Insurance Blog - Tim Elenz - President Benefits Age

Political system

Tim Elenz — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 02:14:04 +0000

The political system in this State sure makes it hard to get in. I have to say like starting a business everything works against you. The process, raising money etc I am very lucky to have friends, neighbors and volunteers that are there for support. We need change huge change in our community and I

Continue reading Political system

Why Not?

Tim Elenz — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 01:16:51 +0000

It is amazing how things are perceived in the media. The media throws something out there and some of the public believe it. I still like to hear it from the horse’s mouth. We rely too much on the media to give us their slant.

I don’t believe anything until I hear it directly from the source.

I will say one thing everything I hear about Mayor Emmanuel has been fantastic! I think he is off to a great start! Keep going Mayor things don’t fixed over night, but you are on the right path!

I watched the Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party with Dane Placko and Mike Flannery a couple of weeks ago and he paid a huge compliment to President Cullerton and Speaker Madigan. I was impressed at his bi partisan compliments.

I am glad to see Speaker Madigan and Speaker Boehner talking. Thank you Speaker Madigan for reaching our across the isle. We need to restore communication for the good of the people.

We need new ideas and change and to stop blaming others. Let’s spend time in the solution not the problem!

Sit Down with Sears

Tim Elenz — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:01:12 +0000

Thank you President Cullerton for meeting with Sears in Hoffman Estates yesterday. With the exception of Rep. Crespo I have not heard of any of out state elected officials looking for a solution. Sears leaving the area would have a devastating effect on our community.

Win/Win programs

Tim Elenz — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:24:09 +0000

I am too young to remember the Win program from President Ford, but it seems to me that President Obama should read up on a Republican’s plan.

Part of the Win program gave businesses a huge tax break if they created revenue. In other words JOBS! Corporate tax rates were cut if a corporation grew their employee base and created jobs. So as an example if a company has 100 employees and the target is 20% they create 20 new positions their tax rate is kept low.

Another idea would be a tax credit for employee medical insurance underwritten by an employer. The new law which is creeping up on us makes employers strongly consider dropping coverage and joining state run pools.

Give firms a reason to expand. Current atmosphere in this country is …..Who knows? Congress the White House have not given business any indication on which way to go.

Simply raising taxes so those in power can expand their political bases with entitlements, earmarks and completely useless programs is absolutely senseless .

Health Care Reform Can you tell me what it means?

Tim Elenz — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:10:03 +0000

I went to a four hour continuing education class today. Great speakers! The gentleman who is a MD. MBA and medical director at an insurance company, had a great point. He said insurance brokers/consultants have an important role to play the next couple of years. They need to help their clients navigate through the new health care plan the government is implementing. Actually I think brokers/consultants need to help government officials understand how the system they passed can never work.

Unfortunately no one including the people that passed the bill have any answers on how to implement and fund this program.

First time I can remember telling my clients for the first time in my life I don’t know more than I do know when they ask about the new law.

Health care reform

Tim Elenz — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:59:14 +0000

Funny when you think about it. Health care was suppose to make medical insurance more affordable for everyone. Yet we are in the worst recession of all time and the cap on medical insurance renewals does not kick in until 2014. In the meantime employers are experiencing double digit renewals at a time when most companies are trying to hang on to their businesses y the skin of their teeth. Perhaps we should have put renewal increases in first?

Health Care Ruling- Let’s get to the Supreme Court

Tim Elenz — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:12:19 +0000

I am glad that our President is a Professor of Law. Really I am. He seems to feel that the Health Care law will stand a court challenge and I guess it has in certain federal courts and other jurisdictions have ruled against it. What seems odd to me is that 28 states have files objections to the new law. They are fighting it as they believe that it will be bad for their citizens. Right or Wrong 28 out of 50 have gone through the process and are fighting with the federal government on the legality. Apparently there is a disagreement . Well everyone agrees that the US Supreme Court will make the final decision. Right? So why don’t we bypass all the craziness of going through the appellate system and both side agree to waive all the non sense and move right to the highest court in the land? Save the tax payers a lot of time money and resources that can be used to help people. If this law is wrong unraveling it already is going to be a mess. Let’s drop all legal maneuvering right now and ask the High Court to make a ruling. Both sided have good arguments. Let’s drop the EGO’s for once and do the right thing for the taxpayers!

Rahm Emanuel for Mayor

Tim Elenz — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:31:01 +0000

I had the pleasure of meeting Congressman Rahm Emanuel last Thursday at an office meeting downtown. I have to say I was very impressed. Actually the more I read about him after he left the White House, the more I like him. I have no doubt that he would be a fantastic Mayor. The people of Chicago would be very lucky to have him as I honestly believe he would turn things around. I found Mr. Emanuel extremely charismatic, confident, open minded but most important he had a plan. He laid out several ideas to this small group of business people. He was direct, honest and I have to say he may be the best hope for Chicago. The one thing he touched on that impressed he was his plan for revamping the current medical plan that Chicago’s work force currently have. He spoke on health risk management programs that make sense. He talked about making patients accountable for their own health. Educating employees how to better take acre of themselves and how to use a system that could be described confusing at best! I could not agree more that this approach will save the city millions of dollars and make the the city better!

Employers need to promote healthcare not medical insurance

Tim Elenz — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:01:33 +0000

I find it interesting that we in America are the only ones that use the the term health care and medical insurance as meaning the same thing. I am guilty of it from time to time myself. In virtually every other country they are two different things. Medical insurance is a private corporation that provides reimbursement for services people use. Corporations act in their own best interest. They are responsible to their owners/share holders. They have no fiduciary responsibility to the parties that pay a premium to protect against losses other than to reimburse their claims as per the terms of the contract. We elect government officials we do not elct insurance company executives. The Board of Directors appoints offiicers and their appointees act in the best interest of the share holders. PERIOD. Where employers thought that insurance companies would act in their best interest amazes me. Meeical insurance in the US is a business, plain and simple. There is nothing wrong with that. The issue of providing health care is another matter. I wish someone in local state and federal government would take a good hard look at the money we spend on tax payers and realize that we could easily provide heath care for everyone legal or illegal. Health care is a right! Medical insurance is a choice.

Health care reform

Tim Elenz — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:02:51 +0000

I received an email the other day referring to Ben Stein being quoted as saying “The President wants to be able to verify that everyone has medical insurance but has not done anything about verifying that people are here legally” I laughed when I read that but there is a bit of truth to it. I keep asking myself and all elected officials whom I meet, why don’t we just fix the current public health care system? Where I live we spend a billion dollar plus on Cook County hospital which treats 1.4 million patients a year. The population of Cook County is 6.5 million. That is over 20% that receive health care from a taxpayer funded system. The cost of care at that system is about 3 times the cost of treatment compared to a private health system right around the corner. I thank that we are the only country that believes medical insurance and health care are the same. They are not. I am beginning to see how Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Congressman Greyson (FL) make sense on the health care issue. The government should have a system that covers everyone. Very similar to medicare. I know the right is going to start the hate mail at point. But think about it for a minute. Every major city in the US has a public health care system, currently funded by taxpayers. I understand it to be a Federalmandate that states provide health care. So the state taxes their residents to pay for a health care system. Residents are covered bymedicaid programs and public systems like Cook County Hospital which is funded by local taxpayers. In fact every major Metropolitan city in the US has a Cook County type hospital that treats everything from basic physical exams to major treatments. Why can’t our elected officials get together and fix the current system to provide quality health care for our citizens? Does it matter if it is State or the Federal government that pay for it? It is all taxpayer money.