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| Quote of the Month |
"All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action."
- James Russell Lowell |
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Upcoming Meeting
No Meeting Scheduled.
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As I write this I do not yet know the outcome of the elections. For many of us, regardless of whom the nation chooses for President, the thoughts and plans of both candidates appear very dangerous for our nation, for our customers and for us.
For those of you who voted, you made your voice heard by ballot. Congratulations!
Now the real battle begins! Soon we will know who will occupy all the seats in Atlanta and in Washington DC. The President, as powerful as he is, still holds only signatory authority on what Congress puts before him. The Governor, likewise, has many of the same limitations.
The myriad battles that will decide the war for our customer’s best interests will be waged in Atlanta, in Washington DC, and all across this great land of ours. Many contests will be put before us in the next 24 months and these will go far in shaping the world and the culture which we, and our children, will live in for the next century.
But who will fight in these battles? Do you have the time to dedicate days, or even weeks to this cause on a regular basis? Most of us do not. Thus, maintaining your membership in the Association of Health Underwriters and supporting the Georgia and National Political Action Committees that fight for us (GAHUPAC and HUPAC) is critical to allow an educated voice to heard. Your GAHU dues provide you with an amazing and effecitve lobbyist, Michael Wardrip. On our behalf, Michael stands guard in Atlanta, just as your NAHU dues affords you with a staff of more than 20 lobbyists who fight for you and consumers' rights daily in Washington DC.
Yes, the battle has just begun - regardless of the Presidential outcome! There is a war waging to take away your right to access timely, advanced medical care.
We can win this war if we work together and gather the forces of all agents and consumers in this country to defeat government control over who lives or dies in our healthcare system.
Please help us carry on the job of defending our customers from a government healthcare system which will ration care. Do it for yourselves, your parents and your children. Support demorcracy and free choice - support our PAC and get busy!
Thank you for all you do.
Shan Ricketts
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| February 21, 2009, at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel, GAHU is holding our annual “Insure the Cure” fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Last year, with your help, we raised $50,000 for the CF Foundation. |
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| First Name |
Last Name |
Designation |
Company |
| John |
Aden |
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| Krystle |
Barrett |
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UnitedHealthcare |
| Quin |
Bradley |
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State Farm Insurance Agency, Inc. |
| Damon |
Cain |
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| Joseph |
Costa |
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Joe Costa & Associates |
| Anne |
Dropp |
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Kaiser Permanente |
| C |
Grubbs |
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| Shannon |
Hsu |
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Guardian - Ashford Advisors |
| Stephanie |
Knight |
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St Joseph Candler |
| Jody |
Noland |
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| Judy |
Shaw |
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| Pamela |
Swords |
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Swanner Insurance Agency Inc. |
| Matthew |
Usher |
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Ashford Advisors |
| Katherine |
Von Hollen |
CFP |
Health Insurance Solutions |
| Daphne |
White |
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Principal Financial Group |
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| From the President's Report, you shoud know what must be a topic of concern over the next Presidential Term....Healthcare.
Of course, we all want every American to have access to Healthcare - but, access does not mean quality. It is time for Americans to take personal responsibility.
If you care about the quality and longevity of your own life or that of your children, parents and/or friends, you need to make it your personal agenda to help educate your fellow Americans, for most don't understand the implication of National Healthcare (ie - the "Single Payer System").
What can you do? A few practical suggestions are listed below...
1. Educate yourself on the topic. Go to www.nahu.org. Perform a search on:
"Single Payer." You will be alarmed at the statistics.
Presidential Candidates on Healthcare
2. Get scared, get enraged and then get going! Another interesting article can be found at http://healthcare-economist.com/2008/04/25/health-care-around-the-world-canada/ .
3. Get involved - share information with your clients, friends and family. More importantly, share your voice with your legislators on a state and national level.
4. Respond to Operation Shout. Solicit your peers to join NAHU and the PAC. |
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| Your membership with NAHU offers you great benefits, such as:
Industry Meetings
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| 2008-2009 SAAHU Monthly Meeting Schedule
Meetings are normally held the 3rd Thursday of every month -November's being Nov. 20th. Please check www.saahu.com for updates. |
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| Source: http://www.naifa.org/newsevents/releases/200810212_LTCMonth.cfm
According to the U.S. Administration on Aging (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services), 70 percent of people over age 65 will require some long-term care services at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, consumers fail to realize that Medicare and private health insurance programs do not pay for the majority of long-term care services that most people need. Planning is essential for consumers to get the care they will need.
Several affiliate associations offer valuable tools to help you increase awareness for the need for Long Term Care. You can:
Another great resource can be found at: http://www.aaltci.org/ |
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Friends,
It's time to look at what we've felt might be coming with the sweeping victory of the Obama-Biden ticket. The environment on the national scene is going to be dramatically different from here on. The stagnation of the last few years with much of our industry on defense will be replaced with fairly sweeping measures that affect our markets. On the other hand, the federal deficit will grow to amazing proportions when the dust settles from the financial crisis and revenues drop nationwide during the current recession.
Tight budgets will be the only real restraint, but the diet for sweeping changes and governmental interventions has been stoked beyond anything one could have predicted only a couple of months ago. After Trillion dollar financial market interventions and bail-outs, a massive re-invention of health insurance markets may only be met with a yawn. We can count on one thing though, and that is the level of anger in the populace at the scale of the mess the economy is in and the degree of naivety corporate types have shown in some of their actions and moves as if they live in such unreality as to not know they are under increased scrutiny. Together with tight money, maybe Americans will be activists in opposition to massive governmental moves.
In Georgia, few races are surprises. It looks early on like the main race of Saxby Chambliss seeking to keep his seat will go to a run-off. Down the ticket in state races, there were no upsets in the Senate and only a couple in the House. Democratic defeats of GOP incumbents are balanced by at least one GOP seizure of a Democratic seat.
Let's let the winners celebrate their victories and the losers lick their wounds and prepare to get back to business. It will be an amazing time in the weeks and months ahead. If you are not happy with the outcomes, take heart; we have weathered greater storms and we were made better for the effort. It is a pleasure to serve you. May God bless you and your families.
Michael Waldrip
Remember to thank David Johnson, the COGA Committee and Michael Waldrip for all they do for you!
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Below is a snapshot of events to come throughout the state. More information will follow and/or be available through the applicable Chapter.
This December the Coastal Empire Chapter in Savannah plans on holding a multi-hour seminar on Online Tools and Technology. More information to come!
GAHU Day At The Capitol will be held Thursday, January 27, 2009, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. It’s a new General Assembly session with the greatest opportunity ever to work closely with State Legislators and Regulators. For more information or to register go to: http://www.gahu.org/meetinginfo.php
On January 22, 2009, the South Atlanta Chapter will host their annual Symposium offering 3 hours of CE at the Clarion Hotel on Old National Highway.
On February 19, 2009, from approximately 7:30AM-3:30PM, the Atlanta Chapter will host their annual Benefits Forum at the Gwinnett Civic Center.
On February 21, 2009, at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel, GAHU is holding our annual “Insure the Cure” fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Last year, with your help, we raised $50,000 for the CF Foundation.
In March of '09, GAHU plans to hold a combination Seminar where we will offer COBRA Seminar and a Group 101 Course for agents and their larger clients.
May 5-8, 2009, are the scheduled dates for the 2009 GAHU State Convention. Though earlier than in previous years, the committee moved the date forward to better train our Chapter leaders and to organize the year before vacations start for the summer. The event will be held at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel at I-285 and I-75 north of Atlanta. Please save the date on your calendar, this is going to be bigger and better than ever before!
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