STEPHEN FORBES/Fairfax NZ
It's oh so easy to think the modern world is rubbish and we're going to hell in a handcart, so the Sunday Star-Times asked 50 Kiwis what they were optimistic about for the coming 12 months.
Billy Bowden, 48. Cricket umpire, Auckland
In 2011 I ran my first half-marathon in Auckland with my daughter Brooke, having not run more than 5km prior to that. So I'm hoping in 2012 that, when I'm home from cricket duties, my daughter Brooke, son Fraser and I can spend more time together training for the Auckland Half-Marathon and that we can run it together in under two hours! I hope my arthritis won't affect our training or this goal, and perhaps that my first elbow replacement, in 2012, might actually help to improve my running technique I could become Bionic Billy! I'm optimistic that my gorgeous wife Jenny will be happy when I have my elbows replaced as she won't have to suffer when I knock her in the ribs by my bent elbows when having dinner! I think shotputter Jacko Gill could be our next big thing: he could prove himself to be something special, even though he's only 16.
Emily Perkins. Author and Auckland Uni creative writing teacher, Auckland
This past year the Occupy movements have made me feel optimistic about a collective desire for change: I think 2012 will be a good year for activism. In the book world I'm optimistic about readers benefiting from new technologies and old, and about literature in general. Teaching helps with that when you're around the energy and curiosity of student writers, it's impossible not to feel things are going well.
Dai Henwood, 33. Comedian, Auckland
I am optimistic about 5ft 5 being recognised as the average height for a male adult. Unfortunately a lot of people around New Zealand claim that 5ft 8 is the average height. This is not only wrong but offensive. When 5ft 5 becomes the average height in 2012 it will have many benefits such as increasing the number of people allowed on the rollercoaster (we do have only one rollercoaster in New Zealand).
Ohio Uninsurable Health Insurance - News
While statistics of ageing congregations and crumbling uninsurable buildings can create a picture of despair, the increasing number of highly gifted and creative young men and women we are seeing commit themselves to this important vocation makes me
Uninsurable? Health Insurance Sort Publishes Exclusive Report on ...
2011-09-16 06:11:32 –
/EINPresswire.com/ Health Insurance Sort examines the progress of the $5 billion federal plan created to assist Americans with pre-existing conditions. The exclusive report: ‘Uninsurable: A Notion of the Past’ provides an evaluation of the program’s success with contributions from representatives of the National Health Council, the National Association of Health Underwriters and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Affordable Care Act, passed last year, includes a Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). PCIP was established to help the portion of the population who cannot afford health care premiums due to pre-existing conditions. Conditions that have typically resulted in a denial of coverage include arthritis, cancer, diabetes and asthma. Americans suffering from such illnesses, and many other
chronic conditions, will now have an opportunity to obtain health insurance. In 2014, insurance companies will no longer be permitted to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions. The PCIP program is intended to serve as a bridge until the new law takes effect.
The Health Insurance Sort report reveals that enrollment is lower than expected, possibly because of a general lack of awareness. The PCIP plans have been available for more than a year and only 25 thousand individuals have been covered through the program. Another cause for low participation may be the stipulation that individuals must have already been denied health insurance. The Obama Administration removed this rule and lowered premiums in an effort to increase enrollment. Another deterrent is that all PCIP candidates must have gone without health insurance for 6 months prior to applying. The Administration continues to offer incentives to encourage individuals to apply, and others to encourage health insurance brokers and agents to submit applications.
‘Uninsurable’ explores the PCIP program with a number of health insurance experts and considers the implications of incentives created by the federal government to boost enrollment. The report also examines a number of real life scenarios to illustrate the challenges, and opportunities, of those with chronic conditions.