the healthy happy: novembre 2013

mercredi 13 novembre 2013

Ben Roethlisberger Denies Trade Rumors: 'I Don't Know Where That Came From'

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger isn't going anywhere. Not if he has anything to say about it.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback called a report he may seek a trade in the offseason "ridiculous."

NFL.com reported early Sunday the Steelers expected Roethlisberger to ask the team to explore trade options in the offseason. Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, called the speculation "completely wrong" and added the 31-year-old quarterback is "100 percent committed to winning a championship with the Steelers."

Roethlisberger went even further after passing for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 23-10 win over Buffalo on Sunday.

"I don't know where that came from," he said. "It is one of the most (untrue) stories that I've ever heard of. I've always said that I want to be a Steeler for life. I love it here. I'm happy here."

The report called Roethlisberger "very frustrated" by his team's ugly start. The Steelers improved to 3-6 after drumming the Bills, but still remain well out of the mix in the AFC North.

Roethlisberger, who has won two Super Bowls in 10 seasons, agreed he's "unhappy" when Pittsburgh fails to produce, but welcomed his share of the blame. Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley have struggled to communicate at times since Haley was hired nearly two years ago. The quarterback and the coach have spent much of the season trying to find common ground.

Steelers president Art Rooney II added "the Pittsburgh Steelers have not explored trading quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and have no plans to do so."

Roethlisberger's current contract will expire at the end of the 2015 season. He is due a base salary of $12.1 million next season, with a salary cap number of nearly $19 million. That alone would could make it difficult for the Steelers to move Roethlisberger even if there was interest.

Apparently, there's not. Tollner said Roethlisberger's roots are "firmly" planted in western Pennsylvania. Roethlisberger and his wife are expecting their second child next spring.

"I'm a Pittsburgher," Roethlisberger said. "I've told people that. I'm so proud to raise my kids here. I want to finish my career here, however long that is. I don't want to play for anybody else. This is it for me."

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

Also on HuffPost:

Subscribe window._taboola = window._taboola || [];_taboola.push({mode:'autosized-1r-organic',container:'taboola-autosized-1r-organic'});_taboola.push({mode:'autosized-1r-sc',container:'taboola-autosized-1r-sc'});window._taboola = window._taboola || [];_taboola.push({flush:true});

Panthers Beat 49ers 10-9 For 5th Straight Win

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

SAN FRANCISCO -- SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Carolina's swarming, opportunistic defense stopped Colin Kaepernick in his tracks.

Drayton Florence intercepted a pass by Kaepernick in the final minute to seal a 10-9 victory Sunday to snap the San Francisco 49ers' five-game winning streak and give the Panthers their fifth straight win.

Graham Gano kicked a 53-yard field goal with 10:05 remaining that held up as the Panthers (6-3) twice shut down Colin Kaepernick on last-ditch drives with swarming defense.

DeAngelo Williams broke two tackles for a 27-yard touchdown run late in the first half that pulled Carolina within 9-7. Gano missed wide left on a 48-yard field goal in the third period, but came through later.

San Francisco (6-3) got the ball back with 5:25 left at its 1, then again with 1:02 to go.

Phil Dawson kicked a season-best 53-yard field goal among his three for the 49ers, who lost tight end Vernon Davis and rookie safety Eric Reid to concussions.

Carolina fumbled twice in the closing moments, but recovered each time. First, Jonathan Stewart fumbled and Mike Tolbert pounced on the ball. Cam recovered his own bobble.

This was hardly the highly touted showdown between 2011 No. 1 overall pick Newton and Kaepernick, the sixth quarterback drafted that year, in the second round. They roomed together during the scouting combine.

Kaepernick went 11 for 22 for 91 yards with an interception and was sacked six times for a 42.0 passer rating. Newton was only slightly better, going 16 of 32 for 169 yards, an interception and four sacks for a 52.7 rating.

For two teams that have been putting up points at a prolific pace for the past month, the defenses dictated this one.

More than losing the game, the 49ers' losses of Davis and Reid could be troublesome for the reigning NFC champions as they hit the road next week for New Orleans, then go to Washington.

Davis didn't return after sustaining a concussion in the second quarter, then Reid went down on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Mike Tolbert in the third. Earlier, Reid recovered a fumble to give him five takeaways in an already-stellar rookie season that also includes three interceptions.

Frank Gore had 16 carries for 82 yards, accounting for most of San Francisco's 151 total yards.

Dawson put San Francisco ahead on a 53-yard field goal on the team's opening drive, his longest kick of the year. He kicked second-quarter field goals of 43 and 25 yards.

But Kaepernick could never get his team in the end zone in its first game since a bye on the heels of a win over Jacksonville in London.

When San Francisco's Andy Lee had his punt blocked at the end of the first quarter, Florence tried to get out of the way, but went to grab the ball at the last second and it got away from him. Reid wrestled the ball from Josh Thomas for his second fumble recovery of the season and fifth takeaway.

Carolina got going after managing only minus-7 yards passing and 12 total yards in the first quarter. The Panthers finished with 250 total yards.

The 49ers also lost tight end Garrett Celek to a hamstring injury in the first quarter, while defensive tackle Ray McDonald hurt an ankle.

Panthers linebacker Chase Blackburn did not return in the second half because of a foot injury.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

Also on HuffPost:

mardi 12 novembre 2013

LSU Fan Acts Like A Dinosaur On National TV

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

A Lousiana State University student acted like a dinosaur on national television this weekend.

After a touchdown in the LSU game against Alabama, CBS cameras switched to a celebrating Tigers fan section and slowly focused on engineering student Caleb Bates. He wasn't cheering, he was just pretending to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

We're guessing this is one of the ways Bates strives to serve as a "role model for students in every aspect of University life," per his LinkedIn page.

It was inevitable that people would begin making .GIFs of Bates' dinosaur imitation spliced with footage from "Jurassic Park."

Now, of course, Bates is milking his new reputation as a faux-dino.

Tried to get out of bed this morning but my tiny arms were making it really difficult.
— Caleb Bates (@calebates) November 10, 2013

You're gonna hear me rrroooo oh oh oh oh oh a or!
— Caleb Bates (@calebates) November 10, 2013

Apparently no one told Bates it wasn't possible for him to a dinosaur.

Also on HuffPost:

Jonathan Martin's Threatening Text Message To Richie Incognito Was This Meme, Claims His Lawyer

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
jonathan martin text

Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (68) and tackle Jonathan Martin (71) stand on the field during practice in Davie, Fla. on July 24, 2013.

Attempting to provide context for his treatment of teammate Jonathan Martin, Richie Incognito claimed he also received a threatening text message. The suspended Miami Dolphins guard made this revelation when he sat down with Jay Glazer of FOX Sports to discuss the Dolphins' bullying scandal involving him and Martin. A second-year offensive tackle, Martin abruptly left the Dolphins on Oct. 28 to receive treatment for emotional distress. Incognito, once named the NFL's dirtiest player in a poll of his peers, was subsequently suspended by the Dolphins on Nov. 2 for unspecified misconduct related to alleged mistreatment of Martin.

"People don't know how John and I communicate to one another," Incognito explained to Glazer. "For instance, a week before this went down, Jonathan Martin texts me on my phone: 'I will murder your whole effing family.' Now, did I think Jonathan Martin was going to murder my family? Not one bit. I knew it was coming from a brother. I knew it was coming from a friend. I knew it was coming from a teammate."

Hours after the interview aired on FOX on Sunday afternoon, David Cornwell, an attorney for Martin, shared a profane Internet meme featuring a smiling woman and a dog on Twitter and indicated this was the message that Incognito mentioned to Glazer.

WARNING: Image Below Contains Strong Language

JMart's text 2 Richie Incognito. U decide..... pic.twitter.com/IrgdNnhGe2
— David Cornwell (@wmdavidcornwell) November 10, 2013

Is that what viewers had in mind as Incognito recalled the text message?

Incognito referenced the text from Martin when asked about the threatening voice and text messages he had reportedly sent that included racial slurs. Speaking with Glazer, Incognito confirmed leaving the following voicemail for Martin, who is bi-racial.

“Hey, wassup, you half n—– piece of [expletive] . . . I saw you on Twitter, you been training ten weeks. [I want to] [expletive] in your [expletive] mouth. [I'm going to] slap your [expletive] mouth. [I'm going to] slap your real mother across the face (laughter). [Expletive] you, you’re still a rookie. I’ll kill you.”

Although he did expressed embarrassment over the voicemail, Incognito cited the text from Martin as evidence that both players traded similar threats in jest. He portrayed a locker room culture where such language was acceptable.

"When I see that voicemail, when I see those words come across the screen, I'm embarrassed by it," Incognito said after he was presented with a transcript of the offensive voicemail he left for Martin. "I'm embarrassed by my actions. But what I want people to know is, the way Jonathan and the rest of the offensive line and how our teammates, how we communicate it's vulgar. It's not right."

[H/T Deadspin]

Texas And 5 Other States Resist Processing Benefits For Gay Couples

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

On the morning of Sept. 3, the first day the Pentagon said they could, Alicia Butler and her spouse, Judith Chedville, who is a Texas Army National Guard officer, went to Austin’s Camp Mabry so Ms. Butler could get a military spouse identification card and register for the same federal marriage benefits provided to wives and husbands of heterosexual service members.

Read the whole story at The New York Times

'Downton Abbey' Renewed For Fifth Season

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — "Downton Abbey" will return for a fourth season in January, but now PBS is announcing the series will be back for at least one more after that.

"Masterpiece" executive producer Rebecca Eaton says Downton fans can "rest easy knowing that a fifth season is on the way."

The celebrated British costume drama focusing on the elite Crawley family will air its fourth season on "Masterpiece" beginning Jan. 5. Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Jim Carter are among its stars.

Earlier this year, more than 24 million viewers watched the third season of the series in the U.S., making it the most-watched drama in PBS history.

World War II Reunions Poignant For Dwindling Veterans

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

DAYTON, Ohio -- DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Paul Young rarely talked about his service during World War II — about the B-25 bomber he piloted, about his 57 missions, about the dangers he faced or the fears he overcame.

"Some things you just don't talk about," he said.

But Susan Frymier had a hunch that if she could journey from Fort Wayne, Ind., with her 92-year-old dad for a reunion of his comrades in the 57th Bomb wing, he would open up.

She was right: On a private tour at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton, amid fellow veterans of flights over southern Europe and Germany, Young rattled off vivid details of his plane, crewmates, training and some of his most harrowing missions.

"Dad, you can't remember what you ate yesterday, but you remember everything about World War II," his daughter said, beaming.

When Young came home from the war, more than 70 years ago, there were 16 million veterans like him — young soldiers, sailors and Marines who returned to work, raise families, build lives. Over the decades, children grew up, married, had children of their own; careers were built and faded into retirement; love affairs followed the path from the altar to the homestead and often, sadly, to the graveyard.

Through it all, the veterans would occasionally get together to remember the greatest formative experience of their lives. But as the years wore on, there were fewer and fewer of them. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, just a little over 1 million remain. The ones who remain are in their 80s and 90s, and many are infirm or fragile.

So the reunions, when they are held, are more sparsely attended — yearly reminders of the passing of the Greatest Generation.

—When veterans of the Battle of the Bulge gathered in Kansas City this summer, only 40 came, according to organizers, down from 63 last year and 350 in 2004.

—Of the 80 members of Doolittle's Raiders who set out on their daring attack on mainland Japan in 1942, 73 survived. Seventy-one years later, only four remain; they decided this year's April reunion in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., would be their last, though they agreed to meet Nov. 9 for a final toast in honor of those who have gone before them.

—A half-century ago, when retired Army First Lt. Frank Towers went to his first reunion of the 30th Infantry Division — soldiers who landed at the beaches of Normandy and fought across France and Germany — he was surrounded by 1,000 other veterans.

"Now if I get 50, I'm lucky," said Towers, who is working on plans for a reunion next February in Savannah, Ga. "Age has taken its toll on us. A lot of our members have passed away, and many of them who are left are in health situations where they can't travel."

So why persist?

"It's a matter of camaraderie," Towers said. "We spent basically a year or more together through hell or high water. We became a band of brothers. We can relate to each other in ways we can't relate to (anyone else). You weren't there. These guys were there. They know the horrors we went through."

___

As many as 11,000 people served in the 57th Bomb Wing that flew missions over German-held Europe from North Africa and the island of Corsica during most of the war. Hundreds survive, according to wing historians and reunion organizers. Only nine veterans made it to this fall's event.

George Williams, 90, recalled earlier reunions with his comrades, "having a great time yukking it up and talking about things." No one else from his squadron came to this one.

"All of a sudden, it's lonesome," said Williams, a native of Visalia, Calif., who moved after his wife's death to Springfield, Mo., where his son lives. "All of the people you ran around with are on the wrong side of the grass. You wonder why you're so lucky."

But in a Holiday Inn hospitality suite with patriotic bunting, bowls of pretzels and chips with soft drinks at their tables, the stories flowed easily.

Williams remembered the tension of his first mission, his hand ready at the tag that would release him to bail out if necessary. It went without incident, and upon their return to base, a flight surgeon measured out two ounces of whiskey for each crewman. "Sixty-nine to go," he said then, because 70 missions was considered the tour of duty. Sometimes on later missions, he would pour the two ounces into a beer bottle to save up for a night when he needed numbing.

Robert Crouse, of Clinton, Tenn., is 89 years old, but he remembers as if it happened yesterday the time a shell blew out the cockpit windshield ("you could stick your head through it"), disabling much of the control panel. Another plane escorted the bomber, its pilot calling out altitude and air speed as Crouse's plane limped back to base, riddled with holes.

Young recalled flying a damaged plane back to base, hearing his tail gunner's panicked yells as Plexiglass shattered over him. "You could feel the plane vibrate; you fly through the smoke, you smell the smoke and you hear the flak hitting the plane like hail on a tin roof."

Not all the memories are bad ones. There was the late-war mission when they hit a spaghetti factory instead of the intended target ("Spaghetti was flying everywhere," recalled Crouse, chuckling). There was Williams' first Thanksgiving meal overseas: a Spam turkey, spiced and baked to perfection by an innovative cook.

"I still love Spam," he said.

Then there was R&R in Rome, hosted by the Red Cross. Young men not long removed from high school toured the Colosseum and other historic sites they had read about. They visited the Vatican; some met Pope Pius XII. Williams got a papal blessing of a rosary for his engineer's fiancee.

"It was pretty good," Williams said of his war experience, "except when they were shooting at us."

___

Some of the veterans fear that their service will be forgotten after they are gone. Crouse and others have written memoirs, and many of the reunion groups now have websites, magazines and other publications in which they recount their stories.

"You just hope that the young people appreciate it," said Young. "That it was very important, if you wanted to continue the freedom that we have."

Their children remember. Some are joining them at the reunions; others keep coming after their fathers are gone.

At this year's reunion, Bob Marino led a memorial service and read the names of 42 members of the 57th Bomb Wing who died in the past year. A bugler played "Taps."

Marino, 72, a retired IRS attorney and Air Force veteran from Basking Ridge, N.J., helped organize the gathering. His Brooklyn-native father, Capt. Benjamin Marino, died in 1967 and left numerous photos from the war, and Marino set about trying to identify and organize them. To learn more about his father's experiences, he corresponded with other veterans — including Joseph Heller, who was inspired by his wartime experiences with the 57th to write his classic novel "Catch-22."

"He never talked about any of this," Marino said, turning the pages on a massive scrapbook as veterans dropped by to look at the photos. "Once in a while, something came out. I wish I had sat down and talked to him about it."

This was precisely the gift Susan Frymier received at the reunion in Dayton.

She watched as the father who had long avoided talking about the war proudly pulled from his wallet a well-worn, black-and-white snapshot of the plane he piloted, nicknamed "Heaven Can Wait" with a scantily clad, shapely female painted near the cockpit.

She listened as he described German anti-aircraft artillery fire zeroing in on his plane. "I had to get out of there. All the flak ... they were awfully close." He described "red-lining" a landing, running the engines beyond safe speed. His voice suddenly choked.

"Oh, Dad!" said his daughter, and she hugged him tightly.

___

Contact reporter Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

Also on HuffPost:

lundi 11 novembre 2013

Cory Booker Goes To Washington A Celebrity And Senator

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — When the U.S. Senate passed a bill to ban job discrimination against gay and transgender people, its newest member's first impulse was to yell with joy. Then he remembered where he was.

Instead, Cory Booker reached into his pocket for his phone.

"I got it all out via Twitter," said Booker, who has 1.4 million followers.

Booker, the 44-year-old Democratic former mayor of Newark, N.J., came into Congress as a rare freshman senator with celebrity status. He has been dubbed a rock star mayor by Oprah Winfrey, been called a hero for pulling a neighbor out of her burning home in 2012 and hobnobbed with Matt Damon.

During his first week in Congress, Booker tried to balance immersion in his new job with already standing out from his 99 colleagues on the staid Senate floor. Booker allowed The Associated Press to shadow his comings and goings.

"The model I've encouraged him to follow is Al Franken or Hillary Clinton," said Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat and a friend of Booker's. "People who came to the Senate with big national profiles but demonstrated a willingness to do the work, dig in, go visit every corner of their state and really focus on home-state interests."

Coons came into the Senate after a special election in 2010. He is helping Booker, who also won a special election, navigate and knows what it's like to start the job with no orientation and a skeleton staff.

After a swearing-in Oct. 31 filled with media and supporters, Booker has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. He's studying the minutiae of Senate rules and has attended multitudes of meetings. He has worked out at the Senate gym to meet colleagues and attended a bipartisan prayer breakfast.

Known for his soaring oratory and confidence, he is now listening and asking questions, sometimes seeming overwhelmed or confused — and showing glimmers of his cheeky sense of humor amid the business of the day.

In his first committee hearing Wednesday, he joked that "I still have that new senator smell" after telling the leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency that higher flood insurance rates would devastate parts of New Jersey.

He asked Vice President Joe Biden if he could crash on his couch. And he answered a Twitter question about his thoughts on workplace romances with: "Don't! Especially if u have 99 colleagues in 1 of the world's most august bodies."

He went to the White House twice. He joined a group of Democratic senators Wednesday and, hours after being sworn in, had a private visit with President Barack Obama.

"There was a guy with a football, and I grabbed it, and the president and I had a little catch," said Booker, who played football at Stanford. Obama, he said, complimented his spiral.

Booker was the first to arrive at a Democratic caucus lunch Tuesday, piling his plate with greens and vegetables. He peeled plastic wrap off of a bowl of dressing as Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu arrived. The two headed toward the back of the room and sat down.

"Sen. Menendez came in and said, 'That's my seat.' And of course I panicked," Booker said. "At first I'm like, 'Oh my God, did I really sit in his seat?' And another senator came in and tried to play the same trick on me."

Booker and his mother, Carolyn, met privately with Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Booker's father, Cary, suffered a stroke in August shortly after moving to Las Vegas and days before Booker's Democratic primary. Reid visited his bedside, and when he died Oct. 10, Reid reached out to Booker and his family.

In many ways, Booker is just another guy getting used to a new job — learning the rules and his colleagues, just as they've all had to do at some point.

He took his first vote minutes after being sworn in and thought votes were cast by pushing a button or pulling a lever. Instead, he learned, "you raise your hand." On one vote, Booker missed his name while chatting with colleagues and flagged down the Senate clerk, voting yes with a thumbs-up.

He brought a congressional directory Thursday morning and watched each speaker intently, occasionally flipping through to match a senator with a photo. He is also learning how to navigate the labyrinth that is the Capitol and its office buildings.

"Is this the way home?" he asked his chief of staff as the two traversed the Senate basement.

He said he plans to advocate for New Jersey residents, hoping to ensure they receive unclaimed earned-income credits and helping victims of Superstorm Sandy. He met with an ethics officer to see how he can leverage private-public partnerships for New Jersey, as he did in Newark — most famously with a $100 million donation from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to the city schools.

And though he's been minding his manners, he's still the same Cory Booker. A stalwart supporter of gay rights, he finally let out that yell upon walking into his office after the job discrimination vote.

"Call everybody in New Jersey," Booker said to his staff, "and tell them we're one step closer to an equal nation."

___

Follow Zezima at www.twitter.com/katiezez

Also on HuffPost:

23 Health Insurance Terms You Should Know

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
insurance-glossary-terms

Understanding the key terms will help you get the coverage you need.Health insurance can be seriously confusing. From choosing a plan (which one is really the cheapest?) to figuring out exactly how much a treatment will cost (did I meet my deductible? what is a deductible?), it can be tricky to navigate health insurance—and honestly, healthcare in general.

The Affordable Care Act should make it easier to understand and get health insurance, and to understand what is covered. But at the same time, it has also introduced some new terms and concepts that you may need to wrap your head around.

Here's what you need to know to get the coverage you need.

Affordable Care Act
Also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," this is the healthcare reform legislation signed into law by President Obama in 2010. Some provisions of the law, such as universal coverage for preventive services, are already in place. Others will be rolled out in the next couple of years.

Affordable insurance exchange
Sometimes this is referred to as the Health Insurance Marketplace. These exchanges exist at the state and federal levels and allow individuals, families and small businesses to learn about coverage options to suit their income and to compare plans so as to select the one that best fits their needs. People or companies in the market for health insurance fill out one application and get information on all health plans in the area.

Cancellations
In the past, some insurance companies would cancel health coverage because you made a mistake on your application. Under the ACA, companies are no longer allowed to do that, although they can cancel your coverage if you knowingly falsified or omitted information on your application or if you don't pay your premium on time.

COBRA
Stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. Its a federal law that gives you the right to temporarily (for 18 months or more, in most cases) continue with the group insurance plan of your employer even after you leave a job—voluntarily or involuntarily—or when you reduce your hours, such as from full-time to part-time.

Copayments
A fixed amount of money (often $15 or $20) that you must pay out-of-pocket for a healthcare service. It is usually paid at your healthcare provider's office at the time of the visit.

Get Your Insurance Company to Pay for a Denied Claim woman-phone-insurance

Dont assume the first "no" is final Read moreDeductible
The amount of money you must pay out-of-pocket for medical care before your health insurance plan takes over payments. It is usually calculated on an annual basis and, generally, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium.

Dependent coverage
Many insurance plans also provide coverage for family members of the policyholder. Under the Affordable Care Act, dependent coverage for children must be available until an adult child reaches the age of 26.

Drug formulary
A list of all the medications that are covered under your health insurance plan.

Essential health benefits
The Affordable Care Act requires certain health plans for individuals and small groups to offer a comprehensive package of items and services. These essential health benefits include pediatric care, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, and care for mental health and substance use disorders. This provision of the Affordable Care Act takes effect in 2014.

Grandfathered health plans
Group or individual health plans that were purchased on or before March 23, 2010. These plans are exempt from many of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Healthcare plan categories
Healthcare plans in the insurance marketplace are divided into four categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The plans differ depending on how much you pay versus how much the plan pays. Platinum plans have the most coverage but the highest premium. Bronze plans offer lower premiums but less overall coverage.

HIPAA
HIPAA is an acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is a federal law that determines standards for handling health information; your rights to confidentiality regarding protected health information; special enrollment in health plans when certain life or work events occur; and availability and renewability of health coverage, among other things.

Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and updates from Health.com!

Health Insurance for Cheapskates: Why You Shouldn't Just Pay the Fine

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
obamacare-fine

It's no secret that the rollout of the Affordable Care Act has been suffering from some serious glitches. (Ahem, including a website crash.) But if you're one of those insurance-free people who hasn't actually tried to sign up because you have no intention of buying health insurance anytime soon (we're talking to you, I'm-gonna-live-forever people), here's why you should think again.

First, the most obvious reason: Not having health insurance is like playing Russian roulette with your financial future. More than half of all personal bankruptcies in the United States can be traced at least partly to medical bills. According to one survey, 80 million adults are struggling under the weight of medical bills or medical debt.

And something as seemingly commonplace as a fracture from a skateboard accident could easily rack up $20,000 in bills.

"It doesn't take much to leave people in a medical lurch," says Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.

If you need a reminder of the bad old days before the Affordable Care Act—which, we must be honest, we're not sure are over yet—read How I Lost My Insurance, Stopped Taking My Medication and Had a Heart Attack.

Now, if you're still thinking, "Hey, the penalty for not having insurance is only $95 and my monthly premium will be way more than that!" the following Q&A is for you.

Q: The penalty for not having insurance is only $95 and my monthly premium will be much higher. Why shouldn't I just pay the fine?

You're right, the penalty for not having insurance the first year is $95 or 1% of your family income, whichever is greater. Sounds great! But there's that tricky "whichever is greater," says Taylor Burke, associate professor of health policy at George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, DC.

While most people will indeed end up paying only $95, there's a possibility that your penalty could be higher, up to $288 per family.

But that's just next year. The penalty will be higher after that. In 2015, count on 2% of income, up to $325 per adult or $975 per family. In 2016, you're looking at fines of 2.5% of income, up to $695 for each adult or $2,085 per family.

That fine may still seem piddling compared to the insurance premiums you'd pay, but remember that if you don't buy health insurance, you'll be paying the fine plus 100% of any medical costs you incur. Almost 30 million adults have used up all their savings to deal with the financial consequences of an illness or accident. How long until your savings run out?

Q: What's the deadline for choosing a plan?

You have until March 31, 2014 to choose a plan before the individual mandate (the part of the law requires that you buy a plan or get hit with tax penalties) kicks in. However, it can take six weeks from application until coverage starts, so keep it in mind when shopping for a plan. If you sign up on March 31, 2014, your coverage won't start until May.

Q: What's the cheapest plan I can get away with? What about a Catastrophic Plan?

You may not qualify for this one. Under Obamacare, catastrophic insurance plans are only available to people under the age of 30 and people over the age of 30 who can show that no plan, even with subsidies, would cost less than 8% of their income.

Under this type of plan, the essential health benefits (see below) have to be covered but, other than that, you are responsible for all of your medical costs up to $6,350 per person. Only after you have forked over this $6,350 deductible will your coverage kick in and only for the rest of that year. It starts all over again come January 1.

"It's truly for only the young invincibles," says Burke.

Q: OK, I'm thinking about buying a policy instead of paying the penalty. What's the cheapest one?

Insurance plans under Obamacare come in four basic levels of coverage: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Bronze and Silver plans have lower premiums (the amount you pay every month), but higher out-of-pocket costs (the amount you pay for hospital and doctor's bills before your insurance kicks in) than the Gold and Platinum varieties.

The lowest average premium nationally for a 27-year-old in most states is $129 a month for a Catastrophic Plan, $163 for a Bronze Plan, and $203 for a Silver Plan. This is before tax credits or subsidies (more on this later).

Your premium will vary depending on where you live (rural areas with fewer insurance providers and less competition, may be more expensive); family size; your age (older people tend to pay more); and whether or not you smoke. (Yes, smokers pay more—a lot more—than non-smokers, as much as 50% more in premiums. The take home message? Cheapskates should quit smoking, along with everyone else.)

But a cheap premium does not always mean a cheaper plan, says Burke, unless you never get sick or see the doctor.

Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and updates from Health.com!

6 Things You Need to Know About Insurance

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
What You Need to Know About Health Insurance - Health.com S
H
A
R
E Subscribe to Health Magazine All You Coastal Living Cooking Light Food and Wine Health My Recipes Real Simple Southern Living Sunset Go to Health.com

SweepstakesHealth NewsettersSubscribeHealthy & HappyNews & ViewsSex & RelationshipsHome & FamilyMind & BodyDiet & FitnessCardio WorkoutsLose WeightGet StrongerYoga & PilatesFood & RecipesRecipesMust-Eat FoodsCelebrity ChefsMyths & FactsBeauty & StyleSkin & Anti-AgingHair & MakeupSlimming StyleCelebrity TipsHealth A-ZAdult ADHDAlzheimer's DiseaseAsthmaBipolar DisorderBirth ControlBreast CancerChildhood VaccinesCholesterolChronic PainCold, Flu, and SinusCOPDCrohn's DiseaseDepressionDiabetes (Type 2)FibromyalgiaGERDHeadaches & MigrainesIncontinenceMenopauseMultiple SclerosisOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisPsoriasisRheumatoid ArthritisSexual HealthSleep DisordersMore ConditionsMagazineCurrent IssueSubscribeTablet EditionArchiveGive: 2-for-1 Holiday OfferCustomer ServiceMedia KitYour Healthcare GuideHome >> Healthy & Happy >> Home & Family >> 6 Things You Need to Know About InsuranceYour Healthcare Guide

Save Money

Prevention

Insurance 6 Things You Need to Know About Insurance Here's what the Affordable Care Act means for your family's health insurance coverage. Pinterest Badge

Twitter

Credit: Getty Images

1 of 8

Health care overhaul

By Anne Kreuger

Big changes are coming in the world of health care, with major portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) taking effect in January 2014. Learn how it'll affect you.

Next: You can't be turned down for health insurance even if you have a preexisting condition

» View All Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and updates from Health.com!

See more newsletters > Take Health magazine with you, try 2 FREE PREVIEW issues SubscribeGive a GiftFacebookTwitterPinterestInstagramMore Ways to Connect with HealthGet the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and more from Health.com!

Advertisement
Most Popular16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast More10 Ways to Soothe a Sore Throat More16 Signs You May Have HIV MoreBest Superfoods for Weight Loss More25 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes MoreCould You Have Type 2? 10 Diabetes Symptoms More Healthy & HappyDiet & FitnessFood & RecipesBeauty & StyleHealth A-ZHealth.comHealthy & HappyDiet & FitnessFood & RecipesNews & ViewsHealth A-ZHealth MagazineSweepstakesHealth MobileSite MapAbout UsContact UsFree NewslettersHelpAdvertise with HealthClick here for current ABC StatementHealth BuzzHealth Magazine Customer ServiceSubscribeTablet EditionGive a GiftRenew Your SubscriptionStay Connected to Health.comSign Up for NewslettersBecome a Fan of HealthGet Health Twitter UpdatesGoogle+Subscribe to RSSJoin Healthy Voices

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. See the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (Your California Privacy Rights) for more information. Ad Choices

dimanche 10 novembre 2013

Kelly Rowland Works On Her Ab-Fab Fitness

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Kelly Rowland has one of the most enviable sets of abs in Tinseltown.

The singer, who made a body-baring splash on this month's cover of Shape, showed how she carves those muscles.

It's all thanks to trainer Jeanette Jenkins! Rowland says the trainer's star plank (which she easily executed above) is one of her favorite moves from Jenkins' latest video.

"The Hollywood Trainer" definitely gets the Destiny's Child diva's seal of approval -- the two teamed up for a workout DVD, "Sexy Abs Cardio Sculpt," which will be released Oct. 1.

Those abs are enough "Motivation" for us. We're sold, Kelly!

Also on HuffPost:

Joe Biden Addresses Navy Yard Shooting

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Vice President Joe Biden says a shooting Monday at the Washington Navy Yard is a "God-awful reminder" of the need for Americans to stay vigilant.

He says he's confident the nation will get to the bottom of the situation.

Biden says the situation is still unfolding, but that his heart and sorrow goes out to all those affected. He says the tragedy is almost unthinkable.

The shooting rampage in the heart of a U.S. Navy left at least 12 people dead. One shooter was killed, but police were looking for one other possible gunman.

Biden spoke at a port in Savannah during an event highlighting the need to invest in U.S. infrastructure. He was being briefed Monday by his national security team as he visited South Carolina and Georgia.

Also on HuffPost:

A Lot Of People Are Very Upset That An Indian-American Woman Won The Miss America Pageant

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Sunday night Nina Davuluri, Miss New York, was crowned the winner the 2014 Miss America Pageant. She is the first contestant of Indian descent to be crowned Miss America.

When her win was announced, Twitter immediately exploded with hateful tweets, with people calling her Arab.

Read the whole story at BuzzFeed

Looking For The Bed Of Your Dreams? Think Outside The Box Spring With These Fanciful Roosts

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

We all know a bed should be comfortable. But there's something else a bed should be: welcoming. At the end of a long day, when you walk into your bedroom, your heartbeat should slow as you look at this refuge from a fast-paced world. Maybe I expect too much from my bed; but, unless you're an insomniac, one-third of every day is spent in it. It should be calmingly pretty. Maybe even pretty outrageously cool, pulling you onto it, like a magic carpet ride into your dreams. At least, that's what the following beds do for their owners.

Read the whole story at www.houzz.com

'Science Selfies' Spotlight Scientists, Geeks Doing What They Love Best (PHOTOS)

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Science is all around us, and nearly everyone can get involved -- from conducting a critical lab experiment to strolling through a natural history museum to simply browsing through a book on the Big Bang.

Whether you're a science nerd or a Nobel-prize winning scientist, we wanted to highlight YOU doing or simply enjoying science. So we asked readers to share their "science selfies" -- and here are our favorites. Click through and see if you can spot the girl who caught a bat... or the guy holding a real human brain!

Please share your own science selfies by adding them to the slideshow below.

Loading Slideshow

"Catching crayfish in Scotland."

"For all of my fellow bird nerds out there!"

"When our scientists' hands are busy with science, they get some help with their #scienceselfies." Here, physicist Farid El Gabaly aligns a battery electrode sample for analysis with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Celebrating Halloween at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, CA.

Junior high students experiment with fire in science class.

"I analyzed assimilable organic carbon in drinking water samples! "

A behind-the-scenes look into a quarantine area!

Posing like Einstein at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, CA.

"This is how I spend my holidays, in Costa Rica catching bats +beach time in between!"

"Spent a day doing field work electrofishing for research! A brook trout we caught!"

"Me doing a basic drug extraction!!!"

"Medicine is a science, and therefore I present Jack Sexton, CRNA!"

"Talkin bout autopsies all day."

"Nearby and in the distance exploration. Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. ? Carl Sagan." Taken at the Liberty Science Center.

"Love my job." At the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

"Data data data data data today's data data data."

"My kiddos a few years back @ Spark!Lab in DC."

"This #realtimechem video summarizes a standard day in a synth chem lab."

"Oh hi I just extracted a human brain."

"Inside a faraday cage with a human brain."

This is what a lot of science actually looks like... "Reading/correcting the Methods chapter of my student's PhD thesis."

"Imaging my cells on the fluorescent microscope."

"This weekend was spent playing with crayfish and an ROV. The ROV before use."

Taken at the Washington University in St. Louis: "@WUSTLdbbs and @WUSTLmedschool have lots of #scienceselfies."

"I'm a bookworm, a scientist, and world traveler."

In a science classroom.

samedi 9 novembre 2013

Peter Pilotto For Target Is The Best News We've Heard All Week

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Best news out of London Fashion Week so far? Peter Pilotto is partnering with Target!

That's right, the London-based design house used its Spring 2014 runway show this afternoon to drop the news that it's designing a line to be sold across the US and Canada at Target. The collection, which will feature women's apparel, accessories and swimwear, will debut Feb. 9th, 2014, and be mostly priced under $60.

Yup, you're going to want to queue up early for this one, folks. Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, the brand's designers, have mastered the art of printed, daring silhouettes and have landed the likes of Kerry Washington, Miranda Kerr and Selena Gomez on best-dressed lists. We can't wait to see what the duo dreams up for Target's spring line, since, unlike their usual pricey fare, we'll actually be able to afford these pieces. (If we have any more money left after purchasing the fall Phillip Lim for Target line, that is.)

And don't think Peter Pilotto's forgotten its international customers; a handful of the pieces will be available on Net-A-Porter.com. So get ready to fight your way through the Target aisles -- or the e-commerce sphere -- come February.

See some stars in Peter Pilotto to get an idea of the brand's aesthetic:

miranda

selena gomez outfit

kerry washington

More, more, more:

Loading Slideshow

(Getty photo)

(Courtesy photo)

(Getty photo)

(Courtesy photo/Fashionista)

(Getty photo)

(Courtesy photo/Fashionista)

(Getty photo)

(UNIQLO)

(Getty photo)

(UNIQLO)

(Getty photo)

(Courtesy photo/Fashionista)

(Getty photo)

(Topshop)

(Getty photo)

(Courtesy photo/Fashionista)

(Getty photo)

(Vogue photos)

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.

Lawrence Rothman's '#1 All Time Low' Video Is The Creepiest Thing You'll See Today

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lawrence Rothman doesn't do everything the same way you do things. In the video for his lead single, "Montauk Fling," Rothman dressed himself as Elizabeth Taylor and seduced himself in a hotel room, and he returns with the haunting visuals for "#1 All Time Low" -- premiering exclusively on HuffPost Entertainment.

In the new dystopian video, a battered and bruised Rothman meanders through various scenes of a certain type of hell that make the grislier scenes in "Trainspotting" look like "Smurfs 2." Blood, dirty bathwater -- it's all there. David Bowie favorite Floria Sigismondi directed the video for the song.

"What I try to do during the 14 to 17 hours that i'm awake, and are participating in this rat race, is aim to experience shit that blows my mind and rattles the mundane cage of cynical normalcy," Rothman said. "Why? So that when I finally get chewed up and spit out on the other end I can say, 'Fuck it, that was great, those where the days of my life. This idea is the theme of my music."

"This video to cut to the chase, as everyone including myself, attention spam is about as long as a gif," he adds. "It's about me trying to do away with my adult jaded, cynical, self and push through a rebirth of sorts or a actually a reintroduction to my inner 'tween spirit' -- the part of me that doesn't give a fuck and goes with the flow, like when you're a kid and your parents are having a bitch-fest, but it doesn't phase you because you're too enthralled with building LEGO city."

Take a look below and let us know what you think in the comments. Viewer discretion is advised. Select tour dates follow.

10/29 - The Sebright Arms - London, UK
11/5 - Casbah - San Diego, CA (w/ Active Child)
11/23 - El Rey - Los Angeles, CA (w/ Active Child)

NBC, CBS Retract Identity Of Navy Yard Shooter

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

NBC and CBS were forced to retract initial reports about the identity of the shooter responsible for the deaths and injuries at the Navy Yard in Washington on Monday.

Both networks identified the same man as the shooter, and then had to walk those reports back:

BREAKING. @johnmillercbs advises the initial reports identifying the suspected shooter as Rollie Chance are wrong.
— Charlie Kaye (@CharlieKayeCBS) September 16, 2013

NBC News: we are now NOT reporting name of shooter; retracting that report. deleting those tweets
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) September 16, 2013

NBC's Pete Williams said the error came from sources who found an ID card that looked like the suspected gunman:

.@PeteWilliamsNBC says name circulating "is not the shooter," but the name of a man who dropped ID card. #NavyYardShooting
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) September 16, 2013

The false reports were perhaps the most prominent errors in a day filled with confusing and contradictory information.

The shooter was later identified as Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas.

Also on HuffPost: