Assignment 10-1

Social-media tools such as Twitter, Wikipedia and Facebook have become a key source of information about disasters in the twenty-first century. These websites help spread awareness quickly and to a large population. Facebook users create relief-effort groups and fan pages, spreading the words to millions of users. Twitter users post links to relief funds and spread the word about disasters as well. All of these sources create an information web that extends far beyond the demographic that watches the news or reads the paper, and these social-media websites do it quickly too. "Slacktivism" has become the popular word to describe the various (Internet) petitions, groups and "tweets" intending to bring help where it's needed. The reason this receives a negative connotation is because people are quick to spread the word of help and relief efforts, but far less quick to actually [financially] contribute to these efforts.

After the magnitude 7 earthquake in Haiti in 2010, people flocked to social-media websites for information. People tweeted links to relief funds such as the Red Cross and Transcom, uploaded pictures of the disaster and constantly updated information. When people hear about an event like this, they don't want to sit back and watch it happen on the news-they want to get themselves and others involved. These social-networking sites act as news wire services, passing along information as soon as it is discovered. Immediately after the disaster in Haiti, four of the top 10 Twitter topics were on Haiti or earthquake relief. This shows how useful these websites are in spreading information, and that people actually pay attention to and pass on this information.

Several months after this disaster, Twitter is still being used to spread the word about progress and relief efforts. "Tweeters" post pictures of rebuilt homes, post links to news stories discussing Haiti and are continuing to post about relief funds. Although several social-networking sites have been very effective and beneficial to Haitian relief funds, Twitter seems to stick out. It has proven to be a very important tool in fundraising and raising awareness. "Following the earthquake in Haiti, Twitter has once again become a platform to disseminate the news and, more important, a way to quickly raise money to support relief efforts," said Mark Evans of Sysomos Inc., one of the world's leading social media analytics companies.

Haiti is the largest recent disaster, and really showed how much social-media websites could do. Technology has made the process of donating and spreading information more efficient and enabled more people to take action. In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, the Red Cross raised more than $4 million in donations from its text message campaign: "Text 'Haiti' to 90999 and a $10 donation is added to your cell phone bill". This campaign was so simple and efficient, without needing credit cards and paypal accounts, that donations have flooded in.

Social-networking sites are becoming more than "social" networking. They're becoming outlets for expressing opinions, spreading information and increasing the desire and efforts to help others. With the continuation of the century, these websites will become more crucial to the public when it comes to obtaining information quickly and accurately.

Meeting/Speech

Lucy Honig returned to Maine on Thursday, March 25 to speak about her new book “Waiting for Rescue”. Honig began her writing career in Maine, later moving to New York and then to Massachusetts. Honig has appeared in 2 O’Henry prize collections and in the Best American Short Stories. She spoke at the Writing Center, 4^th floor Neville Hall, at 4:30 on Thursday.

Honig was introduced and her books were for sale at the meeting. There were 16 people present at the meeting, and these people ranged from young college students to older faculty members. Honig introduced her book, described the plot, characters and ethics of the book, then read several excerpts to entice readers while still allowing mystery for those who hadn’t yet read it.

Honig opened the floor to questions after reading excerpts of her book, and members of the audience asked about her characters emotions and thoughts, her writing process and her life experiences. Honig talked about how her books are semi-autobiographical and described the life experiences they are based on.

Honig discussed the writing process of her latest book. The book was originally short stories, but Honig connected all the short stories using one character. “When I first started this book I had a lot of stories I wanted to write so I started writing short stories on the same document. Eventually I tried to sort them out into 5 or 6 stories, but something in me said ‘these are not separate stories’ and I made them converge” Honig finished with book-signings and received applause from the audience.

Anthem sues the state of Maine over denial of request to increase rates

Anthem Blue Cross-Blue Shield, the largest insurance company in Maine, is suing the state of Maine after being denied permission to increase insurance rates. Anthem requested a rate increase by as much as 37.8%, but was denied by Maine Insurance Superintendent Mila Kofman. The company claims the increase in cost is necessary to compensate for growing costs and an increase in the use of health care services. Anthem is a subsidiary of the national insurance company WellPoint, Inc.

Anthem Blue Cross-Blue Shield bought out a non-profit insurance company and has raised premium rates 10 times since. The average individual insurance-payer in Maine pays more than four times as much for insurance as they did ten years ago; before Anthem had a monopoly on Maine’s insurance market. The company controls about 79% of the Maine health care insurance market and provides service to more than 12,000 people statewide.

Anthem is suing after being denied a 3% guaranteed profit margin for 2010. Anthem’s rates have gone up 85% in the last 10 years in Maine. (3) A lawyer in the Attorney General’s office claims that going a year without a guaranteed profit will not drain the company and Mila Kofman calls Anthem’s request “excessive”. (3) Mila Kofman granted Anthem an average 10.9% rate increase last year, rather than Anthem’s proposed rate increase of 18.5%. Anthem retaliated by suing the state and has proposed an average 23% increase for the year 2010. (2)

But the citizens of Maine are saying no to Anthem. About 100 people turned out at the Cumberland County Civic Center to protest Anthem on March 18. A chiropractor practicing in Waldoboro said “My business has already been hit hard by the recession. If Anthem increased rates even more then less people would come see me for treatments and I don’t think my business-an 18 year-old, family business-will survive. Maine citizens can’t pay any more for insurance”.

The federal government is pointing at Anthem and other WellPoint subsidiaries requesting rate hikes in states like California as even more reason to create universal health care. President Obama notes rate hikes as a cautionary tale unless extensive health reform is executed. A veteran who receives free medical care through Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA) Togus in Augusta says “I go there for medicine I need and I’m not going to be able to get this medicine if rates increase even more. I need this stuff, but Anthem doesn’t care”.

The state of Maine has no obligation to guarantee profits if the rate increases are discriminatory towards customers or excessive. Anthem is claiming that they are being discriminated against relative to other companies in Maine because another individual insurer in Maine was provided a 3% profit and risk margin for 2010. (1) Anthem’s claim is that this violates their equal protection rights under both the federal and state Constitutions. (4) However, there is no statute mandating that Maine provide Anthem or any other insurance company with a guaranteed profit.

Joe Ditre, executive director of Consumers for Affordable Health Care, Maine’s largest consumer-health coalition, says “health insurer’s profit expectations may have to change”. (2) Anthem made $4.7 billion profit in 2009 and is expecting even larger returns in 2010. “Companies are entitled to make some profit…however, it can’t be over the public good” Ditre said.

The Bureau of Insurance has received several hundred letters, e-mails and phone calls from Maine citizens regarding the proposed rate increases. Mila Kofman will issue a decision on Anthem’s case after a public hearing in April, where Anthem will make its case for rate increases.

1. Dayen, David. (2009, October 5). WellPoint Sues Maine To Raise Premiums 18.5%. The Seminal. Retrieved from:http://seminal.firedoglake.com/

2. De Hoyos, Martha. (2009, October 5). WellPoint, Inc. Subsidiary Sues State of Maine for Failing to Guarantee Annual Profit Margin of 3%. Common Dreams. Retrieved from: http://www.commondreams.org

3. Gerencher, Kristen. (2010, February 18). States grapple with health-insurer rate hikes. Market Watch. Retrieved from:http://marketwatch.com

4. Huang, Josie. (2009, October 5). Anthem Sues State of Maine over Rate Hike Request Denial. MPBN. Retrieved from:http://www.mpbn.net/

5. Thompson, Adam. (2009, October 8). Health Insurer Sues Maine for Guaranteed Profits. Progressive States. Retrieved from: http://www.progressivestates.org