health club

How can health insurance help you out? Being an investment, it is imperative that people prioritize this expense along with many other financial responsibilities. Health insurance coverage should be there to support you and your family in times when you need immediate health care. Think of it as a nest egg where you can get funds from to pay for the various costs of medical treatment, hospitalization, medication, and more.

There are various types of health insurance plans that you can obtain, and there is an equally innumerable number of firms that offer such services. It can be a little challenging to choose one that is right for your budget, as well as tailor made to suit your health needs. Note that you don’t have to spend a fortune to be able to get insurance coverage. There are ways by which you can earn discounts and save, while at the same time receiving quality and reliable services from your insurance provider. All it takes is the right knowledge to be able to evaluate your health insurance priorities and lock down your choice of provider.

In line with this, this article presents some interesting statistics that you might want to keep in mind regarding health insurance plans in the United States. Knowing these important notes will help you make a wise decision with regards to choosing a plan for you and your family. Mentioned here is also vital news regarding the direction that the health insurance system in the US is headed.

How many people in the United States are without health insurance? Regardless of how important it is to be covered, there is a significant percentage of the population who has no resources to obtain their needed health policies. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, about 45 million people in the US have no health insurance. And that translates to roughly 15 percent of the population. The Hispanics have the most number of uninsured children and adults, which is about 32 percent of the total Hispanic population. On the other hand, 19 percent of the total African American population does not have health insurance, and around 10 percent of all whites are uninsured as well.

If you are interested to know, there are specific states that contribute the most to the uninsured adult statistics in the country. If nearly 20 percent of Americans aged 19 to 64 have no form of health insurance, which states significantly add to that number? To be more precise, Texas and New Mexico have almost a third of the total aged 19 to 64 population uninsured. On the other end of the spectrum, Massachusetts has the least number of uninsured adults in that age group, with only about 10 percent accounted by the Kaiser Health Foundation statistics.

How many children in the US are without any form of health insurance? This age group is considered as the minor group, comprised of children aged 18 and below. The CDC stated in a 2007 report that about 10 percent of the total minor population does not have health insurance. That means that there are 7 million children out there who may not be able to get afforded medical treatment. Which states have the most number of uninsured children? The Kaiser Health Foundation accounts that Texas ranks at the top of the list, with about 22 percent of the ages 0 to 18 population having no health insurance. Massachusetts is still the state with the least number of uninsured children, with only about 5 percent having no coverage.

In terms of the performance of insurance companies in the country, which are the ones that write the most number of health policies? As of the year 2007, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners reports ten of the largest insurance firms in the US, with respect to their market shares. Topping that list with approximately 12 percent of the market share is the UnitedHealth Group. Second is WellPoint, Inc, having almost 10 percent of the market share. The third largest with 7.7 percent market share is the Kaiser Family Foundation. Blue Cross, which is among the oldest health insurance providers in the country, ranks ninth, with a market share of 1.7 percent.

On a final note, what does the American government intend to do in response to the ever growing health insurance needs of the country? Among the highest priorities of the new Obama administration is to focus on revamping and further developing the health insurance system in the US. About $150 billion is expected to be allotted for provision of more accessible and more affordable health insurance options for the population. In line with the recession which led to the loss of over 7 million jobs, $25 billion will be used to cover for nearly 65 percent of health insurance premiums for these employees.

To be able to answer to the health needs of children, it is expected that 5 million kids will be granted health insurance, as $87 billion will be for funding state health insurance programs, including the SCHIP or State Children’s Health Insurance, which assists minors from low income families as well. The rest of the funding will be for modernization of medical facilities, including access to records, as well as research for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart conditions.

With time and evolvement in the technology there is a change in the education system. Now we have different modes of education i.e. the traditional education, distance learning and the online courses. All have importance of their own and all will equally help us in providing us with great level of education and also in getting better employment opportunities. The traditional mode of education is still the most popular and the most expensive among all. Distance learning is not very popular as it doesn’t give the best mode of education for the students and also lacks in the provision of knowledge. Online courses is however, getting more and more popular with each passing day and is also less expensive and, in some cases, even is free.

Neglecting distance learning for this post only, we can compare the traditional and the online mode of education. A student enrolled in an online mode of education can get education from short courses to degree programs, whereas a traditional mode of education, for sure will provide every type of education to every class of student. There are online universities, colleges and other institutes providing online courses and then there are regular institutes providing education to both the traditional and the online students. The choice of education is up to the student. The student can get education through any medium and that all depends on the availability of the student.

The case for a traditional mode of education

Traditional education is the oldest and the most common way of getting education and it’s also the recommended way of study for the young students. We can look at the pros and cons of this mode of education to know it better:

Advantages

A one-to-one interaction between the teacher and the student. It’s easy to deliver things to the ones sitting in front of you and also easy to get for the students to understand in a better way.
The most common way of providing education.
Can choose from number of options.
The more preferable by all i.e. the students, the teachers, parents and the government also.
Education along with other facilities like: cafeterias, libraries, sport and other recreational activities.
Disadvantages

Education is expensive, especially in institutes where the standards, quality and the system of education is on a much higher level.
Students can have to travel long distances to reach to their educational institutes and sometimes even have to move to other locations in order to get a good standard of education. This will also increase their expenses.
Not very suitable for students doing a full-time job.
Not much flexible in terms of study hours.
The case of an online mode of education

Not very new, but as compare to the traditional education mode is new. This too has its own pros and cons and these must be kept into considerations before opting any online course:

Advantages

Usually cheaper than the traditional education system, as the cost is minimized to the lowest level.
A good but less effective mode of interaction between a teacher and a student.
The option to get education from any online institute, no matter how far that institute is. This will minimize the cost of travelling and other expenses.
Is more suitable for the people in full-time employment.
A vast option for online courses is available for students, seeking education through the online mode.
Flexibility in the study hours.

SummaryRemember when you first became a manager? Remember when you first realized that management consists of lots of ups and downs rather than a static state with a few twists? Did you find a helpful colleague to help you? Or did you have to find out for yourself that those ups and downs make a manager’s job very demanding. It is something of a gamble. You can reduce the odds?Management Is SocialThere’s only one way to learn how to manage: on the job, working with people. You can study management endlessly. But the day to day, on-job practice of management is how you develop your skills. The many variables that constitute good management can be simulated in classrooms. But they can only be practiced effectively on the job. Management’s a social skill.The Work Of A ManagerIt’s difficult to be definitive. Managers themselves tend to repeat slogans and definitions. They explain their “responsibilities” and “obligations”.Managers’ day to day work depends onwhat they believe their job to be
experience and training
career, goals an individual values
how the manager perceives others’ expectations
organization culture
the amount of power he or she believes he has
the managers’ perceived authority
the assessment that peers will make of his or her performanceThe manager is influenced by all of this as well as their day to day job needs. As I said, it can be very demanding. Notice that there’s little mention of managing performance: the social side of the job.Notice too that there’s no mention of those 90 year old hoary chestnuts of management theory:, plan, organize, lead, control. Nor should there be!The Myth Of ControlThe textbooks tell us that managers have control. The reality often seems to be quite the reverse. Many managers have full control over what they do. All sort of situations and circumstances influence actual control in unexpected ways. Managers learn quickly that change is normal. And it’s often accompanied by totally unplanned consequences.Recognize The RealityIt really doesn’t matter how technically skilled the manager is. How good he or she is at managing the performance of employees is the real issue. That’s the reality.Three Things To Concentrate On1. Develop your communication skills. It really doesn’t matter how brilliant, intelligent and visionary you are or how outstanding your product or service is. If you can’t convince clients, prospects and staff of the value of what you do, you’ll fail. I happen to believe that effective face to face communication is the core management skill. It’s irreplaceable.2. Grasp the Great Secret. One of the great Duke Ellington’s musicians once complained about an apparent error in a musical arrangement. The story goes that Ellington replied “you’re paid to play. I’m paid to think.” That’s the “great secret”. You’re paid to “manage”: employees are paid to “operate”. You’ll be unable to manage effectively until your staff can operate effectively.3. Produce perfect employees. That’s your first job. You’ll find many ideas about how, in other articles and on my blog. Remember this: until your employees are totally competent to handle all the operating work in your business, you won’t be able to manage effectively.ConclusionLots of variables affect the work of a manager on a day to day basis. Effectively managing the performance of employees contributes to the variables. But it’s the key to effective management.Accept the uncertainty of your role. It is something of a gamble. The key is to limit the effects of the ups and downs and of course, produce perfect employees.