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'Corporate Religion' Threatens Everyone

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What religion does ExxonMobil observe? How about Cargill, or Ford? If the question seems absurd, that's because it is -- corporations don't have religions.
But Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation, a kitchen-cabinet manufacturer with almost a thousand workers, has asked the Supreme Court to find that it has a constitutional right to get out of following the same law that its competitors must, because the law goes against its "corporate religion." (Hobby Lobby, an arts-and-crafts retail chain, makes a similar argument.)
Conestoga is challenging an Affordable Care Act provision requiring large employers to either offer minimum basic health insurance, or pay back the public for providing that insurance. Under the rules, minimum coverage includes (among other things) contraception. Now many people of faith are religiously opposed to some (or all) contraceptives, and the regulations sensibly exempt churches and other faith-based nonprofits from this requirement.
But Conestoga is a business, not a church. Under the law, it must provide that insurance coverage for its employees, who come from various religious traditions. Yet it asked the Supreme Court to declare that it has a constitutional right to a special exemption based on corporate religious objections.
As Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked the companies' lawyer in the courtroom in March, "How does a corporation exercise religion?" To most Americans, it doesn't make sense. People have religions. People come together in religious communities, like churches, synagogues, and mosques. If the government violates someone's freedom of religion, that's a real issue.
But corporations aren't people -- they're artificial legal entities, created by state law. They aren't "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," as Thomas Jefferson put it in the Declaration of Independence. No, corporations are the product of human-made laws, and a corporation's "creator" -- little "c" -- is the state that grants the corporate charter creating it in the first place.
These laws give corporations certain legal rights, including special privileges, such as limited liability, that aren't available to people. These laws aren't written on stone tablets. They came about after our Constitution, and state legislatures tweak them from time to time. But they create and define a legal entity, the corporation, that's legally separate from its stockholders.
That's good for business: if Conestoga is overwhelmed by a business debt, the
creditors can't sue the stockholders. This separate legal existence is the whole point of corporations. And Conestoga and its stockholders -- quite properly -- have enjoyed the benefits of corporate separateness.
But there's the rub. Conestoga claims that, because its stockholders object to some contraceptives, the corporation shouldn't have to pay for health insurance that employees might use for contraception. It claims that the Supreme Court has recognized religious rights for "corporations" before -- but its examples involve incorporated churches and religious nonprofit organizations. And a for-profit corporation just doesn't have the same relationship to its stockholders as a church does to its members.
Some people think this is just about birth control. But Conestoga's arguments go much further. Corporations are owned by people of every religious stripe,
and they can disagree with laws about anything: workplace safety, job discrimination, consumer protection, the environment, tobacco advertising -- there's no limit. And this isn't just about small family businesses; big businesses such as Tyson Foods and Forever 21 say they're religious, and "family-owned" companies include mega-corporations such as Koch Industries and Wal-Mart. That's why Free Speech For People submitted a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that for-profit corporations can't claim "religious exemptions" on behalf of their stockholders.
The Supreme Court could issue its decision any day now. If the Court sides with Conestoga, then corporations that don't profess a religion right now will
start looking for one, so they can claim religious objections to any laws they find inconvenient or expensive. And when corporations start celebrating
religious conversions, ordinary Americans will pay the price. Reported by Huffington Post 16 hours ago.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: Obamacare Is A 'Net Positive'

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Despite its disastrous rollout, Obamacare has been a good thing overall, according to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.

“I think it’s a net positive,” Schultz said Tuesday of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. “Millions of Americans have health insurance today. Companies that did not pay for health insurance are now doing it.”

Last year, Schultz expressed concern that the botched rollout of the HealthCare.gov website would overshadow what he believed were the law’s good intentions. At the height of the problem in October, Schultz told CNBC, “Unfortunately, in this kind of situation, execution trumps strategy. It might be a great strategy, but the execution is really flawed. It’s off the rails.”

But now that officials have fixed the site and more than 8 million Americans have signed up for insurance, he said, the program's benefits outweigh its issues.

“No plan would have been perfect,” he said. “It'll be refined, improved.”

Schultz spoke with HuffPost reporters and editors as part of a media tour promoting a new Starbucks program that offers workers the chance to get a college degree at an extreme discount.

Unlike many corporate chiefs and franchisees, Schultz said he has no plans to cut benefits as a result of the law. Business owners have periodically made waves by suggesting Obamacare would push them to cut their employees’ hours so they wouldn’t have to cover them. Obamacare requires that businesses with 50 or more full-time employees provide health insurance to anyone working at least 30 hours a week.

Schultz noted that Starbucks’ plan was always more generous than the new law requires, offering coverage to employees working 20 hours or more per week. He said that “the first question we got from shareholders” about the law was whether Starbucks would bump up its threshold to 30 hours to save money.

“That’s millions of dollars and we wouldn’t do it,” Schultz said.

Still, it’s possible that kicking part-time employees off the company’s plan could actually result in a better deal for them if they buy insurance through the Obamacare exchanges instead. In many cases, part-time workers may make so little that they would qualify for subsidies under the law, but they aren’t eligible if their company offers an affordable plan that meets Obamacare’s standards. If the employees qualify for Medicaid, they're still eligible even if their employer offers an affordable plan.

Trader Joe’s announced last year that it would stop offering health insurance to its part-time workforce, much to those workers' chagrin. But several months later, some employees told HuffPost that the decision actually worked out in their favor.

That's because by providing affordable insurance, Obamacare frees up some workers staying at their jobs only for health benefits to leave and pursue other opportunities, like finding more fulfilling jobs that don’t offer insurance, starting a business, taking care of their kids or retiring. Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.

Oregon's insurance commissioner wants feds to postpone ‘employee choice’ piece for small businesses

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Oregon Insurance Commissioner Laura Cali is asking the federal government to postpone the "employee choice" option in the small group health insurance market. Implementing employee choice next year would disrupt that market and "lead to higher premiums,” Cali said in a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius. The agency is allowing states to put off employee choice for a year, but insurance commissioners must cite the effect it would have on rates in their… Reported by bizjournals 15 hours ago.

Erie Auto Insurance Rates for PA Drivers Added to Public Portal at Insurer Website

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Erie auto insurance rates for PA drivers are now included in the state level insurer lookup system launched at the Quotes Pros website. New agency price quotes are available at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

Erie, PA (PRWEB) June 17, 2014

Pennsylvania is one of the states in the U.S. that has a higher than average monthly premium for insurance when compared with surrounding states, according to new insurer data. The Quotes Pros company is now featuring Erie auto insurance rates for drivers in PA seeking local coverage prices at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The issuance of local prices is a new concept for the Quotes Pros company after the launch of the national search system in 2013. More localized rates that are matched by a driver's zip code are now part of the offerings available at the company website. Erie companies and other PA specific agencies are now searchable.

"The rates in PA for insurance that are now a part of our Internet system are accurate and do include minimum and maximum coverage plans," said one source at the Quotes Pros company.

The insurer details that are now provided through the QuotesPros.com website are designed to provide a faster research option for motorists this year. Due to the links with agencies, direct price updates and other data that would normally be required to be delivered by phone is now viewable in real time.

"The exact pricing that is featured inside of our location system is calculated by each insurer and there are no limits to the type of policies that can be reviewed," said the source.

The Quotes Pros company is also offering an extended review of insurer policies in the system for this year. The auto industry partners that are found for PA drivers can also provide life insurance, renters, homeowners and health insurance rates at http://quotespros.com/homeowners-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company is one independent resource on the Internet offering quotations for different insurance policies to the general public. The listings of agencies that are offering price information in the company system offers informative research for consumers. The QuotesPros.com company has a dedicated research and development staff who locate different insurance agencies to insert into the nationally accessible database for price quotations now in use. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.

2 new insurers interested in joining kynect

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At least two new insurance companies say they want to sell policies on Kentucky's state-run health exchange after more than 421,000 people signed up for health insurance during the first round of open enrollment. Reported by Miami Herald 14 hours ago.

Best Auto Insurance Companies for Retirees Now Presented at Automotive Website

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Best auto insurance companies for retirees can now be explored using the Quotes Pros company portal. Special rates are now delivered to retired drivers at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 17, 2014

Retired men and women who are exploring ways to cut prices for vehicle insurance can now use the Quotes Pros website online. A list of the best auto insurance companies for retirees has been added in the automated search tool to provide approximate policy pricing at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The special rates for retirees that are now supplied are designed to give options to drivers who do not want to entirely cut out a full coverage plan due to rising costs. The list of agencies supplied offers various coverage at affordable prices to help older driver save on car insurance.

"Some of the top agencies in the car insurance industry are found while exploring our website and complete reviews of pricing is presented in one click," said a Quotes Pros company source.

The listing of agencies that are supplied in the company finder can change monthly based on new partner inclusions. The current list of companies supply SR22, full coverage, collector, non owner, broad form and liability plans that can meet the needs of retirees or younger drivers in the U.S.

"The rates data that our system provides can be viewed easily from any Internet connected computer, tablet or smartphone and quote extractions are unlimited," the source added.

The Quotes Pros company has multiplied the number of agencies that were found originally in the company system in 2013 this year. The top companies now featured do include rated insurers that provide life, health, business and homeowner plans completely quotable at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company has enabled its various tools on the company website to provide solutions for any consumer to review or compare exact costs for insurance coverage on the Internet. The company partners include top rated insurers that calculate all quotes in price delivered. The QuotesPros.com company has updated all tools accessible to the public with more information to ensure a smooth search process. The auto, life, renter, homeowner and health policies available feature full annual and monthly pricing. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.

Angle-backed voter initiatives off of 2014 ballot

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Organizers of a pair of conservative Nevada ballot measures have failed to deliver signature petitions needed to meet the deadline to qualify either their health insurance or voter ID initiative for the November election. Reported by Miami Herald 11 hours ago.

US Healthcare Ranks Worst – and Most Expensive – In Study of 11 Countries

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US Healthcare Ranks Worst – and Most Expensive – In Study of 11 Countries US Healthcare Ranks Worst – and Most Expensive – In Study of 11 Countries
Commonwealth Fund Reveals Which Countries’ Healthcare is the Best – and Whose Is the Worst
Britain’s Healthcare Ranked First Amongst 11 Countries; U.S. Is Last
Bad News for American Healthcare: Ranked Last Amongst 11 Countries’ Healthcare Systems
US Healthcare Ranks Worst – and Most Expensive – In Study of 11 Countries
Has Been Optimized

A recent study of eleven of the world’s wealthiest countries’ healthcare systems named the U.S. as both the most expensive healthcare – and the world’s worst healthcare system.

Britain, on the other hand, was named as having the greatest healthcare.

The survey relied on data collected from questionnaires from patients and doctors; it also collected evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The Commonwealth Fund report indicated that Britain topped nine out of the 12 categories used in the list. Amongst these categories were effectiveness of care and patient-centered care.

Though this was the first year that Switzerland was included in the report, Swiss healthcare came in a close second place overall; Sweden followed in third place.

This is not the first time U.S. has ranked poorly in the Commonwealth Fund’s report. In fact, American healthcare has come in dead last place on four previous occasions: in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010.

The U.S. also differs radically from the other industrialized countries in that it lacks universal health insurance coverage.

The report, entitled “Mirror Mirror on the Wall”, makes a point of noting that the data for this year’s survey was collected before Obamacare was introduced into the country.

“Thus, it is not surprising that the U.S. underperforms on measures of access and equity between populations with above-average and below-average incomes,” the report allows.

Australia, Canada, France and Germany were also included in the report, as well as the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway.

Sources: International Business Times, The Commonwealth Fund

Photo Sources: The Commonwealth Fund, UN Omaha

Video Piece: 
Regular Piece Reported by Opposing Views 10 hours ago.

General Auto Insurance Prices Now Featured Inside Quotes Tool at Auto Website

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General auto insurance prices are now featured in the quotation tool setup at the Quotes Pros website. These general plans include state minimum protection at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) June 17, 2014

Package pricing in the insurance industry is one way that agencies have added in recent years to provide more benefits to policyholders. The Quotes Pros company is now allowing access to review general auto insurance prices through its quotation system at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The access provided through the connected database of insurers provided on the company website alerts the public of all price changes and markdowns from top companies. The general plans for coverage are all priced independently by companies to expand variety in annual or monthly prices for the public.

"What our system provides is a direct link between agencies and brokers that helps uncover special rates available in the industry for new drivers or experienced drivers seeking to change a current policy," said a Quotes Pros rep.

The direct insurer price access that is now delivered in the quotation tool is meant to promote more than one policy price to consumers. While state minimum insurance coverage remains one option for drivers, plans for SR22 and full coverage can equally be quoted using the general pricing tool available.

"The quotes for general car insurance now found inside of our secure system can change daily based on broker or agent supplied information and there are no limits on quotes generated for drivers," said the rep.

The Quotes Pros company database tool that is accessible this year provides more insight into the pricing that insurers offer to consumers. The auto insurance rates are now mixed in with pricing for life insurance, renters and health insurance that are now viewable at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company supplies the public with simple solutions for reviewing plans for auto insurance on the Internet. The company launched in 2013 and has quickly grown into a viable source to find updated insurer policies and prices. The QuotesPros.com company has branched out into offering more than one service for consumers and now provides extended coverage types. Plans for businesses, commercial coverage and life insurance can be fully explored using the company website. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.

Young adults healthier after passage of Obamacare, study indicates

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WASHINGTON -- Expanding the number of young adults with health insurance appears to have improved their health and saved them money, according to a new study that is among the first to measure the effect of the health care law that President Barack Obama signed four years ago. Reported by TwinCities.com 8 hours ago.

3,137-County Analysis: Obamacare Increased 2014 Individual-Market Premiums By Average Of 49%

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There are hundreds of aspects of Obamacare that people argue over. But there’s one question that matters above all others: does the Affordable Care Act live up to its name? Does it make health insurance less expensive? Last November, our team at the Manhattan Institute published a study indicating that Obamacare had increased the underlying cost of individually-purchased health insurance in the average state by 41 percent in 2014, relative to 2013. We’ve now redone the study on a county-by-county basis, complete with a brand-new interactive map. Depending on where you live, the results may surprise you. Reported by Forbes.com 7 hours ago.

Millions Get Obamacare Plans For $100 Or Less

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Almost seven out of 10 people who bought health insurance on the federal Obamacare exchanges are paying $100 or less a month for coverage, according to a Department of Health and Human Services analysis issued Wednesday.

Tax credits available to people earning between the federal poverty level -- about $11,490 for a single person last year -- and four times that amount are the reason. Of the 5.4 million people in 36 states where the federal government manages the health insurance exchanges, 69 percent are paying monthly premiums of no more than $100 after tax credits, and 46 percent are paying $50 or less, HHS concludes. The analysis doesn't include exchanges run by 14 states and the District of Columbia.

High health insurance premiums in the pre-Obamacare market were a key reason why poorer people went without coverage. The Affordable Care Act targets low- and middle-income households with tax credits and additional subsidies. Of the more than 8 million people who enrolled via the exchanges nationwide, 87 percent received tax credits, HHS reported.

Tax credits reduced monthly costs for consumers using the federal exchanges by an average of 76 percent off the full premium, which amounts to an overall average price for subsidized plans of $82, compared with the average $346 sticker price, HHS reports.

That finding underscores that health insurance premiums, which may surpass $1,000 a month for families, are considerably higher than the average paid by subsidized enrollees. Those who earn more than 400 percent of poverty, which was $45,960 for a single person last year, must pay the full price, and those with incomes near that upper limit qualify for small tax credits.

The average premium for a basic insurance plan available during the enrollment period that began Oct. 1 and officially ended March 31 was $249 in 48 states that were surveyed, according to an HHS report published last September. Premiums rise with the generosity of the plan's benefits, vary greatly by geographic location, can be up to three times higher for older consumers, and increase with family size.

For households near the poverty line, even $100 a month can be a burden. In spite of the tax credits, the belief that health insurance on the exchanges is unaffordable was the main reason uninsured people didn't sign up for coverage, according to a survey conducted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in April.

Awareness of the tax credits among uninsured and low-income people is poor, other surveys have found. Nationwide, 28 percent of the 28.6 million people eligible to shop on the exchanges actually signed up for a plan, according to federal and state data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Premiums are likely to rise for most consumers next year, as they typically have for decades. Health insurance companies already are submitting widely varying proposals for next year's rates to state regulators. Some have requested hikes of 10 percent or more, while others aim to lower prices. Premiums for people who don't get health insurance from their jobs rose an average of 10 percent a year prior to the Affordable Care Act, according to an analysis published by the Commonwealth Fund this month.

People who receive tax credits largely should be shielded from premium increases, however. The Affordable Care Act caps their monthly costs based on income, and uses tax credits to fill the gap between that cutoff and the price of the health insurance plan. Reported by Huffington Post 7 hours ago.

$82 a month for health insurance? Thanks to taxpayers, that's what average Obamacare purchaser paid

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Americans who got health insurance plans through Obamacare’s exchanges got great deals, largely because taxpayers are picking up most of the tab. A new report by the Department of Health and Human Services found that 87 percent of the 5.4 million Americans who selected an insurance plan through HealthCare.gov’s federal marketplace qualified for tax credits to cover some of the cost. Comparable data isn’t available for plans purchased through the 17 state exchanges. Advance premium tax credits… Reported by bizjournals 7 hours ago.

New HHS report touts federal marketplace premiums and plan availability

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A new report by the Obama administration suggests that most people who purchased government subsidized health insurance on HealthCare.gov found affordable coverage and a wide selection of health plans on the federal insurance marketplace. Reported by Miami Herald 6 hours ago.

Chariot Health and SRG Partner Bring to Market Medicare Plans with a Social Purpose

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Leading CDE and FMO form alliance to market Medicare insurance products to seniors and give 20 percent back to the communities through The Philadelphia Foundation.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) June 18, 2014

Chariot Health and Senior Resource Group (SRG) today announced a partnership to bring innovative Medicare health insurance products to seniors through a minority-owned Community Development Entity (CDE). The goal of the new alliance is to provide Medicare insurance products to all seniors while giving back 20 percent of the net profits to the Philadelphia Foundation to make investments in local non-profit organizations that serve low-wealth seniors and children.

More than 2.8 million Americans are expected to turn 65 this year making them eligible for Medicare and Medicaid services. The number of Medicare participants is expected to reach 80 million by 2030. Through the new alliance between Chariot Health and SRG, a field marketing organization (FMO), was created to serve this growing population of aging Americans with supplemental Medicare insurance.

“This marks the first time that a CDE has partnered with an insurance FMO in a way that creates value for seniors while giving back to the community,” said John A. Henry, Jr., CEO of Chariot Health, LLC and Founder and Chairman of Chariot Companies. “Through this partnership we will be able to build on both firms’ experience to offer innovative Medicare insurance options with an added social value proposition.”

The partnership also promises to change the nature of Medicare insurance marketing practices by combining technology and community development. SRG has more than 500 field brokers and a state-of-the-art telephonic enrollment system. The company offers web-based information and is also creating a web sales platform. “John Henry is a passionate and knowledgeable leader that has a clear vision in terms of what he wants to do in and for our communities. He is assembling a talented group of partners to do what needs to be done and succeed in my view,” said Rev. Dr. Wilson Goode, Sr., who serves as a Chariot board member and senior advisor.

The first phase of the new program will bring Medicare health insurance products to seniors throughout greater Philadelphia and New Jersey. Ultimately, the program will be rolled out nationwide.

About Chariot Health
Chariot Health offers consistently high-quality star-rated medical insurance, Medicare and other products in 20 states across the U.S. By integrating the marketing of medical insurance with a direct social impact, Chariot Health in collaboration with the Philadelphia Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, provides sustainable operating capital to local non-profits serving low-wealth communities. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Chariot Health is a subsidiary of Chariot Companies, LLC, a minority-owned, mission-based diversified community development entity with four core business platforms focused on revitalizing low-wealth communities throughout the United States.
For learn more about us, please visit http://www.chariotcompanies.com or http://www.chariothealthcare.com.

About SRG
The Senior Resource Group (SRG) is a privately owned insurance brokerage that helps individuals choose health, life, and financial insurance plans from a broad product portfolio. SRG’s primary business focus is to educate Medicare beneficiaries on available healthcare options, and enroll them into Medicare Supplement and Advantage plans. SRG provides a “one-stop shop” for all insurance and financial products by representing a variety of insurance carriers and contract brokers to deliver individualized star-rated insurance plans for seniors.
To learn more about SRG, please visit http://theseniorresourcegroup.com.

About The Philadelphia Foundation
Since 1918, The Philadelphia Foundation has been committed to improving the quality of life in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. It links those with financial resources to those who serve societal needs. Through investment, it grows the more than 900 charitable funds established by its donors. In 2013, it distributed about $22 million in grants and scholarships to about 1,000 effective nonprofit organizations. Through this support, the Foundation enhances culture and recreation, strengthens children and families, advances economic opportunities and builds healthy communities. To learn more, visit http://www.philafound.org. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.

Hartford HealthCare’s Integrated Care Partners Adopts High Line Health’s Visual Analytic Platform to Manage Value-Based Contracts

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The High Line Health Visual Analytic Platform empowers ACO leaders by identifying actionable areas, measuring gaps in care and monitoring value-based performance. With a simple point-and-click approach, there is virtually no learning curve, empowering clinicians and other non-technical users to immediately focus upon managing program results.

Hartford, Connecticut (PRWEB) June 18, 2014

Integrated Care Partners, Hartford HealthCare’s integrated physician organization, has deployed High Line Health's Visual Analytic Platform (VAP) to assist in managing and improving the health of ICP’s patient population and to support its value-based agreements with commercial insurance and government payers. Value-based agreements reward physicians and organizations for meeting quality standards while lowering costs by helping patients with chronic illnesses better manage their diseases and by reducing duplication in testing by better care coordination.

ICP is employing a number of tools, including the High Line VAP, an electronic health record system and a connected imaging platform, to provide patients with high-quality care and improve the overall health and well-being of communities.

High Line Health’s Visual Analytic Platform (VAP) empowers care givers and facilitates decision making by providing concise, actionable patient information in a dynamic, easy-to-use point-and-click environment. While the government and most commercial payers are transitioning to a value-based payment system from a fee-for-service payment method, individual program details can vary widely. High Line Health provides a proprietary web-based solution that is custom designed to reflect the specific value-based arrangements of each client. High Line’s analytic solution allows users to seamlessly track and monitor performance on an enterprise or contract-specific basis. High Line Health’s analytic solutions are developed by a team of multidisciplinary experts and designed to engage the full spectrum of users, including clinical leaders, program administrators and health care analysts.

The High Line system, for example, organizes health-plan claims data in such a way that enables ICP providers to see overarching patterns of care and identify high-risk patients – those with chronic health problems who are most likely to need a higher level or an increased amount of care if they don’t manage their illnesses. The analytics enable care givers to move from being passive recipients of patient visits to becoming more proactive – to reach out to patients to remind them of lab tests and follow-up care. High Line also can illustrate which patients may become higher users of health care in the future. It gives predictive risk scores, which offer ICP providers the opportunity to deliver preventive care.

“High Line Health works with clients to maximize program gains by identifying actionable items, targeting opportunities to reduce cost, and minimizing gaps in care. We play an important role in fostering the early success of collaborative care initiatives between health systems and health insurers. We are also continuously engaged in the transfer of knowledge from our professional staff to help clients create the valuable internal analytic staff that will be a vital component of long-term program success,” said John J Farrell, CEO of High Line Health.

The result is a coordinated system in which everyone is engaged to provide higher-value health care.

“Improving population health is the main focus of ICP,” said Dr. James Cardon, CEO of ICP and Chief Clinical Integration Officer for Hartford HealthCare. “It means we as providers must be more proactive. High Line data analytics will help ICP pre-empt bigger problems by looking at the smaller ones. Data analytics from a population of patients identifies what the population needs and what their most-common health problems are. That information helps us tailor our care and resources to meet those needs.”

About High Line Health

High Line Health provides advanced analytic platforms to integrated health systems, accountable care organizations, health insurance companies and large employer groups. Our design engineers, in collaboration with clinicians, data architects and value payment experts, have leveraged recent advances in visualization technology to create a product base that is intuitive, powerful and very user friendly. We eliminate barriers, including long learning curves and training regimens that traditionally prevented all but the most ardent users from accessing essential analytic resources.

About Integrated Care Partners (ICP)

Integrated Care Partners (ICP) is a physician-led organization dedicated to delivering personalized, comprehensive and coordinated care to patients. As a community of physicians, ICP defines performance objectives, quality standards, and evidence-based medicine protocols; forges partnerships with health plans, employers and providers, and establishes requirements for participation. ICP’s mission is to be a high performing network of integrated providers, successfully delivering value-based population health.

About Hartford HealthCare

With more than 18,000 employees and $2.4 billion in net revenue, Harford HealthCare offers the full continuum of care with five-acute care hospitals; the state’s only air-ambulance service; one of the nation’s top medical training centers; behavioral health and rehabilitation services; a large physician group and clinical integration organization; research facilities; visiting-nurse services; a laboratory system that spans the state; and a number of services for seniors, including senior-living facilities. A hallmark of the system’s vision is to strengthen the access to care close to home for patients by enhancing local health care delivery, bringing the latest technology and discoveries, clinical excellence and innovation to the patient and the community.

Contact:
High Line Health
John J Farrell (203) 640-4691
John.farrell(at)highlinehealth(dot)com

Or

Hartford HealthCare
Rebecca Stewart, (860) 972-4285
Rebecca.Stewart(at)hhchealth(dot)org Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Awards $59.7M IT Shared Services Contract to OST

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OST wins nationwide shared services contract for IT service delivery.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 18, 2014

OST announced today that it has been awarded the Information Technology Shared Services – Combined Contracts (ITSS-CC) task order from the FAA. This nationwide program serves the FAA headquarters in Washington, DC, and its Oklahoma City, OK, and Atlantic City, NJ, centers.

Under this technical services contract, OST will provide continuing support to the enterprise software implementation and system maintenance efforts. In addition, services OST will provide under this contract include database development and management, service desk support, desktop support, configuration management, enterprise data warehousing, business intelligence, and system documentation.

"This new contract award enables us to assist FAA in achieving its strategic goals on a much larger scale. We are honored to be part of this endeavor, as we have served them for the past 15 years,” said OST Chief Executive Officer Vijay Narula.

"We are proud to continue advancing innovative technologies to support a broad and critical body of work in administrative, financial, regulatory, disciplinary and investigative security, and security risk management programs in the agency,” added Ajay Madan, OST Chief Operating Officer.

“We have a robust capability to rapidly assume full responsibility for this work, and to closely work with our FAA client to advance their program priorities,” stated David Maurstad, OST Senior Vice President.

OST is a provider of management consulting, integrated information technology, engineering and business services. OST serves several industries, including aviation, defense, financial, health, insurance, utility, and transportation. OST’s client base consists of numerous Fortune 1000 companies and public sector organizations including the US Departments of Defense, Education, Energy, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as National Science Foundation and state and local governments. OST is externally appraised at CMMI Level 5 and certified as compliant with ISO 9001:2008 standards.

For more information, please contact:

Business Development
Ron Rhodes
703-462-9700
rrhodes(at)ostglobal(dot)com

Career Opportunities
Mary Homer
202-888-1734, Recruitment Hotline
Follow us on Facebook Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.

Cody Consulting Partners With Medica to Enhance Health Plan’s Service to 150,000 Medicare Members

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In a move to provide its 150,000 Medicare members with more accurate and efficient communications, Minnesota-based health plan Medica has partnered with Cody Consulting, a national healthcare consulting firm based in Tampa, Fla.

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) June 18, 2014

In a move to provide its 150,000 Medicare members with more accurate and efficient communications, Minnesota-based health plan Medica has partnered with Cody Consulting, a national healthcare consulting firm based in Tampa, Fla.

Medica will be implementing Cody Consulting’s proprietary software, CodySoft®, to enhance the health plan’s marketing communications and compliance efforts.

CodySoft® – which is the only project management and compliance tool specifically designed for health plans – will enable Medica to achieve greater efficiency in collateral creation and development, reduce the possibility of errors, and ensure materials are compliant with regulations set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

“We are excited to partner with Cody Consulting,” said Carolyn Ringhofer, Director of Product Development. “Their expertise in member material software and communications consulting will be a valuable resource to Medica’s plans.”

Cody Consulting works with health plans throughout the country to cut costs and increase efficiencies. The firm is particularly skilled with enhancing the marketing collateral management process and navigating federal- and state-dictated compliance issues.

“Health plans operate in a tremendously complex environment, and creating and developing highly regulated materials, especially the ANOCs and EOCs, can be really difficult,” said Deb Mabari, MBA, chief operating officer of Cody Consulting. “We’re looking forward to our partnership with Medica and are confident CodySoft® is going to remove a lot of the heavy lifting for them.”

About Cody Consulting:
Cody Consulting works with government-funded and commercial health plans to maximize efficiencies throughout the organization. We help clients strategically integrate operations by streamlining marketing communications; improving regulatory compliance; assisting with Business Process Outsourcing; and offering organizational design/executive search assistance. Our proprietary suite of software, CodySoft®, is specifically designed for health plans. http://www.codyconsulting.com

About Medica:
Serving about 1.5 million members, Medica is a health insurance company headquartered in Minneapolis and active in the Upper Midwest. The non-profit company provides health care coverage in the employer, individual, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Part D markets in Minnesota and a growing number of counties in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Medica also offers national network coverage to employers who also have employees outside the Medica regional network. Medica’s vision is to become the community’s health plan of choice, trusted for its integrity, respected for its service, and admired for its commitment to innovation and efficiency. Reported by PRWeb 5 hours ago.

This Is What Health Insurance Should Look Like

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When you’re shopping for insurance coverage, what do (should) you think about? You might look at the price of coverage – in the case of the ACA, this was the biggest factor explaining why the uninsured opted against buying coverage.  So the answer was greater subsidies, and greater regulation of [...] Reported by Forbes.com 1 day ago.

Marcel’s Culinary Experience™, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Launches ‘The Market'; Tastings, Samplings Scheduled 1-5 p.m. June 22

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Marcel’s Culinary Experience™, a gourmet retail store and recreational cooking school in Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Chicago suburb), has launched “The Market”, an in-store area devoted to fine cheeses, specialty dairy, select charcuterie, fresh-baked bread, wines, nonalcoholic beverages and more. Marcel's is offering a preview of “The Market” 1-4 p.m., June 22, with free tastings and samplings.

Glen Ellyn, IL (PRWEB) June 20, 2014

With the summer entertaining season in full swing, Marcel’s Culinary Experience™ (http://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com), a gourmet retail store and recreational cooking school in Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Chicago suburb), has launched “The Market,” an in-store area devoted to fine cheeses, specialty dairy (crème fraiche, sea salt butter), select charcuterie, fresh-baked bread, wines, nonalcoholic beverages and more.

“Everything is ready to quickly select, purchase and enjoy – whether it’s for a lunch or dinner on the go, a special appetizer for a party, a host/hostess gift, or something delicious to eat while attending the many outdoor concerts and entertainment venues in the area," explained Marcel’s owner Jill Foucré.

Several items are from local suppliers, including Coleen’s Better Than Breadsticks – made by cheese master and Villa Park resident Coleen Graham, who will also be supplying the fresh-baked bread – and Spanish chorizo and finocchiona, a salami made from fennel pollen and fennel seed, from Chicago’s West Loop Salumi. The cheese selection includes many from local dairies in Wisconsin and Indiana.

“We also have a nice selection of wines that have been recommended for pairing with many of the foods,” added Foucré.

While most items are packaged for quick “grab and go,” Marcel’s also offers gift wrapping on request. The staff will even help customers design custom gift boxes including, if desired, selections from the store’s specialty foods, cookware, professional cooking tools, tablewares and one-of-a-kind items.

Marcel’s, 490 N. Main St. -- just a block from the downtown Glen Ellyn Metra station -- is offering a preview of “The Market” 1-4 p.m. June 22, with free tastings and samplings.

About Marcel’s Culinary Experience™
Marcel’s Culinary Experience is a combination retail store and recreational cooking school located at 490 N. Main in historic downtown Glen Ellyn, Ill., about 20 miles west of downtown Chicago. Marcel’s operates a full schedule of culinary classes for cooks of all ages and skill levels, and is available for private events of up to 16 people. The retail space is stocked with fine cookware and hardworking professional tools, exquisite tablewares, specialty foods and one-of-a-kind items. Marcel’s owner is Jill Foucré, a former health insurance executive, who named the space after her grandfather, a French chef and restaurateur. For more information, visit http://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
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