Zynex Receives 44th Pharmacy License Approval

May 21, 2015, 5:37 am

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License in Arkansas brings the total licenses to 44 states including the District of Columbia

Lone Tree, CO (PRWEB) May 21, 2015

Zynex, Inc. (OTCQB: ZYXI), an innovative medical technology company specializing in the manufacture and sale of non-invasive medical devices for pain management, stroke rehabilitation, neurological diagnostics, and compound pharmacy, announced today that it has received license approval from the State of Arkansas for its compound pharmacy business Pharmazy. This brings to 44 the total states, including the District of Columbia, in which the Company is licensed to provide compound pharmacy services.

Thomas Sandgaard, Zynex CEO stated: “We are pleased with the expansion of our reach across the United States for our compound pharmacy with the addition of Arkansas, our 44th license. We continue to work towards licensing in all 50 states.”

About Zynex
Zynex, founded in 1996, markets and sells its own design of electrotherapy medical devices used for pain management and rehabilitation; and the company's proprietary NeuroMove device designed to help recovery of stroke and spinal cord injury patients. Zynex’s product lines are fully developed, FDA-cleared and commercially sold world-wide. Zynex also operates a non-sterile compound pharmacy providing topical and transdermal pain creams. Zynex is also developing a new blood volume monitor for use in hospitals and surgery centers.
For additional information, please visit: http://www.zynex.com

Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this release are "forward-looking" and as such are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary significantly from the results expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the need to obtain additional capital or augment our liquidity in order to continue our business, the success of our compound pharmacy and international expansion efforts, our ability to engage additional sales representatives, the success of such additional sales representatives, the need to obtain FDA clearance and CE marking of new products, the acceptance of new products as well as existing products by doctors and hospitals, larger competitors with greater financial resources, the need to keep pace with technological changes, our dependence on the reimbursement from insurance companies for products sold or rented to our customers, acceptance of our products by health insurance providers, our dependence on third party manufacturers to produce our goods on time and to our specifications, implementation of our sales strategy including a strong direct sales force, the uncertain outcome of pending material litigation and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Contact: Zynex, Inc. 303-703-4906 Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.

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Americans doubt the security of their online data, but apathy reigns

May 21, 2015, 10:52 am

≫ Next: Republicans may again thwart Obamacare-hating conservative’s efforts to save eyesight

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The majority of Americans believe it’s important to maintain privacy during online activities, but not many American adults are confident in the ability of the government, social media sites and credit card companies to safeguard their data, according to a new Pew Research study. “The public has been awash with news stories detailing security breaches at major retailers, health insurance companies and financial institutions,” the authors wrote in the report. “These events – and the doubts… Reported by bizjournals 10 hours ago.

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Republicans may again thwart Obamacare-hating conservative’s efforts to save eyesight

May 21, 2015, 11:08 am

≫ Next: Exclusive: Here's where CareSource is headed next

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An Obamacare-hating South Carolina conservative may yet find his efforts to save his eyesight foiled again by the Republicans he has supported. Luis Lang – a self-employed handyman who has never purchased health insurance and neglected to sign up on an insurance exchange as mandated by the Affordabl... Reported by Raw Story 9 hours ago.

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Exclusive: Here's where CareSource is headed next

May 21, 2015, 12:42 pm

≫ Next: Local Lice Removal Company Partners with Schools to Combat Head Lice in the Classroom as Increase in Number of Cases Reported in May.

≪ Previous: Republicans may again thwart Obamacare-hating conservative’s efforts to save eyesight

CareSource's next phase of growth will mean expanding its health insurance business into two new states and additional products in Ohio and Kentucky. CareSouce, one of the largest companies in the Dayton region, is now licensed in West Virginia and Georgia and will seek to offer its CareSource Just4Me health insurance product in each. For West Virginia, CareSource will be the second plan on its marketplace. The company also hopes to be awarded a Medicaid contract there as well. It just submitted… Reported by bizjournals 8 hours ago.

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Local Lice Removal Company Partners with Schools to Combat Head Lice in the Classroom as Increase in Number of Cases Reported in May.

May 21, 2015, 1:11 pm

≫ Next: Employers move toward private health insurance exchanges

≪ Previous: Exclusive: Here's where CareSource is headed next

Local lice removal company, Lice Troopers, partners with area schools to prevent lice epidemics in the classroom through regular screenings and school membership programs.

Miami, Florida (PRWEB) May 21, 2015

How do you stop head lice epidemics in schools? This is the million dollar question for parents and school administrators, but a Miami Lice Removal Company, Lice Troopers, the all-natural lice removal company based in southern Florida, is devising new ways to stop the spread.

As most physicians and lice professionals will tell you, the first step is education and prevention. Despite the ubiquity of head lice in daycares and classrooms, head lice and how they spread are still widely misunderstood. Many continue to equate the condition with unhygienic living conditions, poor personal care and poverty, assuming that a clean home and frequent bathing will keep the bugs away. This however this is a myth—lice affect all social classes and even prefer clean hair to dirty. Others are unclear about how lice are passed. Thus lice removal services like Lice troopers acknowledge that preventing outbreaks starts with helping parents, kids and teachers understand lice and how to prevent them.

One lice removal company, Lice Troopers has also partnered with local schools to assist in periodic school-wide screenings. It only takes one case to launch a mass epidemic so catching infestations early is crucial. As head lice often don’t manifest symptoms for several weeks, if parents and teachers are waiting until kids start to suffer from itchy scalp, it’s possible that the condition has been present and has been passed around for quite some time. Lice professionals screen each child carefully for any sign of the parasite and its eggs (nits), and if found, parents are notified and can schedule treatment immediately.

An in an effort to promote a lice free school year, the company has also initiated a school membership program that includes regularly scheduled screenings throughout the year as well as discounts to parents whose children need treatment. The program has already been enthusiastically received among school administrators.

Said Lice Troopers owner and operator Arie Harel, “If we’re going to stop head lice, we have to look at the primary place where lice are passed. That’s the classroom. By partnering with teachers, administrators and parents, we can help ensure a lice free school year. It’s win-win all around.”

Lice Troopers now serves families at three Lice Clinic locations:
They have a facility in Coral gables located at 2100 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134
Miami Treatment Center located at 1005 Kane Concourse, Suite 212, Bay Harbor Islands, FL 33154
Hollywood Lice Treatment Center at 5735 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, FL 33021.

Lice Troopers also offers a convenient house callservice either at home or other chosen location.

Lice Troopers is the all-natural, guaranteed Head Lice Removal Service™ that manually removes the head louse parasite safely and discreetly in child-friendly salon settings, or other chosen location. Providing safe solutions for frantic families, the Lice Troopers team has successfully treated thousands of families nationwide, with services widely recommended by pediatricians and reimbursed by many major health insurance carriers, flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.

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Employers move toward private health insurance exchanges

May 21, 2015, 2:05 pm

≫ Next: We don’t trust government or companies to protect data

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If you're an employer, chances are you've looked into or switched over to a private health insurance exchange instead of insuring your employees directly. That's according to a study released today by Seattle company Array Health. Among other things, the study found that private exchanges are "on their way to becoming the de facto model for employer-sponsored health insurance." That means more employers might be realizing the cost-saving benefits of giving employees a credit for health insurance… Reported by bizjournals 6 hours ago.

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We don’t trust government or companies to protect data

May 21, 2015, 2:51 pm

≫ Next: The Jefferson County Development Authority Seeks Program Manager, Kearneysville, West Virginia

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Americans have little faith the government or companies can keep their private records secure online, a new survey by the Pew Research Center shows. Only 6 percent of respondents said there were “very confident” government agencies can keep their records private and secure while 31 percent said they were “not confident at all.” The attitudes appear to be driven by news of government surveillance revealed by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 and the cascade of data breaches at major retailers, health insurance companies and financial institutions, the report said. “These events — and the doubts they inspired — have contributed to a cloud of personal ‘data insecurity’ that now looms over many Americans’ daily decisions and activities,” the Pew Research Center said. The survey found 59 percent of adults clear cookies or browser history, 57 percent refuse to provide information that isn’t germane to a transaction and 23 percent give inaccurate or misleading information. Reported by SFGate 6 hours ago.

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The Jefferson County Development Authority Seeks Program Manager, Kearneysville, West Virginia

May 21, 2015, 3:36 pm

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Deadline to apply is Monday, May 25th, at COB

Jefferson County, West Virginia (PRWEB) May 21, 2015

The Jefferson County Development Authority (JCDA) seeks a full-time Program Manager to develop and implement economic development and marketing programs that promote Jefferson County to a national audience of expanding and relocating companies, site selection consultants, and corporate decision makers. Responsibilities include overseeing comprehensive multi-media marketing and public relations strategies, maintaining the JCDA website, creating marketing materials, and writing and distributing news releases. The employee will be responsible for researching and updating demographic data relevant to economic development. The Program Manager at the Jefferson County Development Authority will also assist the Executive Director with all other aspects of the JCDA, such as business retention.

Applicants shall have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, journalism or a similar field and three to five years of applicable work experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. The position requires excellent verbal and written communication skills and a thorough understanding of electronic marketing strategies and website maintenance. Applicants must be proficient in Microsoft Office, the Adobe Creative Suite and website content management systems, and have a thorough understanding of SEO. Experience with ExpressionEngine and web-based marketing tools such as Constant Contact and PRWeb is preferred. Some overnight travel may be required on behalf of the Jefferson County Development Authority.

Salary range is $40,000 to $42,000 per year, depending on experience. Employee benefits include WV Public Employees Retirement System, paid health insurance and sick leave, and at least 12 paid holidays per year.

A detailed job description is available on the Jefferson County Development Authority's website.

Please contact Jane Jones at (304) 728-3255 or janejones(at)jcda(dot)net with questions.

Interested individuals should send a resume and cover letter by May 25, 2015 to:

John Reisenweber, Executive Director
Jefferson County Development Authority
jcda(at)jcda(dot)net
P.O. Box 237
Charles Town, WV 25414

Equal Opportunity Employer Reported by PRWeb 5 hours ago.

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Hackers breach CareFirst health insurance data of up to 1.1 million customers

May 21, 2015, 4:19 pm

≫ Next: Harahan City Hall was a mess when mayor took over, she says

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Hackers breach CareFirst health insurance data of up to 1.1 million customers

CareFirst of the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance family announced Wednesday that up to 1.1 million individuals, but current and former plan holders, may have been affected by the security breakthrough. Reported by Digital Trends 4 hours ago.

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Harahan City Hall was a mess when mayor took over, she says

May 21, 2015, 7:39 pm

≫ Next: India Network Visitor Health Insurance Announces Corporate Sponsorship of Anuradha Paudwal Musical in Orlando to Help Fundraise for Hindu Society of Central Florida.

≪ Previous: Hackers breach CareFirst health insurance data of up to 1.1 million customers

Bags of shredded documents in offices, back taxes never collected, soaring health insurance contracts and wasteful overstaffing made up the mess that Harahan mayor Tina Miceli described finding at City Hall when she stepped into office on Jan 1. Miceli described... Reported by nola.com 54 minutes ago.

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India Network Visitor Health Insurance Announces Corporate Sponsorship of Anuradha Paudwal Musical in Orlando to Help Fundraise for Hindu Society of Central Florida.

May 22, 2015, 12:13 am

≫ Next: HUFFPOLLSTER: Even Republicans Aren't Happy With The New GOP-Led Congress

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India Network sponsors Musical by famous playback singer, Anuradha Paudwal to help Hindu Society of Central Florida to raise funds for various services provided by the Society.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) May 22, 2015

India Network Foundation sponsors various community events in the United States and developmental projects in rural India.India Network Visitor Health insurance is one of the most popular community projects that continues to help hundreds and thousands of families every year. India Network is pleased to sponsor a music concert by famous playback singer from Mumbai, Smt. Anuradha Paudwal to help fundraise for the Hindu Society of Central Florida activities.

Anuradha Paudwal is a well known playback singer in India and abroad with her famous albums in Bollywood movies and private label songs. In 2011, she received Mother Theresa lifetime achievement in Music besides several national awards for her contributions to devotional and Bollywood film music. India Network members are invited to join Dr. KV Rao, President and Founder to welcome Mrs. Anuradha Paudwal on 23rd May 2015 and support the community projects in Central Florida.

Dr. KV Rao, President, said that India Network has been helping community organizations by sponsoring events. Diversity and multiplicity of problems facing Asian Indians in the United States require community organizations to take new initiatives in providing such services as counseling to youth, and to families. Interested social and cultural organizations may contact Foundation office to explore sponsorship opportunities.

India Network visitor Health insurance continue to offer coverage for pre-existing conditions for all age groups. The only condition is that all visitors must enroll in the program before their arrival in the United States if they wish to take pre-existing condition medical conditions coverage. More details on the health insurance program and online application process can be found on the India Network web site.

About India Network Foundation
India Network Foundation, established as a US non-profit organization, has been helping the Asian Indian community in North America with programs and grants to academics from India for more than two decades. India Network Foundation sponsors visitor health insurance to tourists, students, temporary workers (H1 visa holders) and their families. All insurance products are administered by India Network Services.

For more information, visit http://www.indianetwork.org.

About India Network Health Insurance
India Network Services, is a US based company that administers visitor health insurance to transition residents, tourists, students, temporary workers and their families. Visitor medical plans are offered for all age groups with both fixed coverage, comprehensive coverage and with pre-existing condition coverage.

More Information at http://www.kvrao.org Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.

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HUFFPOLLSTER: Even Republicans Aren't Happy With The New GOP-Led Congress

May 22, 2015, 6:16 am

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≪ Previous: India Network Visitor Health Insurance Announces Corporate Sponsorship of Anuradha Paudwal Musical in Orlando to Help Fundraise for Hindu Society of Central Florida.

Democrats and Republicans alike are unhappy with the GOP-led Congress. Fox looks to the polls to narrow down contenders in the GOP debate, which could present some problems. And a new case of survey fraud underscores the need for greater transparency. This is HuffPollster for Friday, May 22, 2015.

*AMERICANS OF BOTH PARTIES ARE UNSATISFIED WITH THE NEW REPUBLICAN CONGRESS*- Pew Research: "The new Republican-led Congress is drawing harsh reviews from the public – including most Republicans….Unlike after some previous partisan turnovers on Capitol Hill, negative assessments of the new Congress now cross party lines. *Today, just 41% of Republicans approve of the job their party’s leaders in Congress are doing.* By comparison, in April 2011, 60% of Republicans approved of GOP leaders’ job performance and in April 1995, 78% approved of GOP leadership’s policies and proposals….their party’s leaders at the 100-day mark in 2007, when 60% said Democratic leaders were keeping their campaign promises. Currently, Republicans (36%) are about as likely as Democrats (38%) or independents (38%) to say Congress is accomplishing less than they expected….[The] shift in opinion is primarily seen among conservative Republicans: 54% approved of GOP congressional leaders’ job performance in February, today just 41% approve." [Pew]

*FOX WILL LET THE POLLS DECIDE WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN GOP DEBATE* - Matea Gold: The network will require *contenders to place in the top 10 in an average of the five most recent national polls in the run-up to the event,* narrowing what is expected to be a field of 16 or more by the Aug. 6 event in Cleveland. The rule could trigger an early rush of spending by lower-tier candidates seeking to boost their standing in national surveys before the pivotal first forum. Meanwhile, CNN laid out a different approach for the second debate on Sept. 16, which will be split into two parts — one featuring the top 10 candidates in public polling and a second that will include lower-tiered candidates who garner at least 1 percent in polls." [WashPost]

More on using polls to select debate participants:

-Jason Linkins looks at who would make the Fox cut-off based on current poll numbers. [HuffPost]

-Harry Enten examines how different poll averages could lead to different candidates getting into Republican debates. [538]

-Jonathan Bernstein predicts "gimmicks, stunts and...attention-grabbing device[s]" by Republican campaigns on the debate "bubble." [Bloomberg]

*POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDY RETRACTED FOR FRAUD* - Lila Shapiro and Natalie Jackson: "A seemingly groundbreaking and widely publicized study reported in Science magazine this past December may be a fake. The study appeared to show that openly gay activists in California had persuaded conservative voters to change their minds in a lasting way by engaging the voters in 'heartfelt, reciprocal and vulnerable conversations' about being gay during door-to-door advocacy campaigns. It was co-authored by Michael J. LaCour, a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Donald P. Green, a professor at Columbia University....But according to a report issued Tuesday by two University of California, Berkeley, graduate students and a Yale professor, *there are enough questions about the data to warrant retracting the study*. Retraction Watch broke the story Wednesday about what students David Broockman (soon to be an assistant professor at Stanford) and Joshua Kalla and Yale professor Peter Aronow found....Initially, LaCour claimed he had accidentally deleted the file with the necessary information, but again *Qualtrics said it could not verify that the data had been deleted or that the study took place*. It seemed increasingly clear to Green that no follow-up surveys had ever been conducted and that LaCour may have taken data from existing studies and manipulated the numbers to achieve the results he wanted." [HuffPost, Brookman, et. al., Retraction Watch ]

*Green requests retraction:* More from Shapiro and Jackson: "Green told The Huffington Post that he was shocked and dismayed by the revelations about the data set. '*There was a mountain of fabrication*,' he said. “Graphs and charts and anecdotes and stories of every possible sort about these surveys. So it didn’t occur to me that the whole thing was fabricated because every time I had a question, it seemed as though [LaCour] had an answer.” Green has since issued a retraction of the study. LaCour, for his part, declined a request for an interview from The Huffington Post. 'I’m gathering evidence and relevant information so I can provide a single comprehensive response. I will do so at my earliest opportunity,' he wrote in an email."

*No evidence of funding* - Virginia Hughes: "In the study’s acknowledgements, LaCour states that he received funding from three organizations — the Ford Foundation, Williams Institute at UCLA, and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr., Fund. But when contacted by BuzzFeed News, *all three funders denied having any involvement with LaCour and his work*. (In 2012, the Haas, Jr. Fund gave a grant to the Los Angeles LGBT Center related to their canvassing work, but the Center said that LaCour’s involvement did not begin until 2013.)" [Buzzfeed]

*FiveThirtyEight: 'Retraction shows...we're all vulnerable to faked data'...* - Carl Bialik: "The significance of the retraction was hotly debated Wednesday in political science circles and among other scientists. Some saw a positive story about how academia polices itself. 'This episode demonstrates how science is self-correcting,' the researchers who wrote the paper debunking the Science article wrote in a joint emailed response to questions. *'We hope that this incident will further spur the open-science and data transparency movements.'* To others, though, the episode was far more troubling. The debunkers could do their debunking only because of a bit of luck: Data they needed happened to be available not from its original source, but through another researcher who had posted it to meet a journal’s open-data policies. And they weren’t specifically trying to replicate the Science study to see whether it held up. They were trying to extend the study, and grew suspicious when their early results didn’t line up." [538]

*...but 'science works'* - Rice University political scientist Rick Wilson on lessons learned: "[Science works. Will Moore makes this point quite nicely. *If someone has a new and interesting finding, it should never be taken as the last word*. Science requires skepticism. While I teach my students that they should be their own worst critic, this is not enough. The process of peer review (as much as it might be disparaged) provides some opportunity for skepticism. The most important source of skepticism, however, should come from the research community. A finding, especially one that is novel, needs to be replicated...Andrew Gelman makes this point on the Monkey Cage. We should be cautious when we see a finding that stands out. It should attract research attention and be “stress-tested” by others. The positive outcome of many different researchers focusing on a problem is that it allows us to calibrate the value of a finding and it should deter misconduct." [RKWRice]

*Implications for public polls?* - Pre-election polling has had its own painful episodes of fraud, most notably the infamous cases of Strategic Vision LLC and Research 2000. *The most notable reaction to those cases has been the Transparency Initiative of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)*, an effort to create incentives for pollsters and media organizations to disclose basic methodological information about their publicly released surveys. Some may criticize AAPOR's initiative as stopping short of requiring release of micro-data -- the sort of data that allowed Brookman and Kalla to make their case against the LaCour-Green study -- but it is a start. It requires, among other things, disclosure of both the organization that conducted the survey and those that sponsored it. Such disclosures were instrumental in raising concerns about LaCour's case through calls to the organizations that purportedly provided funding for the study and to Qualtrics, the firm that LaCour claimed had conducted his surveys.

*VOTERS GIVE NEGATIVE RATINGS TO SOMEONE THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF* -Yoni Appelbaum: "Pity Emily Farris. Republican primary voters just don’t like her very much. In a survey released on Wednesday, Public Policy Polling found that Farris near the bottom of the GOP field. She polled well behind fellow Texans Rick Perry and Ted Cruz. *Just 3 percent of voters had formed a favorable opinion of her, while 20 percent reported unfavorable views...And Farris isn’t even running.* She’s a political science professor at Texas Christian University, whose name was included within the enormous field of Republican hopefuls as a statistical control... It’s well-established that voters will volunteer views concerning wholly fictitious issues or candidates...Voters can be reluctant to confess ignorance, or conflate invented laws or candidates with real ones." [The Atlantic]

*HOW MODE EFFECT IMPACTS SURVEY RESULTS* - Pew: "Among the most striking trends in the field of survey research in the past two decades is the shift from interviewer-administered to self-administered surveys. Fueled by the growth of the internet, self-administration as a survey mode presents a mixture of opportunities and challenges to the field…[T]he results from self-administered and interviewer-administered surveys are sometimes different. This difference is called a mode effect, a difference in responses to a survey question attributable to the mode in which the question is administered.... The study finds that *differences in responses by survey mode are fairly common, but typically not large, with a mean difference of 5.5 percentage points* and a median difference of five points across the 60 questions…Where differences occurred, they were especially large on three broad types of questions: Items that asked the respondent to assess the quality of their family and social life produced differences of 18 and 14 percentage points, respectively, with those interviewed on the phone reporting higher levels of satisfaction than those who completed the survey on the Web..Questions about societal discrimination against several different groups also produced large differences...Web respondents were far more likely than those interviewed on the phone to give various political figures a “very unfavorable” rating, a tendency that was concentrated among members of the opposite party of each figure rated." [Pew]*MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS MISREPORT THEIR PARTY REGISTRATION* - In a paper presented at last weeks AAPOR Conference, MassINC's Steve Koczela and Rich Parr compared respondents actual party registration status taken from official records to self-reported questions about registration and party identification. They found "a substantial minority of voters misreport their own party registration, and many self-identify with a party with which they are not registered." [MassINC]

*AMERICANS NOW SAY THEY NEVER SUPPORTED IRAQ WAR* - Kathy Frankovic: "Americans’ memories of their own past beliefs about the 2003 Iraq War are tinged with their current feelings about what has taken place there since and what is taking place there now. In the latest Economist/YouGov Poll, *just 38% admit that they supported sending troops to Iraq in 2003.* Less than a month before that U.S-led invasion, more than six in ten Americans in a Gallup Poll indicated they favored sending in ground troops." [YouGov]

*MORE OF THIS WEEK'S NATIONAL POLLS*

-A record-high number of Americans now support gay marriage. [Gallup]

-Republicans wish they had fewer presidential candidates, while Democrats would prefer more. [HuffPost]

-Republicans' views of their 2016 field are more positive than in the last two elections. [Pew]

-Obama's favorable rating is at 53 percent, the highest since September 2013. [Gallup]

-Kaiser Family Foundation finds most that people enrolled in marketplace health insurance are generally happy with their plans. [KFF]

-Americans greatly overestimate the percentage of the population that is gay or lesbian. [Gallup]

-Train travel is still viewed as safer than car travel. [HuffPost]

*HUFFPOLLSTER VIA EMAIL!* - You can receive this weekly update every Friday morning via email! Just click here, enter your email address, and click "sign up." That's all there is to it (and you can unsubscribe anytime).

*THIS WEEK'S 'OUTLIERS'* - Links to the best of news at the intersection of polling, politics and political data:

-Bloomberg conducts focus groups in Iowa of likely Republican and Democrat caucusgoers. [Bloomberg here and here]

-Peter Hart (D) finds helping people "move up the ladder" moves voters more than "the income gap." [WSJ]

-Matt Ferner writes that support for legalized marijuana is growing retroactively in Washington and Colorado. [HuffPost]

-Sean Trende's index of officeholders shows Republicans more dominant than they've been in decades at the federal and state level. [RCP]

-Micah Roberts (R) sees Hillary Clinton appealing to Democratic sub-groups while swing voter sub-groups grow more negative. [POS]

-Stan Greenberg (D) argues last minute nationalist messages helped swing elections in Israel and Britain and embarrassed pollsters.[Politico]

-Chris Hanretty, Ben Lauderdale and Nick Vivyan post a detailed report on what went wrong with their UK forecast. [Election Forecast UK]

-Daniel Kreiss examines people who worked on digital media, data and analytics in presidential campaigns between 2004 and 2012 and finds big Democratic advantage. [WashPost]

-Alex Lundry (R) moves full-time to "web enabled media targeting" firm Deep Root Analytics. [Deep Root]

-Annie Petit shares what infuriates her about AAPOR. [LoveStats]
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.

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WellCare to Award $20,000 in Micro-Grants to Support Social Service Agencies in Kentucky

May 22, 2015, 5:38 am

≫ Next: Why The US Consumer Is About To be Crushed: The Obamacare Inflationary Deluge Arrives

≪ Previous: HUFFPOLLSTER: Even Republicans Aren't Happy With The New GOP-Led Congress

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. announced today that it will award $20,000 in micro-grants to support Kentucky social service organizations that address transportation, dental/vision and foster/adoption support needs.

TAMPA, Fla. (PRWEB) May 22, 2015

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) announced today that it will award $20,000 in micro-grants to support Kentucky social service organizations that address transportation, dental/vision and foster/adoption support needs. Nonprofit and 501(c)(3) organizations that offer services in these areas are encouraged to apply. The micro-grants will be awarded in denominations of $500, $1,000 or $1,500.

“The Social Safety Net is critical to achieving positive outcomes for the seniors, and low-income children and families that WellCare serves,” said Elizabeth Starr, supervisor of WellCare of Kentucky’s Community Advocacy team. “By offering these micro-grants, WellCare can augment funding for local, community-based public assistance organizations to help them maintain the vital services they offer and support the health and vitality of our members, their families and the community.”

Qualifying organizations can apply by completing a short application online at http://www.thecommunitycommitment.org/micro-grant-request-submission/. The application period is open until July 9, 2015. Awardees will be notified the week of August 14. For more information about the micro-grants, call 502-253-5194.

As of March 31, 2015, WellCare serves approximately 441,000 Medicaid members, 6,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 21,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Kentucky. To learn more about how we care for Kentuckians, watch Brandi’s story at http://youtu.be/YwOw5EgeSYo.

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 3.8 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2015. 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. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.

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Why The US Consumer Is About To be Crushed: The Obamacare Inflationary Deluge Arrives

May 22, 2015, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Health insurers in some states want to hike premiums

≪ Previous: WellCare to Award $20,000 in Micro-Grants to Support Social Service Agencies in Kentucky

Why The US Consumer Is About To be Crushed: The Obamacare Inflationary Deluge Arrives

For the past three years, the biggest argument supporters of Obamacare would trot out every single time when faced with opposition to the mandatory tax, would be that despite widespread predictions of soaring prices, US medical care service costs had remained low and even, on occasion, declined (we leave aside the lack of discussion about soaring in deductibles which are one-time charges incurred whenever anyone does need medical care and whose impact on overall medical costs for the consumer is dramatic).

A big reason for this delayed increase in prices is that many insurers were unable to gauge the full base-effect impact of Obamacare on their P&L: after all, effective implementation of Obamacare had been materially delayed thus preventing an apples to apples comparison of incurred fees versus revenues.

All that changed moments ago when core US inflation finally spiked the most since 2013 driven by a 0.7% monthly surge in medical care service costs: *the highest since 2007!*

What's far worse for the troubled US consumer, this is just the beginning. Because after finally digesting the true cost of Obamacare, any recent insurance prime hikes will seem like a walk in the park compared to what is coming.

According to the WSJ, key insurers in some states are *proposing hefty rate boosts for plans sold under the federal health law*.

Case in point:

· In New Mexico, market leader Health Care Service Corp. *is asking for an average jump of 51.6% in premiums for 2016. *
· In Tennessee, the biggest insurer BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, *has requested an average 36.3% increase. *
· * *In Maryland, market leader CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield *wants to raise rates 30.4% across its products. *
· In Oregon, the largest insurer Moda Health *seeks an average boost of around 25%*.

All of them *cite high medical costs incurred by people newly enrolled under the Affordable Care Act*.

The irony is that while the Obama administration "can ask insurers seeking increases of 10% or more to explain themselves, but cannot force them to cut rates. Rates will become final by the fall."

Why the explosion in costs? Simple: take on look at the IBB or any other biotech index, all of which have exploded in recent years as a result of one key thing: pushing prices of medicines ever higher. Now, finally, these soaring prices which have likewise resulted in soaring stock prices, are about to be funded by *everyone else*.

Insurers say their proposed rates reflect the revenue they need to pay claims, now that they have had time to analyze their experience with the law’s requirement that they offer the same rates to everyone—regardless of medical history.

Health-cost growth has slowed to historic lows in recent years, a fact consumer groups are expected to bring up during rate-review debates.* Insurers say they face significant pent-up demand for health care from the newly enrolled, including for expensive drugs.*

“This year, health plans have a full year of claims data to understand the health needs of the [health insurance] exchange population, and these enrollees are generally older and often managing multiple chronic conditions,” said Clare Krusing, a spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, an industry group. “Premiums reflect the rising cost of providing care to individuals and families, and the explosion in prescription and specialty drug prices is a significant factor.”

David Axene, a fellow at the Society of Actuaries, *said some insurers were trying to catch up with the impact of drugs such as Sovaldi, a pricey pill that is first in a new generation of hepatitis C therapies*.

Now Sovaldi has been great news for one group of consumers: those who were long the stock of drug maker Gilead. Alas, now the time has come to pay the piper. And while Sovaldi's cost at $1,000 per pill and $84,000 for a typical 12-week course of treatment, has been a goldmine for GILD, the piper's invoice will be massive.

Who pays it? Why everyone dear America. That's the magic of socialized medicine the Obamcare tax, which means everyone has to chip in for the healthcare of the few. Meanwhile, GILD shareholders are laughing all the way to the bank.

As a result, expect Obamacare premiums, which are about to spike across the board virtually everywhere, to become a key talking point:

Insurance premiums have become a top issue for consumers and politicians as they evaluate how well the law is working. Obama administration officials weathered a storm as some younger, healthier consumers saw their premiums jump when the law rolled out, but were also able to point to modest premiums overall as insurers focused on other ways to keep costs down, such as narrow provider networks.

For 2015 insurance plans, when insurers had only a little information about the health of their new customers, big insurers tended to make increases of less than 10%, while smaller insurers tried offering lower rates to build market share.

Since the insurers have now had a chance to evaluate the impact of Obama's landmark tax on the top- and bottom-line, they have decided that they will need to charge the mandatorily insured Americans more. Much more. After all, it's not like Americans have much of a choice to say no to a "mandatory" tax.

*BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, CareFirst in Maryland and Moda in Oregon all said high medical claims from plans they sold over insurance exchanges spurred their rate-increase requests. *

*The Tennessee insurer said it lost $141 million from exchange-sold plans, stemming largely from a small number of sick enrollees. *“Our filing is planned to allow us to operate on at least a break-even basis for these plans, meaning that the rate would cover only medical services and expenses—with no profit margin for 2016,” said spokeswoman Mary Danielson. *The plan’s lowest monthly premium for a midrange, or “silver,” plan for a 40-year-old nonsmoker in Nashville would rise to $287 in 2016 from $220. *

* * *

Moda Health said that with more than 100,000 individual members, it had the best data “on the care actually being received by these Oregonians. Our proposed rates reflect that.”

*Under Moda’s proposal, a 40-year-old nonsmoker in Salem would pay $296 a month in 2016 for a silver plan, up from $245 a month this year*. “It is a balance,” said Oregon Insurance Commissioner Laura Cali of her rate-review process.

But wasn't the Affordable Care Act supposed to make healthcare prices more, well, *a?*. Well no, as we have explained time and again, most recently last summer.

But the biggest irony: just as Obamacare was the primary reason for the US Q3 GDP surge to 5%, as we explained last December, fooling many pundits into believing the US economy was finally in a self-sustaining liftoff mode...

... so this year it will be up to Obamacare to single-handedly pump up core CPI inflation - that biggest missing link from the Fed's "successful monetary policy" checklist.

As for US consumers? Why, they are about to get the short end of the stick again, as any and all "gas savings" now and in the future, will be once again spent on, you guessed it, health insurance.

The problem with that being that unless oil crashes again, there are no gas-savings to be had. Which means one thing: the only thing crushed yet again will be the US consumer, *that 70% component of US GDP*.

But don't worry: when the US economy slows down to a crawl once more, and posts a negative GDP print this time during the summer, there will be a double seasonal adjustment for that. Reported by Zero Hedge 14 hours ago.

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Health insurers in some states want to hike premiums

May 22, 2015, 8:35 am

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Health insurance providers are seeking significant increases in premiums in several states in a move they say is necessary to -More- Reported by SmartBrief 13 hours ago.

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ProfNet Experts Available on Health Insurance, Cancer Resources, Selfie Syndrome, More

May 22, 2015, 9:28 am

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NEW YORK, May 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free! Just fill out the query... Reported by PR Newswire 12 hours ago.

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States Mulling Obamacare Partnerships as Funding Prepares to Evaporate

May 22, 2015, 11:32 am

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While there has been much hoopla about the looming Supreme Court decision about whether it's legal for people in 34 states that didn't set up their own healthcare exchanges to receive subsidies to help them afford health insurance, the 13 states that run their own Obamacare... Reported by Newsmax 10 hours ago.

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Some Obamacare insurers want huge premium hikes

May 22, 2015, 10:33 am

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Several health insurance companies are proposing hikes as high as 51 percent, citing sicker patients and expensive medicine Reported by CBS News 11 hours ago.

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Firing Is Your Heaviest Burden As a Leader. Here's How to Handle it Gracefully.

May 22, 2015, 1:17 pm

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Letting an employee go, no matter what the reason, is never an enjoyable task. The truth is - and leaders should never say this to someone who is losing his or her job - that it's tough on the boss. This is one of the heaviest burdens a leader has to shoulder.

Using the right terminology and following basic rules doesn't make it easier to let someone go, but it can ensure the process is carried out with honesty, integrity, and dignity.

Staff reductions are a reality, but by which method? Here's a quick look at different situations you might face as a leader:

*Lay-offs*
Be aware that this term has a specific connotation: it implies that a company is going to let the employee go for a short period of time, and then bring him or her back. If that's the case, fine. If a company has no intention of continuing employment in the future, then saying, "You're laid off," can have legal implications. Employees can - and have successfully - sued for wrongful termination when they were "laid-off" but never rehired when the company recovered.

*Reductions-in-force*
RIFs are similar to lay-offs but indicate that the termination is permanent. There is no expectation of rehire, and that should be absolutely clear to the affected employees. As with lay-offs, RIFs are typically a result of financial difficulties. If, for instance, a company loses several major customers, it may have to do a reduction-in-force.

*Selective reductions-in-force*
Here, the reduction is not across the board. Using the example of the company that lost major customers: say they had employees who were dedicated to these accounts. The customers cancelled the contracts, so the company no longer needs those people. The RIFs don't touch anyone else.

*Furloughs*
Like lay-offs, furloughs indicate employees will be rehired. During the debt crisis of 2013, the Federal Government furloughed some 800,000 employees, and private companies can resort to this option as well. Some employers give their people different furlough options: they may, for instance, have to work a four-day week instead of five or work two weeks on, two weeks off. Unlike lay-offs, employees might still receive benefits, such as health insurance or even sick days or vacation time to cover part of the furlough.

*Termination for cause*
Instead of letting someone go, temporarily or permanently, for financial reasons, terminating for cause occurs when someone has made an egregious error or has committed a fireable offense. Whether he or she breached contract, lost a major client through mistakes, violated a company policy, or committed any number of other acts, the termination is based on their behavior and/or performance.

*Here are some guidelines to consider when letting someone go:*
· *Always terminate with dignity.* This is critical for a few reasons. One, you're dealing with a human being who just lost his job, one of the most stressful events in life. And two, if you alienate, antagonize, or compromise the dignity of an employee, your chance of being sued for wrongful termination increases. Don't make him do the walk of shame; don't make him pack his belongings in a cardboard box while his coworkers and friends look on; don't have an armed guard escort him from the building (unless there is a real threat).
· *If appropriate, offer help.* If you had to let someone go through no fault of their own, offer job placement services, a severance package, or other support to help this person through this transition and, hopefully, recover more quickly.
· *Terminate at the end of the day.* It just goes back to dignity. It's best if other employees have gone home for the day so he can pack his belongings without feeling even more embarrassed or ashamed.
· *Be honest.* Tell him why you're letting him go, whether it's a financial issue, his position is no longer necessary, or he doesn't fit the culture. Be honest. At the same time, never besmirch someone's reputation, even if he were fired for cause; it's kicking him while he's down.
· *Don't fire someone on the spot.* If someone just lost a200,000 account, it can be tempting to yell, "You're fired! Get out of here." Hold off, and simmer down. Firing someone on the spot sends the wrong message to employees: any of us could go at any time. If the person committed a fireable offense, bring him in for a discussion. Maybe even wait for the next day so your emotions do not get in the way of your judgment.
People don't become leaders because they like to let employees go. It is one of the most difficult, but often necessary, aspects of leadership. Make sure you are using the right terminology so employees have realistic expectations and that you always lay-off, RIF, furlough, or terminate with dignity.

Mike Harden has developed exceptional depth and breadth of knowledge over his 40+ year career as an entrepreneur, executive, teacher, mentor, and coach. Today, as one of DC's premier Executive Coaches, Mike helps good executives become great leaders. Contact Mike for an executive coaching session.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 8 hours ago.

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ZoomCare changes name, shifts business model

May 22, 2015, 2:24 pm

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Starting Monday, Zoomcare customers will notice a striking change. The old name and logo are giving way to Zoom+, which the company is pitching as a “complete health system.” Within that system: “performance health insurance,” an expanded universe of clinics, mobile tools and access to coaches, trainers and a personal health guru. “I don’t see it as a rebrand but as a launching," said co-founder and CEO Dr. Dave Sanders. “The core offering is Zoomcare as you know it. Zoom is a corridor… Reported by bizjournals 7 hours ago.

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