LUPUS FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 

July 8, 2013
Support Groups Get Busy in July

 
In the month of July - on July 20, in fact, big support group events are coming in San Francisco and Marin Counties.
 
Marin:
 
A new support group is being organized in Marin, and the first meeting is on July 20. 

  

DATE: Saturday, July 20
TIME: 10 am to 12 noon
PLACE:  401 Ash St, Apt 10, Mill Valley, CA 94941
HOST:  Marilyn Wedner

  

If you have any questions, please e-mail or call 
MARILYN - [email protected]  415-383-1924
 
For more info, please see this flyer.
 
San Francisco: 
 
The SF Subchapter is organizing a lupus education day on July 20.
 
DATE: Saturday, July 20.
TIME: 12 noon to 4 pm.
PLACE: Kaiser Medical Center, 2238 Geary Blvd @ Divisadero, 3rd Floor, Diamond Conference Room San Francisco, CA 94115
CONTACT: Evanne Grate.  415.452.4270 or [email protected]
 
REGISTRATION: Online 
 
For more info, please see this flyer. 
 
Information contained in this e-Newsletter should not be considered a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or management of S.L.E. and symptoms by a physician.   
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Editor: Spandan Chakrabarti

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Delaying the Employer Mandate in the Affordable Care Act: How Will It Impact You?
You may have learned last week that the Obama administration has delayed the implementation of the Affordable Care Act's mandate for middle and large-sized employers to either provide affordable, quality insurance to their employees or pay an employer responsibility payment in their taxes. That penalty will now be delayed to 2015. But what does it mean for you?

If your employer already provides health insurance: Nothing will change for you. You will be able to sign up for your plan during your usual open enrollment period, and pick a plan as you always do. 96% of employers covered by this delay fall into this category.

If your employer does not yet provide insurance: Your employer will still be able to offer a plan next year and comply with the law. If your employer decides to provide a plan next year, you can sign up for it. If your employer does not, you are still eligible to buy a plan in your state's exchange that will be set up under the Affordable Care Act. In California, the state is setting up its own exchange.

In the exchange:
  • You will have a choice of plans to pick from, including, if you qualify for it, Medicaid (in California, MediCal). The premiums are lower than previously expected, at least in California, averaging around $300 a month.
  • ACA outlaws insurance denials or rate disparities based on health status, so you cannot be denied or charged extra for having a chronic condition. Rates are allowed to vary based only on age and tobacco use.
  • If you earn under 400% of the federal poverty level (about $46,000 for an individual or $96,000 for a family of four), you will be eligible for federal subsidies to pay all or part of your premium.
  • Provided you can afford it, you will be required to buy insurance or pay a fine.
If you are an employer that employs less than 50 employees, the employer responsibility provision does not apply to you. If you employ more than 50, 2014 will bring you choices to offer insurance to your employees, as well as simplified reporting requirements that will begin in 2015.
New Website to Help You Talk to Your Doctor to Get the Best Possible Care
GlaxoSmithKline, the developer of the lupus drug Benlysta, has launched a new website to help patients be more comfortable with talking to their physicians to get the best possible care. Visit LupusCheck.com.
 
 
Our national research partners at the Lupus Research Institute applauded the effort:
 
GSK launched the campaign in response to a national survey suggesting that patients often downplay their symptoms, even to their physician.  Our social services counselors find that patients can often hold back to avoid "annoying" the professional. "Many patients are afraid of being seen as a complainer," noted Director of Social Services, Jessica Rowshandel, M.S.W. here at the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation.  "But you must be honest about what's wrong so the doctor can determine the right treatment."
 
The Foundation is part of the LRI National Coalition of state and local lupus groups that work with patients throughout the country on how to advocate for their own care by communicating more effectively with healthcare professionals. 
 
Visit LupusCheck.com to learn more.