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	<title>Health Plan Hub &#187; Blog</title>
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	<link>http://healthplanhub.com</link>
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		<title>Obesity accounts for 21% of U.S. health care costs</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2012/04/obesity-accounts-for-21-of-u-s-health-care-costs/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2012/04/obesity-accounts-for-21-of-u-s-health-care-costs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:31:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthplanhub.com/?p=435</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>That&#8217;s what a new study put out by Cornell University says, anyway.  If that&#8217;s true, think how much of a dent we as a society could make in our healthcare costs just by taking better care of ourselves&#8230;.watching what we&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>That&#8217;s what a new study put out by Cornell University says, anyway.  If that&#8217;s true, think how much of a dent we as a society could make in our healthcare costs just by taking better care of ourselves&#8230;.watching what we eat, exercising enough, etc.  And that 21% figure only stems from obesity.  Many of us who aren&#8217;t obese, still have health care costs that are caused by our lifestyle choices.</p>
<p>If you want to read the entire article, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2012/04/17/obesity-accounts-for-21-percent-of-us-health-care?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+asj+%28Agent%27s+Sales+Journal%29" title="Obesity Accounts for 21% of U.S. Health Care Costs" ><span style="color: #0000ff;">click here</span></a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Be Careful What You Wish For&#8230;&#8230;.</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2012/04/be-careful-what-you-wish-for/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2012/04/be-careful-what-you-wish-for/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:24:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health Reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[individual mandate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthplanhub.com/?p=427</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever longed for something (or for someone) and once your wish becomes reality, regretted it?  That&#8217;s what could happen to opponents of Health Care Reform.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s an insightful article on<a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/04/why-overturning-obamacare-could-lead-to-single-payer.php?ref=fpa" title="Single Payer?"  target="_blank"> what could happen if this occurs&#8230;</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever longed for something (or for someone) and once your wish becomes reality, regretted it?  That&#8217;s what could happen to opponents of Health Care Reform.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s an insightful article on<a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/04/why-overturning-obamacare-could-lead-to-single-payer.php?ref=fpa" title="Single Payer?"  target="_blank"> what could happen if this occurs&#8230;</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>60% Rate Hike?  Really??</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2011/01/60-rate-hike-really/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2011/01/60-rate-hike-really/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:55:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthplanhub.com/?p=343</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Blue Shield wants to hike its health insurance premiums again.   If it&#8217;s able to get this proposed rate hike approved, it could mean an increase of nearly 60 percent for policyholders.  The rate hikes could affect hundreds of thousands&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Blue Shield wants to hike its health insurance premiums again.   If it&#8217;s able to get this proposed rate hike approved, it could mean an increase of nearly 60 percent for policyholders.  The rate hikes could affect hundreds of thousands of Californians.</p>
<p>Now California&#8217;s new insurance commissioner Dave Jones wants this hike delayed while he investigates the proposed hikes.   Blue Shield isn&#8217;t the only carrier trying to jack-up its rates.  Aetna and Pacific Care have also proposed sizable rate hikes.   Aetna just raised its rates an average of 19% in October.  It now wants to raise them again by nearly 20%.    Yikes!!!</p>
<p>It&#8217;s easy for you and me to point our fingers at our health insurance carriers for the ever-rising cost of our coverage.  We can clearly see how big of a bite that insurance costs take out of our checking accounts.  Insurance industry profits are high in spite of their cries of losing money.</p>
<p>But what it there&#8217;s some truth in the insurance company claims that we&#8217;re using our plans more than ever and that their costs are rising?  Is it possible that doctors, medical equipment providers and hospitals are raising their fees too?  I think so.  But it&#8217;s hard for you and I as consumers to know that the doctor we just visited paid the medical supplier more for its MRI equipment and the nurses higher wages than it paid to them a year ago.</p>
<p>The high cost of medical care is a Killing many consumers&#8217; budgets and frankly, I&#8217;m not sure where the solution lies.  Health Care Reform has made some inroads into making coverage more accessible to us all.  But it hasn&#8217;t yet addressed the spiraling costs that may derail the entire system if people can no longer afford proper medical care.</p>
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		<title>Who Are Your Legislators Working For?</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2010/09/who-are-your-legislators-working-for/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2010/09/who-are-your-legislators-working-for/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:48:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health Reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthplanhub.com/?p=322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><strong>The California State Legislature just refused to give its own Insurance Department  the authority to control health insurance rate increases.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The bill  (AB2578)  which passed the Assembly,  would have required HMO’s and health insurance carriers to proposed rate increases OK&#8217;d</strong>&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>The California State Legislature just refused to give its own Insurance Department  the authority to control health insurance rate increases.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The bill  (AB2578)  which passed the Assembly,  would have required HMO’s and health insurance carriers to proposed rate increases OK&#8217;d by either the California Department of Insurance or the Department of Managed Health Care. </strong></p>
<div id="attachment_323" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 256px"><a href="http://healthplanhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Pig-Drawing.jpg" ><img class="size-full wp-image-323" title="Pig Drawing" src="http://healthplanhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Pig-Drawing.jpg" alt="" width="246" height="205" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The trough is getting filled in Sacramento</p></div>
<p><strong>Who do are legislators work for?  What are the odds that the legislators that received the most campaign contributions from the insurance industry voted against the legislation?  </strong></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Can You Handle The Truth???</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/can-you-handle-the-truth/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/can-you-handle-the-truth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:19:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthplanhub.com/2009/09/19/can-you-handle-the-truth/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I learned of an objective, fact-oriented website this week that separates fact-from-fiction in the health care debate.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I learned of an objective, fact-oriented website this week that separates fact-from-fiction in the health care debate.  The website&#8217;s address is:<br />
www.factcheck.org.</p>
<p>This site doesn&#8217;t appear to be leaning in any political direction.  Just the truth, whether it favors conservatives or liberals, pro or anti-reformists, etc.</p>
<p>The site sets straight, many of the lies that both sides of the health reform debate are spreading.  I highly recommend it for those who can handle the truth.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>More Health Care Reform Fabrications&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/more-health-care-reform-fabrications/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/more-health-care-reform-fabrications/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthplanhub.com/?p=216</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><em></em>Senator David <em></em>Vitter (R-La.) recently sent fundraising letters to his constituents about the proposed health care reform bills in Washington.  Here&#8217;s some example misstatements from his letter.</p>
<ul>
<li>The proposed reforms will cover 12 million illegal aliens</li>
<li>The proposed reforms will</li></ul><p>&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em></em>Senator David <em></em>Vitter (R-La.) recently sent fundraising letters to his constituents about the proposed health care reform bills in Washington.  Here&#8217;s some example misstatements from his letter.</p>
<ul>
<li>The proposed reforms will cover 12 million illegal aliens</li>
<li>The proposed reforms will cause 119 million Americans to lose their existing coverage.</li>
</ul>
<p>Is this guy for real?  How did he get elected to the Senate?  I don&#8217;t know the answer to that question, but I do know that he ran on a platform of  &#8220;Family Values.&#8221;  That was before his phone number turned up on phone records of the alleged prostitution ring in Washington in 2007.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Response to President Obama&#039;s Speech</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/response-to-president-obamas-speech/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/response-to-president-obamas-speech/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:39:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McCain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[O'Reilly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthplanhub.com/2009/09/09/response-to-president-obamas-speech/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I would&#8217;ve liked to hear more specifics, but at least Mr. Obama offered more clarity to what he wants a bill to include.  His ideas sound are very similar to what Senator Max Baucus of the Senate Finance Committee has&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I would&#8217;ve liked to hear more specifics, but at least Mr. Obama offered more clarity to what he wants a bill to include.  His ideas sound are very similar to what Senator Max Baucus of the Senate Finance Committee has proposed.  Obama also included some ideas proposed by some Republicans, most notably, Senator John McCain.</p>
<p>Bill O&#8217;Reilly of Fox News criticized some parts of Obama&#8217;s plan.  O&#8217;Reilly railed against (government) bureaucrats deciding what tests/treatments insurers must cover.</p>
<p>Mr. O&#8217;Reilly, the state of California has required many procedures/treatments to be covered for years.  This is nothing new.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Health Reform:  Take It Slow?</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/health-reform-take-it-slow/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/health-reform-take-it-slow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:09:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthplanhub.com/?p=195</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some people are painting a picture of health reform in this country as a recently concocted socialist recipe created by the Obama administration.  This couldn't be further from the truth.  Administrations since the early 1970's have been attempting this.  Each time, special interests have gotten in the way...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle hit the road this week, hosting campaign-style events across the country in a last-ditch effort to promote their messages before returning to Washington. Senators from the GOP, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-TN) and Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Kit Bond (R-MO), Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Richard Burr (R-NC), hosted events that emphasized the importance of a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a target="_blank" href="http://click.email.anthem.com/?ju=fe2e1674766c037d761674&amp;ls=fdee1c7071610c7573177775&amp;m=fef2107671620d&amp;l=fe6215767563027e7015&amp;s=fdf115727c67077b7d117676&amp;jb=ffcf14&amp;t=" ><strong></strong></a></span>go-slow approach to President Obama&#8217;s health care reform push.</p>
<p>I recently learned that Republican President Richard Nixon first proposed an overhaul of our nation&#8217;s health care system back in the early 1970&#8242;s.  His ideas were well received in Congress until special interests flexed their muscles and put an end to that conversation.  Sound familiar?</p>
<p>The same thing happened during the Carter and Clinton administrations.   How much slower should we move Senators?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Health Reform Deceit</title>
		<link>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/health-reform-lies/</link>
		<comments>http://healthplanhub.com/2009/09/health-reform-lies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:16:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>robert</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthplanhub.com/2009/09/04/health-reform-lies/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Newsweek Magazine published an article this week, pointing out some of the lies that misguided people are spreading about health reform.</p>
<p>Click below to see Newsweek&#8217;s article that separates health reform fact from fiction:</p>
<p><a href="http://healthplanhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/The-Five-Biggest-Lies-In-The-Health-Care-Debate1.pdf" >http://healthplanhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/The-Five-Biggest-Lies-In-The-Health-Care-Debate1.pdf</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Newsweek Magazine published an article this week, pointing out some of the lies that misguided people are spreading about health reform.</p>
<p>Click below to see Newsweek&#8217;s article that separates health reform fact from fiction:</p>
<p><a href="http://healthplanhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/The-Five-Biggest-Lies-In-The-Health-Care-Debate1.pdf" >http://healthplanhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/The-Five-Biggest-Lies-In-The-Health-Care-Debate1.pdf</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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