June 19, 2013 Peter Grier and Harry Bruinius: In the end, NSA might not need to snoop so secretly after all Howard LaFranchi: Taliban peace talks hold glimmer of hope, but also unanswerable questions Warren Richey: Supreme Court: For right to remain silent, a suspect must speak Meredith Cohn: Leeches are making a comeback as medical helpers Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to pick the healthiest breakfast cereal How drivel wins applause The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: Spicy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins June 17, 2013 Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc? Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now? Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers? The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test June 14, 2013 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies? Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!') June 12, 2013 Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements? Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels' The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top June 10, 2013 Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes? Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub June 7, 2013 Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust June 5, 2013 John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream June 3, 2013 Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting May 29, 2013 Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers? Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering May 24, 2013 Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree' Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue? Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops May 22, 2013 John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang May 20, 2013 Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man? Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

Jewish World Review Jan. 26, 2007 / 7 Shevat, 5767 How to cure the health insurance crisis By Linda Chavez http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Key Democrats have already announced that the president's plan to use the tax code to encourage more Americans to obtain health insurance is dead on arrival on Capitol Hill. They complain that this is just one more scheme to give tax breaks to people who don't need them, while continuing to deny essential health care to the most vulnerable. The president's plan deserves a more serious look. The health insurance problem is two-fold: Too many Americans, some 47 million, lack basic health insurance; and the rising cost of health care makes even those with insurance at risk of being unable to afford good care. About 175 million Americans receive insurance through their jobs. Under the current system, they don't pay taxes on this benefit, even on the portion of the premium that is paid by their employers, and they also don't get a deduction for the portion of the premiums they pay out of pocket. When an employer looks to hire someone, he calculates the total cost of that employee: salary, employer payroll taxes and benefits, including health insurance premiums. In terms of the true cost to the employer, a dollar paid for insurance for the employee is no different than a dollar paid in wages. But to the employee, the health care coverage is worth much more than its equivalent in cash, because the former comes tax-free, while the latter gets taxed. Under the president's plan, insurance premiums for employer-provided health insurance would be treated like any other income, as they should be. However, this would be offset by a new tax deduction. The president proposes to allow a standard income and payroll tax deduction of $15,000 to every family ($7,500 for an individual with no dependents) for health insurance. Since the average family policy costs about $11,500, this would benefit most people who receive insurance through work (everyone would get the same standard deduction, regardless of the cost of their insurance). But the real winners would be the uninsured and those who choose insurance policies with lower premiums but higher deductibles. The uninsured would now be able to use the money they would have paid Uncle Sam to put toward purchasing health insurance. For someone in the 30 percent tax bracket, that would be $4,500 they could use to pay for health premiums. The working poor, who pay little or no income tax, would still receive a break on their payroll taxes, though not enough to pay for most current insurance policies. Potentially, even those who have employer-provided policies might have an incentive to push for lower-cost plans, since they will be taxed on the value of the premiums. If they're relatively healthy, they might prefer higher deductibles for routine care, or they might want only catastrophic insurance to pay for some unexpected illness, injury or hospital stay. The real question is: Would new forms of insurance spring up to meet a new demand for lower-premium policies? In a free market, there's no reason to believe they wouldn't. We already have such a system in other forms of insurance. When you buy auto insurance, you can choose to pay lower premiums but accept higher deductibles on any claims. When you purchase life insurance, you determine how much coverage to buy, and pay premiums accordingly, as you do for property insurance. And there might even be some other benefits if individuals were paying directly for their own health insurance, rather than having a third party pay. Safe drivers get breaks on their auto insurance because the company isn't as likely to have to pay out claims as it is on a reckless, accident-prone driver. The same goes for life insurance. A slim non-smoker who doesn't engage in risky hobbies would pay lower life insurance premiums than a chubby, pack-a-day amateur skydiver would. Maybe if more Americans had to pay their health insurance premiums directly, they'd be more likely to follow their doctors' advice to lose weight, quit smoking and engage in moderate exercise, because their premiums would go down accordingly. But the Democrats' only alternatives to the current system are to force more employers to provide ever more expensive plans to expanding groups of workers — or have government pick up the tab. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. JWR contributor Linda Chavez is President of the Center for Equal Opportunity. Her latest book is "Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.) Linda Chavez Archives © 2006, Creators Syndicate

Arnold Ahlert  Mitch Albom  Jay Ambrose  Michael Barone  Barrywood  Lori Borgman  Stratfor Briefing  Mona Charen  Linda Chavez  Richard Z. Chesnoff  Ann Coulter  Greg Crosby  Larry Elder  Suzanne Fields  Christine Flowers  Peter Funt  Frank J. Gaffney  Bernie Goldberg  Jonah Goldberg  Julia Gorin  Jonathan Gurwitz  Paul Greenberg  Argus Hamilton  Victor Davis Hanson  Betsy Hart  Ron Hart  Nat Hentoff  A. Barton Hinkle  Jeff Jacoby  Paul Johnson  John Kass  Jack Kelly  Ch. Krauthammer  David Limbaugh  Kathryn Lopez  Rich Lowry  Michelle Malkin  Jackie Mason  Ann McFeatters  Dale McFeatters  Dana Milbank  Jeanne Moos  Dick Morris  Jim Mullen  Deroy Murdock  Judge A. Napolitano  Bill O'Reilly  Clarence Page  Kathleen Parker  Star Parker  Dennis Prager  Wesley Pruden  Tom Purcell  Sharon Randall  Michael Reagan  Robert Robb  Cokie & Steve Roberts  Heather Robinson  Debra J. Saunders  Martin Schram  Greg Schwem  Culture Shlock  David Shribman  Roger Simon  Lenore Skenazy  Michael Smerconish  Thomas Sowell  Mark Steyn  John Stossel  Cal Thomas  Dan Thomasson  Bob Tyrrell  Diana West  Dave Weinbaum  George Will  Walter Williams  Byron York  Cathy Young  Mort Zuckerman  Eric Allie  Robert Arial  Chuck Asay  Baloo  Nate Beeler  Lisa Benson  Chip Bok  Dry Bones  John Branch  Daryl Cagle  Patrick Chappatte  John Cole  Paul Combs  J. D. Crowe  John Darkow  Bill Day  John Deering  Sean Delonas  Brian Duffy  Everything's Relative  Randall Enos  Mallard Fillmore  David Fitzsimmons  Glenn Foden  Jake Fuller  Bob Gorrel  Walt Handelsman  Joe Heller  David Hitch  Jerry Holbert  David Horsey  Lee Judge  Steve Kelley  Mike Keefe  Jeff Koterba  Dick Locher  Chan Lowe  Jimmy Margulies  Gary McCoy  Rick McKee  Jack Ohman  Jeff Parker  Milt Priggee  Michael Ramirez  Rob Rogers  Steve Sack  Bill Schorr  Drew Sheneman  Kevin Siers  David Ray Skinner  Jeff Stahler  Scott Stantis  Danna Summers  Gary Varvel  Kirk Walters  Christopher Weyant  Larry Wright  Dan Wasserman  Adam Zyglis  Tech Q&A  Mr. Know-It-All  Ask Doctor K  Richard Lederer  Frugal Living  On Nutrition  Bookmark These  Bruce Williams