List Your Gols Below

I received an email from one of the insurance companies that I represent and it was a "Goal Sheet" for 2008. Here were the goals they thought I needed to address for this new year.
1. Finical & Wealth Goals.
2. Career Goals.
3. Free Time Goals.
4. Health & Appearance Goals.
5. Relationship Goals.
6. Personal Development Goals.
7. Community & Charity Goals.

Along side each box was a space for me to write in and that took up about a quarter of the page but the other three quarters of the page was labeled "High Achiever 90-Day Success Focusing System." In that section were 12 boxes labeled for each week and they want me to call, call call and sell, sell, sell and track my success. I thought I was all done with this type of hype. I feel that I need to "sell" to make a living but so much of my leads come from referrals that just like big corporations, this makes me nauseous. So I tore it up and figured that the goals that I need to set for myself have to come from me, not another business source and the people I sell to will be provided, because they always are. If we treat each other like we are suppose to then the universe has a funny way in rewarding us for our effort. This is the year I will write about the things I know and that I want to and so i will be saying good-bye to insurance and hello to my talent!

Have a wonderful New Year, I am preparing for the new year and came across a great quote. I will share it with you; Desire without action gives us freedom only when we dream. I'm tired of sleeping.

Getting the Beat on Individual Health Insurance

If you work for yourself, retire before Medicare kicks in, or don’t have health insurance through your job, finding individual coverage that you can afford depends as much on the state that you live in as the state of your health.

It often comes as a rude awakening to look for insurance on your own, especially if you’ve been spoiled by years of relatively carefree coverage through your employer.

**this is the article that you can access at the website http://www.dailyherald.com/.**

It was featured on Monday, December 24th,2007 in the Health & Fitness section. I read it twice only because I liked what it said and found it to be generally honest about the health care options that individuals have in our present time. Remember, you have to be the driving force in protecting yourself in regards to your health. Read and learn, I did.

Back and Standing Upright!

Good tidings...I am back and sitting upright. Oh what a week it has been for me. On Monday I decided that I was going to increase my exercise and began to ride my son’s stationary reclining bike. What a mistake that was. I rode the bike for only 20 minutes and then did the "walk away the pound's" tape for 30 minutes. I felt great! I went through my day like a superwoman. Then the next morning I was up and about and all of a sudden I went to take a step and I could not walk. I had reinjured the disc that I had surgery on it and was really frozen in my spot. After many many tears I got myself (with my wonderful husband Dan's help of course) to Dr. Chen in Lombard, Illinois. He is the acupuncturist who has been helping me. Once he saw me he looked puzzled and asked "What you do?" All I did was cry. After three treatments I am up and walking and yes, using my cane but I went to work for the first time since last Monday. This has cost me about $240.00 so far and insurance (if I had it) doesn't cover this...so once again I learn that out of pocket means out of money. Not only am I limited on my activities but this puts a damper on the much awaited Christmas shopping. Oh well, I guess my friends and family will just be getting a lot of "me" this year as a gift. Ho>Ho>Ho>>>Peace, Margie

The Elusive MIB ( does not stand for men in black)

Under federal law consumers are entitled to one free disclosure every 12 months. Using the identification information provided as a part of your request to MIB, we have made a thorough search of our records on November 13,2007 and cannot find any information under the following name/names: Margaret E Mack

For your information, an MIB record is created only if the following conditions exists:
1. an application for life, health, or disability insurance was submitted within the past seven years;and
2. the insurance company's underwriting investigation showed condition(s) which could affect health or longevity.

Sincerely,
Sue Corey,Director
MIB Customer Services

Now I had just applied for insurance through AARP's actual insurance plan and was denied so they should have something on me...makes me wonder just what kind of MIB the insurance companies are using, right?

Peace,
Margie

Follow Up On Tests Needed

I said I would let you know on the progress I was making for the tests that my husband needed for his heart follow-up. Well, the two tests together is a cool $3000.00 and they want half up front and then healthy monthly payments. That cannot be done fro us so I went on Alexian Brothers website and I sent an email to finical aid and I am going to see what kind of assistance there can be for us. Here is the email that I sent.

Hello, my name is Margie Mack and my husband Daniel is a patient of Dr. Reddy. Dan had a heart attack in 1999 and then had to have heart angioplasty with a stint put int. We had just lost our insurance so we ended up loosing almost everything and filing bankruptcy. So, we have managed his health care as best as we can but no insurance company will cover him because of his heart attack. Now Dan needs to have a followup Stress Echocardiogram and also a Carotid Duplex. I contacted the hospital for prices and was told that the Stress test would cost $1300.00 and the Carotid test would be $1612.00. I was offered to pay have and then pay the balance over time but I do not have that amount of money to do this for my husband. I need help and I need to know if there is a program that will assist us in his quest to make sure his heart is OK. He is important to me and I do not want anything to happen to him. I appreciate all you can tell me on what to do. He is retired but cannot get Medicare yet and doesn't qualify for Medicare because I work, even though I do not make that much it is too much so he was denied.
-- Peace,
Margie Mack
630-973-8185
website:http://margaretmack.mymedicalqoutes.com
Website: www.bellytobelly-margie.blogspot.com

Compassion, Dignity, Care of the Poor, Holism, Partnership

Family Health History Risk Assessment
Free Initiative that provides fast screening recommendations for patients and their physicians including:
Personal medical and family health history — pedigree construction and risk assessment
Sleep apnea screening
Nutrition screening
Depression screening
Personalized age- and gender-specific screening recommendations
Women's Health Risk AssessmentTake the Online Women's Health Risk Assessment for FREE
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Take the Women's Health Risk Assessment for FREE
Men's Health Risk Assessment
Take the Men's Health Risk Assessment for FREE
For additional information you and your patients are invited to contact:Karen Giammicchio, RN BSN, Director of Prevention & Early Detection: 847-385-7300

http://www.alexianwellness.com/

There are programs and Plans out there for all of regardless the walk that we have traveled. With Alexian Brothers they look at the whole person. They are compassionate, they care for the dignity of the person, they care for the poor, they allow holism regardless of what form you choose and they partner with other business leaders and individuals in the community all over the country to help us who do not have the resources for the insurance coverage that you so desperately need.

Look towards giving to an organization of your choice that can better a life, no matter how small. These are things we all desire, after all we are our brothers keeper...Peace, Margie

Heart To Heart Follow Up

This is what we received from the Larry King Foundation:

Dear Margie,
Thank you for taking the time to contact The Larry King Cardiac Foundation on behalf of your husband and for sharing his story with us. Our Foundation provides life saving cardiac procedures for those who do not have insurance or the financial means to pay, as well individuals we help do not qualify for state or federal funding. I hope this clarifies our support efforts. At this time, our foundation is not set up to handle screening or tests of possible patients. I suggest you look into one of the state or federal programs to see if he qualifies. A social worker at your local hospital may have more information too. There are also free clinics that can give him support if he qualifies.We have two financial assistance programs for prescription drugs listed on our website. I have provided the link below and hope you find this information helpful. http://www.lkcf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=what_patientresources.We wish you and your family the best.
Sincerely,
JeanJean Mulvihill Assistant to Larry King, Jr., President Larry King Cardiac Foundationjean.mulvihill@lkcf.orgSign up for the Quaker Oats Challenge at www.lkcf.organd $1 goes to The Larry King Cardiac Foundation.Help us Save A Heart A Day!

So, he cannot get the help from them and we do not qualify for any state programs so the visit we had today with the heart doctor as well as the future tests we have to do is going to be a self-pay plan. That is what happens when you do not protect yourself. Please what ever you do, do not go without insurance!

Peace,
Margie Mack

Get Informed!

When I got home this evening the local newspaper was waiting for me on the table. I decided to glance through it to see if there was anything of interest regarding health care. On page 27 of the front piece was a full page add that said "Get Scanned" with a picture of a ribcage and then the words "Get Informed" with a picture of a heart and then the words "Take Charge" with a picture of the arteries that run in our body.

The company is called "Cardio-MEd." They are based out of Arlington Heights, Illinois and their number is 847-758-1230 with a web address of www.cardiomedltd.com.

For the under insured they offer a complete physical for $195.00, a mammogram for $135.00, a heart scan for $365.00, a lung scan for $365.00, a heart & lung scan for $635.00, a full body scan for $765.00, a stroke scan for $600.00 and a virtual colonography for $785.00! WOW!

This is about the cost of a flat screen television set. It is the gift that keeps on giving. I was on their site and it is clean and easy and has no frills to it. You either want to know so that you are in control or you don't. For those of us who are under insured I think it is workable. It may take some saving on our part but in the long run, this is our life we better be in control of it.

Peace,
Margie

Heart To Heart

As I have mentioned before, my husband and I have no health insurance. So, it has been two years since he has had any tests done for his heart and with a person that has had a heart attack that is just plain stupid. So I called out cardiologist’s office to make sure that I know what they will charge us for the doctor’s visit for my husband. Without insurance the cost is $50.00 to $300.00. I was really unhappy with that answer and his billing office couldn't help me anymore with this so I called Dr. Reddy directly. I was put in touch with his nurse to explain our situation and after that we will have to schedule Dan for a stress test. I wanted to get some idea of cost so for Dan to do this test in the doctor’s office the cost is $283.00 and for the test to be done in the hospital I was not able to obtain an actual price for this. I heard about the program that Larry King created called the “Larry king Cardiac Foundation," and figured it wouldn't hurt to look them up and see what was offered.

The mission of the Larry King Cardiac Foundation is to provide funding for life saving cardiac procedures for individuals who, due to limited means and no insurance, would be otherwise unable to receive life saving treatment. The website address is;
http://www.lkcf.org/site/PageServer.

Wow! I couldn't’t believe that this was even an option. I read through the stories and I saw all the options that there were and I filled out an application for my husband because he has just as much of a chance to get some help if there is help available right? So I will wait and see and I know that there are people out there that are willing to help you if only you seek. What is that saying? “Seek and you shall find?”

As for our doctors visit that is on Monday,December 3rd I will keep you posted. It is a harsh reality to be treated the way you are when you do not have the proper health coverage verses not having any at all.



Peace,

Margie

Outreach For Illinois

Register Today for Governors Blagojevich's Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program Training Tour Learn about the expanded IBCCP as well as the recently expanded FamilyCare program that will provide health insurance coverage for an additional 147,000 parents in Illinois. We will discuss these and other healthcare programs that are available for your community - together we can keep Illinois healthy! Come learn about: Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program now provides breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment to all uninsured women in Illinois. FamilyCare has been expanded to include parents with an annual income of up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. That is equal to an annual income of $82,500 for a family of four. All Kids is the first program in the nation to provide access to comprehensive, affordable healthcare to every uninsured child. All Kids Bridge is expanding healthcare coverage for children in All Kids with certain pre-existing conditions who become too old for AllKids. Illinois Cares Rx provides Rx coverage for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities and fills the gaps of the Medicare Prescription Drug program. Veterans Care provides access to comprehensive, affordable healthcare for uninsured Illinois veterans who have the least access to reliable healthcare. And many other healthcare programs that the state offers. To RSVP: 1. Go to www.cancerscreening.illinois.gov and click on "RSVP"2. E-mail the information below to liz.lostracco@illinois.gov Healthcare and Family Services

A Thank-You Letter

Dear Mr. Hayes,
My name is Ellen Bachman and I am writing you in regards to Margie mack. We have been so pleased with the service she has provided for us. My husband had a accident this summer and our insurance only paid a small portion. I sent all my EOB's and bills to Margie. Because of her knowledge and expertise in the insurance field we were reimbursed for everything but $100.0. We have never met anyone so honest, caring and willing. We still can't believe this. I trust her as I wold my own family member. In these days people like her are hard to find. You have a real gem and I'm sure you already know this but I wanted to tell you again. Have a great Holiday season.

Sincerely,
Eric & Ellen Bachman

The Christmas Deer

The Christmas Deer

It was almost Christmas in Colby’s Point. The tree’s had lost the array of colored red, green and gold leaves. The forest was bare except for the full nests that the busy squirrels had built before the cold weather was to come. Our little pink house was nestled at the end of a dirt road. It was a small vacation town called Colby’s Point. Some of the homes were only inhabited during the summer months and then there were a few brave souls who decided to make this little dirt row of homes their permanent place to dwell. We were a family which consisted of my Grandma Cleo and my Grandpa Bill, my dog Tinkerbell and me, Margie. What was mysterious about this place is that the animals that were subject to this area all seemed to trust my Grandpa. They would venture onto our yard at various times in search of food or in search of help or sometimes just curious on what breed of animal lived in a pink box? Living in Colby’s Point that nestled onto the green banks of the Fox River was endless with its beauty and experiences.
At this particular Christmas I was just turning eight years old and I really was careful when I did go out into the woods because we had hunters that would come and drift close to our land. Another reason I didn’t venture into the woods was because Mr. Greer had a numbering pheasant farm and this was his busy time of the year.
I didn’t understand the concept of hunting. I felt like every single living thing in that area belonged to me and that I was going to be like Grandpa, a keeper of the wild animals. I was in the backyard and working feverishly to find the hidden acorns that had fallen to the ground and now were covered with an inch of snow. If I had enough acorns then I could fill the pretty glass jar that I had saved from our grape jelly and tie a red ribbon around it and give it to my grandma for Christmas because she loved to have grandpa bake the acorns that would then pop in the heat and we would devour them like drops of gold. All of a sudden there was a shot. Tinkerbell yelped as she ran frantically into the garage and made sure he immediately called for me to come into the house. I ran as fast as I could home leaving all my gathered acorns scattered across the snow. Once I was safe inside Grandma and I looked out the back window as Grandpa spotted a young buck stumbling across the cornfield into our back yard. Grandpa ran back into the house and told us, “That young buck, he’s a shot. Cleo, where’s the vegetables that you cut up for dinner? I need them now!” Grandma wheeled herself into the kitchen and pulled open the ice box and there sat in her best yellow bowl with the white trim along the top our dinner vegetables that were going to be put in her roast that night. Grandpa proceeded to strip down to just his shorts and took all the apples, carrots and potatoes and sliced them in halves to get at their juice.

Grandpa just at that moment did the strangest thing; he rubbed all those vegetables all over his body. Hands, arms, chest and legs and then he took a fresh handkerchief that grandma had just pressed and dipped it in the water as to hide our scent.
This was amazing to watch. Grandpa walked out into the cold and right up to the young deer. The buck was in shock so he didn’t run or even blink. Grandpa touched him and he made a cooing sound that came from the back of this throat to sooth the deer. He then covered up his eyes with the handkerchief and led him right into our garage. He must have been in there for about 30 minutes and when he came in he was shivering so badly that his false teeth just about came loose from his mouth. Grandma was fit to be tied. “What’s wrong with you Bill Mauer? Don’t you know you will catch your death of cold? No one has been able to help a deer that’s been shot in the wild, why are you doing this? You should just put the poor thing out of his misery.” “Listen, he was just grazed across his chest, didn’t even break the muscle just scraped him and he is in shock. He will be aright, he needs a few days of quiet and warm and food, so lets try this and I promise that if it don’t work, I ‘ll do just that. In the mean time, I need all of you to keep you voices down, and we need to walk quietly in the house and that goes for you to Tinkerbell,” he said as he pointed to my little toy fox terrier pup.
So, for the next three days, and believe me these were the longest three days of my life, Tinkerbell and I played as quiet as possible. Everyday he would routinely strip down to his under shorts, cover himself with the smell of the apples and other vegetables and he would take out the mercurochrome and small cotton balls and he would work on that deer. I read more books then usual and painted with Grandma and at night instead of television Grandpa would tell us stories of growing up in the wildness of Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Grandpa told me stories of the people that he knew and the Native American Indians that were still living close to him. It was really a wonderful time that we spent in those three days because within the stories told were great messages of heroism and faith. Grandpa had the kind of faith that could move mountains. If he believed in it then it would be and that was the plain and simple rule that he lived by.
It was the third morning maybe around five in the morning and there was a loud banging that started from the garage. It was the deer and he wanted out. Grandpa jumped from his bed and ran into the garage. Grandma was still in bed so she yelled at me “I can’t watch but look out the front window and see if you can see the deer running free. Oh, I wish I was up!” Tinkerbell and I sat motionless and all of a sudden the garage door flew up and the young buck ran out of the garage and stopped in our front yard as to get his bearing. He sniffed the air, looked around and licked his wound.

Turning he looked eye to eye with Grandpa and then in a split second he was gone. Bounding across our lawn and past Aunt Matlia’s house I shouted out the details to Grandma. When Grandpa came in to the house we got settled in for breakfast. Our prayer that morning was one of thankfulness because our Lord worked through Grandpa’s hands so that this deer could be saved and live on.
Life settled down and seasons changed. Spring burst into this small world of mine on Colby’s Point and the wildflowers that came from the April rain kept me throughout summer along with warm waves of swimming in the Fox River. I thought that I would see the deer that grandpa saved but never did that summer and soon fall came and before long it was Christmas once again. My three Aunts that stayed in Colby’s Point for only the warm seasons had left the week before and this morning grandpa and I were going to go across the street to their house and winterize it. You know, cover the pipes, turn down the heat and lock up the house until they would return once again in the spring.
It could be lonely at the end of the road but there always seemed to be magic in the air out there. This particular morning Grandma had been up early because she was cutting up the vegetables for our Christmas dinner that she would be making later on in the day.
I was in a deep sleep and I was dreaming that I was fishing and that a fish was pulling on my big tow only to be awoken to Grandpa doing just that. “Hey, Margie, wake up I have something to show you. Get up real quiet and come out into the liven room and look out the front window, your Grandma’s waiting for you.” Rubbing my eyes I slowly crawled put of bed and walked up to the big red chair that backed up to our front window. Grandma was already there and Tinkerbell was standing on the top of the chair in her favorite place but she was shivering with excitement but not making a sound. Grandpa was already in his shorts and Grandma was muttering under her breath that he was going to catch his death from the cold. I looked and on the small slope that joined our home with my Aunt Matila’s home there stood a huge buck, his doe and two small fawns. They were all nosing around the grass looking for morsels to eat.
Grandpa came towards them with an apple in his hands and held still. The doe and her young were startled and ran to the edge of the lawn where they stopped and turned and watched as the buck came towards grandpa, bowing his head and allowing Grandpa to run his hand over the scar that was there left from the bullet wound he had received the Christmas before. This was Grandpa’s deer!

He came back to show Grandpa that he was okay and that because of Grandpas kindness he had the chance to live on and had a family of his own. He bent his head way down and Grandpa reached up and a piece of the antler covering came off in his hands. It was a gift from him to Grandpa, a giving back of thankfulness. They stood close together I imagine only for a minute or two but it sure seemed to go on for hours. Time stood still as we, just the humans of the house witnessed a bonding of two beings that walked along this earth with beautiful souls.
The buck moved back and his family anxiously started to move down the yard and into the forest. Grandpa came back in all excited. “Did you see that Cleo? Did you? That was my deer, he made it and…and… achoo!” “What did I tell you being a fool out here in your skivvies? Get in the kitchen and have some of that Jack Daniels that you have been saving for something special.” My Grandparents were so busy recounting the events for that morning and Tinkerbell, well; she began to bark right along with their talking just to add her two cents.
As for me, I promised myself that I would never forget the time I saw the magical moment between Grandpa and his Christmas deer. When I do think of this story and tell my loved ones it is meant to remind my self and my family what Christmas is all about; love, compassion, faith, charity and hope. After all, just like Grandpa always said, “We’re all our brothers’ keeper.”

Peace to You,
Margie

The Lost Month

Well, it has been a little over a month since I have written. I had caught the cough, sniffling, sneezing,fever,runny nose and plugged up ears plague . I thought I could escape it but nope it did catch me! Also during that time I passed a kidney stone, then had the stomach flu and to make it a stellar month my bridge fell out...what a month. I survived with only 3 trips to the local emergency room and with no health insurance this was just the Christmas debt I wasn't looking for. Oh I can go on and whine and cry but it doesn't change a thing does it? You must have health insurance to help at least defer some of the cost of keeping yourself alive. During this time of illness I did manage to stay off my Jenny Craig diet and I got ten pounds back! Yippee! So, as I read my AARP Bulletin, which young and old alike should read because it effects you when you are a senior and it is going to effect you when you loose your youth, and learn it from me, everyone does. Things I am thankful for? 1. My life, I am here and making a difference for others who have the ability to have health coverage. 2. My family, for everyday I reminded by their smiling faces, and or their tears on why I fight to be here, to love them and to protect them. 3. The world, because it will never,ever end. It is not going to blow itself up, or evaporate, or heat up until we cannot walk on it. I do not believe that this will happen to us because Mother Earth, well she has survived every kind of Cancer and the treatments that we have inflicted upon her, right? So here is to us, I am thankful for you, what are you thankful for? Peace, Margie

THE SAFE WAY

So you think that you’re safe? Life has a tendency on curing the road when you least expect it. There a few things you need to do in order to keep yourself from harm.
1. Design a Will: at the very minimum you need to have some sort of will in place to protect the family that you leave behind. If you have children you need to appoint a guardian. You also need to outline how you want to spilt up your assets and who you want to do it and also name a co-executor so that you have a backup in case one cannot fulfill their duty. If you have an estate that is $2 million or less then you can write it yourself buy using the off the shelf software like Quickens Will Maker Plus. If you should have more than that and is complicated then you may spend about $1000 on a lawyer. But whatever the cost, you will die with some peace of mind knowing that your family is protected.
2. Buy Some Life Insurance: The simplest is the best. Term insurance gives you the biggest death benefit for your premium. Just decide how long it is for and how much it is for. You should really try to buy life insurance approximately five times your annual salary. Remember, the more children you have, the more debt you will carry and that will give you an idea on how long your family will need help for. Be sure to email me and I can get you some details on the safe and reputable companies there are available.
3. Put Money Away For a Rainy Day; Try to put away at least three to four months of living expenses needed in case you go through a rough patch without having to borrow or take any money out of your retirement savings. As crazy as it seems please keep it at easy access so that you do not have any penalties for using the money, so really the best place to put it is into a money market fund.
I hope this gives you some idea on what to do to walk in the safe way. I have a will and life insurance. My savings is gone so I am going to do just what I told you all to do. After all, it is better to be safe then broke, right? Peace, Margie

T'is The Season

Well, that was to be expected. I woke up the other day, lets see Sunday and my husband(who never gets sick)(even though he has had a heart attack) started to tell me how lousy he felt. This proceeded throughout the day of him feeling like a punk with pink cheeks. Not good on a 63 year old man. By Monday he really had a bad case of the runny nose, itchy eyes, congested chest and fever and chills flu. Poor guy, I wanted to take of him but I kept my distance.
By Wednesday at 3:30am I awoke to the stuffy nose but hey I cannot swallow attack. I mean I could not swallow, so I convinced my husband to go to the emergency room. That's right, without insurance. Oh we have AARP as supplement to help with some of the medical cost but he was still sick and I felt like a dog that had just been shaved.
When we got to the emergency room it was empty so we got in and got out. He has a slight case of pneumonia and I have the dreaded viral infection that they can not give me anything for. Rats! On top of that the emergency room doctor did ask me when I had my tonsils out and I said "never" and she said, funny they are gone.
On or way home we stopped at Dunkin Donuts (we deserve it, right?) and after that treat we limped upstairs into bed only to be hit with morning insomnia. Why am I writing this to you? Because I thought about all the other million of you out there with no insurance like me and want to tell you that we have to make choices. It is peace of mind and you can make payments. In fact I love the payment plan.
I am not the hypochondriac that I was when I had health insurance. No sir! It takes me feeling pretty bad to go to the doctor and my husband fights going to a doctor like the fat man fights donuts. If you do not have health insurance you can approach your doctor or hospital and tell
them you do not have coverage. They will bill you at a discounted price. In fact to see my doctor with insurance the walk in office doctor price is $110.00 to sit in the chair and without it is $50.00 What will $50.00 get you? About 12 drinks at Starbucks. So with the flu season looming ahead don't worry, this the season that keeps on giving and giving, hack, sneeze, cough and blow!

What's The Big Deal

I just have to vent about this. What's the big deal about doctor office co-pays? People act like they are gold! Do you know that on average you will pay an additional $100.00 to $150.00 a month more for these little gems? Here is an example of a plan that I did for a family of four;
The Plan
Deductible: $5000.00
Rate: 50/50
Co-insurance: $5000.00
Total out of pocket for the family for USUAL & CUSTOMARY THINGS: $20,000.00
Dr. Visit Co-pay: $35.00 unlimited for all family members
RX: a 0 deductible for all generic drugs with a co-pay of $15.00 & then a $500.00 deductible to be met for brand name drugs & then a co-pay of $25.00
Lifetime Max: $8 million
Rate Increase: frozen for 24 months
Accident & Critical Illness Coverage: $10,000.00 per person per accident with a $100.00 filing fee (no limit on this ) & $10,000.00 for you and your spouse per critical illness with no filing fee. So, if you should have a heart attack, a stroke, cancer, kidney failure, etc, then you are safe! This means you have a basic zero out of pocket.
Premium: $785.62 per month or $2356.87 per quarter.

Now, the same plan minus the doctor's visits would be $604.00 a month or $1812.00 a quarter. That is a savings of $2172.00 a year! So I asked this client if they were spending $2172.00 a year in doctors visits? "Of course not he bellowed." "But I want those doctor office co-pays and if you can't give them to me then I will go to someone who can." So, after much deliberation I said good-bye because this is throwing good money after bad and thinking that you need this and knowing what you really need are two different white elephants. If you have to go to the doctor that many times then you better take a look at your lifestyle and the medications that you are on. There are always alternatives. Peace, Margie

Cut the fat, or cut the benfits

So, you have worked for a big company and wham! Your benefits are cut. Companies big and small are doing it all over our country. The larger companies do it to save money and the smaller companies do it to stay alive. With soaring health costs and and companies not offering the pensions, this is taking its toll on companies of all sizes. A third of companies with 200 or more employees do offer retiree health benefits. The smaller company's just can't keep up. If you go to the AARP website you can even see the list of the company's out there that do offer the benefit's we all desire. What does this mean to you? It means it is time to cut your benefit's yourself. You need to downsize. Where everything else in this world is offered to us at super size this needs to get smaller. Why? Because all you need your health insurance for is to cover you for the big things in life, you know, accidents, or critical illnesses. If you want to have a physical, make a deal with your family Doctor. I did, I made him banana bread and he gave me a discount on the wellness check up. Let you health care team know that you do not have this type of coverage and then you will see a drop in the costs. Go to your local health food store for your blood work. My husband I go to "Fruitful Yield" in Bloomingdale, Illinois and we had a $300.00 blood test for approximately $54.00 each! It is time people...you do not need the unlimited doctor visits with the low co-pay(you don't want to go there anyway with all the viruses that there are at the doctors office) or the drug card that allows you to pay $15.00 for your generic medication when you can go to Walmart or Target and pay $4.00...or the wellness physical that has a limit on what you can have done when you can get a complete physical for about $100.00 if you are willing to take a deep breath and say, "no more high paying premiums for coverage that I don't need" and just cut the fat!

Blogger Buzz: Environmental Blog Roundup

Blogger Buzz: Environmental Blog Roundup

Seeing The Burning Bush

Well, guess where I went today? I went to Assurant Health. Since I work for the "MGA's" office (which stands for management agency) I had to pick up the statements for our office. I live in Illinois and Assurant is in Wisconsin and it was an 80 mile trip. No biggie. My husband and I drove there together and it was a pleasant ride. But once in Milwaukee I couldn't find the building at first. All of a sudden it was there, big and white with the sun shinning on the building, it looked like a burning bush. I went in and spoke to the security guards desk in hushed tones, had to show my ID and then sign in, date and time my arrival as they looked at me with their small squinting eyes and whispered on the phone that I was to "see" someone. All of a sudden Mary showed up and it was like I was accepted into a new club. I was whisked upstairs to the second floor, laughed with the reps in the elevator, and then awarded with the guarded payroll and commission statements. I was even allowed to leave on my own. I searched the faces passing by me and wondered who was who because I called there everyday and spoke to so many that I felt like a spy who had infiltrated the enemy's camp. As I went to leave I heard a man clearing his throat as he pointed to the sign-in and sign-out book. Looking forgetful I rushed back and signed out and waved and smiled but they simply stared at me. In fact I said good-bye to everyone that was walking into the building in hopes one of them would say "I know your voice, you're Margie Mack!" But, no luck and we were soon on our way back from the holiest of all holy places, the insurance company. Oh, well, such is life, peace, Margie

Your Neighbor's Keeper

This is not about health insurance. Well in a way it is because while I was speaking to my neighbor about their health insurance (I do this a lot) some trash blew across my foot and when I bent down to pick it up she stopped me. "Why are you doing that? Someone else will get it, you don't have to bother." "But I live here and I always pick up the stuff that blows my way, why don't you?" Now my neighbor who I have known for about 25 years stood and stared at me before replying "Nope, I don't." She turned and walked away and has been mad at me ever since. I don't get it. You own a home, or a town home, or live in an apartment and some garbage or paper blows your way you pick it up right? So, now I have organized "Your Neighbor's Keeper" weekly newspaper and I am putting it on every door of our town homes on my block (52 of them to be exact) and it will be about picking up the garbage, being responsible for their yards, watching out for our environment and making sure that everyone, whether they understand it or not is recycling. So that is what I can do to help the environment in my neighborhood. Next week is clean the retention pond day on October 15th. After all we are the keeper’s of the environment, aren't we? Peace, Margie

Table Of Contents

Here are the chapters that will be available in my new book "Belly TO Belly."
1. Wake-up To Reality
2. The Rules
3. What you want
4. What you need
5. What you'll get
6. Who's your agent
7. Hide and Seek
8. Company's ratings
9. Choices
10. Belly To Belly

Feeling Over Loaded

Today was a good day. I was actually able to help people. I made sure that three of my clients were able to utilize the wonderful benefit that Assurant health offers to them on their health insurance policy. I took the time to fill out the form for them and send it on to Assurant health. Because of an accident that each one of my clients suffered, they actually have an insurance company that pays them for their accident. Isn't that remarkable? Come on ask me how they can do it, I dare you....Margie

Bush vetoes health bill

In the Chicago Tribune I found this article. It was very small and out of the way.

"BUSH VETOES HEALTH BILL" President Bush vetoed a popular bill to expand federally funded children's health insurance-despite facing significant resistance from within his own party. The State Children's health Insurance Program would offer health insurance for children of families with incomes of up to three times the federal poverty level. Many Republicans worry Bush's stand could affect the 2008 elections of Democrats successfully portray the GOP as indifferent to children's health. What’s next? Some GOP House members are trying to find the votes to override the veto; the bill passed with a veto-proof majority in the Senate.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Wow, have I had a time today explaining the health insurance policy's that clients have purchased from other agents here in our office. What they think they have and what they actually have are two differant things. Listen up people, you need to know and understand completely what you have verses what you think you have. ASK QUESTIONS. Please, if nothing else ask and ask again until you understand it. Do not worry that you are taking up too much time of the agent, afterall he gets paid and makes money off of the premium that you pay.Jeez...people open your mouths because if you don't you might as well put you foot in it.

Later,
Margie

New Information

Hi this is me again. I wanted to add my email address of margie.entrust@gmail.com so that you can actually email me and ask me questions, share your stories, or ideas on how we can work together to change our health insurance crisis in this country. I think that there will be better plans for all of us because the insurance companies do not have a choice anymore then to actually look deep within their own structure and change. Tell me what you would like to see in your health care, in fact what makes the "perfect" health care policy? Once I get enough from you guys then I will post them here for all to read.

Peace,
Margie

This Is Me!

The Truth & Nothing But The Truth About Your Health Insurance

Well, you have done it. You went and bought some health insurance. You feel safe, secure and ready for anything that life sends your way, right? Accidents, the flu, even critical illness such as a hearth attack or cancer, these unfortunately are part of our everyday lives. It could be our friends or our family members or the unthinkable, us...but whatever the outcome health insurance will save the day.

That is a dangerous statement. Unless you know you health insurance policy completely, you are in the dark about the exclusions, eliminations and the pre-existing conditions that could limit you health insurance coverage.

On this blog I hope to enlighten this necessary path we all must walk. I will share true life examples of my clients dealings first hand with their insurance coverage and I will try to answer any questions that you may have and if I cannot answer them I will point you in the right direction.

My husband and I do not have health insurance, we do not qualify. How ironic? I am an insurance agent who cannot get insurance. The grass is not greener over here. But the grass you walk in has hidden crap in it. Don't worry, together we will figure it out, right?

Peace,
Margie Mack