A Huge and Growing Problem

I believe that everyone today is aware of identity theft.  It is unfortunate, but many people assume that since they do not use credit or debit cards, they are safe from ID theft.  There are myriad ways that thieves can gain access to your checking or savings account records and your social security number.

One of the more recent areas where thieves are targeting identities is in medical records.  Let’s say you order a copy of your credit file.   When it arrives, you are surprised to discover that there are collection notices against you for several emergency hospital visits, with thousands of dollars unpaid.  Once you begin investigating this entry in your credit report, you find the report states that you were involved in a serious car accident and had your leg amputated after you were air lifted to a hospital for treatment.

Since you have both your legs, and you have not been involved in a traffic accident or been admitted to a hospital, you assume it was a simple error on your report. This is a typical and all-too-common example of medical identity theft.  You may make the discovery from that credit report, or a hospital may start sending you bills for treatment you never had.  You may be contacted by the hospital or police who tell you that they believe you are a potential victim of a fraud they are investigation.   

Medical records are exposed to theft via the internet in ever increasing numbers; therefore, medical fraud is quite simple for a thief to commit.  The fraud may go undetected for months or even years.  More medical records are also being digitalized and shared with health care providers, health insurance companies and consumers, making them more vulnerable to theft.  How about your medical chart? Are the charts in the receptionist’s office within easy reach of anyone?

It’s not just about the health insurance and health service options, but it’s also about ensuring patient medical records are accurate and shared only with authorized people, and that health services and charges are applied to the rightful account owner.

Prescribing the wrong medication to a patient based on fraudulent medical records can cause death in which case the impact of medical identity theft is irreversible.  How can doctors and hospitals reconcile a patient’s past and recorded information with the identity thief’s medical information acquired with a recent blood analysis even after a case of medical identity theft is detected?  As you can see, the impact of the health identity theft is huge to the victim’s life, privacy and financial losses.

In general, consumers have more protection against credit identity theft than medical identity fraud. If a consumer discovers credit identity theft promptly after it is committed, they can notify their banks, credit card companies, the FCC and the police. The victims seldom are responsible to pay more than $50 no matter how much was actually stolen. 

With medical identity theft, the identity theft victim whose social security number appears on the record is responsible for paying the fraud charges.  Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Medical privacy laws in place to protect consumers, there is only limited protection against medical fraud.  Unfortunately, HIPAA also equally protects the identity thief when the personal information of both the thief and the victim are combined.  When the thief receives medical care using your name and medical records, your records are then updated with the thief’s medical information. So, not only can this commingling be detrimental to your life during your future doctor visits, you also may be prohibited from separating your records from those of the thief, because the thief is also protected by HIPAA. 

Medical identity theft is more difficult to track, because only a name and social security is necessary to receive medical care in most cases. It is, therefore, critical for you to monitor your credit report.  If you detect possible medical identity fraud, immediately contact your health insurance company, the health service provider and the credit reporting agencies. In addition, file a police report to document your case, and inform all parties that you are a victim of identity theft. 

With all this information, I hope all readers can now recognize the importance of having an Identity Theft Protection Plan in place to monitor your records for you.  They will detect fraudulent activity before you do.

Do you still believe having no credit or debit cards protects you from ID Theft?  I personally recommend that you join the LifeLock® Identity Theft Protection Plan through Xpress Healthcare® for two reasons: 

     1)     LifeLock®  has years of proven excellent service, and it provides the best monitoring services; and

     2)     Joining LifeLock®  through Xpress Healthcare® costs you less ($20 per month, per FAMILY), and along with LifeLock®  services, at no extra charge, you will also receive a Roadside Assistance program, discounted pet care services and products and discounted legal services (9 of the most common services are free!)      

     3)     To join LifeLock®  through Xpress Healthcare, visit http://ibourl.net/EverydaySavings                                                                                                                                                           

Whether you join LifeLock® through Xpress Healthcare® or join another ID Theft Protection company, don’t wait!  Get the protection you need today!

Who Was Percy Shaw?

During our walk today, my husband and I were talking about the “light dots” in the road.  We wondered who invented them and when.  I decided to research it. It is amazing how easily we can find answers to virtually every question on the internet.

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A portion of this post was taken from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_cats'_eyes_road_reflectors   and

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-497407/Cats-eyes-driven-70-years-solar-studs-light-road.html

The cat's eye is a retro-reflective safety device used in road marking and was the first of a range of raised pavement markers. It originated from the UK in 1933 and is used all over the world.

It consists (in its original form) of two pairs of reflective glass spheres set into a white rubber dome, mounted in a cast iron housing. This is the kind that marks the center of the road, with one pair of cat's eye showing in each direction. A single-ended form has become widely used in other colors at road margins and as lane dividers. Cat's eyes are particularly valuable in fog and are largely resistant to damage from snow ploughs.

A key feature of the cat's eye is the flexible rubber dome which is occasionally deformed by the passage of traffic. A fixed rubber wiper cleans the surface of the reflectors as they sink below the surface of the road (the base tends to hold water after a shower of rain, making this process even more efficient). The rubber dome is protected from impact damage by metal 'kerbs' - which also give tactile and audible feedback for wandering drivers.

The inventor of cat's eyes was Percy Shaw of Boothtown, Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The reflective road stud or "cat's eyes" was invented in 1933 by Percy Shaw.

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About 70 years later, the familiar reflectors are to be replaced by a brighter, safer and cheaper alternative - solar-powered studs designed by a former London fireman.

The Transport Research Laboratory says roads with the Solarlite system have a 70 per cent reduction in accidents.

Drivers are less likely to cross the white line in the middle of the road when following the studs than using previous methods.

The latest version of the studs also allows them to be set into the road without sticking up above the surface - avoiding the bumpy feeling of running over cat's eyes.  They can be seen for up to 2,950ft (900 meters) - around ten times as far as the old cat's eyes.

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I am certain that there are statistics available that provide the exact number of people’s lives that have been saved because of these reflectors.  As long as we follow the path laid out before us by the cat’s eyes or Solarlites, we will most likely reach our destination safely.

How about in your home business?  Do you have a path laid out directing you how to grow your business?  Do you have a great leader and/or mentor who act as the “cat’s eyes” to let you know when you’re following the wrong path? 

If you have a mentor or leader to help you, do you take advantage of the support and training they offer?  With my Xpress Healthcare business, I host two team training calls each week.  Only a fraction of my team members attend.  I also offer one-on-one training, and not all team members take advantage of the training session I offer.

Those who are successful with your particular business or other network marketing companies have created the “road reflectors” that remind you of the right direction to go and what works with your particular company.  Do you follow the path they created for you, or have you decided that, with your intelligence and experience, you don’t need anyone’s help.

We ALL need help.  Those new to their business should take advantage of ALL training made available to them.  In addition, those of us with years of experience are always striving to learn more and better ways to work their businesses, new paths to follow.

Of course, it is always your choice.  Follow the leaders along the path with the Solarlites to achieve success; or create your own path, and take a chance that you MAY reach your goals.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance).  

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.  

I invite you to visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

Whatever You Are, Be a Good One

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”  This is a quote from Abraham Lincoln, and it is still valid today.  In fact, perhaps it is even a more important statement today than it was in Lincoln’s day.

Some people believe it is “below them” to work at McDonald’s, as a custodian or an office clerk, especially if they went to school to be an attorney, financial advisor or engineer.    

But where would we all be if there were no custodians or office clerks?  With the right attitude, any job can be one about which we can be proud as long as we put our best effort into performing it.  Perhaps the unemployment rate would be just a bit better if everyone accepted that fact.  

Restaurant servers represent an industry where we see the best and the worst.   We can easily tell which servers enjoy their jobs and which do not.  Some are cheerful and efficient, while others are rude and incompetent and can spoil your dining experience.

Similarly, those working at a retail store – or McDonald’s – clearly demonstrate whether or not they enjoy their job by the service they offer.

I was in the administrative end of law enforcement for most of my life.  I made a decent living and was happy being the one who kept offices running smoothly.  Because I liked most jobs I held, I was determined to perform them to the best of my ability.  On one job, I was promoted step-by-step until I was vice president of the company.

My son, at age 20, started out delivering furniture for a store.  He worked hard and performed his job cheerfully and well, standing out from those who hated their jobs and their conduct reflected it.  My son is now the top manager of the company, the one who trains all the other managers. 

With my Xpress Healthcare network marketing business, I started out like everyone else – at the bottom.  I loved working at home and worked consistently to grow my business to one of the top teams in the company.

I am certainly not suggesting that no one should strive to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer.   However, if you must choose between unemployment and whatever job you can find, accept that job and perform it as though it was your dream job.  You will be happier because of your positive attitude, and who knows where your enthusiasm and job performance may direct you?

If you wish to own a home business, choose wisely, and do your research.  Be sure you like the products, the management and the compensation plan.  Then, if everything indicates it is a good company, ignore all the negative talk about the industry.  Instead, put all your effort into your network marketing business and you will build it and grow to love it.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”  Amen.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

With the launch of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), I have heard “chatter” about the damage it will do to the Discount Benefit Industry. Au contraire mon ami. Not only will Obamacare not harm the industry, it will be needed more than ever!

I want to make it clear that discount plans are NOT insurance and do not pay anything toward its members’ expenses. I will not discuss my personal opinion of the ACA in this post, and I ask that readers not express their opinions here either.  Instead, I would like to talk about how Xpress Healthcare’s® discount plans are a perfect supplement to Obamacare.

The ACA requires that all insurance policies include 10 essential elements. Those elements do not include adult dental, vision or hearing services, so the majority of the insurance companies are not including them. This is where my favorite (and least expensive) Xpress Healthcare® benefit plan comes in. Our Premium Plan offers discounts (from 10-85%) on dental, vision, hearing, prescriptions, vitamins/diabetic supplies and medical supplies.  As a member myself, I saved over $1000 in 2013 on my family’s dental and prescription costs. I have health insurance, but my discounts saved me far more than my insurance on my prescriptions, which can vary depending on geographical location. Our Premium Plan* is only $19.95 and that includes all of your immediate family members! Our dental provider network is Aetna Dental Access™, and our discounts are great!

Xpress HealthCare® can be a great compliment to those who participate in Obamacare.

Xpress Healthcare® offers four benefit packages:

Xclusive - $49.90/month/family – Offers discounts on physician’s care, hospitalization, Aetna® Dental Access, vision, hearing, Rx, LifeLock® ID Theft Protection, labs/imaging, pet care and supplies, chiropractic, legal services, a nurse line, roadside assistance, medical supplies, vitamins/diabetic supplies, medical bill saver (negotiation service) and a cash back rewards website.

Premium Plus - $29.95/month/family – Offers discounts on Aetna® Dental Access, vision, hearing, Rx, doctor’s-by-phone (Telahealth), chiropractic, labs/imaging, medical supplies and medical bill saver.

Premium * (see above for details)

Lifestyle Select - $19.95/month/family – Offers savings on LifeLock® ID Theft Protection, pet care and supplies, legal services, roadside assistance, and a cash back rewards website.

So, as you see, the Discount Plan Industry may well flourish as a result of Obamacare. My company, Xpress

Healthcare® is prepared to offer our members great savings on their dental, medical and lifestyle expenses.

For additional information about Xpress Healthcare®, please visit http://2YourHealth2.INFO.

We look forward to helping you and your family save money this year.

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Xpress Healthcare® is only available in the United States (except, WA, KS, VT, UT, and AK).

Disclosures:

Discount Medical Plan Organization:

New Benefits, Ltd.

Attn: Compliance Department

PO Box 671309

Dallas, TX 75367-1309

800-800-7616

Coast to Coast Vision™ and UHS Chiropractic™ are owned and operated by New Benefits, Ltd.

This plan is NOT insurance. This plan does not make payments directly to the providers of medical services. The plan member is obligated to pay for all healthcare services but will receive a discount from those healthcare providers who have contracted with the discount plan organization. This plan provides discounts at certain healthcare providers for medical services. The range of discounts for medical or ancillary services provided under the plan will vary depending on the type of provider and medical or ancillary service received. Pharmacy discounts range from 10% to 85% on most medications.

New Benefits will receive and retain a fee from network providers for eligible prescription, hearing, lab, and imaging purchases. The discount medical card program makes available, before purchase and upon request, a list of program providers, including the name, city, state, and specialty of each program provider located in the cardholder's service area.

This discount card program contains a 30 day cancellation period.

FL, LA, MS, ND, OK, RI, SC, SD and TX residents: Member shall receive a full refund of membership fees, excluding registration fee, if membership is cancelled within the first 30 days after the effective date. AR and TN residents: A refund of all fees will be issued if membership is cancelled within the first 30 days. MD Residents: The membership fee and one-time registration fee (minus $5.00) will be refunded if cancelled within the first 30 days and upon return of the discount card. The plan is not insurance coverage and does not meet the minimum creditable coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act or Massachusetts M.G.L. c. 111M and 956 CMR 5.00.

Regulated discount benefits are not available in the state of Washington, at this time.

WA residents: If a member cancels his or her membership in the discount plan organization within the first thirty days after the date of receipt of the written documents for the discount plan, the member must receive a reimbursement of all periodic charges upon return of the discount plan card to the discount plan organization.

1. (A) Cancellation occurs when notice of cancellation is given to the discount plan organization. (B) Notice of cancellation is given when delivered by hand or deposited in a mailbox, properly addressed and postage prepaid to the mailing address of the discount plan organization, or e-mailed to the e-mail address of the discount plan organization.

2. (A) Discount plan organization shall return in full any periodic charge charged or collected after the member has given the discount plan organization notice of cancellation. (B) If the discount plan organization cancels a membership for any reason other than nonpayment of charges by the member, the discount plan organization shall make a pro rata reimbursement of all periodic charges to the member.

If a resident of the state of Washington remains dissatisfied after completing the organization's complaint process, the plan member may contact the office of the insurance commissioner at: Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, P.O. Box 40256, Olympia, WA 98504-0256 - 800-562-6900 - www.insurance.wa.gov

Internet website address to obtain participating providers is MyMemberPortal.com.

For Terms and Conditions, click here.

Don't Mess with the IRS

It is that time of year again to get organized to prepare our taxes.  Most of us know that home businesses offer many tax benefits.  If you’re just starting out, however, you may be unaware of a few of the great deductions most of us can take.

I am not an accountant or CPA.  My suggestions may not be applicable to you. They may well be, but be sure to speak with a tax advisor prior to taking home business tax deductions.

Here are just a few of the deductions that can save us much more money than we would have if we worked a j-o-b.

The home office deduction is not limited to a full room. Your home office can be part of a room. Measure the area where you conduct your business and divide that by the square footage of your entire home. That percentage is the fraction of your home-related business expenses (rent, mortgage, insurance, electricity, etc.) that you can generally claim on your taxes.

To qualify as a “deductible home office,” the following criteria must be met.

·        Your home must be your principal place of business (or a place where you do administrative chores, such as scheduling and recordkeeping, and you have no other fixed business location); or a place to meet or deal with customers or clients face-to-face on regularly.

·        You must use the space you claim regularly and exclusively for business (with a couple special exceptions I will not address here). So, you cannot claim your kitchen table as your office desk if you feed your family at that table.

You can deduct the business and office supplies you buy. Maintain receipts for these expenses, and they may offset your taxable business income.  Office supplies include pens and paper; however, they can also include office-furniture, computers, scanners, etc. You can take these large deductions all at once in the year of purchase, or you can deduct a percentage of the cost spread over seven years.  Consult a tax advisor before claiming these deductions to be certain you do so correctly and legally.

Business mileage may be deductible.  Miles driven to and from your office (a job or your small business office) are NOT tax deductible, however, miles driven exclusively for your business, along with tolls and parking costs may be.  Keep a log to record these expenses and the purpose of each trip in your vehicle to document the expenses.  There are two different ways to claim these deductions, so again, ask your tax advisor.

Small-business travelers can deduct the entire cost of a hotel, transportation – air, auto or rail, and even costs incurred during the trip such as car rental and tipping a bellhop.  A portion of the meals you eat during business travel is deductible.  Save documentation for all travel expenses.

Self-employed health and long-term care insurance premiums may be 100% deductible, but there are limitations to which you must adhere.  Business and industry-related magazine subscriptions can be claimed as well.

One tax DISadvantage for self-employed or small business owners is that you must pay double the Social Security contributions. Federal law requires employers to pay half and employees to pay the other half. As a home business owner, you are both.

There are many more home business deductions than I can include here.  Take advantage of all legal deductions available to you, and your cost of doing business may be greatly reduced.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.

Bill Gates Said What?

Bill Gates is a pretty amazing guy.  We could all learn a lot from him.  Here are some quotes from Gates that I found online on life, investing and the future of technology and business.  Some of them have powerful messages.

1.  
2. 1.     "Patience is a key element of success."
3. 2.     "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."
4. 3.     "It's fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."
5. 4.     “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
6. 5.     "Is the rich world aware of how four billion of the six billion live? If we were aware, we would want to help out; we'd want to get involved."
7. 6.     "Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important."
8. 7.     "As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."
9. 8.     "Until we're educating every kid in a fantastic way, until every inner city is cleaned up, there is no shortage of things to do."
10. 9.     "There is a certain responsibility that accrued to me when I got to this unexpected position."
11. 10.  "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."
12. 11.  "Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana."
13. 12.         "If you show people problems and you show people the solutions, they will be moved to act."
14. 13.  "The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."
15. 14.  "At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas, but the image is that they all come from the top... I'm afraid that's not quite right."
16. 15.  "When the PC was launched, people knew it was important."
17. 16.  "The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don't really even notice it, so it's part of everyday life."
18. 17.  "I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they're interested in."
19. 18.  "The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow."

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Dental and health care expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.