10 Things to Know for Today

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. GERMANY SUMMONS U.S. AMBASSADOR OVER SPYING ALLEGATIONS

The defense minister says Europe and the U.S. can't return to business as usual after allegations that the chancellor's cellphone was monitored.

2. WEBSITE CONTRACTORS BLAME OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

Executives of the company that built the problem-plagued health insurance online marketplace will testify before a House committee.

$500 a Gallon Gas

A US-funded project to build a hospital in Afghanistan paid $500 a gallon for fuel instead of a market rate of $5, a watchdog said Wednesday in a damning report into overspending and waste.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said that construction of the 100-bed hospital in Gardez, Paktiya province, was 23 months behind schedule.

It accused USAID's implementing partner, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), of "weak internal controls" that led to overpayments of at least $507,000.

"IOM paid the contractor $300,000 for 600 gallons of diesel fuel -- a cost of $500 per gallon. According to IOM officials, the market price in Afghanistan for diesel fuel should not exceed $5.00 per gallon," the SIGAR report said.

How to get dirt cheap, name brand sunglasses through your health insurance.

Just a quick heads up to anyone looking to get Ray-Ban sunglasses or a select few other brands on the cheap. If you have health insurance and/or vision insurance, there is a good chance you have a deductible for frames on your plan that resets every 12 months.

Now, if you are in need of a new pair of eyeglasses with corrective lenses, you should use this towards a new pair of eyeglasses. However, if you have good vision or your current pair of glasses work fine, you can use this deductible towards sunglasses.

I'm single, 32, healthy, and uninsured. My income is high enough that the gov't won't subsidize me, but low enough that it'll be difficult for me to afford health insurance. Here are my thoughts on Obamacare

Essentially, I'm the guy who this bill is forcing into the health insurance market, in order to spread costs from everyone else. It's going to cost me anywhere from $50-150 a month that I can't really afford. Hell, I don't even have internet at home - I'm writing from my gym.

But I support Obamacare, despite all that. Here's why.

The Nobel Prize winning economist John Harsanyi suggested that we consider all policies from behind a Veil of Ignorance. If I didn't know who I was, or my social/economic standing, my insurance status, my health status, my income, my family status, and so forth, would I consider this policy an improvement upon the status quo? I say it is.

• Because it'll help tens of millions of people who were previously considered uninsurable to get access to the health care system.
• It helps parents of children who are born with pre-existing conditions that made them uninsurable.
• It forces health insurance companies to spend more money on care (at least 80% of their premiums), and less money on bureaucracy and marketing. If they don't do it, they have to send out premium rebates.
• It creates marketplaces within which insurance companies have to compete for our insurance dollars. Which is why I feel confident that I can get a fair deal on insurance.
• Finally, and most importantly to me, it gives me the assurance that if I or someone I love buys insurance, then gets gravely ill, the insurance company will no longer be able to rescind my coverage just when I need it.

Insurance Review: Are Your Policies Protecting You at the Right Price?

Having the right insurance policies in place can soften the blows from unexpected events that would otherwise mean financial catastrophe for you and your family. But if you’re like many people, you may not fully understand all the policies you have, let alone whether they’re adequate to meet your needs.

As part of your annual financial checkup, here are some tips to help you assess your current coverage and decide whether you need to make any changes.544

Home Is Where the Risk Is

 Homeowners insurance may protect you financially in the event of everything from natural disasters to household mishaps. But as millions of homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy found out the hard way, standard homeowners insurance doesn’t protect you against every type of danger.

 One of the most common mistakes people make about homeowners insurance is thinking that it covers flood damage. But typical policies specifically exclude flood damage from their coverage. To get flood protection, you have to obtain additional insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program. Similarly, in earthquake-prone areas, you may need to get special earthquake coverage added to your policy, or else it won’t necessarily cover damage from a quake.

Download Bikini Body Workout Program PDF

I have a couple of very important questions for you:

• Have you ever started a workout program and or diet and for some reason just completely stopped?

10 Tips To Improve Your Sleep

Are you tossing and turning at night? Are you waking up at hours you would rather be asleep? You are not alone! Being unable to get your desired amount of sleep can prove to be stressful on your lifestyle. Following the tips below can help you in your quest to improve your quality of sleep, helping you to function more effectively during the day time.

1. Maintain a Consistent Bedtime and Wake Time

Our sleep cycles are regulated by the “circadian clock” in our brains. By maintaining a regular bedtime and wake time (even on weekends when you’re tempted to ‘sleep in’), you will help strengthen the circadian function and help make sure sleep patterns consistent.

72 Million Will Go Without Health Insurance Under Romney’s Health Plan

One of the myriad things presidential contender Mitt Romney has pledged to do on day one of his presidency is to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature health care reform legislation, and replace it with “market drive” reforms. But a new study estimates that the effort would actually increase the number of uninsured Americans to 72 million and increase costs across the board.

Lap Band Weight Loss Surgery Insurance Secrets

When you place your order for “Lap Band Insurance Secrets” you’ll discover secrets like...

• Why one top insurance company executivetold a small group of doctors they don’t pay for weight loss surgery, even though they knowLapBand Surgery works!
• How to use scientific medical references so your insurance company will pay for your weight loss surgery.
• How not to fall for insurance company tricksand not get your authorization for weight loss surgery automatically denied

Download EatSTOPEat - Fast Lose Weight Program

This was cutting edge science being performed on men and women who were losing UNBELIEVABLE amounts of weight while becoming incredibly lean and muscular...

Low Cost Car Insurance Formula

Are You Ready To Get Even With Your Car Insurance Company
For "Legally Stealing" From You For Years?
Great!  Then It's Time To Hop Onboard

Discover the 12 Fast and Simple Formulas you can use to Get Low Cost Car Insurance....

And Slash Your Car Insurance Costs up to 67% For Life....

No Matter What State You Live In....

Your Age....

What Your Driving Record Looks Like....

And Even If You Have Less Than Perfect Credit

Do College Students Need Renters Insurance?

When I went off to college, the last thing my parents or I considered was renters insurance. But since then, I’ve learned the surprising amount of protection these inexpensive policies offer. In this episode I’ll tell you what renters insurance covers and whether students really need it.

What Is Renters Insurance?

If you live in a rented apartment, condo, or house, your landlord’s insurance never covers your personal belongings. That means if something valuable is stolen or a fire destroys everything you own, it’s your responsibility, not your landlord’s.

How to Stop Your House from Leaking Money

Hundreds of dollars are leaking out of your home each year if your house isn’t properly insulated. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to reduce both your power bill and your carbon footprint. Here are a few simple and sustainable steps to keep air in your house and money in your pocket.

Testing for leaks

Before you begin fixing the areas of your home that are leaking air, you’ll need to know where they are. Here are several ways to find them yourself before you resort to calling a contractor.

Hand and candle tests

Beware The Liability Of Sharing Your Car With Strangers

Car sharing, the newest way to rent a car, is catching on in the U.S., Canada and Europe. But both renters and the car owners they rent from may be taking on risks they don’t fully understand.

At least one fatal accident involving car sharing has already occurred, resulting in litigation over financial responsibility. In February 2012, the 24-year-old driver of a car rented from one of the so-called peer-to-peer rental companies caused an accident in Boston, injuring four other parties. The driver died in the crash.

5 Insurance Policies You Don't Need

You can buy insurance that covers nearly any risk you can think of -- including alien abduction and excessive rain -- but that doesn't mean it's a good deal. To see if insurance is worth buying, Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America and former Texas insurance commissioner, screens for what he calls the two C's: catastrophic loss and comprehensive coverage.

Commonwealth Fund Health Insurance Marketplace survey

As the key components of the Affordable Care Act roll out this week, more than three-quarters (76%) of U.S. adults are aware of the law's individual mandate, while only four of 10 are aware of the new health insurance marketplaces opening on October 1, or the financial assistance that is available to help people with low or moderate incomes pay their health insurance premiums, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey. It also finds broad support for expanding Medicaid in all states, with 68 percent of adults saying they are somewhat or strongly in favor of making Medicaid available to more residents in their state.

Outcomes from 4,500 hospitals underscore need to make informed decisions when choosing a health plan

As millions of Americans begin choosing a health plan for the first time under the Affordable Care Act, the new Healthgrades American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Report to the Nation released October 22nd reveals how hospital selection can dramatically impact a patient's health. The report demonstrates that individuals are far more likely to die or suffer complications at hospitals receiving the lowest Healthgrades rating. In fact, each year an estimated 234,252 lives could potentially be saved and 157,418 complications could be avoided if all hospitals performed similarly to the highest rated hospitals.

Who Can Get Health Insurance Through Obamacare?

Q. I'm confused about Obamacare. Who’s eligible to get financial help for health insurance under the new health care reform law?

A. According to the Affordable Care Act, which has been nicknamed Obamacare, individuals and families with income between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level are eligible for government assistance.

This means that an individual earning up to about $46,000 and a family of 4 earning about $94,000 would qualify for an upfront tax credit or subsidy that reduces the cost of health insurance.

How to Get COBRA Health Insurance Coverage

When I say “cobra” do you conjure up a vision of a scary snake being hypnotized by a guy playing a flute and wearing a turban? Well, when it comes to healthcare, COBRA is something very different. In fact, it's what you'll need if you get bit by a snake after you leave your job! In this article I'll tell you who's eligible for COBRA, how to get it, and how to make it more affordable.

What Is COBRA Health Insurance?

COBRA Health Insurance, Obamacare, or Both?

I just lost my job, along with my company health insurance. My boss says I can sign up for coverage under COBRA for a maximum of 18 months or take my chances with Obamacare. What should I do?

A: Do both. Sign up for COBRA coverage immediately and then switch to a less expensive Obamacare health plan beginning Jan. 1.

COBRA—the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985—guarantees you the right to remain on your employer’s health plan for a while between jobs. That’s a good thing.

But you have to pay the entire premium, including the roughly 70 percent subsidy that your boss has been kicking in. That’s a bad thing.

This year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, employers paid $11,786 of an average worker-family’s $16,351 in annual premiums. Assuming those averages, your out-of-pocket premium costs under COBRA are about to more than triple from $380 a month to $1,362.

I’m hoping your numbers are better than that. But the fact remains, your premium costs will soar under COBRA. You’ll have to pay a lot for the rest of this year to protect your family against ruinous medical bills, like $88,000 for a bout of pneumonia.

Fortunately, the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, figures to bail you out beginning in January.

Canada could shorten health-care wait times by building ‘market-based policies’ into system, author says

Arguing long wait times need not be the natural consequence of public health care, a new e-book by the Fraser Institute points out France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have managed to maintain relatively lineup-free health-care systems — all while spending less money.

Higher health-care spending “does not necessarily result in more timely access to health-care services,” writes Nadeem Esmail, the Fraser Institute’s director of health policy studies.

Understanding Health Insurance in Virginia

Health insurance remains one of the most talked about topics when it comes to products that are indispensable for residents of Virginia. With continued increase in healthcare costs, the importance of health insurance plans keeps increasing.

It goes without saying that residents of Virginia without insurance coverage are at a greater risk of experiencing financial insecurity during illness or injury. No doubt health insurance plans involve costs but affordable health policies are easily available and with the implementation of healthcare reforms, lots of options will be available to the Virginians.

Traditional indemnity insurance plans in Virginia

Traditionally, indemnity health insurance plans in Virginia offer reimbursement against the claims made by an insured person. The level of coverage provided by these plans could vary from basic to comprehensive depending upon the needs of the insured person. Accordingly, the costs of the health plans vary-premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance, etc.

Health Insurance 101: Know Your Options

This is second in a three-part "starter course" on the Affordable Care Act (aka, Obamacare)

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that this week marked the opening of state- and federal-run insurance marketplaces ("exchanges"). While we don't know how they'll be regarded over time, initial reactions to them run the gamut from cynicism and uncertainty to measured optimism.

The exchanges are the centerpiece of the 2010 health reform law, called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or, more commonly, Obamacare. The hope is to get health insurance to more than 40 million adults who don't have it now.

Beginning this week, Americans can start enrolling for insurance through the new exchanges. (Find yours by going to healthcare.gov.) The federal government is running or partnering with local officials to run these in 36 states in all. The remainder of states and the District of Columbia are operating their own exchanges. People can enroll through March, with coverage beginning on January 1.

Though now able to sign up for coverage, a new survey shows public confusion persists over how the ACA will work. It's important to know that help is available, from certified "navigators" to companies like ours, Maxwell Health, which aim to help consumers, employers, and even insurance brokers navigate the rapidly changing health care landscape.

Here are answers to some common questions that are being asked:

How will the exchanges change the way I get insurance?

Advantages Of Affordable Health Insurance

Day after day, medical services are reaching new heights with the introduction of different treatments and medicines for diseases that were considered to be incurable. According to a report, even though medical services are improving, an average American is struggling to meet the huge expenses associated with the treatments. Here comes the health insurance to his rescue. But, even though, this type of coverage is available, some people are finding it difficult to meet the huge premium rates and also the out-of-the-pocket expenses they will have to meet. Due to these unfavorable conditions, an average or low income family is finding it highly difficult to bear the health care expenses in the event of any medical emergencies.

Yes, people falling under the lower income category might be surprised to know that they can get instant insurance quotes online from companies offering affordable coverage to these people. Even though, some people are getting coverage from their own employers, this does not happen to all and here are the benefits people can get from affordable insurance:

This type of coverage is available not only for individuals, but there are policies meant for the entire family too. Even, there are some providers, who target on unemployed people as well. This type of policy has a lower rate of premium and deductibles, thereby making it highly affordable for low income families, who do not have any form of fund to meet sudden medical expenses. This type of affordable health insurance for low income individuals can be helpful for people, who were so far enjoying coverage from their employers, but are not getting it now just because of the layoffs or other reasons.

There are websites, who is providing instant insurance quotes from different insurance companies and they will show the plans available to an individual based on his profile. Even, if he is interested, he can get the service of an insurance agent as well. These websites provide a simple and easy-to-follow guidelines right from the process of getting the quotation, until the policy is purchased by interested people.

All that is to be done by the individual looking for an affordable option is to submit his zip code to these websites. Once this is done, he can submit the quote information form and based on the information provided by him with respect to his income, dependent family members and medical needs, the appropriate quotes will be provided and he can decide on the best.

It is easy to find instant health insurance quotes for their needs. In addition, we can help you in finding instant health insurance quotes in USA. To know more about health insurance comparison website and private health insurance quotes online, click here.