Five Benefits of Financial Planning for Women

 

women often juggle many important duties. They are caregivers, business owners, household managers, community leaders and volunteers. Balancing these varied responsibilities often affects their financial needs and outlook, and it can present some challenges to reaching their personal and financial goals.Working with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional can provide some clarity for women who may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about their finances. CFP® professionals are trained to provide competent, ethical financial advice and can be trusted advisors who help you see the bigger financial picture.

Here are five benefits of holistic financial planning for women.

1. It alleviates financial stress. Changes in employment, family circumstances or housing are just a few of the things that can cause concerns about your financial future. A CFP® professional can help you weather these ups and downs, recommending sound financial strategies that keep you on track to reach your goals.

2. It supports career transitions. Many women take time off from their careers to care for children and family members. Millions of others may be reevaluating their current jobs against their needs and values, potentially leading to a career change. These decisions have important implications for your income, earning potential and retirement savings. A CFP® professional can help you clarify your priorities and plan for your next career move.

3. It helps your business thrive. If you own a business (or would like to), a CFP® professional can collaborate with you to create a financial plan to guide you through the start-up phase, company growth and expansion, and succession planning.

4. It lets you determine your legacy. Estate planning is important for all women, but especially those who have considerable assets, such as real estate, insurance policies and retirement accounts, to bequeath. A CFP® professional can help you develop a thorough estate plan that fulfills your financial desires.

5. It gives you confidence in your tomorrow. Creating a holistic financial plan that helps you establish short- and long-term life goals is a crucial step in mapping out your financial future. When you have a strategy and a financial plan, it’s easier to make financial decisions and stay on track to reach your goals.Visit LetsMakeAPlan.org to find CFP® professionals in your area. A trustworthy financial advisor will help you focus on your needs and concerns and effectively manage your financial future. 

 

Source : US NEWS

Childbirth Now Costs Nearly $3,000 for Insured Americans

Better have some savings stored up before you rush to the delivery room: A new analysis shows the average out-of-pocket expense for delivering a child in the United States is nearly $3,000, even if you're insured.

Other studies have looked at the costs for specific services, such as Cesarean sections versus vaginal deliveries, but those are only a small part of the picture. The road to recovery after giving birth can take a network of care, including a host of doctors and even therapists. So, the Kaiser Family Foundation analysis took a comprehensive view of the cost of pregnancy, including elements of post-delivery care.

"As someone who’s been pregnant before, I know that’s not the only cost that comes up," said Cynthia Cox, co-author of the analysis and a vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). "There's postnatal care, postpartum care, but other things that may come about as well, like physical therapy."

The analysis comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing women the right to an abortion. The new ruling could mean women who are denied abortions in states where the procedure is no longer legal could face hefty health care costs if they decide to have a child, even if they can't afford it.

To determine just how much childbirth costs, the KFF researchers examined private insurance data from the IBM MarketScan Encounters Database from 2018 through 2020, and compared the average health spending for someone who gave birth versus someone who did not.

The investigators found that pregnant women incurred an average of nearly $19,000 more in health care costs than women who didn't give birth. That included the cost paid for by insurance (averaged $16,011) and out-of-pocket expenses for the patient (averaged $2,854.)

But that's just the cost of care for the mother. Once the child is born it might have its own deductible. If the baby needs to go into the neonatal intensive care unit or stay in the hospital for an extended period of time, that could be its own set of costs.

"The $3,000 is shocking but it's just the first expense, possibly even one of the lower expenses someone can occur from giving birth in the United States," Cox said. "Compared to other countries, they aren’t as likely to have this kind of out-of-pocket expense for the birth, but also longer parental leave and better access to childcare services."

It's not uncommon for soon-to-be parents to "shop around" for the best delivery units in their area, touring different facilities and meeting doctors, a practice that hospitals encourage. With nine to 10 months to plan, couples have plenty of time to figure out which hospitals are in-network and which doctors in those hospitals are in-network. That's a level of planning simply not possible for most other medical situations, such as emergency room visits or unexpected surgeries.

Still, people can end up with surprise bills after giving birth.

"People and hospitals can prepare for this, and it's still a very high-cost event," Cox said. "Even though you may have shopped around, you may show up to the delivery room and there's an anesthesiologist who’s out-of-network and you get overwhelmed with a surprise bill."

Different kinds of deliveries can cost wildly different amounts, as well. From pregnancy to postpartum, people who give birth via C-section incur an average of $26,280 more in health care costs than women who don't give birth. In contrast, this amount for women with a vaginal delivery averages just under $15,000.

"One of the most common reasonsfor bankruptcy is medical expenses," said Dr. Jessica Peterson, a maternal-fetal medicine fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New

"I think one of the biggest takeaways, when you include insurance premiums, is that one in five people will suffer catastrophic health expenditures. Most people at most income levels have a lower risk of catastrophic health expenditure if they have public insurance," Peterson noted.

Four in 10 U.S. births are covered by Medicaid, according to the KFF. But in some states where Medicaid has not been expanded under the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), coverage ends 60 days after delivery. After that mark, the new parents are on their own.

"Some of the costs and complications related to pregnancy can happen weeks or months after you deliver, like postpartum depression," Peterson said. "We really need to reevaluate the way that public health insurance is provided here."

More information

Check out the KFF's Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker to see which states have expanded postpartum Medicaid coverage.

SOURCES: Cynthia Cox, vice president, Kaiser Family Foundation, San Francisco; Jessica A. Peterson, MD, maternal-fetal medicine fellow in obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City; Kaiser Family Foundation, news release, July 13, 2022

Copyright © 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

 

Health Insurance Plans for Individuals and Families (United States )

 

How to Get Health Insurance

More than half of all Americans under age 65 get their insurance through their employer, according to the Commonwealth Fund. The rest get it through Medicaid or the individual insurance market (or are uninsured). Those ages 65 and older automatically qualify for Medicare.

For those who have lost their employee-sponsored insurance, or never had it, there are five options, which depend on your income, which state you live in and whether you had coverage recently.

1. Continue your employer's coverage through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, or COBRA.
2. Sign up for coverage through your state's insurance marketplace or Healthcare.gov.
3. Join your spouse's plan.
4. Sign up for Medicaid if you meet income requirements.
5. Sign up for Medicare if you're 65 or older.

COBRA is the easiest but most expensive option for those who have lost employer coverage. Employers typically pay about 75% of the premiums for their employees, with the employee responsible for the rest. The average employee paid $1,242 for single coverage in 2019. But you'd have to pay the full cost on COBRA, which averaged $7,188 for the year. The contribution for family coverage averaged $6,015 in 2019, but the full cost of coverage averaged $20,576.

You can find individual health insurance policies and pricing at your state's marketplace or HealthCare.gov. You may qualify for a special enrollment period if you lose your job and coverage – in which case you have up to 60 days after you lose your employer's coverage to buy a policy.

No matter what state you live in, you can enroll in affordable, quality health coverage as mandated by the Affordable Care Act. You can find links to your state’s marketplace at Healthcare.gov. Residents of states without an individual marketplace purchase their insurance directly through Healthcare.gov.

When Is Open Enrollment for Health Insurance?

To sign up for insurance through your state’s marketplace or Healhtcare.gov, you usually have to wait until the open enrollment period, which generally runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 every year. That is also the time when you can change your employer-sponsored coverage if you wish.

You also can enroll in or changeyour marketplace plan if you have a life event that qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period. According to Healthcare.gov, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you or anyone in your household in the past 60 days:

• Got married. Pick a plan by the last day of the month and your coverage can start the first day of the next month.
• Had a baby, adopted a child or placed a child for foster care. Your coverage can start the day of the event – even if you enroll in the plan up to 60 days afterward.
• Got divorced or legally separated and lost health insurance. Note: Divorce or legal separation without losing coverage doesn’t qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period.
• Died. You’ll be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period if someone on your Marketplace plan dies and as a result you’re no longer eligible for your current health plan.
• You or anyone in your household lost qualifying health coverage in the past 60 days or expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days.
• You lost coverage more than 60 days ago, but since Jan. 1, 2020, and didn’t enroll sooner because you were impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.

Changes in Residence

Household moves that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period:

• Moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county.
• Moving to the U.S. from a foreign country or United States territory.
• If you're a student, moving to or from the place you attend school.
• If you're a seasonal worker, moving to or from the place you both live and work.
• Moving to or from a shelter or other transitional housing.

How Does Health Insurance Work?

Health insurance is basically a contract that requires your health insurance company to pay some or all of your health care costs in exchange for a monthly payment called a premium. Each plan offers different types and amounts of coverage, but all typically cover doctor visits (for certain doctors within that plan), hospital stays, prescription drugs and some other services. More comprehensive plans may cover mental health care, dental care, vision care, physical and occupational therapy, behavioral health care and more.

In addition to the premium, most plans require you to pay other costs for your health care. These may include:

• A deductible. This is an amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $2,000 deductible, for example, you pay the first $2,000 of covered services yourself.
• Copayments. This is a set fee you pay for a covered health care service after you've paid your deductible – typically $5 to $25 per service.
• Coinsurance. This is a percentage of costs of a covered health care service you pay after you've paid your deductible.

With all these variables, it’s very important to look closely at the details of each plan you consider to be sure it covers you for the care and services you’re most likely to require and includes the doctors and hospitals you want treating you.

What Type of Health Insurance Should I Get?

There are different types of health insurance plans designed to meet different needs. Some types restrict your choices of doctors or require you to use the plan’s network of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other medical service providers, or pay more out-of-pocket for providers outside the plan’s network.

Understand Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)

An HMO plan usually covers care only from doctors who work for or contract with the HMO. It usually won't cover out-of-network care except in an emergency. Some HMOs require that you live or work in its service area to be eligible for coverage. HMOs often stress integrated health care, with a focus on prevention and wellness.

Understand Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs)

An EPO is a managed care plan that only covers services rendered by the doctors, specialists or hospitals in the plan’s network. The only exception is in the case of an emergency.

Understand Point-of-Service (POS) Plans

POS plans have lower out-of-pocket fees if you use doctors, hospitals and other health care providers that belong to the plan’s network. POS plans also require a referral from your primary care doctor before you can see a specialist.

Understand Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)

PPO plans contract with medical providers, such as hospitals and doctors, to create a network of participating providers. You pay less if you use providers that belong to the PPO network. You can use doctors, hospitals, and providers outside of the network, but you pay an additional cost.

What’s the Difference Between Government and Private Insurance Companies?

Health care coverage is offeredby both public and private providers. The government provides public health care through two national health care systems, Medicare and Medicaid. Private health insurance is offered through for-profit insurance companies. The Affordable Care Act places rules and regulations on for-profit companies who sell their products through marketplace exchanges overseen by each state.

Anyone who reaches age 65 automatically qualifies for Medicare, and this becomes their primary source of health insurance. Secondary insurance, obtained through an employer, spouse or through the marketplace, can cover costs not paid for by Medicare. This is known as Medigap insurance.

Medicaid is primarily for low-income and disabled individuals, and is based on income. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a subset of Medicaid, offers subsidized low- or no-cost health insurance for children.

How Much Is Health Insurance?

According to eHealth, the average cost for health insurance nationally in 2020 was $456 for an individual and $1,152 for a family per month. However, costs vary widely among the large selection of health plans and according to state regulations.

Under the ACA, you may qualify for a subsidy to help pay your premiums, depending on the number of people in your family and your income for the year. These subsidies can substantially lower monthly premiums. (See “Affordable Health Insurance,” below.)

Another option is to sign up for personalized medical services, often known as concierge medicine or direct primary care. You pay a monthly or annual fee to access care directly from your physician. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, these arrangements have average costs ranging from $77 to $183 a month. Some practices still bill your insurance on top of that monthly fee. Others do not accept other insurance coverage, and often charge higher fees as a result.

Affordable Health Insurance

The Affordable Care Act is a comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010. It is sometimes known as the ACA, PPACA or “Obamacare.” According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the law has three primary goals:

• Make affordable health insurance available to more people. The law provides consumers with subsidies, in the form of premium tax credits, that lower costs for households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. That can go up to about $50,000 a year for individuals and more than $100,000 a year for a family of four.
• Expand the Medicaid program to cover all adults with income below 138% of the federal poverty level. However, many states have chosen not to expand their Medicaid programs.
• Support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally.

Open enrollment for ACA programs generally runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. You also can enroll in a plan or change your plan if you have a life event that qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period.

There are also cheaper health insurance plans available, known as short-term plans. These plans are not required to comply with ACA regulations and offer far less comprehensive coverage. Most insurance experts recommend avoiding short-term plans if at all possible, as the money you save in premiums will be dwarfed by the costs of care you are responsible for should you need it.

Individual Health Insurance Plans Vs. Family Plans

A group health insurance plan provides coverage for a group of individuals, usually the employees of a company or members of an association. Costs are generally lower for group plans because the risk is spread among more policyholders.

Health coverage, whether it’s offered by your employer or through the health insurance marketplace, is available as an individual (single person) or family plan.

Health Insurance Plans for Individuals. Individual health insurance policies are available under the ACA for people who don’t have or have lost job-based coverage. Individual health insurance policies are regulated under state law.

Health Insurance Plans for Families. These plans cover two or more people, including dependent children. Under the ACA, dependent children may remain on their family plan until age 26. This applies to both employer plans and individual market plans.

Source : usnews.com

 

Nearby White House, Faces of Americans Detained Overseas Now Visible to Thousands

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Little known are the names of the Americans detained abroad despite their years' long plight to regain their freedom, but now, thanks to a work of art unveiled on Wednesday in the U.S. capital, the faces of more than a dozen U.S. citizens held by foreign governments will be visible to tens of thousands.

A mural displaying the faces of 18 Americans detained overseas, including U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner who has been held in Russia since February on drug charges, has been installed on the side of a building in a narrow alley in the Georgetown neighborhood, just a few miles west of the White House.

The opening of the mural is the latest act of public advocacy by the families of detainees, who have in recent months significantly stepped up their calls to U.S. President Joe Biden to personally intervene to bring their loved ones home.

The poster was pasted on the side of the building on Tuesday together with the families of the detainees. Such collaborative form of art captures the plight of the families, who are trying to make their cause known with their modest means, said Iowan designer Isaac Campbell who attended the event.

"I'm like a lot of the American citizens who have no idea the scale that this (hostage) crisis is happening, the stories behind the families," he said.

The United States does not provide an official figure for how many U.S. citizens are detained abroad, but the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, named after an American journalist abducted and killed in Syria, says that more than 60 U.S. citizens are wrongfully detained in about 18 countries.

Some are held by top U.S. adversaries such as Iran, Russia and Venezuela.

Pressure has been mounting on Biden as families of the detainees shifted gears after years of quiet diplomacy that they say has not yielded results. The detention of two-time Olympic medalist Griner in Russia in February has also boosted the prominence of the issue.

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"She has brought this conversation to the mainstream," said Alexandra Forseth, whose uncle and father are among the detained former executives of U.S. oil refiner Citgo in Venezuela.

The key question many families raised at the event was whether any of the detainees would be able to reunite with their families by the time the mural starts to fade out -- which could be a matter of weeks or months.

"Our message is pretty straightforward," said Everett Rutherford, the uncle of Matthew Heath, a U.S. Marine veteran imprisoned in Venezuela for nearly two years. "We want the Biden administration to use the tools available by country, by individual case, to the effectiveness available to him in his office to bring people home," he said.

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed was freed in April as part of a prisoner swap with Russia despite ties between Moscow and Washington have been at their worst in decades, after Biden intervened and commuted the U.S. prison sentence of Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko.

Weeks before his release, Reed's parents had met Biden at the White House. Since then, families have stepped up their requests to meet with him in person.

"We need him to directly tell his administration getting these people home is a higher priority than tangential policy goals," Forseth said.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration has rolled out an executive order to punish and deter hostage taking abroad.

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(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Diane Craft)

Copyright 2022 Thomson Reuters.

 

HOW EXTREME HEAT BECOMES DEADLY - AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR PETS

Heat kills more people in the U.S. each year than any other type of weather event.

More than 100 million Americans were under heat warnings and advisories as of Tuesday morning, with heat indexes predicted to climb to up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit in some parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas on Wednesday.

The United Kingdom, meanwhile, recorded its highest-ever temperature — 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit — on Tuesday, prompting schools to close and train service out of London to cease. France saw similarly high temperatures on Monday.

The highs in some areas of Europe and the U.S. could pass the physical limits of what the human body can handle, according to Kim Knowlton, an assistant clinical professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University.

"There’s an awful lot of assumption that heat is an inconvenience, but it kills people," Knowlton said.

In the U.S., heat kills more people annually than any other type of weather event. Over just the last two weeks, Spain and Portugal have collectively reported more than 1,100 heat-related deaths.

"Climate change is fueling these dastardly heat waves that are almost beyond belief, and we’re not accustomed to them yet," Knowlton said.

How extreme heat kills

A 2017 paper identified 27 different paths through which heat waves can lead to organ failure.

People with the highest risk of dying from extreme heat include the very young, very old, pregnant people and those exposed to extreme heat for long periods of time at work, including people who work in warehouses or on farms.

"The passive exposure, the classic heatstroke, is more [often in] vulnerable populations like children," said Michael Sawka, a physiologist at Georgia Tech’s School of Biological Sciences.

Cardiovascular issues are the most common cause of heat-related deaths. In extreme heat, the heart starts to pump faster to increase blood flow to the skin, which contributes to cardiovascular strain. The body also starts to sweat more, which can cause it to lose water and decrease the volume of plasma in your blood, making you more prone to blood clots.

Sawka said early signs of cardiovascular distress from extreme heat include dizziness, disorientation or warm, wet skin.

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Knowlton said symptoms tend to progress from sunburn to heat rash, followed by heat cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion and eventually heatstroke.

People who experience heatstroke may ultimately stop sweating, she added, because the body can no longer regulate and cool its temperature.

"The body is not able to conduct that excess heat away from the body core, and core temperature starts to rise," she said. "Once it rises beyond 104 to 105 Fahrenheit, there are a number of physical systems that really start to break down."

Some people develop heatstroke on the same day as their exposure to extreme heat, while others don't fall ill until a few days later. Knowlton said recovery is possible, "but there tends to be really long-term — sometimes lifetime — impacts."

After experiencing heatstroke, she said, "people are much more sensitive to further exposures to heat."

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Knowlton also cautioned people to be careful if they take medications that can impair the body’s ability to respond efficiently to heat, such as antidepressants, diuretics, beta blockers, or migraine or allergy medications.

How hot is too hot?

In evaluating the deadliness of a heat wave, scientists pay close attention to “wet-bulb temperatures” — the combination of heat, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and solar radiation.

A 2020 study found that the human body cannot efficiently cool itself past a wet-bulb temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

“It’s not a matter of just reaching that temperature for 10 minutes or an hour during the day, but sustained temperatures at that level can really hit the limit of what our human bodies can do,” Knowlton said.

Healthy people who experience heatstroke are usually physically active on days with intolerable wet-bulb temperatures, according to Sawka.

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The deadliness of a heat wave also depends on how accustomed one is to high temperatures.

In Ahmedabad, India, temperatures are consistently high, so authorities may not issue a heat alert under temperatures reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit, Knowlton said. But in New York City, she said, temperatures of 95 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two days are enough to constitute a health warning.

How to protect yourself — and your pets

The simplest ways to reduce the risk of heat-related illness are well known: Drinks lots of fluids, run fans or air conditioning at home if possible, and avoid excess outdoor activity on extremely hot days.

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The World Health Organization recommends that room temperatures be kept below 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and below 75 degrees at night.

If you're generally healthy, Sawka said, it may be wise to acclimate yourself to high temperatures for at least 50 to 60 minutes per day when it's hot outside but not stifling.

"Obviously, if it's 107, that's not the day to heat acclimatize," he said. "But if it's 85 degrees early in the summer and it's not as hot, go out and be active a little bit outdoors."

If you start feeling ill due to the heat, Sawka advised soaking in a bathtub of cold water, making sure the water temperature is much lower than your skin's or the temperature outdoors. If a cold bath isn't an option, you can place your forearms in a cooler filled with water and ice, he said.

Unfortunately, pets may have a harder time cooling themselves on extremely hot days. Dogs and cats overheat more easily than humans, since they have fewer sweat glands and rely on panting to lower their body temperature.

But strategies for preventing heatstroke are similar for pets: Give them lots of water; keep them in cool, indoor temperatures (and never inside hot cars); and avoid prolonged outdoor walks or runs when temperatures get too high.

Aria Bendix

Aria Bendix is the breaking health reporter for NBC News Digital.

 Source : NBC NEWS

Christina Ha: The Blind Cook Who Turned Master Chef

 

If you watched season three of Fox TV’s reality cooking show “Master Chef,” you remember the big smile that lit up Christine Ha’s face every time she impressed the judges with her bold flavors—and especially when her three-course meal of Vietnamese comfort food won Ha the “Master Chef” title.

What casual viewers may not have realized right away is that the amateur cook from Houston, Texas, is blind. In 2003, Ha was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a rare neurological condition that deteriorates the optic nerves and spinal cord. By 2007, Ha had lost most of her vision. But she had regained her love of reading, with help from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).

“[NLS] reignited my love for literature. It was what kept mesane when I went through my first bouts of NMO,” says Ha, who also authors the blog theblindcook.com. “When I went through some of my worst health issues in 2003—complete paralysis from my neck down due to spinal inflammation, and complete blindness—all I could do was lie in bed and listen to NLS audio books.”

NLS, part of the Library of Congress, oversees a free reading program for U.S. residents and citizens living abroad who are blind, have low vision, or cannot hold a book because of a physical disability. NLS patrons may choose from tens of thousands of books and dozens of magazines in audio and Braille—including dozens of cookbooks, such as “O, the Oprah Magazine Cookbook” and titles by Julia Child, James Beard, and other famous foodies. NLS also loans the portable playback equipment needed to read its audio books. Computer-savvy patrons may access books online through the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service.

Ha, who is pursuing a master of fine arts degree at the University of Houston, always has a book checked out from NLS.  Recently she was reading Gail Caldwell’s “Let’s Take the Long Way Home” in Braille. And she currently is working on her “Master Chef” cookbook, which is set for a spring 2013 release.

 

Source :  Copywrightfreecontent.com

Turning 65: What to Consider When Selecting a Medicare Plan (US)

 

(NewsUSA) – Approaching age 65 can be an overwhelming time for many newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries. When can you begin to enroll? Which plans should you consider? What do you need to know?Here’s some information that can help.You have a seven-month window called the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) to sign up for Medicare benefits, which begins three months prior to the month you’ll turn 65.

You are first eligible to receive Medicare coverage at the start of your birthday month. If your current benefits end once you turn 65, it’s important to begin researching and comparing your Medicare options early to make sure there’s no gap in your coverage.There are several different types of Medicare plans available:

* Medicare Part A (hospital) and Medicare Part B (medical)o Administered by the federal government, Original Medicare includes Parts A and B that provide hospital and medical coverage. For most people, Part A is free, so it’simportant to evaluate your options as soon as you become eligible for Medicare.

* Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage)o Offered by Medicare-approved private insurance companies and can be considered an "all in one" alternative to Original Medicare. These plans include all the coverage provided by Medicare Part A and B, and some may include additional benefits like prescription drug coverage, routine dental, vision and hearing care, and innovative offerings such fitness programs, healthy food debit cards for those who qualify and transportation benefits to help you get to doctor’s appointments.

* Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plans)o Original Medicare doesn’t cover most prescription drugs, so you’ll need to sign-up for a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) if enrolled in Original Medicare. These Part D plans are offered by Medicare-approved private insurers, like Humana.* MedicareSupplement Insurance (Medigap)o Like Medicare Advantage, these plans are offered by private insurance companies and may help pay some of the healthcare costs that Medicare Parts A and B don’t, like coinsurance, copayments or deductibles.

When selecting a prescription drug plan, you’ll want to make sure the medications you’re currently taking are covered and compare their costs across different plans.

Some plans also take steps to help save you money, like Humana for example. They suggest generic or lower-cost equivalent drugs to their members when they’re available. And when it comes to costs, look beyond the monthly premium and consider the additional out-of-pocket costs. Always evaluate the full cost of the plan, including co-payments or co-insurance, and the deductible as well as which pharmacies are in network. While the many plan options can seem overwhelming, there are resources available to help you choose Medicare coverage that best suits your needs. The Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov allows you to easily compare the benefits and costs of different plans. Other resources on sites such as Humana.com include helpful information to consider in shopping for plans like Physician and Pharmacy finders to help you see if your providers are in a plan’s network. While planning ahead is helpful, rest assured that, as your needs change, you can change your plan during the Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Enrollment Period, which goes from October 15th to December 7th each year. Medicare-eligible individuals can visit www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, you can learn about Humana Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans by going to www.Humana.com/Medicare, www.Humana.com/pdp or calling 1-800-213-5286 (TTY: 711) to speak with a licensed sales agent from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, PDP, and PFFS organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal.

Source :  Copywrightfreecontent.com

 

 

 

 

 

Keep Your Utility Bills Down as Home Heating Costs Rise This Winter

 

(NewsUSA) – Winter 2022 promises the perfect storm for soaring home heating bills. The convergence of surging energy prices, plummeting temperatures and escalating demand means optimal energy-efficiency is more challenging and critical than ever. Rising global energy prices hit home with forecasts indicating households could see their bills increase up to 54%, according to The United States Energy Information Administration. Further, forecasters including the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Farmer’s Almanac predict a colder-than-normal season. Rounding out this frosty trifecta, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rise of remote work which is set to accelerate and become a more permanent fixture as of 2022, industry observers say. The good news is that families can prevent a utility-bill blitz by following a few simple tips. With home heating and cooling accounting for nearly half of home energy use, small steps can go a long way.

 

Ease Into Electric: According to Columbia University’s Earth Institute, electric systems are a solution to decarbonizes home climate control. Among the most energy-efficient heating and cooling products, electricity-powered ductless mini-split systems, offered by companies including Fujitsu General America, can save as much as 25 percent on your energy bill. Plus, they are effective with temperatures as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit. Mini-splits use thin copper tubing to pump refrigerant from an outdoor compressor directly into an indoor air-handling unit, where the air is quietly distributed to the interior space.

 

Get "Smart" About Climate Control: When it comes to smart home temperature control, there are Smart HVAC Systems and Smart Thermostats. Smart HVAC systems have built-in Internet capability and can be controlled directly without additional equipment. Smart Home Thermostats create "smart" systems by enabling remote temperature control via a mobile or Internet-connected device or voice-operated home automation system.

 

Voice Your Preference: Take control of your comfort. Most HVAC manufacturers offer apps that enable systems to be controlled from anywhere using a mobile device. Voice-control capability uses digital assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home, to verbally dictate home temperatures. Easily controlling the temperature more closely allows homeowners to be more comfortable and improve energy savings.

 

Find Your Efficient Comfort Zone: Many of us live in homes designed for bigger families, but have yet to downsize. If you find yourself using a fraction of your home on a regular basis, consider upgrading to a zoned ducted, or ductless, system. That will allow you to save energy heating and cooling spaces where you and your family don’t spend a lot of time. This will multiply savings as you’re not only needing less cooling, but you also gain from a more efficient system in the spaces you do still use.

 

Try Low-tech Fixes: Simple changes can have a big impact. Take advantage of the sun’s energy to heat your home by opening your south-facing curtains at sunrise to make best use of "passive solar gain." Force down warm air. Denser, cooler air stays closer to the ground, and warmer air rises. So, force it downwards with a low-speed fan. Insulate and fill the gaps. Warmed air leaking out around poorly sealed window frames, power sockets, recessed light fittings, and other gaps is a big source of heat loss in homes. Thick curtains help to insulate glass at windows.

 

If your utility bill is spiking as temperatures dip, a ductless heating and cooling system is definitely a worthwhile investment. Many Fujitsu systems with the Energy Star rating are more than twice as efficient as the minimum standard set by the government.

 

Source :  Copywrightfreecontent.com

 

 

Why Dogs Sniff Humans Private Parts?

Dogs sniff is the most powerful things and have proved that they are too pure for this world. If you've experienced this, you know it's awkward. However, there's a logical clarification,and no, it's not on account of they're attempting to cop a vibe.

In the same way as other individuals, including ourselves, we have pondered. for what reason do dogs sniff our private part?

How Dogs communicate?

The dogs language can be exceptionally unpredictable for us and you will positively require time and commitment to comprehend it. In any case, there is a commence that is vital that you know: puppies have an extremely created feeling of smell. Subsequently, they essentially utilize this sense to know their environment and concentrate data.
Dogs, and in addition most warm blooded animals, have structures called sweat apocrine organs, which are disseminated all through the body however with a more noteworthy nearness in the genital and anal area.

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These organs create rotten substances that satisfy the vital capacity of transporting social data. These substances are prominently known as pheromones and through them a dog can get a ton of information about another puppy: sex, age, inclination and varieties in sexuality, for instance, when they are in warm.

This is the reason that dogs sniff the genitalia area to get information about the other.

Reason for dog sniff private part

At the point when a dog sniffs our private parts it is essentially to acquire information from us, similarly as they do with different dogs. The issue is that we are astounded, in any case, dogs communicate with people in canine language, it is implausible to expect another sort of more refined communication.

People additionally have sweat apocrine organs, yet they are not circulated all through the body but rather are available in the armpits and the crotch. Subsequently, a dog that needs to get information from us is normally near our crotches to notice our close parts.

This conduct is extremely normal when the dog doesn't know an individual, however it is additionally profoundly routine when they do definitely know somebody, since when they sniff our crotch they are endeavoring to make sense of how we are! With a known individual this conduct could well be translated as a warm welcome.

The conduct of noticing the intimate parts of people is prominently complemented in the accompanying cases:

Individuals who have had intercourse as of late

Menstruating period for women.

Ladies who have as of late conceived an offspring and are breastfeeding

Ladies who ovulate (here is exceptionally perceptible the complement of this conduct)

Dogs can know numerous things about people through their ground-breaking nose.

What to do when a dog sniffs your crotch

Despite the fact that this conduct might be awkward, in all actuality the most sensible and sound thing for us to do is literally nothing. Mediating is to keep your dog from utilizing their natural language, this counteractive action would be savage.

All together for your dog to create soundly and for your relationship to be as adjusted as could be expected under the circumstances, you ought to never endeavor to keep away from this totally typical conduct and enable your pet to feel more joined together and secure in front of individuals.

Easy, Fast and Effective Training Techniques 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Anjal_Joshi/2585003

 

 

How to Become a Big-Time Online Income Affiliate

Would you like to become a bigger, better, stronger or more successful online income affiliate?

If your answer is yes, then let's not beat around the bush here. Why don't we simply tell you exactly what you'll need, how far you should expect to go, what the affiliate program income industry will demand from you, and what you should expect to receive from your online affiliate income endeavor?

How about GUTS? Nah, just kidding. You really don't need unbridled courage to be a successful online income affiliate. But, how about SKILL? Yep! That's your absolute BIGGIE, the one affiliate program income attribute you cannot do without, because, more than anything else today, online income acquisition demands that you have specific attack plans for your advertising campaigns. This is where the majority of your online income affiliate work will take place. Particularly, you will spend GOBS of your time, performing KEYWORD ANALYSIS.

Keywords are the life blood of online income affiliate advertising and sales. And, Internet consumer behavior totally centers on keyword or key-phrase choices and their resultant effects, interactions, and outcomes.

Here, it is extremely important to say this... long gone, are the days when an online income affiliate could put up a web site on Monday evening, and have lots of sales on Tuesday morning, without previous exposure to the Internet marketing, very little online sales behavior experience, or highly lacking in advertising savvy for online income acquisition.

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SMARTS - that's the name of today's online income affiliate game. You already have "smarts?" Good, that gives you a head start. Yet, the catch is, knowing exactly when, how, where, and what strategies to implement with the God-given smarts you possess. Many a well-intended online income affiliate has landed on the side-shores of this vast Internet sea, without even one, single clue on what caused such unexpected demise.

Worse yet, not having a clue about how things went wrong (or right) in your online income affiliate sales campaign means that your marketing skill chain possesses a weak link. You must find out what that weak link is, correct it, and improve upon it in the near future, so that you can indeed enjoy the sweet rewards of online income affiliate victory.

Thus, can it really be true that achieving significant success as an online income affiliate remains merely a matter of boning up on your keyword expertise, proficiency, or talent?

The answer is a most emphatic YES! To realize your online income acquisition desires in virtually any of the thousands of online income affiliate business opportunities that now exist and will continue to flourish in the foreseeable future, you simply must master buyer behavior. And, buyers use keywords, knowingly, or not... because they constitute the universal language of online income affiliate sales worldwide.

The topic of keywords is a MASSIVE one, even for an experienced online income affiliate. So, let's just consider today's writing as a brief introduction to forthcoming online affiliate income direction. You can look in the author's box for free tips and tools to get yourself lined up for a proper start or continuance in your online income affiliate endeavors.

Hi, I'm Ken Dockins, successful online income specialist with plenty of educational background and supporting skills. However, here is what's more important than all of that. The best place to discover your own personal strengths and improve weaknesses in online income affiliate interactions, plus get immediate access to propriety, insider, almost "top-secret" marketing tools that work like magic - is to join WealthyAffiliate.com ...

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1436596