Register for Raising Women’s Voices National Conference in Boston

“HEAR US NOW!
RAISING WOMEN’S VOICES FOR THE HEALTH CARE WE NEED!

Thursday & Friday, April 17 and 18, 2008
Hosted by: Simmons College
Boston, Massachusetts

Featured Keynote Speakers
Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Former Surgeon General
Miriam Yeung, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
Byllye Avery, Avery Institute for Social Change, Black Women’s Health Imperative

Join us and more than 300 other activists, mothers, daughters, sisters, caretakers, consumers and community leaders for this national conference to learn and strategize about how we can get quality, affordable health care for all. Together we will discuss and plan for health care reform that will meet the needs of women and families.

This conference will launch a network of trained and outspoken women who are mobilized to work for a health care system that:

• Includes comprehensive reproductive health services
• Meets the needs of diverse women and our families
• Bridges the inexcusable gaps in services and care that we face in the current system
• Provides quality health care that is affordable and accessible for women and our families across the life-span.

To get the health care debate to reflect women’s issues and concerns, we must join the conversation!

REGISTER by March 12 FOR EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION RATES!
Questions? 866-210-3114

Part II of III: Shopping for Individual Health Insurance — How to shop for an individual health insurance carrier

Did you consider whether or not you qualify for public programs?

Medicaid is generally for low-income individuals and families with specific health condition(s) or family arrangement. Or Medicare is generally for 65+, some disabled, or all end stage renal disease persons.

In progressive locales, governments may have local health coverage for its residents. In San Francisco, Healthy San Francisco offers basic health needs to all residents by formalizing the fragmented safety net care.

If the aforementioned are not applicable and no insurance is out of the question, then shop for an individual health insurance plan.

Since the individual health insurance market is unregulated, comparison shopping sites like ehealthinsurance.com has not changed much in the last decade.

Part I of III: Shopping for Individual Health Insurance — You are leaving your job and concerned about health insurance coverage

After a company buy-out, my friend decided to take company severance and work as an independent contractor. The freedom and liberty to go as he please comes at a price, one being affordable health insurance.

Before delving into the individual health care market, first read Insure.com’s tips for buying individual health insurance.

Then, consider if these options are viable:

Spousal coverage
If your spouse is employed and has group health insurance, have him or her extend insurance to you.

No spouse, then no consideration. Rarely have I heard of marriages for health insurance, well except for U.S. citizens with Canadian citizens getting a piece of across the border health care. That is not likely to happen if you can not and do not frequent Canada.

COBRA coverage
Within a 63-day period, if your company is required to extend your current health insurance upon your departure, you can pay the full premium to maintain the same coverage. Depending on how lenient your company is, you may forgo the additional 2% administrative cost. In total, you pay up to 100%-102% of the full premium. You can be insured up to 18 continuous months. After that time period, if you are still in the individual health insurance market, then you are back to square one.

In the case of those who have been independent contractors for some time, COBRA coverage does not apply.

Group coverage through associations
Individual health insurance is priced differently from group insurance that one receives through employers, and oftentimes, the pricing can be much higher for the un-savvy shopper. Look for insurance offers from your alumni club or trade organizations, which sometimes, but rarely, have premiums set at group insurance levels.

If none of these apply, then read the next entry on selecting a health insurance plan suitable for you, the independent employee working for the company of one.

Register for Academy Health’s 25th Annual Research Meeting

The creme de le creme health care policy research meeting returns with a big bang, celebrating its quarter century anniversary!

Registration for Academy Health’s 25th Annual Research Meeting (ARM) begins tomorrow, Friday, February 15th. This milestone event will be held at headquarters in Washington, D.C. during June 8-10. Early birds can save $100 prior to April 7th registration.

Not a member? No worries, membership purchase in itself pays for registration and will not cost you a penny more when compared to existing members. Registration fees are tiered by individual, organization affiliate, speaker, fellow, and student. Daily passes are also available.

The preliminary agenda is likely to evolve in the next few months, and quarter century anniversaries are likely to attract a respectable powerhouse of policymakers, researchers, and upcoming movers and shakers.

Plan on arriving/staying a day or two prior to/after the event to meet with interest groups. Meetings announced thus far:

Meeting on Saturday June 7th
Child Health Services
Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues
Public Health Systems Research
State Health Research and Policy

Meeting on Tuesday June 10th
Disability Research

See you there!