How Can You Tell If Nancy Pelosi Is Lying?

The answer: Her lips are moving.

Once again, the former Speaker of the House lies to the general public, and they lap it up like milk from a bowl.  On all the Sunday News Programs, in defense of Obamacare – which she refuses to call ObamaCare, instead, she insists on calling it the “Affordable Care Act” – she stated that insurance companies can kick you off a plan if you develop a pre-existing condition.

Oh, Nancy! If it were only true.

In the past, insurance companies have cancelled coverage if you have not continued to pay the monthly premium.  They can, and have, rescinded coverage, if the applicant has misrepresented information, or intentionally deleted information, on the application.  They have never, however, accepted an application with correct information, then once that person has developed a condition, refused to continue coverage, simply because of that condition.  They might have – and this has been done – raised premiums so high that the person can no longer afford to keep the coverage.  Then, at that point, they are uninsureable for future coverage anywhere else.

The insurance companies will be vilified, and the liars in Washington will get away with this fiasco.

Now, to be fair, there are no other ideas coming from the other side of the aisle.  Republicans, rather than just clapping their hands, need to submit, solid, realistic, compassionate alternatives.  Thus far, it’s been nothing but double talk from the right as to what they propose.  Nothing detailed.  Nothing showing dollars and cents.

Here are some ideas:

1. condition specific coverage to add to High Deductible Plans
2. regional coverage across state lines
3. public/private partnerships for the frailest amongst us

And, for God sake, stop comparing this to Part D Medicare coverage.  Part D is not mandatory for everyone on Medicare.

Again, can someone tell me why we are mandating that 45 year old males have Maternity coverage. Or, someone who does not have children, must have pediatric dental care?  Nancy, why not concentrate on Fraud, Waste and Abuse?

If you would like to discuss your options, please feel free to contact me at 404-551-5339 or email me any questions or concerns to bob@legacyfinancialpartner.com

Want To Get A Presidential Appointment? Become A Community Organizer!

Dr. Vivek Murthy (pictured above), a community organizer and proponent/chief writer of Obamacare, has just been appointed Surgeon General of the U.S.S.A.  This is the latest in appointments by President Obama, that prove that if you support Obamacare, you are a shoe-in for an extremely high powered office.

Now, to Dr. Murthy’s credit, he is a very accomplished individual.  A Yale and Harvard Grad, and one of the founding members of Trial Networks, a cloud based platform for pharmaceuticals and biotech trials, as well as Epernicus, LLC, Dr. Murthy is no slouch!

Being a fellow community organizer, and carrying the kool aid for Obamacare, one has to wonder what will be coming from the Surgeon General’s office in years to come.  As it stands now, everyone has to have 10 Essential Health Benefits in their health plan, whether they want/need it or not.  What’s next?

We will watch and report, my comrades…

Writing Checks Our Kids Can’t Cash

Remember the suggestion to allow people to keep their “sub-standard” healthcare coverage if they want to?  The response was, “No, absolutely not!  We have better plans, and you MUST pick one by December 15th.”    But then again, we were told, “If you like your plan, you can keep it.  If you like your doctor, you can keep him/her.”  When that truth unraveled, and there was nowhere left to run or hide from the truth, we finally got, “OK, you can keep your health plan.  Even the substandard ones.”

Well, it’s easier said than done.  You see, insurance companies have to file approved plans with the states, who then, in turn, get approval from the government, who then, in turn, tell the insurance companies what has to be in the plans.  This all took many months to get in order.  Just because the president recants, doesn’t mean we can close the barn door after the horses are out.

There are still plans that are out there, called 2013 plans.  If you enroll in one, with an effective date of December 27th or earlier, than you can keep that plan until the same date of 2014.  For those that have received cancellation letters, it’s a big question mark as to whether the insurance companies can/will rescind the cancellation.  And, if they do, will it be done in time?

No one has the answer.

I urge you to talk with an independent insurance agent, not a navigator, to keep abreast of what to do.  Insurance Agents have the training, and the relationship with the insurance companies, to keep you up to date on what is going on.  Remember, just because it sounds good on TV, doesn’t mean it can be done.

One thing is true.  Insurance companies will be vilified for this.  The President will tell everyone that he said one thing – that being that you can keep your insurance – but that the insurance companies, in their greed, have chosen not to make good on that promise.  He will not make the public aware of the filing procedure that must be done.  These, of course, being the same insurance companies who, by President Obama’s words, kicked people off the “sub-standard” plans that they were on.

I wish the president would make up his mind.  Are the insurance companies wrong for kicking people off the plans, or are they wrong for not keeping them on the plans?  It’s easier to write the check.  It’s another story to be able to cash it.

I am always available for free consultations regarding your healthcare, Life Insurance, or Medicare coverage.  Please give me a call at 404-551-5339. Or, email me at bob@legacyfinancialpartner.com.

The Benefits, They are A-Changin’

Employers, having to find new ways to retain employees, keep them happy, and still maintain a profit, are changing the way they offer benefits at work.  Many employers, like UPS, GM, and others have made headlines over drastic measures.  While some on the right would like for you to believe that this is in response to The Affordable Care Act, it’s just as much to do with the rising tide in administering health care, and putting more of the responsibility on the employee.

It actually should have been called, “The Responsibility Care Act for Business”,

So, what are Employers doing?  Some, like Kroger, are paying only a fixed amount for certain prescription drugs or procedures, allowing the employee to shop around for the best value.  IBM is giving rebates to employees who adopt healthy lifestyles.  Other, smaller employers, are offering High Deductible Health Plans, and marrying them with Health Savings Accounts.  They are then educating their employees how to properly use these plans to more economically provide themselves with health care.

Austerity seems to reign supreme, as we look to the future of Employer Covered Healthcare.  It will actually get the employer out of the health insurance business, and back to concentrating on running their businesses, while letting the individuals have more control of their health care dollar.  Oddly enough, for all the bad press the Affordable Care Act is getting in this arena, this is one of the few, good, elements to arise from it.

If you own a small business, or work for one, and want more information on Employer Mandates, etc., call me at 404-551-5339 or email me at: bob@legacyfinancialpartner.com

“Shared Responsibility” Rule

Bottom Line: you (everyone) must have “minimal essential coverage” – MEC – or you will pay, not a penalty, not a tax, but your “shared responsibility” amount.  This, according to the MEC Rules, in Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code.

Officials are estimating that 36 million taxpayers will have to fill out MEC-related paperwork.  Unions and employees who are leased to PEO’s are exempt.  IRS officials also:

• Decide taxpayers should have to take responsibility for health penalties paid by any dependents, whether they live with them or not
• Suggest that, to keep things simple, people can get out of paying the penalty if they can show their dependents have coverage for at least one day per month for at least nine months out of the year.

Response from Tim Thornton, from (State withheld): I’m 44, unemployed, and on food stamps. My state did not expand Medicaid, any my income is so low, I do not qualify for subsidies.  In other words, this (ObamaCare) does not help me at all.  I’m not a female, pregnant, with an STD and on drugs.  Should I do drugs, contract an STD in order to get help?  

If you are confused, or like Tim, you feel your options are limited or ridiculous, feel free to contact me at 404-551-5339 or bob@legacyfinancialpartner.com.

The Government Shutdown & Seniors

If you are a Medicare Beneficiary, or are working with one, and you go on the Medicare.gov site to explore your options for medical coverage/prescription drug coverage for 2014, you may see, “Due to the government shutdown, information on this website may not be up to date.”

If you ARE currently working with an Independent Insurance Agent, he/she will still be able to shop around for you, by contacting each Insurance provider individually, and obtaining the information needed.

If, however, you are NOT working with an Independent agent, there are two courses of action you may take:

1. get involved with an agent in your area
2. keep on trying the Medicare.gov website until you no longer see the message

Just a note: For those Medicare Beneficiaries who currently use a Medicare Advantage Plan, you are fortunate.  The government shut down will not affect you obtaining services, or remittance of payment for services rendered.  You see, by enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan and/or a Prescription Drug Plan, you have opted out of Medicare, and are allowing a private insurance provider to administer and finance your health care coverage.  YOU STILL RETAIN ALL RIGHTS OFFERED TO THOSE IN MEDICARE.

To keep up to date on both Medicare and the Affordable Care Act moving forward, please stay tuned to this blog, or feel free to follow me on Twitter @TheBobLevine, as well as contacting me @ 404-551-5339.  I am a licensed Life/Health Agent, operating in the State of Georgia, and a Consultant with Legacy Financial Partners, LLC.

Information For The Marketplace

Okay!

So, the big day has arrived, and you are ready to log on to the World Wide Web, and get some of your “subsidized” health care.  You haven’t been told anything, other than all you have to do is log on, sign up, and wait for this great, affordable care.  But, how do they determine how much subsidy you are entitled to?

It’s based on the information you enter in the online application.  When “reporting” for your household, you will need to provide the following information:

• Count yourself
• Count your spouse
• Count every child who lives with you, even if they earn enough money to file a tax return for themselves
• Count your unmarried partner who needs health insurance
• Count anyone you include as a dependent, even if they DON’T live with you
• Count anyone else under 21 you take care of and lives with you

Here’s what you DON’T include:

• Your unmarried partner, who doesn’t need health coverage and is not your dependent
• Your unmarried partner’s children, if they are not your dependents
• Your parents, who live with you, but who file their own tax returns and are NOT your dependents
• Other relatives who file their own tax returns and are not your dependents

You also have to estimate your household income.  This is part and parcel in determining how much of a subsidy you are entitled to.  Here is what goes into that Estimation:

• Wages
• Salaries
• Tips
• Net income from any self-employed business venture
• Unemployment compensation
• Social Security payments – including Disability – but NOT Supplemental Security Income
• This is inclusive of you, your spouse, and any dependents who earn enough to file a tax return

Here’s what NOT do include:

• Child Support
• Gifts
• SSI
• Veteran’s Disability Benefits
• Worker’s Compensation

Modified Adjusted Gross Income and Household Income:

When you fill out the Marketplace application, your estimated household income will be calculated using the information you provide. Your household income determines your eligibility for lower costs on Marketplace coverage.

Your household income is your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) (joint MAGI if you’re married), plus the MAGI of your dependents who make enough money to have to file a tax return.

MAGI is generally your adjusted gross income plus any tax-exempt Social Security benefits (except for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is not counted), tax-exempt interest, and tax-exempt foreign income. You don’t have to figure out your household income or MAGI yourself when you fill out your application. It will be done for you with the income information you include on the application.

I am here to help anyone out, and I am Marketplace Certified, so we can work together, whether you feel you qualify for a subsidy or not.  Give me a call at 404-551-5339 or follow me on Twitter @TheBobLevine

Bob Levine
Consultant
Legacy Financial Partners, LLC
bob@legacyfinancialpartner.com

Navigators Enrolling over 11 Thousand People in 90 Days

The Energy and Commerce Committee estimate that, with two weeks to go before ObamaCare becomes law, Navigators – those people off the street, who don’t know anything about healthcare – are going to enroll 577,700 people in 90 days.  There are already 50 Navigators, so 577,700 / 50 = 11,554.  That comes out to be approximately 13 applications PER DAY.

That means there are 577,700 people who trust someone off the street with their healthcare decision.

Insurance Agents, such as myself, are getting Certified to sell in the Marketplace, as well as staying with Private Insurance coverage, which will be available as well.

I guess it comes as no surprise.  People have been trusting other non-Insurance Licensed individuals, such as Clark Howard and others with their Financial and Health Care decisions. So, it’s not too much of a stretch that Navigators would make a very nice living.  Navigators will be paid $28 – $43 per hour, and don’t have to carry any Error and Omissions coverage.  If you select a plan that does NOT suit your needs, based on their explanation – OH WELL!

Working with a licensed insurance agent, who is also Certified to Sell in the Marketplace, will ensure you are working with someone who 1) knows the ins and outs of healthcare, and 2) has your best interest at heart.

To find out more, please visit my blog (www.lfpartner.wordpress.com), follow me on Twitter (@TheBobLevine), or give me a call at 404-551-5339.

Bob Levine
bob@legacyfinancialpartner.com

How Long Term Care Can Save Your Follicles

Talk to anyone dealing with an elderly parent, and this is what you will see.  Whether it is making doctor appointments, finding medication lists, scheduling home care providers, or simply making sure they are okay because they haven’t been heard from in a while.

We call these people “The Sandwich Generation”, because they are sandwiched between taking care of their own kids, and taking care of their parents.  The problem is the meat in the sandwich (the health and well-being of the one doing all this caregiving) is getting sliced thinner and thinner.  As a matter of fact, “Caring for The Caregiver” is fast becoming an ever increasing topic in the mental health community.

Many in the “Sandwich Generation” constantly report that they feel like “pulling their hair out” over dealing with Insurance Companies, Home Health Agencies, and governmental bodies, just to get quality care for mom and dad.  It shouldn’t have to be this hard, right?!

One of the benefits of having a Long Term Care insurance plan in place is the comfort of knowing that a Care Coordinator is there, working for you, to ensure everything is run smoothly and without consternation.  This allows your children to go on living their lives, while not having to orchestrate running yours.

They key idea here is “dignity”.  How much dignity would there be, if your child knew everything about you, and had to treat YOU like a child?  So, save your dignity – and your follicles – and let’s talk about putting in place a plan of care for you.

Bob Levine
404-551-5339