Rotary Log: Bonus Issue from Celts to Health Care

Every once in a while the Log rewards the members of the Portsmouth Rotary Club loyal readership by producing a bonus issue Log. No need to write in and thank us; it’s just what we do!

APRIL 25, 2013

Our April 25 meeting included many Happy Dollars – for National Volunteer week, for the girl scouts going to the Pease Greeters, for Jim Rini’s trip to Eastern Europe, for John St. Pierre’s expecting of a second child, for Bob Harold’s announcement of a decline in the new Poleo cases.

THE PROGRAM

Our own resident historian, Gordon Allen, presented a fascinating history of the Celtics and began by saying: “As far as I know, they did not play basketball”.

Celts were a mix of Alpine and Nordic, part Beaker, part Battle Ax mingled with Urn people.  Europe Celts pressured by northern Teutonic tribes and eastern Illyrians moved to central England with the Urn people who adopted their finer tools.

Celts were fusion of Mediterranean, Alpine, Nordic strains including dark Iberian and light hair. Archaeological evidence says they had contact with Iberian Peninsula.

True Celts were either Goidels (Gaels) in Northern Ireland and high Scotland or Brythons /Britons in Wales, close in kin, especially the Belgi. The religious Druids dominated all.

Greeks called the Celtics “Keltoi”, the Romans called them “Celtai”, present-day Yorkshire, "the Arras Culture."

The Celts in Britain used a language derived from a branch of Celtic known as either Brythonic, which gave rise to Welsh, Cornish and Breton; or Goidelic, developing in to Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx.

Celts brought their religion to Britain, particularly that of the Druids, the guardians of traditions and learning who glorified the pursuits of war, feasting and horsemanship. They controlled the calendar and the planting of crops and presided over the religious festivals and rituals that honored local deities.

The Celts were basically lost to the winds of time as the Romans and Christianity took over Europe in the 400's and 500's. speaking of the Romans, Julias Ceasar defeated Gaul and had their leader executed. Grodon observed: “He was not a very nice man”. What goes around, comes around however. Julias was eventually killed by his “friends” so, Gordon warned, “be careful if your friends lose interest in you”. Celts remained in the far west. However, there remains millions of people today who use a Celtic Welsh language as their mother tongue, and millions of us who have a Celtic heritage.

Gordon had way too many facts which just seemed to roll off his lips so fast that this poor scribe could not keep up. Thank you, Gordon, for a wonderful program and forgive me for factual errors in this Log – you are the only one who will know!

PORTSMOUTH ROTARY LOG – MAY 2, 2013

Major Announcements

Golf Tournament – Friday, June 21^st – Breakfast Hill Golf Course, Greenland

-Forms available on-line.  - Sign up quickly to reserve your play.

Questions? Contact Ben Wheeler

Sponsor Opportunities Galore! Contact Ben Wheeler

Friends Forever Guinness Fund Raiser - All over the seacoast!

Drink and Be Merry 

Contact Leonard Seagren

Portsmouth High School ROTARACT Raises $700 to American Heart Assoc.

            Joanie Dickinson reports the check was the largest amount ever raised!

Lighting Bridges Activision:  More later – Call Tom Decker

Habitat For Humanity – Houses are going up!  Wells Fargo Donates $20,000!

            100 Club Celebration / Bring Your Checkbooks!  - Contact Stamford Cross

Thursday’s Program

HEALTH CARE REFORM - Now and Next…

Presented by Maria M. Proulx, Senior Counsel

Anthem Health Care, New Hampshire

Everything and more than you ever wanted to know about the “Affordable Care Act” (A.C.A.) in one sitting – this opinion expressed by this reporter. 

Highlights according to our speaker …

§  18% of the non-elderly population, roughly 28 million Americans, are uninsured.

§  Medicaid will get expanded at the state level.

§  Market access offered by Exchanges. 

§  Federal Mandates provide coverage minimum limits with payment penalties for uninsured individuals (1-2.5% of taxable income).

§  Individual Subsidies – yes – where person is within 133-400% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

§  Small Employers get premium tax credits up to 50% subsidy – coming in 2014.

§  Employers – with over 50 employees working a minimum of 30 hours per week to offer minimum of three (3) “affordable” or “minimum value” plan selections.

§  Penalties for non-compliance are cumbersome at $2,000/employee annually or according to tax credit formula.

The insurance industry functions include three categories including: 

Financial and Plan Management / Consumer Assistance / Enrollment & Eligibility

     Medical Plan Designs:  4 plan levels with varying co-insurance from 60%-90%.  Private Health Plans still available and “Cadillac Plans” subject to income taxation. 

     All products will include “essential” health benefits, be all inclusive and offer free preventative care including pediatric dental (adults will pay additional). 

     Pricing: Community Rating: Family Tiers; Age; Geography and Tobacco use.

     Financing “Obama Care:” Individual penalties; Tax high income filers; Re-Insurance Assessments; Cadillac Tax; Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Product Fees; and Indoor Tanning Booth Charges.  In addition, Net Investment Tax of 3.8% on Dividends, Interest, and Capital Gains for couples Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) over $250,000 (Individual over $200,000) and Medicare Surcharge Tax of .90% on the same MAGI parameters.

In closing, Ms. Proulx admitted to numerous challenges.  Implementation requires new product suitable ACA; connectivity between the federal government, state insurance departments and insurance companies; distribution of products and services through a broker network; and renewal transition plan for annual updates and changes.  Whereas the ACA was focused on “cost controls” by spreading the risk throughout the population, the emphasis now addresses the delivery of coverage by 2014.