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Obamacare Provision Is Hurting Workers Who Don't Join Wellness Programs

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By Sharon Begley

U.S. companies are increasingly penalizing workers who decline to join "wellness" programs, embracing an element of President Barack Obama's healthcare law that has raised questions about fairness in the workplace.

Beginning in 2014, the law known as Obamacare raised the financial incentives that employers are allowed to offer workers for participating in workplace wellness programs and achieving results. The incentives, which big business lobbied for, can be either rewards or penalties - up to 30 percent of health insurance premiums, deductibles, and other costs, and even more if the programs target smoking.

Among the two-thirds of large companies using such incentives to encourage participation, almost a quarter are imposing financial penalties on those who opt-out, according to a survey by the National Business Group on Health and benefits consultant Towers Watson (For graphic see link.reuters.com/byr73w)

For some companies, however, just signing up for a wellness program isn't enough. They're linking financial incentives to specific goals such as losing weight, reducing cholesterol, or keeping blood glucose under control. The number of businesses imposing such outcomes-based wellness plans is expected to double this year to 46 percent, the survey found.

"Wellness-or-else is the trend," said workplace consultant Jon Robison of Salveo Partners.

Incentives typically take the form of cash payments or reductions in employee deductibles. Penalties include higher premiums and lower company contributions for out-of-pocket health costs.

Financial incentives, many companies say, are critical to encouraging workers to participate in wellness programs, which executives believe will save money in the long run.

"Employers are carrying a major burden of healthcare in this country and are trying to do the right thing," said Stephanie Pronk, a vice president at benefits consultant Aon Hewitt. "They need to improve employees' health so they can lead productive lives at home and at work, but also to control their healthcare costs."

But there is almost no evidence that workplace wellness programs significantly reduce those costs. That's why the financial penalties are so important to companies, critics and researchers say. They boost corporate profits by levying fines that outweigh any savings from wellness programs.

"There seems little question that you can make wellness programs save money with high enough penalties that essentially shift more healthcare costs to workers," said health policy expert Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
FOUR-FIGURE PENALTIES

At Honeywell International, for instance, employees who decline company-specified medical screenings pay $500 more a year in premiums and lose out on a company contribution of $250 to $1,500 a year (depending on salary and spousal coverage) to defray out-of-pocket costs.

Kevin Covert, deputy general counsel for human resources, acknowledged it was too soon to tell if Honeywell's wellness and incentive programs reduce medical spending. But it is clear that the company is benefiting financially from the penalties. Slightly more than 10 percent of the company's U.S. employees, or roughly 5,000, did not participate, resulting in savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Last year, Honeywell was sued over its wellness program by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC argued that requiring workers to answer personal questions in the health questionnaire - including if they ever feel depressed and whether they've been diagnosed with a long list of illnesses - can violate federal law if they involve disabilities, as these examples do. And, if answering is not voluntary.

"Financial incentives and disincentives may make the programs involuntary" and thus illegal, said Chris Kuczynski, an assistant legal counsel at the EEOC.

Using the same argument, the EEOC also sued Wisconsin-based Orion Energy Systems, where an employee who declined to undergo screening by clinic workers the company hired was told she would have to pay the full $5,000 annual insurance premium.
SICK? PAY MORE.

Some vendors that run workplace wellness for large employers promote their programs by promising to shift costs to "higher utilizers" of health care services, according to a recent analysis by Joann Volk and Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University Health Policy Institute - and by making workers "earn" contributions to their healthcare plans that were once automatic.

Consider Jill, who asked that her name not be used for fear of retaliation from the company. A few years ago, her employer, Lockheed Martin, provided hundreds of dollars per year to each worker to help defray insurance deductibles. Since it implemented its new wellness program, workers must now earn that contribution by, among other things, quitting smoking (something non-smokers can't do) and racking up steps on a company-supplied pedometer.

"Basically, if you don't participate in these programs, you have to pay something like $1,000 out of pocket for healthcare before insurance kicks in," said Jill.

Companies insist the penalties are not intended to be money-makers, but to encourage workers to improve their health and thereby avoid serious, and expensive, illness.

As evidence of that, said Honeywell's Covert, the company offers employees "easy ways to get out of" some of the wellness requirements, such as certifying that they do not smoke rather than submitting to a blood test.

BALANCING THE WELLNESS BOOKS

Why are companies so keen on such plans?

Most large employers are self-insured, meaning they pay medical claims out of revenue. As a result, wellness penalties also accrue to the bottom line.

About 95 percent of large U.S. employers offer workplace wellness programs. The programs cost around $100 to $300 per worker per year, but generally save far less than that in medical costs. A 2013 analysis by the RAND think tank commissioned by Congress found that annual healthcare spending for program participants was $25 to $40 lower than for non-participants over five years.

Yet at most large companies that impose penalties for not participating in workplace wellness, the amount is $500 or more, according to a 2014 survey by the Kaiser foundation.

"For economic reasons, most employers would prefer collecting the penalties," said Al Lewis, a wellness-outcomes consultant and co-author of the 2014 book "Surviving Workplace Wellness."

Lori, for instance, an employee at Pittsburgh-based health insurer Highmark, is paying $4,200 a year more for her family benefits because she declined to answer a health questionnaire or submit to company-run screenings for smoking, blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure. She is concerned about the privacy of the online questionnaire, she said, and resents being told by her employer how to stay healthy.

Highmark vice president Anna Silberman, though, doesn't see it that way. She said the premium reductions that participants get "are a very powerful incentive for driving behavior," and that "people deserve to be rewarded for both effort and outcomes."

(This version of the story corrects name, Lorin Volk, in 16th paragraph, to Joann Volk)

(Reporting by Sharon Begley. Editor: Michele Gershberg and Hank Gilman) Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.

5 Things Latinos Should Know About Getting Covered Under the Affordable Care Act

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By Steven Lopez, Manager, Health Policy Project, NCLR

More Latinos lack health insurance than any other group in the U.S., so it is crucial that they take the opportunity to obtain coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While significant improvements have been made to the enrollment process, some Latinos, particularly immigrants and mixed-status families, still face unique challenges.

Immigrants and mixed-status families have many questions about enrolling in health coverage under the ACA. Here are five things that they -- and those assisting them -- need to know:
1. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has said that the information people provide on their health applications is only used to verify eligibility under the ACA, not for immigration enforcement purposes.
4. Signing up for insurance through the ACA, Medicaid, or Children's Health Insurance Program does not make someone a "public charge," a term used for people who depend primarily on the government for subsistence. The one exception is for people receiving long-term care in an institution at government expense.
7. While those without an eligible immigration status cannot get coverage through the ACA, they can apply on behalf of their eligible dependents. For example, an undocumented parent can apply on behalf of an eligible child.
10. Several immigration documents, such as a permanent resident card (or green card), a reentry permit, or an employment authorization card, can be used to verify immigration status on the health application.
13. Free, in-person assistance is available to those applying and can be found by visiting www.localhelp.healthcare.gov or by calling 1-800-318-2596.
Latinos still have an opportunity to get covered if they enroll by February 15, 2015. Under the ACA, 80 percent of applicants may be eligible for financial help to pay for health coverage, and 72 percent of services are offered free of cost, including mammograms, well-child visits, and diabetes screenings. Reported by Huffington Post 12 hours ago.

More than 1.19M Floridians sign up for health coverage during open enrollment

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More than 1.19 million Floridians have selected a 2015 health insurance marketplace plan thus far in this open enrollment period. More than a million people signed up for a plan between Dec. 15 and Jan. 9, according to a Wednesday news release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Just over 673,000 people had signed up between Nov. 15 and Dec. 15, according to a report released Dec. 30. "As of January 9, 1,190,922 Floridians have access to quality, affordable health coverage for… Reported by bizjournals 14 hours ago.

HIV/AIDS patients in Deep South of U.S. have lower survival rates

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A nine-state region of the US South has the nation's lowest five-year survival rate among people diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, according to new research. Fifteen percent of people diagnosed with HIV and 27 percent of those diagnosed with AIDS in 2003-2004 had died within five years of diagnosis. Researchers say poverty, education, health insurance, social stigma and racism contribute. Reported by Science Daily 2 hours ago.

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Nearly 1.2 million Floridians have signed up for health insurance through the federal marketplace so far under the Affordable Care Act. Reported by WEAR ABC 3 13 hours ago.

More Than 40,000 New Mexicans Signed Up for Coverage Through BeWellNM

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- BeWellNM, New Mexico's Health Insurance Exchange, is pleased to announce that 40,972 New Mexicans selected a plan or were automatically re-enrolled in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) as of Jan. 9, 2015, according to the U.S.... Reported by PR Newswire 12 hours ago.

Thursday is deadline for Feb. health coverage through Virginia's ACA marketplace

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Nearly 300,000 Virginians have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace, http://www.healthcare.gov, according to figures released Wednesday by the federal government. Reported by dailypress.com 10 hours ago.

RNC Censures Michigan Member David Agema Over Comments On Gays And Muslims

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CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — The Republican National Committee's executive committee voted to censure Michigan Republican David Agema for what it calls "harmful rhetoric" about gays and Muslims.

At the outset of the RNC's winter meeting near San Diego, the panel said Michigan Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema's history of "harmful and offensive rhetoric" has no place in the party.

Last March, Agema posted on Facebook an unsubstantiated claim that gays account for half the murders in large cities. Last month, he told a Michigan county GOP committee that gay Americans tried to obtain health insurance because they risk contracting AIDS.

Agema also came under fire from the Council on American-Islamic Relations for a Facebook posting this month questioning Muslims' commitment to charity.

Agema acknowledged "errors in judgment" but has said he won't resign. Reported by Huffington Post 8 hours ago.

Study: Fewer struggle with medical costs as coverage grows

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Not only do more Americans have health insurance, but the number struggling with medical costs has dropped since President Barack Obama's health care law expanded coverage, according to a study released Thursday. Reported by Seattle Times 4 hours ago.

Fewer People Are Having Trouble Paying Medical Bills, Thanks To Obamacare

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The number of Americans struggling to pay medical bills fell last year for the first time in nearly a decade -- the latest sign that Obamacare is making health care more affordable.

Sixty-four million people, or approximately 35 percent of the U.S. population, said they had trouble paying bills or were stuck paying off medical debt in the past year, according to a new survey by the Commonwealth Fund released on Thursday. That was down from 75 million people, or 41 percent of the population, in 2012. This marks the first time that figure has fallen since 2005, when Commonwealth started keeping track.

Commonwealth attributed the drop partly to expanded access to affordable health insurance made possible by Obamacare. The survey found that the number of uninsured Americans dropped to 29 million people last year, or 16 percent of the population, from 37 million, or 20 percent, in 2010.

The Commonwealth survey, which polled 6,027 U.S. adults in the second half of 2014, is in line with several other studies finding that the uninsured rate is falling.

“These declines are remarkable and unprecedented in the survey’s more than decade-long history,” Sara Collins, the lead author, said in a press release. “They indicate that the Affordable Care Act is beginning to help people afford the health care they need."

As the chart from Commonwealth shows, the percentage of Americans reporting problems paying off medical bills or medical-related debt rose from 2005 to 2012. Rising health-care costs, stagnant income growth and the aggressiveness with which providers go after people who haven't paid their bills all contributed to this growth, according to Commonwealth Fund president David Blumenthal.

The Affordable Care Act has reversed what had been a "deterioration" of the American health-care system, according to Blumenthal.

The survey also found that, for the first time since 2003, there has been a decline in the number of people putting off health care because of the cost. In 2012, a record 80 million people said they didn't visit a doctor or clinic for a medical problem, didn't fill a prescription, skipped a follow-up, treatment or test, or did not get needed specialist care, in order to avoid paying for it. That number fell to 66 million in 2014.

Medical-bill debt, which is often expensive and unexpected, can significantly harm people's credit ratings, as a recent study from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau pointed out. Nearly 20 percent of credit reports are hurt by overdue medical bills. Reported by Huffington Post 3 hours ago.

Dubai Podiatry Centre Launches Recruitment Drive

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Two New Podiatrist Posts To Be Based in Dubai, UAE

Dubai, UAE (PRWEB) January 15, 2015

Dubai Podiatry Centre today announced an initiative to recruit two additional, experienced Podiatrists to join their team in Dubai.

Strong Growth in Demand for Podiatric Care in the Region:
The Clinic has been experiencing ongoing rapid growth and demand for its services is extremely high. With complaints such as fungal skin and nail infections, verruca infections, biomechanical anomalies and diabetes foot care/management common in the region, the need for highly trained, experienced Podiatrists to address these is high.

Dubai Podiatry Centre is the region’s leading specialist foot clinic with an excellent reputation for advanced treatments and skilled, caring professionals. As part of the Clinic’s commitment to efficient and timely treatment, the Clinic is seeking two Podiatrists to join their team to cope with the growth in demand for qualified, specialist Podiatric care and reduce waiting time for appointments.

Candidate Skills:
Chief Podiatrist Michelle Champlin says “We have built an excellent reputation in the region for high quality and advanced therapies for our patients, and we’re excited to invite suitably qualified and skilled Podiatrists to join our team in this thriving city. Not only are we looking for appropriately qualified Podiatrists, they must be genuinely enthusiastic about the field of Podiatry and be keen to continue Dubai Podiatry Centre’s ethos of going the extra mile for patients.”

How to Apply
Dubai Podiatry Centre is looking for two degree qualified Podiatrists with a minimum of 2 years post graduate experience. Experience in both public and private practice is preferred. Excellent communication skills, and a strong capability in biomechanics and sporting injuries are key. Competitive tax free salary, private health insurance and annual return air ticket is offered to successful post holders. Dubai Podiatry Centre will sponsor the candidate’s employment visa and forward candidate for appropriate health licensing in Dubai. Candidates should apply directly in writing with a detailed CV and covering letter emailed to the contact address on the Clinic's website.

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Keek @Dubai Podiatry

# # # Reported by PRWeb 3 hours ago.

New Book: A Financial Prescription for Doctors and Dentists - Strategies for Achieving Your Personal and Career Goals by Financial Advisor David I. Katz

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The financial facts of life have never been more important for doctors, dentists and other medical professionals.

Boca Raton. FL (PRWEB) January 15, 2015

The nation's healthcare system is undergoing a dramatic change – and many physicians are woefully unprepared to deal with the new reality.

'A Financial Prescription for Doctors and Dentists – Strategies for Achieving Your Personal and Career Goals' by Boca Raton financial advisor and wealth manager David I. Katz addresses that knowledge gap. It provides a clear, easy-to-read guide to help medical professionals address the many business challenges in their practices and the financial issues in their personal and family lives.

“My wife has been a physician for over 25 years. I understand the pressures and demands that medical professionals deal with every day. That's why I work with them - to help medical professionals focus on their financial health,” says Katz. “I deliver over two decades of experience helping medical professionals understand their financial position and develop a strategy that protects their futures.”

With an estimated 850,000 physicians, 195,000 dentists and millions of other healthcare professionals in the US, this book has a wide audience. In fact, the financial lessons from Katz’s new book also apply to attorneys, accountants and other professionals who never received formal training in business or finance – much less key issues like asset protection and estate planning.

"When doctors are in medical school, they focus on learning about the human body, not finances," says Stuart L. Markowitz, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University. "But residents and new doctors need to learn how to manage money, particularly since high debt loans are a big problem for so many people."

For busy medical professionals, Katz's book is an "easy read," presenting key lessons in an appealing, understandable manner. Rather than boring the reader with fact sheets, Katz has incorporated the stories of real doctors and dentists into his book, bringing the key points to life. He includes suggestions and strategies from attorneys, accountants and other financial professionals who work with medical specialists to provide a broad spectrum of advice.

'A Financial Prescription for Doctors and Dentists – Strategies for Achieving Your Personal and Career Goals' is published by OutSkirts Press and is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook at Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles, iBook and other online booksellers.

Profits from 'A Financial Prescription for Doctors and Dentists' will be donated to charities, including SmileTrain and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

About the author:
In his 22-year career as a financial advisor, David I. Katz has worked extensively with doctors, dentists and their families, helping them put together solid financial plans for retirement. He knows the financial pitfalls – including poorly constructed trust plans, expensive divorces and costly lawsuits – that are among the top financial concerns for medical professionals.

David I. Katz is available to speak to medical groups and schools about financial planning for doctors and dentists.

David I. Katz is an Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) who holds life and health insurance licenses. Katz’s honors include:· recognized by Medical Economics Magazine in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 as one of the "Best Financial Advisers for Doctors"
· named one of the "Best Financial Advisors for Dentists 2012, 2013and 2014" by Dental Product Reports
· selected as a "5 Star Wealth ManagerSM Award Winner" by Five Star Professionals in 2012, 2013 and 2014

Visit David I. Katz’s on LinkedIn or his website for a free download: 20 Questions to Ask a Prospective Financial Advisor. Reported by PRWeb 3 hours ago.

iCare – Intelligent Home Care Solutions and MEDsys Software Solutions Execute Agreement

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Icare, a leading provider of personal care services in Home Care, has selected MEDsys Software Solutions Franchise Software and Electronic Visit Verification for all of its franchises.

Perrysburg, OH (PRWEB) January 15, 2015

MEDsys Software Solutions, an industry leader in software and EVV solutions for the home care industry announced the execution of an agreement to provide iCare – Intelligent Home Care Solutions of Pompano Beach, Florida, its software and EVV solution to all of its franchises. This includes VinCENT’s franchise software for its private duty business. Additionally, iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions will use VinCENT’s EVV for their aide services and will utilize VinCENT’s billing module to bill health insurance plans and private clients. VinCENT’s franchise software includes the latest state-of-the-art family and employee portals that allow real-time communication between caregivers and family members.

iCare offers services that help families often overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing care to a loved one, all while ensuring your loved one remains in the comfort of his or her own home. iCare’s distinctive and intuitive line of services in the home making, home support and personal care categories include laundry, cleaning, meal preparation, transportation, appointment escorting, personal hygiene assistance, companionship and wellness checks and much more.

The selection of MEDsys as iCare’s exclusive software solution was based on a long and extensive search to find the right product that could meet all their company’s needs as well as being able to provide global management oversight. MEDsys’s Franchise Software is an industry leading, comprehensive business management solution that provides real-time views for all franchise locations with the ability to scorecard each franchise, automates workflow, utilizes family and employee portals for real-time information exchange and integrates critical health, HR, payroll and billing information into an intuitive, streamlined system. VinCENT Franchise Software is supported by the dedicated iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions customer service team that is made up of former home care agency employees.

Bill Redfern, CEO and founder of iCare - Intelligent Home Care, is looking forward to partnering with MEDsys Software Solutions. “We know that maintaining real-time communication between clients and their families is of critical importance, so we are thrilled to have a match in MEDsys,” said Redfern. “The state-of-the-art software and EVV product will provide management oversight to our corporate office, and has top-notch customized reporting.”

According to Jeff Calcaterra, EVP of MEDsys Software Solutions, “MEDsys is extremely delighted to partner with iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions and its unique needs of its franchises and their clients. We look forward to helping iCare become the market leader in patient care by utilizing our unique heritage in home care and providing the state of the art Software Tools to help support their strong belief and proven ability in patient satisfaction”.

About MEDsys Software Solutions
Developed by industry experts with over 250 years combined experience, Medsys is the complete agency solution for all business lines in Home Care. MEDsys cloud based software solution with the latest technology offers convenient, real-time data exchange and has the state of the art Point of Care. Our software solution streamlines business operations, increases and measures the quality of care being delivered and in turn drives profitability. MEDsys VinCENT software solutions support Medicare, Medicaid, Skilled and non-skilled Private Duty, Pediatrics and Adult Nursing. VinCENT Electronic Visit Verification is the leading time and attendance product supporting both the home care agency, Managed Care Organizations and State Programs.
MEDsys is the only choice for Home Care Agencies as we offer one software solution that can manage all business lines. We offer powerful tools to automate and mange workflow. Our unique heritage has empowered our software to be personalized for the unique needs of any home care agency. Our exceptional customer service team are experienced in working for Home Care agencies and software companies. Our World Class Support and Dedicated Account Management Team frees up your time as we become an extension of your agency.

About iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions
iCare - Intelligent Home Care Solutions, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, delivers a comprehensive suite of non-medical services to its clients including home making, home support and personal care services. Its mission is to enable consumers to maintain a quality of life in the comfort and surroundings of their own home, while providing our franchise partners opportunities to become self employed, working and building their businesses in a positive growth-oriented environment. To learn more about iCare’s services and franchising opportunity, visit http://www.icareintelligenthomecare.com. Reported by PRWeb 3 hours ago.

Who Needs Lobbyists? See What Big Business Spends To Win American Minds

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This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.

Forget lobbying. When Washington, D.C.’s biggest trade associations want to wield influence, they often put far more of their money into advertising and public relations, according to a new Center for Public Integrity investigation.

Take, for example, the American Petroleum Institute. The oil and gas industry trade group spent more than $7 million lobbying federal officials in 2012. But that sum was dwarfed by the $85.5 million it paid to four public relations and advertising firms to, in effect, lobby the American public — including $51.9 million just to global PR giant Edelman.
From 2008 through 2012, annual tax filings show, the API paid Edelman a staggering $327.4 million for advertising and public relations services, more than any other contractor.

It’s been well-publicized how much industry spends on lobbying the government, but not so much is known about how much money goes toward influencing the public. In an effort to find out more, Center for Public Integrity reporters examined the tax returns for trade associations that spent more than $1 million on lobbying in 2012. The IRS requires the groups to report their top five contractors.

Of $3.4 billion in contracts reported by the 144 trade groups from 2008 through 2012, more than $1.2 billion, or 37 percent, went toward advertising, public relations and marketing services, more than any other category. The second-highest total, $682.2 million, or 20 percent of the total, was directed toward legal, lobbying and government affairs.
By industry sector, the biggest clients of PR, marketing and ad services were energy and natural resources associations.

The public relations industry is on a growth tear while the number of federally registered lobbyists is actually shrinking. Public relations work, unlike lobbying, is not subject to federal disclosure rules, and PR and advertising campaigns can potentially influence a broader group of people. In addition to Edelman, among the other major players are President Barack Obama’s go-to ad agency GMMB, “issue-advocacy” firm Goddard Gunster and government policy specialists Apco Worldwide.

While not a complete accounting of spending, the analysis provides a glimpse into just how important the public relations industry is to groups seeking to influence public policy.

*Big energy leads spending
*
Boosted by the $327.4 million-worth of contracts Edelman inked with the American Petroleum Institute — consistently the largest contracts the Center found in five years of collected data — the energy and natural resources industry outspent every other sector on advertising and public relations.

The API, Growth Energy — which represents ethanol producers — and other energy and natural resources trade groups collectively spent more than $430.5 million on PR and advertising to help burnish their image between 2008 and 2012.

It’s not clear how much of the total went into the bank accounts of the PR and advertising firms and how much was passed on to media companies, however. Edelman declined to comment with Center reporters for this story. Edelman likely left some of the work for the API to its Blue Advertising subsidiary, which offers media planning and placement in its services and discloses work for the oil giant on its website.

Other top energy and natural resources interests included the National Fisheries Institute, which represents seafood harvesters, wholesalers and retailers, and the National Biodiesel Board, whose members take recycled cooking oil and animal fats and turn them into fuel.

Business associations — led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — represented the second largest industry category, paying PR and advertising firms a total of at least $214.9 million from 2008 through 2012. The U.S. Chamber, the nation’s biggest lobby and a prolific spender on political ads, paid $173.5 million to its top advertising firms during the five-year period.

In 2010 and 2012, all five of the trade group’s top contractors were advertising agencies.

The U.S. Chamber paid Republican media-buying firm National Media Research, Planning & Placement more than $60.8 million for advertising services in 2009 alone. National Media, based in Northern Virginia, researches voter demographics and behaviors and places ads in key media markets.

Another top advertising contractor for the U.S. Chamber was Revolution Agency, which the trade group paid more than $38.2 million from 2010 through 2012.

Revolution is a Northern Virginia-based advocacy firm that possesses the “Creativity of Madison Avenue” and the “Strategic Discipline of a Political Campaign,” according to its website. Its partners all formerly worked as staffers or consultants for Republican lawmakers, and the firm’s clients have included business groups and the telecommunications industry.

The agency was behind an award-winning public affairs campaign targeting the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency birthed out of the 2008 financial crisis. The campaign on behalf of the U.S. Chamber included a TV ad that attacked the proposed bureau as a “massive new federal agency that will create more layers of regulation and bureaucracy.”

The finance, insurance and real estate sector ranked third in contracts with advertising and PR agencies, paying $184.5 million to contractors, including favorites the Most Organization, a West Coast advertising agency, and Locust Street Group, a “grassroots” advocacy firm. The sector was led by the National Association of Realtors and America’s Health Insurance Plans.

The Most Organization, based in Orange County, California, earned more than $116.7 million from 2010 through 2012 for its work to promote the National Association of Realtors in a national advertising campaign.

Fourth in PR spending based on top contracts was the food and beverage industry, which paid out $104.5 million from 2008-2012. Big spenders included the American Beverage Association, which has been shelling out millions to try and keep cities and states from taxing sugary drinks.

Rounding out the top five industries for PR and advertising spending was communications and electronics, led by CTIA — The Wireless Association, which represents telecommunications companies like AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Co. Also in that category: the Software Alliance.

Steve Barrett, editor-in-chief of trade magazine PR Week, says it’s clear why trade associations rely so heavily on PR and advertising.

“They certainly want to influence the general public,” he says, “because the general public will then influence the politicians, the lawmakers or the regulators in that particular industry.”

Politics investigations in your inbox: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity'sWatchdog email.

*Edelman leads PR firms*

The Center’s analysis includes the top five contractors for each trade association. Annual totals need to be at least $100,000 to be reported. The Center looked only at trade associations that spent more than $1 million on lobbying in 2012, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. [See Methodology.]

Edelman’s lucrative contracts with the American Petroleum Institute helped the PR giant earn $346.8 million, significantly more money from top trade associations than any other advertising or public relations firm, according to the Center’s analysis. But the oil industry trade group wasn’t the firm’s only client.

Others included the Business Roundtable ($9.9 million), a group of CEOs who advocate for business-friendly policies, the Software Alliance ($2.5 million) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association ($1.8 million).

The food-industry trade group paid Edelman more than $1 million in 2011 for work related to its campaign to put select nutrition facts on labels — a move that some health experts criticized as a way to head off the Food and Drug Administration’s effort to require more comprehensive labeling.

Edelman is the country’s largest independent public relations firm. It employs more than 5,000 workers and maintains subsidiaries that specialize in grassroots communications and advertising.

The firm’s Washington office has a staff of 225, which includes “former journalists, campaign veterans, political speechwriters, White House staffers and legislative aides,” according to the firm’s website. Among them: Steve Schmidt, a senior advisor to Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign; former White House deputy press secretary Jamie Smith; and former Sens. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D.

Edelman is known for its at-times controversial tactics. In 2006, the firm was forced to apologize for creating a misleading grassroots campaign for Wal-Mart. To polish the company’s reputation, the agency had created “Working Families for Wal-Mart,” for which a couple drove across the country blogging positive accounts of the retail giant’s employees and customers — initially without disclosing that they were compensated. The campaign, which launched amid bad press about the company’s employment practices, sought to portray Wal-Mart workers as happy middle-class families.

More recently, leaked documents revealed Edelman’s aggressive plans to attack opponents of a pipeline being developed by TransCanada Corp. Within days of the leak, TransCanada announced that it was severing ties with Edelman.

In both cases, according to reports and leaked documents, Edelman maintained the same three-step approach: promote positive messages, respond to criticism and pressure opposition groups.

Michael Bush, a spokesman for the firm, declined to comment for this story. In an email, he wrote, “We do not talk about the work we do for clients.”

Public relations and advertising agencies boast of their communications savvy, but firms contacted for this story were mum. Some, like Edelman, declined to comment, while others did not return repeated phone calls and emails seeking comment.

Most trade associations also did not respond to the Center’s inquiries.

Lisa Graves, executive director of liberal watchdog group the Center for Media and Democracy, which operates the website PRWatch.org, says trade associations are designed to be a “shield and a sword” for their corporate members.

“It’s important for people to know more about how the trade associations operate and which PR operations they’re funding,” she says, “because those nonprofit entities are extremely powerful special interests in Washington, D.C.”

*‘Turning the tide’
*
Communications firm GMMB ranked second behind Edelman. The agency, which has offices in Washington, D.C., and Seattle, brought in $123.5 million from contracts with five different associations in the beverage, communications, transportation and business industries from 2008 through 2012.

Known most prominently for its political work on behalf of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns — GMMB’s leadership team includes Obama’s campaign advisor Jim Margolis — the firm has created ad blitzes for trade groups including CTIA and the American Beverage Association, whose members include Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

From 2009 through 2012, the wireless association paid GMMB $40.5 million to produce ads, including one TV spot with the message that “wireless is freedom.” The beverage association, which teamed up with GMMB on a 2012 ad campaign to promote new prominently displayed calorie labels, paid the firm more than $55.2 million.

The Most Organization and National Media Research, Planning and Placement were the third- and fourth-highest paid contractors for advertising and public relations services. Goddard Claussen (now Goddard Gunster) came in fifth, followed by Revolution Agency, which was sixth, thanks mostly to its work for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, according to the Center’s data analysis.

Apco Worldwide, which ranked seventh, earned $42.9 million from trade associations. The Washington, D.C.-based firm is known for its work for the tobacco and health care industries. Mike Tuffin, a managing director in the firm’s Washington office, joined Apco in 2012 after serving as executive vice president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group that represents health insurers.

On behalf of AHIP, the agency created front group Health Care America to attack filmmaker Michael Moore’s 2007 documentary Sicko, which demonized American health insurers, according to Wendell Potter, a former industry-executive-turned-whistleblower. (Disclosure: Potter is a regular columnist for the Center for Public Integrity.)
In the two years before Congress passed health care reform in 2010, Apco won at least two contracts with AHIP, totaling more than $5 million.

Among former government officials at Apco are ex-Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., and ex-Congressmen Don Bonker, D-Wash., and Tim Roemer, D-Ind.

Ogilvy & Mather came in just behind Apco, earning nearly $41 million from four trade associations during the five-year period reviewed by the Center. But the firm, a subsidiary of communications giant WPP, earned almost all of its money from the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical companies.

The American Chemistry Council paid Ogilvy more than $15 million in 2008 alone. That year, the firm led a couple of PR and advertising campaigns on behalf of the trade group, including one that discouraged Americans from supporting a ban on products containing phthalates, a group of chemicals found in plastics and suspected of causing changes in hormone levels, birth defects and other health effects.

The firm earned awards for the phthalates campaign, which it dubbed “From Toxic to Truthful: Turning the Tide on Phthalates.” Even though Congress eventually banned the use of certain types of phthalates in children’s toys, the firm patted itself on the back for helping to “neutralize negative coverage” and bring “a noticeable shift in the public mood.”

FleishmanHillard ranked ninth, according to the Center’s analysis. Its public relations and advertising clients included the American Petroleum Institute ($27.6 million) and CropLife America ($1.5 million), which represents the manufacturers of pesticides and agricultural chemicals.

The firm, which describes itself as being driven by “the power of true,” has consistently ranked within the top three of the world’s highest-paid public relations companies for the past five years, according to the World PR Report published by the Holmes Report. Its D.C. office is led by Kris Balderston, a former State Department official and deputy assistant to former President Bill Clinton.

Keeping the players straight in the advertising and public relations game is no easy task due to a series of massive mergers that have taken place over the past decade or so. GMMB, for example, is actually a subsidiary of FleishmanHillard, which is owned by the giant advertising and communications holding company Omnicom Media Group, based in New York City.

But most of the subsidiaries function under their own names.

Locust Street Group rounds out the top 10 firms for PR and advertising services. The Washington, D.C.-based agency earned $23.6 million in trade group money from 2008 through 2012, almost all of which came from America’s Health Insurance Plans. It’s unclear what exactly the agency did on the insurance group’s behalf — the firm’s founder, David Barnhart, declined to answer questions for this story — but Locust Street Group’s website says it builds “boots on the ground” coalitions and creates social media campaigns to help influence lawmakers.

“D.C. may have K Street with tons of lobbyists,” the firm’s slogan says, “but small towns all over America have a Locust Street.”

*High stakes, big reward*

For public relations agencies, landing a contract with a large trade association is a big deal.

“The stakes are high, and the competition is intense,” says Larry Parnell, director of George Washington University’s master’s program in strategic public relations. “But as you can see, winning one of these things is very lucrative.”

It’s difficult to draw sweeping conclusions from the data analyzed by the Center. Trade groups often vaguely describe the services their top contractors provide as “professional fees” or “consulting.” Many firms offer a wide range of services, at times making it unclear exactly what kind of work was done on the industry associations’ behalf.

Because the Center only reviewed the most politically active trade associations, the data didn’t include some industry groups that fell below the $1 million lobbying threshold but still spent heavily on public relations and advertising.

But the contractor information provides an inside look at the way trade associations use PR and advertising to ply the American mind. Trade groups determined to fight regulations and boost profits of their members have spent heavily to influence how the public perceives policies that affect everything from the air we breathe to the beverages we drink.

The strategy, public relations experts say, is not designed to replace lobbying so much as it is to enhance it.

“You can leverage [public relations work] so your lobbying is to a finer point,” says Parnell, noting that lobbyists can better influence lawmakers by showing them polling gathered by “grassroots” PR campaigns. “It provides air cover.”

“People and organizations are getting increasingly sophisticated with their communications strategies. They are more multi-dimensional,” adds Anne Kolton, vice president of communications for the American Chemistry Council. “With any advocacy [effort], the key is to create an echo chamber so people hear your message in numerous venues.”

There are some advantages to putting millions into PR rather than lobbying. For example, a trade association may be pushing a particular policy that is not so popular with the public. As long as it doesn’t directly contact a government official, it need not report who it has hired to do the PR work. Lobbying firms generally must report how much they are paid, who their clients are and what subject areas they are working on.

*Misleading tactics
*
PR agencies may further obfuscate their role by creating so-called “front groups” that appear to be grassroots organizations, in an effort to push their clients’ messages. It is often difficult to discern who is behind these manufactured entities, though sometimes information can trickle through.

For example, the tax form for the National Mining Association showed that it paid $4 million to Weber Merritt, a Northern Virginia public affairs firm, as an independent contractor. The services were listed as “Count on Coal” in 2012, according to IRS filings.

Count on Coal calls itself a "grassroots organization" that educates people on coal-powered electricity. Its social media and online petitions, which criticize government proposals to cut carbon emissions, all omit ties to the mining association.

While this type of “grassroots” mobilization is increasingly driven by an industry or paid consultants, it is only one piece of the growing demand for communications professionals, who specialize in everything from crisis management to social media advocacy.

In 2013, the global public relations industry grew 11 percent over the previous year to $12.5 billion, according to trade journal The Holmes Report.

The steady rise in public relations worldwide spending has been accompanied by an overall drop in lobbying spending, beyond the trade group sector.

Lobbying expenditures peaked in 2010, when special interests spent $3.6 billion on lobbying federal lawmakers. Since then, they have declined steadily, falling to $3.2 billion in 2013, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The total number of registered lobbyists has also dropped.

Some say the change indicates a shift toward so-called “soft lobbying,” a strategy that enables industry groups and unions to influence public policy not only with public relations, but through think tanks, nonprofit organizations and grassroots groups that aren’t subject to federal disclosure rules.

*Journalists overwhelmed
*
The golden age for PR has coincided with the decline of mainstream journalism, especially newspapers, which have suffered from plummeting ad revenue that has necessitated layoffs in newsrooms across the country.

Today, not only are PR professionals outnumbering journalists by a ratio of 4.6 to 1, but the salary gap between the two occupations has grown to almost $20,000 per year, according to the Pew Research Center. The widening employment and income disparities have left journalists underpaid, overworked and increasingly unable to undertake independent, in-depth reporting.

Rick Edmonds, a writer for the Poynter Institute who covers the business of journalism, says the shift has been particularly evident in the coverage of science and health news. Many news organizations that once reported extensively on those issues no longer have the resources to cover them adequately, and special interests have filled the void.

“A great deal of science and health news is coming from the PR side,” Edmonds says.

For trade associations like the American Petroleum Institute, that’s part of the larger public relations strategy that makes lobbying federal lawmakers a lot easier.

“If we’re concerned about a particular member [of Congress], we will educate that constituency and encourage people to weigh in with their elected official,” Jack Gerard, the American Petroleum Institute’s president and CEO, told The Washington Post in a 2012 interview explaining the mentality behind the trade group’s PR offensive. “Congress is a lagging indicator. Congress is responsive to the American people. That’s why a well-educated electorate is a key to sound policy.”

The gradual shift from a focus on traditional lobbying toward greater use of the “outside game of politics,” or communications like PR, has been going on for at least a decade, close observers say, but is now accelerating with advances in technology, social media and digital strategies, says Doug Pinkham, president of the Public Affairs Council, an association of public affairs professionals who specialize in corporate PR, lobbying and grassroots advocacy.

Not all of the trade associations reviewed by the Center spent more money on top contracts for public relations and advertising than on those for lobbying and legal services. But the data appear to support broader trends in the so-called “influence industry.”

“In the world we live in now,” says Pinkham, “if you have an issue that is visual and has a compelling narrative, we’re better off spending more resources on trying to educate the public” than relying on traditional lobbying.

*Troubled industries turn to PR
*
The trade associations that rely most on PR and advertising campaigns are usually those representing industries facing the heaviest regulation and the most public contempt, says Edward Walker, a sociology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of the book Grassroots for Hire.

And the campaigns are often tied to specific public policy crises. As Walker says, they usually launch “when industries really feel threatened that they might actually lose a policy battle.”

Over the last few years, both the American Petroleum Institute and the American Beverage Association have used PR campaigns to defend their respective industries during heated debates over issues like the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and proposed taxes on sugary drinks.

At the outset of 2012, the American Petroleum Institute announced a “Vote4Energy” campaign to promote the industry in a contentious election year. Its social media endorsed the idea that domestic oil production would bring jobs, revenue and national security.

With Edelman’s help, the American Petroleum Institute also organized a speech and panel discussion targeting “key influencers” in attendance, including think tanks, government officials and the media. Online groups also emerged, like “Energy Tomorrow,” which hosts a blog by Mark Green, a journalist-turned-industry-blogger.

In addition to Edelman’s work, the petroleum group paid FleishmanHillard $22.8 million in 2012 for advertising to promote hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to skeptical citizens. TV advertisements targeted a half-dozen shale gas-producing states, including Pennsylvania, Texas and North Dakota, emphasizing small-town reliance on energy and downplaying environmental impacts, as part of its Energy from Shale campaign.

*Big soda*

Few industries have felt more threatened in recent years than soda makers.

Since 2009, the makers of sugary beverages have found themselves under attack from government officials and public health advocates who have blamed soft drinks for the nation’s expanding waistlines and have favored taxing popular sweetened beverages.

The American Beverage Association has fought back — vigorously — with the help of Goddard Gunster, a Washington, D.C.-based firm famous for creating the “Harry and Louise” ad campaign that helped bury President Clinton’s health care reform proposal in 1993 and 1994.

Goddard has produced anti-tax ads and created front groups in cities and states considering soda taxes. In 2012, the firm helped the association defeat two soda-tax ballot measures in Richmond and El Monte, California — campaigns that preceded its 2014 ballot-box battles in San Francisco, where voters rejected a soda-tax measure, and Berkeley, where a sugary-drink tax passed.

Jenny Wang, a public health worker and mother of two girls, recalls how the beverage industry flooded Richmond with anti-tax ads, buying up the town’s billboards and hiring residents to deliver mailers door-to-door.

“We didn’t have the manpower to fight against all of that messaging,” says Wang, a former Richmond resident who supported the soda tax. “They were so pervasive and so persuasive.”

John Dunbar contributed to this report.*Copyright 2015 The Center for Public Integrity* Reported by Huffington Post 38 minutes ago.

Intuit TurboTax Simplifies Affordable Care Act Reporting

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Intuit TurboTax Simplifies Affordable Care Act Reporting SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the first time, Americans will need to report their health insurance status on their 2014 tax return. With TurboTax taxpayers can easily and accurately meet the new ACA requirements. Reported by Business Wire 22 hours ago.

Health Insurance Prices: Highest In Alaska, Lowest In Sun Belt

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A look at the 10 least and 10 most expensive places for health insurance shows a wide gap in prices for the same level of coverage. Reported by NPR 22 hours ago.

Listen Up: These 10 Changes to Financial Rules Could Impact You in 2015

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Welcome to 2015 -- now is a good time to examine the financial changes that will impact you in the days ahead.

And it's mostly good news -- some of these changes can put more money in your pocket in 2015. Between changes to tax laws, retirement savings plans and student loan repayment options, this year's new rules are worth checking out to understand how they might benefit you.

Here are six big changes that start right now -- and one that starts at year's end.
-Retirement Accounts-
This year, contribution limits go up and the government unveils its new type of retirement account.

*1. You Can Contribute More to Your 401(k)*

If you regularly max out your 401(k) contributions, you will love this new 2015 rule. Contribution limits are increasing across the board by $500, to a total of $18,000 this year. (For those age 50 and older, the extra catch-up contribution limit has been upped by $500, to a total of an additional $6,000).

Putting an extra $500 into your retirement account every year starting now will really pay off when it comes time to retire. Assuming an annual return of 8 percent over 25 years, you could see close to an extra $40,000 in your portfolio.

*Related: If You Want Your 401K to Grow, Stop Doing These 6 Things*

*2. The myRA Launches*

The U.S. government launches a new type of retirement account geared toward low-to-middle-income earners who might not have much retirement money stashed away. The myRA is similar to a Roth IRA with a key feature: The government guarantees that your original investment will never lose value. Another difference: The myRA can be used until the balance hits $15,000, and then you're required to move your money into a different retirement account. Accounts are free to open, and withdrawals can be done via direct deposit from your paycheck.
-Student Loans-
While the president's plan for free Community College tuition is not yet a reality, the government is doing something to help defray the rising cost of higher ed.

*3. "Pay As You Earn" Becomes Available to More People*

If you're saddled with student loan debt, you may be able to get more help from the government starting in 2015. This year, 5 million more people are eligible for Pay As You Earn (PAYE), a government program that caps repayment of federal student loans at 10 percent of a borrower's income above the poverty line, and forgives any remaining debt after 20 years.

Currently, only those who took out loans after October 2007 are eligible to use PAYE, but the new change allows borrowers who have loans from before that date to become eligible if they meet certain requirements and income limitations. With this change, borrowers who took out loans before this date will become eligible, too.

Unfortunately, this is the only financial change you can't take advantage of just yet: the new revisions aren't planned to be launched until December 2015.
-Health Insurance-
As Obamacare matures, more and more of its provisions take hold.

*4. Tax Penalties for Those Without Health Insurance*

This is the year when the IRS will really start cracking down on those who haven't signed up for a health care plan, or are not covered by their employers. Under the Affordable Care Act, if you weren't covered last year, you'll pay $95 per person, or 1 percent of your gross income, whichever is greater, on your 2014 tax return. If that's not an incentive to sign up for health insurance this year, then consider that the tax penalties will get higher in future years. For tax year 2015, the penalty is either $325 or 2 percent of your gross income. In 2016, it goes up to $695, or 2.5 percent of gross income.

*5. New Limits for Workplace HSAs and FSAs*

If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) at work, you can stash more money into it for health purposes this year. The new annual limit on employee contributions went up $50 to $2,550. Previously, FSAs had a "use it or lose it" rule that forced employees to use up funds for eligible medical expenses before December 31 or forfeit that money. But now the IRS lets workers carry-over up to $500 from one year's FSA into the next, so long s its spent by March 15 of the new year.

The drawback: If you're also using a Health Savings Account (HSA), then you can't also take advantage of the FSA carry-over provision. If you don't have either account yet (and don't know which account to use), the HSA is often considered a better choice for most people because it has higher contribution limits (up to $3,350 for individuals or $6,650 for a family in 2015) and greater flexibility -- whatever you don't spend gets carried forward with no maximum limit.
-Tax Form Changes-
Due to inflation, the IRS announced changes to tax brackets, deductions, and credits on next year's tax paperwork -- many of which could help you keep more dough in your wallet.

*6. Some Tax Payers Will Get a Break*

The upward re-adjustment of tax brackets due to inflation means some folks may be paying less in taxes. For example, the tax rate of 25 percent will now apply to single filers who make over $37,450 and married couples making over $74,900. In 2014, it was $36,900 and $73,000, respectively. The 28 percent tax rate will now apply to single filers making over $90,750 and married couples making $151,200. Last year, those figures were $89,350 and $148,850, respectively.

*7. The Standard Deduction Goes Up*

The standard deduction also increases $100 to $6,300 for single filers. For married couples, it goes up $200 to $12,600. That means a little bit of a better tax break this year for those Americans who typically don't have enough itemized deductions to exceed the standard deduction amount.

While it's easier to claim the standard deduction than to itemize on your tax return, it's still worth running the numbers to see which option saves you more money. Consider itemizing if you made a lot of charitable donations, if you're a homeowner who paid mortgage interest and property taxes, and/or if you made a lot of out-of-pocket medical expenses last year.

*8. Saver's Credit Income Limits Increase*

Income limits for the saver's credit, which gives a tax credit to low-income earners, will increase. Single heads of households see their credit go up $750 to an income of $45,750, and those married filing jointly get a $1,000 boost to $61,000.

*9. COLA for Social Security Recipients*

Social Security recipients will get a cost-of-living increase of 1.7 percent in 2015, so the average retiree will get about $22 more each month, and couples will see an extra $36 in their check.

*10. The AMT Exemption Goes Up*

The AMT exemption amount for tax year 2015 is increased to $53,600 for individuals and $83,400 for married couples. Last year's income limits were $52,800 and $82,100, respectively, so you can make 1.5 percent more in income this year and not stress about triggering an AMT alert.

Just a little good news to ring you into 2015.

Which financial changes will you be benefiting from most in 2015? Please share in comments!

Vanessa Richardson has covered personal finance for Money Magazine, Bankrate, Marketwatch, and NPR. She is a regular contributor to top financial planning site Wise Bread. Reported by Huffington Post 21 hours ago.

United States: NJ Governor Signs Legislation Requiring Health Insurers To Encrypt Personal Information - Day Pitney LLP

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On January 9, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed legislation that will require health insurance carriers in the state to encrypt their customers’ personal information. Reported by Mondaq 21 hours ago.

Study: Fewer struggle with medical costs as coverage grows

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Not only do more Americans have health insurance, but the number struggling with medical costs has dropped since President Barack Obama's health care law expanded coverage, according to a study released Thursday. Reported by Seattle Times 21 hours ago.

Medversant Launches HIPAA Compliant Secure Email to Modernize Provider Communication with Patients, Health Plans, and Business Associates

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Medversant Technologies, LLC is a leading provider data management company, trusted by hundreds of healthcare organizations to handle their most sensitive provider information. Today, Medversant enables providers to safely and electronically communicate sensitive patient information, with the launch of its HIPAA-compliant secure email service, ProMailSource™.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 15, 2015

Today Medversant Technologies LLC, in conjunction with several of its health plan clients, officially launches ProMailSource™, a secure email service. With 93% of patients indicating that they’re more likely to choose a provider who offers email, ProMailSource™ enables patients to receive provider emails directly in their preferred inbox, rather than having to log in to an EMR portal.

"I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played phone tag with my doctor’s office,” one patient wrote in response to the above article, “It’s a vicious circle and extremely annoying. Email would avoid that."

Likewise, ProMailSource™ allows providers simple, safe, and direct correspondence with health plans, care team colleagues, and business associates. Features like secure electronic delivery of lab results or charts, and 100GB of automatic archival simplify a range of daily procedures at healthcare practices, with or without an EMR in place.

As a HIPAA compliant system, ProMailSource™ could save providers hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines due to recently updated federal regulations. Secure email can also account for overhead savings, according to a study from CHCF; like $1.75 per phone call, $2.69 per lab result delivery, and the freedom to schedule 11% more visits each day.

Dr. Victoria Bellot, a ProMailSource™ customer and Internal Medicine MD, said, “It's secure, easy to use, and enhances communication between the staff members in the practice. It's a way to get secure email without having to look for a hospital."

ProMailSource™ operates on intuitive auto-encryption technology, making it easy for providers to protect patient information from hackers seeking PHI. Medversant’s launch arrives on the heels of several damaging hacks that violated major corporations in 2014; including Home Depot, Target, and Sony.

“ProMailSource will give our practitioners a secure option to communicate sensitive information to our client health plans and hospitals, and extend the ProMailSource experience to communication with patients and others, in a secure, protected environment,” said Medversant CEO Matt Haddad.

ProMailSource™ is capable of integrating with any EMR system and will qualify for Meaningful Use Stage 2 module certification with CMS as of March 2015. The secure email service is available to all providers, but will be specifically offered to any practitioner seeking Medversant credentialing services. Providers can learn more and sign up online here.

About Medversant: Medversant Technologies, LLC is the nation’s leader in provider data management solutions through its array of patented technologies and service offerings for government, health insurance plans, facilities, practitioners and other healthcare settings. Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.
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