Kreidler re: health insurance rates: "I share your frustration"

Our office continues to hear from people unhappy with health insurance rate hikes.

These can be particularly severe when you bump up into the next five-year "age band." Health insurance, which varies dramatically by age, is priced in 5-year groups. In other words, turning from 58 to 59 won't increase your rates more than usual, but turning from 59 to 60 will. These increases -- coming on top of annual rate hikes -- can be a very tough burden on folks who find themselves paying more and more for fewer and fewer benefits.

Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreider has issued an open letter to the state's health insurance consumers. From it:

Many of you have contacted me about your frustration at the rising costs of your health insurance. You’re tired of seeing your premium and out-of-pocket costs increase, at the same time you lose benefits. I don’t blame you for being mad. I share your frustration and take your concerns very seriously.

Kreidler said that his authority remains too limited, and that he'll be asking state lawmakers for more power to protect consumers and new rules to increase transparency, so people can see the details of what actually goes into an insurer's rate request. From the letter:

You deserve to know how your premium dollars are being spent and what's driving the cost increases.

The good news is that relief is coming; the bad news is that in many cases it won't be until 2014. That's when major provisions of the new federal health care reform law take effect, including a health insurance "exchange" where it's easy to comparison-shop, subsidies to help make insurance affordable, and rate caps based on a percentage of salary.

Here's a link to the full text.

Cease and desist order issued to ShieldStar Home Warranty

Washington state’s insurance commissioner on Tuesday ordered a New Jersey home warranty company to stop selling unauthorized service contracts in Washington.

ShieldStar, doing business as ShieldStar Home Warranty and http://www.shieldstar.com/, has sold at least 21 home warranty service contracts in Washington, according to a cease and desist order posted on Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s website.

This is the third cease and desist order that Kreidler has issued against a home warranty company in the past several months. (The other cases were unrelated to this one.)

In ShieldStar’s case, the contracts cover parts and labor necessary to fix major appliances and systems in the consumer’s home. But neither the company nor several affiliated individuals named in the report are registered in Washington as a service contract provider.

The company has been ordered to mail a copy of the Kreidler’s cease-and-desist order to all its customers in Washington and to report all premiums charged for Washington policies.

The company has the right to demand a hearing. The order is effective immediately.

Update: (12/8/2010) If you purchased a ShieldStar Home Warranty, we want you to know that the cease and desist order does not prevent the company from fulfilling the terms of your contract. Your current contract with ShieldStar is valid under its usual terms and conditions.

Similarly, the order does not prevent the company from providing a refund when requested by a Washington consumer.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with this or any other insurance-related matter, please feel free to call our consumer protection staff at (800) 562-6900

Almost 5,500 Ontario doctors using eHealth records: minister - thestar.com http://ping.fm/iGxAy

Perky Posture

Don't be a slouch! Sit or stand tall, confident and strong. Sitting or standing up straight will allow the prana (breath) to flow smoother, providing you with more energy while improving the health of your spine. Practice mindfulness of your posture at all hours of your day, in all situations for a taller, prouder you!

1. Take a break. Most office jobs leaves us sitting at a desk for long periods of time, allowing us to sink into our chairs. Set your computer to ding every hour as a signal to stand up, stretch, roll your neck/shoulders and readjust. Get up to grab a drink of water too, it will help get the blood circulating, give your eyes a rest and rehydrate you.

2. Raise your car's rear-view mirror. Angling your mirror up slightly teaches you to sit up straighter behind the wheel and elsewhere.

3. Move your monitor. Your neck is an extension of your spine so tilting your noggin down or back to see your screen can promote poor posture. Adjust your screen's position at your desk so that you gaze straight ahead. Also, be mindful of your position as you use gadgets such as laptops, iPads, even gadgets such as phones for long periods of time.

4. Stand tall in mountain pose. Practice tadasana (the mountain pose) by balancing your weight equally between both feel and imagine they're rooted to the floor. Visualize the crown of your head being pulled from above and you keep your abs tight. An easy way to bring yourself into a correct posture at any time is to tightening your abs, that will always align your spine correctly.

5. Do kegals. Contract your pelvis as if stopping a flow of urine. Working the pelvic floor and other muscles of the core stimulates muscles along the spine that encourages it to lift and elongate. It also is a great exercise to help prevent incontinence.

A regular yoga practice will help correct your posture. In yoga we work on lengthening the spine, increasing the space between each vertebrate, resulting in a taller, prouder you!

Keep it Fresh!

- Lauren