Friday, December 18, 2009

Ambit Energy

Hello and Happy Holidays!

As all of you know, the last 18 months have been a healthcare adventure for me and Keith. I think we've done a great job surfing the chaos, but we have been looking for the right vehicle to take us forward into 2010 and beyond with greater financial security. We began researching financial opportunities with our good friend Beth Krueger, looking for those which would allow us to fulfill our personal mission to "do good and do well." We recently found that opportunity through our friend Bill Mclellan who told us about Ambit Energy. A company, which, in the words of its founder, Jere Thompson Jr., has a vision to be the finest and most respected retail energy provider in the United States.

So, Why Ambit Energy?

Like many of you, we have been offered the 'opportunity' to sell friends & family a wide range of costly products over the years. What we like about Ambit Energy, is that it's just offering you the chance to purchase a product you already use at a lower price. Period. If you want to take it further and develop your own micro-business, great, but absolutely not necessary to benefit from the Ambit Energy opportunity of lowered energy rates.

Truly, energy is the perfect product to offer: everyone needs it, everyone understands it, everyone uses it every day, and everyone likes to save money on their monthly bills. Energy demand is growing and states all across the country are just beginning to open their energy markets to competition.

Texas is leading the country as a model for deregulation. It is the 11th largest electricity market in the world. In Texas alone, residential customers spend over $24 billion dollars every year and most of these customers are still paying the highest rate in the market. Ambit Energy provides an opportunity to save money and earn income at the same time.

Unfortunately, we live in Austin and cannot personally benefit from the Ambit rates at this time. However, you can click here to see if your area is part of the program, and then see how much you can save on your own home energy costs. In addition to Texas, Ambit Energy also offers lowered energy rates in New York and Illinois, with an eye to expanding the opportunity nationwide.

So, there's the story. Thanks for taking the time read this post and we hope that you'll check out the Ambit Energy opportunity to see if it works for you, your family and your friends.

Have a great holiday season!

Ruth

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Feeling brave? Here's a scary peek at the high cost of long-term care....

Genworth Financial has created an incredible online tool which lets you estimate your cost of long-term care as far as 20 years in the future.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Your Thoughts Are Cordially Invited…

From Keith Hogan's blog Civil Wrongs

The other day a friend asked me what I thought were the ten biggest problems faced by people with disabilities. It impressed me because that question is not asked nearly often enough. I do have to say that this question posed a dilemma for me. First of all, I don’t feel qualified to answer this question for anybody but myself. Secondly, and most importantly, I don’t like to talk about myself which makes this blog quite difficult for me....

Please continue reading Your Thoughts Are Cordially Invited... here

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

From Abled to Labeled

"While life may not be perfect, it’s still life and it's still to be enjoyed in anyway possible."

Into the Impossible...

“The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible.” Arthur C. Clarke

Saturday, November 21, 2009

There's always something....

The other day Keith was wondering what he would write about in his blog this week. Fortunately, when you see the world from a different perspective, there's always something.

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Second-Class Citizen Blues
by Keith Hogan

Yesterday, I went to a meeting with the insurance salesman to discuss managed Medicare products. My attorney, who is very well regarded for his disability law knowledge, recommended him to me. Unfortunately, the insurance salesman’s office was located in a historical building that was completely inaccessible to me. I could not even use a ramp or an elevator in the back of the building because there wasn’t one. I realize that this was a building of historic significance, but it was disheartening to find that it maintained the historical disregard for people with disabilities.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Humana: Our 800 Pound Gorrilla in the Oxygen War of 2009

A couple of weeks ago we were contacted by Humana to discuss Keith's oxygen situation. Specifically they were concerned that the home healthcare provider was requesting reimbursement from Humana/Medicare while still taking cash from Keith for his oxygen delivery. Additionally, as a Humana member, Keith has a cap of $6.25 per delivery as opposed to the ~$200 per delivery that the home healthcare provider was collecting. I informed Humana that we had been in contact with Rep Lloyd Doggett's office [D-TX] about this situation and that it was being investigated at the federal level. At the very least, the home healthcare provider is clearly violating federal law regarding oxygen delivery as detailed in the Patients & Providers Act of 2008.

The work to bring this to the attention of the right people has been exhausting. The amount of energy necessary to find people who care has been appalling. For me, insuring that Keith has the oxygen he needs to continue healing is of paramount importance and that has been the primary motivation to move forward. However, I am also driven by the unknown others who are being affected by this home healthcare provider's policies in this region. To top it all off, it sickens me to see the recent advertisements by this company expressing their commitment to their clients when I know our experience on the local level has been quite different. And, we are not alone. There are many oxygen dependent clients who are experiencing similar issues. I'm hopeful that with Humana on our side that we can not only sort out Keith's O2, but improve the options for others as well.