No matter where you are, summertime is the time when you're most apt to get sunburned. Whether you go camping, swimming, or just out in the yard enjoying the weather, the sun is hot and it burns. Sunburn is burned skin so treat it gently and wait for it to heal. If it's severely painful or covered with blisters, see a doctor.
If you know you're going to be in the sun, use sunscreen and remember to reapply when it's needed, but even then, you can sunburn. And there are times when we are not prepared and find ourselves in the sun anyway. For those times, and for any time that you need to treat sunburn, there are frugal and simple remedies that work well.
The first line of defense is water - inside you, not outside. Drink plenty of fluids if you're going out into the sun. For every beer you slam down you should be drinking a glass of water as well.
When you get a sunburn, you want relief. You want to cool it and soothe it. Here's how - frugally.
First, though, don't bathe or shower right away. Stripping the skin of its natural oils and introducing it to an alkali soap is the last thing it needs when it's burned. If you've been in a swimming pool that has chlorine in the water, rinse the pool water off thoroughly, don't rub or use a cloth. Pat yourself dry.
Vinegar, that frugal wonder, rises to the occasion again as a cooling and effective treatment for sunburn. Soak towels with it and apply to the burned area, or fill a spray bottle and spray it directly on the skin. It's even been said that red wine vinegar, applied before going into the sun, will help you tan.
Pat cool, sugarless tea over the area. This is especially good for sensitive areas around the eyes. The tannin in tea is the active ingredient here. Put used and cooled teabags over your eyes if they feel hot and tired.
If your burn is painfully hot, seperate the white from the yolk of an egg, then spread the white over the burn. It will cool it instantly. Repeat as often as needed.
Aloe vera is a good natural remedy for burns and it works well for sunburn, but if you have bottled aloe vera gel or lotion leftover from last year, it may be worthless. It loses a definite amount of effectiveness over time. The fresher it is, the better it works.
Frugal tip: Use real aloe vera. Buy a plant and keep it on your kitchen windowsill. It grows easily and it's always there when you need it. Just cut off a "leaf" or spear, split it and rub it all over your sunburn. It's really soothing and it helps heal your skin. The plant grows back quickly, so it's a frugal investment.
Sunstroke kills 400 Americans's each summer, and most are young health adults, if you have any doubts you should run to the emergency room. If you have a Tonik Health Plan it isn't going to cost you an arm and a leg to get better. The most important health backup plan you can have is enrolling in the Tonik Health program through BCBS.
For more information visit www.medequote.met, www.unicaresoundplans.com, and www.tonikhealthquotes.com
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
What is Tonik?
What it is: Tonik is an individual health policy designed for young adults, primarily for those ages 19 through their early 30s. It is provided by Indianapolis-based health insurer WellPoint Inc..
When it was rolled out: The plan was launched last year in California and is now available in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Illinois. Tonik, or similar products, will be offered across the country in the coming months.
When it will be in Indiana: By the end of 2006.
What it costs: Tonik users can pick from three separate plans: "Thrill Seeker," "Part-Time Daredevil" and "Calculated Risk Taker." Monthly premiums range from about $64 to $123, depending on a person's age, location and medical history. The deductible -- or out-of-pocket costs -- run from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the plan. Doctor visits cost $20 to $40.•
Other features: Tonik plans include limited dental and vision benefits.
Who buys it: WellPoint said about 70 percent of those enrolling in Tonik were uninsured. Most are in their 20s or 30s, and slightly more than half are male.
About the uninsured: Roughly 45 million Americans, or almost 16 percent of the population, did not have health insurance in 2003. People 18 to 24 years old are the least likely of any age group to have health coverage, with 30 percent uninsured in 2003.
Source: National Coalition on Health CareHow important is health insurance to you?
When it was rolled out: The plan was launched last year in California and is now available in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Illinois. Tonik, or similar products, will be offered across the country in the coming months.
When it will be in Indiana: By the end of 2006.
What it costs: Tonik users can pick from three separate plans: "Thrill Seeker," "Part-Time Daredevil" and "Calculated Risk Taker." Monthly premiums range from about $64 to $123, depending on a person's age, location and medical history. The deductible -- or out-of-pocket costs -- run from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the plan. Doctor visits cost $20 to $40.•
Other features: Tonik plans include limited dental and vision benefits.
Who buys it: WellPoint said about 70 percent of those enrolling in Tonik were uninsured. Most are in their 20s or 30s, and slightly more than half are male.
About the uninsured: Roughly 45 million Americans, or almost 16 percent of the population, did not have health insurance in 2003. People 18 to 24 years old are the least likely of any age group to have health coverage, with 30 percent uninsured in 2003.
Source: National Coalition on Health CareHow important is health insurance to you?
WellPoint says new line will cut ranks of uninsured
Matt Reiswerg is young, active and healthy. He hasn't spent a night in the hospital since he was born. The professional soccer goalkeeper works out regularly at a fitness club near his home in Indianapolis to stay in shape. He also is busy searching for a job in the sports industry.
One thing that Reiswerg has not done, though, is buy health insurance to replace his policy, which expired earlier this year. That puts him among the estimated 45 million Americans without health benefits.
Reiswerg, who recently has worked as a youth soccer coach, said his decision largely has been a financial one.
"It seems like I have a million things that I'm spending money on," he said, adding that he plans to find coverage soon.
WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest health benefits company, is targeting people like Reiswerg. If you're young and fairly healthy, WellPoint wants you. The Indianapolis company next year will roll out a product line, called Tonik, which targets what WellPoint has called "young invincibles" -- those age 19 through their early 30s who are likely to go without health insurance. Some are students no longer covered by their parents' plans. Others are without jobs or working in positions that don't provide benefits.
Such individual plans are part of a new line of insurance products sprouting up as fewer Americans are getting health insurance from their employees because of the rising costs of health care.
WellPoint's hunt for youthful members is attracting praise and criticism.
Some supporters say it's an attempt to reduce the number of uninsured. "There are a number of folks who choose to be uninsured. I think it reaches that demographic," said Jim Atterholt, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Insurance. "Nobody was going after this segment until these products came out."
The insurance chief in Tonik's home state of California, however, sees little more than WellPoint trying to pad its profits.
"It's a slicing and dicing of the marketplace to identify those individuals who are willing to buy a policy and are not likely to need it," California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi said. "It's called cherry-picking."
Garamendi said the PPO products within WellPoint's Blue Cross of California, which includes Tonik, have a profit margin of roughly 25 percent. At the same time, he said, people who need more comprehensive coverage are finding it harder to get as many employers cut or reduce benefits because of higher costs.
"It's a process that will ultimately lead to a further decline in the entire health systems," Garamendi said.
WellPoint, however, defends Tonik as an effort to reduce the number of the uninsured. About 70 percent of those signing up for Tonik previously were without coverage, said Steve Synott, general manager of individual services for WellPoint's West Region.
One expert downplayed those claims. People seeking individual policies usually do so only because they can't get better coverage through an employer, said Gary Claxton, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation's Health Care Marketplace Project.
"Most people view non-group insurance as kind of a last refuge," he said. "It's not surprising that they might be currently uninsured."
Claxton said Tonik is a basic individual policy -- with its relatively low monthly premiums and high out-of-pocket costs -- that's been spiffed up with savvy marketing. For example, Indianapolis-based Golden Rule Insurance Co., part of UnitedHealth Group, said it offers similar individual plans through its Saver Plans launched this year for individuals and families in need of coverage.
Tonik, though, targets a very specific demographic.
"You're young. You're healthy. But, hey, life is unpredictable," Tonik promotional literature reads. "All it takes is one slip, one fall, one biff, and the financial pain can outweigh the physical."
Pictures of snowboarders and mountain bikers adorn Tonik's promotional materials. WellPoint touts Tonik at surfing contests and ski festivals. It advertises on Web sites including climbing.com and skateboarding.com.
Tonik's brochure, for example, hits readers with selected prices for health care if they don't have insurance: $7,175 for an average day in the hospital, or $48,302 for knee surgery and care.
The message is clear: Going without health coverage can bring financial ruin.
WellPoint launched Tonik last year in California and recently offered the product in Colorado. The company plans to offer Tonik or similar products across the country and expects the product to be available in Indiana by the end of 2006.
In many ways, it's an effort to make health insurance seem, well, hip.
People can pick from three Tonik plans: "Thrill Seeker" (the cheapest), "Part-Time Daredevil" (midpriced) and "Calculated Risk Taker" (the most expensive).
To design Tonik, WellPoint hired an outside researcher to interview young adults on their views about health insurance, specifically asking them why they might choose to go without coverage and what sorts of services are most important.
For instance, Synott said, the company learned that many of its target customers put a high priority on regular care for their teeth and eyes, even if they rarely went in for a medical checkup. As a result, Tonik includes limited dental and vision benefits.
They also wanted insurance that would be inexpensive and easy to sign up for, he added.
Most everything about Tonik can be handled online. WellPoint says about 60 percent of those who apply -- people who are generally healthy-- are approved quickly over the Internet and can print out an ID card.
Premiums for Tonik's three plans typically range from $64 to $123 a month depending on a person's age, location and medical history. The deductible, or out-of-pocket cost before coverage kicks in, can range from $1,500 to $5,000.
Tonik does not include maternity benefits, an exclusion the company said was needed to keep the plans affordable. If a Tonik member were to become pregnant, she would be able to transfer to another, likely much more expensive, plan that provides maternity benefits, company spokeswoman Leslie Porras said.
Garamendi, California's insurance commissioner, blasted WellPoint for marketing a policy that does not include maternity benefits to women in prime childbearing years. Women who can't pay, he said, likely would have their bills paid for by taxpayers.
Other medical needs that young adults commonly seek treatment for include addictions to alcohol or drugs and mental disorders such as depression, said Dan Hodgkins, executive director of health promotion for Community Health Network of Indianapolis.
WellPoint said Tonik's coverage does include caring for mental health and addiction disorders.
Lisa Ristvedt, 31, San Francisco, said Tonik is a great fit for her while she's between jobs. She said she considered extending the benefits from the telecommunications job she left in April through COBRA, a program that continues health coverage for former employees. But doing that, Ristvedt said, would have cost her about $250 a month. Instead, she opted for Tonik, which costs her $106 a month.
"I was actually without insurance for a couple months until I spoke with my mother, and she said you cannot be without insurance in San Francisco or anywhere else, for that matter," Ristvedt said. "I was so stressed out trying to get a job, I wasn't worrying about health insurance."
Reiswerg, the uninsured former soccer player, said he feels much the same way. The Indiana University graduate hopes to land a job with benefits soon. Otherwise, he said, he wants cheap, but not "super cheap," coverage to meet his medical needs.
"I do plan on covering myself soon," Reiswerg said. "For someone like me, who's not being provided health insurance by someone else, it's not terribly consumer-friendly. I have to go out and seek the best deal."
The plans are available at www.unicaresoundplans.com, www.medequote.net , and www.tonikhealthquotes.com
One thing that Reiswerg has not done, though, is buy health insurance to replace his policy, which expired earlier this year. That puts him among the estimated 45 million Americans without health benefits.
Reiswerg, who recently has worked as a youth soccer coach, said his decision largely has been a financial one.
"It seems like I have a million things that I'm spending money on," he said, adding that he plans to find coverage soon.
WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest health benefits company, is targeting people like Reiswerg. If you're young and fairly healthy, WellPoint wants you. The Indianapolis company next year will roll out a product line, called Tonik, which targets what WellPoint has called "young invincibles" -- those age 19 through their early 30s who are likely to go without health insurance. Some are students no longer covered by their parents' plans. Others are without jobs or working in positions that don't provide benefits.
Such individual plans are part of a new line of insurance products sprouting up as fewer Americans are getting health insurance from their employees because of the rising costs of health care.
WellPoint's hunt for youthful members is attracting praise and criticism.
Some supporters say it's an attempt to reduce the number of uninsured. "There are a number of folks who choose to be uninsured. I think it reaches that demographic," said Jim Atterholt, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Insurance. "Nobody was going after this segment until these products came out."
The insurance chief in Tonik's home state of California, however, sees little more than WellPoint trying to pad its profits.
"It's a slicing and dicing of the marketplace to identify those individuals who are willing to buy a policy and are not likely to need it," California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi said. "It's called cherry-picking."
Garamendi said the PPO products within WellPoint's Blue Cross of California, which includes Tonik, have a profit margin of roughly 25 percent. At the same time, he said, people who need more comprehensive coverage are finding it harder to get as many employers cut or reduce benefits because of higher costs.
"It's a process that will ultimately lead to a further decline in the entire health systems," Garamendi said.
WellPoint, however, defends Tonik as an effort to reduce the number of the uninsured. About 70 percent of those signing up for Tonik previously were without coverage, said Steve Synott, general manager of individual services for WellPoint's West Region.
One expert downplayed those claims. People seeking individual policies usually do so only because they can't get better coverage through an employer, said Gary Claxton, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation's Health Care Marketplace Project.
"Most people view non-group insurance as kind of a last refuge," he said. "It's not surprising that they might be currently uninsured."
Claxton said Tonik is a basic individual policy -- with its relatively low monthly premiums and high out-of-pocket costs -- that's been spiffed up with savvy marketing. For example, Indianapolis-based Golden Rule Insurance Co., part of UnitedHealth Group, said it offers similar individual plans through its Saver Plans launched this year for individuals and families in need of coverage.
Tonik, though, targets a very specific demographic.
"You're young. You're healthy. But, hey, life is unpredictable," Tonik promotional literature reads. "All it takes is one slip, one fall, one biff, and the financial pain can outweigh the physical."
Pictures of snowboarders and mountain bikers adorn Tonik's promotional materials. WellPoint touts Tonik at surfing contests and ski festivals. It advertises on Web sites including climbing.com and skateboarding.com.
Tonik's brochure, for example, hits readers with selected prices for health care if they don't have insurance: $7,175 for an average day in the hospital, or $48,302 for knee surgery and care.
The message is clear: Going without health coverage can bring financial ruin.
WellPoint launched Tonik last year in California and recently offered the product in Colorado. The company plans to offer Tonik or similar products across the country and expects the product to be available in Indiana by the end of 2006.
In many ways, it's an effort to make health insurance seem, well, hip.
People can pick from three Tonik plans: "Thrill Seeker" (the cheapest), "Part-Time Daredevil" (midpriced) and "Calculated Risk Taker" (the most expensive).
To design Tonik, WellPoint hired an outside researcher to interview young adults on their views about health insurance, specifically asking them why they might choose to go without coverage and what sorts of services are most important.
For instance, Synott said, the company learned that many of its target customers put a high priority on regular care for their teeth and eyes, even if they rarely went in for a medical checkup. As a result, Tonik includes limited dental and vision benefits.
They also wanted insurance that would be inexpensive and easy to sign up for, he added.
Most everything about Tonik can be handled online. WellPoint says about 60 percent of those who apply -- people who are generally healthy-- are approved quickly over the Internet and can print out an ID card.
Premiums for Tonik's three plans typically range from $64 to $123 a month depending on a person's age, location and medical history. The deductible, or out-of-pocket cost before coverage kicks in, can range from $1,500 to $5,000.
Tonik does not include maternity benefits, an exclusion the company said was needed to keep the plans affordable. If a Tonik member were to become pregnant, she would be able to transfer to another, likely much more expensive, plan that provides maternity benefits, company spokeswoman Leslie Porras said.
Garamendi, California's insurance commissioner, blasted WellPoint for marketing a policy that does not include maternity benefits to women in prime childbearing years. Women who can't pay, he said, likely would have their bills paid for by taxpayers.
Other medical needs that young adults commonly seek treatment for include addictions to alcohol or drugs and mental disorders such as depression, said Dan Hodgkins, executive director of health promotion for Community Health Network of Indianapolis.
WellPoint said Tonik's coverage does include caring for mental health and addiction disorders.
Lisa Ristvedt, 31, San Francisco, said Tonik is a great fit for her while she's between jobs. She said she considered extending the benefits from the telecommunications job she left in April through COBRA, a program that continues health coverage for former employees. But doing that, Ristvedt said, would have cost her about $250 a month. Instead, she opted for Tonik, which costs her $106 a month.
"I was actually without insurance for a couple months until I spoke with my mother, and she said you cannot be without insurance in San Francisco or anywhere else, for that matter," Ristvedt said. "I was so stressed out trying to get a job, I wasn't worrying about health insurance."
Reiswerg, the uninsured former soccer player, said he feels much the same way. The Indiana University graduate hopes to land a job with benefits soon. Otherwise, he said, he wants cheap, but not "super cheap," coverage to meet his medical needs.
"I do plan on covering myself soon," Reiswerg said. "For someone like me, who's not being provided health insurance by someone else, it's not terribly consumer-friendly. I have to go out and seek the best deal."
The plans are available at www.unicaresoundplans.com, www.medequote.net , and www.tonikhealthquotes.com
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Demand for BCBS Tonik/ UniCare Sound plans increasing dramatically!
One of the great phenomenon's of the insurance world is the Tonik Health product originally developed by Blue Cross of California for the 18-29 market in that state. The plan design has spread to Nevada, and Colorado. In Illinois and Texas the plan is known as the Sound marketed by fellow Wellpoint affiliate UniCare
John Berkowitz of Medequote comments "The Sound/Tonik plans are the most exciting health insurance plans available today. Most importantly they are leading the wave to the future in the health plans are marketed. We are going to see more diverse product designs that appeal to different age groups, and family model's. These type of plans are just the tip of the iceberg. In health insurance everybody follows the leader, and the leader is clearly WellPoint."
Berkowitz goes on to say "We get call's from all over the country requesting the Sound or tonik plan, and it will be eventually available everywhere, but currently it is only available in California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, and Nevada. I am sure more state's will come on line before the end of they year. Wellpoint has 14 BCBS enitites, and all are scheduled to come out with a derivative of the plan. UniCare will handle the expansion into area's where they are not the primary BCBS affiliate. Obviously the plan has room for a lot of growth."
"If you are in a state without Sound and Tonik there are alternative's" says Berkowitz, "but the the WellPoint products are obviously on the cutting edge compare dto the competition. I have never seen a health insurance product where people across the country were demanding it so actively. Even though it is electronic, it can't be rolled out in each state as easy as a paper application, so it will take a couple of years till it is avaialble everywhere."
If you are interested on information about the most inovative plan available in health insurance history stop by www.unicaresoundplans.com
www.tonikhealthquotes.com
John Berkowitz of Medequote comments "The Sound/Tonik plans are the most exciting health insurance plans available today. Most importantly they are leading the wave to the future in the health plans are marketed. We are going to see more diverse product designs that appeal to different age groups, and family model's. These type of plans are just the tip of the iceberg. In health insurance everybody follows the leader, and the leader is clearly WellPoint."
Berkowitz goes on to say "We get call's from all over the country requesting the Sound or tonik plan, and it will be eventually available everywhere, but currently it is only available in California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, and Nevada. I am sure more state's will come on line before the end of they year. Wellpoint has 14 BCBS enitites, and all are scheduled to come out with a derivative of the plan. UniCare will handle the expansion into area's where they are not the primary BCBS affiliate. Obviously the plan has room for a lot of growth."
"If you are in a state without Sound and Tonik there are alternative's" says Berkowitz, "but the the WellPoint products are obviously on the cutting edge compare dto the competition. I have never seen a health insurance product where people across the country were demanding it so actively. Even though it is electronic, it can't be rolled out in each state as easy as a paper application, so it will take a couple of years till it is avaialble everywhere."
If you are interested on information about the most inovative plan available in health insurance history stop by www.unicaresoundplans.com
www.tonikhealthquotes.com
Monday, June 19, 2006
Tonik Health Plans Available in Colorado
WellPoint continued it's campaign against young uninsured's by opening the Tonik Health Plan to residents of Colorado. The plan which originated in California and was created by Blue Cross of California has been a huge hit with resident's of that state. The same thing will undoubtedly happen in Colorado.
"The Colorado health insurance market really need's something like this, and it is long overdue" say's John Berkowitz of Medequote. "That could be said for every state of the union, UniCare Sound, or BCBS's Tonik, both WellPoint plans will continue to spread nationwide lowering the amounts of young uninsured's. The plan is perfect for about anybody, it has everything you need to stay healthy, plus it is really there when you are sick, or injured. the low out of pocket and extremely affordable price makes it the best choice for young singles."
www.unicaresoundplans.com
www.tonikhealthquotes.com
"The Colorado health insurance market really need's something like this, and it is long overdue" say's John Berkowitz of Medequote. "That could be said for every state of the union, UniCare Sound, or BCBS's Tonik, both WellPoint plans will continue to spread nationwide lowering the amounts of young uninsured's. The plan is perfect for about anybody, it has everything you need to stay healthy, plus it is really there when you are sick, or injured. the low out of pocket and extremely affordable price makes it the best choice for young singles."
www.unicaresoundplans.com
www.tonikhealthquotes.com
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Tonik leading the way for California Health Insurance
Insurance doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. In California, for instance, Blue Cross launched a policy in 2004 called TONIK that's aimed specifically at twenty somethings who want coverage for catastrophes but don't need a lot of other care. A plan with a $1,500 deductible and unlimited $40 doctor visits runs $90 a month. A $5,000 deductible plan with four $20 visits is $69. TONIK quickly became the company's second best-selling policy in California. Even better: 70% of buyers were previously uninsured.
You can now buy versions of TONIK in low-regulation states from Texas to Illinois. The plan called Sound is marketied under WellPoint UniCare brand and has proven to be equally popular.
There is fine print, of course. TONIK doesn't cover maternity benefits (pregnant members get bumped to a different plan).
California TONIK policies also don't cover brand-name drugs. But once you expect insurance to cover everything for everybody - as in New Jersey - and when you don't let plans treat people differently based on risk profiles, insurance stops being cheap. When it stops being cheap, young people decide to risk going without.
That choice is bad news for the unlucky young people who then endure expensive ski accidents and appendectomies. But it's bad news for older folks, too. Not only do all taxpayers foot hospital bills for uninsured people who can't pay, shoving young people out of insurance pools also raises rates for everyone else. If states truly want people covered, that's something to keep in mind.
All it takes is one $20,000 bill for medical care to change your mind on the neccesity of health insurance. Young consumers need to realize that they are not invincible, and that plans like Tonik, and UniCare Sound are an affordable answer.
www.tonikhealthquotes.com
www.unicaresoundplans.com
You can now buy versions of TONIK in low-regulation states from Texas to Illinois. The plan called Sound is marketied under WellPoint UniCare brand and has proven to be equally popular.
There is fine print, of course. TONIK doesn't cover maternity benefits (pregnant members get bumped to a different plan).
California TONIK policies also don't cover brand-name drugs. But once you expect insurance to cover everything for everybody - as in New Jersey - and when you don't let plans treat people differently based on risk profiles, insurance stops being cheap. When it stops being cheap, young people decide to risk going without.
That choice is bad news for the unlucky young people who then endure expensive ski accidents and appendectomies. But it's bad news for older folks, too. Not only do all taxpayers foot hospital bills for uninsured people who can't pay, shoving young people out of insurance pools also raises rates for everyone else. If states truly want people covered, that's something to keep in mind.
All it takes is one $20,000 bill for medical care to change your mind on the neccesity of health insurance. Young consumers need to realize that they are not invincible, and that plans like Tonik, and UniCare Sound are an affordable answer.
www.tonikhealthquotes.com
www.unicaresoundplans.com
Friday, June 16, 2006
Tonik Health Insurance Information
This is the Tonik health insurance blog. A place you can go to find out information and ask questions about WellPoint's BCBS Tonik product that started in California, and is now available, in Colorado, and Nevada. WellPoint plans to launch the product in all 14 of their BCBS marketing areas which include Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, and Wisconsin. In area's where they do not own the BCBS affilaite the plan will be marketed by UniCare under the Sound health plans brand. The Sound plan was recently released in Illinois, and Texas. Visit www.unicaresoundplans.com
to find out more information concerning the plan. www.tonikhealthplans.com
to find out more information concerning the plan. www.tonikhealthplans.com
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