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California PCIP (Federal Risk Pool) Opens

The PCIP (Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program), also referred to as the Federal Temporary Risk Pool, is now open and accepting applications for enrollment.

The PCIP is an individuals-only enrollment with no dependents. Rates are set correspondent to the standard rate for a similar $2500 deductible PPO plan on the open market in California. PCIP will use a larger network of providers than MRMIP, approximately 65,000 should be available. The PCIP plan offers both in-network participating benefit levels and and out-of-network non-participating benefit levels.

Applications received by the 10th of the month will be enrolled for the first of the following month.

According to MRMIB, which will run the program for California, agents may assist applicants in the enrollment process for PCIP and receive a $50 fee the same as currently available on the MRMIP program.

Eligibility for the PCIP consists of the following:

1. California state residency as evidenced by applicant having a California address or other appropriate documentation as determined by MRMIB

2. US Citizenship and immigration status for applicants obtained through questions and supporting documentation

3. Applicant has a pre-existing health condition as evidenced by a denial letter from a health insurer or acceptance in a health plan which has rates in excess of PPO rates in the MRMIP (state risk program)

4. Applicant has been without creditable coverage for a least 6 months prior to applying for the PCIP

The California PCIP intends to provide enrollment to an estimated 23,000 California residents. By comparison, MRMIP, the state major risk plan, enrolls a maximum of 7,100. If the PCIP is a maximum enrollment in 2012, the federal government may grant additional funds to the CA PCIP to increase enrollments.

I will place a PCIP application on my web site as soon as it is available for download from MRMIB. It will be available here

Here is the final BROCHURE for the California PCIP including plan summary and rate guide.

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How to stay fit and healthy?

What do you think is the key to good health? Good eating habits are not enough to bring in good health. It has to be complemented with a regular workout routine. But the sad fact is that most of us don’t realize this and end up making poor lifestyle choices. This leads to a handful of illness and health issues like heart diseases and diabetes. But there are instances where certain health conditions become unavoidable. However you need to make wise choices and do everything to stay fit and healthy.

• A healthy person would surely have a healthy body mass index. There are chances of getting heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers if you become obese or overweight. Hence it becomes necessary to maintain a healthy weight. At fit camps, people are taught to stay healthy with a stable BMI.

• People try to break away from doing workouts putting the blame on time constraints. But you have to overcome the sluggishness and start an exercise routine. Boot camps insist on proper exercise and as the end result weight loss follows. Apart from the weight loss beneficial factor, the cardio workouts contribute to a healthy heart and lungs functioning. The exercise routine should include 30 minutes workouts three times a week.

• Healthy habits make a man fit and fine and it is absolutely a personal choice to remain in good shape. A variety of health conditions can be attributed to smoking and alcohol abuse like lung cancer, liver cirrhosis etc. the golden rule of thumb is to quit smoking and make the alcohol intake in moderate quantities.

• There is a saying that a man is what he eats. This is true as on the whole the health of a person is determined by his eating habits. If you wish to stay fit and healthy, evaluate your eating habits and modify them. High fat foods, fried foods and fast foods are an absolute ‘no-no’. Trade in unhealthy snacks like cookies, potato chips and candy. All this should be replaced by fruits, vegetables, nuts and wheat crackers.

• It has been proved that detoxification is an excellent way to flush out the harmful toxins from the body. You can begin a detoxification program as there are many herbal detox teas are available. Furthermore, water has the immense capability to remove toxins from the body. So make it a point to drink at least eight to ten glasses of water per day.


source:http://www.prlog.org/10851321-how-to-stay-fit-and-healthy.html

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California PCIP (Federal Risk Pool)

MRMIB has published the final document for PCIP (Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program) which includes both rates and plan summary of benefits.

Rates are reasonable and benefits fairly rich.

PCIP Summary

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October 1 Rate Increases on Individual Health

October 1 will see major rate increases by both Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California.

Blue Shield will average 18.2% increase but some age groups may experience rate increases as high as 50%!

Anthem Blue Cross will average 14% with a max rate of 20% increase.

Interesting article from today's Sacramento Bee.

In addition, Anthem Blue Cross has currently blacked out all individual and family health plans for new enrollments on 9/23 and after to replace the current plans with newer, PPACA-compliant plans. I have heard rumors that we may see the end of lower-deductible versions of some plans in favor or high and very high deductibles to offset preventive benefits and childrens guaranteed-issue.

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Importance of Additional Tips in Weight Loss Programs

The idea of losing weight differs from one individual to another. Some individuals will start to lose excess of fat by trying their own techniques and workouts, while some will achieve desired results when they have indulge themselves in weight loss programs. A person has to very well decide as with option he / she is willing to go. With the help of dietitians and physicians you can very well design your schedule and work outs.

To lose that excess fat is not an easy task if you are not clear from where you are required to start. Hence for this reason it is wise to get enrolled in weight loss program and get started with the process of losing excess of weight. To take part in such is considered to be one of the most convenient methods of losing excess of fat. As professional trainers are involved in such programs you will be thought various techniques of losing excess of fat.

One has to remember that to lose excess of fat it is not possible only through workouts. Along with workouts we are required to follow some additional tips which will help us to achieve our goal successfully.

Additional tips on which we are asked to concentrate are like:

* to have a watch on our eating habits
* to have a watch on number of hours spend for workouts
* to have a watch on dietary plans so as to confirm we are able to follow or not
* to check whether we are motivated or not throughout the process
* to have a thorough check up with the physician regularly
* to have an eye on the food and drinks that we intake
* to have a watch on number of calories gained and number of calories burnt in a single day
* to have a check on your personal habits
* to check the fat percentage
* to have a check up with dietician and to draw up a good diet plan

For the effective weight loss it is necessary for the individuals to follow the above mentioned tips. If an individual fails to follow any of the above mentioned tips then the results will not turn out to be as satisfactory as it is required to be.

A good weight loss program will teach you how to transform your eating and lifestyle habits gradually and everlastingly. To achieve the desired goals it is necessary for the individuals to make a good judgment while selecting a weight loss program. This is necessary as for the reason that today in market there are many false programs too which is operating for the sake of money. Their main motive is to fool innocent people and then to run away with their money. To get rid of such it is necessary for the individuals to conduct some research and then make a thorough comparison on various programs. Thus it will help individuals to go with the best option.

Shiju Am is a successful webmaster for Weight Loss Programs. She provides information on Boot camp, Weight Loss Programs, 8 Week Total Body Makeover, Effective weight loss and LA Boot Camp on her website.

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California Health Insurance Legislative News (Lots of it!)

Big day in Sacramento today. And with 8/31 deadlines looming, we will likely see more activity.

California AB 1602 (Perez) and SB 900 (Alquist) has passed and is awaiting the Governor's signature to make it law. AB 1602 sets up the California health insurance exchange. I expect this to be signed as Gov Schwarzenegger indicated earlier this year that he wants the exchange model set up before he leaves office.

SB 900 sets up the exchanges, and AB 1602 which is a companion bill delineates the specific duties of the exchange.

AB 1825 has passed the Senate and now goes back to the Assembly for final action. AB 1825 requires mandatory maternity benefits on all health plans sold in the individual market.

AB 2244 prohibits insurers from refusing coverage to children simply because they have a pre-existing condition. AB 2244 also goes back to Assembly now for final action.

Other Bills to watch:

SB 890 (Alquist) - sets requirement for health plans to offer only 5 plan designs either inside or outside of the exchange. Gold, Silver, Bronze, Platinum and Catastrophic.

AB 2345 (De La Torre) - prevents insurers from charging an additional co-pay for cancer screenings and other types of preventive care

AB 2042 - (Feuer) - prohibits insurers from raising premiums more than once per year.

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CA Individual Plan Upgrades (PPACA)

As of today, this is what I am being told regarding individual & family health plan updates to comply with PPACA benefit requirements.

Anthem Blue Cross upgrading for 9/23 currently blacked out pending approvals (no plans currently available for sale after 9/22 start dates).

Blue Shield, Health Net and Kaiser are all targeting plan change dates of 1/1/11 to upgrade new plans to PPACA compliance. Their current plans will be available for purchase through 12/31/2010.

Exising plans purchased before these upgrade dates will also be upgraded, but each carrier will decide when and how the upgrades will occur. They can either upgrade on the renewal month of the plan or at one time.

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CA AB 2042 Moves To Assembly

CA Assembly Bill 2042 passed the state Senate yesterday (21-13) and now goes to the Assembly. AB 2042 would prohibit health carriers selling individual & family plans from raising rates more than one time per year.

AB 2042 only applies to individual coverage, not to group coverage.

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CA Health Bills Up Against Deadline

There are currently four bills in process in Sacramento which need to be passed or rejected by August 31, 2010. If they are not passed or rejected, the bills will die.

The following are the applicable bills:

AB 2578 (D. Jones) - Requires approval from state regulators for increases in health coverage premiums.

SB 1163 (M Leno) - Would require insurers to justify denials of coverage and premium increases.

SB 900 (E. Alquist) and AB 1602 (J. Perez) - Companion bills would establish health insurance exchanges in California to comply with PPACA.

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PPACA Update on Existing CA Plan Upgrades

I wanted to add that it may happen that some or all carriers choose to make the PPACA-compliant changes to existing plans on one unified date. Likely this will be the portfolio renewal date.

So, it may be that your existing pre-9/23 healthcare plan gets the upgrade at the renewal of your plan anniversary or on January 1, 2011.

Realistically it makes more sense cost- and logistics-wise for a carrier to make the unified upgrade instead of spacing them out over a period of 12 months.

I will post when I receive clarification from each carrier on how they intend to process the upgrades to existing coverage plans.

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9/23/10 What Happens To My California Healthcare Plan?

Have been doing some digging this week on the future of healthcare plan changes for the upcoming 9/23 PPACA compliance requirement. I wanted to outline for everyone in California what the most likely scenario will be for your current and/or future healthcare plan. I expect the process to be generally uniform amongst the carriers.

As I understand it today (this is of course all subject to be changed), plans will be handled as follows for the 9/23 PPACA.

New Subscribers - new subscribers who purchase coverage on or after 9/23 will be purchasing healthcare coverage plans (not yet approved) which comply in full with the PPACA requirements. These plans will be fully compliant right from the start.

Existing Subscribers - existing subscribers, whether on a grandfathered healthcare plan (purchased prior to 3/23/10) or on a non-grandfathered healthcare plan will receive the PPACA compliant changes to their plan at the next renewal anniversary date of their plan. Anyone purchasing a plan between today and 9/22 start date will be considered an "existing subscriber". Example: a person purchased an Anthem Blue Cross SmartSense PPO plan on April 1, 2010. The plan renewal will be April 1, 2011 and at that time the PPACA benefit "enhancements" will be applied to that plan.

Group Subscribers - group health plans purchased after 9/23 will also be PPACA compliant. Plans purchased before 9/23 will be treated the same as existing subscribers on individual plans and benefits will be "enhanced" at the group open enrollment renewal month.

Certain PPACA plan changes will apply to all plans, regardless of grandfathered status. Other PPACA changes will only apply to plans which do not have grandfathered status.

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Welcome To The Blackout

As of today, individual and family health plans in California can only be purchased with start dates of 9/22/10 and prior. There are literally no health plans available for sale starting 9/23 or after at this time. Several carriers have already shut down online quoting for start dates of 9/23 and beyond, pending the regulatory approval of the new, PPACA compliant plans. All health plans for "new enrollment" sold 9/23 and after must meet the PPACA guidelines which include such things as no-cost preventive care, no lifetime maximums nor annual maximums and child GI coverage ages 0-18.

All of the IFP carriers have submitted new plans to the two regulatory bodies, DMHC and CA DOI for approval. Now the waiting begins until the new plans are approved for sale to the public. This could be very soon or could take a few more weeks. I will advise once plans begin to be made available.

HIPAA plans are also included in the "transformation", so anyone with a HIPAA eligibility date of 9/23 or after will need to hold tight until the plans are available for 10/1 and after.

It is my hope that the regulatory agencies work quickly to approve the new plans. If they are slow, it is possible (not probable, but possible) that there could be a period 9/23 and after with no plans available. I am especially concerned about HMO plans as the DMHC has been slow to approve new plans in California.

I suspect most carriers will choose not to re-invent plans and portfolios, but to make PPACA-compliant changes to existing plans/portfolios. Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see what will be available.

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Exercise can help prevent back pain

Moderate endurance exercise can help prevent back problems. Exercising the entire body stimulates blood supply and relaxes painful muscle spasms, according to Dieter Breithecker from Germany’s Federal Institute on the Development of Posture and Exercise. Exercise also makes the body more resilient.

People workout at a fitness centre in New Delhi. Exercising the entire body stimulates blood supply and relaxes painful muscle spasms, according to a study. File Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Breithecker recommends sports such as swimming, walking, hiking, cycling or cross-country skiing. Sports that cause repetitive buckling of the spine, on the other hand, should be avoided. Those sports include horse riding, downhill skiing and fast jogging. You should also be careful when engaging in sports that involve fast, repetitive over-extension of the spine such as tennis, badminton, squash and golf.

Breithecker advises consulting with your doctor first to make sure your back is healthy enough to engage in sport. After that it is a matter of finding out whether a certain type of exercise suits you.

source:http://www.thehindu.com/health/fitness/article573870.ece

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PPACA Update

It appears that Anthem Blue Cross and Health Net are planning to re-tool their individual and family plans products for 9/23.

Anthem will close online quoting for any plans with a start date of 9/23 or after on Saturday (8/14). Online quoting will resume once the plans are filed and approved.

Health Net CA is currently not quoting any plans with effective date of 10/1 or after. Probably a similar change-over.

Blue Shield CA has taken a different interpretation of PPACA. The law allows carriers to make the change-over on 9/23 OR at the next subsequent product renewal cycle. Blue Shield CA has its next cycle on Jan 1, 2011 and intends to hold off on all PPACA compliant plan changes until January. My understanding is that this will include the preventive benefits AND guaranteed-issue coverage for children 0-19.

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PPACA Preventive Benefits

Under the PPACA (aka Obamacare), effective 9/23/10 all new health plans available on or after that date will be required to provide certain preventive benefits at no cost to the subscriber.

As noted in my earlier blog, Anthem Blue Cross CA has already begun the process of plan re-tooling and, as of today, you cannot view any plans that will be available on or afte 9/23. I expect the other CA IFP carriers to follow this lead.

Here is a link to the PPACA Preventive Benefits List.

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Anthem CA Re-tooling For Obamacare

Effective August 14th, quoting for individual health plans will only be available for start dates of Sept 22 or before. If you request an effective date on or after Sept 23, the system will have a pop up message stating that no plans are available for the requested effective date.

Anthem is currently working on the mandatory changes and rates for plans to be sold Sept 23 and after. Plans sold on or after Sept 23 must meet new guidelines as outlined in the PPACA legislation.

I will post when the new information is available for quoting.

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What is Anxiety Disorder ?


Disorders that promptly have to do with anxiety affect lots of Americans that are of mature age in the USA. According to data concerning reported cases the amount comes in at approx. forty million people cases annually.

We can conclude that we all have some sort of anxiety within our life. Unfortunately, some people bear with it everyday, which in turn is called anxiety disorder. This is related to the constant fear and elevated degrees of doubt. Hopefully the information we provide you today will assist you get a grip on it.

A Short Definition of Anxiety Disorder:
When you come across someone who endures anxiety, they usually experience a substantial number of worries which are not real. Granted,

this can very between each person and usually stems from their own mind. Even though we all go through a form of anxiety, someone with anxiety disorder has problems trying to perform normally throughout the day. In the end this can ruine their overall quality of life. If you or someone you know has been going through this for more than six months, then it's possible that anxiety is the cause.

You might feel unhappy; have very high degrees of anxiety or panic issues, or any comparable experiences. These are stemmed from situations in our everyday lives, which is why you must know about all the diverse problems dealing with anxiety.

Most Usual Experienced Anxiety Symptoms :
We took some time out to list all the frequent anxiety disorders you or someone you know may be having. They are listed below:

Social Anxiety Disorder - For the individual that feel this problem, it is common to become self-conscious to an bad degree. Excessive anxiety is experienced in situations that are common in everyday living. Examples can include feeling anxious in public, having a high degree of embarrassment when eating in in a restaurant alone, or as basic as being very nervous to talk in in public.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder- Also known as OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder has to do with experiencing several unreasonable thoughts throughout the day, and then apply different compulsions to calm the mind.

A good example of this is an individual who is stressing out about bills, and the whole nine yards, so they decide to gamble. The adrenaline and anticipation of a win or defeat can ease their mind temporarily. Unfortunately, when the game is finished the whole thing comes back again. Other circumstances might include too much cleaning, taking several bat, or just verifying the doors to make sure you're secure.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Peoples that deal with this anxiety disorder typically develop it as a result of frequently dealing with a situation that was considered to be horrifying. The horror felt in that situation generally results in a sense of loss as far as having correct feelings. This is regarded as an avoidance trait.

It is a natural defense mechanism that is used to seemingly prevent that level of worries later. One may entirely prevent the memory of the experience or recurrently live it in dreams. Circumstances that may end up in PTSD are serving time in the military during a time of war, or being abused exually.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder- Everything that known as GAD have to do with the irrational side of diverse situations. These levels are normally high with endless worrying and tension in the body. Unfortunately it's incredibly hard to control and even if you reassure the sufferer going through it, they won't be able to just stop.

Thinking that something bad will happen, worrying over work, or about family members is very common.

Panic Disorder- This is definitely the most usual disorder in the
U.S.A. All through the high degrees of fear revolving around thoughts, situations, or people it can make the person very uncomfortable on a physiological level. There may be problems breathing, tightness or pain the chest, digestive issues, and several others along the way.

Anxiety alone is a troublesome thing to bear with during the day. However, if it turns into a disorder then it's much worse. Your day-to-day worrying goes from an extreme level to completely unreal.

The majority of the time we don' know what causes anxiety disorder. It's something that is hard to understand simply because it comes and goes. Furthermore, once you get into the physical and psychological signs, there are many that will surface when dealing with this issue. These include; a high level of tension, feeling as if there is a "lump" in the throat area, insomnia, and even challenges in concentration.

When a person suffers from anxiety, social complications may occur. Like having a hard time dealing with many types of relationships. Furthermore, many individuals deal with problems that happen at work, and extracurricular social situations.

The content is good enough that i have collected this from ezinearticles. The good news is there are treatments available, especially if you feel unstable, or anxious. The best thing you can do is research your choices, so you can figure out the best and most effective anxiety disorder treatment for for you problem.

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PCIP Getting Closer in California

The PCIP (Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan)aka Federal Risk Pool will be opening for enrollment in a few weeks.

MRMIB has published some very basic information including a rate guide summary for the PCIP in California.

You can view the summary including the proposed rates here.

Currently you may request an application be sent to you once they are available by sending an e-mail request to PCIP@mrmib.ca.gov

As of today there is no information on plan benefit design nor which carriers will offer plans.

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Thyroid Disease Awareness is Very Low

One of the most common causes of fatigue and weight gain in women is hypothyroidism; but the awareness of thyroid diseases among women remains very low.

Hypothyroidism is usually manifested in young girls, but these days women are being diagnosed well into their 30s. Some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, chronic fatigue, anemia and irregular menstrual periods.


“The occurrence of Hypothyroidism is due to deficiency of iodine or problem with the functioning of the pituitary gland or a problem with the thyroid gland”, said Dr D. C. Sharma, Associate Prof. RNT Medical College Jaipur Rajasthan.

Iodine-enhanced salt is available in order to overcome the deficiency in the diet, but women do not seem to be aware of the importance of this element. As such there is an urgent need to spread awareness of thyroid disorders among women.

source:http://www.medindia.net/news/Thyroid-Disease-Awareness-is-Very-Low-72398-1.htm

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Junk food diet puts children at higher risk of allergies

Scientists compared youngsters from a rural African village who had diets rich in fibre with another group living in Florence in Italy and found a dramatic difference.

The African children had less obesity-linked bacteria and a greater abundance of fatty acids which protect against inflammation causing asthma, eczema and other allergic reactions.

The diet of the children living in the small village of Boulon in Burkina Faso was similar to that of people living in the modern Western world thousands of years ago, shortly after the birth of agriculture.

It consisted mainly of cereals, beans, nuts and vegetables.

But the Italian children ate higher quantities of meat, fat and sugar.

Only those who were still breast-feeding harboured bacteria resembling the African children's - indicating diet may dominate other factors such as ethnicity, sanitation, geography or climate, say the researchers.

The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human gut are considered an essential 'organ' that helps to digest food, protect against disease-causing bugs and limit inflammation.

Paediatrician Dr Paolo Lionetti, of Florence University, and colleagues said children in industrialised countries who eat low-fibre, high-sugar 'Western' diets may reduce microbial richness - potentially contributing to a rise in allergic and inflammatory diseases in the last half-century.

They said: "Western developed countries successfully controlled infectious diseases during the second half of the last century, by improving sanitation and using antibiotics and vaccines.

"At the same time, a rise in new diseases such as allergic, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) both in adults and in children has been observed, and it is hypothesized that improvements in hygiene together with decreased microbial exposure in childhood are considered responsible for this increase.

"The gastrointestinal microflora plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBD and recent studies demonstrate obesity is associated with imbalance in the normal gut microbiota."

The researchers, whose findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, added: "The lessons learned from the Burkina Faso children's microbiota prove the importance of sampling and preserving microbial biodiversity from regions where the effects of globalisation on diet are less profound.

"The worldwide diversity of the microbiome from ancient communities, where gastrointestinal infections can make the difference between life and death, represents a goldmine for studies aimed at elucidating the role of gut microbiota on the subtle balance between health and disease and for the development of novel probiotics."

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7922504/Junk-food-diet-puts-children-at-higher-risk-of-allergies.html

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