How to Find the Right Locksmith

Finding a locksmith in Los Angeles isn't a problem. Finding a good one is another story. It doesn't take a lot of training before someone can cutting a key, start calling himself a locksmith, and charge exorbitant fees for unlocking your car door or changing your house locks.

How do you find the right locksmith in Los Angeles? Here are a few tips.

Ask a couple of tow drivers for recommendations. Tow truck drivers rub shoulders with a lot of locksmiths in their dealings with locked cars. If they don't know a good one personally, they've probably heard of one.

Check with residential complex managers and ask who they use for their locksmithing. Locks are replaced or repaired on occasion and if they hire a particular locksmith repeatedly, he'll do a good job for you, too.

Since honesty is a particularly important consideration when looking for a locksmith, check with a local police officer. You might not get very many leads on good locksmiths but guaranteed, officers know who not to trust.

The Better Business Bureau can fill you in on any complaints if you have a particular locksmith in mind. The BBB keeps records of complaints that are filed though many problems people have with businesses go unreported.

In understanding what a locksmith los angeles is, what they do, and how their knowledge is put to good use, it is important to first note that the essentials of a locksmith are his tools. Locksmithing is the science and art of creating, and in a sense surpassing the locks. The locksmith field requires vast amount of skill and mastery of ones tools in order to finish the task at hand. Traditional locksmithing is a combination of other skills such metalworking, lock picking, carpentry, and a number of other small traits. When locksmithing became a an actual profession, it was much more difficult back then, as the tools they had were extremely mediocre in comparison to the tools used nowadays.

Most of the time, in order to repair a lock, locksmiths will simply replace parts of the lock with similar, or common parts. The fitting of keys to replace lost keys for homes and automobiles is one of the most common jobs locksmiths face. Several locksmiths also offer services such as automobile ignition replacement, and key replacement, both regular and transponder, as well as upgrading home security with anything from common locks, to full high tech security systems.

Check to see if the locksmith is an AAA locksmith. AAA, the leader in servicing the travel industry, is fairly meticulous and won't keep a locksmith on board if there have been a lot of complaints against him.

The Yellow Pages are always an option if you want to use them. Most locksmiths are qualified, competent, and will do the job well and at a fair price.

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How to Effectively Generate Sales For Your GSA Catalog

So you have a GSA Contract and you have your catalog of products and/or services uploaded to GSA Advantage!, hopefully. Just the presence of your catalog on GSA Advantage! though may not be enough to drive the government buyers to your site to purchase your products and/or services. The more information you have listed, the better the buyers will be able to you. First and foremost, you must make sure that your contact information is up-to-date. In my marketing efforts, I have come across many companies who have been awarded a new schedule within a few months and the email address is not correctly listed. If I cannot make the contact, then how will any buyers make contact if they are possibly sourcing you out as a potential supplier on a contract? How will they be able to place orders if the email address is not correct? Always proof your company information to make sure everything is correct. The initial company information is entered by your contracting officer upon award of your contract and yes, errors can be made!

Now let's talk about your catalog. It is important that even if you just have products that you also upload a text file for your Terms and Conditions. The Terms and Conditions file is also known as your FSS which should have been generated after your award. The FSS contains roughly 26 points of information containing such items as: Minimum order, Points of Production, Warranty, etc. This Terms and Conditions file should be very eye appealing as this can be used as your marketing material to advertise your GSA search Contract. It should be uploaded along with your products so potential buyers can get a glimpse of your awarded terms. If you only offer services, these are captured in this very same text file and uploaded as your catalog.

Product files are very tricky as this is where you are building the very information that your buyers will be searching for. A good strong description is very important. You have the option for a total of 1,000 characters for a description, utilize as many as possible. You also have the option to add keywords, again, utilize this to your advantage. Buyers who are looking to purchase your product are going to search GSA Advantage! just like you or I would use Google. For example, if we wanted to purchase a light, we probably wouldn't just use the search term light, we may narrow it down to specifically what we want such as 'hand held fluorescent light'. Thinking along these lines, this is exactly how you want to set up your search words for your products. Take some time and do some searching in GSA Advantage!, use some specific keywords and see how your products fair. If you have alot of competition for your products, and you are not ranking as high, you may want to consider revamping your catalog to get the best possible placement.

Also, it is a very good idea to post pictures for your products. This gives the buyer a better snapshot of your product, remember a picture can be worth a million words or maybe in this case, a million dollars!
To keep on top of your competition, it is always a good idea to monitor pricing. If you're pricing is much lower than your competitions, consider doing an EPA. If you want to do a push for sales, consider doing a temporary price reduction.

You have 6 months from date of award to have your catalog posted on GSA Advantage! You have gone through the painstaking process of getting a GSA Contract, why wouldn't you now post your catalog and start getting some sales!

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How to Choose Your Mill Creek Chiropractor

Chiropractors in Mill Creek, WA, are getting popular these days, with more and more citizens visiting them for the chiropractor's help for various disorders. Under these circumstances, it is really important to choose the best one.

In order to select the right chiropractor, you need to know the various qualities that are necessary to make a good chiropractor. Some of the traits that you should look before choosing any chiropractor are as follows:
· It is really important that your selected chiropractor has the fine bedside manner that basically means that he/she should be capable to make the environment comfortable for the patients, by talking to them in a very pleasant tone. It is necessary that you feel relaxed with the chiropractors and are comfortable to tell them your problems in detail.

· The good chiropractor is the one who listens to patients very carefully without interrupting. To solve any problem, it is really important to understand the patient's problem completely, and for this you have to listen them very well. Then only you can easily diagnose their problems.
· It is important that your chiropractor is capable to translate his/her findings and diagnosis into very easily understandable terms.

· A good chiropractor should have excellent analytical skills, which helps in both understanding the illness of the patient and in deciphering the range of treatments available for the patients. It is essential to be able to identify the best possible cure for an ailment and it can be accomplished through the good analysis of the problem.
· For the chiropractor to be well known and excellent, it is essential that he/she is capable to find out the treatment or cure for even those diseases, which are not easily curable.

These were some of the qualities that you should look before going to select any chiropractor. Leadership qualities are equally important for the chiropractor. It is relevant to note that the chiropractors do not work alone but they work as a team. Good chiropractors should be able to handle their staff also. While visiting Mill Creek chiropractor, you should look that he/she should be able to handle the problems of their staff as well as their patients.

It may happen that chiropractors face problems in diagnosing the patient's problems immediately. Under such conditions, it is essential that the chiropractors keep finding the exact type of the problem and the treatment for them. There are many good chiropractors in Mill Creek, WA. You can get the best Chiropractor in Mill Creek, WA while keeping all these things in your mind.

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Medicare Supplement Insurance with Medicare's New Cost Cuts

If you think there’s no hope for bringing health care costs down, think again. Cutting waste in Medicare and preserving it to help seniors for many years to come has been addressed with a new system of competitive bidding.

This change addresses the cost of common medical equipment and supplies that are used to help seniors get the care they need to stay at home, such as diabetic supplies, oxygen equipment and wheelchairs. According to multiple government reports, a fee-based system, such as that used by Medicare, is frequently subject to fraud.

Can Medicare Cut Costs Nationwide By One-third?

A new national bidding system is projected to cut Medicare costs by an average 32 percent. It’s also anticipated that the average savings will be even greater in states like Florida. These savings can benefit not only seniors, but taxpayers as well.

Here’s an example of this cost cutting: In Central Florida, the cost of an oxygen concentrator averages about $173.17 monthly. That could drop down to just $115 a month. Nine Florida metro areas are scheduled to participate in the new system beginning next year. As this bidding system spreads across the nation, it’s estimated to save approximately $17 billion in a single decade, according to Medicare deputy administrator Jonathan Blum.

Will Medicare Supplement Plans Change?

These and similar savings are anticipated in 2011 unless efforts to kill the new bidding system defeat it. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek is trying to stop the new system, but has not had much luck so far.
With such drastic reductions in the cost of medical equipment and supplies, the Medicare Supplement industry could feel governmental and public pressure to either lower plan premiums or expand plan benefits. After all, if Medicare supplemental insurance spends less, why not pass at least some of the savings back to seniors?

And The Winner Is…

Several medical equipment and supply companies have already submitted bids, and the Centers for Medicare & medicare cost report Services will begin offering contract proposals. Their final decision will come this September so it may take a while to see whether this new system will lower premiums or increase benefits among Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans.

There’s also the possibility that companies not awarded contracts will succeed in lobbying Congress to thwart the system. With Medicare already running on empty, that seems like a long shot. This new bidding system, the coming healthcare reform changes and the aging U.S. population may all have an impact on Medicare Supplement Insurance in coming years. One way to stay on top of this and be sure to get the advantage of lower premiums and/or expanded coverage is to request an annual review of these plans.
In the long run, it pays to shop around while your health makes changing plans simple. It’s almost impossible to switch to different plans when your health deteriorates. Compare new plans as they come to market on a regular basis, and you’re more likely to find better values and save more of your hard-earned retirement assets.

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Medicare Hospice Fraud - How to Spot it and How to Stop It

Hospice - dignity-focused, palliative care for the dying - has unquestionably improved the plight of countless patients who might otherwise have died in isolation, fear, and pain. An absolute entitlement under the Medicare program, however, it has also heavily-lined the pockets of venturers and has become a breeding ground for Medicare fraud. When most people think of hospice, they think: volunteers, soft-spoken nurses and ministers. The majority of twenty-first century hospice care in this country, however, is controlled by big-business interests.

Obviously, profit in and of itself is not a bad thing - it is the foundation of our economy. But when massive profits are made with taxpayers picking up the lion's share of the bill, the eyebrows raise. And when those massive profits are made through Medicare reimbursements for people who aren't dying and don't qualify for the medicare cost report , then that is the definition of fraud. And when that fraud causes unsuspecting patients and families to forgo much-needed curative treatment that could improve or save their lives, then the people behind the fraud have to be stopped. Period.

Without admitting fraud, some major hospice companies have ponied-up large settlement dollars to quell allegations that their business models include admitting and readmitting non-terminal hospice patients and falsely billing Medicare and Medicaid. In 2006, mammoth national hospice provider, Odyssey Hospice, paid $12.9 million and kept doing business as usual. In 2009, national hospice provider SouthernCare paid nearly $25 million as a result of a qui tam lawsuit filed and litigated by the author of this article. But paying such high settlement dollars seemed to only prove the heavy profit to be found in healthcare for the dying. The Odyssey and SouthernCare settlements seemed to be nothing more than a blip on the radar of the for-profit hospice machines. Odyssey's census and profit margins inexplicably grew rather than shrunk after they agreed to purge and stop admitting non-terminal patients.

According to reports filed by the company, Odyssey's average daily census grew by over 100 patients the year after the settlement and by nearly 4,000 after two years. Likewise Odyssey admissions grew by over 200 the first year and by over 14,000 by the second year. Their net patient revenue jumped by almost ten million the same year that they settled with the government - the initial year rise in revenue almost paying for the cost of the settlement. By year two under the Corporate Integrity Agreement, Odyssey increased its net patient revenue by more than $230 million. Last year - year five of the corporate integrity agreement - Odyssey grew its net patient revenue to $686 million, up $300 million after its settlement with the government of fraud allegations. The lesson: hospice is big business.

Unfortunately, where there are hefty profits to be made, people who will game the system can also often be found. One of the most common places to spot Medicare hospice fraud is in nursing homes. According to a recent report of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, 82% of hospice claims for beneficiaries in nursing facilities did not meet at least one Medicare coverage requirement and 33% of claims did not meet election requirements. A whopping 66% of claims did not meet plan of care requirements - a particularly disturbing statistic indicating problems with patient care. Almost a third of all Medicare hospice claims were for fewer services than required by the plan of care.

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Medicare Fraud Effects and Medigap Participants

With the nation's attention focused on the current healthcare debate, many U.S. citizens are growing increasingly concerned over the promise of an increase in healthcare bills over the coming year and decades. Medicare participants, especially, stand to see a significant increase in the cost of their healthcare, according to some experts, especially supporters of the Republican party.

In the face of these expected fee increases, the Florida Department of Health and Human Services has just announced a shocking case of Medicare fraud in Miami-Dade County, Florida. According to a report released by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Miami-Dade County received about half a billion dollars for Medicare in-home health care payments in 2008. This amounts to a payment of more than the entire nation combined.

Despite the huge amount of claims from Miami-Dade County, the county only accounts for slightly more than half of the nation's claims. Moreover, only 2 percent of patients who receive home health care live in the county. The Medicare fraud is not only blatantly obvious, but it is costly for everyone; Medicare fraud amounts to more than $3 billion each year because of false claims.

Medicare fraud comes in many forms. In some cases, healthcare agencies have billed the Medicare program for home health services that they claim were rendered for homeless people. IAccording to an article published Monday by the Associated Press, "a large percentage of the patients are diabetics who claim they are blind and bill medicare cost report for a day and night nurse to give them insulin shots." However, upon further investigation, the beneficiaries are not actually blind.

"What we're finding in a lot of the cases is the patients don't even have diabetes and certainly aren't blind," said Kirk Ogrosky, who heads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force across the United States for the Department of Justice. The report indicates that Medicare payments for home healthcare for diabetics in Miami are eight times the national average.

Medicare beneficiaries who participate in the Medicare scams may stand to benefit financially for their services. According to the AP article, patients are paid between $700 and $1,400 for their participation. Eight suspects in Miami were charged with getting $22 million from the system through fraud.

What does this fraud mean for Medicare beneficiaries across the country? Ultimately, it means that the Medicare system pays out a significant amount of money from shared coffers for fraudulent claims, reducing the available money for real claims. As Medicare funds are stretched thin, Medicare payments to providers are ultimately reduced and Medicare fees for beneficiaries are ultimately increased.

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Medicare Supplement Insurance

The CMS or Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services makes Medicare Information available on quality of service and cost of healthcare. The new rules proposed by the CMS make it easier to select high-quality and low-cost health care services from physicians, hospitals and other health care providers.

Under the new rules, organizations meeting certain qualifications will be given permission to access patient-protected Medicare data to produce public reports about the health care services of clinics, doctors and hospitals. These reports will combine Medicare and Medigap Insurance claims data with private sector claims data to point out which healthcare providers give the most cost-effective and highest-quality services. This strategy is a part of the Affordable Care Act aimed at improving health care, making people pro-active about their health, and driving down health care costs.

According to the CMS Administrator, Donald Berwick, MD, making this information available to the public will empower them to make smart decisions about their health care. He hopes that the performance reports will increase higher-quality and cost-effective health care for millions of consumers. Making the healthcare system more transparent, promotes healthy competition between insurance companies and medicare cost report providers and that could drive down premiums.

How Will Transparency Change Health Care?

Over the years, employers and consumers have been frustrated with the limited availability of health care claims data. Many health plans use provider performance data solely based on the health plan’s own claims, which may only represent a small portion of a provider’s overall performance. Making health care claims more transparent, can broaden consumer understanding about the performance of doctors and other providers. Imagine being able to pick your surgeon based on survival and recovery rates after his past surgeries.
Transparency can be just as important when it comes to Medicare Advantage Plans and Medigap Insurance. Did you know that Medigap Plans are standardized by law to offer pre-set benefits? The same cannot be said about Advantage Plans, though, you’ll have to scrutinize benefits, such as which medications each plan covers.

Can Transparency Help You Make The Most Of Medicare?

To be sure you have the coverage you’ll need requires deciphering Medicare’s benefits and comparing that to your regular doctor and hospital bills. Then, look for one of several Medicare Advantage Plans or Medigap Plans that can pick up any left-over medical expenses. Once you’ve decided what additional coverage you’ll need and which plan can best fill in Medicare’s gaps, you’ll need to research how prices compare for that plan.

There’s still little transparency when it comes to how Medicare Supplement Plans are priced. Research reveals that certain people unfortunately pay hundreds of dollars more than others for the exact same benefits. To compare prices, check out rates from multiple insurance companies or use an online website to help you compare rates from different insurers by running quotes on multiple plans with a single quote request. This is a free service and the quotes are accurate. It’s a quick way to narrow down the selection of various plans.