Laina Turner – author, blogger, marketing for other authors

A Mom Entrepreneur - social networking site for mom entrepreneurs

Chizofrenic.com - online magazine for women

Laina Molaski – college professor, business consultant, educator

While there can be crossover from one personality to another they aren’t all interchangeable. It makes it hard for me at times to keep all of them up and running seamlessly. I have a focus and goals for each one but not a great action plan.

What do you do to create your executable action plan?

Laina

Our society has changed in many ways where staying with a company until you retire isn’t guaranteed on the employer or the employee end. For me I enjoy variety and have always dabbled in many different things on wide spectrums.  However, I think I have now done that to a fault where I’m confused as to what direction I need to take to reach my goals (whatever those are now) and am in a holding pattern. Holding for what, I’m not sure. Maybe some clear epiphany as to what I’m supposed to do with my life now. Where to focus my energies, what should be on my new master plan?

I came across a blog post by Erica Douglass How I (Almost) Threw My Popular Blog in the Trash . It talked about how she wasn’t thrilled with where her blog was going, so took a step back to figure out what she really wanted to do, and then came back with renewed energy. She apologized for being gone and explained how some folks might not like her new direction but this was the path she was starting down because it’s what SHE wanted to do. It made me think how I have ignored many of my business verticals the last few months because I didn’t feel I had that clear direction  I wasn’t sure what my focus was and as I mentioned in the first paragraph have been paralyzed by not knowing those things. What I realized after reading her blog is the piece I was missing was actually taking the ”me” time to think about what I wanted and where I wanted to go and then how to get there. I was so busy and caught up in the day to day craziness I couldn’t see the forest for the trees (to be cliche). I’m also in the dilemma many entrepreneurs are in where there are things I HAVE to do to support myself until the things I WANT to do can fully replace that income. The reality is I have 2 kids I support on my own and I want them to eat. At least every other day:)

So I have set aside time every day this week to do nothing but think. About the big picture of what I want and the small picture of how to get there.

Share with me how you have determined your direction?

Laina

Overall Error Rates for Medical Claims

The new report shows inaccuracies for private health insurer payments dropping from nearly 20% in 2011 to just under 10% in 2012. The AMA claims that this 50% reduction has saved the industry over $8 billion, and that there’s a lot more potential for improvement. In a press release this month, AMA Board Chairman Robert M. Wah is quoted as saying that first-time accuracy in medical claim payments “saves precious healthcare dollars and frees physicians from needless administrative tasks” – that’s the idea behind these sorts of efforts to increase accuracy. These improvements help physician offices manage revenue cycles, while they also help you to understand your financial responsibility and contribute to greater transparency in the healthcare market.

Other Numbers

The National Health Insurer Report Card also provide some other assessments of this year’s trends within the medical industry. While the report shows improved response times for medical claim payments, and indicates greater transparency by health insurance companies, it also shows that medical claim denials are now on the rise. The AMA sites a prior decline between 2008 and 2011 that was reversed this year with an increase of nearly 70%. This increase, according to the AMA report, was across the board, as all major insurers declined many more claims than they had the previous year. Denials will be an issue that third party medical advocates and others will continue to evaluate in order to make sure that you are getting a fair shake when it comes to your healthcare costs.

We face a lot of challenges in identifying and controlling our health care costs. Keep informed on what’s happening in the health care industry as it affects you.

It seems providers tend to respond to these scenarios in two ways: Some indicate they will change their policies to include more transparency while others claim to be bound by federal laws that do not allow them to reveal to patients whether an on-call doctor or a physician on shift will accept their insurance or not.

We find the second argument to be completely unacceptable at face value. In fact, it’s reasonable that consumer advocates would expect state regulators to crack down on these well documented examples of seemingly unfair provisions in delivering medical services. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that a patient facing bankruptcy after a bill like this would have a basis for legal appeal, especially as new legislation is introduced and passed. It’s vitally important that you discuss your options and ask questions before treatment to minimize impact to your financial future. How prepared are you in the event of an emergency room visit?

We hear about brand personalities and brand promises like they were living breathing entities. Now, whether you think brand loyalty and brand engagement are more about large multinational FMCG efforts or the by-product of sleek advertising campaigns, brands are here to stay. Because they are here to stay, they now all compete for our senses and ultimately our dollars.

Caring, nurturing and driving momentum to brands is no longer the domain of large businesses; they are a cornerstone of success of every shop, firm or company, established or start-up.

But what is a brand and how do we build its ‘personality’? Consider looking at your brand (no, not just the logo, color or design) as a person, an extension of you. What do you promise yourself, what do you stand for; who do you associate with and what are the things that make you great, unique and likeable? Add, a little panache and a little more spice to that; imagine you are coming out of your comfort box and doing the extra but don’t promise yourself what you cannot deliver. Take a step back; do you like what you see? If no, go back and refine and once ready, you now have your newborn brand.

Now write it on paper and let all your actions in the future reflect that.

At this instant, things become a little more complex for your brand. As a start-up, remember your brand is a baby and is just not ready to stand out by itself. You need to push it, in other works market it. Marketing is an overwhelming effort for start-ups so we must begin by working it step by step. Fortunately, the internet and the networked world has provided us with the best marketing platform ever created. It is both awe-inspiring and dangerous. The speed at which brands are elevated because of the online world is the same as how fast it can bring it down. Step carefully.

Consider a map of the online space. Ask how your brand is going to perform and where. There are innumerable strategies and tactics but you need concern yourself with only a few spokes in this endless wheel. You need to consider a central thinking, ensuring that you are “Everywhere, Relevant”. If you think about it, in the same way I came to this conclusion in thinking about my practice, you will realize that this self-replicating strategy lends itself to dictating where and how your brand will offer itself.

In the terminology of the connected world, social media has given way to more profound social business and being a start-up todays means very different than it was say ten years ago. Yes you have to have a following on social media but you have to derive business and revenue from that. Social business is how we do so. In a multitude of expert advice from companies whose existence is given to working with start-ups I have found my own “Everywhere, Relevant” map. Use this to list the where and how your brand will function.

A Friendly Experience

Some of the newest results on surveys of patients as customers come from PwC Health Research Institute, a group that surveyed several thousand patients to get a better picture of what today’s patient is looking for in a medical provider. Part of what PwC found is that a friendly greeting is twice as important at the door of the doctor’s office as it is in a bank or a big-box store. That’s big news for practices that haven’t invested the time and effort to make sure there’s someone personable sitting at the front desk. It’s also a good look at how medical offices can tune in to what patients really expect in today’s health care industry.

Price Not a Factor?

Studies also routinely find that price is not the big factor in patient provider selection that it is in retail. A lot of that has to do with the fact that, in many cases, the insurer is the one paying, not the patient. The triangular nature of most medical payments means patients aren’t likely to shop for health care the same way that they shop for consumer goods. Rather, as we have suggested many times, the health care consumer should put much more of a focus on other kinds of research that will ultimately affect price. This means checking to make sure the provider has a good contractual agreement with the patient’s insurer, that the provider uses in-network staff, and that items like facility fee charges don’t tend to go through the roof. Word of mouth is something that’s useful as well, and many studies show that the grapevine, both offline and online, plays a key role in how patients choose a provider.

What’s In It For You?

The idea that there are people out there gathering data about customer satisfaction in health care is a good sign. It means that there is an opportunity for you to get the word out to providers about what really gets you enthused, or on the other hand, turned off, by a practice. Look for ways to contribute to this major issue, whether in surveys or in other public forums, and you may help change the way your doctors deliver services in your community.

How do you tell if you’ve been balanced billed? First, you have to determine if your treatment was performed by an in or out-of-network healthcare professional. Then, you have to check your EOB (Explanation of Benefits).

In- Network

Check an erroneous charge simply by seeing if the bill for the service exceeds the amount on the EOB. If it does, let your insurance company know and let them handle it.

Out-of-Network (OON)

There are two scenarios:

• If you have an OON benefit, the OON deductible and co-insurance will apply first. The insurance company pays the balance above that like always. However, if the provider billed you for more than the deductible and co-insurance you may be the victim of a scam. Check the EOB. Did insurance pay the provider? If so, report it. It’s a scam and it is wrong.

• If you do not have an OON benefit and accidentally got treated by the provider, tell them you want to be treated like an uninsured patient. A standard discount will be applied.

When in doubt, check with a medical bill advocate.

Medical Debt Collection: Common Practices

Every medical provider has their own system for handling past due bills. Some are quicker than others to send a past due bill to collections. Many have different billing systems that represent debt in different ways. Some may be explicit about a due date, others will not. In some cases, when patients call, the medical office admits that they don’t even know the exact date when a bill will go to collections. That’s what motivates many experienced consumer advocates and others to recommend “playing it safe” and promptly paying all past due medical bills aged longer than 30 days, which is a common grace period for payments.

Some patients, though, will make active attempts to talk to providers. Those who pick up the phone can often get on payment plans that will make due dates and everything else much clearer, while allowing for deferred payment according to the patient’s finances. Some can even qualify for charity. In many cases, it’s this direct communication which can yield benefits for both parties: you know where you stand and your provider receives data on how and when you are likely to pay a particular bill. It’s a win-win, and that’s why when it comes to vague patient statements, the direct approach is often best. How do you promote open communication with your provider on past due medical bills?

With small children, it is easy to get caught up in matters such as repeatedly telling them to pick up after themselves, or stressing the need for manners when interacting with siblings, friends and adults. This is all well and good, but it does not get to the heart of what motivates your child. The child may grow into a teenager and adult thinking that outward behaviors are all-important, and missing the inner self-mastery that leads to true joy.

What does it take to teach your children self-mastery? There are skills and concepts found across many cultures that parents use to help their children grow into positive, confident, centered and motivated adults. Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind:

• “Discipline” is not about punishment; it is about providing parameters, structure, which children need to master their world. Having specific times during the day for certain activities that are regular and ongoing (e.g., mealtimes, bedtimes), provides consistency that is comforting and leads to greater mastery.

• Parents should express all aspects of themselves to their children, playing with them like a child while providing discipline. This means being completely honest in communicating what is working and what isn’t, in what the parent needs as well as the child (the parent can say: “I am taking this time to do this and we will play later.”)

• Use activities to create and energize relationships with children. Taking children places exposes them to different aspects of life and provides variety, however it is about BEING with them in relationship wherever you go together, not about using the activity to take a break or separate yourself from the child.

• Help children develop inner discipline. Parents in many cultures tend to focus on pleasures and the senses, and use this as rewards – “you can have this sweet if you do this, if you don’t do this.” This is conditioning through gratification. Create inner discipline and patience without relying on these conditions. When the child has a tantrum, have the child go to their room to take time alone to develop self-mastery.

As parents, our relationship with our children is sacred, divine and unique. Like all our relationships, they are a mirror of ourselves. As a parent, examine your self-image. Be aware of what you are practicing through your own words and actions and ask if you are praising and glorifying your Higher Self. What does your relationship with you children tell you about yourself? Commit yourself to Love, your Higher Self, and see how your children respond.

About the Author: Sai Maa is recognized as international spiritual master, healer and leader of humanitarian efforts. With her unique combination of Eastern spiritual wisdom, Western therapeutic knowledge and maternal love, Sai Maa shares lessons to uplift humanity and help people master their own lives as she has mastered hers. She will teach self-mastery techniques at her “Healing: Accelerated Teachings for Accelerated Times” event set for the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver April 27-29. For more information, visit http://www.sai-maa.com.

1. Boxes of books. Not only do I have book shelves full of books but I have totes in the garage full of books. I’m not talking about expensive books or collectors editions, I’m talking about paperback Janet Evanovich books or Stori Telling by Tori Spelling. I just love books and hate to get rid of them but the reality is I rarely read a physical book these days. I read ebooks on my reader, my laptop, or my phone so do I really need all those?
2. Clothes. I have clothes I haven’t worn in years, cloths that are “fat” or “skinny” that again haven’t worn in at least a few seasons. Clothes with the tags still on that I hate to get rid of “just in case” just in case what? They take up so much space.
3. Notecards and other paper products. I love to buy notebooks, notecards, fun paper and again I have totes of the stuff that I have every intention of using but I keep buying more so I never have the chance to use it all.
4. Misc crap. Such as a zillion USB adapters, old phone chargers, a heated coaster for my coffee mug that I haven’t used in years, and things I’m not even sure what they are.
5. Kids stuff. Where is the limit here? I don’t want to toss all my kids artwork and drawings out but I am not a scrapbooker so I just have boxes of the stuff. I feel so guilty tossing it out.

I know if I go with my first instinct on what to get rid of it will declutter fabulously and I will never miss the stuff. But then there’s that “what if” what if three years from now I need it?

I never used to be like this. I used to systematically go through my house every six months and toss what very hadn’t been used or thought of within the last six months (not counting seasonal stuff) but after many life changing events I just am not as willing to get rid of things. Silly but true and something I really need to get over. I read something in a book that said “holding on to things you don’t need allows you to hold on to what you were, not embrace what you are now.” I definitely need to embrace the now!

How do you deal with clutter?