Employer-sponsored group health plans and health insurance issuers (or carriers) are subject to information reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Reported by Mondaq 1 day ago.

Submitted by Jim Quinn via The Burning Platform blog,

As this vitriolic, unpredictable, outrageously entertaining presidential campaign enters its final stages I find myself pondering *what happens next.* I was reminded of the last scene in the 1972 movie, The Candidate. The movie is about a young untested non-politician candidate for U.S. Senator in California who puts his fate in the hands of a veteran political operative and overcomes a double digit polling deficit to win a huge upset victory. His entire focus during the campaign was to win. In the final scene of the movie he is standing among the celebrating campaign staffers and the fawning press corp. with a befuddled look on his face. He grabs his political consultant campaign manager and pulls him into a room. As the press break into the room he asks, “What do we do now?” The question goes unanswered and the movie ends.

*The chattering class on the boob tube is enthralled and aghast at every seizure, collapse, and deplorable comment by the two most disliked presidential candidates in U.S. history. *The establishment and their corporate media mouthpieces are perplexed and irate that Donald Trump has overcome their propaganda campaign to be leading in the polls with 51 days to go. He is a non-politician who was behind by double digits in the polls a month ago. He hired professional political operatives who have molded his message, while his opponent has been lying about her health, lying about selling access while Secretary of State, and denigrating blue collar middle class Americans in campaign speeches.* The momentum is clearly in his favor and absent a major gaffe during the debates he could win an unlikely come from behind victory in November.*

*No one knows for sure what will happen over the next 43 days to impact the outcome of this highly improbable race between a reality TV star parody and a walking corpse propped up by her establishment cronies in the media, Wall Street, military industrial complex and smoke filled backrooms of D.C. *The sole focus of both campaigns is to disparage and destroy their opponent. The negative attack ads will fill TV screens 24/7 for the remainder of this scorched earth fight to the death. The debates will be nasty and venomous, with accusations being hurled maliciously and with gusto. *The corporate press corp., being the mouthpieces for the establishment, has done their utmost to scorn, ridicule and attempt to derail Trump’s march to the presidency.*

*They are shocked and stunned by the failure of their propaganda campaign.* The basket of deplorables not inhabiting the liberal bastions of NYC, Washington DC, LA and SF are ignoring the unabashed media crusade to destroy Trump. *Trust in the dying legacy media is at all-time lows.* The linear thinking establishment has failed to acknowledge the cyclical nature of history and *will now reap the whirlwind of consequences for their corrupt, greedy, traitorous actions.*

The myopic media is so fixated on the minutia and trivialities related to the terribly flawed personalities of these Boomer candidates ascending to the throne of the American empire, *they fail to step back and understand the real dynamics at work*. When you comprehend the undercurrents of history it allows you to interpret the current mood of the electorate using the perspective of the Fourth Turning. This election is taking place in the eighth year of a crisis period which is likely to last through the next decade. Written in 1996, Strauss & Howe’s opus has been eerily prescient in predicting the start of and progression of the fourth crisis period in America history, all separated by approximately 80 years – a long human life.

“The next Fourth Turning is due to begin shortly after the new millennium, midway through the Oh-Oh decade. Around the year 2005, a sudden spark will catalyze a Crisis mood. Remnants of the old social order will disintegrate. Political and economic trust will implode. Real hardship will beset the land, with severe distress that could involve questions of class, race, nation and empire. The very survival of the nation will feel at stake. Sometime before the year 2025, America will pass through a great gate in history, commensurate with the American Revolution, Civil War, and twin emergencies of the Great Depression and World War II.” –* Strauss & Howe* – *The Fourth Turning** *

*This Crisis was catalyzed by the housing bubble that reached its peak in 2005, leading to the worldwide financial collapse in September 2008. *There is no denying a Crisis mood overtook the country in 2008 and after a temporary lull brought about by the unprecedented money printing scheme by the Federal Reserve and central bankers across the globe, the mood has been darkening rapidly as this election approaches. The fabric of the country is being shredded along racial, class, religious and party lines, as real hardship spreads across the land.

The Soros backed Black Lives Matter has turned into a domestic terrorist organization spurring young black men to ambush and slaughter police officers and innocent bystanders. Radicalized Islamic terrorists are committing mass murder, setting off bombs, and attacking non-believers. The corporate oligarch class, the Wall Street cabal, and their puppets at the Federal Reserve have effectively impoverished and destroyed the working middle class. Both political parties have shown their true corrupt colors as anti-establishment candidates Sanders and Trump generated enthusiastic support to the chagrin of the party bosses.

As we approach the midpoint of this Fourth Turning the regeneracy propelling the next phase appears to be an anti-establishment tsunami of epic proportions engulfing the nation and* sweeping away the existing social order in a torrent of bile, venom, accusations and the shrieks of social justice warriors*. Hillary’s deplorables are committed to expurgating the institutional cancer pulsating through every corpuscle of this terminally ill empire of debt.

*Taking back control of a country, which has been captured in a silent coup by Deep State players of both parties, liberal and conservative ideologies, and corporate interests, has become a relentless quest of the debased and defrauded middle class.* The Deep State traitors are driven solely by an unquenchable thirst for wealth, power and control, regardless of the impact on average Americans.

The darkening mood of the country has cast a shadow over this election, as the corrupt political establishment and their corporate media collaborators are failing in their unrelenting propaganda campaign to destroy Trump. The “experts”, pollsters, and pundits are shocked and appalled that a loud mouthed non-politician TV personality could possibly be on the verge of winning the presidency.

*These linear thinkers can’t understand why their playbook of lies, misinformation, pointless social justice issues and a myriad of other inane distractions aren’t working this time. *They fail to acknowledge that history is cyclical and we’ve entered the phase when generational cohorts are aligned for dramatic sweeping change. *The data is there for all to see, but those benefiting from the current perverted paradigm will not be swept aside without a bloody fight*.

*Based on recent Gallup polls, the establishment probably realizes they’ve gone too far*, but their insatiable desire for mammon and supremacy over the levers of finance, politics, and corporate share cropping, has blinded them to the reality of the devastation they’ve wrought on Main Street America. Average American families have seen their standard of living relentlessly driven into the ground by Federal Reserve created inflation designed to benefit their fraud loving Wall Street benefactors, greedy corporate executives, and psychopath politicians who’ve promised voters $200 trillion more than they can deliver. Good paying blue collar jobs have been shipped overseas by Ivy League MBA CEO’s who use wage arbitrage models to calculate how to optimize their stock price and executive bonuses. This is why the real median household income is lower than it was in 1999 and about equal to what it was in 1989.

For those not occupying academic ivory towers or gleaming office palaces in downtown Manhattan,* life in the trenches is brutal, back breaking and untenable.* With no wage growth in a quarter of a century, crushing healthcare costs due to Obamacare, rents skyrocketing as home prices have been artificially boosted to save Wall Street bankers, government run education and financing leading to a millennial debt crisis, and a Federal Reserve destroying the finances of senior citizens, savers, pension plans, and bondholders, how could anyone other than myopic oligarchs and their cronies expect average Americans to keep taking it without fighting back?

*Is it any wonder that 73% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country?* This is a massive decline from the 71% satisfied readings of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Do you think this might have something to do with the depressionary economic conditions being experienced by the majority of Americans since 2001?

Considering* the Wall Street banking cabal has been ransacking, pillaging and defrauding the American people since 2000 *with their fabricated internet boom and the largest control fraud in world history – their mortgage/housing Ponzi scheme, it is entirely logical for tens of millions of hard working Americans in flyover country to be outraged and ready to throw the bums out. The propagandists who have worked tirelessly to consciously and systematically manipulate the public mind through social engineering in government controlled public schools, mass media messaging, and the constant use of fear by government apparatchiks, believe their control of these societal mechanisms is beneficial for our country and the world.

*This “invisible government”, the true ruling power in this country, has used their Bernaysian propaganda techniques to mold the minds, desires, beliefs, ideas, and tastes of the masses for decades, but they’ve gone too far, stolen too much, and pushed the average American to the brink. *The middle class is steadily being destroyed, along with hope for a better tomorrow, as reflected in Gallup polling data.

The *former middle class citizens of this country aren’t sure who screwed them* over because they have been busy trying to make a living, while simultaneously being distracted by iGadgets, 700 cable TV stations, social media, sports and myriad of other bread and circus diversions. They’ve been brainwashed to believe the two organized political parties offer them a choice. The two parties are co-conspirators in the creation of this welfare/warfare empire of debt.

Since 2000, we’ve had eight years of a Republican president, eight years of a Democrat president, with both parties having control of Congress at various points over the sixteen years. The national debt, after 211 years of this country’s existence, was $5.7 trillion in 2000. Both parties are responsible for the 342% increase over the last sixteen years to $19.5 trillion. Democrats agreed to never ending warfare in exchange for Republican support for an expansion of the entitlement state. Meanwhile, the country’s GDP only rose 79% over the same time frame.

The puppet politicians in Washington D.C. have only done what their “invisible government” puppeteers have instructed them to do. They don’t answer to the voters or their local constituents.* They answer to Wall Street bankers, the military industrial complex, mega-corporation CEOs, and shadowy billionaire oligarchs who fund their corrupt existence.* These feckless politician hacks could never have added $13.8 trillion to the national debt in the last sixteen years and run the country’s unfunded welfare liabilities to $200 trillion without the Wall Street controlled privately owned Federal Reserve manning the printing presses and manipulating interest rates to enrich their “invisible government” benefactors. They have inflated away 97% of the dollar’s purchasing power since their shadowy creation in 1913. They are single biggest reason real wages have not advanced since 1971. They are the reason the top 0.1% now have the highest percentage of the national wealth since 1929.

*Make no mistake about it, everything the Federal Reserve has done since the Wall Street created worldwide financial collapse in 2008 has been to benefit their Too Big To Trust Wall Street owners, the rich and powerful oligarchs, and the biggest borrowers on the planet – the U.S., Japan and EU governments.* The $3.8 trillion of QE was funneled into the vaults of the Wall Street bankers so they could pretend their insolvent balance sheets were solvent. The true purpose was to drive stock prices higher in order to subsidize Wall Street, corporate executives, and the .01% who own most of the stocks, while giving the appearance of economic recovery.

The inflation created by QE drove the middle class standard of living lower as energy, food, rent, home prices, health insurance, tuition costs and taxes rose relentlessly. Wall Street and their establishment crony capitalist parasites hit the jackpot in this rigged game, while Main Street lost again. * The Fed’s easy money policies are why since 1999 home prices have risen 76% while household median real income has fallen by over 1%. Pricing millennials out of the housing market has led to the lowest home ownership rate since 1965.*

Luckily, the Fed and Wall Street concocted a scheme whereby Wall Street used the free money provided by the Fed to buy up millions of foreclosed homes at fire sale prices and rent them back to the poor schlubs who had been recently evicted by the very same Wall Street banks. *The engineered shortage of home inventory led to soaring rent costs for everyone. This is called winning by the establishment.*

Reducing interest rates to 0% again benefited those with the most debt: Wall Street banks, mega-corporations, and the U.S. government. It destroyed the finances of senior citizens living off their savings, penalized people for saving, and incentivized heavily indebted consumers to borrow more. *How did allowing Wall Street banks to borrow at 0% so they could charge consumers 15% on credit card balances and 6% on auto loans benefit consumers? Did the government enslaving young people in $1.3 trillion of student loan debt with only low paying service jobs available at graduation, benefit anyone other than for profit diploma mills?*

The Fed supposedly instituted their ZIRP as an emergency measure during an economic conflagration not seen since the Great Depression. According to the government and the Fed, we are now in the seventh year of an economic recovery with low unemployment, record corporate profits, household income jumping the most in history, and the stock market at all-time highs. If this fantasy narrative was true, the Fed’s discount rate would be 3% to 4% – not .25%. We are lost in a blizzard of lies.

*At this point in the cycle only the truly cognitively deficient, Ivy League professors and lapdogs for the ruling class believe the tripe, disguised as government sanctioned economic data, being peddled by those desperately trying to retain hegemony over the country. *The real people living in the real world know unemployment is not 4.9%, but north of 15%. They know inflation is not really 1.1%, but north of 5%. They know GDP is a warped measure of economic health, as soaring healthcare expenditures boosts it and using a real measure of inflation would reveal recessionary readings. They know Obamacare has driven their health insurance costs higher and made their care worse. They know “free trade” agreements like NAFTA and TPP result in their jobs being shipped overseas by corporate conglomerates. They know taxes and government fees ceaselessly march higher. They know the government has spent $4 trillion conducting an unwinnable war on terror by waging undeclared wars around the world and we’re less safe than we were in 2001.

*Our leaders have made all the wrong choices.* The American people have allowed a small cabal of powerful deceitful men to stealthily capture the financial, economic, political and social levers of power in this nation. The result will be depression, violence and ultimately war.

“History offers no guarantees. If America plunges into an era of depression or violence which by then has not lifted, we will likely look back on the 1990s as the decade when we valued all the wrong things and made all the wrong choices.” *– Strauss & Howe – **The Fourth Turning*

*The darkening angry mood in the country is self-evident.* Race relations are deteriorating rapidly. Cops are increasingly seen as the enemy or just revenue generating shakedown artists for their establishment bosses. Home grown Islamic radicals have been inspired by ISIS and other Muslim terrorist organizations (created, funded, and armed by the U.S. government) to slaughter the American infidels, while our government actively attempts to allow more into our country.

*As Snowden revealed, the Deep State has created a surveillance state because they see “the people” as the enemy.* They realize the militizaration of police forces and conducting military assault exercises in U.S. cities is not to protect them, but to protect the Deep State. The social justice red herrings are meant to distract the populace and keep them chasing their tails, while the looting and pillaging of the nation’s wealth continues unabated.

Honest, hard-working, traditional, family oriented households, not ensconced in the liberal elite bastions of NYC, DC, LA, or SF, have lost trust in politicians and their fellow Americans. *The largest percentage of Americans in history distrusts all politicians and the government institutions run by these corrupt sycophants*. Conservatives think liberals are brain dead. Liberals think conservatives have no heart. The social fabric of the nation is in tatters.

There is absolutely no desire for compromise on any issue. The insurgent crusades of Sanders on the left and Trump on the right have shattered establishment illusions they could continue to hand pick captured cronies who would do their bidding.* The linear thinkers in the mainstream media are stunned their propaganda campaign to destroy Trump and elevate the choice of the establishment – Clinton – has failed miserably. *It shouldn’t be a surprise based upon the Gallup polling data.

With an ongoing depression for the majority of American households, extreme dissatisfaction with the course of the country, and complete distrust of establishment politicians, it would be highly unlikely for the people to select the ultimate corrupt establishment lackey as their next president.* While Trump draws tens of thousands to his rallies, low energy sickly Clinton can barely fill a high school gymnasium.*

Despite outspending Trump 10 to 1 on negative ads, Trump is either leading or tied in national and key state polls. Considering the establishment controlled media is probably skewing the polls and the huge silent majority isn’t telling the truth, Trump’s lead is probably larger than being reported. The panic among the Wall Street, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley elite is palpable. *The anger and disillusionment of the majority is being channeled by Trump in a crusade to sweep away the existing social order. There is no escaping the Fourth Turning.*

“Don’t think you can escape the Fourth Turning the way you might today distance yourself from news, national politics, or even taxes you don’t feel like paying. History warns that a Crisis will reshape the basic social and economic environment that you now take for granted. The Fourth Turning necessitates the death and rebirth of the social order. It is the ultimate rite of passage for an entire people, requiring a luminal state of sheer chaos whose nature and duration no one can predict in advance.” *– Strauss & Howe – **The Fourth Turning*

*Unless the Deep State can rig the election or arrange for something unfortunate to befall Mr. Trump, we are likely to have a president Trump on November 8.* When viewed within the context of the Fourth Turning, it is entirely logical that a cocksure Prophet Generation leader would emerge as a response to the anti-establishment regeneracy mood surging across the land. Being a libertarian minded realist, I realize the coming challenges will not be met with less government intervention, less government spending, or less money printing by the Federal Reserve.* The era of procrastination and half measures is over.*

“The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedience of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” – *Winston Churchill*

Donald Trump and the country he will lead will be dining on a banquet of consequences for the remainder of this Fourth Turning. Trump has been a master of sound bites. The “Make America Great” slogan has resonated with the masses, but slogans won’t pay the interest on the $20 trillion national debt, make good on $200 trillion of unfunded entitlement liabilities, honor government pension plans that are $4 trillion underfunded, or turn $1 trillion annual deficits into surpluses. No candidate has ever been elected by promising to cut entitlements and asking the voters to tighten their belts and be prepared to sacrifice. They promise them more goodies.

*Trump has promised to cut corporate and personal income taxes. Who doesn’t like lower taxes? He will cut regulations. Sounds good. He will expand government childcare subsidies. Sounds expensive. Not a peep about Social Security, Medicare, or defense spending. In fact, Trump declares he will rebuild the military. Cutting taxes and regulations, while starting a trade war, will not pay for itself.*

Deficits, which are already on automatic pilot to reach $1 trillion in the next few years, will be driven higher. Voodoo economics didn’t work in the 1980s and it won’t work now. This isn’t a TV reality show where the happy ending can be scripted. I picture Trump making his glorious acceptance speech at 11:00 pm on November 8, striding backstage after the speech, turning to Steve Bannon and asking, “What do we do now?”

*When I started writing articles about the economy, banks, military industrial complex and corrupt politicians back in 2008, I still naively believed the system could be changed from within.* I thought Ron Paul’s vision could save the country. But after watching politicians double the national debt, TARP passed by corrupt politicians of both parties when 90% of their constituents were against it, not one criminal banker prosecuted for the biggest fraud in world history, a president waging undeclared wars all over the world, a national healthcare plan passed against the wishes of the people, and a rogue Federal Reserve implementing disastrous monetary schemes to enrich Wall Street while throwing seniors under the bus, I realized this rigged system is unfixable.

*Trump may have the best intentions, but he will be foiled at every turn by his enemies in both parties, along with the ingrained establishment government apparatchiks running the hundreds of useless government agencies. The media will skewer his every statement. Wall Street and corporate America will threaten his agenda if it negatively impacts them in any way. The “invisible government” might decide it’s time to pull the rug out from beneath the overvalued markets, resulting in a crash. The civil chaos is likely to spread as Soros funds the violence. He will be tested by foreign powers. The Middle East is guaranteed to explode in chaotic violence.*

Trump may have second thoughts about taking the helm of U.S. Titanic after it has already hit the iceberg. History is cyclical and we are only halfway through this Fourth Turning.* The risk of catastrophe over the next decade is high.* I have studied history and believe we will be confronted with economic, social, and military upheaval on par with the Great Depression/World War II crisis and the Civil War crisis. We are doomed to repeat history, whether we’ve studied it or not, because human failings span across the ages. Whether we meet the deadly challenges ahead will decide the fate of our country.

“The risk of catastrophe will be very high. The nation could erupt into insurrection or civil violence, crack up geographically, or succumb to authoritarian rule. If there is a war, it is likely to be one of maximum risk and effort – in other words, a total war. Every Fourth Turning has registered an upward ratchet in the technology of destruction, and in mankind’s willingness to use it.” *– Strauss & Howe – **The Fourth Turning* Reported by Zero Hedge 23 hours ago.

Nearly 8.1 million people paid $1.7 billion in Obamacare penalties for not having health insurance in 2014 – the first year the fine went into effect, the Washington Free Beacon reported. Reported by Newsmax 18 hours ago.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a former Democratic presidential hopeful, brought the real talk on Twitter during the first presidential debate.


It's #debatenight so it's time to #DebateWithBernie. pic.twitter.com/ekSzNFl053

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 27, 2016

Sanders tweeted about the importance of the debate early Monday evening:


What we have to do is focus on the issues, not see tonight as an entertainment show. #debatetonight

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 26, 2016

He also shared his expectations for Republican nominee Donald Trump:


I hope Trump tells us tonight why, amidst huge inequality, he thinks we should give huge tax breaks to billionaires. #DebateWithBernie

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 27, 2016


I hope Trump tells us tonight why despite all the scientific evidence he thinks climate change is a "hoax.” #DebateWithBernie

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 27, 2016


I hope Trump tells us what happens to the 20 million he would throw off health insurance. How many will die or become much sicker? #debates

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 27, 2016

Sanders called out Trump for his hypocrisy on manufacturing jobs abroad:


Glad Trump is concerned about manufacturing jobs going abroad. He might want to start making his clothing in the US not low-wage countries.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 27, 2016


If Trump is concerned about companies going abroad maybe he should move his plants out of Bangladesh where workers are paid 30 cents an hour

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 27, 2016

Trump also called out Trump’s past claims on climate change, which Trump denied ever making:


Donald Trump thinks climate change is a hoax created by the Chinese. Unbelievable. #DebateWithBernie https://t.co/XPHniyUdY6

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 27, 2016

And that was just in the first 20 minutes of the debate.

Sanders hasn’t been shy about slamming Trump before, calling out his “bigotry.” Sanders endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in July after a long primary battle.

Sanders will campaign with Clinton in New Hampshire on Wednesday.

Read more debate commentary from Sanders on his Twitter feed.

-- 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 18 hours ago.

Independence serves 8.5 million people in 32 states plus Washington DC

*IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM* - September 27, 2016 - MDxHealth SA (Euronext: MDXH.BR) announced that Independence Blue Cross (Independence) has issued a positive medical coverage policy decision for the ConfirmMDx ^® for Prostate Cancer test.  

Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. With its affiliates, Independence serves nearly 8.5 million people in 32 states and the District of Columbia, including more than 2.5 million in the region.

Independence is one of the 38 independent companies that form the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) that collectively cover more than 98 million people or 1 in 3 Americans. This positive policy decision for their commercial and Medicare lives represents the first BCBSA plan to establish coverage for ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer.

"This positive coverage decision by Independence Blue Cross is a significant milestone as we work towards achieving nationwide payer adoption of our ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer test," *stated Dr. Jan Groen, CEO of MDxHealth* . "This decision demonstrates that our investment in clinical studies and our work with managed care organisations in the US continues to yield positive results."

About ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer

ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer is the first epigenetic, and only tissue-based test in the 2016 NCCN Guidelines for early detection of prostate cancer which addresses false negative biopsy concerns. It is the only molecular diagnostic test that provides a very high negative predictive value (NPV) of 96% for clinically significant prostate cancers, and 90% NPV for all prostate cancers, as well as prostate mapping of the test results to help guide repeat biopsies. Each year, more than 1 million American men undergo an invasive prostate biopsy with a negative result, however approximately 30% of those men actually have prostate cancer. The current standard of care for prostate biopsy procedures samples less than 1% of the prostate, leaving men at risk for undetected cancer and leading to a high rate of repeat biopsies, even on cancer-free men. ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer helps urologists identify low-risk men who may forego an unnecessary repeat biopsy and high-risk men who may benefit from intervention. To date more than 3,000 urologists have ordered ConfirmMDx on more than 45,000 patients. ConfirmMDx has qualified for Medicare reimbursement and covered by numerous private health insurance plans.

About MDxHealth

MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company's tests are based on proprietary gene methylation (epigenetic) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of cancer, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/mdxhealth .

*For more information:*

* *

Dr. Jan Groen, CEO
MDxHealth
US: +1 949 812 6979
BE: +32 4 364 20 70
info@mdxhealth.com    

 

   

 

Jonathan Birt, Chris Welsh, Hendrik Thys (PR & IR)
Consilium Strategic Communications
UK: +44 20 3709 5701
US: + 1 917 322 2571 (Rx Communications Group LLC)
mdxhealth@consilium-comms.com

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation.  This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. No securities of MDxHealth may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. securities laws.

* NOTE: * The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx, SelectMDx , AssureMDx and PredictMDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

To access the PDF version, click here
--------------------This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: MDxHealth (R) via GlobeNewswire

HUG#2044461 Reported by GlobeNewswire 14 hours ago.

RAM Technologies proudly supports America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the Medicare / Medicaid / Duals Conference.

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) September 27, 2016

RAM Technologies, Inc., the leader in the development and delivery of claims administration software for healthcare payers who administer government sponsored healthcare, is proud to sponsor the National Conferences on Medicare, Medicaid & Duals presented by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). The combined events are being held October 23rd – 27th in Washington, DC.

From payment rates and value-based payment models to expansion and major new regulations — AHIP’s National Conferences on Medicare, Medicaid & Duals helps people stay on top of the latest trends and operational need-to-know information.

“These government sponsored programs, Medicare and Medicaid, are the backbone of the US healthcare system, providing healthcare to more than one-hundred million Americans,” said Christopher P. Minton, Executive Vice President of RAM Technologies. “AHIP is a leading voice to ensure these programs continue to thrive and we are proud to support their efforts.”

The RAM solutions, HEALTHsuite® Mercato and eHealthsuite™, were developed specifically for government sponsored healthcare and provide extensive capabilities to improve efficiencies and lower costs in the administration of Medicare, Medicaid and the Financial Alignment Initiative (Duals).

HEALTHsuite Mercato provides unparalleled automation across the health plan enterprise including eligibility and enrollment, benefit administration, provider contracting and reimbursement, provider credentialing, medical / utilization management, care management, premium billing, encounter and claims administration, overpayment recovery, customer service, contact management, capitation, subrogation, fulfillment, EDI processing, management / operational reporting and more.

In addition to the enterprise capabilities provided by HEALTHsuite Mercato, RAM’s eHealthsuite web portal enables members and providers to interact in real time with the health plan through a secure Internet connection. This 24 x 7 self-service functionality lowers administrative costs by reducing demands on a health plan’s customer service personnel.

About America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
AHIP is the national trade association representing the health insurance industry. AHIP’s members provide health and supplemental benefits to 200 million Americans through employer-sponsored coverage, the individual insurance market, and public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. AHIP advocates for public policies that expand access to affordable health care coverage to all Americans through a competitive marketplace that fosters choice, quality and innovation. For more information visit ahip.org

About RAM Technologies
RAM Technologies is the leading provider of enterprise claims processing software and claims adjudication software for health plans. For over 35 years RAM Technologies has led the way in the creation of Medicaid software solutions, Medicare software solutions and software for dual eligible processing (the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative). RAM Technologies has been recognized on Inc. Magazine’s List of Fastest Growing Private Companies and the Philadelphia Business Journal’s List of Top Software Developers for their advancements in the creation of comprehensive claims management software for Medicare and Medicaid administration. To learn more about RAM Technologies’ healthcare claims processing and managed care software solutions call (877) 654-8810 or visit ramtechinc.com. Reported by PRWeb 12 hours ago.

Betting big on the financial sector, industrialist Anil Ambani said Reliance Capital expects to list its home finance arm separately by April 2017 while commercial lending and insurance arms can also be listed separately at an "appropriate time".

Besides, it will develop a new vertical for consumer lending business for better growth and profitability, and will re-launch its commodity exchange with focus on diamond and crude oil futures. Diamond futures will be the flagship product with potential daily turnover of over Rs 6,000 crore.

Addressing shareholders at AGM of Reliance Capital, the financial services arm of the business conglomerate headed by him, Ambani said the group may look at separate listing of various businesses, including life insurance, general insurance and commercial finance at an appropriate time.

However, he said the approach should be of 'optional listing', rather than mandatory listings and any decision of separate listing of Reliance Capital's various arms will be taken after looking into the interest of the shareholders.

Ambani also said the company is committed to growing its dividend payouts every year.

Talking about various businesses, he said Reliance Cap expects exponential growth in health insurance, going forward, even though it accounts for a smaller portion as of now.

He also said Reliance Capital will apply for conversion to a Core Investment Company (CIC) status by March 2017.

"We are fully committed to growing investments solely in the financial services sector. We will monetise investment in non-core areas and book attractive returns," he added.

Expecting good monsoon, a low interest rate framework and benign inflation to drive tremendous growth in Indian economy, while expecting GST to be a game-changer, Ambani listed out several initiatives to "reap the benefits of this opportunity in financial services".

On housing finance, Ambani said the group is looking to expand its mortgage assets to grow manifold and targeting a loanbook of over Rs 50,000 crore to become one of the top players in the private sector.

Referring to Reliance Capital board's decision last month to independently list Reliance Home Finance, Ambani said he expects the listing to take place by April next year and added that the company will be well-capitalised.

"49% stake in the listed company will be held by you," Ambani told the shareholders of Reliance Capital while adding that the allotment of the shares will be made "free of cost" and the listing would unlock significant value for them.

On transfer of commercial finance business into a separate subsidiary, he said it will enhance management focus and provide flexibility to unlock value through stake sale.

A new vertical for consumer lending will be developed to improve growth and profitability further.

Ambani said, "We continue to remain committed to goals of substantial value creation, higher dividends, superior return on equity and top-end ratings at Reliance Capital." On Reliance Capital's partnership with Nippon Life, Ambani said their Rs 9,000-crore investment in life insurance and asset management businesses represents the largest FDI from Japan in India.

At the AGM, Reliance Cap CEO Sam Ghosh also talked about growth in various businesses of the company.

ReportMoneyPTI

· Anil Ambani
· Crude Oil
· Commodities Exchange
· Nippon Life
· Reliance Capital
· Sam Ghosh

Tue, 27 Sep 2016-12:33pm
Date updated: 
Tuesday, 27 September 2016 - 12:33pm
Article Images: 
Reuters
Short URL: 
dnai.in/dAA8
Embargo: 
Syndicate: 
Hide lead image: 
Page views: 
1
From Print Edition:  Reported by DNA 12 hours ago.

Almost 51% of health insurance policyholders in India are underinsured despite a steady rise in the policy sold, a report Apollo Munich Health Insurance said.

At 52%, men are more underinsured, that is, they have purchased low sum insured health insurance policies that would not suffice in medical emergencies, it said.

Although the number of health insurance policyholders in India is increasing annually, people most often choose the lowest sum insured policy, without comprehending the entire process of choosing an appropriate cover, it said.

Some of the reasons are lack of awareness about how to pick the right sum insured, overdependence on corporate health insurance coverage, willingness to pay a premium that is only up to the highest limit of rebate under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act etc, it added.

Speaking about the study, Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo Munich Health Insurance, said that on the one hand India faces a challenge of lack of health insurance penetration, on the other hand those who have health insurance are underinsured.

"Underinsurance is a somber problem as it not only results in increased stress and sudden out of pocket expenditure for policyholders during times of medical exigencies, but also gives them a false sense of assurance of being covered," it said.

People must understand that health insurance is not just a tax saving tool, and therefore be mindful while choosing a sum insured for themselves and their family, it said.

Apollo Munich studied around seven lakh health insurance policyholders spread across 82 cities in India, and has found that both men and women across metros, tier 1 and 2 cities and towns are underinsured.

ReportMoneyPTINew Delhi

· Insurance
· Health Insurance
· Apollo Munich Health Insurance
· Antony Jacob
· Insurance Sector

Tue, 27 Sep 2016-02:33pm
Date updated: 
Tuesday, 27 September 2016 - 2:33pm
Article Images: 
File Photo
Short URL: 
dnai.in/dAAR
Embargo: 
Syndicate: 
Hide lead image: 
Page views: 
5
From Print Edition:  Reported by DNA 10 hours ago.

NCQA Accreditation provides health care consumers the ability to evaluate the quality of different health plans across a variety of important criterion in four key areas: quality improvement, utilization management, member services and credentialing.

Seattle, Wash. (PRWEB) September 27, 2016

Today BridgeSpan Health announced that it has achieved National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Accreditation for its health plan offerings.

This accreditation reflects an independent review by NCQA on a health plan’s “gold standard” performance and ability to drive improvements in four key areas: quality improvement, utilization management, member services and credentialing. NCQA evaluates how effectively a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system, including; physicians, hospitals, other health care professionals and administrative services.

NCQA Accreditation provides health care consumers the ability to evaluate the quality of different health plans across a variety of important criterion. This allows individuals to make health plan decisions based on demonstrated value rather than simply on cost.

“BridgeSpan is committed to transforming health care and we do this by providing excellent customer service, offering innovative products, and high-quality provider networks,” said Chris Blanton, president of BridgeSpan Health. “We owe this achievement to the hard work of our employees, who work every day to ensure people have access to high-quality, affordable care.”

NCQA Accreditation is a nationally recognized evaluation that purchasers, regulators and consumers can use to assess health plans.

For more information about NCQA, please visit http://www.ncqa.org.

About BridgeSpan Health Company
BridgeSpan Health Company offers consumers a new kind of individual health insurance experience. We believe that individuals and families deserve a stronger voice in their health care. BridgeSpan gives consumers more than just basic medical coverage. Our plans include a members-only discount program, health coaches, pregnancy support, a 24-hour nurse hotline, and resources to help members manage their health. The BridgeSpan portfolio of health benefit plans is available online through health insurance exchange marketplaces in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. BridgeSpan Health Company is an affiliate of Cambia Health Solutions.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.

NCQA Accreditation provides health care consumers the ability to evaluate the quality of different health plans across a variety of important criterion in four key areas: quality improvement, utilization management, member services and credentialing.

Portland, Ore. (PRWEB) September 27, 2016

Today Cambia Health Solutions announced that it has achieved National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Accreditation for its six regional health plans.

This accreditation is the “gold standard,” reflecting the rigorous and comprehensive independent review by NCQA on health plans, demonstrating the ability to drive improvements in four key areas: quality improvement, utilization management, member services and credentialing. NCQA evaluates how effectively a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system, including; physicians, hospitals, other health care professionals and administrative services.

NCQA Accreditation provides health care consumers the ability to evaluate the quality of different health plans across a variety of important criterion. This allows individuals to make health plan decisions based on demonstrated value rather than simply on cost.

“Improving the consumer experience through service excellence, innovative products and high-quality provider networks reflects our ongoing commitment to transforming health care,” said Dr. Richard Popiel, executive vice president & chief medical officer of Cambia Health Solutions. “This achievement is due to the hard work and commitment of our employees who ensure that our members have access to the care they need, when they need it.”

NCQA Accreditation is a nationally recognized evaluation that purchasers, regulators and consumers can use to assess health plans.

For more information about NCQA please visit at http://www.ncqa.org.

About Cambia Health Solutions
Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a health solutions company dedicated to transforming health care by creating a person-focused and economically sustainable system. Cambia’s growing family of companies range from software and mobile applications, health care marketplaces, non-traditional health care delivery models, health insurance, life insurance, pharmacy benefit management, wellness and overall consumer engagement. Through bold thinking and innovative technology, we are delivering solutions that make quality health care more available, affordable and personally relevant for everyone. To learn more, visit cambiahealth.com or twitter.com/cambia.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HealthTap, the world’s first Global Health Practice providing 24/7 immediate access to doctors via video, text or voice, announced today that Virtual Consults on the HealthTap platform will now be covered by health insurance. With the dramatic increase in demand for Virtual Care, patients are looking for a quick and easy way to check eligibility and enable insurance coverage. According to the American Telemedicine Association, more than 10 million patients to Reported by Business Wire 6 hours ago.

The every-four-years parade of journalists trooping out into the Rust Belt of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia and their neighbors has begun.

Both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have run their stories. You can Google them (fine, here's one), and the articles from smaller outlets that will follow, but I can save you some reading time, because they are all basically the same:

The Midwest is a mess. Nobody has jobs, middle-aged people are doing heroin and meth, and everyone is on food stamps. These people are angry as hell at, well, they say the government.

Trump and Hillary have been through (name the one small town you stopped in) and promised to bring back the old industrial jobs (Trump) or some hi-tech something (Hillary.) I stopped by a (diner, dive bar, waffle house, VFW hall) and talked to (name of the one guy you talked to.) He told me times are tough, but these people are tough. They built the mills, they pulled America up by its bootstraps. They'll make it. Drive east as fast as you can.

*Understanding the Heartland*

Most reporters act shocked to find people "out there" so angry. They can't understand why the "folks" take food stamps but think handouts are for lazy people. They can't understand why someone without health insurance, coughing up chunks of the asbestos they breathed in every day at the factory, opposes Obamacare.

The people the reporters speak with feel they got cheated. They worked hard, they paid taxes, they sent kids off to war (every small Midwest town has a memorial stone, if not three, to the local people who died in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq...) Then they got burned by, well, someone.

The lucky ones now work for minimum wage at a local Walmart full of junk made overseas. The rest visit the charity pantries, and spend their food stamps, not because they are lazy like "those people" (often, sadly, a code word for urban African-Americans), but because they are hungry. They wait like a cargo cult for the boom years to return, someday, somehow.

*How Trump May Win the Swing States*

Trump gets this at a visceral level.

He tells them it is not their fault, or his, though both share blame. It was the Japanese, or the Chinese, or some mythical Big Government, or regulations, or even the unions that gave the same workers higher pay and good benefits long ago. It doesn't have to make sense, it just has to play to a crowd angry and confused looking every four years for some answer, and some hope.Trump is very aware of the unfocused anger in the Midwest, and is working hard to use that to get votes. If he takes the swing states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, it will be because of that insight.

-- 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 6 hours ago.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 20 million more Americans have gained coverage, and the nation’s uninsured rate now stands at its lowest level ever. At the same time, we have seen the slowest growth in the price of health care in 50 years. Access to affordable, quality health care is critically important for young people as they reach adulthood and enter the job market. It gives them peace of mind that allows them to focus on their studies, helps them stay healthy as they join the workforce, and is vital to building a strong economy and a strong middle class. Since the ACA was enacted, over 6 million young adults have gained coverage.

As the President’s Chief of Staff, I have spent a lot of time working on health care, and especially on reaching out to young folks.  During past open enrollment periods, I dedicated many hours to calling into sports radio shows in the hopes of connecting with young men, who all too often have something of an invincibility complex and don’t get covered.  I know something about that because I felt the same way when I played football at St. John’s University.

While we’ve made tremendous strides, we have more work to do, given that the remaining uninsured are disproportionately young. And we know, anecdotally and through research, that the perceived lack of affordability may hinder them from buying health insurance. Millennials may not realize they can probably get a Marketplace plan for $75 a month or less – cheaper than their cell phone bill.

Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace is just five weeks away, starting on November 1 and running through January 31. Ahead of that, today at our first-ever Affordable Care Act Millennial Outreach and Enrollment Summit, we are excited to launch the White House Healthy Campus Challenge.

A joint effort between the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education, the Challenge will engage college and university campuses in enrollment efforts nationwide. We will work with administrators, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and local community leaders and elected officials to reach the uninsured both on campus and in the surrounding community, sharing best practices with them that have worked during prior open enrollment periods.

This Challenge asks campus organizations to commit to by November 1 and act on by December 15 a set of enrollment best practices, such as hosting open-enrollment activities on campus and sending reminder emails to students and others around deadlines. And if campuses do so, they will be recognized by the President as a Healthy Campus and will be entered into a lottery for a chance to attend Healthy Campus Day at the White House in January in our final push towards the January 31st open enrollment deadline.

While we will work with all types of colleges and universities, we will focus our attention on community colleges, since community college students may not be able to get covered through their college or may not have access to coverage through parents’ plan.

More broadly, the Healthy Campus Challenge is a natural fit with the work President Obama and this Administration has done to expand access to educational opportunities for young adults, including by championing free community college. After all, access to a high-quality education and affordable health care are the foundation of the path to the middle class. So we are hopeful that this Challenge will succeed in empowering campuses across the country to enroll young Americans not just for the semesters ahead, but for years to come. 

Today, no millennial has to learn the hard way what can happen without health insurance. Millennials have boundless opportunities before them. They’re more educated and more diverse than any other generation. They’re technologically savvy and highly innovative. And thanks to the ACA, they have better health insurance options than their parents did when they were young – options that are accessible, affordable, and high quality.

*Learn more about the Healthy Campus Challenge.*

*Sign your schools up for the Healthy Campus Challenge here.**​*

*Sign Up* Reported by The White House 35 minutes ago.

The Obama administration will use targeted, digital messages and use online networks such as Twitter in a sweeping campaign to get young adults to sign up for health insurance during the Affordable Care Act’s fall open enrollment, appealing to a group seen as critical to the law’s success. Reported by Wall Street Journal 5 hours ago.

President and co-founder of Thumbtack Jonathan Swanson sent the below message to a White House email list during the Millennial Outreach and Engagement Summit. Didn't get the message? Make sure to sign up for the latest updates.

--------------------

Like most business owners, I spend a lot of time looking at numbers. Are revenues up? Are costs down? The business owners we serve have many different professions -- roofer, caterer, personal trainer, to name just a few -- but we all share one thing in common: we are all our own accountants.

Health care is one of the most expensive aspects of running a new business. So when we started to survey the professionals we serve, particularly the young professionals, who are starting a new business, I was not surprised to learn that one in three say that health care is on their minds.

That's why I'm excited to join a conversation about health care at the White House today on how we can help get more young professionals get covered. 

You can watch this event live here:

Availability of benefits like health insurance is a major obstacle to individuals looking to start their businesses. Many of these small business owners continue to struggle to find and keep coverage and are still uninsured in greater numbers than other Americans.

By helping de-couple benefits from traditional employment arrangements, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made a huge difference to many of our professionals, including young entrepreneurs, who are now able to stay on their parents' health insurance plan until the age of 26 or to buy affordable coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace or HealthCare.gov. As Joe, a photographer from Maryland, told us, "Before Obamacare, I never would have been able to start my business."

We understand that the ACA has stirred passions from all quarters, but there is no question that making benefits like health care available to more individuals makes it easier for people to start and run their own small businesses. As Nicole, a wellness professional from California, told us:

"I have several pre-existing medical conditions and had been without health insurance for quite some time. When the new system came out, I was finally able to get coverage. Knowing that I will always be able to see a doctor has lifted a giant weight off my shoulders."At Thumbtack, we are honored to be part of helping entrepreneurs like Nicole step out on their own -- and it benefits our economy as a whole. And it's why we'll keep sharing information about health care and the upcoming Open Enrollment period starting on November 1 with them.

You can watch today's conversation here.

Thanks,
Jonathan Swanson
President and Cofounder, Thumbtack.com

--------------------

Need health insurance? Find out if you qualify today.

Get Covered Reported by The White House 3 hours ago.

Aetna will be giving both its workers and some customers discounts on the Apple Watch, the U.S. health insurance giant said on Tuesday in a joint announcement with Apple. Reported by AppleInsider 2 hours ago.

Obamacare needs millennials, so the White House is going after them.

The White House, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Secretary of Education, and private groups convened in Washington for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Millennial Outreach and Engagement Summit on Tuesday.

The Summit was the launch of a campaign to reach out to young people and get them to sign up for plans through the ACA exchanges, better known as the Obamacare marketplaces.

The push is important because over the past few years, the people signing up through the exchanges have skewed older and have lead to significant losses for insurers offering plans through Obamacare.

Generally, young, healthy people pay into the system while older, sicker people are net losses for insurers, so having fewer of the former and more of the latter signing up for insurance can lead to problems.

Additionally, there remains a wide gap in the uninsured rate of those under 35 and those between 45 and 65 years old. A recent CDC report estimated that 15.9% of 25-34 year olds lacked insurance, nearly twice the 8.1% uninsurance rate for 45-65 year olds.

In turn, health insurance companies have started to cut bait on the losses and remove their plans from some states. Major insurers such as Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Cigna have all reduced their ACA business.

In order to reach millennials in the crucial open enrollment period, it appears the administration is ready to dramatically expand their outreach channels.

In addition to typical emails and phone calls to young people without coverage, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said that the administration is even partnering with social livestream platform Twitch in order to reach young people where they get their entertainment. Twitch is used primarily to stream people playing video games.

Burwell also said that HHS will take part in other "paid partnerships with online platforms that are on the cutting edge, reaching young people when they're most likely to be plugged into media and entertainment" and that the HHS has updated its mobile site, since mobile has become an increasingly important mode of consumption for millennials. 

Another element that should prod more millennial sign ups is the full tax penalty for not having coverage going into effect this year. Additionally, proposed plans from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will make it harder for millennials to sign up outside of the open enrollment period. These policy penalties will make it more urgent for young people to get covered.

Thus, with the ACA open enrollment period starting in a little over a month on November 1, the Obama administration is in do-or-die mode to get the word out on signing up for healthcare. With the slew of insurers pulling out of the ACA marketplaces and a loud chorus declaring Obamacare to be in a "death spiral" the outreach takes on a sense of urgency in the final year of the Obama presidency.

If the administration can get more millennial sign-ups and start to show that the exchanges can work, it could inspire more insurers to get back into the exchanges. If not, it could be another blow to one of Obama's signature legislative achievements.

*SEE ALSO: Millennials are finally defying one of the economy's most troubling trends*

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Paul Krugman weighs in on the Apple tax debate Reported by Business Insider 34 minutes ago.

Two health insurance companies have given a sales and credibility boost to the Apple Watch this week — after the Watch fell to third place in the wearables market during the second quarter of this year, behind San Francisco-based Fitbit and China-based Xiaomi. Aetna announced Tuesday that it will subsidize the cost of Apple Watches for select large employers and individual customers, according to Investor's Business Daily. Aetna also will provide Apple Watches for free to all of its nearly 50,000… Reported by bizjournals 23 hours ago.

You'll have to be an Aetna employee or subscriber to certain health insurance plans to qualify. Reported by PCMag.com 22 hours ago.

There was one topic prominently missing from last night's debate - Obamacare and soaring US healthcare costs- and with good reason: with most middle-class Americans suffering as a result of surging premiums, and even the Obama administration admitting, if only behind the scenes, that Obamacare needs a major overhaul, why tempt the presidential candidates with a topic that would sour the public's mood about the defender of the status quo on the first debate.

After all, anyone who points out all that is wrong with Obama's recovery is "peddling fiction."

Unfortunately, its omission from the debate does not mean it is going away. On the contrary, as the following analysis from SocGen shows, what may now be the most important topic for not only the well-being but also the wallet of America's middle class - as well as the presidential debates - is only going to get worse.

As SocGen writes, the jump in medical care services this year has been driven "in large part by soaring health insurance premiums, but more recently, both physician and hospital services prices have accelerated. In August, hospital services prices in particular soared, notching their largest increase since October 2015. In short, *rising out-of-pocket payments and perhaps higher insurance reimbursements **could continue to drive the medical care services index higher this year.*"

The details:

In August, the core CPI climbed by 0.25%, *with about 41% of that increase coming from a 1.0% surge in the cost of medical care, which was driven largely by a 0.9% rise in the medical care services gauge. *Health insurance costs continued to accelerate, rising by 1.1% (the data are only on a not seasonally adjusted basis) in the month and by 9.1% yoy, *the fastest rate of growth since December 2012. *While in recent months rising health costs were mostly the result of health insurance, more recently, and especially in August, other components of the medical care services index have begun to accelerate.

Most of the 0.9% jump in medical care services in August was due to a 1.7% increase in the cost of hospital services. H*ospital services accounted for about 46% of the increase in total medical care services, and they accounted for around 19% of the total rise in the core CP*I. That is a hefty contribution from a component that makes up about 2.8% of the core index.

So what is driving these hospital services costs higher?

Like other components of medical care services, the hospital services index measures the cost of providing certain services to patients. That cost includes not only out-of-pocket payments by consumers but reimbursements to hospitals for services provided. Those reimbursements are set by contracts with health insurers.

Frankly, it is not clear exactly why the hospital services index surged as much as it did in August, but it may be the case that reimbursements to hospitals accelerated when new contracts were established this year. In fact, those contracts typically go into effect in January or July, so higher reimbursement rates set in July may have filtered into the CPI in August. On a yoy basis, the hospital services index increased 6.2% in August, the fastest rate of growth since May 2014.

*In addition to higher reimbursements, consumers are paying more out of their own pockets. *A shift to high-deductible health insurance plans in recent years means that *consumers are contributing more to the cost of health care. *According to a recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, *approximately 29% of workers are in high-deductible plans, up from 20% two years ago. *Moreover, worker contributions for health insurance for a single individual rose by 5.4% this year compared to a 0.9% drop in 2015. Thus, higher out-ofpocket payments by consumers could also be contributing to the acceleration in medical care services.

SocGen also notes that while it may be tempting to dismiss the August increase in hospital services as a temporary blip, data from the PPI also back up the recent jump. In August, the PPI index measuring hospital inpatient costs for privately insured individuals climbed by 1.0%, in line with the CPI’s inpatient index, which registered a  1.1% NSA advance. Meanwhile, the PPI index measuring hospital outpatient prices for those with private insurance jumped by 2.0% in August, somewhat higher than the CPI’s 1.4% NSA advance. Both the PPI and the CPI show noticeable increases in hospital services prices in August.

Worse, the geographic distribution of the pricing surge shows that some regions were impacted far more than others. *In August, medical care services prices in the South surged by 1.2% NSA*, *the biggest increase in any August since at least 1990. *Medical care services in the South region make up about a third of the national medical care services index, but the 1.2% jump in August made up 54% of the rise in the national medical care services measure. Again, the cause is not certain, but here again the Kaiser Foundation data provide a clue. *Worker contributions to health insurance for a single person increased by 9.3% in 2016 compared to a 10.0% decline last year, so it seems that higher out-of-pocket payments may be in part to blame for the acceleration in the cost of hospital services*.

In summary: given the rise in out-of-pocket payments by consumers, *increases in medical care services will continue to push the medical care index higher in the coming months. *

When? Recall that as we reported in May, many consumers won’t see actual insurance rates until the insurance marketplaces open Nov. 1 — a week before they go to the polls. Could the sticker shock from the Obamacare price increase be the real catalyst that forces millions of "undecided" Americans to vote for the candidate who promises to eliminate Obamacare?

 

  Reported by Zero Hedge 21 hours ago.