Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/213330
6A Daily News – Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Vitality health & fitness What you need to know about your canceled health plan President Barack Obama's pledge to Americans that they could keep their health plans if they liked them began to backfire last month. Insurers sent cancellation letters to hundreds of thousands of customers holding individual and family policies, saying the plans didn't comply with health law provisions effective Jan. 1. Obama eventually apologized. On Thursday he offered what he called "an idea that will help" fix the problem, allowing insurers to renew existing plans even if they don't include the full menu of health-law benefits. But it's far from clear that insurers will want to follow through. Some state regulators may not even let them. Consumers — many already confused — just got new information to process. And some in the industry say Obama's solution may create new problems. Q: What did Obama propose? A: He's allowing insurers to extend existing plans for one more year for current customers. Policies renewing before the end of this year would last until late 2014. Policies that expire in 2014 would be permitted to extend into 2015. In many cases the existing plans have been less expensive than policies with more benefits scheduled to take effect next year. If carriers do renew, they must disclose the shortfall between the benefits of the existing plan and benefits required by the Affordable Care Act. It's possible the insurers will charge more for these renewed policies. Q: Who is affected? A: The proposed change affects individuals and families who buy plans directly from insurers and received cancellation notices in recent weeks. The administration is also allowing extension of smallemployer plans that didn't meet ACA requirements. If you aren't already covered by a noncompliant plan you can't buy in now. Consumers covered by Medicaid, Medicare or large employers are unaffected. Q: How are consumers reacting? What should they do if they got a cancellation notice? A: At least some canceled insurance customers applauded Obama's announcement. "That's amazing. I look forward to hearing from Blue Cross about that," said Paige Smith, 63, of Florence, Ala., who got a cancellation notice from BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama in October. Advocates say consumers should check with their insurer to see if it will be renewing canceled policies. Even if it is, consumers, especially those with chronic illness, should review alternatives offered in the health law's online marketplaces to see if they offer better coverage. Insurance sold through the marketplaces also comes with substantial government subsidies for those who qualify. By contrast, the noncompliant plans Obama is allowing to be stretched into next year are not eligible for subsidies. Q. Who decides whether I can renew a policy slated for cancellation? A. Insurers and state regulators. Neither Obama nor the federal Department of Health and Human Services can force extension of the plans. But the administration did set rules: If insurers renew policies – and their state allows it – they must notify consumers and point out that they may find other options and subsidies through the online marketplaces. Q: How have insurers reacted? A: Many wanted to learn more details about Obama's offer. BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, which was canceling about 200,000 individual policies at end of the year, said it was interested in RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANT DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you. the option but not ready to commit. Florida Blue says it will allow customers to renew 2013 policies, a decision that could affect as many as 300,000 people over the next year and immediately affects 40,000 people who were losing their existing plan at end of this year. Some insurers are urging state regulators to disallow the extensions. In California, the state should "stay the course and transition people into more comprehensive policies," said Patrick Johnston, CEO of the California Association of Health Plans. The major insurance trade group warned that consumers renewing noncompliant plans will be predominantly younger and healthier, while older and sicker people will migrate to the subsidized marketplaces. That could drive up costs. "Changing the rules after health plans have already met the requirements of the law could destabilize the market and result in higher premiums for consumers," said Karen Ignagni, CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans. Q: The year is almost over. Insurers have already told consumers to buy plans by Dec. 15 if they want coverage for Jan. 1. Can the companies reverse course so quickly? A: That's unclear. Besides setting 2014 prices for the plans and dispatching hundreds of thousands of letters, insurers must gain approval from state regulators. Q: Will state regulators allow this? A: Some may not. Many objected to Obama's suggestion. Extending subpar plans could "undermine the new market and may lead to higher premiums," said Jim Donelon, president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said he would not allow insurers to extend the policies "in the interest of keeping the consumer protections we have enacted." Regulators note that existing plans might not include health-law features such as caps on outof-pocket costs and coverage of essential benefits such as prescription drugs, maternity care and hospitalization. But in California, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said he supports Obama's suggestion and will urge insurers to extend policies. Regulators in Florida and Kentucky also said they would allow the move. Q: Given all the uncertainties, will many consumers seize the chance to renew? A: That'll depend on carriers, insurance commissioners and customers themselves. John Jaggi, a broker in Forsyth, Ill., knew of at least one client who would be interested. Jaggi had just gotten off the phone with the customer, whose policy was due to be canceled and replaced by a more expensive one, when he heard about Obama's idea. The man is not eligible for health-law subsidies. Extending his existing coverage "will save him about $375 a month" in premiums, Jaggi said. "And his deductible was going to double." Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communication organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. FOUNTAIN OF HEALTH Need a Physician? 1415 SOLANO ST. CORNING CA. 530-689-0222 Circuit Training, Kettle Bells, Zumba, Pilates, Iyengar Yoga, Step & Line Dance Classes. HEALTH FITNESS STRENGTH FLEXIBILITY Doctors who listen ... Doctors who care. A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Call toll free 888.628.1948 www.redbluff.mercy.org www.corningfoh.com Caloric counts don't deter fast food customers While the high calorie counts of artery-clogging fast foods are often printed right in front of our eyes, most people ignore them and go ahead and order their burgers and fries anyway, a new study finds. New York University School of Medicine polled 2,000 Philadelphia fast food customers, aged 18 to 64, finding that few paid attention to calorie counts on menus, HealthDay reports. Study author Brian Elbel, an assistant professor of population health and health policy, presented his findings Friday at theObesity Society's annual meeting in Atlanta. The research is published in the November issue of the journal Obesity. The research team collected customer receipts at McDonald's and Burger King restaurants and surveyed customers about how often they ate at fast food restaurants and whether or not they glanced at calorie information. Researchers surveyed customers both before and after February 2010, when the Philadelphia caloriecount label mandate went into effect. The researchers also conducted a telephone survey of the city's residents, to gauge how much people paid attention to calorie counts on restaurant menus. Findings showed no difference in how often people ate at fast food restaurants or the amount of calories they consumed before and after the policy went into effect in Philadelphia, HealthDay reports. Elbel led a separate 2011 study with similar findings, but this study examined 427 parents and teenagers in low income areas of New York City and Newark, N.J., before mandatory menu labeling began in 2008 and after. While people noticed the labels, those labels didn't have much effect on their orders at the counter, the findings showed. That study was published in the International Journal of Obesity. A scanner to count calories still on your plate While there are a slew of fitness trackers available to tabulate your caloric burn, dieters are still stuck logging in every bite they take to calculate the calories they're consuming. But now a new device could change that. TellSpec, currently raising a heap of money on its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, is a nifty gadget that connects to your smartphone and gives you calorie counts, allergy info, and details about food, just by scanning it — and we don't mean barcodes. Wave the device over your food (be it an apple or a plate of pasta) and TellSpec's raman spectrometer — which essentially use lasers to evaluate an object's chemical composition — uses an alogorithm to calculate not only calories but ingredients and whether or not the food contains gluten, trans fats, or pesticides, even in trace amounts. All the data is then sent to an app on your phone so you can check the details before you tuck in. TellSpec is offering early backers the device and two years of unlimited food scan analysis for $150. Another cheaper (but presumably less accurate option) is the app Meal Snap, priced at $2.99. Photos uploaded to the app's database are automatically identified and assigned a rough calorie count, which is then sent back to the user within minutes. www.redbluff.mercy.org A Retirement Community for the Active Senior Citizens redbluff.mercy.org EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Tehama Estates provides the best living environment available to active seniors in Red Bluff, CA. We will show you ways to stay involved in the care of loved ones, and work with you to maintain the highest quality of life. 1/2 OFF first month rent! ◆ Independent Living ◆ Private Apartments ◆ House Keeping Services ◆ Three Nutritious Meals Daily ◆ 24 Hour Secure Environment ◆ Warm & Friendly Staff ◆Recreational Programs ◆Scheduled Transportation ◆Private & Formal Dining Rooms 750 David Avenue, Red Bluff • 527-9193 Diabetes Education redbluff.mercy.org/classes_and_events November 6 & 20, 1-3 pm Columba Room, Coyne Center Auxiliary SOI Candle Sale November 15, 9-3 pm Hospital Main Hallway 530.736.1326 Weekend Childbirth redbluff.mercy.org/classes_and_events November 15-16, 5-10 pm, 8 am-1 pm Columba Room, Coyne Center Auxiliary Art Sale, Picture Perfect November 19 Hospital Main Hallway 530.736.1326 www.redbluff.mercy.org