Texas Health Insurance News

Texas Governor in battle with Vaccine critics

2007-02-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

Gov. Rick Perry angrily defended his embattled order to vaccinate all Texas school girls against the virus that causes cervical cancer, saying it would have been irresponsible to ignore Merck & Co.'s ideas for requiring the shots statewide.

Perry, touring cancer centers around the state to tout his proposal to sell the Texas lottery to a private company to raise money for cancer research, fended off questions about his relationship with Merck, the vaccine's manufacturer, which this week suspended its state-by-state lobbying campaign for laws requiring its Gardasil vaccine.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Perry's chief of staff had met with key aides about the vaccine on Oct. 16, the same day Merck's political action committee donated $5,000 to his campaign.

Perry said critics are getting lost on the campaign contributions, which he said were just a small share of the $24 million he raised and had no effect on his decision.

"When a company comes to me and says we have a cure for cancer, for me not to say, 'Please come into my office and let's hear your story for the people of the state of Texas, for young ladies who are dying of cancer,' would be the height of irresponsibility," Perry said. "Whether or not they contributed to my campaign, I would suggest to you, are some of those weeds that we are trying to cut our way through."

Pressed on when he decided to issue the executive order requiring the vaccination, Perry snapped: "I wish you all would quit splitting hairs, frankly, and get focused on are we going to be working together to find the cure for cancers. No, I can't tell you when."

Perry chief of staff Deirdre Delisi's calendar and other documents obtained by the AP show Perry's office began meeting with Merck lobbyists about the vaccine as early as mid-August, months before social conservatives - who are most outraged by the order - helped re-elect him in November.

Perry spokesman Robert Black said Delisi had asked budget director Mike Morrissey to update her on the cost of providing the newly FDA-approved HPV vaccine free to young women on Medicaid.

"There was no discussion of any kind of mandates," Black said.

Some Republican lawmakers said Thursday they were uncomfortable with the timing.
"It might be a good idea to carefully review those contributions before you start trying to enact different legislation or create executive orders," said state Rep. Linda Harper Brown, R-Irving. "It's really a question of integrity ... whether or not his decisions were based on the contribution."

State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Rockwall, said Perry's staff failed him. "Whoever's setting up that meeting, they ought to be chewed out, you know, for not looking at everything and saying, 'Now wait a minute, could this cause any questions down the road?" The order the governor issued earlier this month directed the Texas Health and Human Services to adopt rules requiring the shots for girls entering sixth grade as of September 2008. The vaccine protects girls and women against the HPV strains that cause most cases of cervical cancer.

The mandate inflamed conservatives, who say it contradicts Texas' abstinence-only sexual education policies and intrudes into families' lives. They also say the shots are too new and too expensive to force on young girls.

The House public health committee voted 6-to-3 Wednesday to override Perry's order and sent the bill - co-sponsored by nearly two-thirds of state representatives, to the full House. Perry said Thursday he had not yet decided whether to veto the bill if it reaches his desk. "I highly respect the legislative process that we have, and so I would respectfully tell you that we will let it play its way out," he said. "But do you think we would be having the debate today on HPV if I had said, 'Let's pass some legislation?'"

But Brown said that's just what he should have said. "The unfortunate situation in this instance is that the governor was trying to usurp the power of the Legislature and prevent the debate and that's the real issue here," she said.

Critics have previously questioned Perry's ties to Merck. Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff and Delisi's predecessor, now lobbies for the drug company. And the governor accepted a total of $6,000 from Merck during his re-election campaign, including $1,000 in December 2005.

According to Delisi's calendar, she met with Toomey three times in the six months before Perry's order. One meeting happened in August, the same day two other Perry staffers met with a different Merck lobbyist for a "Merck HPV Vaccine update." The other meetings came just after the November election and just before the legislative session began in January.
Black said the November and January meetings involved State Farm Insurance Co. He said the pair have been friends for years and pointed out that Toomey has many clients other than Merck. He also insisted that the governor did not decide to issue the mandate until well after the election.

Merck spokesman Ray Kerins said Thursday the pharmaceutical company was still researching AP's questions about the meetings and the contributions. Delisi and Toomey did not return calls seeking comment.

Merck has waged a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to get state legislatures to require 11- and 12-year-old girls to get the three-dose vaccine as a requirement for school attendance. But it announced Tuesday it was suspending those efforts.

The drug company had mainly funneled money through Women in Government, a bipartisan group of female state lawmakers. Many of the group's members have sponsored legislation in other states that would require the vaccine for schoolgirls
.
One member of Women in Government is Texas state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, Deirdre Delisi's mother-in-law. Despite her ties to the group, the elder Delisi has opposed Perry's order and voted for the bill aimed at overriding it.

UniCare Sound Quotes

2007-02-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

UniCare Sound Health Insurance Plans have a new home on the internet at www.soundhealthrates.com .

Sound health rates is the new address for the website replacing www.unicaresoundplans.com

Both addresses can take you where you want to go, but www.soundhealthrates.com is the top resource for understanding, and applying for UniCare Sound Health plans.

UniCare's Sound Health Plan is the perfect plan if you are single, between the ages of 18-40, and live in Illinois, or Texas. It is the perfect student health plan, the perfect plan while you are waiting for the next job, the perfect plan for when you are single, and it is real health insurance that limits your losses to the deductible.Sound is Health coverage for your body, eyes, teeth. You know, the important stuff. Three simple health insurance plans, one just your flavor.Apply online, that's it. No catches, no wasted time.

Brought to you by your tight bud's at UniCare Health Insurance Company of the Midwest, and Unicare Health Rates.

NAIC want to start National Catastrophe Fund

2006-12-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is urging Congress to create a Natural Catastrophe Commission that could establish a disaster fund, strengthen and enforce building codes, and provide community support.A resolution calling for creation of the commission won the support of delegates to the recent winter meeting of NAIC, the Kansas City, Mo.-based trade group for state insurance officials.

Delegates to the gathering, held in San Antonio, Texas, had heard speeches warning that earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater could rock the lower Midwest and the Midsouth in a replay of the three-months-long New Madrid series of quakes of 1811 and 1812.

Descriptions of the possible tremors came in presentations by representatives of ProtectingAmerica.org, a Washington-based group formed to protect homeowners from natural catastrophes.

The ProtectingAmerica.org speakers said four catastrophic earthquakes were felt in an area of more than 1 million square miles in what was then rural America. Scientists characterize the chance of a giant quake as significant in the near future, the speakers said.According to a June 2006 report by Risk Management Solutions Inc., Newark. Calif., a magnitude 7.7 New Madrid earthquake, similar to the one in December 1811, could inflict more than $60 billion in insured losses.

Speakers who delivered that earthquake message were Robert Porter, ProtectingAmerica.org executive director; Timothy Reinhold, vice president of engineering for the Institute for Business & Home Safety; and James Dalessandro, earthquake historian, author and screenwriter."The area exposed to the New Madrid fault--home to millions of people and major population centers including St. Louis and Memphis," Porter told the conference, "is just as at-risk to a major catastrophe as Florida and the Northeast are to hurricanes and the Pacific Coast is to earthquakes."Porter also suggested that the federal government and states create a financial reserve to back up the private insurance market.Another speaker, Timothy A. Reinhold, vice president of engineering for the Institute for Business & Home Safety, told delegates that the kind of earthquake likely in the New Madrid area could impose tremendous lateral forces on structures."The key to survival is for the structure to be able to absorb the energy from the earthquake without sustaining so much damage that the structure collapses," reinhold said. "The New Madrid area must understand its unique geography and enforce specific building code initiatives based on its individual risks."James Dalessandro, a ProtectingAmerica.org charter member, earthquake historian, author and documentary filmmaker of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, said that public awareness of the potential for another quake needs to increase in the central United States."Scientists are more concerned about a seismic event in the Midwest than they are about one in California," said Dalessandro, "for the simple reason that Californians are infinitely more prepared." ProtectingAmerica.org was formed in 2005 to safeguard families, communities, consumers and the economy. The more than 150 member organizations include emergency management agencies, first responders, disaster relief experts, large and small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and insurers.

UniCare Sound Eating Tips for Young Adults

2006-11-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

If you’re a typical teenager, or young adult with parents who always nag you about what you eat, how you eat, when you eat or don’t eat, and the amount of junk food you consume, these comments will sound familiar to you. Give your parents a break, they are just doing their job. They want you to eat properly so you’ll develop, be healthy, and keep your moods balanced.

Your body needs certain nutrients to feel well as you go through each day. The most important meal is breakfast, even though it’s probably the most difficult for many teenagers. Breakfast is even more important if you aren’t eating lunch on a regular basis, and are waiting until after school or until dinner to eat.

Your body needs a daily supply of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to get the fuel it needs for energy and optimum health.Protein is a primary component of our muscles, hair, nails, skin, eyes, and internal organs, especially the heart and brain. Protein is needed for growth, for healthy red blood cells, and much more. Protein foods include eggs, cheese, soy products (soymilk, tofu, miso, tempeh), fish, beans, nuts, seeds, chicken, turkey, beef, and pork. If you are interested in following more of a vegetarian diet, choose soy products, beans, and nuts to satisfy your protein needs.

Carbohydrates are our main source of energy and play an important role in the functioning of our nervous system, muscles, and internal organs. Carbohydrate foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. The foods you should eat in limited amounts are ones that contain sugar, such as packaged cookies, cakes, soda-these sugars are called simple carbohydrates; they have a negative effect on your blood sugar levels and your moods as well.

Fats are a form of energy reserve and insulation in your body, and can be burned to make energy when you don’t get enough from your diet. Fats transport nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K through your body and fatty tissue protects your vital organs from trauma and temperature change.

Simply put, there are “good” fats and “bad” fats. The “bad” fats are called saturated fats and are found in animal products, meats, and dairy foods; they should be eaten in limited amounts. These fats solidify at room temperature. Hydrogenated fats, sometimes called “transfatty acids” are also bad fats that are known to lead to heart disease and cancer. These hydrogenated fats are used in many packaged baked goods and margarines.

The “good” fats include the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Deficiencies of Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to decreased learning ability, ADHD, depression, and dyslexia. These fats need to be obtained from your food. Good sources of the Omega-3’s are flax oil, ground flaxseed, cold water fish like salmon and fresh tuna, canola oil, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. Other “good” fats to include in your diet are found in olive oil, avocados, and grapeseed oil.

Here are some ideas for healthy, quick and easy meals:

Breakfast

Soy shake-combine a cup of vanilla, chocolate, or plain soymilk (or use cow’s milk if you prefer) in a blender with ½ banana, 2 ice cubes and blend. Add 1 scoop of soy or whey protein powder-Spirutein is one brand of soy protein powder that comes in a variety of flavors. (Optional: add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed). If you start your day off by drinking this shake, you should notice an improvement in how you feel and function throughout the day.

Whole grain toast or bagel with peanut butter-the peanut butter should give you the protein you need to sustain your energy throughout the morning. Eggs-fried, scrambled, poached, or hard-boiled with whole grain toast; 1 or 2 eggs will provide you with a great protein source to begin your day and the whole grain toast gives you the carbohydrates for energy.

Oatmeal with chopped nuts and raisins, a sliced banana, or strawberries. For extra protein, add a scoop of peanut butter to the oatmeal.

Calcium fortified orange juice-drink this before your breakfast or along with it to get the added calcium and vitamin C.Fresh fruit-it’s great to start your day with fresh fruit whenever possible-an orange, pear, strawberries, banana, watermelon, peaches, blueberries-combine your favorite fruit with a container of yogurt and add some granola for a delicious breakfast.

Lunch Egg salad sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomatoVeggie burger with all of the toppings that you would add to a regular hamburgerTuna salad sandwich on whole grain bread or roll.

Salad bar with a colorful variety of vegetables and chick peas or red kidney beansWrap with turkey, chicken, tofu, or cheese and vegetablesVegetarian chili with tortilla chipsTacos with lettuce, tomato, onions, and cheese.

Black bean soup, lentil soup, vegetable soupVeggie pizza or pizza with any of your favorite toppings

DinnerPasta with pesto sauce, tomato sauce, or with vegetablesStir fry vegetables with tofu, shrimp, or ChickenCaesar salad with grilled shrimp or chickenBroiled salmon with vegetables

Baked potato with vegetable topping or chili toppingRavioli with meatballs and sauceChicken fajitas with guacamole and salsa

Your dinner choices are unlimited, and will depend on whether you or your parents are preparing your meal. Your goal in the beginning should be to eat a good breakfast and at least one other healthy meal each day. That meal should contain a good source of protein, fresh vegetables, and whole grains (e.g. brown rice, barley, millet, whole wheat, oats).

Make an effort to eat foods that don’t come prepackaged or prepared. Read the nutrition labels on the packaged foods you do eat so you can learn more about the food’s sodium and fat content, as well as the many ingredients that are contained in the packaged foods. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the label, chances are the food is not your best choice nutritionally.

Along with choosing and eating more healthy foods, begin to exercise each day for at least 10 to 15 minutes, unless you already have a physically active lifestyle. Before school, jump rope for a few minutes before leaving the house to get your blood moving, you’ll feel better and it will improve your ability to concentrate during the day. After school, jump and dance on an exercise trampoline while listening to music. This is a great way to get the blood circulating to your brain so you can better focus on your homework assignments. (You can purchase an exercise trampoline for about $20 at a large discount department store.)

Whatever physical activity appeals to you, make it part of your daily routine. It will lift your spirits and improve your moods. Combine the exercise with healthy, fresh foods and you’ll be surprised at how much better and more energetic you’ll feel. And when you do start to age like your parents, your body will be thankful that you nurtured and cared for it so well.

www.unicaresoundplans.com

Introducing Sound

2006-10-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

UniCare's Sound Health Plan is the perfect plan if you are single, between the ages of 18-40, and live in Illinois, or Texas. It is the perfect student health plan, the perfect plan while you are waiting for the next job, the perfect plan for when you are single, and it is real health insurance that limits your losses to the deductible.

Sound is Health coverage for your body, eyes, teeth. You know, the important stuff. Three simple health insurance plans, one just your flavor.Apply online, that's it. No catches, no wasted time.

Brought to you by your tight bud's at UniCare Health Insurance Company of the Midwest.

How Much you Could Save?

Sure, paying for health insurance is a pain. But not having it can hurt a lot more. Accidents and illness can happen even if you think you are invincible. You blow out a knee, or have appendicitis, your faced with a $30,000 hospital bill, but with Unicare Sound you will only pay $1,500 to $5,000 for the year depending on the plan you choose to get rid of that bill.

What's the Deal?

Here it is. Health insurance, straight up. Three plans. Same all-around coverage: preventive, emergency, Rx, eyes, teeth.

Compare Plans

See how much you can save. Pick the plan that fits. Then go play. The differences: What you pay, the deductible. We pay the rest at 100% with no hassles, or paperwork.

Gravity Bender...A.K.A. 5000
You live life on the edge, and happily go over it.
In network: unlimited doctor visits per year
$40 co-pay
Dental, Vision, Rx, ER, Preventative
$5,000 annual deductible
$67-$91 per month
Apply Online

Curb Jumper...A.K.A. 3000
Play hard. Play safe. You mix it up any which way.
In network: unlimited doctor visits per year
$40 co-pay
Dental, Vison, Rx, ER, Preventative
$3,000 annual deductible
$67-$91 per month
Apply Online

The Cruiser...A.K.A. 1500
A well-thought-out walk on the wild side is just your style.
In network: Unlimited doctor visits per year
$40 co-pay
Dental, Vision, Rx, ER, Wellness, Preventative
$1,500 annual deductible
$85-$114 per month
Apply Online

Texas Sound Plan Tips

2006-08-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

UniCare Sound has proven to be the hottest plan in Texas this year, here are a few tips to make sure it is the right plan for you.

1. You are an Illinois or Texas resident.
2. You are not currently taking any medications except for birth control.
3. You don't have any pre existing health conditions.
4. You want the selection of a ppo network
5. You want a plan that has integrated dental benefits

Go to http://www.medequote.com/, or http://www.unicaresoundplans/ for more information.

Texas Sound Plan Tips

2006-08-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Texas Sound Plan Tips

2006-08-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

UniCare Sound has proven to be the hottest plan in Texas this year, here are a few tips to make sure it is the right plan for you.

1. You are an Illinois or Texas resident.
2. You are not currently taking any medications except for birth control.
3. You don't have any pre existing health conditions.
4. You want the selection of a ppo network
5. You want a plan that has integrated dental benefits

Go to www.medequote.com, or www.unicaresoundplans for more information.

Texas Assurant Health Plans

2006-08-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

With health insurance, it's not always easy to have it your way. But Assurant Health makes it easy for you to get health insurance the way you want it.

You'll get:

Many plan and benefit options — so you can choose what best meets your needs
Information in plain English — not "insurance speak"
An easy way to apply for coverage
Quality health insurance and competitive pricing
The backing of an industry leader with more than 110 years in the business
You want product choices, competitive prices and an easy way to shop for health insurance. That's why you're here. That's why you'll stay. Welcome to Assurant Health. For more information about our health plans for individuals and families please call 800-391-7469

Assurant Health markets products underwritten by Time Insurance Company.

www.medequote.net

Humana expanding health insurance offerings in Texas

2006-07-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

Humana Inc is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 9 million medical members.Humana has proven over our 45-year history that we embrace change and seize opportunities that help to transform our business. Our vision is to become the most trusted name in health solutions. Humana offers coordinated health insurance coverage and related services to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals. Providing "one-stop" shopping for a complete benefits package. Our specialty products - dental, life, and disability insurance - complement our core health offerings.

Humana is a strongplayer in the the Texas health insurance market.

Humana provides health benefits and related services to companies ranging from two to tens of thousands of employees. Humana also offers a wide range of products and services designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses, as well.Working to control costs and advance consumerism with consumer-focused plansHumana is committed to helping employers moderate their health care costs and turning passive users into savvy health care consumers.

The SmartSuite plans do just that. In fact, since the introduction of this consumer-focused set of plans, participating companies have experienced sustained annualized claims trend in the 5-6 percent range, compared to a national health cost inflation rate of 12-14 percent per year during the same period.

For more information on Texas Humana health insurance plans please visit www.medequote.net

Unicare Sound Texas Health Plans

2006-07-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

UniCare's Sound Health Plan is the perfect plan if you are single, between the ages of 18-40, and live in Texas. It is the perfect student health plan, the perfect plan while you are waiting for the next job, the perfect plan for when you are single, and it is real health insurance that limits your losses to the deductible.

Sound is Texas Health coverage for your body, eyes, teeth. You know, the important stuff. Three simple health insurance plans, one just your flavor.

Apply online, that's it. No catches, no wasted time.

Brought to you by your tight bud's at UniCare Health Insurance Company of the Midwest.

How Much you Could Save?

Sure, paying for health insurance is a pain. But not having it can hurt a lot more. Accidents and illness can happen even if you think you are invincible. You blow out a knee, or have appendicitis, your faced with a $30,000 hospital bill, but with Unicare Sound you will only pay $1,500 to $5,000 for the year depending on the plan you choose to get rid of that bill.

What's the Deal?

Here it is. Texas Health insurance, straight up. Three Texas Health plans. Same all-around coverage: preventive, emergency, Rx, eyes, teeth.

Compare Plans

See how much you can save. Pick the plan that fits. Then go play. The differences: What you pay, the deductible. We pay the rest at 100% with no hassles, or paperwork.

Gravity Bender...A.K.A. 5000

You live life on the edge, and happily go over it.

In network: unlimited doctor visits per year
$40 co-pay
Dental, Vision, Rx, ER, Preventative
$5,000 annual deductible
$67-$91 per month
Apply Online

Curb Jumper...A.K.A. 3000

Play hard. Play safe. You mix it up any which way.

In network: unlimited doctor visits per year
$40 co-pay
Dental, Vison, Rx, ER, Preventative
$3,000 annual deductible
$67-$91 per month
Apply Online

The Cruiser...A.K.A. 1500

A well-thought-out walk on the wild side is just your style.

In network: Unlimited doctor visits per year
$40 co-pay
Dental, Vision, Rx, ER, Wellness, Preventative
$1,500 annual deductible
$85-$114 per month
Apply Online

Visit www.unicaresoundplans.com for more information on Texas UniCare Sound plans.

Celtic Health Insurance a strong player in Texas

2006-07-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Celtic began operating in 1978 as a broker, insurance and reinsurance company for group life and health coverage. Today, the company has narrowed its focus and holds a strong commitment to the individual health marketplace. The expansive Celtic Product Portfolio includes the CeltiCare Health Plan, CeltiCare II Health Plan, Celtic Basic, CelticSaver HSA or the
Celtic Short-Term Health Plan.

Many Texas residents have been attracted to the Celtic basic plan which is very competitive in the marketplace. Visit www.medequote.net for more information on Celtic health plans.

Efficiency + Quality = Superior Service

Administration is handled at Celtic's state-of-the-art facility, which is located directly across the street from its headquarters in downtown Chicago, IL. Through innovative use of technologies and automated workflow management, operations are streamlined, allowing more efficient, quality service to our agents and customers.

A Strong, Committed, Financially Stable Company

The A.M. Best Company, the leading provider of insurer ratings of a company's strength and ability to meet its obligations to policyholders has given Celtic an "A-" (Excellent) rating. A.M. Best assigned this rating after a thorough quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a company's financial condition and operating performance. For more than 10 years, Celtic has earned a rating of Excellent for consistently demonstrating profitable operating results, high-quality investment portfolio and favorable capital position. Celtic holds no junk bonds, real estate or direct mortgage loans and maintains no outstanding debt.

www.medequote.com

World Insurance Serving Texas

2006-07-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

World Insurance has been in business for over 100 years providing quality healthcare policies to its members. The company prides itself in providing customizable, affordable products. World Insurance is committed to high ethical standards and quality service.

World is a preferred Texas health insurance provider with a long history of stabilty, and financial strength behind the company.

Visit www.medequote.net to get a quote on World Insurance products.

World Insurance Products:

World Insurance offers several healthcare insurance products with different deductibles to meet the needs of families:

WorldCare Flex Advantage Major Medical covers a comprehensive range of medical procedures and hospitalization.

WorldCare Flex Advantage Limited covers hospital and surgical expenses.

WorldCare Value Advantage offers affordable healthcare coverage with a broad overview of benefits.

Short Term Major Medical enables people to have healthcare insurance for a short period of time. This is the perfect type of healthcare plan for those between jobs or students.

HDHP/HD Advantage is offered with the choice of several different deductibles, is a high deductible plan that allows members to use pre-tax dollars to pay approved medical expenses. This might allow members to save money on their income taxes.

World Insurance also offers a choice of dental plans to compliment its major medical policies.

Take your contacts out while swimming

2006-07-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

As warm weather brings people back to fresh-water recreation, people who wear contact lenses should remember to remove them before they swim in ponds, lakes or rivers, doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center say.There's an amoeba — Acanthamoeba — that may live in those waters that can bind to contact lenses, causing serious cornea damage, says Dr Dwight Cavanaugh, vice chairman of ophthalmology at UT Southwestern.These infections are quite rare, but if they're not treated, they can lead to blindness or require a cornea transplant. See a physician if the wearer's eyes become red and sore and there is decreased vision."People who wear their contact lenses while taking a shower, who use tap water to remove debris from their lenses or who go swimming in ponds or lakes have an increased chance of becoming infected with this organism," Dr. Cavanagh says. "The amoeba can bind to the contact lens and cause irreparable damage to the cornea."Contact lense wearers shouldn't even relax in a hot tub without first removing their lenses.

www.medequote.net
www.unicaresoundplans.com

West Nile Virus increasing in Texas

2006-07-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

DSHS has confirmed six human cases of neuroinvasive West Nile in Texas this year, one in Dallas County and five in Harris County. There have been no West Nile deaths in Texas in 2006. West Nile has been detected in humans, birds, horses or mosquitoes in 18 Texas counties in 2006.

In 2005 West Nile was detected in 78 Texas counties. There were 128 human cases from 38 counties, including 11 deaths. In 2004 West Nile was detected in 101 Texas counties. There were 119 human cases from 40 counties, including eight deaths. In 2003 West Nile was detected in 190 counties. There were 439 human cases from 86 counties, including 38 deaths.In 2002 West Nile was detected in 213 counties. There were 202 human cases from 37 counties, including 13 deaths.Since the virus was first found in Texas in 2002, West Nile has been detected in humans, birds, mosquitoes or horses in 233 of the state's 254 counties. Neuroinvasive refers to meningitis or encephalitis.

You wouldn't expect that a little mosquito could make so many problems, but be on the safe side and enroll in a health plan from UniCare at www.medequote.net, or www.unicaresoundplans.com. That will keep you in great shape the next time you get bit by something unexpected.

UniCare Sound part of the long range answer in Texas

2006-07-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Texas’ health care system is extremely ill, and Texas physicians have the prescription for returning the state to both physical and fiscal health. The Texas Medical Association, the largest state medical society in the nation, presented Healthy Vision 2010 Monday to Texas legislators and citizens.

"Texas needs more plans like UniCare Sound" say's John Berkowitz, "The one thing that will get people back into the system is affordability, and UniCare Sound provides that."

“Texas is being short-changed” said TMA President Bohn D. Allen, MD. “Texas physicians and our patients, Texas taxpayers, and Texas businesses aren’t getting what we’re paying for when it comes to vital health care services. It’s time we get our money back or demand restitution.
“We cannot underestimate the stakes. A healthy Texas depends on healthy Texans. A healthy Texas economy depends on a healthy Texas workforce. Healthy Texans depend on a robust health care system – healthy physician practices and hospitals.”

Demographers note Texas is growing older, sicker, poorer, and less well-educated. More Texans than anyone else in the country are uninsured. TMA calls on everyone involved – physicians, hospitals, other health care practitioners, patients, lawmakers, government agencies, and health plans – to take large doses of accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency.

“This will be a long and intensive course of treatment,” Dr. Allen said. “The prognosis is good, but the patient needs extensive rehabilitation.” Elements of TMA’s long-range cure include:
An extensive investment in health care information technology, as President Bush has requested; and A commitment to abandon the cost shifting among health plans and physicians, among employers and employees, among doctors and hospitals, and among taxpayers at various levels. “When we stop passing the limited bucks, we can concentrate on using them more wisely and effectively,” the TMA president said.

UniCare Sound introduced earlier this year has already made a significant dent in the young unisured population in Texas. The plans available at www.unicaresoundplans.com are an affordable answer to health care in Texas.

UniCare HSA's very popular in Texas

2006-07-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

UniCare HSA Plans are the most price competitive HSA plan on the market currently. Priced on average a hundreds of dollars or more less than the competiion with the only difference being the money you put back in your pocket each month.
UniCare is unique in how they pool all their new and old rates together so with the UniCare HSA you are not going to get a great deal the first year, then hammered at renewal the second year. Chances are when you purchase a UniCare HSA it will be the last health plan you, and your family ever have to buy.
UniCare HSA's only trend up 1% to 2% per year compared with the nearly 35% trend of the competion. That means high rate increases are a thing of the past when you purchase a UniCare HSA Plan.
The only thing that effects UniCare HSA's from a price point has been getting older, yes the price will go up as you age like any other health plan, but you won't be getting the added 35% of trend increase that most health insurance companies tack on to improve their profits, or get rid of people who are in failing health, and have declining incomes.
The wonderful thing about UniCare is they want everyone in the country to have health insurance, and they work dilligently making that possible each year by continuing to introduce new competitve health plans for every segment of the market.
UniCare, and it's parent company Wellpoint, is the lasrgest health insurance company in the country. In addition to UniCare WellPoint owns 14 other BCBS affitlates across the country. What that gives them is the largest pool in the country for individual and family health insurance. What that means to you is low initial rates, and industry leading low rates upon renewal.
If you have questions about UniCare HSA's, or any other health plan please give us a call at 800-391-7469.

www.medequote.net

UniCare Sound is an Excellent Texas Student Health Insurance Plan

2006-07-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Texas student's looking for Texas student health insurance plans have been enrolling at a high rate in the UniCare Sound Plan. Parents and students alike have been calling in to sign up for the generous Texas health insurance policy designed for students by UniCare.

UniCare Sound is the perfect health insurance plan for Texas students. The plan provides coverage for Hospital, Surgical, ER, Unlimited Doctor Visits, Prescriptions, Dental and Vision. What get's everyone's attention is the low price per month which ranges between $60 - $114 per month depending on your age, sex, where you live, or are going to school. The price may be low but the coverage isn't compared to so called Texas Student Health Insurance Plans.

Parents like the plan because it provides a lot more coverage than is typically offered with school policies, and the large network gives nation wide coverage while traveling.
Students like the fact that they are covered head to toe and can visit any emergency room. The unlimited $40 copay for doctor visits means that health care is now affordable when they have a problem. The dental plan pays 100% for checkups, and 80% for fillings! The vision provides for an $50 toward your eyes exam and deep discounts on contacts, and eyewear!
The UniCare Sound plan is the hottest thing to enter the Texas Health Insurance market in the last decade! The plan is available in three different deductible, $1500, $3000, and $5000. All are 100% plans with out any coinsurance, and no hassles! Your yearly out of pocket for Hospitilization and Surgery equals your yearly deductible, everything else is first dollar coverage!

The application process is simple, apply online, or over the phone, the whole process takes less than 10 minutes, and a healthy person can be covered right away! Just click above to get a Texas health insurance quote for the UniCare Sound plan. It is the ideal Texas Student Health Insurance Plan.

www.unicaresoundplans.com

UT task force examines health coverage for the uninsured

2006-07-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

A statewide system of regional multi-county health districts that offers Texas' uninsured residents access to adequate levels of health care should replace the current county-based system, according to a report issued today by a health-care task force."Twenty-five percent of the population of Texas is without health insurance – that's more than 10 percent higher than the national average of 15.7 percent," said Neal Lane, chair of the Task Force on Access to Health Care in Texas: Challenges of the Uninsured and Underinsured. In 2004, 5.6 million non-elderly people living in Texas were without health insurance. In some parts of the state, including Harris County, the percentage of the population without health insurance exceeds 30 percent or more."If we don't address this critical situation soon, the health problems of Texas' rapidly growing population are likely to be even more devastating to the state economically, educationally, culturally and socially," said Lane, senior fellow in science and technology at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. "The significant economic impact already is being felt by individuals and businesses burdened with rising health-insurance premiums and out-of-pocket health-care costs."

It is estimated that Texans with health insurance pay over $1,500 annually in their premiums to cross-subsidize care for the uninsured.To study the issues and develop recommendations for how to address the impending crisis, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center, University of North Texas and the six health institutions of the University of Texas System created and funded a task force that also included employees of small and large businesses, health providers, insurers and consumers. The task force is the first broad-based Texas group of its kind whose membership was not determined by governmental or political considerations. The report was subject to outside peer review, but the sponsoring institutions had no control over its content.The task force will present its findings and recommendations at 6:00 p.m. (April 17) during a public forum at Rice University's Baker Institute. Their report, "Code Red: The Critical Condition of Health Care in Texas," is available online at www.medequote.net.

Health insurance in Texas is usually obtained through employment, individual purchase or a publicly sponsored plan such as Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Plan. Some people may be uninsured over the entire year, but others move in and out of uninsured status when they change jobs or their eligibility for a public plan changes. Seventy-nine percent of uninsured adults in Texas are part of the workforce or have one or more family members in the workforce. For a family of four at the federal poverty level in 2004 ($18,100 a year), the average cost of private health insurance ($9,100) was about half their income. “The majority of the uninsured simply cannot afford health insurance,” said Jack Stobo, vice chair of the task force and president of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston."In 2004 the University of Texas health institutions provided over $1.4 billion in uncompensated care as a direct result of the large number of uninsured patients whom they treat,” said Kenneth I. Shine, MD, executive vice chancellor for health affairs for the UT System. "Programs that would significantly reduce the number and the impact of patients without health insurance would be of enormous help to the UT health institutions and the other health providers in the State. The recommendations of the task force include a number of measures to increase resources and to improve the efficiencies of how these are used, that can improve health care for all Texans, including those with insurance."The task force found that uninsured individuals commonly go from one health care institution to another, often via the emergency room, where care is costlier. Significant numbers of laboratory tests, X-rays and other expensive medical procedures are often unnecessarily repeated at each visit. In the absence of coordinated care, medical problems are left untreated until they progress to a more advanced stage and impaired health, which warrants costlier intervention. The lack of health education and preventive medicine means that conditions such as hypertension and diabetes are not prevented and instead progress to complex diseases requiring expensive treatment.The task force noted that an unhealthy, poorly educated workforce results in lower productivity and reduces the vitality of the state's economy. Hospitals and emergency rooms that are feeling the increasing burden of providing care for the uninsured may find they can no longer exist as financially viable institutions.Among the task force's recommendations to address these developments:
Texas should adopt a principle that all individuals living in Texas should have access to effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered and equitable health care.
Texas should authorize and encourage efforts to move indigent health care from a county-based model to a system-based on regional multi-county health districts.
Since indigency in Texas is currently defined as people living at 21 percent or less of the federal poverty limit (under $1,700 a year for a single adult), the statewide federal poverty level should be increased to 100 percent from 21 for indigent care responsibility in Texas counties.
A minimum 8 percent of general revenue tax levy on county expenditures should be mandated for indigent health-care services.

Texas should redouble its efforts to aggressively pursue Medicaid and other federal reimbursement programs for which a state investment will result in substantial federal matching and supplementary reimbursements.

The state should develop and adopt tax policies and initiatives that encourage and enable employers, especially small businesses, to provide health insurance to their workers.
Texas should assess a quality assurance fee of 3 percent on revenue of all hospitals and freestanding surgery centers to obtain a federal match to enhance overall finances for provider reimbursement and enhancement of the quality and efficiency of health care to the uninsured. This would produce about $1.1 billion in state general revenue, and the federal match would provide $1.50 for each state dollar.

Other recommendations of the task force can be found in its online report, which concludes with a call for Texas to take bold steps to address the pervasive problems associated with the lack of health insurance coverage and health-care access in Texas."By increasing access to health care and insurance, improving current health-care delivery models, educating an adequate and diverse health-care workforce and reducing absenteeism in schools and the workplace, Texas will provide for and protect the health of its people and the strength of its economy," the task force wrote.

Health Care Cost's Concern Texas Employers

2006-06-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

A majority of Texas employers are seeing a significant increase in health care costs over the previous year and rank reducing those costs as their top health care priority, according to a recent survey.

Eighty-two percent of Texas employers believe that health care benefits are extremely or very important when it comes to recruiting and retaining employees, the survey found.
Employers are using a variety of strategies to cope with cost pressures, including cutting expenses in other areas of the business, increasing employee co-pays and deductibles, switching health care insurance providers, and trimming benefits, while still bearing the brunt of health care costs, the survey also revealed.

One company more. and more Texas employers are turning to is UniCare. John Berkowitz of www.medequote.net comments, "UniCare has come up some great health plans which fit employers budgets in Texas. The plans have a lot of flexibility so employers can control cost more effectively than with other health plans. The new Pathways program is a good example of this. UniCare also has the lowest renewal rates in Texas, and that is one solid reason for choosing UniCare in Texas.

Information on UniCare plans is available at www.medequote.net, and www.unicaresoundplans.com

UniCare Sound an answer for Texas's 1.4 million uninsured children.

2006-06-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Unicare Sound plan should help put a dent in the nations young uninsured population.
Nationally, there are 11 million children without health insurance. In the state of Texas, there are over 1,400,000 children without health insurance UniCare Sound plans are part of the answer. In Houston, it is estimated that there are approximately 250,000 children who are uninsured. In Texas and in Houston, there is a disproportionate percentage of our children who reside here who are without any form of health insurance, including Medicaid.

Houston's record is not one we can be proud of; however, we've got to view this as an opportunity, because if we can implement Phase II of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) it will cover nearly half of the uninsured in the state and in Harris County. Let's be sure and write the Governor and our legislators and encourage the Texas Legislature to adopt the CHIP program at 200 percent of the federal poverty level so we can insure the highest number of children possible.

UniCare Sound Plans are available at www.unicaresoundplans.com , and www.medequote.net

Texas CHIP adjusts time limits

2006-06-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is adjusting the timelines for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to give families more time to pay the enrollment fee and provide information needed to determine if they still qualify for the program.
“It’s important that we verify a family’s income at each renewal period to make sure they continue to qualify for state services,” said Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins. “Just this month, our case reviews found 8,600 children who now qualify for Medicaid, and another 5,000 who no longer qualify for CHIP because the family’s income is too high.”

Welcome to Texas Health Insurance News

2006-06-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Texas Health Insurance News sponsored by www.Medequote.net. Each day we will be posting new information relating to medical insurance in the state of Texas. The blog is meant to be used as a resource in the search for Texas Health Insurance for Individuals and Families. Feel free to comment and ask us questions concerning Michigan Health Insurance. To communicate with us outside the blog contact us at 800-391-7469 or email me at john@medequote.net.