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How to Earn Free Plane Tickets and Cash Back by Shopping Online
Published on - August 14th, 2009 (Modified on - December 12th, 2011) (by April Dykman)
This is a guest post from April Dykman, an avid GRS reader, and a writer and editor by trade. April is a potential Staff Writer for Get Rich Slowly. In her first article, April described how she discovered freedom from mindless spending. April is an active commenter at this site.
When my husband and I went to Italy in 2006, we spent $2500 on plane tickets. We're planning to spend much less for our next hop across the pond because as of this month we have over 80,000 airline miles — just enough for two tickets to Europe.
I used to think frequent flier miles were only awarded to, you know, frequent fliers. Or people who use an American Express for big company expenses. I certainly didn't think little ol' me who gets on a plane maybe once a year would be able to rack up enough miles to matter.
Then I stumbled upon Free Frequent Flyer Miles, a guide written by Gary Steiger, air-mileage earner extraordinaire. I couldn't believe there were so many ways to earn miles. Soon after, I learned about sites that offer quarterly cash rebates. From these two discoveries, my online buying process developed.
Rewards card
We started by applying for an air rewards card and received 30,000 miles for opening the account. My husband and I put every possible expense on this card — even our electric bill. The card earns one mile per dollar spent.
Warning: Super important disclaimer ahead. If you do not pay the balance every month, rewards cards are not for you. There are lower interest credit cards and the interest charges on a rewards card will kill any travel benefits. Our card has a higher rate than our non-reward cards, but we never pay one cent of interest. We also pay a $50 annual fee, which doesn't bother me considering the savings we'll get on plane tickets. In short, read the fine print.
Airline shopping malls and rebate sites
I would never buy something merely to earn rewards. But we all buy stuff at some point, and there are benefits to be gained by shopping online. Let's say I need to stock up on some household items like detergent and dish soap. This is the process I use:
- Google the items. Note the names of the merchants offering the three best prices (include shipping charges).
- Check the airline malls and rebate sites. I use AAdvantage eShopping and Ebates. In my example, drugstore.com participates in both programs and offers free shipping for orders over $49. Let's say my merchandise total comes to $55.
- Search for coupons. Typically I Google the merchant name and "coupon" or "code." I found a $10 coupon code for drugstore.com.
- Log into Ebates or rebate site of your choice. Click on the merchant name, and a new window will open. (Ebates offers 6 percent back on drugstore.com purchases.)
- Log into AAdvantage eShopping or airline shopping portal of your choice. Click on the merchant name, and a new window will open. (AAdvantage offers three miles for every dollar spent at drugstore.com.)
- Using the last window to open, select your items. I always log into AA last and purchase from the AA window to ensure I'll receive my miles. Sometimes the registration tracking to AA can be overwritten if you click to another affiliate, though I've always received both the rebate and the miles.
- Go to the checkout screen, and enter your coupon code.
- Complete purchase with a rewards card.
- Follow up to ensure you receive your rewards. It can take up to 60 days for air miles to be credited.
This process takes me maybe 10 minutes. Using my example, I've paid about $45 for $55 of merchandise. I will get $2.70 in cash rebates and 180 air miles (135 miles from the airline shopping portal and 45 miles for paying with my rewards card). No purchase is too small — the rewards will add up quickly.
More tips
- Sign up for mailing lists for sites you frequent. Often subscribers are privy to special discounts.
- Try out a site like wishlisting.com, which allows you to bookmark items and alerts you when they go on sale.
- Stock up on products you know you'll use if a bigger order means free shipping. I buy three bottles of dishwashing liquid per order, or more if it's on sale.
- Spend time perusing lists of participating vendors — you might be surprised. When we installed new floors, we bought materials from a store in town, only to discover that we could have bought our supplies online from the same merchant and earned 2,000 miles. (Yes, just to torture myself, I did the math.)
- Look for rewards on subscription services. A new Netflix account awarded us 1,500 miles.
- If you buy gift cards, see if the merchant participates in rewards programs. (Be sure to check the merchant exclusions. Some give credit for gift cards purchased, others for gift card money redeemed.)
- Watch prices on items you buy. If you can find something cheaper in a store, weigh the savings versus the rewards.
The next thing we need to do is to diversify. Right now we only have miles with one airline. Since the company can change its rewards program at any time, we'd be much better off if we stockpiled miles from several airlines. According to Gary Steiger's site, he has nine airline accounts!
I encourage anyone who shops online to make the most of every dollar. Memberships to most reward programs are free. For very little effort, I've received $160 in cash and earned enough miles for roundtrip tickets to Europe. Even with the fees and taxes, we'll pay much less for plane tickets than we would without the miles.
What about you? Do you participate in rewards or rebates programs? Which are your favorites?
Photos by Andres Rueda.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company.
This article is about Credit Cards, Money Hacks, Shopping, Travel
For those of you who want to go with an airline/hotel rewards card but don't know which one to go with, Gary of the "View from the Wing" blog wrote an excellent article comparing all the major cards out there. You can read it at http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/2009/06/28/how-to-choose-the-best-rewards-credit-card/
I vote for April. Good advice and enjoy her writing style.
I had been using miles reward card for over 6 years, and fly for free about twice a year. As somebody mentioned, I put every single purchase on a credit card – but I DO pay the balance in full every month, not ever a penny of debt. It works for me. I even charge a cup of coffee – if I ever to buy one. I don't spend my rewards for anything else but airline tickets, I don't need to accumulate any other stuff 9I am a complete anti-pack-rat as they get). However, I run races and I like to travel, so I fly about 4 times a year (as a minimum).
Also, I LOVE drying clothes out (or in) on the line. I grew up in a country where it was the only option anyway, and while I had a dryer since I moved to US 16 years ago, I never got to like a dryer. Energy is expensive, it's loud, and clothes shrink and get yellowish color. The time that hanging clothes takes from me is negligable – and I use it to unwind. Besides, I often ask my kids to help – and pick up on their chore list.
Olga, like you, I grew up using a clothesline in England. Sadly my neighborhood in the US does not allow them or I would hang clothes out to dry in a flash.
Good post.
I have a rewards card that I've used for about 10 years. I never redeemed the rewards until last week. I got an iPod and a digital camera with my points; I didn't even need to pay for shipping!
Rewards programs make me so angry. You're not actually getting something for free. How do you think that they pay for all the administrative nonsense going on around rewards programs? They just increase the costs of what you're buying to make up the difference. But then you're forced to go along with it because the herd is so stupid that they'll just blindly follow.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
My wife and I recently returned from a three week trip to europe. We didn't have enough airline miles to buy tickets outright, so tried using our miles to upgrade and thus I can only speak to that experience, but I'm not sure it's really worth it.
*If* you get upgraded to business class, you pay a fee (at least for AA, with whom we have our miles) of $350 per person. However, the catch is that there's no guarantee that you'll be upgraded. We booked our late summer flights about 4 months in advance and still ended up on a wait list for upgrades for each of the different legs of the trip. In the end, we were upgraded for our return flight from London to LA (which was very enjoyable), but not for any other flights. Since we weren't able to comparison shop between airlines if we wanted to be able to use our AA miles, we ended up paying more for our tickets.
All told, based on our experience, I'd say that using a rewards card to build up airline miles is only useful if you plan on building up enough miles to outright purchase your flights — planning on trying to do upgrades doesn't seem worth it.
Still, a very good article and interesting comments
@Tyler – I recently used AlaskaAir miles to purchase 3 tickets to Florida. It was quite easy! I just logged into our AlaskaAir rewards account, picked my flight and the mileage points applied automatically towards the purchase. I didn't find it a hassle at all and saved us about $800 vs. paying for the tickets out of pocket.
Tyler @ 49 – I have to say relative to my experience you are way off base. I have absolutely no hassles redeeming points for airline tickets. I go to the CC website, click the Rewards link, click the travel link, select an itinerary and accept – bingo, points deducted and I'm electronically ticketed and ready to go. Perhaps the problems you describe about the airlines are true, yet one more reason I would never have an airline card.
April @ 50 – First, you've earned the vote with your excellent writing!
Second, you are correct, years ago most of the rewards cards had the $50-75 fee schedule you mentioned for annual fees. However, there are many now that do not have that. I'm not sure about airlines cards, maybe they all do have annual fees, they try to rip you off about everything else so why not annual fees.
I'm currently using a Bank of America Rewards card primarily. I'm also using a Chase Visa through BP that gives extra gas rewards beyond the normal rewards points.However, I did just sign up for an ETrade Visa that has similar rewards.
I'm going to get rid of either the BofA or Chase card in the next few months since I only keep one primary card and a backup in the event of ID theft. I used to only have one card for years. However, I had my card number stolen in 2007 twice and learned that traveling with one card that has to be shut down because of number theft creates real hassles, especially if you're out of country.
The thing to realize with the rewards cards is that you typically get 1 point/1 dollar. Then you can use the points to buy airline tickets. Typically its a 1 to 100 ratio on the rewards that are redeemed short term (i.e., buying an airline ticket with less than 21 days notice). So if I'm buying a $250 ticket it will probably take 25,000 points. However, all my cards have the option that if you purchase your tickets at least three weeks in advance a domestic ticket will take 25,000 pts, Caribbean is usually 35,000, Europe last I checked was 40,000, etc.
However, the CC agencies are always offering new introductory offers. The best website I've found to compare cards is http://www.bankrate.com. You can specify that you're looking for rewards cards and compare the terms right there.
Looking forward to the follow up story on your redemption of the points!
I'll second Fred on Southwest. Their rewards program is soooo easy to use and I have never had any problems with blackout dates or last-minute usage. In fact, their customer service folks seem to want to go out their way to help me because they see me as a valued customer.
I'm pretty frugal and don't spend much money, so I only get maybe one free flight a year (they do flight credits, not these weird miles accumulations). BUT, my mother-in-law uses her Southwest Visa on EVERYTHING and pays it off each month. She has free flights coming out of her ears and gives them away to people like candy. Well worth the $60/year fee.
For rebates, I use http://www.shopathome.com – it's similar to eBates, but often has better rebates (drugstore.com is 7%, for instance), and they have a lot of coupon codes and whatnot right there, too. They mail out checks monthly, whenever your balance is over $20.
I also use my Amex Blue Cash to get cash back on just about everything I buy. (If a store doesn't take that, I try Discover, and finally just use my Visa.) Yes, I pay it in full every month.
@Bear (#59):
It really costs 25,000 miles for a $250 dollar ticket? I never used airline miles before, so I have no idea how they work. My primary rewards credit card is an American Express Blue Sky Credit Card. You get one point per dollar spent, and 7,500 points gives you a $100 statement credit on any travel related purchase. Using this formula, it would be 18,750 points for a $250 dollar ticket. Quite a lot of savings compared to what you get.
Here's the link if anyone is interested: Blue Sky
63@Amanda: If I want to buy a $30 shirt from The Gap website, I login to the AA shopping portal then from there click to The Gap website. The shirt is still $30, but now I get extra miles. No price increases.
@Bear: Thanks! I might need to shop around for a new card if they don't waive my annual fee.
I wonder if the folks who are strongly opposed to using credit cards at all — even awards cards — are reacting this way because of a current or recent experience with credit card debt? Yes, of course the cc companies are making a profit with rewards accounts and they will stop offering the rewards when it starts cutting into their bottom line. Sadly, it seems like there are always more than enough people willing to be in debt to the cc companies, though, so they haven't had to cancel the programs yet.
I love my Discover card. They pay *me* to use their card since I pay the balance off every month. I charge as much of my normal expenses to it as possible: groceries, utilities, etc. I apply the cash back rewards I get to the balance, which is basically adding that money back into my budget.
I'd rather do this an pay an annual fee to an air mile rewards card, but that's my choice. I get air miles when I fly (which isn't too frequently anymore) and through other special programs the airlines offer from time to time. If you dine out at all, look into joining the dining programs to get air miles. If I send flowers, I always do so by linking through one of my air miles accounts. Little things like that can add up.
A couple weeks ago I booked a trip between Chicago and Monterey using air miles. United had a sale going on, so it only cost me 20K miles and a $10 booking fee. That $10 fee was charged to my Discover. I may not get a lot of cash back for such a small transaction, but I also get free flight insurance when I charge a flight through Discover. I'm happy with this outcome.
Did I have to make any concessions to book that flight? Yes. I really didn't *need* to fly into Monterey on a Saturday, but I couldn't book the flight on a Sunday. So, I will have to stay an extra night in Monterey. But I should be able to find low cost accomodations for one night (the local hostel sounds great!), and frankly spending one more day on vacation because "the airline made me do it" is not such a hardship!
I recently cashed in my miles on the Capital One no hassles card – I compared that to getting a best buy gift card for a new TV.
here's the values i calculated:
Capital one miles/$redeemed value
Cash, Gift cards, and merchandise: 200mi = 1$
Flights : 100mi = 1$ at maxs, 171mi/1$ at mins
Anytime: 125mi/1$
obviously the cash back is the worst deal, but i'm sure lots of people use their miles to get gifts cards without a second thought.
I used my miles to get a round trip non-stop flight from LAX to Heathrow (137mi/1$). It is really easy cause you just buy the flight you want using whatever airline or website, then you are credited the amount on your bill. Simple and no blackout frustration!
"He'll use a frequent-flyer card to order $8,000 of coins from the U.S. mint (they're sent with free shipping). When he receives the coins, he immediately deposits them at the bank (a physically laborious process, and one that has earned him a reputation at the local branch), and then uses the money to pay off the credit card."
I don't respect people who abuse the system like this. It isn't honorable.
Wow, I wish there was a more efficient way to read through all these 60+ comments. This is a good topic.
I have an AA miles credit card. It was fee-free for the first year. Before the year is up (or even once you notice them charging you next year's fee) you can call and ask them to convert your card to a no-fee version and refund the fee. You'll get a new card that earns you fewer miles, but it might be more appealing for some. I emptied out my AA ff miles last year to fly my boyfriend and I to Dublin. It coincided with me getting laid off, so it was a nice escape. And because I "paid" for my boyfriend's ticket, he footed the bill for my ticket to France this spring (on which I earned a lot of Delta miles). While I dislike seeing a large credit card bill when I could pay by cash or check for a necessary purchase, the appeal of free miles is high — I just paid for almost $3000 in tuition with my card.
Once again I have to say JD,
April's writing style seems to seamlessly compliment yours, as well as the site the most. It's very personable and always speaks from experience.
However, in regards to the topic, this article was informative, but I'm definetly VERY skeptical about any rewards card program. Living in Canada, it's a bit of a different ball park for us, where our leading points card AIR MILES usually requires you to spend a MINIMUM OF $20 FOR ONE AIR MILE! Yikes! Occasionally, there are some products that will give you more miles if you purchase them, but they are ALWAYS more expensive and can ONLY be purchased at some of our most expensive big box stores. I like the fact that April emphasized "not to make purchases simply for rewards" because frankly, I feel that's mostly what the misleading psychology behind these cards are all about: buy x product that costs x amount and you can travel to y country (eventually.) Most of the time, however, it's not that simple, it takes years to save up for anything meaningful meanwhile you've already spent thousands of dollars. I have a feeling that if you just avoided several of those extra purchases in general and saved up towards a vacation (as well as looking for cheaper flights/ better deals) you'd save alot more time & financial heart ache.
@ Adrian:
I wonder….is that $20/air mile and ACTUAL mile? Because I've always wondered about these frequent flier systems where it is like "I got 100,000 miles, now I can fly from LA to NYC" which is actually about 3000 miles, of course. The "miles" on the rewards systems here don't equal real miles. It might actual ending costing about the same…just a matter of spinning it differently. I dunno…
I use my debit card for all spending including rent and get one mile/USD spent (yes, contrary to misinformation spread on most PF blogs, you can get a debit card which gives you miles). I have taken about ten free international trips over the past three years to Asia, Central America, South America, Australia, and Europe, all using miles. However, my rule of thumb is to never make purchase which changes my spending habits due to offer of miles. They are just marketing tactics which strike me as tacky and I would rather not support, and it is not a sustainable way to earn miles over the long term. There are all sorts of offers to switch grocery stores etc to get miles but they are always more premium establishments and probably not worth it.
The industry standard valuation for a mile is US$0.01, although (as comment #2 says) I personally value them closer to around $0.02; I just purchased an US$800+ ticket from USA to South America for 35,000 miles. You have to figure out how much they are worth to figure out the premium to pay, they really are just another currency. So if you are paying more than about US$30.00 for the 1500 miles for a DVD mailer service, it may not be a deal. Really the specific airline matters less than the alliance, of which there are only three major ones, and they all share mileage programs. One problem with miles is that many international airlines (example: the national airline in Ethiopia) are not part of alliance, so you have to pay money for those tickets if you're going more off the beaten track. One thing I did not see mentioned in this thread is you can also take online surveys to get miles, my airline sends me email about them regularly, if you're into that type of thing.
No, you just don't see a cost. Not every merchant is available on those shopping portals. Merchants pay a fee to be included on sites like that. And how do they cover the fees to be included? By increasing their prices.
That was my reference to the herd. The issue is that as soon as enough of the herd jump on the bandwagon they're punishing the rest of the herd. So now I'm in a position where I'm being punished for not having a rewards card. I'm paying that higher price that was caused by the rewards card junkies but not enjoying any of the benefits.
When has a business ever given up something for free? And why would they? Everything costs something. You just might not see those costs broken out on your bill.
Nothing personal, but I don't think this was a very well researched view into rewards cards. It would be very interesting to see something about what rewards cards actually cost the consumer.
It looks like I may be way off base on the airline miles topic. If I could rescind my original comment, I would. It would throw of the conversation at this point though, since so many other people have mentioned it, so I guess it needs to stay.
KT @ 66 – I don't understand how you can say the Chris (ANOC) is abusing the system. He is not cheating at all. He is making a legitimate purchase of coins and then cashing them in. How is that any different than someone buying a meal and "cashing" it in by eating it and also getting rewards miles???
@Budgie – The MBNA Smart Cash card is not advertised. You will have to call them and ask for it. MBNA is so sneaky.
@ Corey:
Nope, the term 'Airmile' here is better seen as a metaphor lol. You're right, they usually claim it takes a set amount of miles to reach one destination, when in fact, it really isn't that far. (Ironically in Canada — we don't even measure distances in miles, we use kilometers, so you can already see the method used to trick naiive average joes.)
I think these cards (in Canada at least) are great for those who love the Big Box stores with Big Brand Names , as well as those who aren't exactly looking to live VERY frugally, and would rather outsource the responsibility of saving towards a trip to someone else. With some self-control and ALOT of determination and saving, and I feel ANYONE can take a vacation regardless of your income, or if you have a points card.
PS: I gotta confess I'm a little jealous of JD heading to France — it's always been a dream destination of mine — however, paying off my debt first is more important and will be even more satisfying. Hope you enjoy that trip, JD. You earned it!
@Amy #37 – I have several credit cards. One with a big-ass (am I allowed to use that word on this blog?) limit for 90% of my purchases. I have a separate groceries and on-line credit card with a small limit because if someone hacks Amazon, I don't want them to be able to buy a Cartier watch with it. I have separate Visa for gas because it only gives me the 5% discount on gas. I also get points with this card, which I use for free car washes. And I have a few other cards in case a merchant doesn't take MasterCard or Visa or if I go to Cuba, which doesn't take American credit cards.
I don't know too much about my credit rating, but the last time I was in the bank to get a loan on a new rental property, the banker was a little astounded by my score. So, a $1000 limit on a single credit card won't hurt you if you have a slew of other credit cards with high limits and you pay off the balance every month.
For anyone interested in diving deep into the world of frequent-flyer mile accounts and earning free flights and upgrades, check out http://www.flyertalk.com. Just reading through some of the "stickied" explanatory posts is a massive education in how to maximize the value of frequent flier programs.
I agree with the poster above who said do ***not*** diversify. The best way to get the most out of frequent flier programs is to pick the one airline that serves your city best and stick with that.
Yes, it can be complicated — even Byzantine — to try to redeem points for free travel. Your best bet is always to plan very far in advance (award seats are usually made available 330 days before the day of flight) and to be flexible on dates. My partner and I put most of our wedding expenses on a Chase United Mileage Plus Visa and got two round-trip business class tickets to Europe and back for around $70 (that was the "taxes and fees" component). My parents went from NY to New Zealand and back on award tickets — they use their American Airlines credit card for everything. I'm also flying cross-country to visit my mom next month on a reduced-award ticket on United (they were having an award fare sale, so it only took 20K points to fly Calif. to NYC and back). My partner and I also flew from Calif. to the Caribbean and back for a friend's wedding on miles (50,000k points total for two round-trip tickets) on American a couple years ago. So yes, it is possible, and people do redeem points for free tickets all the time.
To clear one thing up — calling what you build up in your frequent-flier account "miles" is accurate, b/c it reflects the miles you have flown (or the dollars you have spent on a related credit card) in the ***past****. Each airline then sets up its own rule for how many "miles" you need in your account to be able to redeem them for a free ticket. It's generally 25,000 miles for a domestic round trip for a "Saver" award, and 50,000 miles for an anytime award. Unfortunately, most of the US airlines just increased the requirements for all travel beyond the continental US.
This post bothered me and it's taken me until now to pin down why.
My perception of the site (being called "Get Rich Slowly" and all!) is that it's about the slow, sensible approach to money. Not about money hacks and crazy stuff you can do that, if done just right, will save money/get free stuff. This sort of idea is the absolute WORST thing someone could do if they have problems handling their money. It's the sort of thing that for every person that does it successfully, you probably have 4 more that end up losing because they fall into the credit card traps. It's anathema to my conservative approach to personal finance and the things I enjoy about this website.
Just my two cents… I liked her first article, but this one not so much.
#77 "calling what you build up in your frequent-flier account "miles" is accurate, b/c it reflects the miles you have flown (or the dollars you have spent on a related credit card) in the ***past****. Each airline then sets up its own rule for how many "miles" you need in your account to be able to redeem them for a free ticket"
That still means that the term "miles" is skewed and doesn't actually reflect a literal travelling "mile" that you earned. It's referring to money you spent (that's depressing for someone pining to recieve something for "free") and if each airline gets to set up its' own definition of how many miles it takes to travel somewhere, it sounds like an outright deceptive practice. The ticket then really isn't free after all, is it? Is it just me, or does post #77 read more like an advertisement by an online ad campaign than an opinion?
@ Lesley (78) – the excessive amount of branding makes it look more like a deals blog article than PF article. It is plastered with pictures of airline logos (tacky) and links to all sorts of online services, and lots of brand name dropping – things which JD typically avoids. It took me about 3 readings to like the article. With a bit of clean up (e.g. using more general descriptions than all of the specific brands) it would be a very good article which would stand the test of time. Lots of potential here. I am an April fan.
Not so much about the CC issue as the shopping portal issue.
I use igive.com as my shopping portal. It gives a percentage of your shopping to the non-profit group or charity of your choice. This is particularly helpful for me. I work at a non-profit and for a variety of reasons am very limited to how I can use our CC. Shopping through igive.com gives us back a little something when we buy office supplies and other items and we can still put them on account and get our invoice/bill sent to us the same as usual, but we also get a check sent to us two or three times a year.
I have frequent flyer miles, but I only really fly every other year, so I don't accumulate them very fast.
I will have to check out earning the miles, because I would like to have them to upgrade to business when I do fly. The only problem is, I can't be loyal to one airline so if I understand correctly, I need to look for a program that lets me choose the airline.
That trip across the Atlantic gets really long in coach.
i never thought airline miles cards were worth it. as with most things credit cards, they aren't worth it past their introductory mileage bonus. http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/travel/keep-the-miles-why-airline-cards-aren-t-worth-it/
don't forget that you still have to pay tax on the miles ticket, so include that into the calculation.
also, the psychology of the whole cash back or earn rewards card should be tempered. buying crap you don't need in order to get cash back or rewards or miles, ends up costing you more in the end. this whole article read like, if you want free tickets, then spend, spend, spend, sign up for this, sign up for that, etc., etc. Not something that people in these tough times or any time should freely be doing.
lastly, the more crap you sign up for, the more mailing lists you get on, the more your information is shared, sold, and passed around, and the more offers for this, that, and the other you will get.
@Tim #83 – It's not a matter of encouraging spending, but, in April's case, spending at certain merchants to maximize her rewards. I don't see her advocating blowing $5k on a wide-screen television just to fly for free.
For me, I see nothing wrong with using my credit cards for 99.9% of my purchases to earn the cash back. I have to eat, clothe, and shelter myself. Might as well get a little something back for all the money I spend on food, gas, clothing, incidentals, tax-deductible business expenses, etc. These are not frivolous wants.
(The PS3 Slim I'll be buying is a frivolous want, but I consider it cheaper entertainment than going out to the bar every night like most people my age do.)
Re: #71. Amanda. Why are "rewards" cards worse than other c/c? I don't understand any of you that say this?
Why by skipping using c/c and using only cash and not getting any benefit, are you "smarter"? The only way you are smarter is if you actually spend less money. Does spending cash help you spend less money? If the stores actually raised your prices by 3% if you used c/c, then I could understand it. BUT THEY DON'T. If I use my c/c and you use your cash, we pay the same price for that bottle of shampoo at Walmart.
You aren't paying for it. The C/C company only gets 2% profit from your purchase instead of 3% if they are giving 1% back to you. Why is that bad? That seems only SMART.
I'm not sure why so many of you think that the c/c companies only make money when people don't pay off their bills every month. They make a percentage of each sale. Don't you understand that even if all their customers paid off their bills in full every month (like we do), they would still exist, because they are convenient and make money?
All of you who contend that using c/c cost us money–your point is silly unless you are telling us to avoid stores that allow you to pay with c/c and telling us only to shop at venders that accept only cash because they have lower prices. If your point is that stores that accept c/c are cheaper, then, make THAT point. BUT, that definitely isn't true 100% of the time for people who are "smart shoppers" and know how to find deals and use coupons at the name brand stores.
Re: #72 Tyler.
My "no hassle" Capital One rewards card couldn't have been easier to use. I bought the ticket for my son on line using expedia and then charging it using my NoHassle card. Then, I waited a day or two for it to show up on my c/c listing. I clicked on my c/c site where it says 'redeem rewards' and it gave me the option for both of the tickets I had purchased lately. I told them I wanted to use up 74000 for the $740 ticket from FL to AK for my son and it was that easy. They subtracted the points and added a credit to my c/c as if I had paid $740. It was soo easy.
Don't dismiss something til you've tried it.
My sis bought me a ticket to fly to the states using her Am. Ex. points that she had earned. I had to work it through their c/c site and it was a bit more complicated, but I managed to find a decent connection using her points. I don't think it cost her anything. Using the No Hassle card was easier, but the AE wasn't difficult.
At the same time as she bought mine, she bought another friend another ticket so we could all meet at a college reunion. It wasn't difficult at all.
I think it's like so many reviews. Many times it's only the disgruntleds who bother to write it up. The ones who are happy just go on their way. Unfortunately it makes those on the outside think that something was really wrong with that hotel/restaurant/place of entertainment when it might have just been the reviewer or a fluke.
I've flown twice to Europe on Delta rewards. The first time I was able to fly on Delta, mainly because I did it far enough in advance. But the second time, all the dates and times I needed were already full. What Delta doesn't tell you upfront is that you can use the miles to fly with their partner airlines as well. I ended up flying Air France, which was a FAR better experience anyway than flying Delta. The only catch was I had to fly to Germany via France, which added an additional leg to my trip. In general, you can eventually use your miles, but you have to jump through a few hoops, especially if you want to fly to desirable places on them. If want to use your miles to fly domestically to non-touristy places, I imagine you can book less in advance. The ticket agent told me that to use miles to fly to the Caribbean, you have to almost book years in advance (or opt to use twice as many miles to get there).
We don't have an airlines credit card and instead opt for a rewards one. This one enabled us to pay off a considerable about of my students loans. We have a Citibank card, and they will cut checks directly to your loan provider. This was a great way to use our points. Now that we don't have loans anymore (hurray!), we plan to use them at whatever major vendor gives the best deal (Amazon, Kohls, etc).
I think it's a great idea to pay tuition on a reward credit card. When I was in college, I don't believe my parents had that option, but I wish they had, considering I went to an overpriced private school.
Great topic!
April, thanks for the warning not to do this if you can't pay your cc's off monthly.
For a lot of people, "too good to pass up deals" like this are what landed them in a debt trap.
The trick here is to make sure you can and DO payoff your monthly credit card bills. The interests rates for CCs are out of this world. For those who are strong minded and in a position fortunate enough to payoff their credit card on a monthly basis, I completely agree with April in the benefits a rewards credit card can bring.
I currently use a USAA credit card that allows me cash back, gas discounts, food discounts, and a bunch of other discounts (mostly travel related) for using the card. For the past three years, I've been able to get $300 cash back per year, which adds up! I encourage anyone looking for a rewards card to do so as there are some good deals to be had.
@Ann, I think you miss the psychology of what i was talking about. as with anything cc, it's about controlling your spending. the more you focus on things like cash back, rewards, miles, etc, the more you lose focus on if you need the purchase or not. if you don't need the purchases, then you need to add all those costs up to see if you are actually getting a deal with the miles cards. in general, you are far better to pocket the discount on purchases than you are getting miles. same goes for rewards. it incentivises rewards over saving money on a purchase.
i use my cc for the 1-2.5% discounts, but again you really have to watch spending behavior so it is actually needs rather than turning into wants just because your mind is saying you are getting cash back or rewards or miles towards that vacation you think you've earned.
Delurking to say that I loved both articles from April and she is my favorite guest poster so far!
As for reward miles, we have been redeeming the miles once or twice a year since 2002 (usually a roundtrip to Europe at the end of summer and a trip to California for New Year celebration with friends) and while it's not always easy to get the exact dates with minimum layover time, it is certainly not impossible.
Usually we are successful getting desired dates (or close enough) with direct flights if airline offers them. Some airlines require fewer miles (Virgin used to require only 35K miles for round trip to London, and this summer they were running a promotion requiring only 25K for roundtrip, with plenty of summer dates open. Their taxes and fees are another matter, however).
We used to charge *everything* on our Amex Green and Blue cards, collecting Membership Rewards points. We now switched to Starwood and just last week I cashed in some of the points for a hotel in Stockholm (paying cash for air this time since Icelandair had a really good deal).
So it's certainly possible for average folks without advance stratagems to accumulate enough miles for at least one annual trip. We happen to travel a lot, therefore for us, the value of miles is higher if we can redeem them for high season air tickets, as opposed to straight cash back. When that changes, we will switch to cash back card instead.
@Tim – Why do you assume those who use rewards CCs must not be focused on controlling their spending? Multitasking isn't rocket science. Personally, a rewards CC doesn't make me think "ooh, if I buy those shoes, I'll get another dollar in my rewards balance." Instead, it's: "The glue has given on the old loafers and it's time to replace them. If I use this CC instead of cash, I'll get an extra discount. Hmm, or maybe I should wait for a bigger sale because a little Super Glue can get a couple more months out of the old pair."
If I didn't have a handle on my spending, I wouldn't be four glorious months from paying off my mortgage on a home in a rather pricey area…and I'm 29 on a single income, albeit a respectable income.
And sometimes indulging the occasional want is okay. There's no point in amassing wealth if I'm going to be miserable. There needs to be a reason for being frugal and making money beyond simply watching your net worth increase, although I do a get a little thrill out of that as well.
I forgo Starbucks, brand name clothes, and the like so I can indulge my love for comic books, treat my sisters to restaurants they love but can't afford, help my parents out when the washer and dryer break down. I work hard at the day job so I can pay off the mortgage and establish a nest egg because one day I want to write full time without having to worry about making ends meet. I'm practical enough to know starving for my art would get old pretty fast.
Becky @ 85 – you've made some excellent points. I'm glad you noted that for every purchase the CC company gets a cut. Note though that that cut is really only a small part of the CC companies profits. If everyone paid off their cards monthly most CC companies would go out of business, they cannot operate the overhead on the 2% cut. That's a big reason why we are seeing our rewards benefits cuts on these cards, with people charging less and more paying off their bills their revenue has gone down so they are cutting costs.
All that said, there is one downside to using a CC over cash even if you pay it off every month that you didn't consider. It has proven that the majority of people over spend (by 25%+) when they use a CC vs cash. I guess it has something to do with the psychology of pulling actual money out of the wallet instead of plastic.
So as long as you can pay off your cards EVERY month AND not overspend this airmiles/rewards concept is a great one.
Whether or not these cards are worth it just depends what your goals are for using the travel rewards. I go on a big trip each year (Europe, Australia, Aruba, etc.) that I plan around when I can get flights with miles – otherwise these trips would be cost prohibitive. For me, using a rewards card for all my purchases year-round, then buying a couple of $1,000+ flights with it, makes total sense. There is an annual fee, which I think is $50 or $60, plus international airport fees, taxes, etc. when you cash in. But still FAR cheaper than buying a flight abroad.
One of my best friends, though, expects to be able to use her miles to take last minute trips to see her boyfriend on the east coast and gets very frustrated with the miles programs. For her, it doesn't make sense.
Figure out what you are trying to get out of the program. For a lot of people, the cash back makes more sense. But if you are a long-distance traveller whose vacation plans are somewhat flexible, that once-in-a-lifetime trip can become a reality pretty quickly with a miles card.
April, I am a little confused by one fine point. Do you log on to e bates AND the AA shopping site or just pick one depending on the rebate?
Thanks for clarifying this.
I also second @Jackie J's question above for some clarification on the process. I did a test with 2 online purchases I needed to make. I opened ebates and clicked on the store, which brought me to the page that shows the rebate info, and then clicked on "shop now". I left this window open. I then opened a NEW window for the airline shopping portal and ordered my purchases through the airline shopping portal. I know it takes some times for the airline miles to show up, but usually ebates is pretty quick to put the transaction in "pending" and I don't have anything yet. Just hoping I did this correctly and this works like you say! It was a great article!
Not sure if this has been covered yet as I'm new to this site but I entered into a protracted dispute with American Express regarding a charge to my card. Long story short; although the dispute did not go in my favor, Amex gave me 10,000 membership reward points as a consolation. I converted these to airline miles and they helped during our summer vacation to the Philippines this year.
Just following up on the comments from Jackie J and AnnH. I wasn't able to get this to work. The first time I clicked through the ebates offer, left the window open, then licked through and purchased through the AA site. I received only the miles. A second time I did the reverse and received only the ebates reward. Has anyone been able to get this to work?
Hi guys–I have always been able to get both credits on a single purchase. I do log in to both sites and purchase from one, and in the past it has worked. It takes a long time for AA to credit miles…sometimes weeks. Ebates says most rewards are credited within 48 hours, but "some stores, however, cannot confirm your purchase until the return period has elapsed and may take up to thirty days to confirm your cash back."
I just made a purchase using this method, so I'll let you know if they've blocked you from getting AA and Ebates credit, though it may take awhile to know if I'm going to be credited.
Very interesting topic, thank you for sharing! I think some of the mindset with the miles is that people think the tickets should be free. They really aren't – you still have to pay taxes, airport fees, etc, but you get a massive discount on your tickets due to having accumulated the points.
I don't use credit cards, but a have an AAdvantage debit card. I don't mind paying the annual fee (its worth it to me). When I go out to restaurants, I check American Airlines' iDine page to get the 3mi/$1 for restaurants (after 12 dines in a calendar year, its 5mi/$1) on top of my AA card. I am in the DFW area, and paired my Tom Thumb store card with AA so I get 1mi/$1 I spend there (in 250 mile chunks) on top of the debit card.
If I do any online shopping, I usually use ebates, but I'll try to see if I can do the hack listed here.
I said I don't mind paying the annual fee, because to me paying $65/year is worth it to get to visit a friend of mine who is traveling abroad to teach English as a foriegn language. While she's in Mexico, I'll pay for the tickets ($350/ea after taxes, and I get the miles – I purposely do a layover, too. It doesn't cost more but doubles the miles on the trip – and I don't mind reading in a terminal), but when she goes to Japan or Korea or eastern Europe, I get to save the $1000-$1500 on the round-trip and just pay taxes and fees.
I'm really flexible with my travel plans, too – I can book really far in advance and I don't mind taking less desirable flights or having connections – as I said before, I don't mind reading in terminals.
Since its a debit card, I can't go crazy in debt, and I don't change my spending habits because I can't. I only put a set amount in the account that card is attached to (bills are paid from a different account, savings in another), so its just my allowance money (gas, groceries, weekly spending money) – I just decided I wanted to get miles for it.


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22 U.S. Code § 4105 - Management rights
(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, nothing in this subchapter shall affect the authority of any management official of the Department, in accordance with applicable law—
(1) to determine the mission, budget, organization, and internal security practices of the Department, and the number of individuals in the Service or in the Department;
(2) to hire, assign, direct, lay off, and retain individuals in the Service or in the Department, to suspend, remove, or take other disciplinary action against such individuals, and to determine the number of members of the Service to be promoted and to remove the name of or delay the promotion of any member in accordance with regulations prescribed under section 4005 (b) of this title;
(3) to conduct reductions in force, and to prescribe regulations for the separation of employees pursuant to such reductions in force conducted under section 4010a of this title;
(4) to assign work, to make determinations with respect to contracting out, and to determine the personnel by which the operations of the Department shall be conducted;
(6) to determine the need for uniform personnel policies and procedures between or among the agencies to which this subchapter applies; and
(b) Nothing in this section shall preclude the Department and the exclusive representative from negotiating—
(1) at the election of the Department, on the numbers, types, and classes of employees or positions assigned to any organizational subdivision, work project, or tour of duty, or on the technology, methods, and means of performing work;
(2) procedures which management officials of the Department will observe in exercising any function under this section; or
Source(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 1005,Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2131; Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 181(b),Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 417; Pub. L. 103–415, § 1(jj)(2),Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4303.)
1994—Subsec. (a)(3) to (7). Pub. L. 103–236, as amended by Pub. L. 103–415, added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (6) as (4) to (7), respectively.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Spartans Back on the Road to Face Illinois
May 3, 2012
MSU and Illinois tied for the Big Ten regular-season title last year, but the Illini defeated the Spartans twice in the Big Ten Tournament, including a 9-1 victory in the championship game, to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Illinois won the season series, 4-1, as it also won a home series over the Spartans in late April.
"They're all big weekends at this point in the season," said MSU head coach Jake Boss. "Illinois is a very good ballclub. They're very aggressive on the bases - they're going to force us to make plays. We're going to have to do a good job of holding the running game. They also have some young guys that are pitching well for them right now. We're going to have to take advantage of our opportunities and play good baseball in order to win."
Michigan State lost a road series at then-No. 13 Purdue last weekend, but did take the series finale on Sunday, 5-0, behind a complete game, five-hit shutout from sophomore right-hander David Garner. Illinois swept Northwestern on the road last weekend before falling in a midweek game to Southern Illinois on Tuesday.
"We played well on Sunday (at Purdue)," said Boss on his team's momentum heading into Champaign. "And without any midweek games, it's been good to get a little bit of a break. We played a lot of baseball in a short amount of time, and our guys were starting to get worn down a little bit. Finals are over now, so guys can concentrate on baseball the rest of the way. It will be good for our guys to relax a little bit and not have anything else to worry about."
The series opens Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET, while first pitch on Saturday is at 4:05 p.m. ET. The series concludes Sunday at 2:05 p.m. ET. The first two games of the series will be available for purchase at BTN.com.
Junior second baseman Ryan Jones is batting .422 (19-for-45) the last 10 games and is riding a 14-game hitting streak. He became the 15th Spartan to cross the 200-career hit mark during MSU's win at Indiana on April 15 and currently has 217 career hits, which is ninth all-time in MSU history.
Junior designated hitter Jared Hook leads MSU in Big Ten games with a .393 batting average. He is hitting .406 (13-for-32) in his last 10 games.
Junior third baseman Torsten Boss leads the team with five doubles and 12 RBIs in the past 10 games. He has reached base in 19 consecutive games.
On the mound...
Sophomore left-handed reliever Jeff Kinley has not allowed a run in his last 22 1/3 innings, spanning nine outings. Kinley is 4-0 during that stretch with 20 strikeouts.
MSU collected season highs in runs (20) and hits (25) in the 20-10 win at Indiana on April 15 in the second game of a doubleheader.
For the season, Michigan State has outscored its opponents by 93 runs (245-152).
Entering the week, the Spartans ranked among the Top 50 nationally in ERA (11th), walks allowed (19th) and hits allowed (22nd).
In the last three Big Ten series against Indiana, Minnesota and Purdue, MSU has struck out 64 batters against just 15 walks.
Michigan State held Purdue - which entered the series No. 3 in the nation in hitting and 15th in scoring - to just 10 runs all weekend, a season low for the Boilermakers in a weekend series. Purdue hit just .221 and MSU posted a 1.50 team ERA.
MSU appeared as a No. 3 seed in last week's ESPN Bracketology that projected the NCAA Tournament field.
MSU was listed as a No. 4 seed in this week's projected field by CollegeBaseballDaily.com.
In the latest NCAA RPI rankings released May 1, MSU came in at No. 51. The Spartans are No. 52 in the latest RPI ratings by Boyd's World (as of May 3).
The Spartans have played four Top 50 RPI teams (Boyd's World): No. 3 Baylor, No. 6 Purdue, No. 17 Texas A&M and No. 41 Louisville.
MSU is coming off its first back-to-back 30-win seasons since 1992-93. The Spartans are looking to win 30 games for the third straight year for the first time in program history.
Michigan State has won 70 games the past two seasons (2010, 2011), tying for most in the Big Ten with Purdue; the 70 wins are the second most in consecutive years in program history (75 wins in 1987-88).
Keur also leads the league in hits (71), which ranks 11th in the country.
In addition, Keur ranks among the league leaders in on-base percentage (.460), doubles (tied for sixth with 12) and total bases (10th with 83). Keur has batted No. 3 in the order the past 10 games.
Tony Bucciferro MOVING UP IN RECORD BOOK
Bucciferro ranks second in the Big Ten in strikeouts (62) and fourth in innings pitched (76.0).
He was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the second time in his career after allowing only one hit in six shutout innings in the win over No. 11 St. John's on Opening Day.
In the 4-3 victory over Cincinnati on March 16, Bucciferro won his third game of the season and struck out a career-high 10 batters.
Although he took a no decision vs. Ohio State on March 31 in the Big Ten opener, he threw eight scoreless innings, scattered just two hits, and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
Was named a Cape Cod League All-Star last summer and also was a 2011 first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Waszak was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career following his performance at Indiana on April 15 in which he threw seven shutout innings against the Hoosiers and allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out a season-high five.
Jones, who currently ranks ninth in MSU history with 217 career hits, is one of just 15 Spartans to collect at least 200 hits. He ranks second in the Big Ten and 20th in the nation this season with 69 hits, just two behind teammate Jordan Keur. Jones is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak.
Jones is also tied for sixth in program history with 39 doubles.
Jones ranks second on the team in batting (.386), RBIs (29), slugging (.476), runs (34) and walks (22).
After batting in all four spots in the order for half of the season, Jones has batted leadoff the past 10 games (MSU: 7-3).
Also an excellent defensive player, Jones ranks third in the Big Ten with 135 assists.
Last summer, Jones was named to the Cape Cod League All-Star Team while playing for the Brewster Whitecaps. He finished 17th in the CCL with a .283 average during the 44-game regular season, and had a hit and a run in the CCL All-Star Game at Fenway Park on July 29.
During his All-Big Ten campaign as a sophomore, Jones collected a school-record 33-game hitting streak from March 6 to May 8. It tied for the longest hitting streak in the nation in 2011.
Named a third-team preseason Louisville Slugger All-American, Boss has a career average of .349 with 17 homers and 135 RBIs, and ranks tied for sixth in MSU history with 39 doubles. He was a second-team All-Big Ten choice in 2010 and a first-team all-league selection in 2011 as a third baseman.
Boss, who has 192 career hits, needs just eight more to become the 16th Spartan in school history to record at least 200 hits.
Began the season by starting 10 games in center field, but is now back at third base to solidify the Spartan infield defensively.
Not only does Wieber own the all-time saves record at Michigan State, he has collected an 11-0 career record on the mound. In the 13-inning win over Michigan on April 8, Wieber finished the game by pitching 3 2/3 shutout innings to earn his first win of the season.
Wieber ranks fifth in the Big Ten with six saves (6-for-8 in save opportunities). He has struck out 20 batters in his 20 innings and opponents are hitting just .200 against him.
Wieber also sees time in right field (nine starts) and as a designated hitter (seven starts) for the Spartans. He enters the Illinois series with a .294 average with 10 RBIs.
A third-team All-Big Ten selection as a relief pitcher in 2011, Wieber led the team and ranked fourth in the Big Ten with eight saves last season; that total tied for third most in an MSU single-season. He also compiled a perfect 5-0 record with a 3.64 ERA and struck out 38 batters in 42.0 innings.
Voted a captain by his teammates prior to the season, Scanlon was named the Big Ten's "best defensive fielder" in a survery of conference coaches conducted by College Baseball Insider.
Scanlon played for the Madison Mallards in the Northwoods League last summer.
Fisher entered the year as the starter after earning All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors in 2011, but he injured his leg in the second game of the season Feb. 18 vs. South Florida. He returned to the starting lineup at catcher against Bowling Green and has started 13 of MSU's 15 Big Ten games.
Martinez, who was the primary catcher in Fisher's absence, has started a career-high 20 games at catcher this season. He is batting .282 with 15 RBIs, including two game-winning RBIs in the sweep over Cincinnati. Martinez also has started nine games in left field and three games at first base.
The Fighting Illini enter the weekend in a four-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings, along with Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State.
Illinois swept Northwestern last weekend in Evanston, Ill., but fell in a midweek contest to Southern Illinois on Tuesday.
Illinois is ranked No. 57 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. Its marquee win this season came at Pac-12 leader Oregon on March 12.
Illinois has team speed - it leads the Big Ten in stolen bases with 71 and triples with 18.
Defensively, the Fighting Illini lead the nation with 54 double plays.
Illinois shared the 2011 Big Ten regular-season title with Michigan State and defeated the Spartans in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As a No. 4 seed in the Fullerton Regional, Illinois eliminated host and top-seeded Cal State Fullerton before bowing out to Stanford in the regional finals.
Junior Jordan Parr is the team's top offensive threat; he leads the team in batting (.360) and doubles (11), is tied for the team lead in RBIs (35), and ranks second in homers (4).
Friday starter Kevin Johnson and Saturday starter John Kravetz are tied for second in the Big Ten with seven wins apiece.
Torsten Boss hit .300 against Illinois last season, while Ryan Jones hit .286 with a homer and six RBIs.
Friday starter Kevin Johnson took the loss against MSU last season after allowing seven runs on 12 hits in six innings of work in the Spartans' 8-5 win on April 23.
In two starts against Illinois last season, Tony Bucciferro went 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA.
at the official


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Lindongate is a proposed development to regenerate and reinvigorate the south-east corner of Lincoln city centre. It is a scheme that has been promoted over many years by the site owners Lincolnshire Co-operative wth the active support of Lincoln City Council.
The long period needed to address complex site assembly and technical and design issues means that such projects often span whole economic cycles and are always costly. It is widely recognised however that the delivery of Lindongate is needed not only to support the Sincil Street area but also to ensure the long term vitality of the city centre as a whole.
The proposals finally developed include a new public transport interchange for the city, over 850 car spaces, high quality retail space - including a major department store - improved pedestrian access over the railway via a new footbridge and several new riverside restaurants and bars. Take a look at the full proposals to see how Lindongate will breathe new life into Lincoln city centre.
8 March 2012
Councillors sitting on the City of Lincoln Council's planning committee have approved the principle of the Lindongate scheme, a major project which will transform the city centre and create a brand new transport interchange.
Applicant and landowner Lincolnshire Co-operative has welcomed the decision to grant outline planning permission for the project.
Chief Executive Ursula Lidbetter said: "We have continued to work on the Lindongate scheme because we believe it will bring many benefits for people who live, work, shop and visit Lincoln city centre. We're pleased that the planning committee has agreed the principle of Lindongate."
Agent Banks Long & Co has been leading the scheme on behalf of Lincolnshire Co-op, working with planning consultants Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, architects Lyons + Sleeman + Hoare and a range of other specialist consultants.
Following the approval, the next stage of the work will be to meet the planning conditions set down by the council. Details of a Section 106 agreement will also have to be drawn up and agreed before a decision notice can be issued.
Negotiations are continuing with interested development partners and prospective new retail tenants. These will form the basis of detailed planning applications that will then be needed for specific parts of the project. Further public consultations will take place as these detailed applications come forward.


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In 1982, Essex experienced one of the most devastating floods that it has ever seen. Within three days� time that June, an astronomical amount of rain bombarded the state. Running through Essex, the normally innocuous Falls River soon became swollen, tearing away its banks with the houses upon them. The Ivoryton Library and the Essex Historical Society are hosting �Falls River Flood of 1982 � A Second Look� at the Essex Town Hall on January 24, 2013 at 7 pm. Attendees will hear the intriguing story and details as told by Essex Town Historian, Chris Pagliuco. There will be a slide show as well as photos, newspaper articles, plaques and awards from the time. Guests are encouraged to tell their stories of the event. Refreshments will be served and there is no charge for admittance.
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12 U.S. Code § 5373 - International policy coordination
(a) By the President
The President, or a designee of the President, may coordinate through all available international policy channels, similar policies as those found in United States law relating to limiting the scope, nature, size, scale, concentration, and interconnectedness of financial companies, in order to protect financial stability and the global economy.
(b) By the Council
The Chairperson of the Council, in consultation with the other members of the Council, shall regularly consult with the financial regulatory entities and other appropriate organizations of foreign governments or international organizations on matters relating to systemic risk to the international financial system.
(c) By the Board of Governors and the Secretary
The Board of Governors and the Secretary shall consult with their foreign counterparts and through appropriate multilateral organizations to encourage comprehensive and robust prudential supervision and regulation for all highly leveraged and interconnected financial companies.
Source(Pub. L. 111–203, title I, § 175,July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1442.)
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Con origini risalenti al 1757, The Fairfield Inn è uno dei più antichi d'America, Inns gestiti continuamente. La Locanda offre tutta la raffinatezza e il fascino che ci si aspetterebbe da un piccolo hotel di lusso. Camere decorate individualmente, spaziosi bagni privati, ed eleganti, suite e saloni arredati con gusto, vi invitano al relax. Orgogliosi di essere celebrare e servire Fine Food & Spirits ai viaggiatori e ospiti per 256 ANNI! Costruito diciannove anni prima della Dichiarazione di Indipendenza, The Fairfield Inn era originariamente la Mansion House di Squire Miller, fondatore della città. Nei 250 anni che sono passati, la Mansion House ha ospitato molti americani famosi come Patrick Henry, nipote di Squire William e Isabella Henry Miller, Thaddeus Stevens, Generali Robert E. Lee & JEB Stuart, Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Plank e The Eisenhower. Quando la battaglia di Gettysburg era finita, l'esercito confederato si ritirò Occidente attraverso Fairfield. Generale Robert E. Lee ei suoi ufficiali si fermarono a mangiare al Inn. Dopo aver visitato il campo di battaglia, vi invitiamo a ritirarsi al nostro stile di storia e ospitalità. Rilassatevi in una delle nostre lussuose suite o camere. Sorseggiare sidro caldo speziato da uno dei nostri otto camini o sorseggiare un drink in taverna di Squire Miller. Gustate le specialità stagionali sul nostro portico anteriore o cenare in originale Mansion House. Dal nostro famoso Chicken & Biscuits per piatti d'autore del nostro Chef che caratterizzano le migliori bistecche tagliate a mano e pesce fresco, il gusto perché oltre quattro secoli di servizio raffinato e competenza culinaria fanno pranzo presso il Fairfield Inn un'esperienza deliziosamente unica.
Named for William "Grumble" Jones, who commanded the Confederate cavalry in the Battle of Fairfield, July 3, 1863. Second Floor room, queen size four-poster bed, bathroom with whirlpool soaking tub/shower combination.
Sleep in the same room that General J.E.B. Stuart occupied in1862 during a raid of the Valley. Large Bedroom, Queen Bed, Sleeper double size Sofa, large bathroom with whirlpool soaking tub/shower combination.
Named after Statesman, Patrick Henry, famous for the quote "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death". He was the nephew of Isabella Henry Miller, the owner of the Inn in the 1700's. Second Floor Bedroom, queen size bed, large bathroom with claw-foot tub and seperate shower.
Third Floor, fully carpeted, beautiful mahogany Lincoln Suite antique double bed and dresser, charming bath with whirlpool soaking tub/shower combination.
The 1757 Suite offers a charming parlor with sitting area, mini-refrigerator, a spacious separate bedroom with a queen bed and window seats, and a lovely, private bath with a whirlpool tub and shower combination.
The Three Colonels Suite offers a charming parlor with day bed, sitting area, mini-refrigerator, microwave, a sunny separate bedroom with a queen bed and a lovely private bath with a claw-foot tub & separate shower and access to a private balcony .
Valore della struttura
154 Recensioni
4,0 su settembre 17, 2014
This was my second stay at the Historic Fairfield Inn. Although the Inn has changed owners since our last visit, we found it to be just as comfortable, clean, quaint and friendly as it was when we stayed there three years ago.The manager was polite and friendly. He suggested we upgrade to the J.B. Stewart Room because, being a bigger room, it has a sofa with a pull out bed which proved to be more comfortable than a roll away cot. The room was spacious and comfortable, with a window air conditioner, and a huge ensuite washroom with a jacuzzi tub. The beds, pillows, and bedding were comfortable and cozy, providing a great night's sleep. It was a corner room with windows on two walls which gave us lovely views of Fairfield.The hot breakfast was prepared and served by the chef, who has been with the Fairfield Inn for 30 years. It consisted of orange slices, an omelet, bacon, french toast, orange juice and coffee. The chef was amiable and friendly, discussing the stories of ghostly encounters & "night time visitors" with us, which is one of the main reasons we choose to spend a night there whenever we visit Gettysburg. My only recommendation is that the Inn makeover at least one suite to include two beds, either using twin beds or double beds. Not all couples and families want to share a bed during their stay and cots/pull-out sofas will never be as comfortable as a real box spring and mattress bed. I highly recommend the Fairfield Inn and its dining room (especially the chicken and biscuits!!) if you wish to take a step back into the 18th century, with the comforts of the 20th century.
4,0 su agosto 27, 2014
Overall a great stay at an historic inn. Breakfast was plentiful, but somewhat unimaginative. Floors in bedroom sloped, and bed sloped making sleeping difficult. Sloping floors understandable in an inn of this age. Had dinner there one night which was delicious.
5 su luglio 31, 2014
My only regret at this inn is only being able to stay one night. The inn keeper and staff ( Mary Lou and Terry) provided great service. My child and I enjoyed our stay in the Patrick Henry room.
4,6 su luglio 19, 2014
My wife and I stayed in the Grumble Jones room for one night (the girls were away with grammy). It was a really great experience. The rooms are a nice mix of antiquated and modern. You still get the old time feel but have things such as electricity and running water. It's a win/win. The room was very clean and I actually looked for dust and couldn't find any. The best part was the basket of free cookies in the hallway. A nice clean room is great, but free cookies in the hallway is better. There is a camera near the cookies so I only took two packs. The historic tour of the building is also a must. It's amazing how old the place is and is really cool to think of how many people have stayed and dined at this place. A true relic. There are two things I really enjoyed about this place even more than the room: the employees, and the food. The owner is down to earth and has a sort of dry sarcastic sense of humor that I really enjoy. He mixes that friendliness well with professionalism and makes you feel as if you're at a posh five star resort owned by your family. We felt very welcomed. The rest of the staff was down to earth and professional all rolled into one. They aren't stuck up or snooty and really make you feel like they know you. So, the most important part is the food. There is no need to stay at the inn to eat dinner there and this place should be on everyone's bucket list of places to eat. You won't be disappointed. The ham and bean soup is great. I could eat a bucket of the home made biscuits. Really great food all around and a cool atmosphere. If you need another reason to eat there let me just say, freshly baked warm peach pie. That should be enough. All in all, I will absolutely be returning to eat there and hopefully stay another night sans the kids.
5 su giugno 12, 2014
We had a great time at the Inn, Gettysburg and near by Adams County Winery. We could not have planned a better weekend away. The food at the Inn was very good and well worth the money. Staff was very helpful, accommodating and made us feel welcome. Thank you again and we are planning to stay here the next time we come to the area.
4,4 su giugno 06, 2014
Loved the authenticity of the house and the rooms. Very historical. It was updated with some modern amenities but did not lose the feel of a 250 year old mansion. The hospitality and food were fantastic. Great time...
Risposta del proprietario
Thank you for your kind comments. We try very hard to make your stay a pleasant experience.
5 su febbraio 25, 2014
We stayed at the Fairfield Inn over the Valentine's Day weekend. It was like stepping back in time and absolutely beautiful and well taken care of. We were great very warmly from the moment we walked in. John was very nice and helpful in getting us checked in and even provided us with a bottle of champagne since it was Valentine's Day. We stayed in the 1757 suite which is in the old part of the house I can only say it was everything I thought it would be....so historic and well kept. The dinner in the restaurant was absolutely delicious and so was the breakfast in the tavern in the morning. John was extremely nice to lend us his touring CD for the Gettysburg Battlefields as well. Aside from the historic charm, I was very impressed by the cleanliness of the inn as well. I would HIGHLY recommend anyone to stay at the Fairfield Inn for any occasion or if you are just interested in sharing a part of history. Absolutely looking forward to staying there again!
Risposta del proprietario
Thank you for your very kind words. It sounds like you two enjoyed yourselves, and I hope to see you here again soon.
5 su febbraio 21, 2014
Inn Keeper was fabulous and very helpful. Stay was great and very cute.
Risposta del proprietario
Thank you for your very kind words. I hope you will stay with us again soon. John
4,8 su gennaio 21, 2014
Our story began at The Fairfield Inn on May 8, 2013. That is where my husband proposed to me. The experience at dinner that night was so incredible we decided to have our wedding ceremony there. We communicated with John about a month before our wedding date. He asked questions and made several suggestions for us to consider regarding the ceremony and dinner. He emailed the dinner options so that we could get a rough estimate of how much and what kind of food our guests wanted so they wouldn't have to wait long to be served. We met with John the week before our wedding to make the final preparations. The Fairfield Inn was decorated for Christmas, and with the snow outside, it looked like a winter wonderland! John asked if there was anything we wanted to change or add any of our own decorating ideas. John emailed us the day before the wedding to see if we wanted to have the fireplace lit for the ceremony and if we wanted to upgrade to a suite for no extra charge. The day of the ceremony we arrived at 1:30 (the ceremony was at 5:00). All the chairs were set up for the ceremony. John and the staff wanted to know if everything was to our liking. After the ceremony, chairs were put back and the tables were arranged for dinner. During this thirty-minute time period, guests were invited to the parlor where hot chocolate was available. Guests were also able to take a walking tour of the Inn. The food was excellent and portions were sufficient. During the meal, John gave a brief history of The Fairfield Inn. We spent the night in the Patrick Henry room. The room was beautiful and clean. Breakfast the next morning was delicious. The combination of The Fairfield Inn and its history, the snow, and Christmas made our wedding magical!! We have received only positive comments from our family and friends about our ceremony. Thank you to John and his staff for making our wedding experience a truly positive one.
Risposta del proprietario
This was a lovely couple with a very nice ceremony. I wish them well in their future life together. John
3,6 su dicembre 14, 2013
The inn keeper and employee are great people and very personable. General Grumble Jones room had a lot of character to it. The diners were very nice.
Situato su The Retreat Confederate da Gettyburg, Campagna, Piccolo Paese, Villaggi
Harrisburg, PA (MDT) 35 miles
Da Harrisburg: US 15S Rotta a Gettysburg. Prendere l'uscita per PA percorso 116W e 116W seguire attraverso Gettysburg e continuare a 8 miglia a ovest di Fairfield. L'Inn si trova sulla destra nel centro della città. Anche BWI - Baltimore Washington International Airport a soli 60 km a sud est di Gettysburg - facile accesso in e out.
Parco divertimenti, Shopping Antiquariato, Gallerie d'arte, Casino, Concerti, Cene da gourmet, Interessi Storici, Musica dal vivo, Cinema, Musei, Parchi Nazionali/Statali, Zona Naturale, Ski Liberty, Punti vendita, Teatro, Area Picnic, Servizi religiosi, Rodeo, Zona sciistica, Vigneti, Azienda vinicola, Zoo
Other, Bed and Breakfast, Country Inn, Historic Inn
Giochi da tavolo, Sale Conferenze, Scrivania, Camino, Biblioteche, Parking, Telefono, Attrezzature matrimoni, Angolo bar , Wi-Fi gratuito
Aria condizionata, Sveglia , Prodotti di cortesia, Attrezzature per Caffè/Tè, Data port, Asciugacapelli, Jacuzzi, Accesso a internet , Ferro da stiro, Microonde, TV via cavo/satellite, TV, Wi-Fi
Noleggio bici, Piste ciclabili, Osservazione Uccelli, Piste da sci attraverso la campagna, Sci in discesa, Pesca, Golf, Escursioni, Cavallo, Visitate il famoso Adams County Winery, Shopping, Scenari, Noleggio sci
John G. Kramb
, Motociclista, collezionista Rotariano francobollo, stato conosciuto per masticare in pubblico.
A basso contenuto di grassi
, Restrictive , Vegetariano
N'Biscuits pollo
Per completare belle sistemazioni della locanda, c'è la Mansion House Restaurant and Tavern di Squire Miller serve una vasta selezione di piatti classicamente preparati e artisticamente presentate. Due cuochi e il loro team dell'hotel offrono un menù fantasioso di griglia e arrosto di selvaggina, pasta, pesce e bistecche succulenti. Il ristorante si apre su un delizioso portico perfetto per la primavera attraverso la sala in autunno; caminetti fiammata nei focolari durante i mesi invernali. C'è un salotto accogliente per un drink tranquilla e un salone banchetti per incontri di lavoro e ricevimenti esclusivi, pranzi e cene.
BedandBreakfast.com Diamond Collection


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Benefits coverage for enrollees in the federally-run Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) ended on April 30, 2014. PCIP benefits were not extended to May. This temporary program, created by the Affordable Care Act, was originally scheduled to end on December 31, 2013. We were able to extend benefits coverage to enrollees for an additional four months in 2014, to help ensure they did not experience a break in health coverage as they transitioned to other coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Enrollees who did not have other coverage that began on May 1, 2014, are eligible for a 60-day special enrollment period that began on May 1, 2014, to enroll in new coverage through the Marketplace. They received a letter by mail that explains the steps to take. No matter when you enroll in other coverage through the Marketplace during the 60-day special enrollment period, your new coverage will still be effective back to May 1. This way, you avoid a break in your health coverage.
Claims for PCIP must be received no later than 3 months from the date of service, and all claims must be filed by July 31, 2014. The benefits administrator will not accept claims after that date.
The timeframe for an enrollee to appeal a claims benefit determination is 2 months from the date of our decision.
All appeals must be filed by May 30, 2014. If we don't receive your appeal by that date at the address below, you lose your right to appeal.
We encourage you to submit any documents that support your appeal. Make sure that your PCIP account number appears on your signed and dated letter and on any documents you send us. Please mail your appeal to the following address:
Office of Personnel Management
PCIP Appeals, Room 3468
1900 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20415-3630
The Affordable Care Act guarantees that all Americans – regardless of their health status or pre-existing conditions – finally have access to quality, affordable coverage. The next enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace starts November 15, 2014, for the 2015 plan year.
PCIP varies depending on your current state of residence. To find out about your state, click PCIP Map.


text:
The Obama administration gave conditional approval on Monday to health insurance marketplaces being set up by six states led by Democratic governors eager to carry out President Obama's health care overhaul. The six are Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington.
OK, these states are now my favorites as the best in the U.S. They actually care about their citizens.
By the way, I've only lived in one of them but have had happy moments in each of them. I encourage everyone to visit and enjoy and also to stay away from states that are dragging their feet or not willing to participate in increased access to health care for all.
Although the Supreme Court upheld the bulk of the landmark health reform law last summer, Obamacare's proposed Medicaid expansion was scaled back when the court ruled that states should be able to decide whether or not to expand their programs. Since then, GOP governors have been digging in their heels against reform, refusing to expand their states' Medicaid pools to extend affordable insurance to millions of low-income Americans. That's led lawmakers in several GOP-run states, such as Texas and Louisiana, to toy with the idea of partially expanding Medicaid in individual counties as a way of overcoming their governors' continued obstruction.
But Sebelius has confirmed that pursuing that option will make states ineligible for the matching funds that the federal government will offer to the states that choose to fully expand Medicaid:
[W]e explain how Exchanges and Medicaid administrative costs will be funded and how we will continue exploring opportunities to provide States additional support for the administrative costs of eligibility changes. We clarify in our new guidance that states have the flexibility in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program to provide premium assistance for Exchange plans as well as to adopt "bridge plans" that offer coverage through both Medicaid and Exchanges – keeping individuals and families together when they cross the line between Exchanges and Medicaid. And, while the law does not create an option for enhanced match for a partial or phased-in Medicaid expansion to 133 percent of poverty, we will consider waivers at the regular matching rate now and, in 2017 when the 100 percent federal funding for the expansion group is slightly reduced, broad-based State Innovation Waivers.
We hope states will take advantage of the substantial resources available to help them insure more of their residents. As an independent report highlighted, "Accounting for factors that reduce costs, states as a whole are likely to see net savings from the Medicaid expansion."
After making a big deal of publicly supporting the Affordable Care Act, Walmart—the nation's largest private sector employer—is joining the ranks of companies seeking to avoid their obligation to provide employees with health insurance as required by Obamacare.
It was not all that many years ago that Walmart announced, in response to harsh criticism over the low pay provided to Walmart 'associates', that the company would provide a healthcare benefit to its part-time, low earning employees. The uncharacteristically generous nod to worker needs was short lived as the company partially pulled back on the commitment in 2011, citing premium rate increases that Walmart deemed beyond their capacity to pay.
Now, Huffington Post is reporting that the party is over for many more existing Walmart employees, along with all employees hired after February 1, 2012 that the company can classify as "part-time."
According to the 2013 Walmart "Associate's Benefit Book"— the manual for low-level Walmart employees—part-time workers who got their jobs during or after 2011 will now be subject to an "Annual Benefits Eligibility Check" each August.
Employees hired after Feb. 1, 2012, who fail to average the magic 30-hours per week requiring a company to provide a healthcare benefit, will lose their healthcare benefits on the following January. Part-time workers hired after Jan. 15, 2011, but before Feb. 1, 2012, will be able to hang onto their Walmart health care benefit if they work at least 24 hours a week.
Anyone hired before 2011 will not be cut off from the company provided health insurance.
Of course, Walmart carefully controls employee work schedules and will have the opportunity to design worker hours in a manner that will keep employees at a level below the threshold required to accomplish company healthcare benefits pursuant to the law.
While there have been increasing reports of American employers reacting to the requirements of the Affordable Care Act by making plans to cut employee work hours so that these companies may deny health insurance as a benefit of employment—particularly in the restaurant and fast food industries—it appears that Walmart has been planning this move all along.
Federally-funded community health centers (CHCs) are a significant part of the safety net. They provide care to low-income Americans, most of whom either have no health insurance or rely on Medicaid. The G.W. Bush Administration expanded CHCs dramatically, and the Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama does so even further, to the point they may serve as many as 30 million Americans a year in the near future. While seeing CHCs as laudable, many progressive health care policy analysts have fretted that the care provided in these centers is not at the same level of quality as that received by privately insured patients in other settings. A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that this is indeed the case.
The research team examined over 30,000 ambulatory care visits to assess quality measures such as providing adequate medications for chronic illnesses, screening for high blood pressure, counselling patients about the need for exercise and the like. The quality of care provided in CHCs was compared to that provided by primary care doctors in private practice.
The difference in health care quality across the two settings was profound: CHCs provide much better primary care than do private practice doctors. Of the 18 quality measures examined, CHCs were superior on 11, equal on 6 and inferior on 1. When the researchers adjusted the findings for difference in patient characteristics, private sector care was not superior in any respect, and was on most indexes significantly worse.
Consumers saved nearly $1.5 billion in 2011 as a result of rules in President Obama's healthcare law that limit what insurance companies can spend on expenses unrelated to medical care, including profit, a new analysis shows.
Much of those savings — an estimated $1.1 billion — came in rebates to consumers required because insurers had exceeded the required limits.
The study by the New York-based Commonwealth Fund also suggests that the Affordable Care Act forced insurers to become more efficient by limiting their administrative expenses, a key goal of the 2010 law.
In some cases, insurers passed savings on to consumers in the form of lower premiums and higher spending on medical care, the researchers found. This was primarily true in the individual market, where consumers buy health insurance on their own.
The rules "appear to be producing important consumer benefits," concluded the report's authors, Michael McCue, a professor of health administration at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Mark Hall, a healthcare law professor at Wake Forest University.
Darden Restaurants, the company that owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster, revised earning projection downwards today. The culprit, at least in part: Negative media attention that the company received after promising to test limiting workers' hours as a way to dodge Obamacare's insurance mandate.
The Supreme Court has ordered the 4th Circuit to hear a challenge by Liberty University to the Affordable Care Act.
In September 2011, a federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, said it lacked jurisdiction because challenging the mandates would have violated the federal Anti-Injunction Act's ban on lawsuits seeking to halt collection of a tax.
The Supreme Court did not include Liberty's appeal among the cases it reviewed earlier this year, which led to its upholding of the individual mandate by a 5-4 vote. A day after it ruled, the court formally declined to review Liberty's appeal.
But the university asked for a rehearing, saying that because the 4th Circuit was wrong to decide it lacked jurisdiction, its decision should be thrown out, and a new lawsuit should proceed. The Supreme Court's order on Monday allows that to happen.
Ok. I don't see why this is being brought up as an issue. Two economic issues were discussed during the election: raising taxes on income over $250 thousand and Obamacare. True, we didn't really delve too far into either, but both Dems and Republicans railed against both. Romney even promised to repeal Obamacare right when he entered office if elected. Obviously, the people rejected that idea when they elected Obama. Of course the White House isn't going to go with this. Why start with conflict.
The worst part is that they aren't making proposals to improve on the legislation by helping to bring costs down. No! They just want to repeal it outright, maybe keeping some of the more popular parts. This is completely unproductive and it's been rejected. So why pick this fight? Because they learned nothing. Get prepared people. They're about to double down on stupid.
It felt, a bit, like stepping into a scene in "Mad Men": A dimly lit room with three rows of chairs, all hidden behind a two-way mirror. There, experts watched focus groups shuffle in and out in 90-minute intervals. They pointed at logos they did like, logos they didn't like and tried to explain the difference between the two.
These focus groups were not under the supervision of Don Draper, but rather Enroll America. And the nonprofit was trying to figure out how to sell a product that was never available in the 1960s: Universal health insurance.
My story in Wednesday's paper looks at the how little the public knows about the Affordable Care Act, with those most likely to gain new coverage options least aware of the changes ahead.
Enroll America is one nonprofit trying to change that: It was founded last year with the express goal of maximizing insurance enrollment come 2014. Before that heavy lifting starts, they still need to figure out how to convince people to sign up.
Hence, the focus groups. Enroll America held 10 of them, across the country last week, all with Americans likely to qualify for new coverage options in 2014. I attended two in Philadelphia last week. I found them a hugely interesting window into how Americans think about health insurance, and what that means for the Affordable Care Act.
The knowledge gap was clear from the beginning: None of the 31 participants knew about the health law's new coverage options, like subsidies for those earning below 400 percent of the poverty line, and Medicaid for the lowest income Americans. It was not, however, a complete knowledge vacuum: When a researcher asked how many people had heard about the mandate to buy insurance, a flash of hands went up.
"Virtually no one who is uninsured understand how health reform will affect their lives," Ron Pollack, who chairs Enroll America's board, told me after the focus groups. "While some focus group participants have heard the term Obamacare, literally none of them have an inkling about whether, and how, their lives will be affected."
This is a huge challenge for the health-care law but it's not necessarily surprising. The health-care law is complex, and the big benefits don't even roll out until 2014. For most Americans, it's hard to see a practical reason to become informed when the benefits don't yet exist.
Rather, what I found most interesting was the deep skepticism of the health law's benefits as the researchers began to explain them.
Part of the problem, experts say, is that people who will be affected don't realize the urgency because the subsidies won't begin for another year. But policy decisions are being made now that will affect tens of millions of Americans, and the lack of public awareness could jeopardize a system that depends on having many people involved. Low enrollment could lead to higher premiums, health policy experts say. Hospitals worry that, without widespread participation, they will continue getting stuck with patients' unpaid medical bills. And advocates say the major purpose of the Affordable Care Act – extending health insurance to more Americans – will go unmet if large numbers of vulnerable people don't take advantage of it.
But because "Obamacare" has been so controversial, and its fate caught up in the presidential campaign, there has been little public discussion about the specifics of putting it into action. States such as Texas and Florida, where opposition to the legislation was strong, have been slow to embrace the law and critics have been loath to promote it.
Initial White House efforts at outreach caused congressional Republicans to accuse the administration of using taxpayer money for political gain. In mid-November, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) subpoenaed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, demanding information about how her agency has used federal money to promote the Affordable Care Act. The administration is preparing a final budget for an outreach program focused on the opening of the exchanges in October.
Even as Congress was finishing the debate that led to the law, a coalition of health-care advocates formed to help promote it. Led by Families USA co-founder Ron Pollack, the group started Enroll America, a nonprofit largely funded by health-care industry and philanthropy groups.
In the coming months, the group will begin an advertising campaign meant to encourage Americans to sign up for the health-care law's subsidized insurance coverage. Still in its planning stages, it is likely to start in the summer or fall of 2013, just before the state-based insurance marketplaces open for enrollment.
The still-unnamed campaign is likely to put more intensive resources toward a handful of key states. Those could include Florida and Texas, which have a combined 10 million uninsured residents, and have made little effort to do such outreach.
The group has raised $6 million from a coalition that includes the American Hospital Association, pharmacy chain CVS-Caremark, physician groups and individual health insurance companies. Although that initial funding has covered survey research and the hiring of seven staff members, board chairman Pollack said the group hopes to raise "tens of millions" more for the outreach campaign.
"We know now that the Affordable Care Act has to be implemented," said Rachel Klein, Enroll America's executive director. "It's imperative that the people who will benefit hear about the new coverage available and learn how to sign up."
Currently, 48.6 million U.S. residents lack health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 30 million will gain coverage. That would leave nearly 19 million uninsured.
About a quarter of those are illegal immigrants, who aren't eligible for the reform law's subsidies. Two million, the CBO projects, live in states that will opt out of the Medicaid expansion.
The rest, however, probably are eligible for new benefits. The CBO, for example, expects that nearly 6 million of those newly eligible for Medicaid just won't sign up for the program.
Even though the subsidies for currently uninsured people won't go out until Jan. 1, 2014, the state exchanges that will offer health plans are being set up now, and participants will need to start signing up next Oct. 1. Supporters of the health-care law say the plan won't be a success without a massive public relations campaign to build awareness.
|Denny's CEO John Miller • In a statement addressing the controversy surrounding Denny's franchisee John Metz's comments about The Affordable Care Act. A number of Denny's locations around the country have faced boycotts and/or barrages of angry phone calls from people outraged by Metz's suggestion of adding a "5 percent surcharge for Obamacare" to menus at locations he owns. source (via shortformblog)
A federal judge Monday rejected Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.'s request to block part of the federal health care overhaul that requires the arts and craft supply company to provide insurance coverage for the morning-after and week-after birth control pills.
In a 28-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton denied a request by Hobby Lobby to prevent the government from enforcing portions of the health care law mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives the company's Christian owners consider objectionable.
The Oklahoma City-based company and a sister company, Mardel Inc., sued the government in September, claiming the mandate violates the owners' religious beliefs. The owners contend the morning-after and week-after birth control pills are tantamount to abortion because they can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in a woman's womb. They also object to providing coverage for certain kinds of intrauterine devices.
Americans for Prosperity, a conservative organization backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, took aim at Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Monday, accusing him of working against his state's interests with his apparent change of heart on Obamacare.
In a statement, AFP said that Scott's recent signal that he was willing to consider implementing key provisions of President Barack Obama's health care reform law was a step in the wrong direction.
Scott had stood as one of the most stubborn adversaries of Obamacare, even in the wake of the president's reelection, which effectively secured the law's existence. But after first vowing to reject moves to set up a state-run health insurance exchange and expand Medicaid rolls under the Affordable Care Act, Scott said last week that he was ready to "have a conversation." Leaders in the state legislature have also signalled a willingness to take steps toward implementation.
Matt Yglesias – Papa John's raising prices for Obamacare: Denny's, Applebee's, and the pizza chain are angry about health care costs. - Slate Magazine
(via diegueno)