PGI Tampa Supports the 14th Annual Bright House Networks Junior Achievement Invitational

PrimeGroup's William (Billy) Owen was on the Committee of Trustees for the 14th Annual Bright House Networks Junior Achievement Invitational.  He helped to organize this wonderful event that raised over $700,000 for Junior Achievement.

Junior Achievement is a volunteer driven, non profit organization.  The volunteers use their personal experiences to make the Junior Achievement curricula practical and realistic.  Providing children with postive adult role models, who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our free enterprise system, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.

Platinum Agency with United Healthcare

Andrew Aubery, Kimberly Birks, and Stacey Owen accept a plaque from Wes Prince of United Healthcare recognizing PrimeGroup for achieving Platinum Status for 2011.  By achieving Platinum Status PrimeGroup ranks in the top 1% of insurance brokers nationally.  This was the fourth year that PrimeGroup has reached Platinum Status.  Platinum gives PGI a dedicated service team and several other benefits that help us serve our clients more efficiently.  Thanks United!

Great article from BCBS's June Wellness Newsletter

Beware of Hidden Calories: The liquid side of the equation.

When we think about cutting calories, we usually focus on the food we eat, not the liquids we consume. If you're trying to watch your caloric intake, pay attention to what’s in your glass (or on your salad!)—as well as what's on your plate.

Sodas and Juices

Sodas and other sweetened drinks tend to have more calories than most people realize. Did you know that a 12-ounce serving of soda can have more than 150 calories, and a 16-ounce glass of punch or lemonade can have more than 200? Fruit juices are not much better. An 8-ounce glass of orange juice weighs in around 110 calories. Just think … a serving of potato chips has about 150 calories!

When you're thirsty, it’s best to reach for a glass of tap or seltzer water, perhaps with a squeeze of lime or lemon for flavor. Diet drinks can help you cut down on calories, but they might not keep you slim. Some studies hint that drinks with artificial sweeteners actually increase your chances of gaining weight. Scientists don’t yet know why that might be, but they suspect the brain tries to make up for the calories it expects, but does not get, from the diet soda.

Smoothies

We’ve all heard about the health benefits of smoothies. After all, if you add wheat grass or a shot of Echinacea to a drink, it must be good, right? Not always. Many smoothies are made with ice cream or whole-milk yogurt, both of which are high in calories. A single smoothie could have as many as 800 calories—two hot-dogs' worth! Try snacking on a piece of fruit instead, which might have 50 to 100 calories.

Alcohol

Another major source of calories we often overlook is found in alcohol. A single shot of whiskey— just two ounces of liquid—has nearly 125 calories. A 5-ounce glass of wine or a 12-ounce glass of beer has about 160. Mixed drinks pack even more. An 8-ounce margarita has 240 calories!

Dressings and Sauces

Dressings and sauces affect the number of calories you get in a meal. You might choose to have a healthy, low-calorie salad, but once you drench it in ranch dressing you might have consumed fewer calories eating a hamburger! For your salad, choose a vinaigrette over cream or cheese dressing.

And for pasta, pass on the creamy and cheesy sauces or sauces with a lot of butter and oil and choose tomato-based sauces instead. Your waistline will be happy you did!

RESOURCE: Health Dialog-March 2011

CHARITY GOLF EVENT: First Tee Program

PrimeGroup TAMPA played in a wonderful golf charity event to raise money for The First Tee of Sarasota/Manatee.  The First Tee of Sarasota/Manatee's mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.*

*Taken from http://www.thefirstteesarasotamanatee.org/*

Baked Salmon with Thai Vegetable Salad

This spring's edition of AvMed Magazine has this delicious oriental recipe in it.  The best part is that the dish below is HEALTHY!! 

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 carrots, shredded

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin silvers

4 skinless salmon fillets (4 ounces each)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped mint

1. Preheat the oven the 450 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, the soy sauce, and the sugar.  Add the carrots and bell pepper, and toss to combine.  Refrigerate until serving time.

2. Place the salmon fillets on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle the fish with the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, the coriander, and the salt.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the fish just flakes when tested with a fork.

3. Stir the cilantro and mint into the carrot-pepper mixture and spoon over the hot salmon.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 217 calories, 8.9 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber (0.8 g soluble), 12 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein, 536 mg sodium,

Good source of: beta-carotene, niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, and vitamin D

More recipes are available through AvMed's Healthy Living Programs.  Just visit avmed.wholehealthmd.com and click on the Healing Kitchen icon at the top of the page.

6 Things You Should Know About Health Insurance Exchanges

The below is a blog post from PrimeGroup's sister company, PrimePay (Payroll Services) about the Health Insurance Exchanges the federal government is putting in place as part of the health care reform.  This article tells you the most important things you should know about the exchanges.

6 Things You Should Know About Health Insurance Exchanges

Posted by Jeff Price on Fri, Jun 10, 2011

In previous posts… Health Care Reform: The Timeline for 2011 and 2012 and What’s Happening in 2013 and 2014 With Health Care Reform, we detailed Health Care Reform’s timeline.  Now that you know when provisions go into effect it’s time to discuss what some of these provisions are and how they will affect you.

One of the most misunderstood provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the introduction of Health Insurance Exchanges coming in 2014.  Confused as to what Health Insurance Exchanges are?  You’re not alone.  Here are some answers to your questions:

1. What is a Health Insurance Exchange? 
   A health insurance exchange is a marketplace in which consumers can shop for health insurance by comparing benefits, prices, and plan provisions.   
2. Is everyone eligible to use Health Insurance Exchanges?
   No.  Under Health Care Reform, exchange consumers will be limited to companies with fewer than 100 employees and individuals who do not have coverage available to them through employment or otherwise. 
3. Do Health Insurance Exchanges under Health Care Reform include the “Public Option”?
   No.  The original bill drafted by the House of Representatives did include a “public option”, or a Federal public-benefit corporation designed to compete with private companies on the exchanges.  However, the version of the bill that was eventually signed into law did not include the public option, ensuring the exchange will be composed of private insurance companies. 
4. Who will govern the Health Insurance Exchanges?
   Contrary to popular belief, exchanges will not be administered by the Federal government.  Although a national exchange was initially sought by President Obama, the bill was ultimately passed naming states as the responsible party for administrating their own exchanges.  How the exchange will be offered to the public (online, telephone, mail, etc.) will be determined by each state, although some states have already received Federal funding to develop an online system.   
5. What is one advantage of a Health Insurance Exchange I need to be aware of? 
   Buying Power – Under a group health plan, the insurance carrier’s risk is spread out over a group of people.  This keeps group premiums low.  Under an individual health plan, carriers absorb an individual’s entire risk.  This keeps individual premiums high.  Exchanges will essentially become cooperatives, allowing individuals and small businesses under 100 employees to form a ‘group’ which obtains access to competitive pricing and health plan variety.      
6. What is one disadvantage of a Health Insurance Exchange I need to be aware of?
   “Cherry Picking” – Under an exchange, private health insurance companies can offer their group plans inside and outside the exchange.  As such, there is a risk that these carriers will seek to sign up all the small businesses with healthy employees under their non-exchange platform and offload the companies with older and sicker employees onto the exchange.  The result?  The exchange experiences adverse selection, or high risk participants in greater numbers, ultimately leading to higher insurance premiums.  For an example of Cherry Picking within an exchange, refer to what happened to Texas in the mid-1990s.

Please keep in mind that the provisions above reflect the bill as it currently stands.  Since 2014 is still 2 ½ years away, there’s a chance provisions under Health Care Reform could be changed.  Much depends on the outcome of the 2012 Presidential election. 

hYPe Event: January 24th

PrimeGroup is one of the sponsors for the North Palm Beach Chamber's hYPe event on Friday, June 24th at the new Dirty Martini in Palm Beach Gardens.  We hope you can join us at this fabulous event!!

Article on Federal Health Insurance Program

Below is a great article from Bob LaMedola at the Sun Sentinel on the federal health insurance program for people with pre-existing conditions.  This program will no longer exist if everything goes through with the Health Care Reform in 2014 but until then this may be a good option if you have be denied health insurance in the private market.  Visit http://www.pcip.gov/ for information on the benefit plans.

"Feds lower health premiums for pre-existing condition policies

In Florida, 40 percent drop expected to attract uninsured to federal program

By Bob LaMendola, Sun Sentinel

12:46 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2011

A largely untapped federal health insurance program for uninsured people with pre-existing medical conditions will lower premiums by 40 percent in Florida starting July 1, officials said Tuesday.

The goal is to make the subsidized insurance more attractive to sick people who have been shut out of private coverage because insurers won't take them or the prices are too high, said Keith Maley, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which runs the program.

The $5 billion program was created as part of the federal health overhaul last year. An estimated 750,000 in Florida and 7 million nationwide are eligible. Only 770 Floridians and about 18,000 in the nation have signed up, partly because the premiums were not affordable, officials and consumers said.

The government is lowering premiums to bring them closer to what healthy consumers pay for coverage in the open market, Maley said. Florida is one of six states where rates will come down as much as 40 percent. Also, they will need less paperwork to qualify – only a letter from a doctor rather than waiting for an insurer to deny them.

"We want to make sure the program is as accessible to people as possible," Maley said. In Florida, 27 percent of adults under 65 are uninsured, the second highest percentage in the nation, the census bureau says.

The program was designed to help people with illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes — even high blood pressure — who often are denied coverage or charged high rates by private insurers. It's open to those who have been uninsured for six months due to their illness.

Starting July 1, the program's rates in Florida will range from $118 to $158 a month for children, to $376 to $505 for adults over age 55. The program has three levels of coverage.

Last year, when the program began, the coverage would have cost more than $700 a month for Bruce Smith, 63, an unemployed Boca Raton resident with kidney, prostate and blood pressure problems. He did not enroll because he had private insurance costing $600 a month.

"At $390 a month, I believe people will be signing up," Smith said. "That would save me a lot of money."

The program is temporary, ending in 2014 when everyone will be able to buy policies through statewide exchanges, and insurers will be banned from charging higher rates for ill people.

For information, go to healthcare.gov or call 866-717-5826.

blamendola@tribune.com or 954-356-4526

Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel"

This great article about the Health Care Reform Law was published on TampaBay.com today.  It has some great information regarding why Florida has rejected money, other states' actions, and reactions to Florida's decisions.

"In fighting health care law, Florida rejects millions in federal aid

By Janet Zink, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau

In Print: Wednesday, June 8, 2011

---

TALLAHASSEE — Florida already leads a lawsuit challenging the federal health care law, but state officials are going a step further and ignoring the law almost entirely — rejecting millions of federal dollars to provide health care for retirees, seniors, children and people with disabilities.

So far this year, Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-led Legislature have returned or refused to spend at least $19 million in federal money associated with implementing the health care law. Scott also has stopped any state planning for the creation of mandated health care exchanges, which will allow consumers to comparison shop for health insurance plans.

The decisions put Florida at odds with conservative governors in Texas, Indiana and Wisconsin, who are fighting the constitutionality of the health care law on one hand and planning for it on the other.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta is scheduled to hear arguments today in the suit pitting 26 states against the federal government.

"Like a lot of other states, Florida is involved in the lawsuit itself, but there's a big difference," said Eddie Vale, a spokesperson for the Washington-D.C.-based nonprofit Know Your Care, established to educate people about the federal law. "While other states are suing, they are still going ahead with passing regulations that are necessary, working with Health and Human Services where necessary to bring the benefits of the federal health care law to their residents."

Take Wisconsin and Indiana, which are parties to Florida's lawsuit. Governors in both states have signed off on planning for the health care exchanges required by the federal law. In Florida, Scott has not.

Pennsylvania, also part of the lawsuit, has 2,684 residents signed up for a program that provides low-cost health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions, such as cancer and diabetes, who can't buy coverage anyplace else. Pennsylvania runs its own program with funding from the federal government and has more enrollees than any other state.

In Florida, only 770 people are enrolled in the same plan, and the state has declined to run its own program.

Texas has accepted $276 million for a program that provides health insurance to people over 55 who have retired but aren't yet eligible for Medicare. Much of that money is going to Texas state employees.

Florida, by contrast, has accepted only $15 million for the early retirement program — with local governments taking the money. Scott is planning to accept $37 million for the program, but that was because the payout was agreed to by former Gov. Charlie Crist, officials said.

The issue in Florida isn't necessarily over the money, it's the portion of the federal law that requires people to buy health insurance or pay a tax penalty. That requirement is to take effect in January 2014.

Florida filed suit challenging the constitutionality of the so-called "individual mandate" provision moments after President Barack Obama signed the act into law in March 2010, arguing that the government can't force people to buy a product..."

To read more click: http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/in-fighting-health-care-law-florida-rejects-millions-in-federal-aid/1174120

United Healthcare's Recent Innovation: Telepsychiatry

United Healthcare released in its Spring 2011 newsletter about their new innovations to help improve the world of health care.  I found the following article on Telepsychiatry really interesting and believe this seriously would help numerous individuals suffering from mental disorders:

OptumHealth is exploring how to use telemedicine to deliver behavioral health services at a distance in real time, which allows doctors to observe a patient's immediate reactions like facial expressions and body language. Real time communication is critical for building patient trust and strong doctor-patient relationships.

Telemedicine is highly efficient, but may also have other advantages. For example, some patients have reported that that virtual visits can reduce the anxiety of office visits. They find that it's easier to talk via a screen, especially with issues like anxiety disorders.¹

The need is great As many as 50 percent of children in the U.S. who have certain mental disorders are not being treated by a psychiatrist or other mental-health professional.¹ The reasons vary, but we know that parents in medically underserved rural areas may not be able to take time away from work or cope with the long travel times.

One of our pilot projects is set in a school in a rural Mississippi county where the closest behavioral health practitioner is more than 50 miles away. Wait times for appointments can be 5-6 weeks. While formal evaluations are still underway we anticipate improvements like:

• Reduced inpatient utilization
• Fewer emergency room visits
• Improved medication compliance
• Lower school absenteeism

Telepsychiatry is an innovative use of technology that allows us to extend traditional health care into people's homes.

Status: Pilot programs in nine markets: CA, HI, MN, MS, NM, NY, TN, TX and WI. After evaluation we intend to broadly introduce the program by 2012.

1. Time, March 22, 2010