A strategy for marketing nonprofit employment opportunities.

60% of students graduate from college with a debt load of $20,000 plus.  There is a government solution of $5,500 Pell Grant maximum indexed to inflation plus 1% and the new $2,500 tax credit to go far enough?

For those seeking an education through the public education system it seems to be a good beginning. The nonprofit community should promote these options and when possible push the loan forgiveness program as part of the recruitment tool.

The majority of those in the nonprofit community need not to worry about being taxed on health care benefits for two reasons.  First the health care benefit does not exceed the value of benefits provided to federal employees.  The second is that individuals do not earn more than $200,000.  This is one plan that nonprofits and its employees can support. 

The possible limiting of flexible spending accounts does not make sense when people have deductible plans.  It is self imposed managed care with ones own money that as a consumer is used carefully.  If anything the restriction that it be used in the current year should be lifted.  The current restriction forces one to incur costs each year and not save for that larger unexpected expense.  A sudden case of Lyme Disease cost one family $3,500 due to the deductible.  There should be no restriction on promoting one to save for their health care needs of the future. 

Health care overhaul is a joint responsibility.  The use of taxes to change behavior has shown to be successful.   Therefore, taxes on any item that is considered unhealthy is a good approach to decrease the health effects. 

Those against changes in the health care system are promoting a gloom and doom scenario. 

pic by Airship

The proponents to keep the private sector to provide health care say that the nation can not afford the health plan.  These same proponents representing insurance companies and for profit entities argue price control hurts ones ability for accessing health care, improvements in health care and choice.  A further argument by those opposing a national health care plan is to complain on behalf of individuals in industrial countries whom already have national health care.  They fail to state that the health of these individuals is no less then us whom pay. 

pic by john blakey

Senator Kenndey is set to include disability insurance as part of the health care bill.  The opt out provision makes it an employees option to not plan for their future coverage.  One benefit is a $50 a day cash payment for an individual whom can not participate in at least 2 or 3 activities of daily living, thus helping a person stay in their home.  Another benefit is the payment of nursing home bills prior to being eligible for Medicaid payments.  

The effort of federal policy to create affordable health care insurance for every employer and employee is an effort that all businesses can support.  I have not met any for profit or nonprofit owner whom is not willing to pay some cost towards employee health benefits.  The obstacle has been the price that a business can afford. 

The nonprofit sector was created to support efforts of public good and the margin for ending each year with positive cash is less than 5%.  A health care system which mirrors the same approach is the best approach for both small businesses, government and nonprofit organizations to provide health care to its employees. 

If individuals want to pay more for private insurance there does not seem to be any restriction.  However, the exchanges that are being proposed to be created for comparison shopping can be subject to manipulation unless the federal government enforces uniformity to present pricing to us consumers. 

pic by reslifephoto

Whether one thinks of their work as volunteering a little planning in picking the right nonprofit or school or government entity just might increase ones discretionary spending.

If you are going to work for a local nonprofit, state agency or public school that meets the cancellation criteria for student loans make sure you get a deferment so that you do not payout for a loan that is going to be cancelled.

Federal Perkins, Defense and National Direct Student Loan (NDSL) Deferment and Cancellation Option.

Have noted below just one part about the cancellation.  Check out the web link for more specific information. 

What is cancellation?

Cancellation rewards individuals who perform certain types of public service or are employed in certain occupations. For each complete year of service, a percentage of the loan may be canceled. The total percentage of the loan that can be canceled depends on the type of service performed—in some cases 100% of a loan may be canceled. You cannot receive a refund of money you paid toward a loan even if you were eligible, or eventually become eligible, to cancel that portion of the loan.

Do I qualify for cancellation?

Depending on the type of loan you have, and when that loan was borrowed, you may be eligible to cancel part or all of your loan if you have served as a:

1. Volunteer in the Peace Corps or an ACTION program (including VISTA) Teacher
2. Member of the U.S. Armed Forces (serving in an area of hostilities)
3. Nurse or medical technician
4. Law enforcement or corrections officer
5. Head Start worker
6. Child or family services worker
7. Professional provider of early intervention services

If a loan defaults and has been accelerated, an individual loses his or her eligibility for cancellation for services performed on or after the date of acceleration.

pic by PBS hawaii.org

No reason to be worried about drowning in debt.  Take every advantage to throw a life line to those with college debt and matching them to the nonprofit staffing needs.  Some rules just might make the benefit worth a substantial amount of money at no cost to the organization.

An interesting trend is happening in the field of law.  Law firms are recruiting, hiring and then asking the postgraduate student to defer their start date with the firm.  However, they will pay their candidate a stipend and health insurance to work for a nonprofit or government for the year.

For those candidates who plan will try to make sure the nonprofit or government agency is eligible for a loan cancellation option and the gain for everyone will be even better.  Education and Child Welfare are two areas where such partnerships will be successful for everyone.

post from Flickr by Collabexchange

Fast tracking health care reform just might help us all financially before next years annual enrollment.  The time of price increases and higher deductibles.

Three ideas to consider.

1. Allow the FSA flexibility spending plans to be across two years.  The requirement of “use it or lose it” forces families to spend out to ensure costs incurred up to the amount in the account and not wait for insurance payments to know what is.  Thus, always spending out of pocket.  It further ensures that spending has to occur in order to be ensured that money does not revert.  I have noticed as a parent that my sons need a baseline of dollars for medical expenses.  However, I am prevented from creating a pool of tax free funds for emergency or planned medical care.  The policy of use or lose of Medical FSA funds is bad policy.
2. The inability of non-married individuals from being part of the others health care insurance needs to be changed to allow those committed to each other to have the ability to care for their loved ones.
3. Aged based insurance is discriminatory.  We made a comparison of several employees buying individual policies and found that group policies are better priced.  Individual health care premiums leave little option for individuals  not to go into debt, skip health care, scale back care, skip prescriptions and decrease benefits.

cartoon by seigwales

The amount spent on health care overseas in other industrial nations is far lower than the USA and yet life expectancy is the same.  It just might be the time for the USA health care providers to start learning more from other countries on how they deliver health care.  Contact your peers working in these non governmental providers and government health care systems.

See, listen, learn and execute change.

cartoon by M1khaela

It is time to create across the country mandated health care coverage.  When anyone says “oh, its still too expensive for the person to afford Health Care Coverage” I hear “I love having the person get sick because that makes my medical costs even higher and I love giving money to people I do not know”

Health Care is strangling America across the board.  All you got to do is look at the amount of the GDP that goes to health care.

However, it is time that everyone become responsible for paying something towards health care.  It is time that the federal government also creates a nationwide standard  for minimum care and insurance. Why, you might ask?  Because it is the right thing to do when YOU’RE ALREADY PAYING FOR IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.  Responsibility means that everyone needs to be an educated consumer and shops for the best price and care.  An educated consumer is wiser purchaser.  Government has always been lousy at delivering consistent quality services when it is the only providers of the service.  However, creating a standard of care and a price for said care is not that difficult.

Government already pays billions for Medicaid, Medicare, SCHIP, Veterans Services and Active Service personal. Therefore, price the care and pool it with a nationwide insurance premium.  Every employer already pays the Medicare tax and its expected.  Every employee looks for health care to the degree they can obtain it in their job search. To be fair to all and to bring the living wage forward why not increase the minimum wage with an amount that must go towards health care.  If it is an increase in pay to the individual then there needs to be the mandate that employees show proof of insurance or it is deducted from their pay.

Instead of the employees getting the money and it might go to health care I would suggest any organization including nonprofits consider to have it as an employer tax so that it is clear that money goes into the government insurance pool that is managed in conjunction with the rest of the federal health care payments.

pic by royblumenthal

New Pitch to affordable health care containment and health care access.

Walgreens and CVS broaden health care reach by creating In-Store Clinics and Work-Site Centers for employers.  Wal-Mart offers a $4 generic drug program. I would call them neighborhood mini health centers.

Businesses have finally had enough in uncontrollable increases in health care costs and the lack of affordable health for their employees.  This just might be an approach to lowering the number of census tracts that have individuals medically under-served.

This movement shows purchasers changing direction.  I feel this is a wake up call for nonprofit health care industry to listen.  “Your pricing yourself out of business”.  The market place has begun to show that health care is way too expensive and purchasers are seeking alternatives.  For profits corporations are providing new models that are cheaper.

The nonprofit health sector needs to change.  The next big push I project will be government mandating care paid by government subsidies be through more managed care approaches and more Community Health Center plans.