WASHINGTON (AP) — About 36,000 people have taken advantage of a second chance to sign up for coverage under the president's health care law, the Obama administration said Wednesday. The special enrollment opportunity is being offered to uninsured people who didn't realize they were legally required to have health insurance starting in 2014, and are getting hit with a tax penalty for not signing up.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 2 days ago.
Lukewarm reception for new sign-up period under health law
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Oscar is a New York-based health startup that's less than 2 years old, and it may soon be worth $1 billion
Oscar Health Insurance, a New York-based startup trying to bring modern tech thinking into the health insurance industry, is in talks to raise a round of funding that would value it at more than $1 billion, according to Bloomberg.
We don't know yet who would be participating in this round, but famed investor Peter Thiel's Founders Fund led an early $30 million round of funding in January of last year.
A few months later in May, Oscar closed an $80 million round of funding at a valuation of just under $1 billion, led by Joe Lonsdale of Formation8 and including Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, and others. Its total funding sits at $150 million.
The way Oscar Health Insurance competes with the established markets is pretty straightforward: Customers in New York and New Jersey can buy their coverage from the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Their website is slicker than the competition and lets its customers consult with doctors over the phone for free.
Oscar was founded by venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, an ex-Microsoft exec named Kevin Nazemi, and current CEO Mario Schlosser. Oscar was founded in July 2013, making the company a little less than two years old.
If true, this report would make Oscar Health Insurance the second member of the so-called Unicorn Club of startups that have raised $1 billion this week alone, after Sprinklr announced its own round of funding.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: What It Was Like On The Trading Floor During Twitter's IPO Reported by Business Insider 1 day ago.
We don't know yet who would be participating in this round, but famed investor Peter Thiel's Founders Fund led an early $30 million round of funding in January of last year.
A few months later in May, Oscar closed an $80 million round of funding at a valuation of just under $1 billion, led by Joe Lonsdale of Formation8 and including Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, and others. Its total funding sits at $150 million.
The way Oscar Health Insurance competes with the established markets is pretty straightforward: Customers in New York and New Jersey can buy their coverage from the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Their website is slicker than the competition and lets its customers consult with doctors over the phone for free.
Oscar was founded by venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, an ex-Microsoft exec named Kevin Nazemi, and current CEO Mario Schlosser. Oscar was founded in July 2013, making the company a little less than two years old.
If true, this report would make Oscar Health Insurance the second member of the so-called Unicorn Club of startups that have raised $1 billion this week alone, after Sprinklr announced its own round of funding.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: What It Was Like On The Trading Floor During Twitter's IPO Reported by Business Insider 1 day ago.
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Cegedim Completes Disposal of the CRM and Strategic Data Division to IMS Health
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: Cegedim, a technology and services company committed to innovation announced today the completion of the disposal of its CRM and Strategic Data division to IMS Health as announced last October. The estimated selling price, determined in accordance with October 2014 agreements amounts to €396 million1 . This disposal allows the Group to refocus on and develop its software and databases for healthcare professionals and health insurance companies, and its f
Reported by Business Wire 1 day ago.
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Armchair Quarterbacking of the Unemployment Rate
We love to play armchair quarterback, questioning controversial calls and plays. For weeks, we were fascinated by under-inflated footballs affixing blame as we saw it.
What about applying the same vigor and interest in areas where we all need expertise: our jobs, careers, and future opportunities?; Unemployment , the labor participation rate, and the underemployed.
In the 2015 State of the Union address, President Obama stated:
Our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis.
Yes, the unemployment rate is 5.6 percent, the lowest level since 2008. But, this does not fully describe the picture of Americans out of work and out of their careers.
We hear the cheers of the dropping unemployment rate, a clear win using this indicator but we must look beyond the surface of this indicator.
Americans are happy with the unemployment rate and what American employer wouldn't be happy with a low single digit turnover rate; so why does this not FEEL like success?
Many of us do not know how this figure is calculated by the federal government.
People are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks, and are currently available for work, no more, no less.
While the unemployment rate is respected as the final score and indicator of employment in the U.S., we feel like it is humming along consistent with a commendable 5.6 percent rate of unemployment. Clearly, this is not the only measure that should be considered.
Should there be a spiking of the ball for this measurement or shouldn't we include the jobless rate that includes Americans out of work for extended periods of time. We all know Americans who are struggling with the lack of job/career opportunities and it is a common problem.
What are the considerations for the whole picture of unemployment in America? We need to consider several factors -- the labor pool, as well as the dejected people leaving the candidate pool , the jobless rate of recent college graduates, teenage and minority unemployment rates, and the reduction in working hours at companies limiting full-time work due to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
This reported success does not take into consideration the underemployed, people not considered still unemployed but are working in part-time, temporary, otherwise considered underemployed to meet their needs. The Bureau of Labor Studies estimates that there are 7.3 million people in the underemployed category including 44% of recent college graduates.
A critical indicator and more accurate measurement of the jobs picture is the Labor Force Participation Rate. This is a critical reveal of American civilians in the workforce age 16 and over. In December, 2014, the labor participation rate was only 62.7%, the lowest since 1978.
There is more to this story with reveals and indicators about how Americans rate and feel about their economic conditions.
According to Gallup, the most important problem facing our country is the economy and jobs.
According to PBS, 72% of Americans think we are still in a recession, not indicative of a low, single digit unemployment rate.The NY Times poll indicates; we are at the point of the lowest confidence in believing in the American Dream in twenty years.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have increased 9.2 million part-time jobs since the recession. While there is little current evidence that companies are reducing working hours to below the 30 hour threshold for requiring health insurance with the Obamacare ingredients, it is still expected to increase part-time positions. (The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicts a loss of 2.9 million jobs by 2024.)
From the horse's mouth per Se, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been surveyed about their hiring behavior related to the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare.
"In a report released in November, the Chamber and the International Franchise Association found that businesses have already cut full-time jobs, despite the one-year delay of the employer mandate. According to the survey, 31% of franchise and 12% of non-franchise businesses report that they have already reduced worker hours because of the impending law, more than a full year before the employer mandate goes into effect. Additionally, 27% of franchise and 12% of non-franchise businesses report that they have already replaced full-time workers with part-time employees because of the law."
The most critical considerations are the end-all opinions and experiences of the American public. There is a lot of armchair quarterbacking yet to consider about the unemployment and labor participation rates. Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.
What about applying the same vigor and interest in areas where we all need expertise: our jobs, careers, and future opportunities?; Unemployment , the labor participation rate, and the underemployed.
In the 2015 State of the Union address, President Obama stated:
Our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis.
Yes, the unemployment rate is 5.6 percent, the lowest level since 2008. But, this does not fully describe the picture of Americans out of work and out of their careers.
We hear the cheers of the dropping unemployment rate, a clear win using this indicator but we must look beyond the surface of this indicator.
Americans are happy with the unemployment rate and what American employer wouldn't be happy with a low single digit turnover rate; so why does this not FEEL like success?
Many of us do not know how this figure is calculated by the federal government.
People are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks, and are currently available for work, no more, no less.
While the unemployment rate is respected as the final score and indicator of employment in the U.S., we feel like it is humming along consistent with a commendable 5.6 percent rate of unemployment. Clearly, this is not the only measure that should be considered.
Should there be a spiking of the ball for this measurement or shouldn't we include the jobless rate that includes Americans out of work for extended periods of time. We all know Americans who are struggling with the lack of job/career opportunities and it is a common problem.
What are the considerations for the whole picture of unemployment in America? We need to consider several factors -- the labor pool, as well as the dejected people leaving the candidate pool , the jobless rate of recent college graduates, teenage and minority unemployment rates, and the reduction in working hours at companies limiting full-time work due to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
This reported success does not take into consideration the underemployed, people not considered still unemployed but are working in part-time, temporary, otherwise considered underemployed to meet their needs. The Bureau of Labor Studies estimates that there are 7.3 million people in the underemployed category including 44% of recent college graduates.
A critical indicator and more accurate measurement of the jobs picture is the Labor Force Participation Rate. This is a critical reveal of American civilians in the workforce age 16 and over. In December, 2014, the labor participation rate was only 62.7%, the lowest since 1978.
There is more to this story with reveals and indicators about how Americans rate and feel about their economic conditions.
According to Gallup, the most important problem facing our country is the economy and jobs.
According to PBS, 72% of Americans think we are still in a recession, not indicative of a low, single digit unemployment rate.The NY Times poll indicates; we are at the point of the lowest confidence in believing in the American Dream in twenty years.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have increased 9.2 million part-time jobs since the recession. While there is little current evidence that companies are reducing working hours to below the 30 hour threshold for requiring health insurance with the Obamacare ingredients, it is still expected to increase part-time positions. (The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicts a loss of 2.9 million jobs by 2024.)
From the horse's mouth per Se, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been surveyed about their hiring behavior related to the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare.
"In a report released in November, the Chamber and the International Franchise Association found that businesses have already cut full-time jobs, despite the one-year delay of the employer mandate. According to the survey, 31% of franchise and 12% of non-franchise businesses report that they have already reduced worker hours because of the impending law, more than a full year before the employer mandate goes into effect. Additionally, 27% of franchise and 12% of non-franchise businesses report that they have already replaced full-time workers with part-time employees because of the law."
The most critical considerations are the end-all opinions and experiences of the American public. There is a lot of armchair quarterbacking yet to consider about the unemployment and labor participation rates. Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.
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HUFFPOST HILL - Bob Menendez Lauds Staffers For Hilarious April Fools' Prank, Is Ready To Go Home Now
Upon further reflection, it would’ve been funnier if Breitbart accused Harry Reid of not paying his mob protection money for 10 years. Scott Walker is allergic to dogs, which at least provides him some cover if he’s caught strapping one to the roof of his car. And Hillary Clinton's poll numbers have declined in the wake of the controversy surrounding her private email account. With only 520,881,623 news cycles left between now and the Iowa Caucuses, her future looks uncertain. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Wednesday, April 1st, 2015:
*MENENDEZ INDICTED* - 3… 2… 1… Fight [these scurrilous charges]! CNN: "Federal prosecutors indicted Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez on corruption charges on Wednesday for allegedly using his Senate office to push the business interests of a friend and donor in exchange for gifts, according to the Justice Department. The case, brought by the Justice Department's public integrity unit, sets up a high-stakes battle between a New Jersey senator who has fought off investigations for years, and federal prosecutors and the FBI who have spent years pursuing him." [CNN]
@hillhulse: Hearing that Senator Menendez will voluntarily step aside as ranking on Foreign Relations Committee for the time being.
Here is ye olde indictment.
*LOIS LERNER ESCAPES JUSTICE* - Mike McAuliff: "Lois Lerner, the former Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the furor over the agency's alleged targeting of politically active nonprofits, *will not face prosecution for refusing to testify before Congress*, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday. The House of Representatives voted last year to hold Lerner in contempt for refusing to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, then chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). She had offered a short statement professing her innocence of any wrongdoing in the scandal and then twice invoked the Fifth Amendment. The contempt citation was forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia for prosecution…. 'Once again, the Obama administration has tried to sweep IRS targeting of taxpayers for their political beliefs under the rug,' Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said in a statement." [HuffPost]
*SHUT UP, POLITICS* - Igor Bobic: "April Fools' Day is awful. Even more awful, however, are politicians' lame attempts at humor...Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) alerted his supporters to tune in to a "big announcement" Wednesday morning. Was it an official announcement about his bid for the White House? No, it was his shocking endorsement of the Wisconsin men's basketball team in the NCAA tournament, which, for some reason, was marked by the hashtag #AprilFools...The National Republican Congressional Committee mocked Democrats for believing they could retake the House of Representatives in 2016 with this hilariously boring 'Top Ten' list...Tom Steyer and his organization NextGen Climate... emailed its supporters early Wednesday about new 'proof' showing that '97% of scientists tricked the world into believing the 'Global Warming Hoax.''… Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich got in on the action by endorsing President Barack Obama's foreign policy...In a bid for most original April Fools' joke, the Chamber of Commerce went with the bold, 'BREAKING: Obama Administration Approves Keystone XL Pipeline.'" [HuffPost]
*Our terrible April Fools' idea*: Have several-dozen members of the congressional press corps don Members Only jackets and try to ride the members-only elevators in the Capitol.
MEMBER: You can’t be in here.
REPORTER: Why, yes I can [points thumbs at Members Only jacket, is escorted off premises].
Har Har!
*Haircuts*: Arthur Delaney (h/t Arthur Delaney) , Mike Sommers (h/t Mike Sommers), Michael Steel (h/t Michael Steel)
McDonald's is raising wages at the fraction of restaurants it directly operates. The other 90 percent of McDonald's employees work in restaurants McDonald's pretends are mom & pop operations.
*DAILY DELANEY DOWNER* - This truly is the most terrible thing. Elizabeth Chuck: "A suburban Atlanta teenager who received national attention two years ago after doctors turned down his request for a heart transplant was killed Tuesday in a high-speed police chase. Anthony Stokes, 17, of Decatur, Georgia, received a transplant to replace his failing heart in August 2013 -- but only after a hospital reversed its decision denying him a spot on the transplant list because of his brushes with the law." [NBCNews.com]
Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill
*PROSTITUTES FOR REID* - Brett McGinness: "*A Las Vegas-area brothel is offering to host a retirement party for Nevada Senator Harry Reid*, thanking him for his support of initiatives beneficial to Nevada's legalized prostitution industry...An open letter from Sheri's Ranch, bfased in Pahrump, mentioned several initiatives that Reid supported, including the Affordable Care Act. Because Nevada's prostitutes operate as independent contractors, they are responsible for their own health insurance and cannot be denied coverage due to the ACA. The letter also thanked Reid for his support of the LGBT community and his opposition to the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, approximately 60 miles north of Pahrump." [Reno Gazette-Journal]
*ASA HUTCHINSON HANGS MIKE PENCE OUT TO DRY* - Dana Liebelson: "Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said on Wednesday he would not yet sign a controversial religious freedom act into law, requesting that the state legislature make changes to the bill in the wake of criticism that the legislation could be used to facilitate discrimination against LGBT citizens and other groups." Sorry, Mike! [HuffPost]
*Need some clarification of why the Indiana "religious liberty" law is a big deal? Allow us to break you off this slice of COHNBREAD*: "[I]ntention is one thing, impact quite another. As legal experts pointed out to The Huffington Post, even with the Indiana law in place, a business owner refusing service to a same-sex couple might still lose a discrimination lawsuit. It would depend on several factors -- among them how the judge interpreted phrases like 'compelling interest' and 'substantial burden.' The outcome could also depend on whether the alleged discrimination took place in a city that has its own laws making such discrimination illegal. These factors hardly make the law inconsequential -- particularly now that legislators in another state, Arkansas, have passed a similar statute and sent it to their governor to sign. But Indiana's law may be more significant because of what its sponsors were trying to do (and the grief they've gotten for it) than for what they've actually accomplished." [HuffPost's Jonathan Cohn]
Who created a mashup of Mike Pence's overly-audible breaths at yesterday's presser? HuffPost's Amber Ferguson, natch.
*BOEHNER IN THE HOLY LAND* - John Boehner's meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu was duller than that wine tasting class (we're guessing) he attended at the Capitol Hill Club. WaPo: "Speaking to the media with Netanyahu ahead of their meeting in Jerusalem, the two leaders sought to emphasize that amid threats to Israel and the United States in the Middle East, the relationship between the two countries is unwavering…*Neither man mentioned the Obama administration's ongoing efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran*. Netanyahu has voiced opposition to such a deal. So have Boehner and many Republicans. Negotiators were scrambling to try to reach an agreement Wednesday as they blew past a self-imposed Tuesday deadline. Before his meeting with Boehner, Netanyahu said in a televised statement that 'now is the time for the international community to insist on a better deal,' according to Reuters." [WaPo]
*HILLARY'S #s SLIP AMIDST EMAILGHAZI* - Why did she tell her server to stand down? The Hill: "Hillary Clinton’s email problems are taking a bite out of her approval ratings, raising the GOP’s confidence that she can be defeated in 2016. A new poll released Tuesday by Quinnipiac University found Clinton trailing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Sunshine State and enjoying only a 2 percentage point lead over Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). In February, she led both -- with a 10-point lead on Rubio. Hillary Clinton’s email problems are taking a bite out of her approval ratings, raising the GOP’s confidence that she can be defeated in 2016. A new poll released Tuesday by Quinnipiac University found Clinton trailing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Sunshine State and enjoying only a 2 percentage point lead over Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). In February, she led both -- with a 10-point lead on Rubio." [The Hill]
*Ready for access*: "As Ready for Hillary -- the independent super PAC that for over two years has been raising grass-roots support for a Clinton presidential campaign -- begins to wind down its operation ahead of Clinton’s formal campaign announcement, all 29 of its staffers who want jobs on the Clinton campaign are expected to get the chance to do so at some point during the cycle, sources said." [Politico]
*KOCH DONORS COMING OUT OF THE SHADOWS* - ...presumably cast by the awnings of their Park Avenue co-ops. USA Today: "Donors to the Koch-affiliated Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce have penned at least eight newspaper opinion pieces recently, declaring their support for the Koch's small-government, free-market agenda. The latest, signed by eight California residents, appeared this week in The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, Calif…*Chris Rufer, the CEO of a California tomato-processing company, told USA TODAY that he donates between $500,000 and $1 million each year to the Koch network but is not concerned with short-term political gains*. Rufer, a Libertarian, said he's more interested in changing the 'culture" through supporting the foundations and think tanks backed by the network 'than in trying to win elections today.'" [USA Today]
*PUBLIC SERVICE WITH A SMILE* - Grim: "On Tuesday night, a Tennessee Senate committee voted to deny some 280,000 state residents access to health care, rejecting a plan to expand Medicaid that would have cost the state nothing. Following the vote, advocates for expansion ran into state Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R), a wealth manager at Morgan Stanley who sits on the committee. One activist, Damien Crisp, asked Gardenhire if he would be willing to give up his own state-subsidized health insurance. *Gardenhire, in a video of the incident taken by another activist, turned around and said something along the lines of 'Not giving it up, asshole' or, perhaps, 'Why don't you give it up, asshole?'* ('Asshole' is the clearest part of his rejoinder.)" [HuffPost]
*BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR* - Here's a dog covering the White Stripes.
*SCOTT WALKER ALLERGIC TO DOGS* - So we've reached this part of the pre- pre- pre- primary news cycle. Gird your loins for the "Will Jeb Bush's paleo diet hurt him with Pennsylvania's whiz and steak constituency?" thought pieces. "[L]ittle notice has been given to an area in which he faces a different sort of constitutional challenge: *overcoming his aversion to man’s best friend*. Jeb Bush can lament how he lost a Labrador (named for his brother Marvin) to cancer. Marco Rubio has a Shih Tzu, with a name like a gift from heaven: Manna. Ted Cruz goes one better: His rescue mutt is called Snowflake. ('Dear Jesus, please, please, PLEASE bring us a puppy,' his daughters prayed, according to Mr. Cruz’s Facebook page.) And if Mr. Walker makes it to November, he could face Hillary Rodham Clinton and her toy poodle, Tally. Mr. Walker, who gives a gloomy stump speech filled with 'worry,' perhaps could use a four-legged image softener of his own. But he is allergic to dog dander, an aide confirmed." [NYT]
*COMFORT FOOD*
- Skipping is the most efficient form of human locomotion.
- Babes are almost as stupid as adults.
- Google's Dial-Up Mode April Fools' gag is just that, a gag, but we wish it existed.
*TWITTERAMA*
@anamariecox: It is kind of embarrassing how much joy I'm getting out of pizza today. I AM GAY FOR PIZZA, that's what I'm saying.
@ByronTau: This is the progress I've made on my story today:
WASHINGTON --
@Yair_Rosenberg:
"What's our status, John?"
"Well, we successfully deployed mice in the Iranian delegation's suite."
"Excellent."
*Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffingtonpost.com) or Arthur Delaney (arthur@huffingtonpost.com). Follow us on Twitter @HuffPostHill (twitter.com/HuffPostHill). Sign up here: http://huff.to/an2k2e* Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.
*MENENDEZ INDICTED* - 3… 2… 1… Fight [these scurrilous charges]! CNN: "Federal prosecutors indicted Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez on corruption charges on Wednesday for allegedly using his Senate office to push the business interests of a friend and donor in exchange for gifts, according to the Justice Department. The case, brought by the Justice Department's public integrity unit, sets up a high-stakes battle between a New Jersey senator who has fought off investigations for years, and federal prosecutors and the FBI who have spent years pursuing him." [CNN]
@hillhulse: Hearing that Senator Menendez will voluntarily step aside as ranking on Foreign Relations Committee for the time being.
Here is ye olde indictment.
*LOIS LERNER ESCAPES JUSTICE* - Mike McAuliff: "Lois Lerner, the former Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the furor over the agency's alleged targeting of politically active nonprofits, *will not face prosecution for refusing to testify before Congress*, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday. The House of Representatives voted last year to hold Lerner in contempt for refusing to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, then chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). She had offered a short statement professing her innocence of any wrongdoing in the scandal and then twice invoked the Fifth Amendment. The contempt citation was forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia for prosecution…. 'Once again, the Obama administration has tried to sweep IRS targeting of taxpayers for their political beliefs under the rug,' Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said in a statement." [HuffPost]
*SHUT UP, POLITICS* - Igor Bobic: "April Fools' Day is awful. Even more awful, however, are politicians' lame attempts at humor...Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) alerted his supporters to tune in to a "big announcement" Wednesday morning. Was it an official announcement about his bid for the White House? No, it was his shocking endorsement of the Wisconsin men's basketball team in the NCAA tournament, which, for some reason, was marked by the hashtag #AprilFools...The National Republican Congressional Committee mocked Democrats for believing they could retake the House of Representatives in 2016 with this hilariously boring 'Top Ten' list...Tom Steyer and his organization NextGen Climate... emailed its supporters early Wednesday about new 'proof' showing that '97% of scientists tricked the world into believing the 'Global Warming Hoax.''… Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich got in on the action by endorsing President Barack Obama's foreign policy...In a bid for most original April Fools' joke, the Chamber of Commerce went with the bold, 'BREAKING: Obama Administration Approves Keystone XL Pipeline.'" [HuffPost]
*Our terrible April Fools' idea*: Have several-dozen members of the congressional press corps don Members Only jackets and try to ride the members-only elevators in the Capitol.
MEMBER: You can’t be in here.
REPORTER: Why, yes I can [points thumbs at Members Only jacket, is escorted off premises].
Har Har!
*Haircuts*: Arthur Delaney (h/t Arthur Delaney) , Mike Sommers (h/t Mike Sommers), Michael Steel (h/t Michael Steel)
McDonald's is raising wages at the fraction of restaurants it directly operates. The other 90 percent of McDonald's employees work in restaurants McDonald's pretends are mom & pop operations.
*DAILY DELANEY DOWNER* - This truly is the most terrible thing. Elizabeth Chuck: "A suburban Atlanta teenager who received national attention two years ago after doctors turned down his request for a heart transplant was killed Tuesday in a high-speed police chase. Anthony Stokes, 17, of Decatur, Georgia, received a transplant to replace his failing heart in August 2013 -- but only after a hospital reversed its decision denying him a spot on the transplant list because of his brushes with the law." [NBCNews.com]
Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill
*PROSTITUTES FOR REID* - Brett McGinness: "*A Las Vegas-area brothel is offering to host a retirement party for Nevada Senator Harry Reid*, thanking him for his support of initiatives beneficial to Nevada's legalized prostitution industry...An open letter from Sheri's Ranch, bfased in Pahrump, mentioned several initiatives that Reid supported, including the Affordable Care Act. Because Nevada's prostitutes operate as independent contractors, they are responsible for their own health insurance and cannot be denied coverage due to the ACA. The letter also thanked Reid for his support of the LGBT community and his opposition to the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, approximately 60 miles north of Pahrump." [Reno Gazette-Journal]
*ASA HUTCHINSON HANGS MIKE PENCE OUT TO DRY* - Dana Liebelson: "Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said on Wednesday he would not yet sign a controversial religious freedom act into law, requesting that the state legislature make changes to the bill in the wake of criticism that the legislation could be used to facilitate discrimination against LGBT citizens and other groups." Sorry, Mike! [HuffPost]
*Need some clarification of why the Indiana "religious liberty" law is a big deal? Allow us to break you off this slice of COHNBREAD*: "[I]ntention is one thing, impact quite another. As legal experts pointed out to The Huffington Post, even with the Indiana law in place, a business owner refusing service to a same-sex couple might still lose a discrimination lawsuit. It would depend on several factors -- among them how the judge interpreted phrases like 'compelling interest' and 'substantial burden.' The outcome could also depend on whether the alleged discrimination took place in a city that has its own laws making such discrimination illegal. These factors hardly make the law inconsequential -- particularly now that legislators in another state, Arkansas, have passed a similar statute and sent it to their governor to sign. But Indiana's law may be more significant because of what its sponsors were trying to do (and the grief they've gotten for it) than for what they've actually accomplished." [HuffPost's Jonathan Cohn]
Who created a mashup of Mike Pence's overly-audible breaths at yesterday's presser? HuffPost's Amber Ferguson, natch.
*BOEHNER IN THE HOLY LAND* - John Boehner's meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu was duller than that wine tasting class (we're guessing) he attended at the Capitol Hill Club. WaPo: "Speaking to the media with Netanyahu ahead of their meeting in Jerusalem, the two leaders sought to emphasize that amid threats to Israel and the United States in the Middle East, the relationship between the two countries is unwavering…*Neither man mentioned the Obama administration's ongoing efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran*. Netanyahu has voiced opposition to such a deal. So have Boehner and many Republicans. Negotiators were scrambling to try to reach an agreement Wednesday as they blew past a self-imposed Tuesday deadline. Before his meeting with Boehner, Netanyahu said in a televised statement that 'now is the time for the international community to insist on a better deal,' according to Reuters." [WaPo]
*HILLARY'S #s SLIP AMIDST EMAILGHAZI* - Why did she tell her server to stand down? The Hill: "Hillary Clinton’s email problems are taking a bite out of her approval ratings, raising the GOP’s confidence that she can be defeated in 2016. A new poll released Tuesday by Quinnipiac University found Clinton trailing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Sunshine State and enjoying only a 2 percentage point lead over Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). In February, she led both -- with a 10-point lead on Rubio. Hillary Clinton’s email problems are taking a bite out of her approval ratings, raising the GOP’s confidence that she can be defeated in 2016. A new poll released Tuesday by Quinnipiac University found Clinton trailing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Sunshine State and enjoying only a 2 percentage point lead over Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). In February, she led both -- with a 10-point lead on Rubio." [The Hill]
*Ready for access*: "As Ready for Hillary -- the independent super PAC that for over two years has been raising grass-roots support for a Clinton presidential campaign -- begins to wind down its operation ahead of Clinton’s formal campaign announcement, all 29 of its staffers who want jobs on the Clinton campaign are expected to get the chance to do so at some point during the cycle, sources said." [Politico]
*KOCH DONORS COMING OUT OF THE SHADOWS* - ...presumably cast by the awnings of their Park Avenue co-ops. USA Today: "Donors to the Koch-affiliated Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce have penned at least eight newspaper opinion pieces recently, declaring their support for the Koch's small-government, free-market agenda. The latest, signed by eight California residents, appeared this week in The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, Calif…*Chris Rufer, the CEO of a California tomato-processing company, told USA TODAY that he donates between $500,000 and $1 million each year to the Koch network but is not concerned with short-term political gains*. Rufer, a Libertarian, said he's more interested in changing the 'culture" through supporting the foundations and think tanks backed by the network 'than in trying to win elections today.'" [USA Today]
*PUBLIC SERVICE WITH A SMILE* - Grim: "On Tuesday night, a Tennessee Senate committee voted to deny some 280,000 state residents access to health care, rejecting a plan to expand Medicaid that would have cost the state nothing. Following the vote, advocates for expansion ran into state Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R), a wealth manager at Morgan Stanley who sits on the committee. One activist, Damien Crisp, asked Gardenhire if he would be willing to give up his own state-subsidized health insurance. *Gardenhire, in a video of the incident taken by another activist, turned around and said something along the lines of 'Not giving it up, asshole' or, perhaps, 'Why don't you give it up, asshole?'* ('Asshole' is the clearest part of his rejoinder.)" [HuffPost]
*BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR* - Here's a dog covering the White Stripes.
*SCOTT WALKER ALLERGIC TO DOGS* - So we've reached this part of the pre- pre- pre- primary news cycle. Gird your loins for the "Will Jeb Bush's paleo diet hurt him with Pennsylvania's whiz and steak constituency?" thought pieces. "[L]ittle notice has been given to an area in which he faces a different sort of constitutional challenge: *overcoming his aversion to man’s best friend*. Jeb Bush can lament how he lost a Labrador (named for his brother Marvin) to cancer. Marco Rubio has a Shih Tzu, with a name like a gift from heaven: Manna. Ted Cruz goes one better: His rescue mutt is called Snowflake. ('Dear Jesus, please, please, PLEASE bring us a puppy,' his daughters prayed, according to Mr. Cruz’s Facebook page.) And if Mr. Walker makes it to November, he could face Hillary Rodham Clinton and her toy poodle, Tally. Mr. Walker, who gives a gloomy stump speech filled with 'worry,' perhaps could use a four-legged image softener of his own. But he is allergic to dog dander, an aide confirmed." [NYT]
*COMFORT FOOD*
- Skipping is the most efficient form of human locomotion.
- Babes are almost as stupid as adults.
- Google's Dial-Up Mode April Fools' gag is just that, a gag, but we wish it existed.
*TWITTERAMA*
@anamariecox: It is kind of embarrassing how much joy I'm getting out of pizza today. I AM GAY FOR PIZZA, that's what I'm saying.
@ByronTau: This is the progress I've made on my story today:
WASHINGTON --
@Yair_Rosenberg:
"What's our status, John?"
"Well, we successfully deployed mice in the Iranian delegation's suite."
"Excellent."
*Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffingtonpost.com) or Arthur Delaney (arthur@huffingtonpost.com). Follow us on Twitter @HuffPostHill (twitter.com/HuffPostHill). Sign up here: http://huff.to/an2k2e* Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.
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Religious Freedom - You've Got to Be Carefully Taught to Hate
Last week Indiana signed the now highly controversial "religious freedom" bill into law. Senate Bill 101, which takes effect July 1, prohibits state or local governments from substantially burdening a person's ability to exercise their religion. Arkansas is now considering a similar bill. But these two states are not alone. Forty percent of U.S. states now have religious freedom bills similar to Indiana. Although not written to specifically target LGBT persons, there is now well-grounded concern that such laws will lead to increases in discrimination based on sexual orientation. In addition to the obvious harm and distress this will cause, what message are we sending to our children about their rights and their right to discriminate against others?
Just suppose for a moment that it was ever appropriate for laws to be determined by religious doctrine. In a country made up of a melting pot of cultures that prides itself on democracy, then surely we have to include all religions? Judaism, Islam (Shi'ism, Sunnism), Buddhism, Hinduism, and all branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism), to name but a few, shouldn't they all be invited to the table? The recent growth in laws aimed at protecting religious freedoms -- many of which stem from the Supreme Court ruling that Hobby Lobby (a Christian owned company) did not have to provide health insurance coverage for contraception -- are supported largely by right-wing Christian groups. Why not examine all religious texts and seek input from all religions when deciding what constitutes religious freedom? We cannot have one voice creating a sense of panic and hate.
These laws are not founded on actual religious rules; rather interpretations of what religious texts mean. Or worse, views on what religious texts say from people who have never taken the time to study the texts. And where do we draw the line in the interpretation of what can be denied on the grounds of religious freedom? Religious freedom acts allow a doctor to refuse to treat the child of a same-sex couple; this happened recently in Michigan. Technically could I be refused service in a Jewish Deli for having a foreskin? (Now that would be an interesting sign in the window). I doubt this will happen, and nor do I think I will suddenly be allowed to stone phone psychics to death (per Leviticus 20:27). But the public discourse suggests religious freedom is being used as an excuse to deny rights to LGBT people.
At best, this represents moral conservatism. At worst, it is pure bigotry. There is nothing wrong with being morally conservative. Let me make one thing clear; my sexuality doesn't need your approval. It doesn't need anything from you. It is mine. It is ok if you don't approve; we all have things we don't approve of. I don't approve of those rings people put in the earlobes that result in stretched out skin and floppy lobes. They make me cringe. And that is ok. But the decision to disfigure your earlobe is your choice, and this is where we hit another important distinction. Being gay is not a choice, although being brave enough to be open about your sexuality in a hostile environment is. And when we start to legalize people's rights to deny services based on individual characteristics we quickly move into legally sanctioned bigotry.
Missing from this discourse is the messages we are sending to youth. As impressionable children, we internalize messages we receive about what is right, what is normal, what we are allowed to be -- each shaping our views about our sexual identity and whether we "belong." These messages set scripts for youth to follow, divide them into normal and abnormal, and arm bullies with justification to harm them. My own recent research, published in the American Journal of Men's Health, showed that gay men who reported that they heard statements such as "being gay is not normal" in their youth were more likely as adults to have unprotected sex and to have sex while intoxicated or high. Similar research shows that gays are significantly more likely to attempt suicide compared with heterosexual youth (21.5 percent vs 4.2 percent), and that among gay youth, the risk of attempting suicide is 20 percent greater in unsupportive environments compared with supportive environments. Doesn't exactly sound like religious tolerance does it?
We need interventions to stem this tide of bigotry dressed up as freedom. Recently the NCAA expressed concern over Indiana's signing of Senate Bill 101 as they get ready to host to final four of March madness. If the hyper-heterosexual world of college sport can step up and be concerned, then so can others. Indianapolis' Republican mayor, Greg Ballard, has broken with Pence on the bill, saying the act put his city's economy at risk. We risk damaging our democratic reputation, our economy and our human rights record. We need education that teaches youth to respect diverse identities and not laws that tell them it is ok to discriminate. These laws divide. They tell youth that hate is ok. They send a message that one person's rights are more important than another's. And when it comes to what these laws are doing to youth, not one says it better than Rodgers and Hammerstein: You've got to be taught to hate and fear, You've got to be taught from year to year, it's got to be drummed in your dear little ear, You've got to be carefully taught (South Pacific, "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught, Rodgers and Hammerstein).
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not represent those of the University of Michigan. Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.
Just suppose for a moment that it was ever appropriate for laws to be determined by religious doctrine. In a country made up of a melting pot of cultures that prides itself on democracy, then surely we have to include all religions? Judaism, Islam (Shi'ism, Sunnism), Buddhism, Hinduism, and all branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism), to name but a few, shouldn't they all be invited to the table? The recent growth in laws aimed at protecting religious freedoms -- many of which stem from the Supreme Court ruling that Hobby Lobby (a Christian owned company) did not have to provide health insurance coverage for contraception -- are supported largely by right-wing Christian groups. Why not examine all religious texts and seek input from all religions when deciding what constitutes religious freedom? We cannot have one voice creating a sense of panic and hate.
These laws are not founded on actual religious rules; rather interpretations of what religious texts mean. Or worse, views on what religious texts say from people who have never taken the time to study the texts. And where do we draw the line in the interpretation of what can be denied on the grounds of religious freedom? Religious freedom acts allow a doctor to refuse to treat the child of a same-sex couple; this happened recently in Michigan. Technically could I be refused service in a Jewish Deli for having a foreskin? (Now that would be an interesting sign in the window). I doubt this will happen, and nor do I think I will suddenly be allowed to stone phone psychics to death (per Leviticus 20:27). But the public discourse suggests religious freedom is being used as an excuse to deny rights to LGBT people.
At best, this represents moral conservatism. At worst, it is pure bigotry. There is nothing wrong with being morally conservative. Let me make one thing clear; my sexuality doesn't need your approval. It doesn't need anything from you. It is mine. It is ok if you don't approve; we all have things we don't approve of. I don't approve of those rings people put in the earlobes that result in stretched out skin and floppy lobes. They make me cringe. And that is ok. But the decision to disfigure your earlobe is your choice, and this is where we hit another important distinction. Being gay is not a choice, although being brave enough to be open about your sexuality in a hostile environment is. And when we start to legalize people's rights to deny services based on individual characteristics we quickly move into legally sanctioned bigotry.
Missing from this discourse is the messages we are sending to youth. As impressionable children, we internalize messages we receive about what is right, what is normal, what we are allowed to be -- each shaping our views about our sexual identity and whether we "belong." These messages set scripts for youth to follow, divide them into normal and abnormal, and arm bullies with justification to harm them. My own recent research, published in the American Journal of Men's Health, showed that gay men who reported that they heard statements such as "being gay is not normal" in their youth were more likely as adults to have unprotected sex and to have sex while intoxicated or high. Similar research shows that gays are significantly more likely to attempt suicide compared with heterosexual youth (21.5 percent vs 4.2 percent), and that among gay youth, the risk of attempting suicide is 20 percent greater in unsupportive environments compared with supportive environments. Doesn't exactly sound like religious tolerance does it?
We need interventions to stem this tide of bigotry dressed up as freedom. Recently the NCAA expressed concern over Indiana's signing of Senate Bill 101 as they get ready to host to final four of March madness. If the hyper-heterosexual world of college sport can step up and be concerned, then so can others. Indianapolis' Republican mayor, Greg Ballard, has broken with Pence on the bill, saying the act put his city's economy at risk. We risk damaging our democratic reputation, our economy and our human rights record. We need education that teaches youth to respect diverse identities and not laws that tell them it is ok to discriminate. These laws divide. They tell youth that hate is ok. They send a message that one person's rights are more important than another's. And when it comes to what these laws are doing to youth, not one says it better than Rodgers and Hammerstein: You've got to be taught to hate and fear, You've got to be taught from year to year, it's got to be drummed in your dear little ear, You've got to be carefully taught (South Pacific, "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught, Rodgers and Hammerstein).
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not represent those of the University of Michigan. Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.
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Texas bill would bar gun ownership status in medical record
DALLAS (AP) — Texas lawmakers are considering a bill that would keep a person's gun ownership status from being listed in their medical records, a move health providers worry would be an unnecessary government intrusion that harms their consultations with patients. Shulter said revelations that the National Security Agency is collecting Americans' phone records and intrusive practices by other government agencies show that the potential for abuse exists. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 offers various privacy protections for patients, such as allowing people to check what's included in their records and learning who has requested access to their records. [...] Shulter said extra protections are needed because waivers are granted by a patient or legal representative allowing health information to be forwarded to insurance companies or other parties. [...] critics of the bill question why government agencies would seek such information from medical records when both state and federal agencies maintain lists of permit-holders and other data. Glocks, subjects health care providers to possible sanctions if they discuss or record information in a patient's record about firearms that a medical board later determines to be irrelevant.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 1 day ago.
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New Poll Confirms Voters Don't Want State Obamacare Exchanges
Last week, the Foundation for Government Accountability released a groundbreaking poll of voters in federal exchange states that provides valuable insight into how voters want policymakers to respond to the pending King v. Burwell Supreme Court ruling. In short, voters don’t want their state legislators to rescue Obamacare should the Supreme Court rule that health insurance subsidies cannot flow through HealthCare.gov. They blame Congress for a poorly written law and don’t want or expect states to clean up Washington’s mess. In fact, they’re prepared to vote against state lawmakers who try to set up Obamacare exchanges.
Reported by Forbes.com 16 hours ago.
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More of Us Depend On - but Can't Afford - Smartphones
Filed under: Technology, Internet, Mobile Technology, Cell Phones, Computers*Mark Richardson/Alamy*
By Bob Sullivan
A fast-growing portion of Americans depend only on smartphones for Internet access, but nearly half of that group faces high rates of service interruption for financial reasons, according to a Pew Research Center study released Wednesday. This "smartphone-dependent" group tends to be poor and non-white, Pew says, raising the possibility of a new kind of digital divide.
Pew's survey found that 10 percent of Americans own a smartphone but do not have broadband at home, and 15 percent own a smartphone but say that they have a limited number of options for going online, aside from their cellphone. In all, 19 percent of American adults indicate that at least one of those conditions applies to them -- making them dependent on smartphones for participating in the digital world. Critically, 13 percent of those with an annual household income of less than $30,000 per year are smartphone dependent, while just 1 percent of Americans from households earning more than $75,000 per year depend on their smartphones.
*Tenuous, Intermittent Access*
"For a fairly substantial proportion of the population, smartphones are definitely serving as a key utility for accessing all sorts of important information and services -- and it's quite clear that this access is often most tenuous or intermittent for those users who rely on that access the most," said Aaron Smith, who co-authored the study.
The smartphone dependent group faces disconnection rates that are more than double the general population. And 48 percent of the smartphone-dependent group said they have had to cancel or suspend service due to "financial constraints," compared to 21 percent of the general population, Pew found.
And those lower income households are far more likely to need smartphones to perform basic Internet tasks such as hunting for a job. Those earning less than $30,000 annually are nearly twice as likely to use a smartphone to look for information about a job -- and more than four times as likely to use their phone to submit a job application, Pew said.
*Less Likely to Have a Bank Account, Health Insurance*
Trouble with smartphone bills occurs across economic and racial divides -- 23 percent of smartphone owners overall have had to cancel or suspend their service for a period of time because the cost was a financial hardship, Pew says, and 7 percent said they "frequently" experience higher-than-expected utility bills. Meanwhile, 15 percent said they frequently reach their data maximums.
But service interruptions are obviously a bigger hardship on those who rely on smartphones as their only connection to the Internet, a group Pew is dubbing "smartphone-dependent." Pew found that 12 percent percent percent of African Americans and 13 percent of Latinos are smartphone-dependent, compared with 4 percent of whites.
"Compared with smartphone owners who are less reliant on their mobile devices, the smartphone-dependent users are less likely to own some other type of computing device, less likely to have a bank account, less likely to be covered by health insurance, and more likely to rent or to live with a friend or family member rather than own their own home," Pew found.
*Part of Everyday Life*
The results come at a time when overall smartphone ownership has exploded. Fully 64% of American adults own a smartphone, up from 31 percent in 2011, Pew says. Smartphones are taking over as the main tool for Internet access for many users. Pew found that smartphones are now routinely used for critical everyday tasks:
· 62 percent of smartphone owners have used their phone in the past year to look up information about a health condition.
· 57 percent have used their phone to do online banking.
· 44 percent have used their phone to look up real estate listings or other information about a place to live.
· 43 percent to look up information about a job.
· 40 percent to look up government services or information.
· 30 percent to take a class or get educational content.
· 18 percent to submit a job application.
With growing ranks of smartphone dependents, and the increased notion that smartphones are required for participation in the economy, do consumers need better protections from service interruption, as users of utilities like electricity and land-line telephone service do?
"As an organization we aren't in the business of promoting particular policy outcomes so we don't have a formal position on whether additional regulation is necessary to help that group ... or what those regulations might look like," Smith said. "But we do hope that these findings can help inform the broader debate that's happening over broadband expansion and other digital divide issues, by giving a more thorough view into the day-to-day lives of that 'smartphone dependent' group."
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Reported by DailyFinance 21 hours ago.
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Penn State Launches New Online Bachelor’s Degree in Health Policy and Administration
The new Penn State online bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration can help adult learners take advantage of the increasing demand for jobs in medical service and health care management.
University Park, Pa. (PRWEB) April 02, 2015
As the baby boomer generation ages, the demands on the country’s health care industry are increasing the need for more medical services and professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates this demand will create more than 73,000 new medical and health care management jobs by 2022, or an increase of 23 percent.
The new Penn State online bachelor of science in health policy and administration degree can help people take advantage of the increased demand for those kinds of jobs. The 120-credit degree is offered by Penn State World Campus and the Penn State College of Health and Human Development.
Applications are now being accepted for the degree for admission in Penn State’s fall 2015 semester.
"The online bachelor of science in health policy and administration will provide the necessary knowledge and skills to position our students for successful careers in an ever-changing health care environment," said Mark Sciegaj, associate professor of health policy and administration and lead faculty member of the program.
The college offers an identical bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration at the University Park campus. The same high-quality faculty who teach in residence also teach online, Sciegaj said.
The degree will prepare students to work in a variety of health care organizations, such as hospitals, physician practices, home health agencies, health insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, research and policy organizations or governmental agencies.
World Campus will provide the online delivery of the program including advising, tutoring and career counseling.
“The degree was designed with adult learners’ busy schedules, jobs and families in mind,” said Karen Pollack, the assistant vice provost for undergraduate online and blended programs at Penn State World Campus. “Students will have the flexibility to study when it is most convenient for them.”
The online program has the distinction of being certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, an organization that works to improve health care delivery. The program is also affiliated with the resident and online master of health administration, which is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.
For more information about the online bachelor’s in health and policy administration degree, visit the program’s website. Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.
University Park, Pa. (PRWEB) April 02, 2015
As the baby boomer generation ages, the demands on the country’s health care industry are increasing the need for more medical services and professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates this demand will create more than 73,000 new medical and health care management jobs by 2022, or an increase of 23 percent.
The new Penn State online bachelor of science in health policy and administration degree can help people take advantage of the increased demand for those kinds of jobs. The 120-credit degree is offered by Penn State World Campus and the Penn State College of Health and Human Development.
Applications are now being accepted for the degree for admission in Penn State’s fall 2015 semester.
"The online bachelor of science in health policy and administration will provide the necessary knowledge and skills to position our students for successful careers in an ever-changing health care environment," said Mark Sciegaj, associate professor of health policy and administration and lead faculty member of the program.
The college offers an identical bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration at the University Park campus. The same high-quality faculty who teach in residence also teach online, Sciegaj said.
The degree will prepare students to work in a variety of health care organizations, such as hospitals, physician practices, home health agencies, health insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, research and policy organizations or governmental agencies.
World Campus will provide the online delivery of the program including advising, tutoring and career counseling.
“The degree was designed with adult learners’ busy schedules, jobs and families in mind,” said Karen Pollack, the assistant vice provost for undergraduate online and blended programs at Penn State World Campus. “Students will have the flexibility to study when it is most convenient for them.”
The online program has the distinction of being certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, an organization that works to improve health care delivery. The program is also affiliated with the resident and online master of health administration, which is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.
For more information about the online bachelor’s in health and policy administration degree, visit the program’s website. Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.
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UnitedHealthcare Launches Mobile App for AARP Supplemental Health Insurance Plan Members
MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare is launching a new mobile app, enabling Medicare supplement insurance plan members to access their health plan information anytime, anywhere.
Reported by Business Wire 19 hours ago.
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Capita Healthcare Decisions Partner With Medibank to Deliver Safe, Consistent Health Advice for Australians
BASINGSTOKE, England, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Capita announces a partnership with Medibank, a healthcare company providing private health insurance and health solutions to almost 3.9 million people throughout Australia and New Zealand. ...
Reported by PR Newswire 18 hours ago.
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13 Companies That Aren't Waiting For Congress To Raise The Minimum Wage
It’s been six years since Congress raised the federal minimum wage, which stands at a paltry $7.25 an hour. While Congress continues to stall proposals to raise wages for the nation's poorest, some companies have taken it upon themselves to boost pay.
McDonald's was the latest company to join the trend. The fast food chain announced Wednesday that it would raise wages for a small number of its employees in the face of growing pressure from employees and labor advocates.
In February, Walmart took the lead in bumping wages of its roughly 500,000 lowest-paid employees up to $9 per hour. It was soon followed by T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Target.
Here’s a list of 13 major companies that aren't waiting around for Congress to give hourly workers a raise:
-1. McDonald's-
The fast food giant said it would bump wages by 10 percent and offer additional benefits to around 90,000 employees at a small fraction of its stores. Employees at franchises, which make up the majority of McDonald's locations, aren't affected, the announcement could put pressure on franchise owners to follow suit.
The new average hourly wage will be $9.90, and $10 by the end of next year. Workers at non-franchised locations who have been with the company for more than a year will be able to have five days of paid time off each year.
-2. Aetna-
The health insurance company announced in January that it would raise wages for its lowest-paid employees beginning this April.
These workers will make a minimum base pay of $16 an hour, an increase of 33 percent from their current $12 an hour rate. The 5,700 workers affected by the change will see an average pay raise of about 11 percent.
-3. Walmart-
Months after protests by workers who said their paltry wages forced them to seek government assistance, Walmart vowed to raise baseline pay to $9 per hour this April. The company promised to increase that wage to $10 per hour next year.
“Overall, these are strategic investments in our people to reignite the sense of ownership they have in our stores,” CEO Doug McMillon said on Feb. 19. “As a result, we firmly believe that our customers will benefit from a better store experience, which can drive higher sales and returns for our shareholders over time.”
As the world’s biggest retailer, the move could ripple throughout the economy, stimulating more consumer spending and pressuring other retailers to increase baseline pay.
-4. T.J. Maxx-
Less than a week after Walmart's announcement, TJX Companies -- which owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and other department store chains -- said it would hike its baseline wages to $9 per hour beginning in June, and then to $10 per hour next year for workers who've been at the companies for at least six months.
“This pay initiative is an important part of our strategies to continue attracting and retaining the best talent in order to deliver a great shopping experience, remain competitive on wages in our U.S. markets, and stay focused on our value mission,” Carol Meyrowitz, TJX’s chief executive, said in a statement included with the company's fourth-quarter earnings.
-5. Target-
Target will raise its minimum wage to $9 an hour, the company announced in March. The retailed faced increased pressure to raise pay after its rival Walmart made the move a month earlier.
-6. Starbucks-
Last October, Starbucks promised to increase wages for its baristas and shift supervisors. The raises, tailored to the individual employees’ pay packages, were slated to go into effect in January. The company did not offer specifics on the size of the increases.
“The new rates will ensure we are paying a competition wage that better positions us to attract and keep the best partners,” said Troy Alstead, the coffee chain’s chief operating officer.
-7. Ikea-
Ikea will peg its minimum wage in different stores to MIT's Living Wage Calculator, which estimates the minimum living wage a worker needs to make depending on where he or she lives. IKEA said none of its wages will fall below $9 an hour. The new rates took effect on Jan. 1.
-8. Gap Inc.-
Gap Inc. announced in February of 2014 that it would raise minimum hourly pay for workers across all of its brands to $9 the following June, and to $10 an hour beginning in June of this year.
“With more than 65,000 workers getting an increase in their hourly pay rate [by 2015], we are making a positive impact for our employees," Gap spokeswoman Paula Conhain said in a statement. "And, it is good for business; it is helping us to attract and retain the best talent in retail, which is a real competitive advantage for us.”
Since the announcement, the company has seen a surge in job applications.
-9. Costco-
Costco's starting pay is $11.50 an hour, and the average employee there earns $21 an hour, not including overtime. About 88 percent of Costco workers also benefit from company-sponsored health insurance, David Sherwood, Costco's director of financial planning and investor relations, told HuffPost in 2013.
-10. In-N-Out Burger-
The West Coast burger chain starts its employees off at $10.50 an hour and provides workers paid vacations and 401(k) plans, according to its website.
"We strive to create a working environment that is upbeat, enthusiastic and customer-focused," a company spokesman said in a statement. "A higher pay structure is helpful in making that happen."
-11. Shake Shack-
This East Coast eatery has a starting salary of $10 an hour in New York and $9.50 an hour elsewhere. The chain also offers health care benefits for full-time employees and a 401(k) matching program.
-12. Ben & Jerry’s-
Need another reason to love the makers of Chunky Monkey and Half Baked? An entry-level Ben & Jerry’s worker makes $16.29 an hour, according to company spokesman Sean Greenwood -- more than double the current federal minimum wage. "As we as a business prosper, those around us should prosper as well," Greenwood said in an email.
Ben & Jerry's even treat their cows better than other companies.
-13. Whole Foods-
At Whole Foods, workers earn a minimum starting salary of $10 an hour. The average hourly wage is $18.89, while the average annual salary is $39, 289. A company spokeswoman told HuffPost in an email that the chain's wages have contributed to a low employee turnover rate of less than 10 percent.
Rebecca Hiscott contributed reporting.
*EDITOR'S NOTE:* A portion of this article was previously published in February. Reported by Huffington Post 18 hours ago.
McDonald's was the latest company to join the trend. The fast food chain announced Wednesday that it would raise wages for a small number of its employees in the face of growing pressure from employees and labor advocates.
In February, Walmart took the lead in bumping wages of its roughly 500,000 lowest-paid employees up to $9 per hour. It was soon followed by T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Target.
Here’s a list of 13 major companies that aren't waiting around for Congress to give hourly workers a raise:
-1. McDonald's-
The fast food giant said it would bump wages by 10 percent and offer additional benefits to around 90,000 employees at a small fraction of its stores. Employees at franchises, which make up the majority of McDonald's locations, aren't affected, the announcement could put pressure on franchise owners to follow suit.
The new average hourly wage will be $9.90, and $10 by the end of next year. Workers at non-franchised locations who have been with the company for more than a year will be able to have five days of paid time off each year.
-2. Aetna-
The health insurance company announced in January that it would raise wages for its lowest-paid employees beginning this April.
These workers will make a minimum base pay of $16 an hour, an increase of 33 percent from their current $12 an hour rate. The 5,700 workers affected by the change will see an average pay raise of about 11 percent.
-3. Walmart-
Months after protests by workers who said their paltry wages forced them to seek government assistance, Walmart vowed to raise baseline pay to $9 per hour this April. The company promised to increase that wage to $10 per hour next year.
“Overall, these are strategic investments in our people to reignite the sense of ownership they have in our stores,” CEO Doug McMillon said on Feb. 19. “As a result, we firmly believe that our customers will benefit from a better store experience, which can drive higher sales and returns for our shareholders over time.”
As the world’s biggest retailer, the move could ripple throughout the economy, stimulating more consumer spending and pressuring other retailers to increase baseline pay.
-4. T.J. Maxx-
Less than a week after Walmart's announcement, TJX Companies -- which owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and other department store chains -- said it would hike its baseline wages to $9 per hour beginning in June, and then to $10 per hour next year for workers who've been at the companies for at least six months.
“This pay initiative is an important part of our strategies to continue attracting and retaining the best talent in order to deliver a great shopping experience, remain competitive on wages in our U.S. markets, and stay focused on our value mission,” Carol Meyrowitz, TJX’s chief executive, said in a statement included with the company's fourth-quarter earnings.
-5. Target-
Target will raise its minimum wage to $9 an hour, the company announced in March. The retailed faced increased pressure to raise pay after its rival Walmart made the move a month earlier.
-6. Starbucks-
Last October, Starbucks promised to increase wages for its baristas and shift supervisors. The raises, tailored to the individual employees’ pay packages, were slated to go into effect in January. The company did not offer specifics on the size of the increases.
“The new rates will ensure we are paying a competition wage that better positions us to attract and keep the best partners,” said Troy Alstead, the coffee chain’s chief operating officer.
-7. Ikea-
Ikea will peg its minimum wage in different stores to MIT's Living Wage Calculator, which estimates the minimum living wage a worker needs to make depending on where he or she lives. IKEA said none of its wages will fall below $9 an hour. The new rates took effect on Jan. 1.
-8. Gap Inc.-
Gap Inc. announced in February of 2014 that it would raise minimum hourly pay for workers across all of its brands to $9 the following June, and to $10 an hour beginning in June of this year.
“With more than 65,000 workers getting an increase in their hourly pay rate [by 2015], we are making a positive impact for our employees," Gap spokeswoman Paula Conhain said in a statement. "And, it is good for business; it is helping us to attract and retain the best talent in retail, which is a real competitive advantage for us.”
Since the announcement, the company has seen a surge in job applications.
-9. Costco-
Costco's starting pay is $11.50 an hour, and the average employee there earns $21 an hour, not including overtime. About 88 percent of Costco workers also benefit from company-sponsored health insurance, David Sherwood, Costco's director of financial planning and investor relations, told HuffPost in 2013.
-10. In-N-Out Burger-
The West Coast burger chain starts its employees off at $10.50 an hour and provides workers paid vacations and 401(k) plans, according to its website.
"We strive to create a working environment that is upbeat, enthusiastic and customer-focused," a company spokesman said in a statement. "A higher pay structure is helpful in making that happen."
-11. Shake Shack-
This East Coast eatery has a starting salary of $10 an hour in New York and $9.50 an hour elsewhere. The chain also offers health care benefits for full-time employees and a 401(k) matching program.
-12. Ben & Jerry’s-
Need another reason to love the makers of Chunky Monkey and Half Baked? An entry-level Ben & Jerry’s worker makes $16.29 an hour, according to company spokesman Sean Greenwood -- more than double the current federal minimum wage. "As we as a business prosper, those around us should prosper as well," Greenwood said in an email.
Ben & Jerry's even treat their cows better than other companies.
-13. Whole Foods-
At Whole Foods, workers earn a minimum starting salary of $10 an hour. The average hourly wage is $18.89, while the average annual salary is $39, 289. A company spokeswoman told HuffPost in an email that the chain's wages have contributed to a low employee turnover rate of less than 10 percent.
Rebecca Hiscott contributed reporting.
*EDITOR'S NOTE:* A portion of this article was previously published in February. Reported by Huffington Post 18 hours ago.
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Medica Fetches Distributor Role for Pet Insurance via Agreement with Pets Best
MINNETONKA, Minn. & BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dog and cat owners now have a one-stop shop for health insurance for the entire family. Medica and Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC, offer a convenient way to learn about insuring dog and cats.
Reported by Business Wire 17 hours ago.
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Oscar is raising a unicorn round, but we already figured that
Bloomberg reports today that Oscar Health Insurance is raising a fourth round of investment capital that would value the company at " significantly more than $1 billion." Not to dispute any of Bloomberg's reporting, but Oscar's actions are practically a matter of deduction based on what we already know. Absolutely zero surprise here. Consider: Just 10 months ago, Oscar raised $80 million from investors at a valuation of $800 million, or more than 10 times its approximate 2014 premium revenue of…
Reported by bizjournals 16 hours ago.
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An insurance company was warned by the government weeks before it got hacked, exposing the records of 11 million customers
Last week health insurance company Premera Blue Cross admitted it was hacked on May 5, 2014. This gave hackers access to the personal records of as many as 11 million of the company's customers.
Now, documents indicate Premera was given a warning of what was to come weeks before, Fox Business reports.
The federal government reportedly warned the health insurer about its cybersecurity weaknesses on April 17, 2014. According to Fox Business, the Office of Personnel Management performed an audit of the company’s security program as Premera handles the records of federal workers. The investigation made clear that its digital practices were simply not up to snuff.
Fox Business writes,
Specifically, OPM’s auditors warned that several servers contained “insecure configurations” that could let hackers in the door. “Several servers contained insecure configurations that could allow hackers or unprivileged users to insert code that would result in privilege escalation,” the report said. “The escalated privileges could grant the hackers unauthorized access to sensitive and proprietary information.”
Hackers, it seems, discovered these exact vulnerabilities and pounced. They were able to access customer data — which included names, dates of birth, SS numbers, bank accounts information — that dated back as far as 2002. In total, the data represented 11 million of Premera’s current and past customers.
In the wake of this scandal, five class-action lawsuits have been filed, as well as numerous probes from state and federal government officials.
Business Insider reached out to Premera for comment and we will update the post if we hear back.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: This is what happens to your brain and body when you check your phone before bed Reported by Business Insider 15 hours ago.
Now, documents indicate Premera was given a warning of what was to come weeks before, Fox Business reports.
The federal government reportedly warned the health insurer about its cybersecurity weaknesses on April 17, 2014. According to Fox Business, the Office of Personnel Management performed an audit of the company’s security program as Premera handles the records of federal workers. The investigation made clear that its digital practices were simply not up to snuff.
Fox Business writes,
Specifically, OPM’s auditors warned that several servers contained “insecure configurations” that could let hackers in the door. “Several servers contained insecure configurations that could allow hackers or unprivileged users to insert code that would result in privilege escalation,” the report said. “The escalated privileges could grant the hackers unauthorized access to sensitive and proprietary information.”
Hackers, it seems, discovered these exact vulnerabilities and pounced. They were able to access customer data — which included names, dates of birth, SS numbers, bank accounts information — that dated back as far as 2002. In total, the data represented 11 million of Premera’s current and past customers.
In the wake of this scandal, five class-action lawsuits have been filed, as well as numerous probes from state and federal government officials.
Business Insider reached out to Premera for comment and we will update the post if we hear back.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: This is what happens to your brain and body when you check your phone before bed Reported by Business Insider 15 hours ago.
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Why Corporate America Is Finally Raising Wages
Some of the country’s biggest employers are finally raising wages amid mounting pressure from protesters and a hardier job market.
McDonald’s on Wednesday became the latest major company to give workers -- albeit a fraction of its total workforce -- a pay bump that will lift average hourly pay to $9.90 from $9.01. The move, which will go into effect on July 1, follows a similar change made in February by Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer.
What, after years of stagnant wage growth for low-paid workers, is causing corporations to shell out more to their staff?
For some companies, the pay raise has been compelled by a sense of ethical leadership.
Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini raised the minimum wage at the health insurance company to $16 per hour after reading French economist Thomas Piketty’s bestseller Capital In The Twenty-First Century, which warns of the increasingly wide gap between rich and poor.
Other firms have been motivated by the desire to maintain market share.
“We’ve known for a really long time that if you look like a good corporate citizen, that’s good for sales,” Bob Keener, spokesman for the nonprofit Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, told The Huffington Post. “If you make a big public announcement about how you’re going to raise wages, you look like a good corporate citizen, and that’s going to increase your sales.”
Competition is also driving wages up. Call it a wage-hike domino effect. As the U.S. economy continues to add jobs, even retailers who claim to keep prices low in part by minimizing payroll expenses must increase how much they pay their workers to avoid losing them.
Since apparel giant Gap Inc. raised its minimum wage to $9 per hour last year, the company has seen a major influx in applicants, The Washington Post reported.
“When other large, low-wage employers boost their wages, McDonald’s has to be concerned about its employees moving to another employer where they can get another buck per hour,” said Christine Owens, executive director of the nonprofit National Employment Law Project. “There is undoubtedly some tightening in the labor market at the low end that is having an effect on wages.”
Plus, higher wages are good for business. Sales at McDonald’s and Walmart have languished over the past year, and boosting wages could actually be part of a strategy to help turn things around.
For every extra $1 a company spends each month in payroll, it could get back anywhere from $4 to $28 in monthly sales, according to a 2007 study by professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and elsewhere.
Companies are also facing intense pressure from protesters to pay a living wage. Workers united under such groups as the "Fight for 15," which advocates for a $15 minimum wage, have led rallies in cities across the world, including a major gathering outside McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, last May. Fight for 15 is also planning a series of strikes for later this month.
Protests for higher pay are gaining steam. This week, Seattle began the process of raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour. Los Angeles is considering bumping the minimum wage for the city’s hotel workers to $15.37 -- making it the highest in the country.
While both McDonald’s and Walmart aim for a $10 average wage by next year, that is still $5 below the wage that protesters are demanding. Critics worry that these incremental pay boosts could be an attempt to undercut a movement that is gaining serious clout.
“This is a PR and a political move meant to knock the wind out of this growing and increasingly militant movement,” Peter Dreier, a professor of urban policy at Occidental College, told HuffPost. “The companies are now competing with each other not to look like they’re the worst employer in the world.” Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.
McDonald’s on Wednesday became the latest major company to give workers -- albeit a fraction of its total workforce -- a pay bump that will lift average hourly pay to $9.90 from $9.01. The move, which will go into effect on July 1, follows a similar change made in February by Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer.
What, after years of stagnant wage growth for low-paid workers, is causing corporations to shell out more to their staff?
For some companies, the pay raise has been compelled by a sense of ethical leadership.
Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini raised the minimum wage at the health insurance company to $16 per hour after reading French economist Thomas Piketty’s bestseller Capital In The Twenty-First Century, which warns of the increasingly wide gap between rich and poor.
Other firms have been motivated by the desire to maintain market share.
“We’ve known for a really long time that if you look like a good corporate citizen, that’s good for sales,” Bob Keener, spokesman for the nonprofit Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, told The Huffington Post. “If you make a big public announcement about how you’re going to raise wages, you look like a good corporate citizen, and that’s going to increase your sales.”
Competition is also driving wages up. Call it a wage-hike domino effect. As the U.S. economy continues to add jobs, even retailers who claim to keep prices low in part by minimizing payroll expenses must increase how much they pay their workers to avoid losing them.
Since apparel giant Gap Inc. raised its minimum wage to $9 per hour last year, the company has seen a major influx in applicants, The Washington Post reported.
“When other large, low-wage employers boost their wages, McDonald’s has to be concerned about its employees moving to another employer where they can get another buck per hour,” said Christine Owens, executive director of the nonprofit National Employment Law Project. “There is undoubtedly some tightening in the labor market at the low end that is having an effect on wages.”
Plus, higher wages are good for business. Sales at McDonald’s and Walmart have languished over the past year, and boosting wages could actually be part of a strategy to help turn things around.
For every extra $1 a company spends each month in payroll, it could get back anywhere from $4 to $28 in monthly sales, according to a 2007 study by professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and elsewhere.
Companies are also facing intense pressure from protesters to pay a living wage. Workers united under such groups as the "Fight for 15," which advocates for a $15 minimum wage, have led rallies in cities across the world, including a major gathering outside McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, last May. Fight for 15 is also planning a series of strikes for later this month.
Protests for higher pay are gaining steam. This week, Seattle began the process of raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour. Los Angeles is considering bumping the minimum wage for the city’s hotel workers to $15.37 -- making it the highest in the country.
While both McDonald’s and Walmart aim for a $10 average wage by next year, that is still $5 below the wage that protesters are demanding. Critics worry that these incremental pay boosts could be an attempt to undercut a movement that is gaining serious clout.
“This is a PR and a political move meant to knock the wind out of this growing and increasingly militant movement,” Peter Dreier, a professor of urban policy at Occidental College, told HuffPost. “The companies are now competing with each other not to look like they’re the worst employer in the world.” Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.
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4 Last-Minute Tax Tips to Maximize Your Health Care Savings
Taxes and health insurance go hand-in-hand this year. This tax season marks the first year individuals and families will be required to provide information regarding their health insurance on their tax returns. Why? The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that (almost) all citizens be covered or they will be faced with a penalty when they file their taxes.
Tax Day, which falls on April 15, is just around the corner, and if you find yourself among the masses of last-minute filers, here are four tips that will help you maximize your health care savings.
*1. Sign up for health care. *
Yes, that's right. The health care enrollment deadline may have passed, but there is an exception. Because this is the first year that those without insurance will be penalized on their taxes, the government is offering an extra open enrollment period.
This period, which started on March 15 and lasts until April 30, provides to people who were not covered in 2014 and did not sign up in 2015 the opportunity to obtain coverage, and ultimately, avoid the penalty when they fill out their 2015 tax returns in 2016.
The fee for not having coverage in 2014 is the greater of $95 or 1 percent of the person's income up to the national average cost of a bronze plan, about $2,448. In 2015, those numbers go up to the greater of $325 or 2 percent of income up to the national average cost of a bronze plan. These penalties are even more for those with families.
*2. Check for exemptions.*
Even if you didn't have health insurance in 2014, you may be saved from paying the penalty. That is, if you qualify for an exemption, such as financial hardship, income below the federal tax filing threshold, unaffordable medical expenses or religious group membership, such as Medi-Share. A full list of all possible exemptions can be found at healthcare.gov.
*3. Deduct your medical expenses.*
If your medical expenses accounted for more than 10 percent of your income last year, you may be able to deduct them from your taxes.
Medical expenses that are deductible include preventive care, treatment, surgeries and dental and vision care. Prescription medications, glasses contacts, false teeth and hearing aids also qualify.
Note that in order to claim a deduction, you must itemize. In other words, you cannot use the standard deduction. You should generally only do this if your itemized deductions are greater than your standard deduction.
*4. Fund your Health Savings Account (HSA). *
HSAs provide a triple tax-advantaged bank account. Money goes in tax-free, grows tax-free and can be spent tax-free.
The maximum contributions for 2014 were $3,300 for individuals and $6,550 for families, with an extra $1,000 in "catch-up" contributions for those 55 and older. If you have not yet done so, you have until April 15 to maximize your contributions for an additional tax deduction.
Knowledge of these cost-saving rules will help you not only navigate the confusing health care system more effectively, but will also make you a better steward of your resources at tax time. Reported by Huffington Post 12 hours ago.
Tax Day, which falls on April 15, is just around the corner, and if you find yourself among the masses of last-minute filers, here are four tips that will help you maximize your health care savings.
*1. Sign up for health care. *
Yes, that's right. The health care enrollment deadline may have passed, but there is an exception. Because this is the first year that those without insurance will be penalized on their taxes, the government is offering an extra open enrollment period.
This period, which started on March 15 and lasts until April 30, provides to people who were not covered in 2014 and did not sign up in 2015 the opportunity to obtain coverage, and ultimately, avoid the penalty when they fill out their 2015 tax returns in 2016.
The fee for not having coverage in 2014 is the greater of $95 or 1 percent of the person's income up to the national average cost of a bronze plan, about $2,448. In 2015, those numbers go up to the greater of $325 or 2 percent of income up to the national average cost of a bronze plan. These penalties are even more for those with families.
*2. Check for exemptions.*
Even if you didn't have health insurance in 2014, you may be saved from paying the penalty. That is, if you qualify for an exemption, such as financial hardship, income below the federal tax filing threshold, unaffordable medical expenses or religious group membership, such as Medi-Share. A full list of all possible exemptions can be found at healthcare.gov.
*3. Deduct your medical expenses.*
If your medical expenses accounted for more than 10 percent of your income last year, you may be able to deduct them from your taxes.
Medical expenses that are deductible include preventive care, treatment, surgeries and dental and vision care. Prescription medications, glasses contacts, false teeth and hearing aids also qualify.
Note that in order to claim a deduction, you must itemize. In other words, you cannot use the standard deduction. You should generally only do this if your itemized deductions are greater than your standard deduction.
*4. Fund your Health Savings Account (HSA). *
HSAs provide a triple tax-advantaged bank account. Money goes in tax-free, grows tax-free and can be spent tax-free.
The maximum contributions for 2014 were $3,300 for individuals and $6,550 for families, with an extra $1,000 in "catch-up" contributions for those 55 and older. If you have not yet done so, you have until April 15 to maximize your contributions for an additional tax deduction.
Knowledge of these cost-saving rules will help you not only navigate the confusing health care system more effectively, but will also make you a better steward of your resources at tax time. Reported by Huffington Post 12 hours ago.
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Connect for Health Colorado causing friction with CEO nominee
Less than a day after legislators established a special committee to work with the Connect for Health Colorado board on finding its new CEO, the board announced it had a preferred candidate Thursday — sans any input from state officials. And now the chairwoman of the legislative committee overseeing the state-chartered health-insurance exchange is not happy. In fact, Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, said Thursday that the subcommittee will proceed with a meeting to draw up a proposed compensation…
Reported by bizjournals 11 hours ago.
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WellCare Partners With Teleperformance to Bring Approximately 150 Jobs to Columbia, South Carolina
WellCare Health Plans, Inc.and Teleperformance today announced a partnership that expands WellCare’s call center operations and brings approximately 150 jobs to Columbia, South Carolina.
TAMPA, Fla. and HOLLADAY, Utah (PRWEB) April 02, 2015
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), and Teleperformance, the worldwide leader in outsourced multichannel customer experience management, today announced a partnership that expands WellCare’s call center operations and brings approximately 150 jobs to Columbia, South Carolina. As a result of the expansion, Teleperformance’s existing Columbia Call Center operation increased by approximately 20 percent to more than 800 seats. The agents supporting WellCare provide customer service support for the company’s Medicaid members in South Carolina and Kentucky.
WellCare and Teleperformance celebrated the new jobs with a ceremony that included Gov. Nikki Haley and Ray Farmer, director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
“It truly is a great day in South Carolina when a company like WellCare, that already calls South Carolina home, expands their operations in our state,” said Gov. Haley. “WellCare’s decision to bring 150 more jobs to the Midlands is a testament to the company and South Carolina’s dedicated workforce, and one more reason South Carolina is on the move.”
“This expansion supports WellCare’s mission to assist our 4.1 million members in accessing the care and services they need to be healthier and to enjoy better quality lives,” said Scott Black, WellCare’s vice president, channel communication services. “We look forward to continuing to work with Teleperformance to serve our members and to make valuable contributions to this community.”
“Today, WellCare coordinates care for approximately 107,000 seniors, and low-income children and families in South Carolina,” said Kathy Warner, COO of WellCare of South Carolina. “We are committed to helping them navigate the health care system to ensure they get the quality care they need for improved health outcomes.”
“Teleperformance has been in the Columbia area since 2003,” said Miranda Collard, Teleperformance’s president of enterprise delivery. “We are committed to serving WellCare’s members by delivering excellent customer care on each and every interaction, and to providing employment opportunities for South Carolinians.
For more information about open positions or to apply, visit the companies’ websites at http://www.wellcare.com and http://www.teleperformanceusa.com
.
As of Dec. 31, 2014, WellCare serves approximately 70,000 Medicaid members, 34,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members and 3,000 Medicare Advantage members in South Carolina.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services targeted to government-sponsored health care programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, Prescription Drug Plans and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare offers a variety of health plans for families, children, and the aged, blind and disabled. The company serves approximately 4.1 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2014. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at http://www.wellcare.com or view the company’s videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
About Teleperformance
Teleperformance, the world’s leading provider of outsourced CRM and contact center services, serves companies around the world with customer acquisition, customer care, technical support and debt collection programs. Teleperformance USA was established in 1993 and currently employs approximately 19,500 people in 39 facilities across the United States. In Florida, the company employees approximately 4,500 people with locations in North Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Miami Beach which serves as the Americas and Asia Pacific headquarters location of Teleperformance Group. Teleperformance USA works with some of the world's largest and most successful US companies in all major industries both domestically and around the world.
WellCare and Teleperformance USA have partnered together since 2007. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
TAMPA, Fla. and HOLLADAY, Utah (PRWEB) April 02, 2015
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), and Teleperformance, the worldwide leader in outsourced multichannel customer experience management, today announced a partnership that expands WellCare’s call center operations and brings approximately 150 jobs to Columbia, South Carolina. As a result of the expansion, Teleperformance’s existing Columbia Call Center operation increased by approximately 20 percent to more than 800 seats. The agents supporting WellCare provide customer service support for the company’s Medicaid members in South Carolina and Kentucky.
WellCare and Teleperformance celebrated the new jobs with a ceremony that included Gov. Nikki Haley and Ray Farmer, director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
“It truly is a great day in South Carolina when a company like WellCare, that already calls South Carolina home, expands their operations in our state,” said Gov. Haley. “WellCare’s decision to bring 150 more jobs to the Midlands is a testament to the company and South Carolina’s dedicated workforce, and one more reason South Carolina is on the move.”
“This expansion supports WellCare’s mission to assist our 4.1 million members in accessing the care and services they need to be healthier and to enjoy better quality lives,” said Scott Black, WellCare’s vice president, channel communication services. “We look forward to continuing to work with Teleperformance to serve our members and to make valuable contributions to this community.”
“Today, WellCare coordinates care for approximately 107,000 seniors, and low-income children and families in South Carolina,” said Kathy Warner, COO of WellCare of South Carolina. “We are committed to helping them navigate the health care system to ensure they get the quality care they need for improved health outcomes.”
“Teleperformance has been in the Columbia area since 2003,” said Miranda Collard, Teleperformance’s president of enterprise delivery. “We are committed to serving WellCare’s members by delivering excellent customer care on each and every interaction, and to providing employment opportunities for South Carolinians.
For more information about open positions or to apply, visit the companies’ websites at http://www.wellcare.com and http://www.teleperformanceusa.com
.
As of Dec. 31, 2014, WellCare serves approximately 70,000 Medicaid members, 34,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members and 3,000 Medicare Advantage members in South Carolina.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services targeted to government-sponsored health care programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, Prescription Drug Plans and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare offers a variety of health plans for families, children, and the aged, blind and disabled. The company serves approximately 4.1 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2014. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at http://www.wellcare.com or view the company’s videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
About Teleperformance
Teleperformance, the world’s leading provider of outsourced CRM and contact center services, serves companies around the world with customer acquisition, customer care, technical support and debt collection programs. Teleperformance USA was established in 1993 and currently employs approximately 19,500 people in 39 facilities across the United States. In Florida, the company employees approximately 4,500 people with locations in North Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Miami Beach which serves as the Americas and Asia Pacific headquarters location of Teleperformance Group. Teleperformance USA works with some of the world's largest and most successful US companies in all major industries both domestically and around the world.
WellCare and Teleperformance USA have partnered together since 2007. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
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