Dedicated Insurance Professionals you know and trust...like Family
Issue No. 34

April 30,  2013

 

Greetings!

  

 The Affordable Care Act started changing the country's health-care system almost from the moment it was signed into law in March 2010. It has already expanded coverage of young adults by allowing them to stay on their parents' plans until they turn 26, outlawed lifetime limits on what insurance will cover, lowered the cost of drugs for seniors on Medicare, caused 13 million consumers to get premium rebates totaling some $1.1 billion, and expanded access to free preventive care for patients of all ages. Last summer it survived a challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

But all that is prelude to the transformation coming in 2014, when almost all Americans will have access to affordable health insurance that covers essential care. 

 

At Texas Agricultural Cooperative Trust, we are always looking for ways to reduce cost and improve benefits for our members. In today's uncertain financial environment,

combined with the ever increasing cost of health care and health insurance, it is more crucial than ever that we are committed to providing our members with the benefits and coverages they need and generate additional revenues to  to offset these cost increases.

 

Texas Ag Coop Trust aids in providing group benefits to members in the agricultural industry. Texas Ag Coop Trust provides quality life and health benefit plans and works to hold down future rate increases for participants. With TACT, you don't rent your insurance plan, you own it. At TACT, YOU are our business.  

 

  

 

TACT - Dedicated Insurance Professionals
you know and trust...like Family.  

 

 

 

Healthcare

in the News

  Free Preventative Care Extended to 71 Million With Private Insurance
  

Health Care Law's third anniversary is seeing health costs slowing down, more value for consumers

 

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius previously announced that about 71 million Americans in private health insurance plans received coverage for at least one free preventive health care service, such as a mammogram or flu shot, in 2011 and 2012 because of the Affordable Care Act. The new data was released in a report from HHS.

 

Additionally, an estimated 34 million Americans in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans have received at least one preventive service, such as an annual wellness visit at no out of pocket cost because of the health care law.

 

Taken together, this means about 105 million Americans with private health plans and Medicare beneficiaries have been helped by the Affordable Care Act's prevention coverage improvements.

 

Preventive services, consumer protections, and other reforms under the Affordable Care Act are giving millions of Americans of all ages more value for their health care dollars and contributing to the slowest growth in health care costs in 50 years.

 

"Preventing illnesses before they become serious and more costly to treat helps Americans of all ages stay healthier," Secretary Sebelius said. "No longer do Americans have to choose between paying for preventive care and groceries." She adds, that the law is keeping down costs and providing more value for consumers and taxpayers through new consumer protections, holding insurance companies accountable, building a smarter health care system, and providing seniors with vital savings on their prescription drugs.

 

The full report is available here.


Agriculture News
Oil Boom To Raise
Electric Rates in Texas  
  

 

  Texas may have built a reputation as the energy capital of America, but in some parts of the state, like Midland and South Texas, the oil and gas boom has actually driven electric prices up - substantially.

 

Texas is often called the energy capital of America, so it might come as a surprise that the oil and gas boom has substantially driven electric prices up in some parts of the state. And in those same areas, prices are expected to spike again this summer.

 

To understand why, it's best to start with the small city of Seymour, which is somewhere between Wichita Falls and Abilene. Fewer than 3,000 people call it home.

"We are a small West Texas Community that, like all West Texas communities, is struggling with every cent is important to us," says John Studer, Seymour's city manager.

 

The town of Seymour runs its own electric utility. It buys on the wholesale market and sells power to its citizens. Voters have control of their utility, and profits go to the city. Studer says it's worked pretty well. Until last year when the electric bills started going up.

 

"Every one that came in, it just kept progressively getting higher and then when you get one up for ten percent of your bill for congestion charges," Studer explains. "It kind of takes your breath away."

 

If the city was paying $200,000 dollars on a bill, it suddenly owed $20,000 more for congestion charges. That's a lot of money for a place like Seymour.

 

What are congestion charges? Those are fees charged for an overtaxed electric system. And small towns like Seymour aren't the only ones paying more these days.

On a recent Thursday, at a banquet hall at the Petroleum Club of Midland, Kent Saathoff, from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), had some bad news for local municipalities. Not only would prices go up again in West Texas this summer, but it was kinda their own fault.

 

"Essentially, the transmission system we have out here  today was largely built to serve the load that was there before this great increase in oil drilling activity," Saathoff said.

 

All those pumps jacks and drill rigs working overtime during the fracking boom use electricity. It used to be that cost was spread across the state, so no one consumer was hit too hard by it. But since ERCOT changed the way the grid worked a few years agom to what's called a "nodal system," the price of congestion stays closer to the areas where it exists. That's why some areas near the South Texas oil fields have seen congestion costs rise as well.

 

"It's very much like in Austin for example," Saathoff told the audience. "Roads can't be built fast enough to take care of all the additional people moving there."

 

As John Bick put it, "the problem is that the toothpaste is already out of the tube." He's with the energy consulting firm Priority Power Management. He works with the city of Midland, where prices have also gone up, and he says grid planners should have seen this coming.

 

"The planning for transmission to serve oil and gas production in West Texas, there were some short comings in that process and so it takes time to build transmission," Bick said.

 

Bick is lobbying for price caps on congestion fees. But there's a catch. Some people are actually profiting from those fees. ERCOT auctions off something called congestion revenue rights. So power companies and investors can make money when the lines are overloaded.

StateImpact Texas asked ERCOT for a list of the companies that had made money off this recent round of congestion, but was told that information is protected by competitive secrets rules.

 

In Midland, some oil and gas companies talk about the possibility of buying them themselves as a way to hedge against future price hikes.

 

But far from the oilfields back in Seymour, City Manager John Studer says his town probably couldn't afford to dabble in the transmission markets.

 

"You can't write the rules to fit everybody, but it sure does come down sometimes hard on some people," Studer said.

 

He says Seymour has a new electric contract that should provide better rates in the short term.

In the long term, West Texas will have to cut down on electric use or build more transmission lines to see lower electric bills - at least as long as the current drilling boom lasts. 

 

See more at StateImpact Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 Healthful Hint
 Surprising Statistic -
More Kids Getting Melanoma

 

With summer just around the corner, it is time to begin thinking smart when

it comes to the sun!

 

Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, doesn't usually occur in kids, but a new study shows that it's happening more often.

 

While melanoma in children is still extremely rare, the rate increased by about 2 percent per year from 1973 to 2009 among U.S children from newborns to age 19. Melanoma accounts for up to 3 percent of all pediatric cancers, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

 

According to the study, 1,317 children were diagnosed with melanoma during the study time frame. Of these, 1,230 children were white. Because the number of melanoma cases among other racial and ethnic groups was so small, researchers focused the analysis on white children.

 

The biggest jump in melanoma rates was seen among adolescents aged 15 to 19, especially girls, the study showed. The new findings were published in the May print issue of Pediatrics.

 

Recent studies have also shown that melanoma is on the rise among adults as well. Exactly what is driving these trends is not fully understood, but increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation from both the sun and tanning booths as well as greater awareness of melanoma may be responsible, according to study authors led by Jeannette Wong of the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

 

The researchers used a database to capture trends in childhood melanoma, but they did not have any information on participants' tanning habits or sun exposure history.

 

Boys were more likely to develop melanomas on their face and trunks, while girls were more likely to have melanoma on their lower legs and hips, the investigators found. Other risks for melanoma among children and adults include fair skin, light-colored hair and eyes, moles, family history of melanoma and a history of sunburns.

 

Dr. Amy Forman Taub, a dermatologist in Lincolnshire, Ill., said that tanning behaviors have a lot to do with the increasing rates of melanoma in children and adults. "It's the tanning booths and the fact that we go away on vacation where we are exposed to a lot of intense sun," she said.

 

Genes may also play a role, suggested Taub, who was not involved in the new study.

 

It is rare, but children do get melanoma. When in doubt, get it checked out.

 

To read the article in its entirety click here

 

Note of Interest: The Texas Senate voted the week of April 20 to raise the minimum age for using a tanning facility to 18. The current minimum is 16½ with parental permission.

 

   

 

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In This Issue
Healthcare in the News
Agriculture News
Healthful Hint
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Facebook Feature 
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Texas Ag Coop Trust
Officers, Board of Trustees
 
George Reed, Chairman
United Farm Industries
Plainview, TX

Gregg Allen, Secretary
Olton Grain Coop
Olton, TX
 
Bret Brown, Treasurer
Sunray Coop
Sunray, TX

Jim Turner
Dalhart Consumers Fuel Association
Dalhart, TX
 
Paul Wilson
United Cotton Growers
Levelland, TX

Cary Eubanks
Slaton Coop Gin
Slaton, TX

Dean Sasser
Farmers Coop Elevator
Levelland, TX


 

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At Texas Agricultural Cooperative Trust, we realize it isn't easy for consumers to know exactly what they are buying when it comes to healthcare coverage. We are always looking for ways to reduce cost and improve benefits for our members. With the ever- increasing cost of health care and health insurance, it is more crucial than ever that we are committed to providing our members with the benefits and coverages they need and generate additional revenues to TACT to offset cost increases.
 

Summary of Benefits and Coverage - Uniform Glossary

 an explanation to TACT members/participants - courtesy healthcare.gov

 

NOTE from TACT: The standard SBC form that has been issued as part of the new Obamacare regulations enables you to compare health plans. As exchanges begin to build across the United States, YOU, as a TACT member/participant can expect to begin seeing this information in JUNE.

 

At TACT, we want you to understand and be able to evaluate your choice to trust TACT with your coverage. We also want you to be informed and have all information as it becomes available, as Obamacare begins to go into affect.

The SBC's standardized and easy to understand information about health plan benefits and coverage allows you to more easily make "apples to apples" comparisons among your insurance options. The measure brings more openness to the insurance marketplace for the more than 180 million Americans with private health coverage. 

 

 

 

Texas Ag Coop Trust aids in providing group benefits to members in the agricultural industry. TACT provides quality life and health benefit plans and works to hold down future rate increases for participants. With TACT, you don't rent your insurance plan, you own it.  What can we do to help you? What questions do you have?  We are here to answer your questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 TACT - Dedicated Insurance Professionals

 

  you know and trust...like Family. 

 

 

 

Next Issue: May 14, 2013
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