The AmeriPlan OpportunityGet Started for $20

• Have you ever dreamed of a career in the healthcare field?



• Have you ever dreamed of being in business for yourself?



• Have you ever dreamed of firing your boss some day?



• Have you dreamed of having the financial freedom to do the things that you want and spend more time with your family?



• Have you dreamed of being able to earn a lifetime of residual income from the comfort of your own home?

What if you could do all of this for just a $20 start-up fee?

I have some really great news for you! For a limited time only, you can start your AmeriPlan business for just $20.00 for the first month. This is a $75.00 savings from our regular start up cost of $95.00. This promotion begins on June 30, 2008 and ends July 31, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. This is an excellent opportunity to try a new business and see if it is right for you with minimal financial risk. Visit my website at:

www.bestnewhomebiz.com to find out more about the AmeriPlan opportunity.

What You Will Be Doing?

As we are all aware, there is a serious healthcare crisis in the United States. There are over 47 million Americans with no health insurance at all and even more Americans are underinsured. Insurance companies hold the reins and can decide to cancel you if your expenses are too high or not insure you if you have a pre-existing condition. Even more people have no dental insurance. It is estimated that 7 out of 10 Americans do not have a dental plan. People need dental and health insurance policies, yet the high price puts this coverage out of the reach of many Americans.

Discount health plans can provide individuals and families with a low cost and effective alternative to expensive medical and dental insurance coverage. At AmeriPlan, we have 4 great affordable plans to choose from. Prices range from just $14.95 to $59.95 per month and provide you with important benefits for your family. These plans include:

1. Dental Plus – Save up to 80% on all dental services. Includes discounts on prescriptions, vision care, and chiropractic treatment. Savings are available on cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, orthodontia, and lasik eye surgery.
2. Basic Health – Discounts on doctor visits, lab tests, hospital advocacy, hearing aids, diabetic supplies, a 24 hour Nurseline, and much more.
3. Total Health – Includes everything in both the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs.
4. Total Health Plus – This is our complete package. It includes everything in both the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs plus the AmeriPlan Auto Club, the AmeriPlan Identity Theft Assistance program, and AmeriPlan Legal Services.

As an AmeriPlan Independent Business Owner, you will be signing up members in our affordable medical and dental plans and helping families save money on their benefits and healthcare. To learn more about our discount health plans visit:

www.healthplansplus.net. You will also have the opportunity to introduce other people interested in a homebased business to the AmeriPlan Business Opportunity.

About this opportunity

As a new Independent Business Owner, you will receive the Dental Plus plan for your entire family. This plan will help you save up to 80% on dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic services. You will also receive 5 professionally designed websites, a computerized back office, full training and staff support, and a broker's kit containing brochures, DVDs, and application forms to help you make those sales. In addition you will receive two $25 certificates redeemable in our sales aids store for additional sales tools and supplies. I will personally mentor you to make sure that you get your business off to a great start.

AmeriPlan has been in business for 16 years and is a member in good standing of the Consumer Health Alliance, the National Association of Dental Plans, Dun & Bradstreet, the Direct Selling Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Well-known companies such as Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, J C Penney, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid are vision and prescription providers for AmeriPlan.

Earn True Residual Income

With AmeriPlan, you have the opportunity to earn true residual income. In other words, you can keep getting paid on work that you did months or even years ago. Because our plans are so affordable and save people significant money on medical and dental care, our members tend to keep our plans for years. Each time one of your medical or dental plan members makes a payment to AmeriPlan, you will receive commission.

Visit our website for more information about the company


Great Time to Become an AmeriPlan Broker

What a time to get started with AmeriPlan. Not only will you be able to start your own AmeriPlan business for just a $20.00 start-up fee, but you will also be able to sign up new Independent Business Owners for your team for just a $20.00 start-up fee. In fact, the sooner you get started, the more new brokers you will be able to sign up and the more you will earn. Remember that the promotion ends July 31st, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

Get Started Today

For more information on the Ameriplan business opportunity visit my website at:

www.freedomathometeam.com/workathome. Please do not hesitate to contact me toll free at (800) 635-3394. You can also self enroll at: www.iboplus.com/hlz.

Take Charge of Your Health Care Blog Carnival- June 22, 2008

Welcome to the June 22, 2008 edition of take charge of your health care. This blog carnival is a collection of articles about saving money on health and dental care, alternative medicine, consumer directed health care, high cost of medical care, current issues in health care, diet and fitness, and health and the environment.

This is the first edition of Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival that is being published at http://healthplansplus.blogspot.com/. Health Plans Plus blog already enjoys a readership and has a Google Page Rank of 3, so hopefully this move will benefit all of the contributors to this Carnival.

I have added a beauty and grooming category for this month’s Carnival since we do get some submissions on this topic. Check out the miscellaneous category for quality posts which may be off topic but of value to our readers.

All entries have been personally reviewed by me, and are selected based on content and value to the reader. I have recently launched a brand new blog for moms, dads, and grandparents who have a homebased business. Head over to: http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/ to see my “Hello World” post.

Save Money on Health Care and Health Insurance

Vera Lang presents Using a Health Savings Account to Pay for Alternative Medicine posted at Be Safe Insure .com, saying, "Health Savings Accounts allow you to set up a tax-deductible account to pay for medical expenses that are not covered by your health insurance. These include expenses to cover your deductible, and other medical expenses like dental and eyeglasses. But many don’t realize that HSA funds can be used to pay for virtually any type of medical service, as long as it pertains to the treatment or prevention of a specific health condition."

Yi Hui Chang presents Ratings of Bay area hospitals from Consumer Reports posted at The Simple Wealth. Editor’s note: This excellent blog post addresses the issue of excessive hospital pricing and in some cases overly aggressive and unnecessary care.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Of Black Holes And Insurance Claims posted at The Digerati Life. Editor’s note: This is a humorous but not so funny commentary on the hassle you will get when attempting to file a claim for out-of-network expenses with your health insurance company.

Dr Martin W. Russell presents Compensation Is Worse Overall posted at Dr Martin W. Russell. Editor’s note: Some facts about the compensation system that you should know.

Alternative Medicine

Neelakantha presents 101 Resources for a Holistic Healthcare Regimen posted at NursingDegree.net. Editor’s note: This is an excellent and thorough resource guide for those who would like to create a holistic regimen for their life.

Anmol Mehta presents The Key to Natural Healing posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment and Kundalini Yoga, saying, "The key to natural healing is to be positive, relaxed and at peace mentally. The concepts of you are not your body, and the body's fantastic inbuilt healing capacities greatly help facilitate this state."

Ellen Landauer presents EDTA Chelation for Detoxification, Immune System Healing and More posted at Health Freedom Coaching, saying, "In addition to the essential foundation of healthy diet, exercise, sound sleep and emotional health, what if there was an easy way to take your vitality to a much higher level? What if you could reduce your chances of being diagnosed with cancer or heart disease, speed recovery from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue, look and feel younger and even increase sexual health? There is a time tested (over 50 years of safety and effectiveness), proven (by medical research) method to accomplish these goals, known as EDTA chelation that is convenient, safe and economical."

Bob Morgan presents Finding Acupuncture Pain Relief for Your Back Acupuncture For Pain, Weight Loss, Depression, Cancer, Allergy and Infertility posted at Acupuncture For Pain, Weight Loss, Depression, Cancer, Allergy and Infertility. Editor’s note: Acupuncture can be an excellent alternative to prescription painkillers and their side effects.

axel presents Stress Management posted at axel g. Editor’s note: This post provides some good relaxation and stress management techniques.

Barbara Y presents Garlic: The Miracle Cure posted at All Natural Blog. Editor’s note: Good blog post on the benefits of garlic.

Roshan presents Asthma posted at Nature Cure. Editor’s note: You will find some great natural health remedies on this site.

Murphy S presents Practical Tips to Prevent Acne posted at All Natural Acne. Editor’s note: You will find some good advice for the acne prone in this post.

Dental Care

Helene Zemel presents AmeriPlan Dental - An Affordable Dental Plan posted at Affordable Dental Plans, saying, "As a Senior Regional Sales Director for Ameriplan, a discount dental and medical provider access organization, I speak to many people each day who are among the 7 in 10 Americans without an affordable dental plan. A dental discount plan can be an affordable alternative to costly dental insurance. Here are some questions to ask when searching for an affordable dental plan for your family."

Helene Zemel presents Silver Amalgam Dental Fillings - Are They a Risk to your Health? posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "The use of mercury in amalgam dental fillings has come under some controversy. This post discusses the pros and cons of amalgam "silver" fillings vs. composite fillings including differences in cost. The U.S. FDA, as well as other countries, is considering labeling restrictions on amalgam fillings."

Heather Johnson presents MedHeadlines - Pregnancy Linked to Tooth Loss posted at MedHeadlines, saying, “No one ever said having children was easy or cheap. In fact, giving birth could cost a mother more than money — it could cost her some teeth.”

Alfred L presents Natural Cure for Bad Breath posted at Only Natural Blog. Editor’s note: Some tips on keeping your breath fresh.

Consumer Driven Health Care

TherapyDoc presents Definition: ADHD posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "Before jumping to meds, take a closer look."

D. Singh presents Google Health Launched. Can We Entrust our Health to Google? posted at Internet Marketing Blog, saying, "Google has entered into the fray of online health record service via a simply branded service, Google Health. Google Health aims to empower us in managing our health information. Google Health proposes to store all this information in a secure and private environment. It even promises that it won’t sell our data."

Tip Diva presents Tip Diva Top Ten Tips - Managing The Side Effects Of Chemotherapy posted at Tip Diva, saying, "According to the World Health Organization, cancer cases are increasing globally, with new cases expected to jump from 11.3 million in 2007 to 15.5 million 2030. With these increases mean more people on chemotherapy. Here are ways to manage these side effects that come with undergoing a chemo regimen"

Tonya presents Natural Labor - Some Suggestions For A More Comfortable Labor And Delivery posted at My Pregnancy Blog, saying, "Natural labor followed by childbirth without any intervention from doctors or medical procedures is safe and most common."

Alanna presents How to Be Your Own Prescription Advocate BBB Consumer Education Blog posted at BBB Consumer Education. Editor’s note: Many people do not check their prescriptions before leaving the doctor's office or pharmacy. This article is a good reminder.

Joanne presents I Think I Poisoned My Cat posted at Open Mind Required, saying, "It's hard to classify this. While the story is about my cat, it's more about trusting our innate ability to heal without interference, and that treating symptoms does not address cause."

Cancerkitty presents Vaccinations: Good or Bad? posted at DelSquacho, saying, "Are vaccinations dangerous?" Editor’s note: Vaccines have come under some controversy in recent years, but the author makes the point the benefits of vaccinating our children far outweigh the small percentage of problems that could occur.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Health Business Grows With Research and Demand posted at SharpBrains, saying, "An in-depth look into the "brain training" field and future directions."

Technology Editor presents Computer Vision Syndrome and How to Avoid it posted at Physician Entrepreneur, saying, “If you spend hours of each day looking at a computer monitor, you are at risk for Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).”

Alex Blackwell presents 30 True Things You Need to Know Now posted at The Next 45 Years, saying, “It is never too late to bring about lasting change for your life. No matter your present circumstances, not matter what has happened in your past; no matter your age, gender, or socioeconomic status, you are the creator of the life you want to live.”

James Brausch presents The Problem With Exercise posted at Weight Loss Dude, saying, “By definition, exercising is a waste of time. Instead of taking time out of your life to go to the gym and “exercise”, why not actually live life and actually do the real activities that exercising is meant to simulate?.”

Sagar presents 101 Wellness Tips You?ve Never Heard Before posted at Nursing Degree Guide. Editor’s note: This is a must read. You will find some great information on a variety of health topics.

Shaheen Lakhan presents Medicine and the Law - Part 4: Informed Consent posted at GNIF Brain Blogger, saying, "Informed consent essentially is documented written or verbal permission from a patient to receive treatment or undergo a procedure. But when a patient is uncooperative or cannot understand what's happening, things can get tricky."

William Peeters presents Fraudulent Study Discredits Herbal Remedy posted at EmbracingHealthBlog Alternative Health and Lifestyle Views, saying, “It is very common that studies done on natural medicine seem to be designed with an end result in mind, which shows herbs and nutrients in a negative light.”

Aparna presents Sleeping for long hours is not good for health posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. Editor’s note: We all know the importance of a good night’s sleep, but is it a problem if we sleep for more than 9 hours every night?
.
Diet & Fitness

Carol Solomon presents EFT Tips: WHY EFT WORKS FOR WEIGHT LOSS posted at EFT Tips, saying, "This article is about using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for weight loss. You can stop food cravings, neutralize the emotions that lead to overeating and stop sabotaging yourself."

Lovelyn presents 10 Simple Ways to Increase the Amount of Exercise You Get Everyday posted at The Art of Balanced Living, saying, “Most of us want to get more exercise, but we never think we have the time to do it. Doing a few simple things differently can help you get more exercise and be more physically fit.”

Dianne M. Buxton presents Professional Footwork, Muscle Memory For Ballet, and Neural Pathways posted at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes, saying, "This article targets ballet and tennis as subjects and the required nutrition for brain/reflex development, and applies generally as well." Editor’s note: Ballet is such a great exercise and it is fun too, and you get to practice to some beautiful music.

Joshua Seth presents Individuals Fighting Obesity posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, "If you think it's hard to lose those last 7 pounds, imagine if you had to lose 700! That's what Manuel Urib is attempting to do and he's well on his way to succeeding

Randy Powell presents Alkaline Misconceptions posted at Eating-Veggies.com: Alkaline Diet blog, saying, "Boost your immune system with a diet high in alkaline foods! Eat a diet high in veggies and fruit every single day."
Davexplorer presents What is natural cooking? posted at Natural Cooking Blog. Editor’s note: Some tips on getting started with natural cooking.

Davexplorer presents Vegan cooking to improve your health. posted at Natural Cooking Blog. Editor’s note: These natural cooking tips should add flavor to your favorite dishes.

Health and the Environment

Sheamus presents 7 Ways To Turn Distress Into Eustress posted at i am shéamus. Editor’s note: Some great suggestions on how to relieve stress in your daily life.

Roderick Fabre presents Seniors Safe and Independent Living posted at Cats Love Plastic Bags, saying, "Safety tips for senior citizens."

Aparna presents When exercise can be harmful posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming, saying, “People living in cities with high pollution levels should be extra cautious about exercising outdoors as the possible damage to health far outweighs the benefits from exercise.

Beauty and Grooming

Save Money presents How to Lighten Dark Underarms posted at My Beauty And Fashion. Editor’s note: If you suffer from this problem, here are some tips for lightening this skin area.

Barbara Y presents Homemade Facial Masks posted at All Natural Blog. Editor’s note: Some facial masks that you can try.

Mike Ramsey presents Hyperhidrosis Causes posted at Hyperhidrosis. Editor’s note: Some good advice for those who suffer from this condition.

Murphy S presents Everyday Tips to Prevent Acne posted at All Natural Acne. Editor’s note: Some simple steps you can follow to prevent acne.

Alfred L presents Natural Cures for Hair Loss posted at Only Natural Blog. Editor’s note: If you suffer from hair loss, you might want to try these remedies.

Phil B. presents Clean Ears with Cotton Swabs? « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "Should we clean our ears with Q-Tips?"

Miscellaneous

Fuel Efficient Driver presents Better Gas Mileage With A Moped posted at I Want Better Gas Mileage, saying, "If high gas prices are really busting your budget- consider buying a moped for your day-to-day trips."

Mohamed Bhimji presents 10 Best Ways To Enhance Your Creativity posted at Internet Business Opportunities. Editor’s note: The author provides 10 helpful tips to help boost your creativity.

Mohamed Bhimji presents 8 Strategies To Handle Negative People In Your Life Or On Your Blog Internet Business Opportunities oibo dot org posted at Internet Business Opportunities. Editor’s note: The author present 8 great tips for handling those negative people in your life.

Jose DeJesus MD presents How to Prevent Identity Theft posted at Physician Entrepreneur. Editor’s note: Theft Identity has become a growing problem, especially in the computer age.

Jose DeJesus MD presents How to Send Emails that get Delivered and Read posted at Physician Entrepreneur. Editor’s note: 7 great tips for those of us who do e-mail marketing.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of take charge of your health care using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: take charge of your health care, blog carnival.

Silver Amalgam Dental Fillings - Are They a Risk to your Health?

When I was a child receiving a “silver” filling in the dental office, I believed that the dentist was putting pure silver in the cavity in my tooth. Who would have thought that instead, I was receiving an amalgam filling composed of 50% liquid mercury and the remaining 50% a powder containing silver, tin, copper, zinc and other metals. This amalgam material has been used by dentists for well over 100 years.

In recent years, the mercury used in amalgam fillings, as well as other products, has come under much controversy. We all know, by now, that there has been much discussion of the possibility of the mercury in thimerosol, which has been used as a vaccine preservative, as a possible cause of childhood autism. There has also been a discussion that the mercury vapor released by amalgam dental fillings could also be a health danger. According to the FDA website: “Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses. When amalgam fillings are placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release mercury vapor.”

Mercury is one of the most dangerous, non-radioactive, metals known to man. It can cause neurological damage and well as damage to the kidneys. Especially vulnerable are children under 6, pregnant and lactating women, and people who are especially sensitive to mercury. Some people believe that the mercury in amalgam fillings may be a factor in such conditions as Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and possibly even Alzheimer’s Disease. In fact, some people report an improvement in their health after they have had their amalgam fillings removed and replaced by composite fillings.

Although the American Dental Association (ADA) acknowledges the controversy over amalgam fillings, they are of the belief that these fillings remain safe. According to the ADA website: amalgam fillings have been “used by dentists for more than a century, dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For those reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients.”

Besides the mercury in the amalgam material, some disadvantages of an amalgam filling include the need for more of the tooth to be removed before placing a filling, unnatural look of amalgam, and sensitivity of the filled tooth to hot and cold. In addition, a “silver” filling does not bond to the tooth and over time might cause breakage of the tooth and a more costly repair down the line.

Composite fillings are a combination of quartz or glass material in a resin base. Composite materials do not contain mercury. Usually much less tooth structure needs to be removed for a successful composite filling. A major advantage is that it is tooth colored and can be used for restorations in front teeth. Some dentists are concerned that it is not quite as durable as an amalgam filling for back teeth that would receive a lot of chewing trauma.

A major factor in the continued use of amalgam fillings is that they cost much less than composite fillings. (It's always about cost, isn't it.) Most insurance companies will only pay up to the cost of an amalgam filling.

According to CBS News, Norway and Sweden have already issued restrictions on amalgam fillings, and it looks like the U.S. FDA now recognizes some of the health risks associated with these fillings. CBS news states: “As part of a legal settlement, the federal agency has agreed to release a new ruling on the safety of dental amalgams in July 2009, and alert consumers about potential related hazards.” This is good news for U.S. citizens. The FDA will be studying the safety and efficacy of amalgam fillings and may be making recommendations as to labeling controls.

If you are worried about the mercury in amalgam fillings but are also concerned about the high cost of composite fillings, the AmeriPlan Dental Plus program offers a significant discount on all dental treatment including composite fillings.

Dental Plans vs.Dental Insurance

America is in the midst of a healthcare crisis. Close to 48 million Americans do not have any health insurance and many are underinsured. Even more Americans lack good dental care. Statistics show that as many as 7 out of 10 Americans do not have an affordable dental plan. This is a serious situation because dental and gum disease can effect your general health. There is evidence that the bacteria from diseased gums and teeth may cause inflammation in the body which can eventually lead to heart and coronary artery disease. Preventive dental care can avoid these serious complications. In addition, a pleasant and healthy smile can help you feel confident and secure when you meet people, and can even help you perform better at a job interview.

While most families realize the importance of good dental care, the cost of dental treatment has become prohibitively expensive in the past few years as has the cost of dental insurance. If you work for a large company, you may have a traditional dental insurance policy. This will help with some expenses; however, most dental insurance plans have annual limits on how much an individual can spend on dental treatment. Typical annual dental plan yearly maximums are as low as $1,000 per patient. Treatment to save just one tooth with a root canal and a porcelain crown to protect the devitalized tooth will easily top this limit. What if a family member needs more extensive work than this?

Another problem that patient’s have with dental insurance is that there will usually be a waiting period of up to one year for pre-existing dental conditions to be covered. If you have a serious dental problem, waiting a year will only lead to a worsening of the condition meaning more costly work in the future. Most dental insurance policies also have a missing tooth clause which means that if a bridge or partial denture is needed for a tooth that was missing prior to treatment; the patient is not covered and must pay out of pocket.

Most traditional dental insurance plans offer very limited or coverage for orthodontic treatment (braces) even though good tooth alignment can prevent more serious dental problems later on. In addition, cosmetic dentistry and dental implants are rarely covered.

Another problem with dental insurance is the long claim forms that must be submitted. This is a hassle for both the patient and dental office alike.
Clearly for many families, a dental discount plan offers an affordable alternative to costly dental insurance. These plans are readily available to individuals, the self employed, as well as businesses. For patients with ongoing conditions or who need extensive restorative work, a dental discount program is clearly the better choice as the savings will be better with the dental plan.

Savings with a good dental plan typically range from 25% for specialist treatment (periodontists, oral surgeons, endodontists, etc.) to 80% for exams. Most major dental procedures such as fillings, root canals, crowns and bridges, dentures, and orthodontic treatment offer savings from 50% to 60% and even more when done by a general dentist--literally cutting a family's dental bill by more than half. In addition, patients will enjoy instant savings, no limits on visits or services, no age limits, no waiting period, and no paperwork. As an added benefit, many discount dental plans also offer value added services such as a prescription card, and savings on chiropractic and vision care.

Visit: www.healthplansplus.net/dentalplus.html for more information on dental plans.

A Soup to Nuts Carnival - First Course

Health Plans Plus is delighted to be hosting the First Course of the Second "A Soup to Nuts Carnival." I know that you will enjoy reading these well written and informative blog posts on a variety of topics as much as I did.

The idea of a carnival is basically to bring a number of blogs together in one place so they can all benefit from a promotional effort. There is no better way to connect with other blogospherians than to do blog carnivals.

SOUP TO NUTS is the only progressive dinner carnival in the blogosphere. One carnival, presented in five parts.

We're proud to have collected a large number of great posts from a wide variety of blogospherians. Blogs from around the globe are represented, the new and the well established. We ask that you visit all five courses of the dinner; some blogs have posts in more than one course, others appear only once.

You can benefit from visiting the carnival by checking out the blogs represented and writing comments. That will lead to you getting new visitors, to increasing your traffic, to receiving more comments and to having invitations to exchange links.

Once you've finished enjoying the First Course here, the dinner continues at the following locations...

• Main Course at Simple Pleasures http://gottsegnet.blogspot.com/

• Dessert at Kilroy's The Gonzo Papers http://kilroythegonzopapers.blogspot.com/
  
  

If you missed any of the previous courses, check them out here...

• Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails at The Soul And The Witness http://soulwitness.wordpress.com/



• Appetizer at Musings Of A Manic Mom http://www.scribblesnscraps.com/blog/

The Soup to Nuts First Course


Diet, Health, Nutrition

Lane presents Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup posted at Vegan Bits.

Suzanne presents pumpkin soup posted at :: adventures in daily living ::.

AlexBo presents Tips for Healthy Eating posted at World Dental Health.

Helene Zemel presents Discount Dental and Health Plans - A Free Gift for You posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "If you are uninsured or underinsured, AmeriPlan's discount dental and health plans can help you save money on your healthcare. Now you can receive a free gift when you sign up for one of our benefit plans."

James D. Brausch presents Is Your Keyboard Making You Fat? posted at Weight Loss Dude.

James Brausch presents Costa Rican Food posted at Costa Rica HQ.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Discouraging Frivolous Malpractice Lawsuits posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Nunoftheabove presents There is no bigotry in numbers: the truth about AIDS research « Nunoftheabove posted at Nunoftheabove. Examination of the research dollars spent on aids versus other diseases that claim more fatalities per year.

Education

TheReadingZone presents Environmental Issues in the Classroom posted at The Reading Zone. Ideas for Earth Day in the classroom.

Christine presents The French School System and Sex Education posted at Me, My Kid and Life.

Sophie presents The French School System posted at Life Junkie.


Personal Growth

Alex Blackwell presents How Much is Too Much? posted at The Next 45 Years.

Alex Landis presents Dealing With The Negative People In Your Life posted at AlexLandis.com. Alex discusses how to deal with the negative people in your life by understanding where their pessimism comes from and by providing tips to handle that negativity.

Lin Burress presents Are You An Enabler? Identifying Early Warning Signs of Enabling Behaviors posted at Telling It Like It Is.

Elizabeth presents Small steps that ignite the flame of passion! posted at The best is yet to come! A blog where dreams give way 2 passion & success leads 2 destiny!. This blog discusses the steps that you need to have success when going after your dreams with passion!

Abutei presents What's In Your Head posted at How to Abutei.

Gregg Fraley presents Personal Innovation posted at Gregg Fraley, Author of Jack's Notebook.
Rich Vosler presents Don't let your struggles defeat you posted at Rich Vosler Sales Training.

Business & Finance

Rebecca Suzanne Dean presents Stop Thinking. Begin Testing! posted at Rebecca Dean.

Blue presents Credit Cards That Offer Gas Rewards and Cash Back posted at Money Blue Book: Personal Finance Blog.

Thomas D. Brownsword presents Work: A Mixed Blessing posted at Business Action Steps.

Rena Williams presents The Vehicle To A Successful Retirement posted at Your Success Corner.

Brice Hogan presents The Way to Financial Independence Financialzip.com posted at Financialzip.com. Create a sound plan to create financial independence.

Rena Williams presents Applied Knowledge posted at Balanced Success.


Faith

Tarakananda presents What Did Jesus Really Say in the Sermon on the Mount? posted at The Atma Jyoti Blog. In this, the first of a special eight part series, "A New Look at the Beatitudes", we will be using "The New Testament: An Expanded Translation", by Kenneth Wuest since it presents the more philosophical side of Jesus words. To do this, it is extremely literal, sometimes so much so that the English is awkward, but it extracts the full meaning of the Greek wording. The esoteric understanding, of course, will be up to us.

Jeffrey Stingerstein presents The False Position of Agnosticism posted at Disillusioned Words.

Fiction

fire_fly presents Memoirs from the Flophouse posted at Life of Jeremy. Funny stories from working at a Waikiki hotel!

babs mountjoy presents Shootout at the Mango Corral, Part I posted at Awalkabout's Weblog. The first of two parts of a very scary true story about living in South Florida.


Jason Isbell presents I Am... [Poem] Tired Garden posted at Tired Garden.


This concludes the First Course of the Soup to Nuts Carnival. Thanks for stopping by Health Plans Plus.

Stop Smoking in 5 Days with Smoker's Last Chance Home Work Shop

What is the Smoker's Last Chance Home Workshop?

The Smoker’s Last Chance Workshop is a 5-day computer and audio program which uses a combination of education, behavior modification, and self-hypnosis to help you stop smoking. On completion of the program, you will no longer be a smoker. Each day you will smoke less than the day before. On the 5th day, you will not smoke at all. With the help of the Smoker's Last Chance Home Workshop CD-ROM and the hypnosis CD’s, scores of people have already done it.


So important are the health benefits of smoking cessation, that AmeriPlan® is offering a 40% discount for all AmeriPlan Health® members who join the Smokers Last Chance Workshop. AmeriPlan™ members pay just $83.40 for the full program—a 40% discount off the regular price of $139.

Just sign up for any of the following AmeriPlan Health programs:


Basic Health - $29.95 per month for an entire household. Includes savings on physician visits, ancillary services, hospital advocacy and a 24/7 nurseline to answer any medical questions that you may have. This plan also provides savings on diabetic supplies, hearing aids, mental health services, lab services, imaging studies, physical therapy and health screening.


Total Health - $39.95 per household per month. This combines all of the services in the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs. The plan includes Dental, Vision, Prescription, Chiropractic, Physician visits, Labratory tests, Imaging Studies, Ancillary Services, Hospital Advocacy, 24/7 nurseline, and additional services.


Total Health Plus- $59.95 a month per household. This is the complete package. This includes everything in the Total Health package plus the AmeriPlan Auto Club, AmeriPlan Identity Theft Assistance, and AmeriPlan Legal.

Reasons to stop smoking

According to the CDC Smoking and Tobacco Use Fact Sheet, “Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body; causing many diseases and reducing the health of smokers in general. The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 438,000 deaths, or nearly 1 of every 5 deaths, each year in the United States.”

Everyone knows that tobacco use is one of the chief causes of lung cancer, but smoking has also been linked to other forms of cancer as well. According to the CDC, smoking has been implicated as a cause of cancer of the bladder, oral cavity, throat and larynx (voice box), esophagus, cervix, kidney, lung, pancreas, and stomach, as well as a possible cause acute myeloid leukemia.
Smokers are 2 – 4 times likely to develop heart and artery disease than nonsmokers, and the risk of stroke is doubled in the smoker. It is known that smoking has a direct effect on the blood vessels and is a major cause of peripheral vascular disease.

It is well known that smoking is a direct cause of emphysema and chronic obstructive lung disease. According to the CDC, 90% of all deaths attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are caused by cigarette smoking.

Pregnant women who smoke run the risk of low birth weight babies, preterm delivery, and stillbirth. Postmenopausal women who are smokers have an increased chance of developing osteoporosis and associated hip fracture.

Smoking also causes cosmetic problems such as nicotine stains on the teeth, bad breath, and odor on clothing. Consider the social issues of smoking such as complaints from non-smoker family, friends or co-workers.

There are so many reasons to quit smoking today. However, smoking can be one of the most difficult habits to break. That is why the educational, behavior modification, and self hypnosis approach of the Smoker's Last Chance Home Workshop is so effective.

Discount Dental and Health Plans - A Free Gift for You

Dear Health Plans Plus Readers

As a reader of this blog, you know that I have commented many times on the health crisis in the United States. There are well over 47 million Americans without any health insurance, and 8 out of 10 Americans do not have a dental plan.

There are many reasons for this situation. These include:

• The cost of dental and medical insurance has skyrocketed in recent years to the point where the average American can no longer afford it.



• The cost of healthcare has risen steeply. An extended hospital stay without insurance can put you in debt for well over $100,000. Prescriptions for newer drugs can cost patients hundreds of dollars forcing many people to cut their pills in half or make that choice between buying groceries or being able to afford their medications.



• More and more companies are either eliminating their health benefit programs or asking their employees to contribute a much larger and sometimes unaffordable share of the cost of these important benefits.



• If you work for yourself or your company does not have health insurance, a plan of your own will be very costly and probably unaffordable.



• If you have a pre-existing condition, you will probably not qualify for health insurance even if you can afford it because the insurance companies are only out to make a profit and not to help people afford healthcare.

As a reader of this blog, you know that I have recommended discount health plans as one solution that individuals and families can take to provide their loved ones with valuable health benefits. I have been an Independent Business Owner for AmeriPlan for 2 years, and based on my experience, I feel confident in recommending the AmeriPlan Discount Programs.

AmeriPlan has been in business for 16 years and is a member in good standing of the Consumer Health Alliance, the National Association of Dental Plans, National Association of Health Underwriters, the Direct Selling Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Companies like CVS, Walgreens, LensCrafters, J C Penney, Sears, and Rite-Aid, provide our optical and prescription benefits. We also have extensive networks of doctors, dentists, chiropractors, as well as other health providers. The qualifications of these providers are checked out thoroughly by AmeriPlan and are likely to be familiar names in the community. Our entire dental network was built on patient referrals.


A Free Gift for You for Trying Our Benefits

How would you like to try out our benefit plans and receive a free gift for signing up to any one of our benefit programs? You have a choice of 2 free gifts. Here are the details:

A FLY AWAY VACATION FOR 2!

You and a guest will enjoy 3 days and 2 nights hotel accommodations PLUS 2 round trip airline tickets to your choice of one of these destinations:

* Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Reno, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun

OR

Shop and Get Cash Back at your favorite store!

A FREE Membership to a Comprehensive Online Shopping Mall with more than 700 retail merchants.

* You can choose from your favorites like Petco, Office Max, Macy's, Nordstrom, Target, Walmart, Lowes, Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples and hundreds more. Shop till your heart's content, find the product that you want at the best price available and when you decide to make the purchase you will get the best online pricing AND you will earn a cash back rebate check. These cash back rebates will be sent to you when you have accumulated $25.00, or more in rebates.

Discount health plans can provide individuals and families with a low cost and effective alternative to expensive medical and dental insurance coverage. At AmeriPlan, we have 4 great affordable plans to choose from. Prices range from $19.95 to $59.95 per month and cover an entire household. These plans include:

1. Dental Plus – Save up to 80% on all dental services. Includes discounts on prescriptions, vision care, and chiropractic treatment. Savings are available on cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, orthodontia, and lasik eye surgery. This plan can literally cut your dental bill in half.


2. Basic Health – Discounts on doctor visits, lab tests, hospital advocacy, hearing aids, diabetic supplies, a 24 hour Nurseline, and much more.


3. Total Health – Includes everything in both the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs including hospital advocacy.


4. Total Health Plus – This is our complete package. It includes everything in both the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs plus the AmeriPlan Auto Club, the AmeriPlan Identity Theft Assistance program, and AmeriPlan Legal Services.

Should you become hospitalized, AmeriPlan’s hospital advocacy plan will send a professional advocate who will negotiate your bill with the hospital and work out a payment plan for the balance based on your ability to pay. This allows the patient to avoid bankruptcy proceedings which is the last thing that you need when recovering from a serious illness. We have testimonials on dramatic reductions in hospital bills. In addition, we have a prescription advocacy program which allows income eligible patients, who cannot afford their medications, to receive their prescriptions for free.

For more information on our discount benefits call 1-888-357-1768 or visit:

www.healthplansplus.net.

You are invited to The Soup to Nuts Progressive Dinner Carnival

Dear Health Plans Plus Readers



I am proud to be one of the hosts of the Soup to Nuts Progressive Dinner Carnival. For those of you who write blogs, participating in blog carnivals is a great way to meet other writers in the blogosphere and as a result increase traffic to your blog. The Soup to Nuts Carnival will take place on April 30th, and Health Plans Plus Blog will be hosting the first course right here at www.healthplansplus.blogspot.com. See below for more information on how to contribute your blog posts to the Soup to Nuts Carnival.

{Enter}Blogospherians in the know, those who value the social aspects of blogging above all, participate regularly in carnivals. There's no better way to promote your site and to connect with other bloggers.The latest, greatest innovation is the:

Soup To Nuts

Progressive Dinner Blog Carnival.

The way a progressive dinner works is...

You start out at one house or restaurant to have hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, then move on to a different one for appetizers, and continue moving from place to place all the way through dessert.

Soup To Nuts combines the power of blog carnivals with the adventure of a progressive dinner, while adding a dash of whimsy.

You can enter as many as five posts in the Soup To Nuts PROGRESSIVE DINNER Blog Carnival. If you wish, you can enter a single submission; or two or three or four or five.

How does it work that you can submit multiple posts to one carnival; and why would you?---(-)->

You could say, Soup to Nuts is FIVE CARNIVALS in one. All five are connected, to make one megacarnival. <-(-)--- Remember, there are five different host blogs involved. If you submit five posts, every one of the host blogs will have a link to your site. Entries are being accepted NOW. Don't be one of the people who come to enter late; to find they have no seat at the table. {Enter}

Dinner is being served 30 April

No entries will be accepted after 11:59 pm, Saturday, 26 April
Entries are being accepted NOW

The Rules...

---(-)-> Only English language posts will be accepted.

---(-)-> It's a FREE FOR ALL! - meaning you can submit posts on any subject, no matter when they were written.

---(-)-> No posts with titles that include profanity or pictures of a sexual nature.

--(-)-> Posts will not be accepted from blogs that publish primarily adult-oriented material; that means no sex blogs.

---(-)-> Please do not submit the same post for more than one course.

The individual portions, in the progressive dinner, are referred to as courses. The lineup for the second Soup To Nuts PROGRESSIVE DINNER Carnival:

The Hors d'oeuvres & Cocktails course...will be served by Soham at

The Soul And The Witness. {Enter} - Choose hors d'oeuvres category or email your name as you want it to appear, blog/url and post/url to sohamdas@gmail.com - subject line: progressive dinner.

The Appetizer course...will be served by Nicole at Musings Of A Manic Mom.{Enter} - Choose appetizer categoryor email your name as you want it to appear, blog/url and post url to musingsofamanicmom@gmail.com - subject line: progressive dinner.

The First Course...will be served by Helene at Health Plans Plus.{Enter} - Choose first course category or email your name as you want it to appear, blog/url and post url to hlzmarketing@gmail.com - subject line: progressive dinner.

The Main Course...will be served by Dana at Simple Pleasures.{Enter} - Choose main course categoryor email your name as you want it to appear, blog/url and post url to gottsegnet@gmail.com - subject line: progressive dinner.

The Dessert Course...will be served by Kilroy_60 at The Gonzo Papers.{Enter} - Choose main course categoryor email your name as you want it to appear, blog/url and post url to kilroy60@gmail.com - subject line: progressive dinner.

We would appreciate your help in promoting the Soup To Nuts Progressive Dinner Blog Carnival. Please email the url of your promotional post to kilroy60@gmail.com - you will receive links back in future announcements by the hosts.This is a unique event. Please follow the format of this post to make the submission process as easy as possible for all involved.{Enter}

Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for the Nation

Once more we are reminded of the healthcare crisis that we have here in the United States. In an article in the March 23, 2008 edition of The New York Times, the author states that: “New government research has found ‘large and growing’ disparities in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans, paralleling the growth of income inequality in the last two decades.”

According to the article, from 1966 to 1980, the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor actually decreased. It is not surprising that this same period saw the creation of Medicaid and Medicare, the growth of community health centers, the “war on poverty,” and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to Dr. Singh, a demographer at the Department of Health and Human Resources, the wealthiest Americans could be expected to live 2.4 years longer than those in the most impoverished groups (75.8 years vs. 73 years). By 1998 to 2000, this gap had widened to 4.5 years (79.2 years vs. 74.7 years), and it continues to grow. Even more alarming, the contrast between certain groups was much wider. The difference between poor black men and affluent white women was 14 years (66.9 years vs. 81.1 years).

Several reasons were given for this wide difference in life expectancy between rich and poor. One of the reasons cited was that lower income people were less likely to have health insurance. This meant that they were less likely to receive checkups, diagnostic tests and screenings, prescriptions, and adequate treatment. It is not uncommon to hear stories of patients cutting their pills in half because they can’t afford their prescription medications.

This disparity in health care should not exist in a wealthy country like the United States. Not only has the cost of medical care, hospitalization, and prescription drugs risen steeply, but health insurance has become unaffordable unless you are either wealthy or work for a large company.

If you are either uninsured or underinsured, consider AmeriPlan. We have 4 different health plans to choose from: Dental Plus, Basic Health, Total Health, and Total Health Plus. For a low monthly fee, these plans save your family up to 80% on all health care services. For more information visit:

www.healthplansplus.net. If you are unable to afford your prescriptions and can qualify financially, you may be able to receive your medications for free with the AmeriPlan Prescription Advocacy Program. For more information visit: www.healthplansplus.net/APAP.html.

Great News! AmeriPlan $25 Business Opportunity Extended to March 31st

In a previous blog post (see my February 3, 2008 post below), I wrote about a special opportunity to start your own health care benefits business with AmeriPlan for just a $25 startup fee. I have some great news; the $25 promotion has been extended until March 31, 2008. So, if you did not have the opportunity to start your AmeriPlan business last month, you now have until 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time to get started for just $25.

As a reader of this blog, you know that we have a serious health care crisis in the United States. There are over 47 million Americans who do not have any health insurance. Health insurance has become unaffordable unless you work for a large company. Even among those individuals and families who do have health insurance benefits, many are underinsured. Insurance companies can even drop your coverage if you become ill. If you are self employed and even have a minor pre-existing condition, you can be denied coverage. It seems as though those who need health insurance most are unable to either afford it or obtain it.

Why the AmeriPlan Business Opportunity?

As an AmeriPlan Independent Business Owner, you will have the opportunity help individuals and families save money on their health and dental care with our affordable discount health and dental plans. In addition to our Dental Plus, Basic Health, Total Health, and Total Health Plus plans, AmeriPlan offers discounts on diabetic supplies, hearing aids, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontia, lasik eye surgery, cosmetic surgery, and alternative medicine. To read more about our discount health plans visit and how they can help you save money visit:

www.healthplansplus.net.

What do you receive for $25?

Every new Independent Business Owner receives the following:

1. A Fantastic Marketing Kit which will include Brochures, DVDs, Forms, and a $50 certificate for additional sales aids and supplies.
2. 5 Websites to market your business.
3. Personal one on one training and mentoring.
4. training from the best in the industry.
5. Dental, Vision, Prescription, and Chiropractic Benefits for your entire household.

Other Benefits:

1. Set your own hours! Work from home!
2. Be your own Boss!
3. Earn true residual income and make what you are worth!
4. This business is willable and sellable.
5. LOVE WHAT YOU DO!
6. Help others everyday get the healthcare they desperately need!
7. Help others work from home just like you, so that they can spend more time with their families.

Why AmeriPlan?

AmeriPlan is a 16 year old company. We are the nation’s largest discount health benefits company and are members in good standing of the Consumer Health Alliance, National Association of Dental Plans, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Health Underwriters. We have almost 2 million satisfied members nationwide. From the comfort of our home, we offer a service that allows people to save money on their healthcare costs…which is very rewarding.

For more information:

To start your career in the health benefits industry, simply visit:

www.freedomathometeam.com/workathome to explore the opportunity. Feel free to call me 24/7 at 800-635-3394. To get started today, visit: www.iboplus.com/hlz and hit the red Join Now button. Just complete the online application and you will receive your AmeriPlan Independent Business number. I will be in contact with you to help you get started.