What if I need to see a provider that's not in my health plan's network?

Many of  the health plans for sale in Washington's new Exchange - Wahealthplanfinder - have narrower provider networks. This trend helps keeps premiums down, but it can be confusing and upsetting to consumers who are used to seeing certain providers.

If you don't qualify for a subsidy and you want a broader selection of providers, you may want to consider buying a health plan outside of the Exchange. You can do so by contacting a health insurer directly or an insurance agent can help you. Here's a list of all plans available inside and outside the Exchange by county. Make sure you check the plan's provider directory before you sign up.

Consider these tips on network issues to consider before signing up for coverage.

If you need medical care that cannot be provided by a provider or facility in your plan's network, your health plan must allow you to see the out-of-network provider network at no greater cost than if they were a contracted provider. Read more about your rights to see certain providers.

If you believe you're being treated unfairly by your insurance company, file a complaint with us - we'll look into if for you and make sure your health plan is following the rules.

Want to get more involved? We're currently working on new rules about provider networks. One of the goals is to increase transparency - so you know which providers are covered by your plan and how to access care you need, if they're not. Join our listsev to get updates on this new rule.

Want to work at OIC? We are hiring!

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner has three positions open in its Tumwater office. All are open until filled.

• Financial Examiner 4 (Senior Financial Analyst) to examine and analyze insurance companies and health carrier filings to discern financial condition, difficulties, trends and compliance. This position also supervises three financial examiners in our Company Supervision division. 
• Investigator 4 (Supervisor) to investigate complaints against insurance companies, agents and brokers. This position also supervises seven investigators in our Legal Affairs division. 
• Human Resource Consultant Assistant 2 to help with all things human resources, including working in the state’s Human Resources Management (HRMS) system.

OIC is a small state agency – just over 200 employees statewide – and our mission is to protect consumers, the public interest, and our state’s economy through fair and efficient regulation of the insurance industry. Read more about our agency on our website.

Kreidler orders insurance loan seller to stop doing business in Washington

Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued a cease and desist order against Insurance Finance Corp., headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. The company has been illegally financing insurance premiums in Washington and charging consumers more than allowed under state law.

Essentially, Insurance Finance Corp. sells loans to people who purchase insurance and can’t or don’t want to pay the full premium up front. This type of loan is typically sought by people who purchase commercial insurance policies. Individual policies, including homeowner, renter and auto insurance, typically allow consumers to pay a monthly premium rather than making large yearly or twice-yearly payments.

Kreidler ordered Insurance Finance Corp. to stop doing business in Washington because it violated two state laws – it’s not licensed to do business in Washington and it is overcharging Washington customers. State law limits service charges to $10 per $100,000 per year, and a one-time acquisition charge of $10 per loan.

We identified 429 Washington customers who have purchased loans totaling more than $630,000 from August 2010 through July 2013. However, there could be more customers that we have not identified. We are unable to determine the total amount of overcharges to Washington customers until we can identify all of its customers and loans. Customers may have been referred to the firm by insurance brokers and agents. Washington insurance agents and brokers can help by not referring clients to Insurance Finance Corp. while the cease and desist order is in place.

Insurance Finance Corp. has 90 days to appeal the cease and desist order.

Anyone who sells insurance or insurance products to people in Washington must be licensed by OIC. You can look up a company’s licensing status and see if a company has complaints on our website.

Highest and Lowest Insurance for 2014 Vehicle Model

Insure.com has released the survey for the highest and lowest insurance rates for the 2014 model cars. They use information from the 6 leading insurance companies in all 50 states.

Jeep Wrangler Sport topped the cheapest 2014 models to insure at $1,080 annually while the Nissan GT-R Track Edition is the priciest 2014 model to insure at $3,169.

By states, the highest average insurance rates are Michigan which is number 1 then followed by West Virginia, Georgia, Washington, D.C. and Rhode Island. While the five states with the cheapest average rates is headed by Ohio followed by Maine, New Hampshire, Idaho and Iowa.

Cheapest 2014 models to insure:

1. Jeep Wrangler Sport - $1,080
2. Honda Odyssey LX  - $1,103
3. Jeep Patriot Sport - $1,104
4. Honda CR-V LX - $1,115
5. Jeep Compass Sport - $1,140
6. Chrysler Town & Country Touring - $1,140
7. Subaru Outback 2.5i - $1,144
8. Dodge Journey SE - $1,149
9. Honda Odyssey EX - $1,149
10. Dodge Grand Caravan SE - $1,158

Priciest 2014 models to insure:

1. Nissan GT-R Track Edition - $3,169
2. BMW M6 - $3,065
3. Mercedes-Benz CL550 4Matic AWD - $3,019
4. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT - $2,986
5. Porsche Panamera Turbo S - $2,970
6. Audi R8 5.2 Spyder Quattro - $2,917
7. Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG - $2,887
8. Audi A8 L 6.3 Quattro - $2,869
9. Jaguar XKR Supercharged - $2,854
10. Jaguar XK - $2,610

10 States with the Lowest average auto insurance rates:

1. Ohio ($926)
2. Maine ($964)
3. New Hampshire (963)
4. Idaho ($1,053)
5. Iowa ($1,058)
6. North Carolina ($1,060)
7. Wisconsin ($1,087)
8. Virginia ($1,114)
9. Vermont ($1,149)
10. New York ($1,173)

Source: Insure.com

Next K�lner R User Meeting: 26 February 2014

The next Cologne R user group meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, 26 February 2014. We are delighted to welcome:

• Diego de Castillo: R and databases
• Kim Kuen Tang: Hands on using R and kdb+ together
• Frank Celler: ArangoDB (Lightning Talk)

Further details and the agenda are available on our K�lnRUG Meetup site.

Please sign up if you would like to come along. Notes from past meetings are available here.

The organisers, Bernd Wei� and Markus Gesmann, gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of Revolution Analytics, who support the Cologne R user group as part of their vector programme.


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Next K�lner R User Meeting: 26 February 2014

The next Cologne R user group meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, 26 February 2014. We are delighted to welcome:

• Diego de Castillo: R and databases
• Kim Kuen Tang: Hands on using R and kdb+ together
• Frank Celler: ArangoDB (Lightning Talk)

Further details and the agenda are available on our K�lnRUG Meetup site.

Please sign up if you would like to come along. Notes from past meetings are available here.

The organisers, Bernd Wei� and Markus Gesmann, gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of Revolution Analytics, who support the Cologne R user group as part of their vector programme.


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R in Insurance 2014 Conference Poster

Here is the poster for the 2nd R in Insurance conference on Monday 14 July 2014 at Cass Business School in London:

R in Insurance 2014 conference poster. Download PDF version

Important dead lines to keep in mind:

• Abstract submissions: 28 March 2014
• Early bird booking: 30 May 2014
• R in Insurance Conference: 14 July 2014

For all further information see: www.rininsurance.com.

The programme and the presentation files of the first R in Insurance conference have been published on GitHub.

R in Insurance 2014 Conference Poster

Here is the poster for the 2nd R in Insurance conference on Monday 14 July 2014 at Cass Business School in London:

R in Insurance 2014 conference poster. Download PDF version

Important dead lines to keep in mind:

• Abstract submissions: 28 March 2014
• Early bird booking: 30 May 2014
• R in Insurance Conference: 14 July 2014

For all further information see: www.rininsurance.com.

The programme and the presentation files of the first R in Insurance conference have been published on GitHub.

Hearing Feb. 25 on consolidation of Western United Life Assurance company

Insurance Commissioner will hear proposed consolidation of Western United Life Assurance

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is holding a hearing at noon on Feb. 25 to consider a consolidation request from Western United Life Assurance Company in Spokane.

This request involves two entities--Investors Consolidated Insurance Co., a New Hampshire-based company, and Western United Life Assurance Co., both subsidiaries of Central United Life Insurance Company and Harris Insurance Holdings, Inc. in Houston. 

Investors Consolidated wants to change its domicile�base of operations�to Spokane from New Hampshire. Immediately thereafter, Investors Consolidated and Western United Life, which is already based in Spokane, want to merge and retain the corporate name of Western United Life Assurance Co.

Anyone who is interested in weighing in on the relocation and merger may submit comments and may also attend the hearing in person or by telephone.

Hearing location:

Office of the Insurance Commissioner5000 Capitol Blvd.Tumwater, WA 98501

To participate by phone, call (877) 668-4493, followed by access code 231 993 38.

Submit comments to: kellyc@oic.wa.gov

For more information:

View the Notice of Hearing, which includes advice on how to participate in the hearing process.

View all documents filed in this matter under Western United Life #14-0004.

Self Insure or Pay for Insurance

Is it wise to self insure for long-term care or just buy insurance? Manisha Thakor founder and chief executive of Santa Fe, N.M. based MoneyZen Wealth Management LLC said on her article on Wall Street Journal, that Long-term-care insurance is a new product and it don't have the history of dealing with claims payment like home and auto insurance.

She also said that young people have the power to choose, right to choose to self insure themselves, �By taking the money you would have put in long-term-care premiums and investing them in a low cost 60/40 balanced index fund, you can create your own pool of funds to draw on down the road if need be�and avoid the dreaded �claim denied� scenario,� she said.

But self insuring will take a lot of discipline and majority of Americans I believe will not be able to keep on investing every month and put it on 60% stocks and 40% bonds. The plus side to self insuring is if you don't need long term care you can keep the money to yourself or give it to your heirs.

However, if we take into consideration the inflation rate, it can be costly the price of health care will considerably increase by the time you need it. The plus side of having a good insurance is it can protect you against inflation.

According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance there are more or less 8 million Americans that have long-term care insurance. The premiums costs for single males have decrease while the premiums for females increased.

If a 55yo male who is single bought a new long-term care insurance protection in 2014, he will pay about $925 per year for $164,000 of benefits American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance said. He would pay $1,765 for coverage that increases the benefit pool to $365,000 at age 85, a 14.5% decline from last year�s average.

If a 55yo single woman pay an average of $1,225 every year for the same level of benefits available to a single man for $925.

Adding labels within lattice panels by group

The other day I had data that showed the development of many products over time. I grouped the products into categories and visualised the data as line graphs in lattice. But instead of adding an extensive legend to the plot I wanted to add labels to each line's latest point. How do you do that? It turns out that panel.groups is there to help again.

Here is my solution:

R code

Read more �

Adding labels within lattice panels by group

The other day I had data that showed the development of many products over time. I grouped the products into categories and visualised the data as line graphs in lattice. But instead of adding an extensive legend to the plot I wanted to add labels to each line's latest point. How do you do that? It turns out that panel.groups is there to help again.

Here is my solution:

R code

Read more �

260,000 Vehicles recalled by Toyota US

NEW YORK - After recalling Prius hybrids last Wednesday Toyota are now recalling another 260,000 cars and pickup trucks in the United States Friday because of electrical problems that may caused faulty breaks.

This will affect Lexus RX350s and Toyota Tacomas for the model years 2013 and 2012, also included are Rav4 2012 stated in the report by the US National Transportation Safety Board.

The faulty electrical component of the brake actuator in the brake system of the vehicles has the tendency to malfunction that would turn on warning lights for the stability control, braking and traction control systems.

If that happens the system will malfunction and will no longer operate that can cause crash.

Last Wednesday February 12, 2014 Toyota notify owners in Japan that they will recall 1.9 million Prius hybrid cars after the uncovering some problems with software used to control a power converter.

After you put a ring on it, think about insurance changes

Love is in the air on Valentine’s Day and it’s a popular time of year to pop the question or get married. If you are a taking the plunge soon, here are some insurance matters you will need to address.

Jewelry rider

The first step in getting engaged is typically purchasing an engagement ring. The average cost of an engagement ring this year is nearly $3,500—does your homeowner or renter insurance policy cover the cost of replacing engagement and wedding rings that may exceed $5,000 for both bride and groom? If not, you may be able to purchase a jewelry rider, which is a supplemental policy that covers jewelry that has a value that exceeds the standard policy. Many riders require an appraisal or documentation that may come with your new jewelry purchase.

Homeowner or renter insurance

Combining households also means combining your belongings. Make an inventory of all of your belongings—including wedding gifts -- to determine how much coverage you'll need. It will also make filing a claim easier in the event of a loss or disaster. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) offers a free home inventory app for iPhones and Android phones; you can also download a PDF version. High-value items like artwork, collectables or jewelry may need a personal property rider in addition to your homeowners policy.

If you are moving into a new residence, remember that its location, size of the home and construction type are factors that determine your insurance premium.

Don't immediately cancel a policy on a residence that you are vacating. There is a higher risk of unforeseen damage, such as burst water pipes, fire or theft that can be costly to remedy without the insurance coverage. Ask your insurance agent about a supplemental endorsement that will provide coverage on the home if it is vacant for an extended period of time.

Auto insurance

Married couples have the option of combining their auto insurance policies, but most newlyweds don't discuss their spouse's driving record before getting married. A poor driving record could increase the cost of your premiums. If that affects you, talk to your insurance agent about a named driver exclusion. Other factors that affect your premium are make, model and age of the vehicle.

As a newlywed, you may be eligible for discounts. Some insurance companies consider married couples a lower risk, which could result in lower rates. You may be eligible for discounts if you combine your auto policies or buy auto coverage from the same company that carries your homeowner or renter policies.

Health insurance

When deciding what to do about your health insurance, evaluate your current and future health care needs. You will also want to compare the cost of adding your spouse to your policy against keeping your own health insurance.

If you have health insurance through an employer, you are allowed to add your spouse to your plan outside of the open enrollment period. Contact your company's benefits administrator to find out what you need to do.

For individual plans, contact your insurance agent or company for specific enrollment requirements for spouses. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, nor can they charge more based on medical history. You will need your spouse's Social Security number and income information to add him/her to your plan.

Life insurance

It's never easy to talk about life insurance, especially during such a happy time, but it may help secure your family's financial future. To calculate your needs, consider future income, the cost of raising children and any large outstanding debts such as school loans or mortgage payments. If either or both of you have life insurance, check with your agent about updating your beneficiary information. Remember to check with your employer about any life insurance benefits offered through work.

More information

• Read NAIC’s Insurance Survival Guide for Newlyweds
• Find resources about all types of insurance on OIC’s website

Consumer question: Don�t my agent and insurance company have to make sure I�m getting their best rates and coverage?

Although you’d think that would be a good way to keep you as a customer, the answer is “no.” The best time to ask about the most cost-effective coverage is at the time of application. It’s always good to ask your agent to offer multiple options for the type of coverage you are looking for.

You can always ask questions about your rates and coverage during the policy period and you are free to change insurers anytime you wish to. Choosing insurance is not like choosing a cell phone plan, where they lock you in for two years.

Generally speaking, you want to be the one asking questions about how to save money or improve coverage on your insurance policies. Most insurers are not going to offer up ways for you to save money once you’ve bought a policy. Think of it this way: You are the custodian of your policies, and it’s up to you to be aware of what they cover and to ask questions when you need clarification and help. You also have the freedom to find other coverage.

Remember, if you feel like your insurance company is not doing its job, you can call our consumer experts at 800-562-6900 or file a complaint online.

It's always a good idea to make sure your insurance agent or broker is licensed to sell insurance in Washington.

 

Registration for the 2014 'R in Insurance' conference has opened

The registration for the second conference on R in Insurance on Monday 14 July 2014 at Cass Business School in London has opened.

This one-day conference will focus again on applications in insurance and actuarial science that use R, the lingua franca for statistical computation. Topics covered may include actuarial statistics, capital modelling, pricing, reserving, reinsurance and extreme events, portfolio allocation, advanced risk tools, high-performance computing, econometrics and more. All topics will be discussed within the context of using R as a primary tool for insurance risk management, analysis and modelling.

The intended audience of the conference includes both academics and practitioners who are active or interested in the applications of R in insurance.

Invited talks will be given by:

• Arthur Charpentier, D�partement de math�matiques Universit� du Qu�bec � Montr�al
• Montserrat Guillen, Dept. Econometrics University of Barcelona together with Leo Guelman, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC Insurance division)

Attendance of the whole conference is the equivalent of 6.5 hours of CPD for members of the Actuarial Profession.

We invite you to submit a one-page abstract for consideration. Both academic and practitioner proposals related to R are encouraged. The submission deadline for abstracts is 28 March 2014.

Details about the registration and abstract submission are given on the dedicated R in Insurance page at Cass Business School.

Sponsors

The organisers, Andreas Tsanakas and Markus Gesmann, gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of Mango Solutions, Cybaea, PwC and RStudio.



Last year's programme, abstracts and talks are available online.

Registration for the 2014 'R in Insurance' conference has opened

The registration for the second conference on R in Insurance on Monday 14 July 2014 at Cass Business School in London has opened.

This one-day conference will focus again on applications in insurance and actuarial science that use R, the lingua franca for statistical computation. Topics covered may include actuarial statistics, capital modelling, pricing, reserving, reinsurance and extreme events, portfolio allocation, advanced risk tools, high-performance computing, econometrics and more. All topics will be discussed within the context of using R as a primary tool for insurance risk management, analysis and modelling.

The intended audience of the conference includes both academics and practitioners who are active or interested in the applications of R in insurance.

Invited talks will be given by:

• Arthur Charpentier, D�partement de math�matiques Universit� du Qu�bec � Montr�al
• Montserrat Guillen, Dept. Econometrics University of Barcelona together with Leo Guelman, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC Insurance division)

Attendance of the whole conference is the equivalent of 6.5 hours of CPD for members of the Actuarial Profession.

We invite you to submit a one-page abstract for consideration. Both academic and practitioner proposals related to R are encouraged. The submission deadline for abstracts is 28 March 2014.

Details about the registration and abstract submission are given on the dedicated R in Insurance page at Cass Business School.

Sponsors

The organisers, Andreas Tsanakas and Markus Gesmann, gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of Mango Solutions, Cybaea, PwC and RStudio.



Last year's programme, abstracts and talks are available online.

Looking for car insurance? You may want to avoid buying in March

A study released in late January showed that, nationally, car insurance policies purchased in December were 8 percent cheaper than polices that were purchased in March, the most expensive month. The yearlong study, conducted by InsuranceQuotes.com, couldn’t pinpoint a cause for the variance. However, the report did note that rate increases and inflation adjustments often take effect in January.

Furthermore, rates varied widely by state. In Washington, rates varied 14.1 percent from the highest month—March--to the lowest month, which was not specified. The average monthly cost in the Evergreen State is $94, compared to $99 per month nationally. The biggest fluctuation was in Hawaii, where rates were 48 percent lower in December than they were in March.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) said many factors could be at play, including weather patterns, risks and costs that differ by state and even zip codes within a state, and changes in state law that may affect rates.

Read more:

• CNN Money article
• Read the study
• Read more about auto insurance in Washington

Bitcoin Crashes, Withdrawals Frozen

There were whispers of uncertainties about Bitcoin even when they were soaring, there are a hint of doubts. However, some people who wants to get rich quick disregard the red flags and were too eager to jump to invest in the cryptocurrency.

The bitcoin crashed, which is its 3rd in recent months, that leaves investors wondering if this is the end of the once promising currency.

The crash was a result of an oversight made by Tokyo based MtGox, which is the largest exchange. They allowed bitcoins to be traded for traditional currency. Then they hold the accounts of all its customers and stop their operations when the company discovered an unfortunate glitch.

MtGox said in a statement: �A bug in the bitcoin software makes it possible for someone to use the Bitcoin network to alter transaction details to make it seem like a sending of bitcoins to a bitcoin wallet did not occur when in fact it did occur.�

Which means the bug permit someone to get additional bitcoin currency and it may be use to exploit the system for fraud. They also said that the flaw in the bitcoin standard allowed fraudulent cancellations of completed transactions.

The currency value dropped by 20%. After hanging in the range of $900 to $1,000 for most of 2014, Bitcoin prices plummets to as low as $500 before recovering slightly to around $700 on Monday.

Control an LED with the Raspberry Pi and via the web

What a great little device the Raspberry Pi is! After my initial setup it is time to play around with the input and output pins. The first example has to be to switch on an LED. This can also be done remotely via a web interface and better, I cannot only switch the LED off, but the whole Raspberry Pi as well.

Thanks to the work of many others, it is straightforward to control the GPIO (General-purpose input/output) pins. Gordon's Project site shows how this can be done with his wiringPi library. For testing purposes I use an LED and a small resistor on pin 17. To control the LED it is as simple as:

gpio mode 0 out
gpio write 0 1
gpio write 0 0

I can also use a browser to control the pins. The webiopi projects provides an out-of-the-box solution for this. That means, I can control the pins from any other device in the network, such as my mobile phone!

Even better, I can switch the Pi off from my phone as well. Daniel Pecos presents a little script and layout that shuts the Pi down via a physical button on pin 4. But, I can also use my phone via webiopi; with Daniel's script running in the background, I can set pin 4 to input, tap it and the Raspberry Pi will shutdown.

Control an LED with the Raspberry Pi and via the web

What a great little device the Raspberry Pi is! After my initial setup it is time to play around with the input and output pins. The first example has to be to switch on an LED. This can also be done remotely via a web interface and better, I cannot only switch the LED off, but the whole Raspberry Pi as well.

Thanks to the work of many others, it is straightforward to control the GPIO (General-purpose input/output) pins. Gordon's Project site shows how this can be done with his wiringPi library. For testing purposes I use an LED and a small resistor on pin 17. To control the LED it is as simple as:

gpio mode 0 out
gpio write 0 1
gpio write 0 0

I can also use a browser to control the pins. The webiopi projects provides an out-of-the-box solution for this. That means, I can control the pins from any other device in the network, such as my mobile phone!

Even better, I can switch the Pi off from my phone as well. Daniel Pecos presents a little script and layout that shuts the Pi down via a physical button on pin 4. But, I can also use my phone via webiopi; with Daniel's script running in the background, I can set pin 4 to input, tap it and the Raspberry Pi will shutdown.

Health reform will free many from �job lock�

A report this week from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office contains a section that mentions how health-care reform offers many people relief from “job lock.”

That’s a reference to those who stick with a job simply to maintain their employer-based health insurance. Until the Affordable Care Act, they had no other option. Now, many people – perhaps 2 million or more – will be able to take advantage of new subsidies for health insurance and the new marketplaces for individual policies.

Simply put, many people have options for health insurance that no longer depend on a job. They’ll be able to retire earlier, adjust their work life with home life, work fewer hours, start a business or pursue other vocations. It’s their choice.

Those are good things, right? But opponents of the Affordable Care Act have trotted out the usual histrionics, shouting about “job killing” and destruction of the economy, accusations that have no factual basis. Some even call it “willful stupidity.”

The deceptive rhetoric ties in with the detractors' stated desire to return to the good old days of allowing insurance companies to reject health care to individuals because of a previous illness. They’d also create more havoc for consumers by allowing health policies to be sold across state lines, which would weaken protections and hurt in-state firms.

The caution and suggestion here is to dig a little deeper below the headlines. But don’t take just our word on this. Check out what a professor of pediatrics from the Midwest had to say about the newest criticism of the Affordable Care Act.

And see how health reform is already helping and will further assist Washington citizens in our updated report on the uninsured in our state.

Congressional Budget Office: Obamacare Will result to Loss of 2 million Jobs, Shrink the Economy

Last Tuesday the Congressional Budget Office said that the Obamacare or healthcare law will diminish work hours that is equivalent to 2 million full-time jobs in 2017.

The latest U.S. fiscal outlook which is a non-partisan CBO indicated that the Obamacare will affect the workforce of the country particularly those who are in the lower income bracket. Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf said that workers will limit their hours so that they will not lose federal subsidies that is provided by the law to help pay for health insurance and other healthcare costs.

The country will feel its impact in 2017 owing to the fact that major provisions of Obamacare

The biggest impact would begin in 2017, CBO said, because major provisions of the law will have started by then. They said that on 2024 the work hours will shrunk by equivalent of 2.5 million jobs.

He further said, "The act creates a disincentive for people to work."

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis that the law will not lay off workers but people will choose not to work because of this provision.

"As a result ... that (lower) labor supply lowers economic growth," Ryan said.

Elmendorf answered: "Yes, that's right."

Ryan added that this would mean that few people would be joining the middle class.

"It's adding insult to injury," he said. "As the welfare state expands, the incentive to work declines meaning grow the government, you shrink the economy."

Affordable Care Act in Washington: helping consumers, stimulating job diversity

The Washington state Legislature today held a hearing on Senate Bill 6464, which would allow Washington consumers to purchase catastrophic plans from states outside of Washington. In November, Insurance Commissioner Kreidler said allowing catastrophic plans is not “a good deal for Washington state.” Furthermore, allowing consumers to purchase out-of-state plans opens the door for health insurers to skirt Washington’s regulations that protect consumers.

Washington citizens have been covered by health insurance through the Washington Healthplanfinder for a little more than a month now. Let’s take a look at the numbers so far:

• We recently published a report on uninsured and underinsured people in Washington for 2012. Approximately 14.5 percent of Washington citizens were uninsured before 2014, exceeding 990,000 people.
• More than 325,000 people have purchased health insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder.
• 33.1 percent of eligible Washingtonians have purchased health insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder, leading the country alongside Vermont, with 33.4 percent, in percentage of people insured, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
• Washington expanded Medicaid, now called Apple Health, to cover more than 516,000 people who qualify for free health insurance. Washington will eventually expand its coverage to more than 800,000 people who qualify.
• Other benefits under the Affordable Care Act are no out-of-pocket costs to consumers for preventive care; people with chronic medical conditions like multiple sclerosis, heart disease or cancer no longer can be denied coverage; and health insurers can no longer hold consumers to an annual or lifetime maximum limit on what they will pay for.

Today, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office released a report projecting the Affordable Care Act will allow people to leave traditional full-time jobs—the ones that historically have provided medical insurance—because they now can sign up through a state or federal Health Benefit Exchange. The side of that story the media isn’t telling, however, is that people who’ve historically been locked into those jobs can pursue other types of work – starting a small business, working as an independent contractor from home, pursuing a career as an artisan or writer, or many other options that will still benefit the economy. The ACA allows them to pursue whatever line of work they wish to, because they are not beholden to an 8-to-5 office or government job in order to have health insurance.

In fact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Urban Institute and Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute in 2013 reported that the number of self-employed Americans is projected to increase by 1.5 million people this year—11 percent-- as a direct result of their ability to get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Read more in the New York Times Economix blog. In Washington state, that number is projected to increase by 30,000, or 8.7 percent.

Does sexual activity change with age?

Recently the Guardian's Data Blog reported about the results from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in the UK. One of the questions asked in the survey was if the participants had sex in the last four weeks. The results - a summary is available in this info graphic - show that the British have their most sexual active period when they are in their 20s - 40s.

The article ended with the Guardian asking its readers to answer the same question over the course of a week. Last Friday they published some high level numbers in a follow-up post. Of course there are many things you may criticise about their survey, e.g. it isn't randomised. However, the data provide a nice little example to get familiar with the prop.test function in R, to test if the proportions (probabilities of success) in several groups are the same, or that they equal certain given values.

Here are the data and a first plot:

Although the numbers of responses vary a lot between age groups, the proportion of those who answered with 'Yes' look more similar:

The function prop.test allows me to test, if the proportions of those who said 'Yes' are the same between different age groups.

Running the test across all age groups shows that if the hypothesis were true, then it would be very unlikely to observe the data by chance; the p-value is less than 2.2e-16. Unlike when I compare the age groups of 25-34 and 35-44 years old. Here the p-value is 11.4% and hence I might accept that the behaviours of the two groups are similar (61% vs. 59%). Adding the next age group on the other hand suggests that the three groups are less likely to have the same proportion (p-value is 0.2%). Still, when I compare the groups of 35-44 and 45-54 years old, then I might accept again that they have a similar sexual activity (p-value 8%).


What do I make of this? Well, most will not notice a change of their sexual activity on a day to day basis. Only when they look back over the decades they will notice a significant change. No surprise there, ageing is a slow process.

Session Info

R version 3.0.2 (2013-09-25)
Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin10.8.0 (64-bit)

locale:
[1] en_GB.UTF-8/en_GB.UTF-8/en_GB.UTF-8/C/en_GB.UTF-8/en_GB.UTF-8

attached base packages:
[1] stats  graphics  grDevices  utils  datasets  methods   base     

other attached packages:
[1] latticeExtra_0.6-26 lattice_0.20-24  RColorBrewer_1.0-5 

loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
[1] grid_3.0.2  tools_3.0.2

Does sexual activity change with age?

Recently the Guardian's Data Blog reported about the results from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in the UK. One of the questions asked in the survey was if the participants had sex in the last four weeks. The results - a summary is available in this info graphic - show that the British have their most sexual active period when they are in their 20s - 40s.

The article ended with the Guardian asking its readers to answer the same question over the course of a week. Last Friday they published some high level numbers in a follow-up post. Of course there are many things you may criticise about their survey, e.g. it isn't randomised. However, the data provide a nice little example to get familiar with the prop.test function in R, to test if the proportions (probabilities of success) in several groups are the same, or that they equal certain given values.

Here are the data and a first plot:

Although the numbers of responses vary a lot between age groups, the proportion of those who answered with 'Yes' look more similar:

The function prop.test allows me to test, if the proportions of those who said 'Yes' are the same between different age groups.

Running the test across all age groups shows that if the hypothesis were true, then it would be very unlikely to observe the data by chance; the p-value is less than 2.2e-16. Unlike when I compare the age groups of 25-34 and 35-44 years old. Here the p-value is 11.4% and hence I might accept that the behaviours of the two groups are similar (61% vs. 59%). Adding the next age group on the other hand suggests that the three groups are less likely to have the same proportion (p-value is 0.2%). Still, when I compare the groups of 35-44 and 45-54 years old, then I might accept again that they have a similar sexual activity (p-value 8%).


What do I make of this? Well, most will not notice a change of their sexual activity on a day to day basis. Only when they look back over the decades they will notice a significant change. No surprise there, ageing is a slow process.

Session Info

R version 3.0.2 (2013-09-25)
Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin10.8.0 (64-bit)

locale:
[1] en_GB.UTF-8/en_GB.UTF-8/en_GB.UTF-8/C/en_GB.UTF-8/en_GB.UTF-8

attached base packages:
[1] stats  graphics  grDevices  utils  datasets  methods   base     

other attached packages:
[1] latticeExtra_0.6-26 lattice_0.20-24  RColorBrewer_1.0-5 

loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
[1] grid_3.0.2  tools_3.0.2

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