Many Americans rely on their automobiles to get to work. No automobile means no job, no rent or mortgage money, no food. A single parent, struggling to make ends meet in the suburbs with 100,000 miles on the odometer, would presumably welcome the guaranteed opportunity for low-priced insurance that would take care of every possible repair on her auto until the day that it reaches 200,000 miles or falls apart, whichever comes first. Especially if the insurance is valid regardless of whether she even changes the oil in the interim.

So why aren’t the auto insurance companies writing such coverage, either directly or through used auto dealers? And given the importance of reliable transportation, why isn’t the public demanding such coverage? The answer is that both auto insurers and the public know that such insurance can’t be written for a premium the insured can afford, while still allowing the insurers to stay solvent and make a profit. As a society, we intuitively understand that the costs associated with taking care of every mechanical need of an old automobile, particularly in the absence of regular maintenance, aren’t insurable. Yet we don’t seem to have these same intuitions with respect to health insurance.

If we pull the emotions out of health insurance, which is admittedly hard to do even for this author, and look at health insurance from the economic perspective, there are several insights from auto insurance that can illuminate the design, risk selection, and rating of health insurance.

Auto insurance comes in two forms: the traditional insurance you buy from your agent or direct from an insurance company, and warranties that are purchased from auto manufacturers and dealers. Both are risk transfer and sharing devices and I’ll generically refer to both as insurance. Because auto third-party liability insurance has no equivalent in health insurance, for traditional auto insurance, I’ll examine only collision and comprehensive insurance - insurance covering the vehicle - and not third-party liability insurance.

Bumper to Bumper

The following are some commonly accepted principles from auto insurance:

* Bad maintenance voids certain insurance. If an automobile owner never changes the oil, the auto’s power train warranty is void. In fact, not only does the oil need to be changed, the change needs to be performed by a certified mechanic and documented. Collision insurance doesn’t cover cars purposefully driven over a cliff.

* The best insurance is offered for new models. Bumper-to-bumper warranties are offered only on new cars. As they roll off the assembly line, automobiles have a low and relatively consistent risk profile, satisfying the actuarial test for insurance pricing. Furthermore, auto manufacturers usually wrap at least some coverage into the price of the new auto in order to encourage an ongoing relationship with the owner.

* Limited insurance is offered for old model autos. Increasingly limited insurance is offered for old model autos. The bumper-to-bumper warranty expires, the power train warranty eventually expires, and the amount of collision and comprehensive insurance steadily decreases based on the market value of the auto.

* Certain older autos qualify for additional insurance. Certain older autos can qualify for additional coverage, either in terms of warranties for used autos or increased collision and comprehensive insurance for vintage autos. But such insurance is offered only after a careful inspection of the automobile itself.

* No insurance is offered for normal wear and tear. Wiper blades need replacement, brake pads wear out, and bumpers get dings. These aren’t insurable events. To the extent that a new car dealer will sometimes cover some of these costs, we intuitively understand that we’re “paying for it” in the cost of the automobile and that it’s “not really” insurance.

* Accidents are the only insurable event for the oldest automobiles. Accidents are generally insurable events even for the oldest autos; with few exceptions service work isn’t.

* Insurance doesn’t restore all vehicles to pre-accident condition. Auto insurance is limited. If the damage to the auto at any age exceeds the value of the auto, the insurer then pays only the value of the auto. With the exception of vintage autos, the value assigned to the auto goes down over time. So whereas accidents are insurable at any vehicle age, the amount of the accident insurance is increasingly limited.

* Insurance is priced to the risk. Insurance is priced based on the risk profile of both the automobile and the driver. The auto insurer carefully examines both when setting rates.

* We pay for our own insurance. And with few exceptions, automobile insurance isn’t tax deductible. As a result, the fear of increasing insurance rates due to traffic violations and/or accidents changes our driving behavior and we sometimes select our automobiles based on their insurability.

Each of the above principles is supported by solid actuarial theory. Although most Americans can’t describe the underlying actuarial theories, most everyone understands the above principles of auto insurance at the intuitive level. For sure, as indispensable automobiles are to our lifestyles, there is no loud national movement, accompanied by moral outrage, to change these principles.

Unsustainable Market

In contrast, similar principles are routinely violated in health insurance. To demonstrate this, let’s return to the same suburban mother from the opening paragraph. She’s busy working, driving to and from work, and driving her kids to school and activities. She ends each day exhausted, sitting on the couch with fast food. She’s obese, has a sedentary life, a bad diet, and hasn’t taken the time to go to the doctor in years. After a simple injury doesn’t heal for weeks, she turns up at the emergency room and learns she has type II diabetes. Although type II diabetes is controllable, changing diet and exercise habits and properly tracking her condition takes time and effort and she’s never quite successful in implementing the necessary lifestyle changes.

So the initial emergency room visit is only the first of a long list of health care related to non-controlled diabetes and other problems associated with obesity. Whether she has individual or group insurance, her insurance pays for each episode of care, without singling her out for a premium increase, and without charging her any more cost sharing than is charged to the healthiest and most medically diligent insureds. Her coverage continues until she voluntarily changes insurance companies and/or employers or becomes eligible for Medicare. If she’s covered under group insurance she may not even pay any premium. Her insurance continues unabated, even though the disease was caused by neglecting her body and she maintains her poor lifestyle even after the disease becomes known.

This just wouldn’t happen in auto insurance. This scenario is the auto insurance equivalent of guaranteed access to low-priced auto insurance that takes care of every possible repair, including damage already done, until the day the car falls apart so completely it’s unsalvageable (death) or reaches 200,000 miles (Medicare), regardless of whether she even changes the oil (takes care of herself) in the interim.

As a society, we don’t expect this in private-market auto insurance, but we expect it in private-market health insurance. Furthermore, there’s a chorus of national and state interests, which continuously pushes us further away from the auto insurance principles.

The current private health insurance market isn’t sustainable. Prices have been consistently increasing faster than inflation for decades. Each year, insureds use more health care than ever before and more people have no insurance at all. Most actuaries and other people in the private health insurance market don’t want national health insurance with its bureaucracy and one-size-fits-all benefits. Yet, we’re trying to sustain a private insurance system, which violates the very principles we know are necessary for private insurance markets.

Yes, health insurance involves the sacredness of human life and is therefore different from auto insurance. But if we’re to sustain a private-market solution to health insurance, actuaries need to explain to the larger society, in terms that society understands, the rationale for the following principles:

* As sacred as health care is, it’s still an economic transaction that has to be balanced by individuals and societies, against other economic choices. It can’t be unlimited. Sometimes it will be secondary to other choices. On a given day, for example, the mother in our scenario may value her car more than her health.

* Insurance premiums should be paid by the individual and tied to controllable risk factors. This will provide the best incentive for the control of risk factors.

* Although it’s hard to draw the line between abuse, neglect and ignorance, self-abuse shouldn’t be insured and we need to draw that line somewhere.

* The private market can’t provide unlimited, self-directed health insurance.

* Routine care and ongoing treatments of chronic conditions can be pre-funded, can even be subsidized, but they don’t constitute “insurable events.”

* Insurance can’t be expected to keep every human body in pristine condition. No amount of health care will prevent everyone’s ultimate death.

* Comprehensive, unlimited, non-subsidized private-market coverage isn’t possible for people with severely impaired health.

* The private health market can provide limited non-subsidized health insurance, such as protection from accidents, to even health-impaired individuals.

* Individuals who can afford to do so and who take good care of themselves should be able to “buy up” to better coverage. People have the option of buying up for everything else in life.

Discussion of these principles is lacking from most of the current health insurance debate. If society can intuitively understand how similar principles apply to health insurance, then they should be able understand the principles in the health insurance context. We need to initiate the debate.

This commentary is solely the opinion of its author. It does not express the official policy of the American Academy of Actuaries; nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of the Academy’s individual officers, members, or staff

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com.

When preparing for marriage, many happy Texan couples spend months planning for their special day to make sure it takes place without a hitch. But how many engaged couples put that kind of preparation into sharing a life together, especially when it comes to making sure their existing health insurance policies will adequately cover them both? So before you head off on your honeymoon, here are some things to consider:

If you’re both covered by an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, it might make sense to integrate your plans. You and your significant other should determine which of the two plans is more attractive and obtain coverage under that plan. If your spouse is uninsured, you can add him/her to the existing policy.

When comparing policies, you should consider the following:
- Monthly premiums
- Deductibles
- Co-payments for routine and emergency care
- Doctors and hospitals that participate in each plan (e.g., if it’s a Health Maintenance
Organization or Preferred Provider Organization)
- Any additional coverage provided (e.g., dental, vision care, prescription drugs, etc.).
- Waiting period for spouses.

If you’re an unmarried couple living together, you both may have a more difficult time getting coverage if a significant other is uninsured because employer-sponsored health plans don’t always offer domestic partner coverage. For plans that do offer this coverage, the value of the coverage provided to the partner is taxable as income for the employee and may not provide suitable benefits for the couple. Individual health insurance policies may be a more appropriate option, and in many cases, the only option.

Individual policies should also be an option for married couples where an employer has dramatically increased the employee’s share of the premium to cover spouses, or stopped offering coverage for spouses altogether because of the extra expense. Monthly premiums for individual health insurance plans for a married couple may be less expensive than your share of the monthly premium offered through an employer’s group insurance policy.

Getting married is a major event in every individual’s life. And with this major event comes a major change in responsibilities. Reexamining your health insurance needs before the ceremony is over will help you sustain your relationship through sickness and in health.

So when you’re planning the wedding of your dreams, you should also shop carefully for the right health insurance plan for both of you. If you’re looking for high-quality individual health insurance at affordable rates, specifically created for young, healthy individuals, you should take a look at Precedent. Visit our website, http://www.precedent.com, for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com.

The kind of relationships you have greatly affects the quality of your life. It is important to your sense of well-being to know how to create and sustain meaningful relationships. Wherever you find yourself, you have an opportunity to strengthen relationships and your sense of engagement with daily life. These relationships may be at work or in your personal life.

Relationships require two kinds of energy:

- Material (food, housing, physical care and money)

- Psychic (investing attention in each other’s goals)

Almost everyone understands the need and value of material energy. Men, in particular, are often very good at providing material energy at home. The problem is misunderstanding that this energy alone does not ensure lasting relationships. In previous generations, material energy was often all that was needed to assure relationships would last. Now, that is no longer true at work or home.

Psychic energy has become the key to creating and sustaining a relationship. Examples of psychic energy are sharing activities, ideas, emotions, dreams and memories. You choose whether or not to put psychic energy into your relationships. What does this actually mean you need to do?

This means that the integrity of a relationship is a matter of attention and choice. The major source of psychic energy is flow or engagement. This is a state of being that is characterized by:

- Focusing your attention which is highly motivating

- Using your strengths which results in feelings of happiness or heightened satisfaction.

Once you have psychic energy (either from focused attention or using your strengths), you need to learn how to use it well to enhance relationships. This means investing attention in the other person’s goals by taking time to listen and share activities, ideas, emotions, memories and dreams. This requires an investment of time, thought and energy on your part. To keep a healthy relationship, you have to understand:

- What his/her goals are

- What makes him/her proud

- What motivates him/her

- How to support or participate in activities that are important to him/her

- How to let him/her know they are appreciated

To understand how important psychic energy is, remember when someone took the time to give psychic energy to your relationship. What was that like for you? When you give someone increased attention and concentration, it helps you determine:

- What are his/her goals?

- What is he/she interested in now?

- What is he/she involved in or doing?

- How is it going?

- What is he/she trying to accomplish or has accomplished?

- How can you participate or support him/her?

Knowing the answers to the above questions decreases stress and builds strong feelings of connection and harmony in your personal life. In your work setting, it also can build trust. Trusted leaders help others reach their goals as well as their own.

How often do you make the time to do this in your personal life and with others at work? Many times, we can help ourselves best and experience flow by helping others reach their goals. If you want to enrich a relationship and strengthen your role as a leader, try investing psychic energy (thoughtful attention and support). Notice the difference in a week.

Maurine Patten, Ed.D, CMC, Maximize Your Possibilities http://www.PattenCoaching.com
More free information, assessment and ezine subscription at http://www.PattenCoaching.com
Mailto:mdpcoach@pattencoaching.com

Thanks to the gay rights movement and the increase of both unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples living together throughout Texas and the United States, the workplace trend toward domestic-partner benefits is improving the lives of many committed couples, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status.

As of March 1, 2006, only 49 percent of the Fortune 500, 78 percent of the Fortune 100 largest corporations, and a small percentage other, smaller businesses, organizations and educational and government entities offered health benefits to employees’ domestic partners, according to a recent study by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

And while it’s true that the number of companies involved is relatively small, there are some very large employers, such as the Big Three automakers, who have jumped on the bandwagon. The number of individuals affected also is limited, but the unmarried couple-count is on the rise and many unmarried households include children who could be important beneficiaries of domestic-partner health insurance.

If your employer or your partner’s employer offers domestic partner benefits, here are some things to consider before you sign up:

Follow the Rules
Most companies require that your significant other be 18 or older, not related to you by blood or married to someone else. You and your partner must live in the same permanent residence in an exclusive, emotionally committed, financially responsible relationship, similar to marriage. You may be required to show you share a lease or a mortgage, an insurance policy, utility bills, a joint checking account, etc.

The Taxing Situation
While the IRS allows the cost of health benefits for married spouses and dependents to be tax deductible, it hasn’t yet given the same rights to unmarried couples. So the amount of money that your employer pays for health insurance for an unmarried partner and any children will be included as taxable income on your W-2.

Insurers May Not Agree
While your company may be willing to pay for these benefits, not all health insurance companies whose plans are available to an employee may agree. Some insurers are concerned that domestic partner benefits will drive up costs. For example, it’s possible that the less-expensive HMO may raise objections, while the more expensive Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or the traditional indemnity plan may not. If you have questions about your plan, talk to your human resources department or call the insurer directly.

Share the power
If you’re the partner holding the policy, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can make any health care decisions for your significant other if or when he/she is unable to make them. Married couples have much broader rights. A healthcare power of attorney can overcome what could be a big issue in an emergency. It has nothing to do with money. It simply allows the person you designate - in this case, your partner - to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable. It also can ensure that if you become ill, your partner will be able to visit while you’re in the hospital. The document, which should be prepared by an attorney, can also specify the names of physicians and limit the use of life-extending procedures. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Keep the completed document someplace, other than a safety deposit box, so it is accessible when you need it most.

It’s Over and You’re Moving On.
Most employer-sponsored group policies require that you inform the company immediately if your living situation changes. A recent federal court decision left open the possibility that COBRA could cover domestic partners. COBRA is the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act - federal legislation that requires many businesses to keep former employees and their dependents on the group health plan for a limited period. COBRA regulations allow a divorcing spouse to keep the estranged spouse’s insurance for up to 18 months. The federal court decision said this didn’t specifically exclude domestic partners. But the likelihood an unmarried partner will be able to claim COBRA is slim. That means that the partner could be left without his or her own insurance with little or no notice.

With only 49 percent of Fortune 500 companies and an even smaller percentage of small businesses offering health benefits to employees’ domestic partners, this still leaves a large majority of unmarried couples with possibly one individual in the relationship uninsured. If you’re looking for high-quality individual health insurance at affordable rates, specifically created for young, healthy individuals, you should take a look at Precedent. Visit our website, http://www.precedent.com, for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com.

Having a job where you can work from home seems like the ideal solution to all those long hours stuck in an office. Not surprisingly then, work-from-home jobs are rapidly growing in popularity.

There is a lot of money to be made from the Internet for people who know what they are doing. Also, as the world become a smaller place it is less and less essential for people to actually work in an office.

If you are new to the world of working from home then you have to know something about the types of telecommuting jobs that are available. There is a misconception that there is only one type of work from home job - in fact, there are five.

It is essential that you choose the one that makes the most of your skills and stops you from wasting your efforts on jobs that will not earn you the most profit.

Here is an overview of the sort of home working jobs are offered on the Internet:

1) Off-Site Work
This means that you can perform the job without having to be in a particular place. You are free to choose anywhere that you want to work from, worldwide, on the condition that you complete your allocated tasks. It doesn’t matter if you choose to be at home or at the local internet cafe. Many of these types of job do entail a large amount of travel.

2) Virtual Work
Many administration tasks can be performed from home. Virtual work, or transitioned work, is still office approved. The person in charge permits you to perform a number of your tasks from an alternative location.

3) Telecommute-Only Opportunities
Some jobs do not require your physical presence at an office to get a job done. This is the work at home job in its truest sense, because you do not have to leave the house or change out of your pajamas to go to work.

4) Telecommute Option Work
The active word here is ‘option’. This allows you to choose to work from the company’s office, or not. You can decide to create your own home office or make the daily trip to the office.

5) Freelance or contract work
In this case, there it is not necessary for you to have a home office or to travel to an actual office. You are hired by a client to undertake a particular project or task and this is on a per-job basis.

The key to being successful when working from home is to ascertain which type of position is best for you. The above overview is intended as a guide to help you to make a more informed decision.

Of course, working from home does not allow you to take it easy all of the time. You still have to perform the work. The fact that you can choose where to do that work is a bonus that should not be taken for granted.

Leon Edward Helps people to start, grow and maximize online business income with training articles, reviews, marketing log… ideas and opportunities. Download his FREE Report - How to Find A Solid Home Business Opportunity without Getting Scammed! - Find online business training articles, an internet business in a box, FREE Content , starting a business free ideas, residual internet income opportunities and top network marketing home based businesses…
all at http://www.HomeBusinessIT.com

Leon Edward helps people improve in Goal Setting, Success, Leadership, Motivation, Self-Improvement, Happiness, Memory Improvement, Stress Reduction and more through his articles, blogs, reports and self-help success roladex-on-line. Visit his Success-Leadership Library, Articles and blog at http://www.AwesomeSuccess.org

Leon Edward also helps people improve IQ, focus, memory, concentration, creativity, speed reading, public speaking , time management and reducing stress.
Download his IQ Mind Brain Memory Self-Help library at his website http://www.IQMindBrainLibrary.com

When my Uncle Robert, lost his full-time job, we thought that he and his family were done for. With no local jobs available and a wife and four kids to feed, he felt that his only way to make money was to find the best work from home job on the Internet. After looking for month, he eventually got into affiliate marketing and made his first sale in 4 days. 12 months later, he had over 20 websites, each making $3,000 a year. He told me just a few weeks ago that he is now working on a new project that will earn him thousands in a matter of weeks when he sells it online.

As you can see, working online is very profitable and if you are searching for the best work from home job, the Internet is the place to look. In this article, I am going to tell you how Robert managed to save his family through affiliate marketing - and why today he wakes up every day a hundred dollars richer.

Affiliate marketing is easily the best work from home job you will ever find. It is very similar to selling a product online, except instead of selling something of your own, you sell someone else’s products instead. Normally, you get between 50% and 75% of the selling price for every buying customer you refer, so you can easily earn $10 to $30 for every sale!

As an affiliate marketer, Robert did not have to worry about processing payments, dealing with refunds or maintaining an inventory. All of these issues were taken care of by the affiliate program owner. In fact, all he really did was set up a site, create content for it, promote it and sprinkle it liberally with your affiliate links. Pretty soon, money started pouring in.

Of course, I’m leaving out a few details here but by now you should have a general idea of how the process works - and why, to this day, Robert claims that he has the best work from home job.

In fact, one of the reasons why affiliate marketing is the best work from home job is because it creates residual income. What is residual income, you ask? Also referred to as “passive income”, it is basically money that you earn without having to continuously work for it.

For example, at your full time job, you have to come to work every day or you will get fired and lose your income. In contrast, once you have set up a site promoting an affiliate product, you can move on to other things and your site will still generate money for you. That’s what residual income is all about - and that’s why affiliate marketing is the best work from home job ever!

Affiliate marketing is the best work from home job for anyone who has never worked online. It is easy and cheap to get started, and your profits can be enormous! Consider the amount of time you spend online every day and ask yourself - wouldn’t you rather spend that time setting up your residual streams of income?

To get your free report on how to make $150 a day and for more information on affiliate marketing, visit my official Home Income Opportunity Online website, where I show you how affiliate marketing works as well as the top 6 ways to make money online.

Growing waistlines equal growing healthcare costs. At least that’s how it seems regarding health and health insurance. A famous documentary has already shown the short-term impact of too many super-sized meals. But did you know that there’s another price you’re paying now - in health insurance dollars - for our nation’s weight problem?

Health insurance rates have been rising, with double-digit increases in each of the past three years. Most analysts blame these rising costs on an increased use of medical services. Are we just a nation of hypochondriacs? Why are we visiting doctors’ offices in droves? As many experts are pointing out, part of the answer may be obesity.

More than 60 percent of Americans presently qualify as overweight or obese. Even among children, obesity rates have tripled over the past decade. Obesity is known to considerably raise your risk of orthopedic problems, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain types of cancer, and respiratory problems. The Surgeon General’s office estimates that obesity costs the economy more than $100 billion a year.

Insurance companies understand that obesity is costly. If you’re an obese person trying to get health coverage, you may be turned down due to the risks associated with your weight. If you’re not turned down, you’ll probably pay more for coverage, up to twice as much as a slimmer person. And even though you can’t be turned down for employer-sponsored health insurance based on obesity, the increased cost of insuring you becomes a financial burden not only for you, but also for your coworkers.

Now this doesn’t mean that skinny people should blame heavier people for the annual insurance rate hikes that everyone dreads. There are other factors involved, like the increased use of prescription drugs and costly new medical technologies. But if the majority of Americans is obese and it’s substantially more expensive to insure an obese person, you can begin to see how big a role an expanding waistline may play in expanding health insurance costs.

So, what can we all do about this waistline epidemic? In the United States alone, obesity is expected to overtake smoking as the number-one cause of preventable death. Through a combination of government action and an aggressive public persuasion campaign, smoking is on the decline. These tactics can also be used in the battle on obesity.

Or perhaps we need to make the connection between obesity and health insurance costs more apparent to encourage our government and public health organizations to help in the battle of the bulge. Maybe that will encourage health insurance companies to expand coverage for weight-loss programs and procedures. Most importantly, perhaps if we feel the impact of obesity in our pocketbooks, we’ll take our health more seriously.

If you’ve never considered the ramifications of what you eat, maybe you should. It may not seem like it will affect your health now, but it certainly will in the long run. And as you’ll discover, what affects your health also will eventually affect your bank account.

If you’re a young individual who lives in Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas, watches what you eat and tries to keep healthy, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. For more information, visit us at our website, www.precedent.com. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com.

The healthcare insurance tax plan proposed by President Bush is designed to reduce the number of people who do not presently have health insurance - reported by the Census Bureau to be 47 million in 2005, or 15.9 percent of the population. According to some healthcare experts, however, it could either increase or decrease the number of uninsured Americans by as much as 10 million, with much of the outcome determined by the proposal’s impact on the individual insurance market.

The President’s proposal, covered in his January 2007 State of the Union Address, would eliminate tax-free treatment for employer health benefits, but offer a standard tax deduction of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families.

Supporters of the plan say it would be fairer than the current system, which favors people lucky enough to have access to employer-sponsored health insurance, and make insurance affordable for as many as five million uninsured Americans, many of them in the state of Texas. The President’s economic advisers state that the plan would level the playing field between employer-sponsored insurance plans and individual health insurance plans.

The tax deduction, which would be given to any individual who purchases health insurance - no matter how basic the coverage - would also remove the current incentive to buy comprehensive coverage with almost no out-of-pocket costs. The President’s economic advisers state that this comprehensive coverage shields consumers from the true cost of healthcare, encouraging wasteful spending and driving up costs for everyone. The Bush plan would let consumers decide what kind of coverage is best for them.

Most healthcare experts agree it doesn’t make sense to favor employer-based coverage, but opinions are mixed over whether the individual health insurance market throughout Texas and around the country offers enough affordable and appealing options for the inevitable influx of new customers, should the Bush plan or similar legislation become law.

Under the current system, individuals whose employers do not offer insurance, or are self-employed or unemployed, must buy their own coverage. Some individuals with chronic or serious illnesses often find that almost no company is willing to sell them insurance at any price. Each state is free to regulate its own individual insurance market, and consumer protections vary widely.

If the individual health insurance market can rise to the challenge, President Bush’s proposal could result in several million fewer uninsured people. Furthermore, it could cause millions of currently insured people through employer-sponsored plans to move into the individual health insurance market.

Encouraged by a new tax structure, individuals may purchase bare-bones coverage and find themselves underinsured. But supporters of the Bush plan state that it’s an important step in helping make private health insurance more affordable to more people.

Employers are dropping their healthcare coverage at an accelerating rate anyway, say the President’s economic advisers. Helping individuals find alternatives through tax incentives may reverse the trend.

His advisors also state that doing something is better than doing nothing, and the Bush proposal could be an opportunity to refocus the nation on solutions in the individual health insurance market.

The Bush plan is certainly not without controversy. It is not expected that the current Congress will even bring it to a vote. But the debate over how to change the current health insurance mess has been moved forward. Young, healthy individuals will still need an affordable health plan that offers catastrophic coverage.

If you are young and healthy, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. For more information, visit us at our website, www.precedent.com. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com.

You might want to call it “one of the hardest working vitamins in your body”. Vitamin E protects the nerves, lungs and heart from oxidative damage. Along with these vital tasks, vitamin E still manages to stave off acne lesions.

There are eight different forms of vitamin E. The most active form of vitamin E in the body is the potent antibiotic alpha-tocopherol (α-tocopherol).

The link between pimples and vitamin E
Acne manifests because of a number of bodily changes including hormonal fluctuations, immunological weaknesses or environmental factors. Vitamin E prevents acne via antioxidant protection. Several clinical investigations have elucidated the relationship between vitamin E and acne.

For example, a study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology observed that vitamin E helps prevent oils trapped in the pores from becoming rancid and hardened. This preventative action lowers the chances of having inflamed, painful acne lesions. However, vitamin E reaches the surface layer of the skin via oil secretion from the pores. Thus, it is important to clear trapped oils from the skin so that vitamin E can flow to the outer layers of the face and pre-empt acne lesions.

In a addition to this study, a report in Clinical & Experimental Dermatology detected a direct link between blood levels of vitamin E, and acne. In this investigation, researchers compared the blood levels of vitamin E in 100 newly diagnosed, yet untreated acne patients to 100 age-matched, healthy volunteers without acne. Overall, the healthy, acne free group had higher amounts of vitamin E in their circulatory system than the acne sufferer group.

Based on these findings, investigators concluded that low vitamin E blood levels could cause or aggravate an acne outbreak.

Sources of vitamin E
To make vitamin E a team player in your acne prevention regime, you need to consume sufficient amounts of this fat-soluble nutrient. The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin E is 30 International Units (IU) per day.

The tolerable upper intake level of vitamin E is 1,500 IU per day for adults. Food sources of vitamin E include wheat germ oil, almonds, sunflower seed kernels, sunflower oil and hazelnuts.

If you cannot glean enough vitamin E from your meals, supplements are an option. Vitamin E supplements are typically sold as alpha-tocopheryl acetate, a form of alpha-tocopherol that protects its ability to function as an antioxidant.

The synthetic form is labeled “D, L” while the natural form is labeled “D”. Nevertheless, keep in mind that according to the National Institutes of Health, the synthetic form of vitamin E is only half as active as the natural form.

To sum up, clinical research has definitely established vitamin E as an acne preventative. That’s why, adequate consumption of vitamin E should be considered an essential part of getting rid of acne.

Sources:
El-akawi, Z; N Abdel-Latif & K Abdul-Razzak. Does the plasma level of vitamins A and E affect acne condition? Clinical & Experimental Dermatology; May 2006, vol 31, no 3, pp 430-434.

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplement fact sheet: Vitamin E. January 23, 2007.

Thiele, JJ; SU Weber & L Packer. Sebaceous gland secretion is a major physiologic route of vitamin E delivery to skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology; 1999, vol 113, pp 1006-1010.

Naweko Nicole Dial San-Joyz founded Noixia, a San Diego based research firm dedicated to helping people intelligently, safely and affordably enhance their image by offering custom skin solutions to people with acne scars on the face and body. San-Joyz She has appeared on radio stations, in newspapers and on TV shows across the United States promoting beauty through health consciousness. Anyone seeking to enhance their image and remove acne scarring can find custom, clinically proven solutions at Noixia.com.

Since Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created by the Medicare bill signed into law in 2003 they are being considered by more and more Texans as a health insurance option. Anyone under age 65 who buys a qualified high-deductible health insurance policy can open an HSA. Here is a quick overview on the important tax considerations of HSAs.

How much can I contribute annually to an HSA?

For 2007, you can contribute up to $2,850 for individual coverage or $5,650 for families. If you’re 55 and older, you can make a catch-up contribution of $800. Legislation approved at the end of last year allows you to contribute up to these limits, even if your insurance deductible is less.

Do I fund an HSA with pre- or post-tax dollars?

If your employer offers a high-deductible health insurance policy, you may be able to make pretax contributions, like a flexible-spending account. If you open an individual HSA, your contributions will be deductible when you file your taxes, even if you don’t itemize.

Are there income restrictions on the tax benefits, similar to an IRA ?

Unlike a number of other tax breaks, there aren’t any income limits associated with the tax-favored treatment of HSAs. Anyone under age 65 who buys a qualified high-deductible policy can benefit fully from the tax advantages of an HSA.

What’s the difference between HSAs and flexible-spending accounts?

The tax benefits of both plans seem the same, but there are differences. The most important difference is that your HSA balances can roll over from year to year and continue to grow tax-free.

Legislation passed last December allows a one-time transfer of funds tax free from a flexible-spending account to an HSA. The newly revised law also allows individuals to make a one-time tax-free direct transfer of funds from an IRA to an HSA -up to the HSA’s annual contribution limit.

If my employer offers both an HSA and flex-spending account, can I have both?

Generally, no. You can’t have an HSA if you have a flexible-spending account to pay health-care costs or if you have other medical coverage, such as a spouse’s policy. However, if your flex plan restricts reimbursements to wellness care, such as annual physicals, and vision and dental care, you can also have an HSA.

If I set up HSA through my current employer, can I take it with me when I switch jobs?

You can keep your HSA account money even after you leave that job, similar to a 401(k). Another benefit of HSAs is that if you are unemployed or laid off and are collecting State or Federal unemployment insurance, you can use funds from your Health Savings Account to pay for your health insurance premiums and for your routine health expenses - all tax-free.

What happens if I want to use the money in my HSA account for non-medical expenses?

You’ll incur a 10% penalty - plus an income-tax bill - if you use any of the money for non-medical expenses before you turn 65. After the age of 65, you can use the money in your HSA account for anything you please and you won’t be hit with the 10% penalty, but you will have to pay income taxes on that money.

Can a couple that is planning to retire early open an HSA?

Yes. Anyone under age 65 can contribute to an HSA if he or she buys a qualified high-deductible health insurance policy, and he or she can contribute an extra $800 in 2007, if you’re 55 or older. This catch-up contribution amount will increase by $100 per year until it reaches $1,000 in 2009.

Do my HSA contributions affect my IRA contributions?

No. Your HSA contributions won’t affect your IRA limits - $4,000 per year or $4,500 for those over 50. It’s just another tax-deferred retirement savings account.

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