Four Reasons Obamacare Continues to Be Unpopular in Congress

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, went into effect more than six years ago. It was controversial at the time it was passed and remains controversial today. The following are four significant reasons for this.

Rising insurance costs

The Affordable Care Act was meant to insure a greater number of people, but it was also designed to bring down the cost of health care. Unfortunately, this has not happened for many people. Six years after its enactment, many families are paying higher premiums than ever. The ACA was dependent upon younger, healthier people paying premiums to subsidize older, less healthy people in the health insurance pool. The numbers of young people have fallen short of projections, and this has led to higher premiums. Some insurance companies have decided to drop out of the exchanges because they are not making enough money, so this may lead to even higher premiums in the future.

Some people lost their health insurance

Certain private health care plans were no longer allowed under the ACA. In general, these were the catastrophic plans that required large deductibles be paid before the insurance coverage kicked in. However, for those who were healthy, this type of policy was attractive. Once they lost these policies, many of these people were forced to go to the private exchanges created by the ACA to get an insurance policy. Some of the coverage in these policies was more than people had in the past, so the premiums were higher. Advocates of the ACA claimed that these policies were much better, but for many people, the additional coverage was not worth the higher premiums.

Fines for not having health insurance

This has been a part of the ACA from the beginning, but it has only recently gone into effect, and people are starting to feel the cost of not having insurance. Those in the lower middle income brackets are the people who are feeling this penalty the most. Because the money is collected by the Internal Revenue Service, those paying this fine experience it as a tax hike.

Many people have been left without insurance

Part of the ACA was the expansion of Medicaid by increasing the income limits for eligibility. This was mandated by the federal government for all 50 states. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that it was optional for each state. Many states decided not to expand Medicaid, so in these states, there are people who do not qualify for Medicaid and also do not make enough to participate in the public exchanges. This gap has created a group of people who are living slightly above the poverty level without access to health insurance. This was not intended by lawmakers, and many are understandably upset about this.

Although there are some people who want to fix Obamacare, there are many in Congress want to repeal the ACA and replace it with better health care laws. Senator Mike Crapo, of Idaho, is one such politician. Senator Crapo believes that the ACA has been costly and has also taken away personal health care choices for Americans.

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Promote Your Band Like a Pro: Top Tips for Musicians

Promoting a band these days isn’t quite like it used to be back in the heyday of the music business. After all, recordings just aren’t selling like they used to, and touring acts aren’t always bringing in a ton of cash until they reach superstar level.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t make money and promote your band to get to the next level. It just means you need to be smart about how you do it. Use this guide to learn more about promoting your band without breaking the bank and burning all of your profits in the meantime.

Social Media Matters

For every young musician, social media is something that’s already a known entity. However, the importance of connecting with friends, family and followers can’t be overstated when building a career in the entertainment industry.

To stay relevant, make sure you’re posting and letting people know about gigs, events and things like CD release parties before they pop up. Photos never hurt either.

Play Free Gigs

No matter how the music business changes, you can’t forget the fact that fans are always going to love live music. Even if you don’t have a huge turnout every night, playing for a crowd brings new attention to your group and helps you refine your skills.

Booking paying gigs is great, but sometimes there’s nothing better than playing for free. That’s especially true if you’re opening for a bigger band or playing a venue that draws a large number of people every night.

You might make up for that free show in exposure and merchandise sales in no time.

Create Inexpensive Giveaways

CDs, audio, t-shirts and posters are all the lifeblood of the working musician. Even in this modern day and age, merchandise sales are still a big deal. That’s why you obviously can’t give those away for free – at least not to people outside of the business.

There are some items that make excellent promotional giveaways though. As a way to say thank you to fans, you can’t do much better than items like guitar picks and custom stickers with your band logo.

Best of all, you can make custom stickers and small items for just a few pennies. For a fan, that free giveaway is worth a whole lot more than the negligible amount you paid for it.

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The Need of Regulated Binary Options Brokers

The binary option brokers give you a hand by offering two principal forms of binary options i.e. Binary options are uncomplicated to trade but not simple to win. There are only two main forms of binary alternatives and there are numerous different kinds of binary options brokers.

There are lots of kinds of digital options an investor can trade in. Brokers that give a variety of options will probably use the method you want.

Payment and withdrawal choices are always a critical consideration when selecting a Binary Broker. Unique brokers provide different levels of bonus. Binary options brokers are given a fee in the event your trade loses. They do not collect any commissions and do not charge any fees aside from a possible withdrawal fee.

There are lots of brokers that provide demo accounts completely with the chance to take part in simulated trading. Call-put choices are conventional trading possibilities simplistic in nature. A binary choice trading is, rather, an exciting potentially significant risk substantial reward form of trading alternatives. It is pretty simple compared to other forms of trading and do not require investors to understand such complicated details.

Binary is a great trade where it’s possible to make a whole lot of money if you do it right. Binary options trading needs to be regarded as a long-term project along with the broker has become the most important partner for the two: beginners and veterans. So should you would like to find the optimal/optimally man or woman to deal with your organization, you may want to restrict your scope considerably with the few who make trading options their principal occupation. Whatever the case, you must understand what your broker will likely be charging you or you are going to be in for a nasty surprise later on.

Accordingly, that is why credible brokers find it impossible to participate in such behaviours. On-line brokers may provide convenience to people who want to start trading. Be sure that the advised options brokers that you’ll choose should be transparent, secured, and respectable. Only brokers that stick to all these requirements ought to be taken into account.

As different brokers provide different techniques, so you got to pick a method which is available to your own broker’s policy. Selecting the most appropriate broker is a tough task. Singling out a reliable broker is of utmost importance on account of the innumerable number of brokers throughout the web.

Unlike a few years back, the brokers were very limited within the trading industry. There are lots of issues that traders face in regards to trading. Thus, the traders only need to decide whether they’ll occur after the recommendation or not. New traders do not need to be overly worried about working strategies into the very first week of trading as things today are totally different and convenient.

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Are you bored?

boredom

I can’t understand why some people get bored. Why? Are you bored right now? Then, do something! There are so many things that you can do. Read, for one. Watch TV. Or walk outside. You can even pray or meditate. Or exercise! There are so many things you can do in order to entertain yourself and to get your endorphins working.

You know I saw a Facebook post by a high school classmate. Bored. I really wanted to ask why because there are things she can do, you know, like talk to me or someone online. But I stopped myself. I concentrated on searching for that sousaphone for sale for a friend who used to be bored all the time but found a way to be productive and creative. He turned to music. Played in his free time and worked as an artist during the other times.

Extra income, goodbye boredom.

You can do that, too, you know. So when you are bored, just turn your head left and right and you will find something to do for sure.

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Tired but smiling.

I am tired because I am new at work and there are too many things that I need to learn on my own. I replaced an accountant who doesn’t believe in keeping a trail so others will know what he’s done. I actually recreated trails so I can have some semblance of history in the finances of the company I am employed at now.

Whew!

I am used to working doubly hard especially when I am new in a job but this is just simply more than what I am used to. No worries as I can still smile despite it all. It might have something to do with the praises I got from all of the bosses when they came for a brief stay a couple of weeks ago. Still makes me smile, actually.

It’s like that time I found that version 11 my best friend was talking about but couldn’t show me a link of. It was like hitting the jackpot!

Yes, I am tired but smiling.

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Learning More about Your Choices of Industrial Materials

Industrial businesses rely on partnerships with other companies to meet their supply needs. When your own business utilizes a variety of materials in its everyday production, you may need to pair up with businesses like chemical toll manufacturing companies and other producers of raw materials. You understandably want this partnership to last for as long as possible and to meet your supply demands and expectations. Before you form a connection with one of these businesses, you may do well to do some research about the company first online.

Discovering the Variety of Materials

You may need access to more than just one or two materials. When you routinely order materials like resin, polymers, and more, you want to pair up with a company that can chemically produce your inventory quickly and professionally.

When you research the company online, you have the opportunity to examine its full array of chemical materials and check out the quality of them before partnering with the business. You can see for yourself how durable the resins, polymers, and other choices are and whether or not they will be an asset to your own company.

You can also do research on the various industrial uses for these chemical creations. If you are new to the industry or want to know the full range of possibilities available to you as an entrepreneur, you may do some fact checking on this company’s website. You will see that these materials are commonly used in professions that range from food service to aerospace.

Retaining Industrial Services

Another perk that comes from doing your research online centers on finding out what industrial services are available to you. You may wonder, for example, how you can get these materials shipped to your location quickly and efficiently. The company describes its shipment options under the Services link on its website. You can find out in what manner your resins, polymers, and other materials can be sent to you so that you can use them in your own factory or shop.

You also may need to store some of these materials and have them doled out to you on a periodic basis. The company has warehousing services available for your convenience. You can find out more by clicking on the Services tab online.

Industries use a variety of chemical materials today. You can discover more about polymers, resins, and other choices online.

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5 Patient retention ideas for dentists and doctors

As a dentist or doctor you know better than anyone else that patient retention is very important to overall success of your practice. After all, your client base isn’t permanent, though it’s tempting to imagine that it is. If you’re worried about losing customers, try using these five tips to better your chances of retaining patients and lowering your attrition rates.

1. Caring is Key.
In the business world, it’s known that 70% of customers take their business elsewhere because of perceived indifference. Approaching the customer with a caring attitude is especially important in health and dental care. Instill in your staff the importance of treating each patient with respect, and truly listening to their needs and concerns.

Keeping patients waiting is a big part of this. Few things are so annoying as going to a doctor’s office on time, then enduring a long waiting period to see them. One way to avoid making your patients wait is to stay on schedule. No office is perfect, but sticking as closely to your patient schedule as possible can help things run smoothly.

Work on building a repertoire with patients to put them at ease. Leave no room for patients to feel like they’re intruding on a busy office environment. Instead, make them feel like you’re there because of them.

2. Give the Right Welcome.
The way a patient is greeted when they arrive for their appointment can also make them feel like they’re intruding. Planning ahead is key in making sure your patient sees a doctor as soon as possible. The receptionist should also greet each patient with an open-ended questions such as “Hello, how can I help you today?” Avoid leading with directives like “sign in and have a seat.” Allow the patient to answer before giving them directions. Be sure to listen and answer their questions fully so that they don’t need to keep returning to the reception desk.

3. Telephone Matters
When a patient calls your office, do they reach a real live person who sounds welcoming and ready to listen? This could make all the difference in a patient’s perception of your practice. Consider replacing your automated call service with an actual person who is trained to handle each call with attentiveness and care. Other good telephone practices to increase retention are:

• Calling patients the day before and appoint to confirm and make sure they’ll be there.
• Following up with patients to make sure they’re taken care of (more on that below)
• Reaching out to patients when they are overdue for an appointment. For example, for a yearly mammogram or a missed follow-up appointment.

As you may have noticed, a few of the improvements are sales-related. You can educate yourself by reading articles like this online about best sales and retention practices but you can also hire professional dental and medical marketing companies such as Solution21 to help you for training your staff as well as other areas of sales and marketing.

4. Survey Your Patients
If your attrition rate is high, you have to get to the root of the problem. The only way to do that is to ask your patients. Perhaps they feel that the staff isn’t friendly enough, or that the doctors don’t spend enough time with the patients. You can collect feedback by leaving feedback cards in the waiting room, or issuing a telephone or email survey. Offering incentives like discounts and gift cards will encourage people to take the survey. This is a small price to pay when you can possibly avoid losing several thousands of dollars each year.

5. Following Up
This step is key. A follow-up call about three days after the visit let’s you:

• Check in with your patient and see how they’re feeling.
• Make sure they understood the instructions given by the doctor or staff.
• Make sure they had any necessary medications filled.

This is also a good time to ask if they’ll participate in a short phone survey, or to let them know that you’ll follow up with an email survey to see how the office did overall.

Retaining patients comes down to seeing each of them as people who have options when it comes to healthcare, and they chose you. Make their choice worth their while by showing them that you see them and care about them. Make several points of contact with your patients, both before and after their visits. Take time to make them feel welcomed, and listen to their needs. If something seems wrong, ask your patients what you could be doing better. Taking this approach in your dental or medical practice, and making it reflect in your operations, can make all the difference in your retention rates.

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