Thoughts of Kevin Knauss

Posts by Kevin Knauss on a variety of topics: health insurance, history, hiking, politics, LGBTQ+, railroads, plus whatever piques my interest.

IT Issues Prevent IRS From Easily Verifying Correct ACA Subsidies For Tax Filers

July 27, 2017 By Kevin Knauss 2 Comments

31,493 tax returns – programming errors caused the IRS to incorrectly compute the allowable PTC amount. As a result, 16,375 taxpayers potentially received approximately $5.2 million more in the PTC than they were entitled to receive, and 15,118 returns potentially received approximately $6.7 million less in the PTC than they were entitled to receive. IRS management informed us that programing was updated on or before July 31, 2016. We will evaluate the IRS’s corrective action in our annual assessment of the 2017 Filing Season.

Pharmacy Pricing For Sex Toys, But Not For Prescription Drugs

July 26, 2017 By Kevin Knauss 1 Comment

I have no problem with these pharmacies running online porn shops. But if they can give the retail price for dildos, vibrators, and prostate massagers, you would think they could advertise their retail price for Abilify, Advair Diskus, Enbrel, Humira, Lantus Solostar, Remicade, or Sovaldi. These are some of the top selling brand name drugs people rely on every day to maintain their health.

Grilling Cherries With Balsamic Vinegar For Sweet And Sour Topping

July 19, 2017 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

I found it is all rather simple and quick, if you have a cherry pitter, to prepare the cherries for grilling. Well, you really aren’t grilling the cherries per se. You don’t put each little cherry half on the grill. Rather, the grill or bar-b-que is the heat source to slowly simmer the cherries in the balsamic vinegar. It’s pretty effective and you don’t heat-up or smell-up the house in the process.

How To Keep Your UC Davis Doctor After Western Health Advantage

July 7, 2017 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Members of Western Health Advantage (WHA) have been notified that beginning in 2018 they will no longer be able to have a UC Davis Medical Group doctor as their primary care physician. WHA has already started working with current members to transition to a new PCP with Mercy Medical Group, Hill Physicians, Woodland Clinic, or NorthBay Healthcare. However, if you don’t want to give up your UC Davis PCP and specialists, there are other health plans that UC Davis Medical Group will accept.

Separate But Equal Health Insurance, Is It Right?

July 6, 2017 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Access to health care services is not equal in the United States. Your health plan determines the type of care you receive. The health plans in the employer, individual, and Medicaid markets are separate and they are not equal. The ACA moved us in direction of more equality for all residents regardless of the market type of the health plan. Current Republican proposals under President Trump will widen the gap in disparity between group plans and individual plans. We need to move in a direction the guarantees access to the same level of health care services regardless of whether you work for government, a large employer, have your own individual plan, or are awarded Medicaid because of your income. It is time to dismantle the flawed ‘separate but equal’ assumption of health insurance in the United States.

Why The Wedding Cake Market Must Be Discrimination Free

June 27, 2017 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

When the baker decides to expand his business into the public market, he must abide by the rules of the road. He must get a business license. He must have his facilities inspected for cleanliness. He must not have discriminatory policies toward customers. The baker is no longer in a private market, but one that is regulated by the government for the benefit of the public.

Folsom Lake Park Ready To Explode With Fire

June 26, 2017 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Most of the homes that are most directly threatened by a fire at Folsom Lake are in Granite Bay and El Dorado Hills. There are only a few scattered homes above and around the Peninsula Campground. Ironically, it is the peninsula that has some of the best fire suppression features. There are more meadows with fewer trees. Fewer people visit the Peninsula Campground Park because it can be difficult to access, especially when towing a boat, from Highway 49. There are also wide dirt roads that act both as fire break and allow for fire trucks to reach areas burning. In contrast, large swaths of Folsom Park land in Granite Bay and El Dorado Hills have only small dirt footpaths with limited access for large fire trucks. There is more human activity in these areas as they are close to recreational access points.

Covered California To Include Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Questions

June 23, 2017 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

One of the first changes consumers and agents will notice is under the information for household members. For the question of Sex (which should be gender), in addition to Male and Female, the drop down box will include Transgender: Male to Female and Transgender: Female to Male. While selecting the Sex is required, the Covered California application does not alert the consumer to the fact that rates are not based on gender AND you cannot be denied health insurance or receive a higher rate because you are transgender.

Clearing The Brush And Trees Before Folsom Lake Filled

June 20, 2017 By Kevin Knauss 1 Comment

Within the 90 foot elevation change of the lake, it was proposed that all standing and down timber, brush over 6 feet high or with trunks greater than 2 inches in diameter would be cleared out. Trees whose height reached to 360 feet in elevation would be topped to 10 feet below the expected low water elevation.

Artificially Inflating Covered California Silver Plan Rates May Cause Chaos

June 19, 2017 By Kevin Knauss 9 Comments

But how does an enrolled individual in a standard Silver 70 plan, who is not eligible for the CSRs, feel about subsidizing lower income plan members? Could the argument be made that some individuals are paying an inflated premium, close to a Gold plan, but only receiving Silver plan level benefits? At a very minimum, the inflated Silver plan rates are a distortion of the health insurance market place. One of the goals of the ACA and the exchanges like Covered California was to bring more transparency and accountability to the health plan selection process for consumers. If the inflated Silver plan rates, along with artificially inflated subsidies, do become a reality, the market place for health insurance will take a step backwards as plan selection becomes more confusing for consumers.

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Thoughts of Kevin Knauss