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New Walmart Ads: An Exercise in Lip Service

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Have you seen the new Walmart commercials? They're fabulous. They're heartwarming. They bring back any faith in humanity you may have lost.  Actually, they're a spectacular exercise in disingenuous, masturbatory fiction.

Walmart has begun to inundate the airwaves with their new commercials about how great they are. They want everyone to know how much they value their employees by taking them out of abject poverty into just slightly below what's considered poverty by most standards.

Here's a clip staring Miguel Rivera, an apparent typical Walmart employee. As the YouTube description states, "he's a wonderful brother, son, and a Walmart inventory supervisor.""He takes pride in making sure our customers have a great experience, which is why we take pride in making sure he has one too by investing over $1 billion this year in higher wages, education and training. Thank you, Miguel, for everything you do."Both Miguel and his mother work at Walmart. After a little "setback" about a year and a half ago Miguel got his mom a job working with him at Walmart because it's important that families stay together and make sure that they're all there for each other. As Miguel finishes up his narrative, the scene fades and we hear a gruff yet sensitive voice say, "Walmart is investing in the most important part of our company. Our people. Because a raise in pay raises us all." The screen fades to black and the following text appears: "We're investing over $ 1 billion this year in higher wages, education and training."
The term "setback" may sound familiar. It's the term used by corporations and Republicans when horrible things happen to poor people or to middle class people, making them poor as a result. These life events, such as foreclosures, life threatening illnesses, debilitating hospital bills, death are simply referred to as "setbacks." They keep you out of work, in debt, and in despair. In Miguel's case that "setback" came in the form of his sister dying and his mom having to care for her while she was sick. And if his sister worked at Walmart she probably didn't have health insurance. So, yes, dying of an illness that may have been prevented or cured would certainly constitute a setback.

Walmart is notorious for cutting employee hours in order to not provide healthcare benefits. Last year alone they cut health benefits for 30,000 employees. How's that for "raising us all?"

There are other "Tomorrow Starts Today" ads with different "employees" all with happy shiny people gushing their praises of how fabulous it is to work at Walmart. In each of the ads, at some point there's a register checkout sign displaying the number 15.

Great isn't it? Walmart is going to invest all that money into its employees. People are going to get raises, training, education, and a whole new lease on life. The progressive movement really seems to have melted their hearts.

Here's the thing though: According to an article in the New York Times earlier this year Walmart is only planning to raise its wages to nine dollars an hour and maybe $10 an hour sometime later this year. The number 15 of course is in response to numerous protests by Walmart employees demanding a living wage and similar nationwide rallies for a $15 minimum wage. The number looks good in the ad, but Walmart has no intention of raising anyone's wage to $15 an hour. All that camera shot tells anyone is that there are at least 15 people working the register who are not earning enough to live on.

While $1 billion may seem like a lot, particularly to someone earning $9 an hour, it's a drop in the bucket for Walmart. The Walton family members, Jim, Alice, Robson, Ann, and Nancie, who own Walmart, have a combined worth of over $100 Billion - more than the combined wealth of 40 percent of the Country. Forty-nine million people in this country could throw all of their money into a big pile and the six Waltons would still have more.

Walmart's CEO, Michael Duke, made it on to Alternet's "10 Greediest People in America," coming in at number eight - although all ten could have easily tied for number one. Duke reportedly makes just under $7,000/hour, nearly 800 times the amount of an average Walmart employee and is sitting on $113.2 million in retirement assets, thanks to a tax loophole that lets corporate execs annually set aside unlimited sums, tax-free, into their retirement accounts.

Nine dollars an hour, by the way, is still poverty wages. On that wage, if an employee were working 40 hours per week every week of the year they would make just under $19,000 per year - still below poverty. According to a report by Demos think tank, if Walmart were to reinvest in its employees rather than spending $7.6 Billion a year buying back its own stock, all 2.2 million employees could be making $25,000 per year of full time work.

And that's not all. Because Walmart pays such deplorably low wages, the employees of the store are forced to turn to social services like Medicaid, Welfare, and food stamps in order to survive.

From Paddy Ryan at the Daily Kos:"Walmart's employees receive $2.66 billion in government help every year, or about $420,000 per store. They are also the top recipients of Medicaid in numerous states. Why does this occur? Walmart fails to provide a livable wage and decent healthcare benefits, costing U.S. taxpayers an annual average of $1.02 billion in healthcare costs. This direct public subsidy is being given to offset the failures of an international corporate giant who shouldn't be shifting part of its labor costs onto the American taxpayers."But Walmart is about "raising us all," right? Why every year they collect food donations for employees who don't make enough money working at Walmart to feed their families. See? Community, caring, giving. It's the Walmart way.

And as far as caring for their workers and the environment and conditions they work in, Walmart also has a little film about that. A Walmart orientation videos was leaked recently revealing Walmart's anti-union efforts.* *Labor experts and Walmart employees were surprised at the blatant untruths in many of the video's pro-company and anti-union statements.
The Atlantic reported last month:One former Walmart store manager tells the story that after discovering a pro-union flyer in his store's men's room, he informed company headquarters and within 24 hours, an anti-union SWAT team flew to his store in a corporate jet. And when the meat department of a Walmart store in Texas became the retailer's only operation in the United States to unionize, back in 2000, Walmart announced plans two weeks later to use prepackaged meat and eliminate butchers at that store and 179 others.The new commercials are unsurprisingly self-congratulatory and obviously a result of public pressure over the last few years. There is of course no indication of that anywhere in the ads.

I'm not suggesting that the ads should mention the pressure from employees, consumers, and society, but the self-indulgent videos could have been slightly less disingenuous. Maybe something in the way of, "Our customers and employees spoke up and we heard them. After some thought, we realized what a bunch of greedy pigs we were and decided it was time do something to shut you up. So here's a few extra bucks in case you get sick."

A better and more truthful ad than the ones they decided to air, would have been scenes of children working in coal mines with the voice over saying, "Hey, it could be worse. Now get back to work."

*Follow Richard Zombeck at Liberals Unite and Facebook*

-- 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 9 hours ago.

Do the Supreme Court justices even understand how Obamacare works?

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In March, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in King v Burwell, a case that could broadly impact the functioning of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The central question in King v Burwell is whether the federal government may provide subsidies for citizens to purchase health insurance on exchanges... Reported by Raw Story 9 hours ago.

Analysts say the health insurance merger rumors are starting to resemble 'Game of Thrones' (AET, ANTM, CI, HNT, HUM, MOH, UAM, UNH, WCG)

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Analysts say the health insurance merger rumors are starting to resemble 'Game of Thrones' (AET, ANTM, CI, HNT, HUM, MOH, UAM, UNH, WCG) The health insurance industry is in merger overdrive.

Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that several companies including Aetna, Cigna, and possibly Anthem that are interested in buying Humana.

Humana is reportedly looking for a buyer.

And then on Monday, the Journal reported that Anthem approached Cigna for a merger. The two companies had been in talks for several weeks.

In a note on Tuesday, Deutsche Bank analysts ask, "Who Will Win the Managed Care 'Game of Thrones'?"

Here's Scott Fidel and Shawn Bevec:

For the first half of 2015, the story with the MCO [Managed Care Organization] stocks has been about rising anticipation of large scale M&A;* [Monday's] fusillade of media headlines suggest that all of the industry leaders are fully mobilizing their financial arsenals for the developing consolidation showdown.*

Investors have equipped the MCO management teams with additional equity firepower by inflating the P/E multiples across the group while the cost of debt remains historically cheap. While the combination of high P/E multiples and the low cost of money makes M&A likely irresistible for the management teams, the elevated take-out multiples could also dampen future financial returns for the sector." 

In the healthcare sector more broadly, companies are arguing that mergers would lower their costs, translating to cheaper healthcare for consumers.

Also, the Journal notes that the Affordable Care Act is bringing in new, potential customers to the health insurance market, and that means companies in the industry have to compete better.

In this game of bids and counter-bids, Deutsche Bank tries to make sense of who could gain, and who could lose.

According to the analysts, a merger between Anthem and Cigna would gradually add to earnings per share.

Overall, a deal between Aetna and Cigna would be best because their businesses overlap significantly, and there will be plenty of cost-saving synergies.

Here's how the firm sees any of the myriad combinations being discussed. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: George R.R. Martin reveals which inconsistencies in 'Game of Thrones' are actually deliberate Reported by Business Insider 8 hours ago.

3 states gain approval to switch from federal to state-based exchanges before ACA ruling

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With the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to rule in the next few days on the legality of subsidies provided through federally facilitated Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges, three states have taken proactive measures. Virginia is not among them. Reported by dailypress.com 8 hours ago.

Tuesday’s most followed in U.S. including Avalanche, Aerie, UnitedHealth, Etsy, Alibaba Group, American Airlines, FactSet, Oshkosh, Gap, Coty, Fiat Chrysler, AIG

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U.S. shares moved modestly higher as investors await the outcome of a two-day Federal Reserve policy meeting and continue to monitor Greek debt talks. The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) rose 0.3 percent to 2,090.42 at 11:42 a.m. in New York. The 30-company Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) gained 0.4 percent to 17,866.77, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) added 0.2 percent to 4,442.37. Most followed shares included Avalanche Biotechnologies, Aerie Pharmaceuticals, UnitedHealth Group, Etsy, Alibaba Group, American Airlines, FactSet Research, Oshkosh, Gap, Coty, Fiat Chrysler, and AIG.

In health-care shares, Avalanche Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:AAVL) tumbled 51.8 percent to $18.80, a day after the eye drug developer's experimental therapy showed that vision improvement was not significant. The result prompted brokerages to cut their ratings on the stock. 

Aerie Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AERI) gained 53.5 percent to $20.32 after saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed the drug maker to modify what will determine a successful late-stage clinical trial for its glaucoma treatment.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) advanced 1.5 percent to $120.71 after approaching Aetna about a takeover deal that would likely be valued at more than $40 billion, the latest move in a frenzy of merger talks in the health-insurance industry.

In technology stocks, Etsy (NASDAQ:ETSY) was little changed at $16.32. Etsy plans to launch a crowdfunding service, allowing sellers to raise money on the crafts retailer's website. The Wall Street Journal reports the service may be launched as soon as today. 

Alibaba Group Holding’s (NYSE:BABA) U.S.-listed shares were down 0.2 percent at $86.02 after a report the Chinese e-commerce giant is in talks to jointly invest about $500 million in Snapdeal.com with iPhone assembler Foxconn Technology. 

In industrials, American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) slipped 1.2 percent to $39.55 after saying it would push back delivery of 35 Airbus Group A320neo family jetliners by several years. 

Oshkosh (NYSE:OSK) sank 8.1 percent to $46.19 after cutting its third-quarter and full-year earnings guidance, citing severe weather conditions and a delay in new-product launches. 

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) fell 1.8 percent to $162.54 even as the provider of financial information and analytical applications posted better-than-expected earnings for its fiscal third quarter. 

In consumer shares, Gap (NYSE:GPS) increased 1.2 percent to $38.66 after the retailer late yesterday said it’ll shut 175 of its namesake stores in North America over the next few years, including about 140 this year. 

Coty (NYSE:COTY) jumped 19.4 percent to $31.13 after winning an auction to buy three business lines from Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), including its Wella hair-care brand, that could value the businesses at as much as $12 billion, the New York Post reported yesterday, citing people familiar with the matter. 

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (NYSE:FCAU) slid 0.2 percent to $15.49 as a report showed European car sales rose at the slowest pace in six months in May.

In financials, American International Group (NYSE:AIG) lost 0.8 percent to $62.06 after a court ruled that the government’s bailout of the insurer during the financial crisis was illegally onerous, while still refusing to award damages to Hank Greenberg’s Starr International Co., which took the case.  Reported by Proactive Investors 6 hours ago.

Dedicated Section 508 and PDF/UA Remediation Specialists “Electronic Document Compliance Services”, Is Now “Accessibility In Mind”

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Accessiblity in Mind expands its Section 508 focus to include best practices consulting as well as expert document remediation.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina (PRWEB) June 16, 2015

Chris Frank, CEO of Electronic Document Compliance Services (EDCS), today announced their new name, “Accessibility In Mind” (AIM), as the company expands its focus beyond PDF remediation. EDCS (now AIM) is a recognized leader in Section 508 PDF compliance, specializing in government reports as well as health insurance provider documents and “fillable form” PDFs. AIM now offers “best practice” consulting as well as insured, certified remediation.

“Companies can save money by instituting best practices for accessibility at the beginning of the document flow, rather than fixing (remediating) poorly formatted documents after the fact,” says Frank. “The key is to create a protocol for document production tailored to your company’s needs, keeping ‘accessibility in mind’ at every stage of production. Create accessible documents that require very little ‘remediation’ to comply with Section 508.”

“Plus, accessibility adds value to documents, it’s not just for disabled users and not just to comply with regulations. Search engine optimization, extensibility, multi-platform compatibility, document reflow on mobile platforms, these are just a few of the benefits of properly tagged PDFs. Our ‘AIM’ and our only business is accessibility for all.”

AIM will continue to provide remediation services with rapid turnaround for all types of PDF documents in addition to consulting, with a growing client list of government, health care providers, educational institutions, and private agencies.

Section 508, an amendment to the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, requires all electronic documents created with Federal funds be accessible to people with disabilities. As awareness of the regulations has grown, demand for expert remediation has kept dedicated 508 services like AIM very busy. “Many of our clients are seeing the requirement for 508 compliance showing up in their contracts for the first time,” Frank says, “and they may not know much about it- it’s just a headache they want to go away. We’re the ‘508 Doc’- call us for an effective prescription for ADA compliance.”

Accessibility consulting by AIM provides cost-saving evaluation and best practice document production systems tailored to meet the needs of any sized company. Companies don’t always think about accessibility and Section 508 until the end of the production process; inaccessible, non-compliant documents are created and then “retro-fit” after the fact. This is the most expensive and inefficient way to produce accessible documents. AIM’s best practice consulting is designed to reduce this unnecessary expense. AIM specialists review your company’s document creation and flow, then create procedural guidance for producers that can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for post-production Section 508 compliance remediation. Clients can expect to reduce compliance costs by 50-75% as best practices are implemented at the beginning of the document production flow. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.

King v. Burwell ruling could cut $1.7B flowing to N.C.

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With the long-awaited King v. Burwell decision expected in the coming weeks, North Carolinians are paying ever more attention. In real terms, it could mean $1.7 billion less flowing into this state. Nearly 460,000 people in this state receive some subsidy when they buy health insurance through the federally operated exchange – the very subsidy that the Supreme Court might rule against. In addition, people here qualify for a larger subsidy than in many other states. In only two states – Florida… Reported by bizjournals 6 hours ago.

Defeat By Deductible: Millennials Aren't Hip To Health Insurance Lingo

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Researchers watched a group of young adults as they tried signing up for insurance on HealthCare.gov. Half didn't know what a deductible was. Needless to say, they struggled with enrollment. Reported by NPR 6 hours ago.

Humana Won't Get Lost in Merger Shuffle

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The health-insurance merger frenzy doesn’t have to be bad news for Humana, or its buyers. Reported by Wall Street Journal 4 hours ago.

UnitedHealth has approached Aetna about a takeover

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The nation's largest health insurer, Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, has approached Aetna Inc. about a takeover deal that would likely be valued at more than $40 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest move in a frenzy of merger talks in the health-insurance industry. Reported by TwinCities.com 3 hours ago.

Could the Health Insurance Mergers Leave an Odd Man Out?

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Reported by 24/7 Wall St. 3 hours ago.

Wall Street trades higher as investors monitor Fed meeting, Greece debt talks

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U.S. stocks traded higher today as investors awaited the outcome of a two-day Federal Reserve policy meeting and continued to monitor Greek debt talks.

The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) rose 0.6 percent to 2,096.93 at 3:37 p.m. in New York. The 30-company Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) gained 0.7 percent to 17,911.22, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) added 0.6 percent to 5,059.43.

The Federal Open Market Committee’s two-day meeting kicked off today. Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen will hold a news conference after the meeting concludes tomorrow.

Greece remained in the spotlight today, with market participants growing worried the heavily indebted country could default unless it reaches a deal with lenders later this week.

*DATA:*

Construction started on new U.S. homes fell 11.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.04 million in May, pulling back from a surge in April, which saw the fastest starts pace since late 2007, according to government data released today. 

*MOVERS:*

Avalanche Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:AAVL) tumbled 56 percent to $17.13, a day after the eye drug developer's experimental therapy showed that vision improvement was not significant. The result prompted brokerages to cut their ratings on the stock. 

Aerie Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AERI) gained 49.6 percent to $19.85 after saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed the drug maker to modify what will determine a successful late-stage clinical trial for its glaucoma treatment.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) advanced 2 percent to $121.40 after approaching Aetna about a takeover deal that would likely be valued at more than $40 billion, the latest move in a frenzy of merger talks in the health-insurance industry.

American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) slipped 1.3 percent to $39.55 after saying it would push back delivery of 35 Airbus Group A320neo family jetliners by several years. 

Oshkosh (NYSE:OSK) sank 7.4 percent to $46.58 after cutting its third-quarter and full-year earnings guidance, citing severe weather conditions and a delay in new-product launches. 

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) fell 2.2 percent to $161.82 even as the provider of financial information and analytical applications posted better-than-expected earnings for its fiscal third quarter. 

Gap (NYSE:GPS) increased 1.2 percent to $38.65 after the retailer late yesterday said it’ll shut 175 of its namesake stores in North America over the next few years, including about 140 this year. 

Coty (NYSE:COTY) jumped 19 percent to $31.03 after winning an auction to buy three business lines from Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), including its Wella hair-care brand, that could value the businesses at as much as $12 billion, the New York Post reported yesterday, citing people familiar with the matter. 

American International Group (NYSE:AIG) lost 0.8 percent to $62.11 after a court ruled that the government’s bailout of the insurer during the financial crisis was illegally onerous, while still refusing to award damages to Hank Greenberg’s Starr International Co., which took the case. 

*COMMODITIES:*

Gold for August delivery on Comex fell 0.4 percent to settle at $1,180 an ounce.

Light, sweet crude for July delivery, the U.S. benchmark, settled up 0.8 percent at $59.97 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

*OTHER MARKETS:*

European stocks closed higher after sliding earlier in the session. Greek worries persist, but equities have recovered a little after hitting a nearly four-month low. Reported by Proactive Investors 2 hours ago.

Mediaplanet’s “Employee Well-Being” Campaign to Feature Consumer Health Engagement Leader Rally Health

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In honor of June being Employee Well-being Month, originally known as National Employee Wellness Month and now in its seventh year, Rally Health, a leading consumer-centric digital health company, is participating in Mediaplanet’s first cross-platform edition of “Employee Well-Being.“

(PRWEB) June 16, 2015

Made possible with the support of WorldatWork, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), American Medical Group Association (AMGA) and many more, the “Employee Well-Being” campaign advocates for an increased emphasis on employee well-being by highlighting the importance for employers to expand benefits programs that support the improvement of employee health, initiate a higher level of job performance, develop a greater sense of company loyalty and in turn improve their bottom lines.

“As the work environment continues to shift and grow, it is increasingly important for organizations to recognize the value of integrating well-being into a more holistic view of the employee,” explains Rose Stanley, practice leader at WorldatWork. “To support this effort, initiatives like the ‘Employee Well-Being’ campaign help inform employers of the many options available to them so they can decide on the solutions or programs that best fit their needs and those of their employees.”

Rally Health’s flagship product, RallySM is a HIPAA-compliant digital health platform and mobile app for employees that leverages the power of personal health data, social networking and gamification to help people make simple, positive changes in their daily routines, set health-and-wellness goals and stay on target. Rally is distinguished by its simplicity of design, taking what are usually complex steps and breaking them down into smaller, more manageable actions that help employees complete the actions and remain engaged in their health. For example, Rally’s proprietary and patent-pending health survey, the gateway to the platform, has a 95 percent completion rate (based on Rally Health experience), which is 10 times the industry standard. Ultimately, Rally’s engagement tools and incentives inspire people to make better, more informed decisions about their health, which is important when employers are looking for long-term health behavior change.

The print component of “Employee Well-Being” is being distributed as a full-color special section within the June 12th edition of USA TODAY in the Atlanta, Chicago, DC/Baltimore, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix and San Francisco distribution markets, with a combined circulation of approximately 450,000 copies and an estimated readership of 1.3 million.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine and renowned advocate for employee well-being, will be headlining the campaign and featured on the cover of the print publication.

“Having insurance doesn’t equal having good health. You probably know people who have terrific health insurance but are still wildly unhealthy,” Gupta states in exclusive interview with Mediaplanet. “I think wellness and optimization need to be infused into our culture. Certainly corporate wellness programs should become a big part of any culture.”

Corporate wellness programs have been a hot topic of conversation for many business leaders in recent years. Aiming to improve employee health, reduce absenteeism and generate savings from reduced healthcare costs, about 77 percent of U.S. employers recently reported offering wellness programs to their employees.

To explore the digital version of Mediaplanet’s “Employee and Well-Being” campaign, click here or visit http://www.futureofbusinessandtech.com.

About Rally Health
Rally Health, Inc. helps people take an active role in their health. Using clinical data, customized recommendations, and continual rewards, the RallySM digital health platform helps people make positive lifestyle choices and navigate every touch point in the health care continuum. With offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago, the executive team at Rally Health has been working to transform the health and wellness industry since 2010. For more information, please visit http://www.RallyHealth.com.

About Mediaplanet
Mediaplanet specializes in the creation of content marketing campaigns released through multimedia platforms. We provide our readers with insightful and educational editorial in the fields of their interest, designed to motivate them to take action. Our unique ability to pair the right leaders, with the right readers, through the right platforms, has made Mediaplanet into a global powerhouse in content marketing. We continue to explore and expand our network of partners and clients through the shared interest of providing our readers the best experience possible.

Press Contacts

For Mediaplanet:
Jeremy Amigo
(646) 922-1408
Jeremy(dot)amigo(at)mediaplanet(dot)com

For Rally Health:
Amanda Breeding
(415) 229-7649
Amanda(dot)Breeding(at)edelman(dot)com Reported by PRWeb 3 hours ago.

Former Nike Executive Joins ZOOM+

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Top Executives from Retail, Health and Software Backgrounds Are Joining the Rapidly-Expanding Healthcare Innovator

Hillsboro, Ore. (PRWEB) June 16, 2015

ZOOM+, the innovator of on-demand healthcare and Performance Health Insurance, today announced that David Kohel has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer.

“As we roll out the most ambitious, creative initiative transforming US healthcare, we’re finding many people of exceptional talent are gravitating to ZOOM+,” says Dave Sanders, M.D., co-founder and CEO. “We are delighted to have David join the executive team where he’ll be responsible for enhancing our proprietary technology cloud. Since we started ZOOM+, our technology platform has been critical to delighting our customers. From live scheduling, to worldwide video visits, to medical records, to performance monitoring and assessing, we’re committed to building the best tech stack in the industry.”

Kohel directed product and technology strategy and delivery for all Nike digital brand experiences from 2010-2015, including web, mobile, and platforms. He was the organizational leader for product management, architecture, and engineering with direct ownership of 200+ online experiences and five mobile applications.

With Kohel in the CTO role, ZOOM+, formerly known as ZoomCare, enhances an exceptional technology team as it builds its Performance Health Insurance System, and rolls out its Neighborhood Health Campus delivering a full line of healthcare services including urgent and emergency, primary and performance, and specialist and surgery.

About ZOOM+

ZOOM+, the Portland-based innovator of on-demand healthcare, is creating the nation’s first health insurance system built from the ground up to enhance human performance. By seamlessly combining the security of traditional health insurance with membership-based brain, cellular and strength/stamina training and coaching, ZOOM+ Performance Health Insurance is empowering people to reach their full potential. Co-founded in 2006 in Portland, Oregon by healthcare entrepreneurs David Sanders, M.D., and Albert DiPiero, M.D., ZOOM+ (formerly called ZoomCare) was built on the promise of delivering “Twice the Health At Half the Cost With Ten Times the Delight.” ZOOM+ is a privately held company currently operating 26 neighborhood clinics in Portland, Vancouver and Seattle. ZOOM+ was selected one of the most admired healthcare companies in Oregon in 2014 and has been a finalist for the Oregon Entrepreneur Network's Growth Company of the Year. Dave Sanders was an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2015 Award winner in the Pacific Northwest.

ZOOM+ has been responsible for many retail healthcare firsts. The company built the first mobile online scheduler with same-day access to more than 500 no-wait appointments; created the innovative neighborhood retail clinic format; invented the "Magic Minute" and "Painless Procedure;" helped pass legislation allowing clinics to provide prescription medications and for video medical visits to be paid for by insurance companies; published transparent prices on the website; offered convenient office hours 365 days a year, in some cases until midnight.

For additional information about ZOOM+, please visit ZoomCare.com and our Facebook page. Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.

Fitch: More US Health Insurer M&A Likely If Mega Deal Struck

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A combination of any of the five largest US health insurers could accelerate further merger and acquisition activity in the managed care sector, says Fitch Ratings. Just one mega M&A deal could lead to similar responses by competing firms seeking to shore up competitive disadvantages in scale and product lines. Fitch sees the M&A potential in the health insurance sector as a direct response to anticipated market conditions in a post-Affordable Care Act (ACA) w Reported by Business Wire 2 hours ago.

Rising Health Insurance Deductibles Highlight the Cost Effectiveness of House Call Medicine, Comments Dr. Michael Farzam

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Even for people with insurance, medical care from hospitals can be more expensive than leading alternatives like House Call Doctor Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 16, 2015

According to surveys from the Commonwealth Fund and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation analyzed by the Huffington Post in an article published on May 20th, Americans are getting increasingly burdened by rising out-of-pocket medical expenses. One of these surveys found that 25 percent of privately insured individuals do not have enough money in their bank accounts to pay the deductibles they would have to incur from costly emergency room visits. One of the main reasons for this is that hospital costs continue growing every year, and hospital managers decide to pass the expenses on to the patient. Yet,according to Michael Farzam, M.D. with House Call Doctor Los Angeles, house call doctor services that do not have the high overhead costs associated with operating out of a brick and mortar office are able to charge patients comparably low fees for their care. Dr. Farzam is one of these doctors, having worked in the LA area as a house call doctor for over a decade. According to Dr. Farzam, “Cost-effectiveness is just one of several advantages that house call medicine has over a trip to the hospital.” Others include:· “Less Guesswork” – Most times, patients never truly know what they are going to get out of a trip to the emergency room… or how much of their total insurance deductible it’s going to cost them. They are often matched with whatever doctor is available, only to receive an unknown quality of care for an unknown quantity of money. “Often, patients can leave an emergency room visit with more questions than answers on both fronts. This is especially true for Los Angeles travelers, who are unfamiliar with the area’s hospitals and have no idea where to go for quality medical care.” With House Call Doctor Los Angeles, patients can stay in their hotel room and have a quality doctor come to them with a clear idea of their likely fee. And, because patients are able to speak with a physician over the phone before their appointment, they can be sure that the doctor is prepared for the appointment and comes with everything needed to treat their medical needs.

· “Patients Stay Where They’re Comfortable” – Likely the most obvious advantage of House Call Doctor Los Angeles is that patients are able to stay in the comfort of their own home while receiving care. Terrible, stress-inducing Los Angeles traffic aside, once patients arrive to the hospital or urgent care facility, they often have to wait a long time in a cold and uncomfortable waiting room surrounded by other sick patients. Dr. Farzam and House Call Doctor Los Angeles gives patients the option of remaining where they feel most comfortable and secure while they are waiting for their physician to come to them.

About Dr. Michael Farzam

While House Call Doctor Los Angeles does provide a variety of urgent care services, many patients also choose the option of having Dr. Farzam on retainer as a year-long family concierge doctor. Nevertheless, whatever one’s medical needs may be, they can call House Call Doctor Los Angeles for medical care today at 310-849-7991, or visit them online at http://www.housecalldoctorla.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.

3 Finances Millennials Can't Ignore

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As Millennials, we know being financially-savvy and strategic is important. But there's a difference between knowing you need to deal with finances, and actually doing it. Often the problem isn't so much as not being able to, but rather not understanding how to -- whether because there are too many options available or because they seem to be foreign concepts.Until recently, most 20-somethings have had their finances umbrellaed under their parent's coverage, and are only now having to navigate it themselves. And it isn't easy. In a recent study conducted by Wells Fargo, more than half of Millennials reported living paycheck to paycheck, with debt among the top of their financial concerns.

Important financial obligations can be broken down into three basic categories: debt, insurance and savings. Below is a breakdown of each, what they consist of, and their importance.

*Debt & Loans*

Most Millennials are dealing with student loan debt. Unfortunately, it can be easy to ignore them and assume they'll be easier to deal with later. Adopting this mindset is a huge mistake -- one you will regret.

There are two main methods you can use to pay off debt. The "Avalanche Method" is when you pay off balances with the highest interest rates first. Some people's instinct is to do the opposite, paying the lowest balances first, also known as the "Snowball Method." While this can help 20-somethings gain confidence in their ability to meet monthly payments, it typically ends up hurting in the long run.

Although the balances with the highest interest rates may seem too intimidating to deal with now, they are only going to worsen over time, ultimately increasing the amount of money you pay. You don't want to feel like you are making regular monthly payments yet never seeing the balance owed decrease.

At the very least, you need to get in "good standing" with the loan companies, otherwise your credit score will plummet, making it impossible to rent a car, let alone an apartment or house.

*Health & Car Insurance*

The truth is you never know when something unexpected might come up. If your health goes down hill, you don't want your bank account to go with it. Consider this: A broken bone can cost upwards of $8,000 to fix, and spending a few days in the hospital can cost anywhere around $30,000. There are plenty of companies out there targeted specifically towards Millennials, such as Oscar health insurance company, who have plans that include free doctors visits, generic drugs, phone consultations, an app, and free vaccinations for as little as $87 a month. Since prevention is the best form of treatment, you really don't want to wait to get proper health insurance.

If you're in a car accident that causes injuries or damages, you want to make sure you're compensated financially. You need to remember it is not just yourself you need to worry about, but everyone else on the road as well. You may think the chances of something happening are slim, and your money is better spent elsewhere for the time being, but statistically speaking, it is likely an accident will happen sooner or later. Imagine taking hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the car with you every time you drive and, if an accident happens, you immediately lose all of it.

Your premium, or monthly payment, gives you liability coverage, which protects you if you're at fault and is legally required in most states. There are also options for medical and property coverage.

The Zebra is a great resource which makes car insurance for Millennials simple; you can compare different companies, find the coverage plan which makes the most sense for you, and get all the quotes you need.

*Savings & Retirement Plans*

Of course, one of the best things anyone can do with their money is save it. But a personal savings account is not always best, especially for Millennials. Not only is it too easy to access the funds, but they often do not offer the benefits of growing interest rates and capital gains like retirement plans do.

When you're in your 20s, this seems like something that can wait, since you have a lot more semingly important finances to handle like, let's say, that accumulating pile of student loans. You can put off your retirement fund for as long as you want. Forever, if you so choose. But should you? Definitely not.

There are two basic retirement plans, a 401K and an IRA. A 401K is sponsored by your employer, with contributions deducted from your paychecks before taxes, also known as a "pre-tax contribution." In most cases, employers will match the amount contributed up to a certain percent; passing up on this opportunity is essentially passing up on free money. An IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is not linked to your employer, meaning the contributions are made post-tax.

With a 401K you will benefit now because you won't have to pay taxes until you withdraw later, when you're retiring. Or, you could pay the taxes up front now through a Roth IRA, and not have to later in life. However, since there's no way of knowing what the tax rates will be in the future, this could work either for or against you.

Either way, don't pass up the opportunity to set up a retirement savings account now; the earlier you start, the better off you'll be.

Regardless of whether you are worried about debt, savings or insurance, when it comes to managing your finances, the worst mistake you can make is waiting, and assuming it is something you can deal with later. Know that, however stressful or overwhelming it may seem now, it will only get worse the longer you wait. Tackle it head on, and do what you can now.

Years from now, you'll wish you had started today.

-- 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 1 day ago.

UAE Medical Insurance Report Highlights Cost of Health Insurance in the UAE

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UAE Medical Insurance have released their second report on the cost of health insurance, with analysis of the top expatriate destinations.

Dubai (PRWEB) June 17, 2015

UAE Medical Insurance (a licensed division of Medstar, a wholly owned Pacific Prime subsidiary) has recently released the second article of a three part report on the cost of health insurance. Titled: The cost of health insurance in top expat destinations, this article looks at health insurance premiums in six top expat destinations, including the UAE.

Because the number of countries is lower in Article 2, UMI has increased the number of insurance providers from six to eleven. Each provider was selected because they offer three types of plan to the four main demographic segments in the report.

To make this report as easy as possible to navigate it has been segmented by country, with each country being further divided by demographic and then again by plan type. This allows the reader to quickly find the relevant information they are looking for. This information includes:

Each of the six countries being ranked based on the average cost of insurance.
The spread of costs based on each demographic
The spread of costs based on plan type
An analysis that looks at the costs of individual international health insurance in each country and the major influences.

Highlights for the UAE
Despite cities like Dubai offering some of the most advanced medical care in the region, if not the world, the country is ranked 5th out of 6 in terms of the cost of health insurance.

Couples can expect to pay between USD 3,264 and USD 14,132 for a plan - depending on the type of coverage they select.
The premium for a single international health insurance plan falls between USD 1,632 and USD 7,066.

Because the DHA reforms enacted in early 2015 have made insurance mandatory for all foreign workers, it is essential that companies and expats looking to move to Dubai secure insurance before they arrive. As such, Article 2 can be a big help in the search for the right plan. Reported by PRWeb 22 hours ago.

Pacific Prime Singapore feature next Cost of Health Insurance Article

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Pacific Prime Singapore have put out the second part of a report detailing the cost of health insurance and analyzes the top expatriate destinations.

Singapore (PRWEB) June 17, 2015

International Health Insurance broker Pacific Prime Singapore is pleased to announce that they have released the second portion of a three part report on the cost of health insurance. Part 2, titled: The cost of health insurance in top expat destinations, takes 6 top expat destinations and aims to provide a more in-depth look at the cost of premiums in each location.

Due to the fact that there are fewer countries than in the first part of the report, the number of insurance providers has been increased from six to 11. Together, these 11 providers cover the vast majority of the international individual insurance market and were selected because they each offer three levels of plans that have similar coverage.

Download this FREE article today to learn:

The cost of health insurance in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, the UK, and the UAE.
The cost of health insurance for Single, Couple, Family, and Retiree demographics in each location.
How Singapore ranks when compared to the other locations in Article 2.
Why premiums are so spread out for each demographic.
Major influencers on the cost of insurance in each location.

Singapore Highlights
With Singapore being featured in Part 2, there are a number of interesting findings including:

There is a trend where premiums become more spread out as the level of coverage increases.
A significant outlier is present in all demographics, often as much as 27-30% higher than any other plan.
The range of insurance premiums a family can expect in Singapore is USD 4,616 to USD 24,747.
Couples can expect to pay between USD 3,572 and USD 16,152 for health insurance.

Download Part 2 today from Pacific Prime’s site to learn more about the different demographics and the costs associated with them in Singapore. Reported by PRWeb 22 hours ago.

Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. Enlists Medicare BackOffice as Resource for Financial Advisors

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Medicare BackOffice Solves Broker-Dealer Challenge: How to Support Financial Advisors Facing Increased Consumer Demand for Managing Health Care Costs in Retirement

Omaha, NB (PRWEB) June 17, 2015

As the financial planning industry grapples with how to help clients manage the growing expense of health care in retirement, Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. has found a solution by partnering with Medicare BackOffice®.

The partnership allows Lincoln Investment’s more than 800 financial professionals nationwide to refer clients with Medicare questions to Medicare BackOffice, a team of insurance agents licensed, contracted and certified in all 50 states to provide Medicare advice and products. While Medicare BackOffice agents ultimately work directly with consumers, the company’s initial customers are financial advisors or other professionals who want to help their clients navigate Medicare while continuing to concentrate on their primary business.

Joseph Monestere, Lincoln Investment’s director of annuities and traditional insurance, said that escalating health care costs and longer life expectancies have forced more clients to worry about how to pay for health care in retirement.

“While our financial advisors can help clients anticipate health care costs and plan for them, we recognized that the complex nature of Medicare and Medigap health insurance plans called for special expertise that would take years for us to accumulate,” Monestere said. “Referring clients to people who can better serve them is not only the most efficient thing to do for our business, but also the right thing to do in ensuring the client gets the best help available.”

Health care cost inflation has averaged well above 6 percent over the last 50 years, and despite dropping below that trend since the Great Recession of 2008, is expected to rise, according to the 2015 Retirement Healthcare Costs Data Report by health data provider HealthView Services. The average lifetime retirement health care premium costs for a 65-year-old healthy couple retiring this year and covered by Medicare Parts B, D, and a supplemental insurance policy will be $266,589, according to the report. Add in dental, vision, co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses, and that number rises to $394,954. A 55-year-old couple retiring in 10 years can expect to pay $463,849 in total lifetime health care costs.

“As retirees face these costs, more are expecting financial advisors to have answers,” said Brian Hickey, Medicare BackOffice vice president. “Because Medicare, Medicare Supplement and Part D are so complicated, we handle those Medicare-specific questions — when clients first enroll and then annually as plans and premiums change — so that financial planners can focus on their clients’ overall retirement plans.”

Medicare BackOffice also keeps registered advisors up-to-date on important Medicare news and enrollment dates with its recently introduced partner eNewsletter.

“We give financial advisors the basic Medicare knowledge they need so they aren’t blindsided by clients’ Medicare questions or Medicare rules, such as enrollment dates that if missed can result in lifelong penalties for clients,” Hickey said. “Each year, we can help clients review their supplemental Medicare health insurance and Part D Prescription Drug plans — because plans, drug formularies and their costs can change annually — to make sure they have the coverage they need, within their budgets.”

About Medicare BackOffice
Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Medicare BackOffice is a support service for broker-dealers, independent financial advisors, insurance agents and other professionals, helping their clients find the right Medicare health insurance plan. Professionals simply refer clients to Medicare BackOffice’s team of dedicated insurance agents, who are licensed, contracted and certified in all 50 states to provide Medicare advice and products from insurance carriers that are “A”-rated or better. By making clients’ search for Medicare answers easier and stress-free, Medicare BackOffice strengthens the referring professional’s relationship with clients. For more information, visit http://www.MedicareBackOffice.com. Medicare BackOffice is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.    

About Lincoln Investment
As a full-service broker/dealer and as Registered Investment Advisors, the Lincoln Investment Companies work through 800 independent financial advisors located in over 300 branch offices across 35 states. Our advisors serve the diverse and changing financial needs of more than 235,000 individual investors, representing nearly $23.2 billion in assets. With almost 50 years of industry leadership and specialized expertise in the delivery of investment strategies, Lincoln Investment, as a broker/dealer and Registered Investment Advisor, and Capital Analysts, Inc., as a Registered Investment Advisor, have become resources to financial advisors, enabling them to provide their clients with a lifetime of financial services. For additional information, please contact Linda Heist at Lincoln Investment (215-881-4611). Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.
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