information on health savings accounts. Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and PacifiCare all offer excellent HSA compatible plans. Health savings accounts are the wave of the future! You owe it to yourself to check them out!
For a FREE, no-obligation health quote, please email us the ages and home zip codes of all parties to be covered, any medical conditions or current medications, and information on your current health plan including deductible and monthly premium. We will be happy to run a comparison against several less costly HSA compatible plans. We also have a team of networking professionals who can also analyze your other insurance needs such as homeowners, auto, life, and disability coverage. Our focus is on serving our clients through high ethics, product knowledge, and professionalism.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Be Careful What You Wish For
The following is a recent editorial from the Orange County Register:
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Today's editorial: On health care, beware what you wish for
Demagogues preying on natural fears have created a false sense of urgency for government-sponsored medical system.
An Orange County Register editorial
A recent poll informs us that nearly 70 percent of Californians believe the state's health care system needs major changes.
It's apparently such an urgent problem, say pollsters from the Public Policy Institute of California, that three fourths of those people are willing to buy into Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to heavily tax employers, health care providers and individuals to fix the perceived problem.
One might think health care is being denied these people. But virtually no one in California goes without health care. And, as syndicated columnist Mark Steyn notes on page 4 today, the vast majority who want health insurance have it, and it's generally paid for by someone else. So what's going on here?
There is a problem with the system. It's built on sand, as editorial writer Mark Landsbaum's page 1 column today explains. We shouldn't be surprised after decades of relying on others to pay our way, the institution of health care is teetering.
Private employers find it increasingly expensive to offer the full range of insurance coverage their employees expect, let alone to keep up with demands for new coverage for every conceivable medical treatment. Insurance usually is tied to employment, so when people lose jobs they lose insurance. Because insurers are forced to sell the full range of coverage, there's little leeway to tailor economical, a la carte packages beneficiaries might prefer. Hospital emergency rooms are closing because many who can't afford insurance use them as their family doctors. Fear of losing one's life savings is motive enough for most of us to cling desperately to a guarantee health insurance provides against financial devastation, should we develop a catastrophic illness.
It's a scenario ripe for demagoguery. There's no shortage of those ready to exploit, from Gov. Schwarzenegger to Hillary Clinton (as the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon and Michael Tanner explain on page 1 today). The growing sense of urgency works to the advantage of those sounding the "government to the rescue" bugle call.
But if there's anything Californians, indeed Americans, should avoid, it's being stampeded into more government control over your health care. Rather than turn over your health care, insurance protection and personal choices to faceless, unaccountable government bureaucrats, now's the time to demand that bureaucracy begin releasing its grip on the system.
It's taken more than a half century to pervert the health care free market. The mess won't be cleaned up overnight. But to rush into even more of what corrupted the system will move us even farther in the wrong direction. A reasoned, systematic loosening of government's grip can prevent disaster. Now's a good time to begin.
Government should revoke all mandates limiting insurers' flexibility to meet market demand, and in that way greatly reduce costs. Insurance should be portable, rather than provided through employers, particularly when people change jobs an average of 10 times between the ages 18 and 38. Without government interference, people could shop for catastrophic coverage, if that's all they want, rather than pay top dollar for broad coverage with low-deductibles.
There will be challenges even the free market will struggle with, such as expensive, high-risk coverage for people with pre-existing, bad health. But once the market straightens out for the bulk of us, such issues can be dealt with more effectively and economically. Insurers and health care providers, out from under the costly, oppressive regulation of government, could very well find it in their own interest to create insurance pools for high-risk patients. Especially if doing it voluntarily keeps the government out. We urge everyone concerned with the teetering institution of health care to urge their elected representatives to turn away from more government, and toward more freedom.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Today's editorial: On health care, beware what you wish for
Demagogues preying on natural fears have created a false sense of urgency for government-sponsored medical system.
An Orange County Register editorial
A recent poll informs us that nearly 70 percent of Californians believe the state's health care system needs major changes.
It's apparently such an urgent problem, say pollsters from the Public Policy Institute of California, that three fourths of those people are willing to buy into Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to heavily tax employers, health care providers and individuals to fix the perceived problem.
One might think health care is being denied these people. But virtually no one in California goes without health care. And, as syndicated columnist Mark Steyn notes on page 4 today, the vast majority who want health insurance have it, and it's generally paid for by someone else. So what's going on here?
There is a problem with the system. It's built on sand, as editorial writer Mark Landsbaum's page 1 column today explains. We shouldn't be surprised after decades of relying on others to pay our way, the institution of health care is teetering.
Private employers find it increasingly expensive to offer the full range of insurance coverage their employees expect, let alone to keep up with demands for new coverage for every conceivable medical treatment. Insurance usually is tied to employment, so when people lose jobs they lose insurance. Because insurers are forced to sell the full range of coverage, there's little leeway to tailor economical, a la carte packages beneficiaries might prefer. Hospital emergency rooms are closing because many who can't afford insurance use them as their family doctors. Fear of losing one's life savings is motive enough for most of us to cling desperately to a guarantee health insurance provides against financial devastation, should we develop a catastrophic illness.
It's a scenario ripe for demagoguery. There's no shortage of those ready to exploit, from Gov. Schwarzenegger to Hillary Clinton (as the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon and Michael Tanner explain on page 1 today). The growing sense of urgency works to the advantage of those sounding the "government to the rescue" bugle call.
But if there's anything Californians, indeed Americans, should avoid, it's being stampeded into more government control over your health care. Rather than turn over your health care, insurance protection and personal choices to faceless, unaccountable government bureaucrats, now's the time to demand that bureaucracy begin releasing its grip on the system.
It's taken more than a half century to pervert the health care free market. The mess won't be cleaned up overnight. But to rush into even more of what corrupted the system will move us even farther in the wrong direction. A reasoned, systematic loosening of government's grip can prevent disaster. Now's a good time to begin.
Government should revoke all mandates limiting insurers' flexibility to meet market demand, and in that way greatly reduce costs. Insurance should be portable, rather than provided through employers, particularly when people change jobs an average of 10 times between the ages 18 and 38. Without government interference, people could shop for catastrophic coverage, if that's all they want, rather than pay top dollar for broad coverage with low-deductibles.
There will be challenges even the free market will struggle with, such as expensive, high-risk coverage for people with pre-existing, bad health. But once the market straightens out for the bulk of us, such issues can be dealt with more effectively and economically. Insurers and health care providers, out from under the costly, oppressive regulation of government, could very well find it in their own interest to create insurance pools for high-risk patients. Especially if doing it voluntarily keeps the government out. We urge everyone concerned with the teetering institution of health care to urge their elected representatives to turn away from more government, and toward more freedom.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Hillary Clinton Health Plan
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton recently unveiled her proposed plan for healthcare reform. You can read the Clinton campaign's summary of their plan by visiting their website:
Hillary Clinton's Health Plan
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Hillary Clinton's Health Plan
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Monday, September 10, 2007
No Late Deals on our Health Care
The following is an article reprinted from the September 10 issue of the Orange County Register and written by Mike Villines, State Assembly GOP leader. You can visit his website linked through the title of this article for more information on California health care issues or visit this website for current updates: Republican Assembly on Health Care Reform
Monday, September 10, 2007
Mike Villines: No late deals on our health care
When it comes to health care: slow down, listen, and think.
By MIKE VILLINES
State assembly GOP leader
If history can teach us anything, it's that cutting deals at the last minute and rushing half-baked deals through the Legislature at the 11th hour is a recipe for failure – especially when it involves something as important and complex as California's health care system.
Remember energy deregulation? At the time, lawmakers touted the sweeping legislation as a plan that would lower costs and improve service for all. A few years later, Californians were stuck paying billons of dollars for these empty promises, forced to endure rolling blackouts and record budget deficits, while paying higher rates for inferior service.
Unfortunately, history seems to be repeating itself this year with the end-of-session push to pass health care legislation. Press accounts have revealed that Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Democrats are preparing to cut a deal on a harmful plan that could increase your insurance rates by up to 40 percent, hurt businesses and jobs, and lead to higher taxes for all Californians. Worst of all, not only is this plan being put together out of the public eye, it will ultimately not provide more access to care.
Before the governor and Democrats ram through a government health care scheme without legislative scrutiny or public input, I think it's important that we all take a step back and think through the impact our actions will have on health care in our state for generations. If we proceed in passing this hastily crafted plan, we will be repeating the colossal mistakes of the past and make the current problems far worse. Does that make sense to you?
The experiences in other countries, like Canada, show that we could face a rationing of care while government bureaucrats decide what treatments you can receive. Patients could be forced to wait several months just to receive basic health services, such as a routine MRI. Seniors with serious illnesses could be denied life-saving treatments if they are determined to not be "cost-effective."
By imposing massive tax increases, including a jobs tax on every California business and a sales tax increase on all Californians, government health care will cause taxpayers to feel pain where it hurts most – their wallets.
Those who already have insurance will see their rates increase. One of California's major health insurance providers says this plan will force them to raise premiums on nearly all of the 600,000 individuals who buy coverage from them. Younger, healthier Californians could see their premiums rise as much as 50 percent! Again I ask, does this make sense to you?
There are also serious legal flaws in this plan. It may violate the federal ERISA law, which forbids states from forcing companies to provide specific health benefits to their workers or pay a jobs tax. A similar plan in Maryland was thrown out in court for violating ERISA, yet Democrats refuse to hold a hearing on the legality of this plan.
Not that long ago Gov. Schwarzenegger declared, "A tax increase would be the final nail in California's financial coffin." Assembly Republicans agree that raising taxes to pay for expanded government health care is the wrong approach.
It's time for all of us to take a deep breath and realize just what's at stake this year. A partisan vote that ignores the serious problems with their plan is not the way to reform health care. We don't need to rush through flawed legislation at the last minute just for the sake of headlines. Policy by press release is never a good idea. Lawmakers can and must take the time to do this right. There is a lot we can to together to provide more access and choice to quality care while reducing costs, without raising taxes or expanding the size of government.
Mike Villines, of Fresno, is the Republican Leader of the California State Assembly. He represents the 29th Assembly District in the State Legislature.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Monday, September 10, 2007
Mike Villines: No late deals on our health care
When it comes to health care: slow down, listen, and think.
By MIKE VILLINES
State assembly GOP leader
If history can teach us anything, it's that cutting deals at the last minute and rushing half-baked deals through the Legislature at the 11th hour is a recipe for failure – especially when it involves something as important and complex as California's health care system.
Remember energy deregulation? At the time, lawmakers touted the sweeping legislation as a plan that would lower costs and improve service for all. A few years later, Californians were stuck paying billons of dollars for these empty promises, forced to endure rolling blackouts and record budget deficits, while paying higher rates for inferior service.
Unfortunately, history seems to be repeating itself this year with the end-of-session push to pass health care legislation. Press accounts have revealed that Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Democrats are preparing to cut a deal on a harmful plan that could increase your insurance rates by up to 40 percent, hurt businesses and jobs, and lead to higher taxes for all Californians. Worst of all, not only is this plan being put together out of the public eye, it will ultimately not provide more access to care.
Before the governor and Democrats ram through a government health care scheme without legislative scrutiny or public input, I think it's important that we all take a step back and think through the impact our actions will have on health care in our state for generations. If we proceed in passing this hastily crafted plan, we will be repeating the colossal mistakes of the past and make the current problems far worse. Does that make sense to you?
The experiences in other countries, like Canada, show that we could face a rationing of care while government bureaucrats decide what treatments you can receive. Patients could be forced to wait several months just to receive basic health services, such as a routine MRI. Seniors with serious illnesses could be denied life-saving treatments if they are determined to not be "cost-effective."
By imposing massive tax increases, including a jobs tax on every California business and a sales tax increase on all Californians, government health care will cause taxpayers to feel pain where it hurts most – their wallets.
Those who already have insurance will see their rates increase. One of California's major health insurance providers says this plan will force them to raise premiums on nearly all of the 600,000 individuals who buy coverage from them. Younger, healthier Californians could see their premiums rise as much as 50 percent! Again I ask, does this make sense to you?
There are also serious legal flaws in this plan. It may violate the federal ERISA law, which forbids states from forcing companies to provide specific health benefits to their workers or pay a jobs tax. A similar plan in Maryland was thrown out in court for violating ERISA, yet Democrats refuse to hold a hearing on the legality of this plan.
Not that long ago Gov. Schwarzenegger declared, "A tax increase would be the final nail in California's financial coffin." Assembly Republicans agree that raising taxes to pay for expanded government health care is the wrong approach.
It's time for all of us to take a deep breath and realize just what's at stake this year. A partisan vote that ignores the serious problems with their plan is not the way to reform health care. We don't need to rush through flawed legislation at the last minute just for the sake of headlines. Policy by press release is never a good idea. Lawmakers can and must take the time to do this right. There is a lot we can to together to provide more access and choice to quality care while reducing costs, without raising taxes or expanding the size of government.
Mike Villines, of Fresno, is the Republican Leader of the California State Assembly. He represents the 29th Assembly District in the State Legislature.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Friday, August 31, 2007
Orange County Register Editorial on Universal Health Care
The following is a reprint of an August 31, 2007, editorial form the Orange County Register:
Friday, August 31, 2007
Today's editorial: Insuring everyone with others' money
Letting the government order coverage for everyone will only raise prices.
An Orange County Register Editorial
Californians shouldn't be fooled into thinking government can make health insurance more affordable or more available by mandating it or taxing it.
People intuitively know how absurd it would be for government to force them to buy food for everyone. The demand for food would soar if everyone knew whatever they wanted to eat would be paid for by someone else. No one can afford to feed that appetite. Why, then, do people have a difficult time seeing the absurdity of government forcing people to pay for everyone's health care?
Democrats in the state Legislature and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger want to force near-universal health care insurance onto Californians before the Legislature adjourns in mid-September. They would mandate it and force people to pay for it. Why would anyone think the effect would be any different than it would be for food?
Health care costs are rising, already pricing many people out of the market for insurance. Rising costs are partly due to expensive technological advances, and research and development. But the underlying cause is demand.
Think of demand as an expression of appetite, a desire that seeks to attain or possess. When people can get more at someone else's expense, their appetite increases. But when people must pay out of their own pocket, they curb their appetites and evaluate what they're paying for. They weigh what is to be gained against the cost. The government system is an invitation to overspend, or, worse, to have government decide what's necessary, rather than a patient, doctor or insurer.
Unfortunately, politicians are in the appetite-feeding business. They see people without health care insurance and offer to buy it for them – with someone else's money. The Democrat plan, Assembly Bill 8, would impose a 7.5 percent payroll tax on all employers. Gov. Schwarzenegger's plan would impose 2 percent tax on doctors and 4 percent taxes on hospitals and employers of 10 or more. Both plans merely shift costs to someone else. It's a prescription for wanting even more. While neither proposal precludes people from paying for procedures privately if they want them, they impose new costs, regardless of whether they are wanted.
In a way, insurance companies operate similarly, but on a voluntary basis. Everyone pays a premium, and from the proceeds people receive coverage for specified treatments. Ideally, people would keep costs low by buying only coverage they need. Young people less likely to be ill might buy less insurance. Others may opt for high deductibles to pay correspondingly lower premiums, insuring against catastrophes and paying smaller expenses out of pocket.
Government doesn't operate that way. To satisfy every appetite, government requires coverage that people may not need or want, rather than letting individuals make personal decisions. Insurance companies have pulled out of some states because of unprofitable, costly mandated coverage required by governments.
It's bad enough when government mandates the types and amounts of coverage that must be sold and purchased, driving up prices. It's worse when government forces employers to provide insurance or to pay into a fund for the government to provide it, as the current schemes in Sacramento would.
Rising health care costs are a problem. But never will everyone be able to afford every medical treatment or procedure. So, appetites must be curbed. Individuals can do that if they are allowed to exercise discipline in a private market. It will never happen if pandering politicians make arbitrary decisions to feed every appetite.
Government can make health care more affordable and accessible by getting out of the insurance business and by reducing mandates on those in the business. Unfortunately, the trend in Sacramento is going in the opposite direction.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Friday, August 31, 2007
Today's editorial: Insuring everyone with others' money
Letting the government order coverage for everyone will only raise prices.
An Orange County Register Editorial
Californians shouldn't be fooled into thinking government can make health insurance more affordable or more available by mandating it or taxing it.
People intuitively know how absurd it would be for government to force them to buy food for everyone. The demand for food would soar if everyone knew whatever they wanted to eat would be paid for by someone else. No one can afford to feed that appetite. Why, then, do people have a difficult time seeing the absurdity of government forcing people to pay for everyone's health care?
Democrats in the state Legislature and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger want to force near-universal health care insurance onto Californians before the Legislature adjourns in mid-September. They would mandate it and force people to pay for it. Why would anyone think the effect would be any different than it would be for food?
Health care costs are rising, already pricing many people out of the market for insurance. Rising costs are partly due to expensive technological advances, and research and development. But the underlying cause is demand.
Think of demand as an expression of appetite, a desire that seeks to attain or possess. When people can get more at someone else's expense, their appetite increases. But when people must pay out of their own pocket, they curb their appetites and evaluate what they're paying for. They weigh what is to be gained against the cost. The government system is an invitation to overspend, or, worse, to have government decide what's necessary, rather than a patient, doctor or insurer.
Unfortunately, politicians are in the appetite-feeding business. They see people without health care insurance and offer to buy it for them – with someone else's money. The Democrat plan, Assembly Bill 8, would impose a 7.5 percent payroll tax on all employers. Gov. Schwarzenegger's plan would impose 2 percent tax on doctors and 4 percent taxes on hospitals and employers of 10 or more. Both plans merely shift costs to someone else. It's a prescription for wanting even more. While neither proposal precludes people from paying for procedures privately if they want them, they impose new costs, regardless of whether they are wanted.
In a way, insurance companies operate similarly, but on a voluntary basis. Everyone pays a premium, and from the proceeds people receive coverage for specified treatments. Ideally, people would keep costs low by buying only coverage they need. Young people less likely to be ill might buy less insurance. Others may opt for high deductibles to pay correspondingly lower premiums, insuring against catastrophes and paying smaller expenses out of pocket.
Government doesn't operate that way. To satisfy every appetite, government requires coverage that people may not need or want, rather than letting individuals make personal decisions. Insurance companies have pulled out of some states because of unprofitable, costly mandated coverage required by governments.
It's bad enough when government mandates the types and amounts of coverage that must be sold and purchased, driving up prices. It's worse when government forces employers to provide insurance or to pay into a fund for the government to provide it, as the current schemes in Sacramento would.
Rising health care costs are a problem. But never will everyone be able to afford every medical treatment or procedure. So, appetites must be curbed. Individuals can do that if they are allowed to exercise discipline in a private market. It will never happen if pandering politicians make arbitrary decisions to feed every appetite.
Government can make health care more affordable and accessible by getting out of the insurance business and by reducing mandates on those in the business. Unfortunately, the trend in Sacramento is going in the opposite direction.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Monday, August 27, 2007
California Health Care Survey
A survey directed to California business owners can be found on the website of Orange County Assemblywoman Mimi Walters at California Health Care Survey
Please take the time to complete the survey, as all business owners will be affected by the health plans currently under consideration in the state of California.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
Please take the time to complete the survey, as all business owners will be affected by the health plans currently under consideration in the state of California.
John Pack
Low Cost Health Insurance
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