Health Insurance Apps for Driod and iPod

Did you know that you could simply download an app on your smart phone to have access to your benefits summary in an instant?  Not only can you review your benefit summary online through some of the apps listed below but you can also review claims, find providers in your area, pull up your member id.  BCBS's Florida Blue app also allows you to have a Health Check, provides you with Weather Health Alerts when your area is high in pollen, and tells you about upcoming events in your area such as a health and wellness fair.  United Healthcare's Heath4Me app has key features such as Easy Connect Service and the ability to contact registered nurses 24/7. 

Supreme Court: Health Care Reform

Below is a great article I pulled off of Yahoo News in regards to the Supreme Court hearing of the Health Care Reform. 

By Joan Biskupic and James Vicini | Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared closely divided along ideological lines over whether Congress had the power to require most people in the United States to buy medical insurance, with conservative justices asking skeptical questions about President Barack Obama's healthcare law and liberals defending it.

During two dramatic hours of arguments, pivotal justices on the nine-member court suggested they would uphold the so-called individual mandate requiring people to obtain insurance only if they believed they were not giving Congress broad new powers over people's lives.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy, two conservatives who could join the four liberal justices to uphold the law, pressed an attorney for the Obama administration to say where the limits would be on federal power if people who opted against insurance were forced to buy coverage.

Both justices also raised to the two lawyers challenging the individual mandate the government's contention that Congress is validly regulating people who already are in the market because virtually everyone is going to need healthcare at some point.

"That's my concern in the case," Kennedy said, noting that young, uninsured people affect the overall market by not paying into it and ultimately receiving care over the long term.

The four liberal justices, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, all indicated that they believed the mandate was valid under the U.S. Constitution. Two conservatives, Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito, were vocal in their skepticism about the validity of the requirement.

Scalia in particular seemed concerned that Congress and the federal government would have unlimited powers if the law was upheld. "What is left? What else can it not do?"

The ninth justice, conservative Clarence Thomas who is expected to vote against the law, asked no questions. He has not asked a question from the bench for more than six years.

At the end of the morning, the momentous dispute over Obama's signature domestic policy achievement appeared to be a close case and that arguments among the justices would continue behind closed doors as they draft their opinions, likely to be released in late June.

A decision by the high court, expected just as the presidential and congressional campaigns will be moving into high gear, will likely be a flashpoint leading up to the November 6 general election no matter how the court rules.

The court's ruling on the insurance requirement could decide the fate of the massive multi-part healthcare overhaul meant to improve access to medical care and extend insurance to more than 30 million people.

Outside the white marble courthouse, a crowd of supporters and protesters filled the wide sidewalk, marching, chanting and carrying signs. A motorcycle shop manager from Massachusetts, Michael Wade, called the healthcare law a "power grab" by Obama. Supporters of the law marched and chanted: "We love Obamacare."

The centerpiece of the law is the mandate that most people obtain health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty.

The law, reviled by U.S. conservatives and denounced by the Republican candidates competing to become their party's nominee to face Obama in November, is being challenged by 26 of the 50 states and a small-business trade group. The challengers contend Congress exceeded its authority to regulate commerce with that individual mandate.

In more practical terms, the challengers say that if the government can force people to enter the insurance market, it would have latitude to force people to engage in other behavior, whether it be to buy American-made cars or even to eat broccoli.

A New York Times/CBS News poll showed that a narrow majority of Americans oppose the individual mandate, 51 percent to 45 percent, but strongly supported other provisions of the law covering pre-existing medical conditions and allowing young adults to stay on their parents' health insurance plans.

The Obama administration argues that virtually everyone will need medical care and that those who opt not to buy insurance put a disproportionate burden on the system. It has defended the law as a response to a national crisis and constitutional.

Among those who obtained a coveted ticket to the arguments included top Obama administration officials as well as Democrats who helped draft the law like Montana U.S. Senator Max Baucus and Republican opponents like Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley.

(With additional reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky and Ian Simpson; Editing by Howard Goller and Will Dunham)

Health Living: Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs, and Ricotta

I LOVE pasta, all types!  When I found this healthy pasta recipe on Cookinglight.com I just had to share it with all of you.  Pappardelle with baby spinach, herbs, and ricotta is delicious.  To make it even healthy you can substitute the whole-milk ricotta cheese with part-skim ricotta cheese.  I also suggest to add a little more fresh ground pepper than suggested.  ENJOY!

Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs, and Ricotta

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

3 cups baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. 1. Cook pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.
2. 2. Combine 1/2 cup reserved hot cooking liquid and ricotta cheese in a food processor or blender, and process until well blended.
3. 3. Combine hot pasta, cheese mixture, spinach, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Add additional cooking liquid to moisten, if needed.

Rori Trovato, Cooking Light
APRIL 2011