Blue Shield Health Insurance Essay Example for Free

Blue Shield Health Insurance Essay The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) serves independent local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies as its trade association. The BCBSA is one of the nation’s oldest and biggest health benefits company, widely recognized in the health insurance industry, given its 800 strong employee strength, across 39 companies in Chicago and Washington D. C. BCBSA companies together cover about 98 million people or about every one in three Americans. The reach and spread of the BCBSA is really immense covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia, in contract with over 90% of the hospitals and 80% of physicians. The products serviced by BCBSA covers individuals to small and large employers, ensuring coverage to all citizens. Through its several unprecedented and innovative schemes, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association tries to bring healthcare insurance to all people providing hope and security to everyone. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is an insurance provider covering healthcare for more than 98 millions, nearly one in three Americans. Healthcare insurance is a must for everyone. It is necessary to keep the economy going and growing because once the people are covered under some healthcare insurance, their medical needs are adequately taken care of, which makes their productivity go up because better health obviously results in better work performance. If the concept of insurance were not Blue Cross and Blue Shield 3 there, then every individual would have had to save a huge amount of money as reserve to cover some unforeseen or unexpected calamities. Healthcare is one aspect which can never be compromised. With the mounting medical expenses, people without a healthcare insurance can just not afford to avail proper preventive and therapeutic treatment. With the cost of medical services growing by leaps and bounds, healthcare insurance is imperative for one and all. Healthcare insurance company also stands to benefit because when they are likely to pay more in claims than what they get in premiums, a hike in the premium is anticipated. Under the employer-sponsored healthcare insurance, the employer spends roughly five times more than what the employee contributes. But the increasing medical costs have a great impact on the employers who have to pay out huge sums as premiums for their employees. From 1998 to 2003, there was a national increase of 42% in individual premiums after adjustments made with regard to inflation. With the increase in medical costs, employees are forced to contribute a sizable amount towards their coverage, so they opt to stay away from the job-based health insurance plans. The employers depend more on part-time and contract workers who are often not eligible for coverage. So fewer people access employer-paid healthcare insurance. The job instability too contributes in the steady increase of the number of uninsured people. And then there are some firms, which do not provide health insurance to their employees. With the shooting medical expenses, it is difficult for people to go for healthcare coverage, as the premiums are high. This leaves them uninsured, which again has drastic effects affecting Blue Cross and Blue Shield 4 both the people and the company. So, healthcare insurance has now become something that people can neither do with nor do without it. To combat this scenario, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association brings various new schemes taking into consideration the needs of every individual. With no insurance and with the exorbitant medical expenses, the health care of the people is greatly compromised. They go in for lesser preventive care with the result diseases get out of hand before they are diagnosed, and even when diagnosed, the treatment costs are so huge that the therapeutic care is compromised. With no insurance, people are expected to pay up-front for the medical services and so they defer medical care except when it is life threatening. This also affects the government because it has to cater to the medical needs of the uninsured, which has a terrible impact on the economy because the expenses of the emergency department is much higher than in the outpatient clinics, and the conditions are often those that could have been averted or postponed with preventive care. Proper health insurance package is the icing on the cake. The medical expenses are so much that healthcare insurance acts as a major deciding factor when people seek jobs. With the ever-increasing medical expenses, every individual has to be insured medically so that they can avail the needed healthcare. But with the increased insurance premiums, the number of uninsured people is on the high. Furthermore, insurances have too many exclusions like certain drugs not being covered, certain Blue Cross and Blue Shield 5 procedures not being covered and the like, which again discourages people from being insured, which is detrimental to the citizens as well as the country at large. Even with insurance, the prospects of the people losing their jobs and thereby their insurances is there. There definitely have to be changes in the system so that every individual could be worked into the health insurance plan. The view of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association president and CEO Scott P Serota testifies this â€Å"With such divergent political ideologies, it is unprecedented for these groups to have a joint agreement. Helping the millions of Americans who do not have health insurance is an issue that needs to transcend politics and partisanship, and that is why we worked together to give Congress a starting point that we can all support. † The 2005 data shows that one in seven American was uninsured thus depriving them of basic healthcare. The Institute of Medicine has that approximately 18,000 die every year of diseases that could have either been treated or prevented had they had health coverage. Lack of insurance prevents people leading a quality life, and it also brings down their productivity because of their recurrent ailments. The first annual National Walk @ Lunch Day to be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2007, by BCBSA (Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association) will definitely bring about an awareness among people about the need for an active lifestyle, which obviously would usher in better health. Unlike the usual health insurance companies, Blue cross and Blues Shield Association design innovative schemes to match the diversified requirement of the market. It does a Blue Cross Blue shield 6 lot of activity to keep the competition at bay. Even though profit making is the main objective in any organization, Blue cross and Blues Shield Association takes care that it does not become the sole objective. A paradigm shift in this regard is obvious by the mere existence of CareFirst, the non profit health care company which provides health insurance products and administrative services. In the current scenario where the number of uninsured people is on the rise, Blue cross and Blues Shield Association has to be applauded for its efforts in trying to bring the maximum people under the healthcare insurance cover. REFERENCES www. nchc. org www. bcbs. com www. money. cnn. com

Campaign Funding Essay -- essays research papers

Campaign Funding What We Don’t Know About Campaign Finance Does Hurt Us. â€Å"No matter what your social issue, if you want to solve it get the money out of politics. Only then will lawmakers vote for their people rather than their pocketbooks.† Jack E. Lohman. Money corrupts politics, and when contributions are being made to candidates it is not in the best interest of the American people. Campaign Finance is out of control in today’s political races. Candidates are taking money from wherever and whoever they can get it. Soft money is flowing through elections without care or caution. People who make these contributions do not share the views of the average citizen, so politicians end up representing the wrong people. Money decides races, sometimes leaving the better man but lighter spender out of a position. Candidates make decisions based on what will help them financially that what is better for the people. Contributions by industry are made not in the interest of the people , sometimes hurting them in ways they don’t even know. No matter what the opposition may say campaign finance reform is needed urgently to keep our democracy as our founders intended it. People and corporations that make the largest donations to campaigns do not share views with the general population. Politicians will listen to those who give them money so that they can depend on that money being there again when it is time for reelection. Yet individual donors making a $200 dollar or more contribution make up only .33% of the population. This extremely small percentage of mostly wealthy individuals gain the power to influence politicians to their liking. The idea that these people should have power to affect government more than those with less money goes against the concept of equality for all, which is what made this country great. People who make large donations do not share the same views on most issues as the general population. Robert L. Borosage and Ruy Teixeira repo rt that while 53 percent of voters want stricter regulations on businesses and corporations, to give workers a fair salary and working conditions, 58 percent of campaign donors want to see less control over the businesses and corporations of America. Donors also want less government spending with lower taxes, while the majority of citizens want a larger, more powerful government. A very tiny part of our populat... ...r. After cuts from corporate welfare and wasteful government spending this would save taxpayers 495 to 995 dollars a year, not to mention price drops as a result of reduced corporate spending on political campaigns. This would put more money in the hands of the taxpayer to buy more products helping the economy. Most important, politicians would not be swayed by monetary interest offered to them for help in other areas. Donors not representing the public, money, not people and issues deciding races, politicians voting for campaign funds instead of the public, corporations risking the safety of people, these are all problems that could be fixed by reforming campaign finance. Campaign finance is an urgent problem that must be remedied soon or we will be facing a situation in government where the power lies in the hand of those who have money to donate to campaigns. If something is not done we will be heading straight into a corrupt and contemptible government whose only care is that of being reelected. Action must be taken now before it is too late and scandalous congressmen will only support scandalous policy. If our government is to be saved, we must have campaign finance reform.

Why College Is Necessary

Why A College Degree is Necessary Posted in General Information An education is something that no one will ever be able to take away from you. It is the best gift that you can give yourself. College usually requires a big financial investment upfront, but the reward is definitely worth it. Over the course of your lifetime, you are likely to pay far less for your college education then you would in earning potential by not having a college education. In simpler terms, a college degree usually equates to more MONEY. In fact, each level of college education that you receive will increase your overall earning potential. In other words, the more education you obtain, the greater your chances are at earning more money. For example, if you decide to pursue a one-year degree in a technical field such as a medical assistant – this will provide you with the opportunity to earn more than you would with just a high school diploma. Similarly, an associate’s degree (or 2 year degree) will give you an opportunity to earn even more money. The same is true for a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Most students begin their careers after obtaining their bachelor’s degree. However, some students decide to remain in school for graduate studies in order to obtain a master’s degree. In some careers, a master’s degree further increases an individual’s earning potential. The Cost of Obtaining Advanced Degrees A lot of students either choose to pursue advanced degrees later on in their career or not at all because of how expensive they can be. For some students, it is important that they complete school so that they can find a job and support themselves and/or their families. However, with the advances in technology and increase in flexible schooling programs, obtaining advanced degrees is becoming more affordable and attainable. With the rise of online degree programs, night classes, and weekend classes, advanced degree seeking individuals are able to go back to school without sacrificing their current careers or family during the process. The â€Å"information age† has made it a lot easier for students to meet their educational and future goals. Education & Careers How will an education help you land that dream job? Well, your level of education will help you get your foot in the door. Most jobs have baseline requirements that typically require a degree in a certain field of study (i. e. accounting, education, psychology, etc. ). Current job trends demonstrate that employers are placing more value on degrees than work experience and if you want to remain competitive with your peers, then you must equip yourself with the proper education. Also, some jobs will offer bonuses or promotions to employees who decide to go back to school to seek an advanced degree, particularly if the advanced degree is related to their current position. Tuition Reimbursement A lot of companies have tuition reimbursement programs. What does this mean? This means that the company will either reimburse you for a portion of your tuition related fees or in some cases, all of your tuition fees. These types of programs prove that employers value education. There is really no wrong reason to get an education. Even if your bachelor’s degree or advanced degree doesn’t fit the specific job that you are applying to, it may still give you a leg up on the competition. A college degree is becoming more and more necessary in today’s competitive job market, so you should take every opportunity that is presented to you to earn a college degree. Taken from the website. http://www. thecollegehelper. com/why-a-college-degree-is-necessary

Virga Precipitation and Dry Thunderstorm

Virga is the name given to precipitation (usually rain) that evaporates or sublimes before it hits the ground. It tends to look  like wispy gray streaks hanging underneath the base of a cloud. For this reason, you may also hear virga referred to as fallstreaks. The storms that are associated with virga produce trace amounts of ground level precipitation only. Why the funny name? Keeping in the tradition of clouds  whose names are Latin, the term is derived from the Latin word virga, meaning twig or branch, likely referring to the thin delicate streaks it produces. Relative Humidity is Under 50 Percent Virga is produced when precipitation falls from high clouds into extremely dry air (low humidity) and high air temperatures below. (Virga is commonly seen across the desert region of the Western United States, an area prone to both low humidity and high temperatures.) As the liquid raindrops or ice crystals hit the warm, dry air they absorb the high levels of heat energy which energizes the movement of their water molecules, transforming them straight into water vapor (sublimation). Eventually, as more and more precipitation evaporates into the air, the air becomes moister (RH rises). If precipitation is light, it can take several hours for the air to saturate. As the air saturates first aloft, then down to the surface, a kind of moist pathway is carved out that precipitation can follow to the surface as rain or snow. Virga On Radar Like all light precipitation, virga shows up on the radar as shades of light green (rain) or light blue (snow). However, with virga, while the radar may detect it, your eyes wont. If youve ever watched your radar screen and seen the leading edge of a rain or snow band over your location but not seen any rain or snow actually falling outside your door, then youve been tricked by virga before. This is common in winter, especially when waiting for the start of a snowstorm. Weve all heard our meteorologist say Its already snowing in the upper air, but the air at the surface is too dry to see it. Virga vs. Rain Shafts Its easy to mistake virga for a distant rain shaft (a dark curtain of rainfall extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground). Whats the biggest give away for virga? If its virga, it wont reach the ground. Commas in the Sky It is also theorized that virga is partially responsible for creating hole-punch clouds. In addition, virga high in the atmosphere can reflect sunlight creating brilliant sun pillars and other atmospheric optics associated with sunlight. Edited by Tiffany Means