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Health Insurance Form Simplified
H ealth W atch
Cancer Resource Center—Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and
the American Red Cross have joined forces to create the first in-hospital
resource center providing books, printed material, computer access and
more for individuals and families dealing with cancer. The center is open
Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Lead Poisoning Prevention — Learn how to protect your family from lead
poisoning. Ideal for folks in live in older homes with children or pregnant
women. Qualified participants receive a free kit of safety and testing
supplies. Call 503-284-6827.
Parenting Classes — Newborns don’t come with instruction manuals
but parents and parents-to-be can learn about a variety of topics from
pain and childbirth to breastfeeding to infant CPR and much more. For
a schedule of events, call 503-574-6595 or visit: providence.org/classes.
Heart Talk Support Group — Meets on the second Monday of each
month; from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 503-251 -6260.
Families with Mental Illness—A free, 12-week course for people whose
family members live with mental illness is offered at Emanuel Hospital,
Mt. Hood Medical Center and Providence Medical Center. The course
has been described as “life-changing” by former participants. Registra­
tion is required by calling 503-203-3326.
Chronic Pain Support Group — Meets the first Wednesday at 4 p.m. to
5:30 p.m. and the third Wednesday of each month, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
For more information, call 503-256-4000.
Cardiac-Rehab Exercises— A medically supervised exercise program for
people dealing with heart conditions. For information, call 503-251 -6260.
A NEW SCHOOL IS OPENING!
Emmanuel
C H R IS T IA N ACADEM Y
Building Tomorrow's Leaders
An affordable education option
fo r families living, in North Portland
We invite you to an Open House!
May 4 (Saturday) 10-11:30 AM
May 23 (Thursday) 7-8:30 PM
at the University Park Baptist Church facility
4340 N. Lombard St. Portland 97203
www.emmanuelchristianacademypdx.org
Paperwork is for benefits under health care law
(AP) — The first draft was as
mind-numbing as a tax form. Tues­
day the Obama administration un­
veiled simplified application forms
for health insurance benefits com­
ing next year under the federal health
care overhaul.
The biggest change: a five-page
short form that single people can fill
out. That total includes a cover page
with instructions, and an extra page
to fill out if you want to designate
someone to help you through the
process.
B ut the application form for fami-
lies still runs to 12 pages, although
most households will not have to fill
out each and every page.
The paperwork takes on added
importance because Americans re­
main confused about what Presi­
dent Barack Obama's health care
overhaul will mean for them. A Kai­
ser Family Foundation poll released
Tuesday found that 4 in 10 are un­
aware it's the law of the land. Some
think it's been repealed by Con­
gress, but in fact, it's still on track.
At his news conference Tues­
day, Obama hailed the simplified
forms as an example of how his team
listened to criticism from consumer
groups and made a fix. The law's
benefits will be available to all Ameri­
cans, he emphasized, even if Re­
publicans in Congress still insist on
repeal, and many GOP governors
won't help put it into place.
When the first draft of the appli-
Local Lawyers fo r
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(503) 288-5522
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This application shows the short form for the new federal Afford­
able Care Act. The first draft was as mind-numbing as a tax form.
Tuesday the Obama administration unveiled simplified application
forms.
cation turned out to be a clunker,
"im m e d ia te ly , e v ery b o d y sat
around the table and said, 'Well, this
is too long, especially.. .in this age of
the Internet,'" Obama recounted.
'"People aren't going to have the
patience to sit there for hours on
end. Let's streamline this thing.'"
Consumers will start getting fa­
miliar with the new applications less
than six months from now, on Oct. 1,
when new insurance markets open
for enrollment in every state. Most
people with job-based benefits will
not have to bother with the applica­
tions, only the uninsured.
U nder the law , m iddle-class
people who don't get coverage
through their jobs will be able to
purchase private insurance. Most
will be able to get tax credits, based
on their incomes, to make their pre­
miums more affordable. Low-income
uninsured people will be steered to
government programs like Medic­
aid.
Benefits begin Jan. 1, and nearly
30 million uninsured Americans are
eventually expected to get cover­
age.
Caffeine Energy Boosts Investigated
(AP) — For people seeking an
energy boost, companies are in­
creasing their offerings of foods
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ATTORNEYS
May I. 2013
Fam ily Law
Bankruptcy
C rim inal L aw
E xpungem ents
Anim al Law
R eal E state M atters
W ills & T rusts
P ro b ate
w ith ad d ed c a ffe in e . A new
caffeinated gum may have gone too
far.
The Food and Drug Administra­
tion said Monday that it will inves­
tigate the safety of added caffeine
and its effects on children and ado­
lescents. The agency made the an­
nouncement just as Wrigley was
rolling out Alert Energy Gum, a new
product that includes as much caf­
feine as a half a cup of coffee in one
piece and promises "the right en­
ergy, right now."
Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy
commissioner o f foods, indicated
that the proliferation of new foods
with caffeine added — especially
the gum, which he equates to "four
cups of coffee in your pocket" —
may even prompt the FDA to look
closer at the way all food ingredi­
ents are regulated.
The agency is already investi­
gating the safety of energy drinks
and energy shots, prom pted by
consum er reports o f illness and
death.
S u b s c rib e
$45.00for3months«$80.00for6mo.»$125.00
for 1 year (please include check with fo rm )
503-288-0033
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