November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month - Brentwood Health Insurance Agent alert stop smoking

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. Smoking causes 80 to 90 percent of cases of lung cancer. Don’t smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke.

Each year, nearly 200,000 people in the United States are told they have lung cancer and more than 90,000 people die from this disease. Deaths from lung cancer represent about one out of every six deaths from cancer in the U.S.

Risk Factors
Research has found several causes and risk factors for lung cancer. A risk factor is anything that changes the chance of getting a disease. Lung cancer risk factors include—

• Smoking.

• Secondhand smoke from other people's cigarettes.

• Radon gas in the home.

• Things around home or work, including asbestos, ionizing radiation, and other cancer-causing substances.

• Medical exposure to radiation to the chest.

• Chronic lung disease such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

• Increased age.

Prevention
You can reduce your risk of developing lung cancer in several ways.
Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, quit now.
*Avoid secondhand smoke. There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure.
*Have your home tested for radon and take corrective actions if high levels are found.
* Avoid unnecessary medical tests that involve X-ray images of the chest.
*Follow health and safety guidelines in the workplace.
*CDC helps support a national network of quitlines that makes free "quit smoking" support available by telephone to smokers anywhere in the United States. The toll-free number is 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669), or visit smokefree.gov.

Symptoms
Different people have different symptoms for lung cancer. Some people don't have any symptoms at all when first diagnosed with lung cancer. Lung cancer symptoms can be due to the direct effect of growth of cancer cells in the lung, or due to the effect of cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body. Lung cancer symptoms due to growth of cancer cells in the lung may include—

*Shortness of breath.
*Coughing that doesn't go away.
*Wheezing.
*Coughing up blood.
*Chest pain.
*Repeated respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
These symptoms can happen with other illnesses, too. Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms that concern you.

Treatment
Lung cancer is treated in several ways, depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. People with lung cancer often get more than one kind of treatment.

People with lung cancer may want to take part in a clinical trial. Clinical trials study new potential treatment options. Learn more about clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute.

Survivors
People who have been treated for lung cancer may continue to have symptoms caused by the cancer or by cancer treatments (side effects). People who want information about symptoms and side effects should talk to their doctors. Doctors can help answer questions and make a plan to control symptoms.
For more information about symptoms and side effects, visit the National Cancer Institute's Coping with Cancer.
For information about finding or providing support for people with lung cancer and their caregivers, visit CDC's Cancer Survivorship.

Santa Monica Insurance Agent hopes that Anthem learns out of their mistake in 2010

Anthem rate increase has not only hurt their reputation and made millions of clients, non-clients including the CA Insurance Commissioner very angry. Finally the rate increases have been approved for October 1st. (a 6 month delay). To be compliant to the healthcare reform Anthem decided to switch all new enrollments after 9/23/2010 to the new compliant plans. These plans have been submitted to the insurance commissioner at the End of June but only 5 out of 43 plans are approved. And most popular plans, like the Smart Sense Plan, Premier Plan, Core Guard plan are not approved. What does it mean for you the consumer.

Since 9/23/2009 Anthem can only offer 5 plans, so in reality almost no product. Anthem's new individual insurance business is since 6 weeks at a stand still.
We agent are forced to sell other carriers such as Blue Shield, Healthnet, Kaiser Permanente or Aetna.
Aetna is the only carrier who has plans which are compliant to the Health Care reform.Unfortunately most of their plans offer only high deductibles and are not feasible for many families.
Blue Shield , Healhtnet, Kaiser Permanente are currently only selling "old- grandfathered plan".
Blue Shield just announced that any individual subscriber who enrolled after October 1st has no rate guarantee, that means the consumer can experience anytime a rate increase. Is that really what we want!!
I understand that the insurance commissioner has been angry at Anthem, as we all have. But the
current situation, with so many limited product and so few carriers does really hurt at the end the consumer.
I do not understand that anyone allowed a transition time where some carrier comply to the rules of the health care reform and other carriers do not. It is confusing to the consumer.

Their are many advantages to the new plan, such as preventive care at zero cost, free choice for females to go to their in network gynecologist, and to choose an in network pediatrician.

I hope that the Insurance commissioner will release the plans, or if the submitted rates are to high, request corrections.
But to be in the California Insurance market without Anthem really does not serve the consumer and allows carriers such as Blue Shield to offer "non rate guarantees", which are unacceptable. Even Healthnet who still offers a 6 months gurantee, is saying to the consumer that due the implementation of the Health Care Reform a rate increase for January will be most likely!
These are turbulent times and we the agents and consumer need rate clarification at once.

Although Anthem did make bad decision, we need their product! The competition in the individual insurance is very little. Having the main insurance carrier not being able to offer product, does really hurt in end effect the consumer!


Soemhow he must be so upset that the Anthem's rate, w

Brentwood Agent will help you to find the right plan for your Medicare Needs

The AEP ( Annual Enrollment Period ) will start November 15th and Ends December 31st.

In this time period Seniors are able to to review and switch from their current medicare plan , into a new Medicare Advantage or Supplemental Plan, or Drug Prescription Plan.

Understanding all the choices can be very confusing. Let me guide you through the process, and show you what Medicare Supplemental Plan changes happened in 2010.

West Los Angeles Health Insurance Agent suggest to review your Health Insurance

With all the changes in the Health Insurance Industry there has been never a more important time than now to review with me, your agent in West Los Angeles, your current health insurance.

What is your yearly deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, which will renew in January? Does it make sense for you to move into a plan which follows the new health care reform, or should you stay on your "grandfathered plan "? Though the premiums of these new plans are slightly higher, but they also come with great incentives, such as preventive care at zero cost to you.

Take the time to review your plan for the next year. Changing plans or companies might increase your benefits and save money!

The advantages of the new plans "non-grandfathered Plan"versus the old "grandfathered plans" are:

• No cost sharing for Immunization or Preventive Care
• No discrimination in favor of highly compensated individuals
• Allow individuals to choose OB-GYN without referral
• Allow individuals to choose pediatricians for child's primary care provider
• Allow Emergency Services without pre-authorization and treat as In-Network-Provider

Brentwood Insurance Agent inform of Estate Tax Law changes in 2011. - Death and Taxes: 2011 Estate Tax Laws

Brentwood one of the most beloved areas on the Westside of Los Angeles, will be hard hit with the 2011 Estate Tax Laws.

Many of us own home in the 1Mio- 2 Mio range and have 401k savings and other investments. Read this interesting article and see your possible tax implications.

Senior Market Sales, Inc. - Death and Taxes: 2011 Estate Tax Laws

Do you know that universal life insurance and annuities are great vehicles of tax-exempt investments.

What does "grandfathered status" in the health care reform law mean ?

Wondering what "grandfather" or "grandfathered plan " means in the health care reform law.

If an employer keeps the same coverage it had on March 23, 2010 – the date the law took effect – the plan may be considered a “grandfathered” plan.

This means the plan may be exempt from some of the requirements of the health care reform law. However, certain changes must be made to all plans, whether they’re grandfathered or not.

The following changes must be made to all plans:

* No lifetime benefit maximum limits

* Dependent coverage for adult children up to age 26

* No annual limits on certain types of benefits

* No pre-existing conditions exclusions for children under age 19

If certain changes in coverage are made after the law’s effective date, the plan will not be a grandfathered plan.

This means the plan will also see the following changes:

* 100% coverage for preventive care in network.

* No prior authorization for emergency services or higher cost-sharing for out-of-network emergency services

* Coverage of routine patient costs for clinical trials of life-threatening diseases, starting in 2014

How do you loose your grandfather status ?

The following changes to a

plan will result in the loss of a grandfathered status:

* Eliminating all (or substantially all) benefits to diagnose

or treat a particular condition

*

Increasing coinsurance by any amount above the level set

on March 23, 2010

* Increasing fixed amount cost sharing (other than

copays) more than the sum of medical inflation plus

15 percentage points from the level of March 23, 2010

* Increasing copays by an amount that exceeds the greater

of (1) a total percentage (measured from March 23, 2010)

that is more than the sum of medical inflation plus

15 percentage points, or (2) $5 times medical inflation,

* Reducing employer or employee organization

contributions based on the cost of coverage or a formula

by more than 5 percentage points below the contribution

rate on March 23, 2010

* Reducing an overall annual dollar limit or adding a new

overall annual dollar limit, compared with what was in

effect on March 23, 2010

* Ensuring that consumers switch to a grandfathered plan

that, compared with the current plan, has fewer benefits

or higher cost sharing as a means of avoiding new

consumer protections.

* Buying or merging with another plan to avoid complying

with the health care reform law

September 23 - Big Changes in the Health Insurance Industry

September 23 was crucial because that’s when the biggest changes (so far) took effect in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

Here’s a summary from the government’s website on healthcare reform.

After September 23, 2010 on any new group insurance plans, insurer’s can’t:
* Deny coverage to kids with pre-existing conditions
* Put lifetime limits on benefits
* Cancel your policy without proving fraud
* Deny your claim without a chance for appeal


And consumers can:
* Receive cost-free preventive services
* Keep young adults on a parent’s plan until age 26
* Choose a primary care doctor, ob/gyn and pediatrician
* Use the nearest emergency room without penalty

These changes take place for any policy issued or renewed after September 23 for group insurance.

So that is the good news, but here are the bad news:

In the individual insurance world in CA only few carriers are implementing the health care reform on September 23. Only Aetna and Anthem have updated their plans to comply with the reform. Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield and Healthnet will implement the reform at a later time, most likely by January 2011. Unfortunately Anthem rates have not been approved yet by the insurance commissioner, so that their currently only few Anthem individual plans available.

Increased coverage could lead to increased premiums. According to this report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, average health insurance premiums have increased 114 percent just since 2000 – healthcare reform isn’t going to immediately reverse that trend. One new report claims that American families are paying 14 percent more for their health insurance coverage this year than last year – an average increase of $482. Most of that jump isn’t because of higher insurance rates – it’s because employers are paying less of the cost. And that’s another trend that will probably continue – yet another study says that next year, 63 percent of employers will hike the percentage their employees contribute and 46 percent will increase employee out-of-pocket costs.
Some health insurance providers would rather drop than switch. Anthem, Aetna, Cigna have announced they won’t offer any more health insurance policies solely covering children, because of the pre-existing condition provisions of the new law.

The “full force” of healthcare reform doesn’t happen until 2014. This is just the appetizer – and very likely a catalyst for increased debate over health care and our government’s role in it. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for health insurance right nowcontact info@solidhealthinsurance,com