Health Care Premiums SOAR!

Health Care reform at what COST?

FACT! Costs have gone up. Premiums of business will see a 10-15-20% or more rise due to increased use of  health care and expectations of future costs down the road due to the reform. Employee's will see higher payroll deductions as well.

Remember the major reform passed by Obamacare wont go into effect till 2014, so why are we seeing these increases now?

From the IRS: Starting in tax year 2011, the Affordable Care Act requires employers to report the value of the health insurance coverage they provide employees on each employee's annual Form W-2. It will be optional in 2011 but mandated in 2012!

This reporting is for informational purposes only, to show employees the value of their health care benefits so they can be more informed consumers. The amount reported does not affect tax liability, as the value of the employer contribution to health coverage continues to be excludible from an employee's income, and it is not taxable.

But for how long will that last. Can a tax on our health care coverage provided by our employer be deemed down the road as part of our salary and taxed?


A Washington Post Article, Workers' health insurance costs for 2011, will include higher premiums and co-payments. According to experts and industry insiders, recent trends suggest rates will continue to rise and employers will continue to shift more of the cost of health insurance onto workers - asking them to shoulder a larger share of premiums, for instance, or increasing out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-pays.


Because this is the first new preimums period since key provisions of the new health-care law started taking effect, many workers will wonder how much of the plan changes they see is due to the legislation. Not much, say analysts. The law's most market-altering changes - including provisions that may or may not control premiums - don't kick in until 2014. So why are rates going up?

According to AARP Seventy-two employers with 3.7 million people on their payrolls expect the overall cost of providing health insurance to rise by an average 9 percent in 2011, according to the National Business Group on Health, an association of large employers.To cope with higher costs, 63 percent of the employers say they plan to raise the employee share of premiums, 46 percent will hike out-of-pocket maximums and 44 percent will increase in-network deductibles.

Listen with that said, I beleive every American should have Health Insurance. But we have to fix Obamacare, not repeal it. If we don't move in now to stem the tide, the costs for all of us will continue to rise out of control. Health care companies will use every last trick and unless put in check we will continue to see our premiums,out-of-pocket expenses, payroll deductions and co-payments continue to soar! This, I'm afraid is just the tip of the iceberg if we don't presure our elected officials to fix Obamacare!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?   UBTALKBACK

iPhone coming to Verizon vs AT&T

By now I'm sure you've heard that Verizon is getting the iphone in VERY early 2011. Some reports I've seen says by mid January but before Valentines Day. Whatever the date, IT'S COMING.

For me, a verizon customer, my contract has run out so I'm sitting back and waiting too see who calls with the best offer. I've been using my old four year old chocalate LG, ugh, biding my time to see how this all unfolds.

Here's what I have found out for you:

Apple wants this just as much as Verizon. Adding another network for the iphone, Verizon the largest U.S. mobile-phone company

, can only help Apple gain more market share of the smart phone base. Reports say AT&T did ask for a gag on the announcement until after Christmas, hopefully trying to maxamize it's sales for the holiday season.

The news comes on the heels of the December 6 Consumer Reports survey of 58,000 readers who ranked current iPhone exclusive carrier AT&T as “the worst wireless carrier for customer satisfaction — and by an even wider margin than its similarly dismal fish in 2009.” Apple is tired of hearing about AT&T drawbacks, not all consider them bad though, but adding a choice helps Apple sell more phones.

The release of the iphone on Verizon will undoubtaly hurt AT&T. John Hodulik, an analyst at UBS Securities, “predicts that AT&T will sell 8.8 million iPhones in 2011, down from 15.6 million in 2010. Of the 13.3 million Hodulik expects Verizon to sell in 2011, about 2.3 million will be to AT&T refugees, he predicts. An additional 10 million will be current Verizon subscribers who upgrade from other devices, and the rest will come from other carriers,” BusinessWeek concludes.

The New York Times reported:
Around the world, many carriers, especially those that do not have access to the iPhone, have been promoting an array of handset models running on Google’s Android software. Collectively, those phones now outsell the iPhone.

Nielsen reported that Android accounted for 32 percent of the new smartphones sold in the United States in last six months. By comparison, the iPhone accounted for 25 percent. The numbers confirm those of other research organizations.

The Android’s rapid ascent threatens to blunt Apple’s lead in the market for high-end smart phones. No other Apple product brings as much revenue for the company as the iPhone, and analysts say that seeing that lucrative market imperiled may have finally pushed Apple into ending its exclusivity with AT&T.


It seems inevitable now: We could be just weeks – or even days – away from finally, officially learning there’s a CDMA-compatible iPhone for the Verizon Wireless network. Apple has ordered a spectacular 20-21 million iPhones from its Asia-based manufacturers, according to an article in Taiwan-based Digitimes.

This can only be good news for us consumers. Verizon I'm sure to keep customers, and try to capture more will offer deals on the phones as well as undercut AT&T pricing on plans. It spurs a whole new event launching the iphone again to a wider audience giving us all a choice and competion for our hard earned dollars. 

I'm waiting and hopeful this will be good news for us consumers. The clock has almost counted down to zero, lets see how this all unfolds.

What do YOU think...    UBTALKBACK...........

 

Open Letter to the DSNY and it's Workers

WHY?

Why would you put YOUR city in danger.Why would you not do your very best, as you always have, to clean up the FIVE borrows in the greastest city in the world, NEW YORK, NEW YORK. In the past the DSNY has ALWAYS come through, clearing the streets in record time NO matter how much snow we got.

Here it is Thursday, December 30, 2010, a good four days after the snow stopped and alll the streets are STILL have not been cleared!

Queens City Councilman Dan Halloran told the NY POST that there may have been a work slow down to make the mayor pay for Sanitation Department layoffs. There have been 400 job cuts since 2008. And 100 supervisors are slated to be demoted and there salaries slashed. Union representatives and city leaders say it's not true.

Halloran , who was visited yesterday by a group of guilt-ridden sanitation workers who confessed the shameless plot. Halloran said he met with three plow workers from the Sanitation Department -- and two Department of Transportation supervisors who were on loan -- at his office after he was flooded with irate calls from constituents.

The snitches "didn't want to be identified because they were afraid of retaliation," Halloran said. "They were told [by supervisors] to take off routes [and] not do the plowing of some of the major arteries in a timely manner. They were told to make the mayor pay for the layoffs, the reductions in rank for the supervisors, shrinking the rolls of the rank-and-file."

New York's Strongest used a variety of tactics to drag out the plowing process -- and pad overtime checks -- which included keeping plows slightly higher than the roadways and skipping over streets along their routes, the sources said. The snow-removal snitches said they were told to keep their plows off most streets and to wait for orders before attacking.

If this is true, Forget the layoffs and reduction of salaries, FIRE ALL THAT WERE INVOLVED now before the next storm. There are plenty of unemployed workers out there who would love to have this job. You have a beef with the city, Mayor etc., FINE, DO NOT ENDANGER THE PUBLIC SAFETY.  

City sanitation commissioner John Doherty, you have lost control of your men. Maybe you have been at the DSNY to long and it is time for a change. The workers obviously don't respect you or this would NEVER have happened.

 Mr. Mayor, Don't pass the blame to us. We were trying to survive the mess you got us in. Your leadership is in question and your ability to handle this city should be investigated. You finagled to get a third term, show some leadership to earn back the confidence of now the people you don't need to get reelected to a forth term. Unless you change that, too.

 Bloomberg has been bombarded by an avalanche of criticism for the slow response, inviting comparisons to the 1969 blizzard that buried the city as well as the reputation of  Mayor John Lindsay.

Why wasn't a snow emergency declared?

What is the breakdown of manpower and equipment related to each borrow for snow removal?

But I go back to the DSNY rank and file workers. If supervisors told you to slow down snow removal, WHY did you listen. You must have known that it was wrong, putting lives in danger. You also know that because of this you will NEVER get any of your demands met. How can they now listen to your grievances when you blackmailed the city holding it's soul hostage. Forget public support, that is gone, disappeared in a mountain of unplowed snow covering the many streets you choose not to visit.

WHY? WHY?

Want do you think???.......

How Does your city or town handle snow removal???......

Is it Me or Doesn't Anyone Care Anymore!

Is it me or are do more and more people just don't care about each other anymore?  or They think there time is precious, but yours don't matter! And forget about common curtsy!

Example: We all been to the Doctors. Made an appointment, arrived 10 minutes early, only to have to sit and wait for over a half hour or more! WHY? What if we decided to stroll in to the Doc's office say 15 minutes or so late. Think he/she would be happy to be kept waiting!

Example: Your on-line at your local bank, there are only two tellers handling a very crowded line when one decides to take a break and now there's only one! Everyone looks at the branch manager, some even complain vocally, but she/he is to busy talking on the phone to her family! WHY?

Example: You driving down the road behind a car, the light up ahead you know is about to change. Your obeying the traffic rules, but want to make it. Except the person in front of you deliberately decides to SLOW down, tramping you behind him. As the light goes to yellow he speeds up, making the light that turned to red, trapping you. WHY?

Example: We ALL have needed to get our car fixed, right. So you bring it in bright an early 7:30am sharpe. You wait in line outside with everyone else who woke up earlyer then normal, get in, tell them what's wrong and go have a seat to wait, and wait, and wait. When they finnally come to tell you whats wrong, it also comes with the news that the part you need, they have to order it so you will have to leave your car. That's when it gets ugly. Once they have your car, it's like the Bermuda Triangle, it disapears for days. Even when you call them, they say something like there working on it, but it wont be ready again today. WHY?

Family is the worst. You are more then happy to help whoever calls, for whatever they need. Need a ride, NO PROBLEM, stay over, NO PROBLEM, borrow this or that, NO PROBLEM. Whatever they ask, but it seems when YOU need something, they all have short memories. WHY?

Example: Something breaks or needs fixing in your house or apartment or your cable/satellite/phone is out. You call for service and are told, NO PROBLEM we will be there tomorrow between 8 and 12. What you forgot to ask was that am or pm. You wait and wait and wait. Held hostage by these people who think you have nothing better to do then wait, and pray, they get here soon! WHY?

Example: Your online at a department/grocery store. The person in front of you decides to discuss the price on EVERY item that is being rung up. Disputing what the scanner says, causing the person at the register to have to constantly re-check the items with the circular or ask for the supervisor.WHY?

It seems to me that people only care about there life/lifestyle and to hell with anyone else. Don't inconveince them, but as for you too bad. Our society today has become a ME ME and others don't matter. If it benefits ME, good, if it hurts you, WHO CARES!

What do YOU think?

What do YOU want for Christmas?

Ok. it's coming. Santa's on his way!. Got the same tie as last year, or that sweater you'll stuff in the back of the closet. Or maybe another scarf or flannel pajamas or dare I say, FRUITCAKE. AAAAAaaarrrrrrggggggggg

Ok, we all got that perfect gift for that perfect someone. We wrapped it up with love, and put it under there tree selflessly not caring what we got in return cause it's not what you get it's giving to others that is what Christmas is all about. Right?

A Playboy Bunny What, Wait. Got your attention?

BUT, you really want is a new....iPad Tablet say 32gb w/Wi-Fi. Not to worry, I've done the work for you to find you the best deals on everything you wanted for Christmas, but didn't get.

Maybe it was a laptop computer . This nicely affordable, easy-to-use PC for basic productivity at home or in the office.

What with a little more bite! this laptop Enjoy music in premium audio, edit photos and high-definition videos, plus play games.

Or maybe you got a Laptop, but need that carrying case 

Ok your a Mac person. Nothing wrong with that, I guess. The new iMac is the ultimate all-in-one computer. Has been greatly reduced.

Into sports, check out these NFL Jersey's. Search through all teams for some great prices.

What, baseball MLB gear. Browse through all teams at unbeatable prices.

What about the latest music, MP3,The Beatles Stereo Box Set. This price is rock bottom.

How 'bout some cool clothing. Graphic tee's . Wide varity, great low prices.

Ok ladies, didn't get that diamond necklace This blue topaz and diamond necklace and earring set is incredible! Or maybe this Diamond tennis bracelet . Or this Diamond Earrings .

Guys did you need a new watch. This mens casual dress watch is the perfect price. Or maybe a pair of stone washed jeans

Great Mens Dress shirts Womans Blouses

ENJOY, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HO! HO! HO!