When it comes to water conservation in the face of our current 2014 drought situation, golf courses, with the numerous acres under irrigation, come under intense scrutiny. This is why I wanted to talk with my fellow San Juan Water District Drought Committee member Matt Dillon who is the Golf Course Superintendent at Granite Bay […]
Archives for June 2014
What’s wrong with jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge?
On Friday, June 27, the Golden Gate Transportation District (GGTD) voted to spend $76 million to install a “Physical Suicide Deterrent System”. The deterrent system will be comprised of a wire net extending approximately twenty feet on either side of the Golden Gate Bridge to catch people who jump. My question is, “What’s so bad […]
Short term health insurance after ACA open enrollment
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act has come and gone for 2014. Unless you have a qualifying life event that triggers a Special Enrollment Period, individuals and families may not purchase a health plan either through Covered California or directly from one of the carriers. For that awkward moment when you realize you have […]
Blue Shield billing system cancels health plans
Six months into the new ACA health plan year and Blue Shield of California still has a broken billing system. Individuals and families who bought their 2014 health plans directly from Blue Shield and then had a change in the household members being covered are encountering issues with their invoices. Blue Shield has been unable […]
What triggers Folsom Lake drought stages?
With Folsom reservoir dropping to historically low levels in the autumn of 2013 and record low rain fall, there was no question that Northern California was in the grip of a drought. The question posed by San Juan Water District Board member Bob Walters to the assembled drought water committee at their second meeting was, […]
Covered California approves Navigators soliciting health insurance
The Covered California Board approved a resolution at their June 2014 meeting to allocate $16.9 million toward establishing a Navigator program. Under the new Navigator program organizations awarded grants will be encouraged to open store fronts, theyll receive bonuses for exceeding enrollment projections and theyll be allowed to advertise their services. Short of requiring an […]
Confusing CoveredCA LMS letter to agents
It what seems to be a core principle of Covered California, they have sent out another confusing letter, this time regarding the Learning Management System and agent certification. In a relationship where agents take nothing for granted when it comesto Covered California, hundreds of certified agent called the SHOP line to inquire if they were […]
Quiet Pride Parade for Sacramento Intactivists
In a moment of exuberant passion for the cause of educating people about the stupidity of routine infant circumcision, I signed up the nascent Sacramento Intactivist group to march in the Sacramento Pride Parade. I walked in last year’s San Francisco Pride Parade with over 50 committed Intactivists and figured we could muster at least […]
California health plans cover newborn circumcision
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act all individual and family plans now include coverage for maternity care. These new health services, many of which are provided at no cost to the patient, also extend to the new born. Prominent in many private health plans is coverage for routine infant circumcision.
Are California SHOP enrollment projections over estimated?
Covered California staff is forecasting that SHOP enrollment will double by the end of 2014 and double again during open enrollment for 2015. A list of assumptions was given for the stellar forecast enrollment during the May 2014 Board meeting where the topic was revenue projections from fees charged on individual small group members. Based […]