Healthy Indiana Plan and Medicare Still Available as Economy Slows

The article "Slow Economy Drives More Patients to Clinics" by Emily Monacelli on etruth.com says that more patients are avoiding their doctor and visiting community health centers instead. This is a direct result of the slowing economy and more uninsured Indiana residents.

Heart City Health Center in Elkart saw over 10,000 patients in 2009 which was up 45% from 2008 according to CEO Vernita Todd. Unfortunately, more patients does not translate to more revenue. Approximately 65% of the clinic's adult uninsured visitors receive a 90% discount based on their income level.

Many of these patients are unaware of the affordable options available to them and their families such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Healthy Indiana Plan. Many of these people are the working poor and they want to be covered, especially to protect their children but the money just isn't there. Having available health clinics is a blessing to communities, especially in tough times when unemployment is up and uninsured residents are on the rise.

Ohio DOI: BMV Email Debate

There has been a hot topic email going around on the Internet in regards to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and their plates expiration date. The article "Ohio BMV: Email Not True" found on whiotv.com summarizes the situation. Many Ohioans have received an email stating that the State of Ohio is trying to trick residents into paying more for the license plate renewal. The supposed month long grace period after the birthday was apparently going away and violators would be charged in an extra penalty to try and balance the budget. Many expected the Ohio DOI to be on top of this.

But state officials say this email isn't true. Since 1989 the expiration date for plates has been on the actual birthday, not the end of the birth month like many misinterpreted. A spokesperson for the BMV stated there has been an increase in penalties for not having a sticker updated on time, but this was made very public in the Transportation Bill. They definitely were not trying to be sneaky.

The email has been circulating servers and creating quite a stir among Ohio drivers. State officials are even considering putting something on their website to straighten out the misunderstanding caused by this email.

Colorado DOI Website Has Consumer Tips

The Colorado DOI has a website for their Department of Regulatory Agencies and on this site is a section dedicated to offering tips to consumers. The most recent tip segment is about keeping debt levels down and paying off holiday spending. What a great time of year to offer this type of advice as many consumers have spent more than they can afford.

Some of the highlights to the segment include paying off the highest interest rate credit card first to minimize the amount of finance charges you pay. They recommend cutting up all cards you do not regularly use and make it a priority to pay new balances in full each month. They suggest contacting creditors to negotiate lower interest rates which can often prove very worth while and will save you hundreds in interest fees if they agree. If possible, move balances from higher interest rate cards to lower interest rates cards and take advantage of low promotional rates when available.

The most important advice, which is also the most challenging for the average American, is to live within your means. If you cannot afford a particular item, save money until you can afford it and pay for it with cash. This is a habit that will prove to save you a lot of money in the long run. Good luck!

California DOI Warns Seniors

According to a press release from December 17th on the California DOI website, a $15,000 fine has been issued against Annuity Services Insurance Center for deceptive practices which targeted senior citizens. This leads the DOI to warn seniors about scam artists.

California Commissioner, Steve Poizner, offers tips to help protect senior citizens from annuity scams. Some tips include watching out for high pressure selling techniques, preying on "time fears", asking for appropriate credentials, and trusting your instincts. They encourage you to contact your state if you suspect you are being scammed. If you think an offer is too good to be true, then there is a good chance it may be a scam.

It's very important that state departments take the initiative to protect those who are easy targets. The Florida DOI gives similar warnings since they have a high number of retirees in the state of Florida. It's very frustrating that there are people out there with the main intention to mislead, confuse and deceive consumers.