Search Results for: blog give up control

Clarification on the Birth Control Mandate

The Obama administration has released a clarification on the rules regarding the birth control mandate. It is the portion of the Affordable Care Act that requires health plans to cover contraception. Do you understand what changed and what stayed the same? This blog will give you the facts. The birth control mandate is part of the Affordable Care Act. As of August 1, 2012, all health plans are required to cover women’s preventative health care without charging for a co-pay, coinsurance, or deductible. It includes coverage for all forms of contraception that were approved by the Food and Drug Administration. … Continue reading →

Judge Blocks Missouri Law that Excludes Birth Control Coverage

A federal judge has blocked a law in Missouri that would require insurance companies to exclude coverage for birth control for moral objectors. That law runs contrary to the regulations of the Affordable Care Act. The judge notes insurers cannot follow both laws at the same time. In order to fully understand this situation, you need a little history. Part of the Affordable Care Act requires all health plans to cover preventative care without charging the consumer for a co-pay, coinsurance, or deductible. As of August 1, 2012, this includes all forms of birth control that have been approved by … Continue reading →

Watch Out for the “Up to” Sales

“All Toys on Sale up to 50 percent off!” “Save up to 70 percent off on all clearance sweaters!” “Going Out of Business! All books are up to 90 percent off!” These are some of the most recent sale signs that I have seen on store windows this holiday season. Are the desperate retail stores trying to unload as much as they can before Christmas, giving you the rock bottom deals while they still can? Well, yes and no. There is truth in advertising and then there is truth in advertising. The “up to” sales work well for the stores. … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Control Impulse Buying at Christmas

The shiny decorations, the pretty lights, the wonderful smells, the bustle of shoppers, the increase in commercials, and the demanding kids all combine at Christmas to raise the risk of impulse buying. Many debt services report that the number of phone calls they get for help really drops off in December, as people put aside the idea of debt and just go ahead and spend. Of course, the calls in January are another story. These agencies often see their highest traffic then, as people find themselves in debt crisis. Don’t let this happen to you. Control your impulse buying at … Continue reading →

Judge Throws Out Birth Control Coverage Lawsuit

Posted on by

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that was filed by seven states, two individuals, and several Catholic institutions. The groups filed the lawsuit because they felt that requiring religious employers to cover birth control violated their religious beliefs. The judge decided the complaint was not yet ripe for review. There have been several lawsuits filed in an attempt to block the portion of the Affordable Care Act that requires employers, including religious employers, to cover the cost of contraception in the health insurance plans that are offered to their employees. Those opposed to this coverage feel that it violates … Continue reading →

Thankful For My Office Equipment Upgrade

There is a crazy amount of thunder and lightning outside, but I’m doing quite all right at my kitchen table home office. Fortunately, the kids are not at all bothered by all of the flashing and crashing so I am able to carry on with the evening’s work as scheduled. A few minutes ago, I began to worry about whether the electricity will be knocked out by the storm. Mid – worry, I caught myself. I realized that I no longer need to be overly concerned about losing electricity for one night, thanks to a wonderful birthday gift that I … Continue reading →

Giving Up Your Dreams

There are so many challenges to being a single parent. One of the biggest is the loss of your dreams. When we get married we all think that this is the person we will grow old with, the person who will share all of life’s ups and downs. The person who will support us when it comes to fulfilling out dreams. It’s hard to let go of that. The thing that still makes me the saddest is knowing that I no one else feels like I do about my daughter. There is no one to share the joys of her … Continue reading →

Forgiveness Isn’t Always Easy

It’s hard to forgive someone who continues to hurt you over and over again. It’s easy to get caught up in anger when you are suffering because of someone else’s decisions. The injustice of the situation makes forgiveness seem daunting. Why should you forgive someone who is continually hurting you without a second thought? I’ve found myself wrestling with this question time and time again. You may feel as if this person doesn’t deserve your forgiveness; that by forgiving them you are saying that what they did was ok. This is not what forgiveness is about. While it may be … Continue reading →

Insurance Blog Week in Review – June 10 – 16, 2012

Posted on by

Each week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you a quick way to “ketchup” on all of the blogs that went up in the past seven days. There could be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear here in a given week. What did you miss? Protest in Chicago Over Birth Control Mandate About 500 people attended a protest in Chicago to express their dissatisfaction about the federal requirement that employer sponsored health plans must cover birth control. Just One Ticket Can Raise Your Car Insurance Premiums Drive safe this Summer! You’d be surprised how much one traffic … Continue reading →

Catholic Health Association Rejects Birth Control Compromise

Posted on by

The Catholic Health Association has now decided that it doesn’t believe that church affiliated employers should have to offer coverage for birth control in their employer sponsored health insurance plans. In other words, they have decided that they want hospitals to have the same exemption to this requirement that churches have been given. On August 1, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services added women’s health care to the category of preventive services. This meant that all health plans, including employer sponsored health insurance, had to cover the cost of birth control without charging the policyholder a copayment, co-insurance, … Continue reading →