ABLE Act: Equal Opportunities For Those With Disabilities

Nineteen-year-old Jake Gehringer is like any other young adult.  Last year he was Homecoming King, he likes to play video games and he has a job.

“Me, I’m a teach aide,” Gehringer said.

Jake’s also working to pass the Achieving a Better Life Experience or ABLE Act.

ABLE Act is an amendment to the 529-savings tax plan.

“It will allow people with intellectual disabilities, people with disabilities in general, to save for their future just like any other person is allowed to,” said Denise Gehringer, mother of Jake.

Under the current law, people with intellectual disabilities can’t have more than $2,000 in their name or else they become ineligible to Social Security Benefits.

“And as you know, $2,000, in this day and age, is not a lot of money,” said Sherri Harnisch, president of the board of the Down Syndome Alliance of the Midlands.

Harnisch believes the ABLE Act will pass.

“It has more than 85% of Congress supporting it,” Harnisch said.  “We’re not asking Congress to create a new program, we’re not asking for a handout, we’re just asking Congress to allow an opportunity to set up an account.”

An account that will allow people like Jake to have more opportunities.  Mother Denise Gehringer sums it up well:

“This will allow him to have support and services, be a hard working tax-paying American, contribute to society like he’s able to do and live a happy, healthy fulfilled life like the rest of us hope to do.”

Content Marketing: How Social Media Has Changed MLM Business

The way we advertise and market products has changed.  The way that businesses communicate with customers has changed.

With social media, people have been able to run their own businesses from the comfort of their homes.  Because they can reach a number of customers over Facebook and Twitter.  In this paper, I focus specifically with Facebook and how MLM distributors have been able to market products to Facebook friends without those friends realizing they are being marketed to.

Below is a URL linking to my SlideShare presentation of a research paper I wrote for my Social Media Metrics class.  The paper talks about content marketing and how social media has changed online businesses— specifically MLM businesses.

The influence of Content Marketing from Elizabeth Ryan

Enjoy!

Insurance Dispute Brings Inconvenience in the Metro Area

                                              vs.                                                 

The insurance dispute between the Catholic Health Initiative and Blue Cross Blue Shield is not only personal for Sarah Pope.

“I was diagnosed with hypo-thyroid,” Pope said.  “I’m only allowed to go to the hospital four times a year.”

It’s affected her professionally as well.  An insurance patient advocate at Children’s Hospital, the mother of one lost her job when the contract between the two hospitals ended.

“We had the Alegent contract and that’s the one that I worked until CHI took over, and they took everything in-house, we we lost our contract with Alegent,” Pope said.

Blue Cross Blue Shield says there is only one reason for this dispute.

“CHI health facilities here in Omaha cost 10-30% more than the other hospitals here in Omaha,” said Andy Williams, marketing coordinator for Blue Cross Blue Shield.

While CHI CEO Cliff Robertson disagrees with “the way that BCBS intends to maintain lower costs, with no concern for quality.”

Williams said BCBS would take CHI back.

“We really do want their facilities and their doctors in our network, but at the right price.”

There’s no denying this dispute has caused an inconvenience around the metro area, but there is some good news.  Patients suffering from HIV/AIDs, cancer, or women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy can apply to stay with their same doctors.  Both CHI and BCBS agreed to that.

Stepperette’s Take On The World Competition— And More

Lifting team mates in the air.  Leaping across the floor.  And twirling a fourteen inch baton in the air, Sue’s Stepperettes are determined to reach “the highest level possible for our sport,” said Tami Koel, associate director of the Stepperettes.

The girls practiced five nights a week, it seemed like their rehearsals were constant.

“The girls were like sisters, I mean there were blood, sweat, tears, for sure.  I mean there were injuries!” Koel said.

The Stepperettes received a once in a lifetime bid.

“We competed for a world championship, and we ended up winning,” said Claire Begley, senior team member.

“To put on a ‘Team USA’ warm up, it’s like the Olympics, absolutely like the Olympics,” Koel said.

The Stepperettes journey to a world championship was even turned into a documentary.

“It was cool having people like, follow us around,” Begley said.  “Because it’s interesting, nobody really knows a lot about baton, so they just wanted to spread the word and get it out there.”

The production company Virtual Knowledge Inc. followed the Stepperettes throughout their journey to Worlds.

“We ended up being World Champions, so luckily the documentary had a happy ending,” Koel said.

‘Twirl Girls’ will premiere on NET2, November 17th, at 9 p.m.

To watch the trailer of ‘Twirl Girls’ head to http://twirlgirlsmovie.com.