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A GOP Congressman Is Going After A Fellow Republican For His Frivolous 'Political Stunt' On Obamacare

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A GOP Congressman Is Going After A Fellow Republican For His Frivolous 'Political Stunt' On Obamacare Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) tore into fellow Wisconsinite and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) for what Sensenbrenner described as a frivolous "political stunt" of a lawsuit designed to block health care subsidies for members of Congress and their staffs. 

Johnson outlined the goals of his suit in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday. Johnson filed his suit against the Office of Personnel Management, which has interpreted the Affordable Care Act to mean that the federal government may offer tax-free subsidies to help members of Congress and their staff buy exchange health plans.

Johnson is seeking to block the federal government from helping to pay for coverage, arguing that OPM's interpretation does not fall in line with the text of the Affordable Care Act.

Sensenbrenner responded in a scathing statement, saying that Johnson's lawsuit would unintentionally lead to an exodus of talent from Capitol Hill staffs: 

"Senator Johnson’s lawsuit is an unfortunate political stunt. I am committed to repealing Obamacare, but the employer contribution he’s attacking is nothing more than a standard benefit that most private and all federal employees receive — including the President," Sensenbrenner said.

"Success in the suit will mean that Congress will lose some of its best staff and will be staffed primarily by recent college graduates who are still on their parents’ insurance. This will make it even more difficult to fight the President and his older, more experienced staff."

At heart is another intra-GOP dispute over health-insurance subsidies for congressional lawmakers and staff under the Affordable Care Act. Several Republican lawmakers have drafted legislative proposals aimed at the same goal as Johnson's, efforts that have been led by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).

If Johnson's lawsuit is successful, it would amount to an effective pay cut of thousands of dollars for congressional staff and lawmakers. They would also, effectively, be the only employees in the U.S. who are barred from receiving employer subsidies on health care. It's an issue that has ruffled feathers among staffs on both sides of the aisle.

“Senator Johnson should spend his time legislating rather than litigating as our country is facing big problems that must be addressed by Congress — not the courts," Sensenbrenner said.

"All Republicans want to repeal Obamacare, but this politically motivated lawsuit only takes public attention away from how bad all of Obamacare really is and focuses it on a trivial issue. Fortunately, Senator Johnson’s suit is likely frivolous and will not achieve the result he’s seeking."

Johnson responded to Sensenbrenner with a statement of his own, saying he was "disappointed and puzzled" by Sensenbrenner's reaction. 

"By no means do I believe this issue is trivial, or my lawsuit to overturn this injustice is frivolous. This is an issue of basic fairness that I believe is worth fighting for," Johnson said.

*SEE ALSO: Boehner Secretly Defended A Special Obamacare 'Exemption' He Has Publicly Derided*

Join the conversation about this story »

 
 
 
  Reported by Business Insider 1 hour ago.

Lehigh Valley Health Network Joins UPMC for You and UPMC for Kids Provider Networks

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PITTSBURGH, Jan. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lehigh Valley Health Network is now a participating provider with UPMC Health Plan's top-rated Medical Assistance program and Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) program. Effective immediately, all UPMC for You (Medical Assistance) and... Reported by PR Newswire 2 hours ago.

Obamacare Website Still Leaves 104,000 People Hanging

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*Provided by Kaiser Health News*

For years, Obama administration officials talked about how the health law’s online marketplaces would offer a seamless shopping experience for consumers looking for health coverage.

But that’s turned out to be an empty promise for many low-income people who went to healthcare.gov, the federal enrollment portal, and were deemed eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

In five states alone — Florida, Texas, Illinois, South Carolina and Arizona — about 104,000 people are still waiting to get enrolled in the public programs after trying to sign up through healthcare.gov, according to state officials and advocacy groups.

The healthcare.gov website used by 36 states has been unable to transfer income and other data from applications to the state agencies that run Medicaid, the state-federal program for low-income adults, and the children’s insurance program. As a result, tens of thousands of applicants have been left in limbo – without coverage that was supposed to begin Jan. 1.

State Medicaid officials in Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Arizona and Illinois say they have not been able to enroll anyone in Medicaid or CHIP directly from the healthcare.gov website.

“This is not what we were hoping to see,” said Greg Mellowe, policy director for Florida Chain, a consumer advocacy group.

He said the enrollment website was supposed to provide “real-time eligibility,” not leave people waiting for weeks to find out their status.

The problem affects states using healthcare.gov regardless of whether they expanded Medicaid eligibility under the health law. Texas, Florida and South Carolina are among the states that chose not to expand the program.

About 35,000 Floridians are waiting to finish enrollment in that state, according to Mellowe. Illinois’ Medicaid agency is missing data on more than 30,000 people. Arizona is missing data for 11,000 people, South Carolina for 12,000 people and Texas for over 16,000, according to state Medicaid officials and government reports.

Federal health officials say they are working on the software problems —as they have been since the website’s Oct. 1 launch. They say that once people are enrolled in Medicaid, their coverage will be retroactive to Jan. 1. But without confirmation of coverage, many may face problems accessing health services in the interim.

An estimated 9 million people were expected to enroll in Medicaid or CHIP in 2014 under the health law.

The most recent detailed breakout on signups showed that about 803,000 were deemed eligible for the programs as of Nov. 30. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said she did not have an updated figure.

In late December, HHS officials said 3.9 million people were found eligible for the programs, but that total included an unknown number who were already enrolled and were simply renewing for another year.

Consumers were supposed to be able to go to healthcare.gov to find out if they qualified for Medicaid or CHIP, or for subsidies to buy private insurance. If they were deemed eligible for the public programs, their applications would automatically be transmitted to state Medicaid agencies. Some states said they would accept the federal determination and others had planned to follow up with their own checks.

But software problems have hindered the transfer of information from healthcare.gov to states, preventing either scenario from working smoothly.

As a result, state and federal health officials have urged people determined to be eligible for public programs through healthcare.gov to go to their state’s Medicaid website to complete their signup. That process means applicants have to repeat answering many of same questions about income, family size and other information.

Unlike applying for private health insurance on healthcare.gov, however, there is no deadline to apply for the public programs.

The problem with healthcare.gov does not affect the 14 states that have their own health insurance websites to handle Obamacare enrollment.

The Obama administration has offered states relying on healthcare.gov the option to receive a computer file on potential Medicaid and CHIP enrollees that they can manually review and then contact applicants. But states have said some of the information is incomplete, and the process is more time-consuming than they had hoped.

John Supra, South Carolina’s deputy Medicaid director, said his agency recently began testing a data transfer system with the federal government to receive applicants’ data from healthcare.gov. He estimates it could take several weeks to reach everyone who has applied.

“It was supposed to be a seamless and totally automated system for states,” Supra said. He said he doesn’t know how many started on the healthcare.gov website and then came to the South Carolina’s Medicaid enrollment site.

Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said states have been struggling to get information from healthcare.gov “in a useable and timely fashion.”

He said instead of the much-touted “no wrong door approach,” Medicaid officials are telling applicants, “there may be a better door.”

Asked why the problem has yet to be fixed, Salo said, “This is complicated stuff we are doing here and more complicated than just building a website.”

Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communication organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.

Ron Johnson Sues Obama Administration To Block His Own Health Care

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced a lawsuit Monday to bar members of Congress and their employees from getting any employer-sponsored health insurance, saying it's not fair that the Obama administration is making him decide which of his staffers can keep federal contributions to their plans.

Before the Affordable Care Act took effect, lawmakers and staff got their health coverage from the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. As of Jan. 1, they must get that coverage from the new health care exchanges, but the administration's Office of Personnel Management decreed in a rule finalized in September that they could still use their pre-tax employer contributions to cover most of the cost.

Johnson, a wealthy businessman who has declined to use the health care exchanges, said in his suit that the ACA does not allow the OPM to make such a change, and noted that its rule directs lawmakers and staffers to the Washington, D.C., exchange for small businesses, called DC SHOP. The federal government is not a small business, he said.

"I think it is a basic issue of fairness," Johnson said in a Capitol Hill news conference. "I really do believe that the American people expect, and they have every right to expect, that members of Congress, the political class here in Washington, should be fully subject to all of the rules, all the laws that Congress imposes on the rest of America. And that is not the case with the health care law."

The suit also argues that the provision is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause, because it treats lawmakers and their staffs "differently than other similarly situated employees who obtain insurance coverage pursuant to the terms of the ACA."

Typically, lawmakers can't sue over laws and federal rules because they lack standing, but Johnson said in his case he and a staffer are personally aggrieved by the OPM rule. The suit, filed in Wisconsin federal court, notes that among the ills suffered by Johnson are that he has to decide which workers are and are not covered by the rule, and that it makes him complicit in conduct that he believes is illegal.

"I truly believe this is one of those cases ... in which I believe I do have standing, and as a result I believe I have the obligation to make this point, to overturn this rule, to try and reestablish the check and balance -- that very careful balance -- that our founders put into the Constitution to limit the size, the power and the scope of government," said Johnson, casting the issue as something bigger than health care for Hill staffers.

Johnson said it was important that those staffers and lawmakers experience what other Americans experience when they buy insurance on the exchanges without employer support, although the vast majority of Americans get insurance with tax-free help from their employers.

Johnson, who wishes to repeal Obamacare entirely, wants the court to toss the rule, and leave it up to Congress to pass a legislative fix, if there is to be one.

"This is the law of the land. If members of Congress, if this administration, don't like the law of the land, they should come to Congress to change the law of the land. They should not change it by presidential decree or presidential fiat," Johnson said.

"I think this lawsuit will hopefully provide a very long-overdue check on presidential power, expanding presidential power, particularly with this administration," Johnson said. "We are certainly seeing and I think we'll see it over the next three years, a real abuse of executive authority by this president," he added.

Still, a senior Republican from Johnson's home state of Wisconsin, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, slammed the suit in a press release Sunday, calling it “frivolous” and “an unfortunate political stunt.”

“I am committed to repealing Obamacare, but the employer contribution he’s attacking is nothing more than a standard benefit that most private and all federal employees receive -- including the President,” Sensenbrenner said. “Success in the suit will mean that Congress will lose some of its best staff and will be staffed primarily by recent college graduates who are still on their parents’ insurance. “

“Senator Johnson should spend his time legislating rather than litigating as our country is facing big problems that must be addressed by Congress -- not the courts,” Sensenbrenner concluded.

Johnson said he isn't losing any of his staff, and that he would look at giving people raises to account for the extra cost of buying insurance.

"I'm disappointed. I'm a little puzzled by his reaction," Johnson said of his fellow Republican. "Every Republican except for two in both chambers basically voted in support of exactly what I'm trying to do in this lawsuit. I don't in any way shape or form believe that this is trivial, that this is frivolous, that this is a stunt. This is I think a very important constitutional question."

The Obama administration declined to comment on the suit, saying the litigation is still pending. But an administration official speaking on condition of anonymity echoed Sensenbrenner, saying that the OPM rule simply guarantees that Hill staffers get their insurance like the rest of the country.

“The regulation merely makes good on the law’s requirement that members of Congress and their staff purchase coverage through the same exchanges used by other Americans," the official said. "This is what Congress itself has said it intended.”

Johnson, calling the health care law a "grand scheme," countered that lawmakers tried to pass amendments that would let the government continue making contributions to staffers' insurance, and they failed.

"This was specifically debated and rejected," Johnson said. Reported by Huffington Post 51 minutes ago.

Health Care Spending Slows To Historically Low Rate

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For the first time in more than a decade, health care spending grew more slowly than the U.S. economy last year, according to a new report by government auditors.

Total U.S. health care spending was $2.79 trillion in 2012, up 3.7 percent from the previous year -- that amounts to 17.2 percent of the national economy, the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services conclude in a report published by the journal Health Affairs. It's the first time since 1997 that health expenditures didn't outpace the gross domestic product.

The historic slowdown in the growth of health care spending since 2009 -- the lowest rate since the federal government began tracking the data in 1960 -- has sparked a debate about its causes. President Barack Obama partially credits elements of the Affordable Care Act, such as reduced fees for hospital services, for reduced inflation in national expenditures, but there's no consensus among experts. The actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are among those who believe the phenomenon is nothing more than a repeat of normal patterns that occur during and after economic recessions like the one that began in 2007.

"The trends that we've seen in the last few years are consistent with the historical relationship that we've seen between health spending and overall economic growth," said Aaron Catlin, the deputy director of the National Health Statistics Group within the actuary's office, during a press briefing Monday prior to the report's release.

Expenditures on health care, including everything from hospital procedures to prescription medicines, rose less than 4 percent a year from 2009 through 2012, after growing by an average of more than 7 percent from 2000 through 2008 and by double digits in the previous decade.

In November, the White House issued a report highlighting slower health care spending growth and emphasizing that some categories of spending, especially by Medicare, aren't related to the economic cycle because those benefits aren't affected by job loss or other phenomena. The health care reform law reduced Medicare payment rates to hospitals and instituted other measures aimed at cutting spending and improving health, such as barring payments to hospitals when they re-treat patients for the same condition within 30 days.

From 2010, when Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, until the end of 2012, however, the actuaries could discern only a meager impact from the law on national health care spending, said Anne Martin, an economist at the Office of the Actuary, during the press briefing. During that period, the law increased U.S. health expenditures by no more than 0.1 percent, she said.Source: Health Affairs"While our historical data cannot parse out the spending that was directly the result of the ACA, the projections model showed that there was minimal impact from the Affordable Care Act on aggregate national health expenditure trends from 2010 through 2012," Martin said.

A 2012 report by the Office of the Actuary projected that expanding coverage to tens of millions of individuals via the Affordable Care Act would increase national health spending by one-tenth of a percentage point each year through 2021, compared to what expenditures would have been absent the law.

The new actuaries' report attributes recent levels of annual growth mainly to individuals who lost jobs, or at least lost their health insurance, during the recession and the sluggish recovery. "The period of stability is consistent with the historical experience when the share of GDP tends to stabilize after an overall economic recession, usually two to three years," Catlin said.

In 2012, the low rate of growth was a combination of decreases in some areas and increases in others. Spending on Medicare private health insurance premiums, prescriptions drugs and nursing-home care rose more slowly than during the previous year. Hospital, physician, Medicaid and consumers' out-of-pocket costs accelerated in 2012 compared to 2011.

Source: Health AffairsThe uptick in spending growth on hospital care and visits to physicians, urgent care centers and other clinics was driven by patients receiving more, and more intensive, services, rather than by price increases, according to the report. Medical prices grew 1.7 percent in 2012, down from a growth of 2.4 percent in 2011. The increase in the use of health care services was partly based on more individuals having health insurance as a result of the economic recovery, the report suggests.

In September, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a report projecting that health care spending growth would remain below 4 percent in 2013 but would accelerate in later years. This year, as the Affordable Care Act expands health coverage to the uninsured, the spending increase will surpass 6 percent for the first time since 2007 and the law will account for 1.6 percentage points of that rise, that report predicts.
Note: ACA refers to the Affordable Care Act. SGR refers to the system that determines how much Medicare pays physicians. The Office of the Actuary assumes Congress will prevent scheduled cuts to doctors' pay, including a 24.7 percent reduction set to take effect Jan. 1.

Source: Health Affairs Reported by Huffington Post 18 minutes ago.

HUFFPOST HILL - Jay Carney Does Thing To His Face

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A giant system of smug Midwesterners boasting that no one else knows how to handle cold weather has descended on much of the United States. Months after moving to Wyoming, Liz Cheney is dropping out of the Senate race, despite her assumption that she'd be greeted as a liberator. And Jay Carney grew a beard, but as for that question about whether he uses a cartridge or electric, he'll get back to you. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Monday, January 6th, 2014:

The Senate's voting on unemployment benefits tonight. Outlook not so hot, if you know what I'm saying.

* JANET YELLEN POISED TO BE NEXT FED CHAIR, HOW WOMEN KEPT LARRY SUMMERS OUT OF THE JOB* - Laura Bassett and Grim: "It was more than a year before he withdrew his name from consideration for chairmanship of the Federal Reserve, and the former Treasury secretary was up for the presidency of the World Bank. In less than 24 hours, a brand new progressive women's group called Ultraviolet had collected more than 37,000 signatures demanding that President Barack Obama spike his former economic adviser and choose 'a nominee who believes girls have the same potential as boys.' Obama named Dartmouth College president Jim Yong Kim for the position instead... On Monday, the Senate is expected to confirm economist Janet Yellen as the first woman ever to head the Federal Reserve...Yet Yellen was never the president's first choice. The position had long been promised to Summers in exchange for his agreeing to serve during Obama's first term as economic adviser, rather than as Treasury secretary, the role he held in the Clinton administration...*At first quietly, and then not so quietly, women went to work organizing opposition to Summers, based jointly on his failed economic track record and his history of sexist and insensitive remarks*...Women's groups argued that Yellen was the most qualified candidate, and the fact that her nomination would break a glass ceiling was just a bonus. But as one WDN donor pointed out, nominating her turned out to be a smart political move for other reasons, allowing Obama to avoid a nasty confirmation fight over Summers at the height of Obamacare's troubled rollout. *'The White House should send a gift basket to the women's groups for what they did,'* the donor said." [HuffPost]

*GA SEN: REPUBLICANS RALLYING AROUND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE* - Pour one out for Zell Miller. Bloomberg: "*A political fund linked to former Sen. Richard Lugar, the Indiana Republican unseated in 2012 by a Tea Party-backed challenger, made campaign contributions to a prominent Democratic Senate candidate and to Republican senators facing primary challenges similar to his.* Lugar’s leadership political action committee, The 19th Star PAC, sent $5,000 on Dec. 12 to Michelle Nunn, the likely Democratic nominee for an open seat in Georgia, according to a filing the PAC made today with the Federal Election Commission. Nunn’s father, former Georgia Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn (1972-97), worked closely with Lugar on nuclear non-proliferation issues. (For more on that and Lugar’s career, read this story by Bloomberg’s Laura Litvan). Michelle Nunn, who also got a donation from former Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, will face the winner of a crowded Republican primary for the seat of retiring Republican Saxby Chambliss. Lugar’s PAC also made donations in November and December to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Pat Roberts of Kansas. " [Bloomberg]

*Bloomberg pointed out in October that a number of Romney donors are also spurning the tea party by supporting Nunn*: "Nunn’s donors include Jim Cox Kennedy, the chairman of Atlanta-based communications company Cox Enterprises Inc., who contributed $2,600 to her candidacy, after giving $30,800 to the Republican National Committee and $5,000 to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012. She’s also got support from Tom Cousins, former chief executive officer of Cousins Properties Inc. (CUZ:US) and a developer who helped shape downtown Atlanta in the 1970s and 1980s, who has given her $5,200. Cousins donated $50,800 to the RNC and $5,000 to Romney. Both Kennedy and Cousins declined to comment on their donations." [Bloomberg]

*STATES STRUGGLING TO OVERHAUL NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND* - Rarely is the question asked, is our education reformers learning? Joy Resmovits: "Some states are having trouble keeping the promises they made to get out from under the cumbersome No Child Left Behind Act, according to the Education Department. The department on Monday released results from audits of the way six states -- New York, Delaware, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi and Connecticut -- are replacing No Child Left Behind. The technical reports found that some states, particularly Mississippi and Idaho, are running into trouble when it comes to putting into place federally mandated school overhauls. As a result, some schools might have to spend another year working to come into compliance...Under NCLB, nearly 100 percent of schools were supposed to be proficient in reading and math by 2014 -- a goal Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has called utopian. NCLB expired in 2007, but states still have to abide by its requirements until another law replaces it. When Congress failed to rewrite the law by 2011, President Barack Obama and Duncan told states they had another option: If they agreed to certain reforms favored by the Obama administration, such as teacher evaluations that include student test scores, they could ease out of NCLB's strictures. Most states applied, and so far, 42 states, Washington, D.C, Puerto Rico and eight districts in California have received waivers to exempt them from NCLB." [HuffPost]

*DAILY DELANEY DOWNER* - Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that he's not opposed to unemployment insurance, but the longer benefits last, the lazier unemployed people get. "I'm not against having unemployment insurance," the Kentucky Republican said on ABC's "This Week.""*I do think, though, that the longer you have it, that it does provide some disincentive to work and that there are many studies that indicate this*." Past studies have shown that unemployment insurance can reduce the intensity of jobseekers' work search, but more recent research has not yielded similar results. Last month, Paul cited economist Rand Ghayad to support his claim, only to have Ghayad say Paul completely misread his work. *For the past several weeks, Paul has been one of the only congressional Republicans to talk about unemployment insurance at all*. On Dec. 28, long-term benefits abruptly ended for 1.3 million workers. Democrats have been loudly demanding that Congress restore the compensation, but with the GOP in control of the House of Representatives, there's not much they can do. [HuffPost]

*Haircuts*: Ryan Grim (h/t Iris Grim), Andrew Deutz (h/t/ Joel Paque)

Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill

*SUPREME COURT BLOCKS UTAH GAY MARRIAGES* - Not for nothing, but "The Beehive" would be a fantastic name for a gay bar. Times: "The Supreme Court on Monday *blocked further same-sex marriages in Utah while state officials appeal a decision allowing such unions*. The terse order, from the full court, issued a stay 'pending final disposition' of an appeal to the federal appeals court in Denver. It offered no reasoning. The Supreme Court acted more than two weeks after a federal judge in Salt Lake City on Dec. 20 struck down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, saying it violated principles of equal protection and due process. Judge Robert J. Shelby of Federal District Court refused to stay his decision while it was appealed, as did the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, in Denver." [NYT]

*CHENEY DROPS OUT OF SENATE RACE, CITES FAMILY HEALTH REASONS* - If it turns out that the illness is her sister's homosexuality, she's dead to us forever. CNN: "Liz Cheney, whose upstart bid to unseat Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi sparked warfare in the Republican Party and within her own family, is dropping out of the primary race, she said on Monday. 'Serious health issues have recently arisen in our family, and under the circumstances, I have decided to discontinue my campaign,' the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney said in a written statement. Cheney, 47, began telling associates of her decision over the weekend, CNN reported Sunday night. She was not specific about the family health issues she cited...Cheney's surprising decision to jump into the race, an announcementmade in a YouTube video last summer, roiled Republican politics in Wyoming, a state that her father represented in Congress for five terms in the 1970s and 80s...There was little public polling of the race, but two partisan polls released last year showed Enzi with a wide lead, an assessment mostly shared by GOP insiders watching the race." [CNN]

*RON JOHNSON GETS LITIGIOUS OVER OBAMACARE* - Suing to deny people access to healthcare is like a really twisted version of a John Grisham plot. Mike McAuliff and Sabrina Siddiqui: "*U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced a lawsuit Monday to bar members of Congress and their employees from getting any employer-sponsored health insurance*, saying it's not fair that the Obama administration is making him decide which of his staffers can keep federal contributions to their plans. Before the Affordable Care Act took effect, lawmakers and staff got their health coverage from the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. As of Jan. 1, they must get that coverage from the new health care exchanges, but the administration's Office of Personnel Management decreed in a rule finalized in September that they could still use their pre-tax employer contributions to cover most of the cost. Johnson, a wealthy businessman who has declined to use the health care exchanges, said in his suit that the ACA does not allow the OPM to make such a change, and noted that its rule directs lawmakers and staffers to the Washington, D.C., exchange for small businesses, called DC SHOP. The federal government is not a small business, he said." [HuffPost]

*HOUSE REPUBLICANS SET DUBIOUS RECORD* - The "LA LA LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU LA LA LA LA " playbook is indeed a robust tome. Sabrina Siddiqui: "Congress already closed out the year with the least productive legislative session in history. And now, House Democrats pointed out Monday, *House Republicans can add another record to the roster: the most closed session in history*. While Republican leaders began 2013 with the declaration that regular order would be restored, behind the scenes, the majority adopted 44 closed rules over 12 months -- the highest number on record for any year. A closed rule is a procedural maneuver that prohibits any amendments to bills up for a vote on the House floor, unless they are recommended by the committee reporting the bill. While both parties have used such tactics while in the majority, Democrats will go on the offense Monday to highlight the new records set by Republicans to pursue their own agenda with little input from the minority, according to officials who previewed the strategy for The Huffington Post. The statistics are detailed in a 'Minority Views' article that Democrats will submit to the House record: Republicans adopted 19 closed rules during the government shutdown in October, the most in a single week; the House GOP approved 11 closed rules on Oct. 4, also during the shutdown and the most in a single day; and House Republicans approved 20 closed rules for appropriations bills over the last year, more than any other year on record for the typically open appropriations process." [HuffPost]

*HUGE PLATINUM COIN UPDATE* - The platinum coin option is to politics what the fake spike is to football: laughable, technically legal and something you wish you could witness at least once for entertainment purposes. Ryan Reilly: "*Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee have asked the Justice Department to turn over a memo that spells out the Obama administration's view of whether the so-called platinum coin option could avert a congressional fight over the debt ceiling limit*. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder on Dec. 20, asking DOJ to turn over "all records within the custody and control of DOJ which relate to the coin issuance proposal," as first reported by The Hill. The Huffington Post reported last month that the Justice Department has acknowledged the existence of an official Office of Legal Counsel memo on the platinum coin option. Supporters say the option would allow the Treasury Department to mint a platinum coin in any denomination, which then could be used to meet government obligations without the need for Congress to grant any additional spending powers." [HuffPost]

*BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR* - Here is a terrifyingly unconscious dog.

*DRUDGE SIREN: JAY CARNEY HAS A BEARD* - The D.C. press corps hasn't been this agitated by a White House press secretary's hair since Dana Perino debuted her mutton chops after that Iraqi threw his shoes at George W. Bush. Washington Times: White House press secretary Jay Carney elicited groans and hoots from the press corps Monday as he sported a new beard at his first briefing of the new year. 'Whoa!' several journalists called out when the press secretary emerged from his lair with the new look after a two-week holiday break. 'My wife says she likes it, so there,' Mr. Carney said, smiling. A reporter called out “TMI” (too much information) to more laughter." [Washington Times]

*COMFORT FOOD*

- This collection of 2013's best Vines. [http://huff.to/198r7jW]

- A group of future Nobel Prize winners have figured out a way to erase "millennial" from your web browser. [http://bit.ly/JE2bW3]

- A collection of charts depicting differences in leadership styles from across the globe. [http://read.bi/1cHiNTs]

- A woman created a surpassingly obnoxious online dating profile... and still received entries from interested men. [http://bit.ly/194qhVr]

- This Tumblr tracks down the source of computer codes featured in TV and movies. [http://bit.ly/1a7vWJ9]

- That there are enough videos of dogs with human hands to label this the best video of dogs with humans hands is really a testament to the internet's awfulness/brilliance. [http://huff.to/1bLprrp]

- Siri doesn't like it when you ask about the film, "Her," which features a man who falls in love with his smartphone. [http://huff.to/19MToxh]

*TWITTERAMA*

@jesseberney: "Coming up on 60 Minutes: was Vince Foster murdered to cover up Illuminati plans to use the Fed to teach our children to be homosexuals?"

@joshgreenman: BOOM. RT @mviser: Obama formally nominates Cambridge attorney Robert C. Barber to be ambassador to Iceland.

@daveweigel: Buy real estate, laugh at all of us folks stuck in DC RT @akmattos: Does anybody have must see/do recommendations for Santa Barbara?

*Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffingtonpost.com), Ryan Grim (ryan@huffingtonpost.com) or Arthur Delaney (arthur@huffingtonpost.com). Follow us on Twitter @HuffPostHill (twitter.com/HuffPostHill). Sign up here: http://huff.to/an2k2e* Reported by Huffington Post 23 hours ago.

Media Matters

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This being just five days into the New Year, I hate to start off with some negative complaints, especially because my unhappiness has to do with the incomplete reporting about Obamacare; the War on Poverty led by President Lyndon B. Johnson on whose lap I once sat, and the commentary on a racial matter by MSNBC's African American Sunday morning hostess, Melissa Harris-Perry. None of these are connected but the issues, all appearing in print or on the air the last several days and chewed over ad nauseum, tend to make my blood boil.

Taking these issues one at a time:

1. Having to do with the alleged failure or short comings of Obamacare almost overshadows the story in the January 1st edition of the New York Times that is headlined in its inside pages, "Millions Gaining Health Coverage Under New Law." That means so many Americans who previously could not afford health insurance under Medicare will now be covered by the Affordable Care Act.

2. (unrelated) The New York Times, my most trusted newspaper, carried a front page story last Sunday that was headlined "Fifty years later, the War on Poverty is a Mixed Bag." Now, I do not question the accuracy of the reporter, Annie Lowrey, but I'm willing to bet she's a lot less younger than I was at the time President Lyndon B. Johnson took the courageous step to pioneer the ground-breaking legislation. She probably is not aware of the fact that factory employees, coal miners and other Americans were robbed of the power to negotiate or strike for higher wages and seek better health care insurance by the harshly anti-union legislation the Taft Hartley Act that was enacted and supported by Republicans and Southern Democrats from Texas through Dixie and the Atlantic coast.

3. In a holiday greeting sent out by the last Republican aspirant to the White House, Mitt Romney, pointed out that among his family of adorable children was an adopted African American child. He therefore made it a public issue, prompting a rather tongue in cheek television commentary by MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry, herself an attractive African American. She should have been smart enough to avoid the trap she laid for herself since she was a skilled university professor in New Orleans before she was discovered and promoted to prominence by MSNBC. But she goofed. And so what? Is that worth endless "analysis" by some of the cable television "experts?" I doubt it. Reported by Huffington Post 20 hours ago.

Governor Blames IBM For Minnesota's Troubled Obamacare Website (IBM)

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Governor Blames IBM For Minnesota's Troubled Obamacare Website (IBM) Yet another state has blamed yet another large IT vendor for the problems with its Affordable Care website.

This time the state is Minnesota and the company on the hot seat is IBM.

In mid-December Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton wrote a letter to CEO Ginny Rometty that dressed down IBM for a laundry list of big problems with the state's website, MNsure. The governor's office released the letter last week. (Posted in full below.)

Dayton told IBM:

Your product has not delivered promised functionality and has seriously hindered Minnesotans' abilities to purchase health insurance or apply for public health care programs through MNsure.... your product has significant defects, which have seriously harmed Minnesota consumers.

IBM's software is used by the website to determine eligibility. He says it caused the Minnesota site to experience these problems:

· It allowed people to submit multiple applications without keeping track. This "forced MNsure staff to spend thousands of hours" trying to clean up the data, he says.
· It didn't do a reliable job of verifying eligibility in accordance with Federal law, he says, and left some applications floating in "pending status" where the state couldn't move the application forward and let people buy insurance.
· Plus, he says, thousands of applications got "stuck in a queue" unable to be processed at all, he wrote. MNsure staff apparently didn't even know these stuck applications existed.

All told, the letter blamed IBM for 21 problems.

IBM’s Curam subsidiary wasn't the main contractor, but one several subcontractors working on the $46 million project. IBM says the main contractor, a company called Maximus, had "overall responsibility" for the site, including testing that it worked properly.

After getting the letter, IBM swiftly sent dozens of workers to St. Paul and agreed to give the state 4,000 man-hours at no charge, reports the StarTribune's Jackie Crosby.

Things are working better, though not perfectly, now, IBM says.

On Friday, MNsure said 67,805 people had enrolled, including 14,600 who signed up in the last four days of December.

To be sure, IBM isn't the only big vendor to be blamed for problems with a state health insurance exchange.

In November, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley blasted Oracle on television for problems with Oregon's website. Last month, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber even said it would delay making a $20 million payment to Oracle until the site was fixed. Oracle had no comment.

The truth is, that that these health care exchanges are like a perfect storm. Some 40% of large scale, complex software projects like these are disasters, a 2012 McKinsey study revealed. Add in politicians, public pressure and something as important as health insurance, and trouble with some of them is guaranteed.

Here's IBM's full statement:

"The majority of concerns with the Curam software that were expressed by Governor Dayton three weeks ago have been addressed. These are not the only issues related to the performance of the MNSure system. IBM is just one of several subcontractors working on this project. The prime contractor, Maximus, Inc, has overall responsibility for the MNsure system including integration and testing of all the components prior to October 1. IBM continues to work closely with the other suppliers and the State of Minnesota to make MNsure a more positive experience for Minnesota citizens. As an example, the percent of suspended applications for coverage decreased by two thirds between mid-December and early January and the system is now handling cases at over a 95% daily success rate.

"To sustain the progress, we are providing on-site services and technical resources beyond the scope of IBM's contractual responsibilities to assist the State in resolving the remaining issues as quickly as possible. IBM Senior Vice President for Software Solutions, Mike Rhodin, has made this project a priority and has been in regular contact with Governor Dayton and the MNSure leaders. Although our original role on this project was limited, we are bringing the full resources and capabilities of IBM to the State because of the importance of the success of the project."

 

Here's the full letter:

Join the conversation about this story »

 
 
 
  Reported by Business Insider 19 hours ago.

Hiccups persist in California health insurance exchange

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Covered California is still sorting through paper applications for health insurance starting Jan. 1, and some people are having trouble related to invoices, coverage confirmation or online payments. Reported by L.A. Times 19 hours ago.

ObamaCare: Health Care Reform and its Effect on Sleep Apnea

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ObamaCare: Health Care Reform and its Effect on Sleep Apnea BOSTON, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Health insurance is a fast changing landscape in the United States with the implementation of ObamaCare, also known as The Affordable Health Care Act.  Health insurance companies are doing something called cost shifting where the cost of... Reported by PR Newswire 16 hours ago.

ICD-10 Coding Training Now Available From Med-Certificaiton

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Med-Certification.com, a provider of medical billing and coding training, now offers resources to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10.

Salt Lake City, Utah (PRWEB) January 07, 2014

A key element of the data foundation of the United States' health care system will undergo a major transformation in 2014. So, what is the Big Deal on ICD-10? The buzz is that it is all troubling and worst case will create chaos. Med-Certification.com has put together an overview of the new system and what to expect.

On October 1, 2014 a, the health care system in the US will transition from the decades-old 9th Edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) set of diagnosis and inpatient procedure codes to the far more contemporary, vastly larger, and much more detailed Tenth Edition of those code sets or ICD-10 used by most developed countries throughout the world.

This transition will have a major impact on anyone who uses health care information that contains a diagnosis and/or inpatient procedure code, including:

-Hospitals
-Health care practitioners and institutions
-Health insurers and other third-party payers
-Electronic transaction clearinghouses
-Hardware and software manufacturers and vendors
-Billing and practice management service providers
-Health care administrative and oversight agencies
-Public and private health care research institutions

Making the transition to ICD-10 is not optional. All covered entities as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA óare required to adopt ICD-10 codes for use in all HIPAA transactions with dates of service on or after the October 1, 2014 compliance date. For HIPAA inpatient claims, ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes are required for all inpatient stays with discharge dates on or after October 1, 2014. The transition to ICD-10 does not directly affect provider use of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes.

About Version 5010:
To process ICD-10 claims or other transactions, providers, payers, and vendors must first implement the "Version 5010" electronic health care transaction standards mandated by HIPAA. The existing HIPAA Version transaction standards do not support the use of the ICD-10 codes.

What is ICD-10?
The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes the International Classfication of Diseases (ICD) code set, which defines diseases, signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or disease. The ICD-10 is copyrighted by the WHO. The WHO authorized a US adaptation of the code set for government purposes. As agreed, all modifications to the ICD-10 must conform to WHO conventions for the ICD.

In 1990, the WHO updated its international version of the ICD-10 code set for mortality reporting. Other countries began adopting ICD-10 in 1994, but the United States only partially adopted ICD-10 in 1999 for mortality reporting. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the federal agency responsible for the United States' use of ICD-10, developed ICD-10-CM, a clinical modification of the classification for morbidity reporting purposes, to replace the ICD-9-CM codes, Volumes 1 and 2. The NCHS developed ICD-10-CM following a thorough evaluation by a technical advisory panel and extensive consultation with physician groups, clinical coders, and others to ensure clinical accuracy and usefulness.

Benefits of ICD-10:
By contrast, ICD-10 provides more specific data than ICD-9 and better reflects current medical practice. The added detail embedded within ICD-10 codes informs health care providers and health plans of patient incidence and history, which improves the effectiveness of case management and care coordination functions. Accurate coding also reduces the volume of claims rejected due to ambiguity.

The new code sets will:

-Improve operational processes across the health care industry by classifying detail within codes to accurately process payments and reimbursements.
-Update the terminology and disease classifications to be consistent with current clinical practice and medical and technological advances.
-Increase flexibility for future updates as necessary.
-Enhance coding accuracy and specificity to classify anatomic site, etiology, and severity.
-Support refined reimbursement models to provide equitable payment for more complex conditions.
-Streamline payment operations by allowing for greater automation and fewer payer-physician inquiries, decreasing delays and inappropriate denials.
-Provide more detailed data to better analyze disease patterns and track and respond to public health outbreaks.
-Provide opportunities to develop and implement new pricing and reimbursement structures including fee schedules and hospital and ancillary pricing scenarios based on greater diagnostic specificity.
-Provide payers, program integrity contractors, and oversight agencies with opportunities for more effective detection and investigation of potential fraud or abuse and proof of intentional fraud.

Initiate a Training Plan:
A training plan's purpose is to ensure that an organization's staff and external partners acquire the necessary skills and knowledge on the processes, procedures, policies, and system updates affected by the ICD-10 transition.

Med-certification has an ideal ICD-10 training program online to train both new and experienced coders in the use of ICD-10. At the conclusion of the training, a certification test will be provided and when a passing grade is achieved, certification in ICD-10 will be provided.

How ICD-10-CM Affects Clinical Documentation:
The increased code detail contained in ICD-10-CM means that clinical documentation will need to change substantially. The ICD-10-CM includes a more robust definition of severity, comorbidities, complications, sequelae, manifestations, causes, and a variety of other important parameters that characterize the patient's conditions. A large number of ICD-10-CM codes only differ in one parameter. For example, nearly 25 percent of the ICD-10-CM codes are the same except for indicating the right side of the patient's body versus the left. Another 25 percent of the codes differ only in the way they distinguish among initial encounter, versus "subsequent encounter," versus sequelae.

For example, even though there are more than 1,800 available codes for coding fractures of the radius, there are only approximately 50 distinct recurring concepts.

A similar transition was implemented in the 1980s when the old Relative Value System (RVS) codes made the big switch to the then and current CPT Code (Current Procedural Terminology). The whole healthcare field was in flux for a few months while everyone settled into the new code system and it was not as difficult as predicted. Rest assured that the transition will work. To learn more about ICD-10 and other medical billing courses visit med-certification online or call 1-888-771-1902. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.

CDPHP Named to Best Companies List for the Sixth Consecutive Year

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The award is based on workplace policies, systems, and practices, as well as a survey that measures employee satisfaction.

(PRWEB) January 07, 2014

CDPHP® has once again been selected as one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York. This is the sixth consecutive year that CDPHP has been chosen by the Best Companies Group, in conjunction with New York State Society for Human Resource Management, as one the state’s top large employers.

The award is based on the company’s workplace policies, systems, and practices, as well as a survey, which was open to all employees, that measures employee satisfaction. CDPHP employees enjoy comprehensive and flexible benefits including tuition reimbursement, leadership development, worksite wellness programs, access to an on-site farmers’ market, and the ability to pursue community service activities.

“It’s an honor to be named to the Best Companies list for the sixth time. As a community-based health plan serving more than 440,000 members, our hard-working employees are the key to our success,” said Dr. John D. Bennett, president and CEO, CDPHP. “Their dedication is reflected in CDPHP’s mission of building stronger, healthier communities.”

In addition to the Best Companies award, CDPHP has earned a number of honors and recognitions in the past year, including:·     Capital District Women’s Employment and Resource Center Advancement of Women in the WERCplace Award
·     The Principal® 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security – 2013
·     No. 1 on the EveryMove 100 Health Insurance Index for consumer engagement
·     Weiss Rating of “A+” for financial stability for customers, vendors and employees

CDPHP will be honored at an awards dinner in Albany on May 6, where final rankings will be announced. For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in New York awards program, visit http://www.BestCompaniesNY.com.

About CDPHP®
Established in 1984, CDPHP is a physician-founded, member-focused and community-based not-for-profit health plan that offers high-quality affordable health insurance plans to members in 24 counties throughout New York. CDPHP is also on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.

McCrory stands up for Wos after more criticism of health agency

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Gov. Pat McCrory is standing by Aldona Wos as Democrats continue to call for the Greensboro resident's replacement as chief of the state's Department of Health and Human Services following a number of alleged missteps by the agency. The News & Observer reports that McCrory spoke up after the department last week sent nearly 50,000 children's health insurance cards to the wrong addresses, which would violate federal privacy rules. Among other challenges, the agency has also struggled with a new… Reported by bizjournals 10 hours ago.

Life Insurance for Covering Medical Bills

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Online Insurance Marketplace (http://onlineinsurancemarketplace.com), announces new blog, “Life Insurance For Covering Medical Bills!”

(PRWEB) January 07, 2014

Online Insurance Marketplace has released a blog explaining how to cover medical bills using life insurance.

A life insurance plan can help people pay off their medical bills if they do not survive hospitalization. Life insurance proceedings are paid only after the insured has died, but some plans can provide some additional financial benefits. For example, permanent life insurance plans have a savings account which generates a fixed and regular cash income. The amount can later be withdrawn and used to cover medical expenses.

Seniors can however purchase life insurance to cover any potential medical costs. Even if a patient doesn’t survive, the medical expenses still have to be covered by his or her family. If medical costs are not covered under a health insurance plan, life insurance proceedings can pay off the remaining debt. By purchasing life insurance seniors can also cover funeral costs, mortgage loans and other remaining debt.

Medical costs are not covered under life insurance plans. A policy will pay out insurance money after the policyholder dies and the benefit can be spent on whatever the beneficiaries want. Healthcare costs are best covered by health insurance plans, which are also important for the financial well-being of a family.

“Life insurance provides the financial security every household needs. Life insurance plans are accessible and can be bought at affordable prices!” said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Online Insurance Marketplace is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. It is unique in that this website does not simply stick to one kind of insurance carrier, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. This way, clients have offers from multiple carriers all in one place, this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

For more information, please visit http://onlineinsurancemarketplace.com. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.

Expanding Background Checks Necessary, But Not Enough

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Gun violence prevention efforts got off to a great start in 2014 when the Obama administration announced two new executive actions on January 3rd that will help keep firearms out of the hands of people at an elevated risk of being a danger to themselves and/or others.

The first executive action helps to clarify that the federal firearm prohibition based on the statutory term "committed to a mental institution," which has always been interpreted to include involuntary inpatient commitments, will now also include involuntary outpatient commitments. The outpatient commitment loophole first came to the nation's attention in 2007, when Virginia Tech gunman Seung Hui-Cho walked through it to legally buy the handguns used in that massacre despite having been committed by a court to an outpatient facility.

The second action clarifies that nothing in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) would prevent states from notifying the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) when a person becomes prohibited from purchasing a firearm based on a court-ordered commitment or other federally disqualifying adjudication. Privacy concerns have been cited repeatedly by the states as a reason they do not forward these adjudications, despite the fact that they contain no actual mental health information. This action will help ensure that the database is more complete moving forward.

Much of the debate since the Newtown tragedy has focused on expanding background checks to cover private transactions of firearms, such as those that occur at gun shows or over the Internet. This is a worthy and necessary goal. Universal background checks are the lynchpin of any successful system designed to prohibit dangerous individuals from accessing firearms.

However, the administration touched on an equally important goal with its recent actions: strengthening background checks. In the wake of a series of gruesome mass shootings perpetrated by individuals who legally purchased their murder weapons it is becoming abundantly obvious that merely expanding background checks is not enough. We must strengthen the system itself so that individuals with a history of dangerous behavior can no longer clear its low bar.

One such individual was Aaron Alexis, who legally purchased a shotgun in Virginia and on September 16, 2013 fatally shot 12 people while injuring 3 others at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. Alexis had a documented history of mental illness and recklessness with firearms, which included arrests in the states of Texas and Washington. And he's not alone. How many other mass shooters have we now seen legally purchase firearm despite numerous red flags in their background? Seung Hui-Cho, Stephen Kazmierczak, Jared Loughner, James Holmes, Wade Michael Page...the list goes on and on.

Then there is the daily toll of gun violence we rarely hear about--more than 80 Americans shot dead on a daily basis in gun homicides, suicides and accidents. How many of these lives could be saved if we thoroughly and adequately screened gun buyers for evidence of dangerousness?

If federal and state laws continue to define individuals like George Zimmerman and Aaron Alexis as "good guys with guns," we know exactly what type of result we are going to get. More bloodshed. More families and communities destroyed by gun violence.

Thankfully, it doesn't have to be this way. Decades of research have identified various behaviors that indicate an elevated risk of violence. Federal law already prohibits some of these individuals from owning and purchasing firearms: convicted felons, fugitives from justice, those under a permanent restraining order, individuals who have been involuntarily committed to psychiatric care etc. But there are other issues that give rise to an elevated risk of violence that we continue to ignore. Consider the evidence:

• Past violent behavior is a strong predictor of future violence regardless of a diagnosis of mental illness. Individuals convicted of crimes of violence--including misdemeanors--are at increased risk of committing future violent crimes.

• Some individuals with serious mental illness, especially those with substance or alcohol abuse disorders and those who have been involuntarily committed for treatment, pose a heightened risk to others when they are experiencing acute exacerbations of their illness.

• Alcohol abuse and illegal use of controlled substances increase the risk of violence toward self and others.

• Most victims of intimate partner homicide are killed with a gun and evidence has shown that there is as much as a five-fold increased risk of intimate partner homicide when an abuser has a firearm. Yet not all domestic violence restraining orders are prohibitory.

Lawmakers at the federal and state level should be taking advantage of this data to improve the existing background check system. My organization, the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, recently worked with the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy--a group of mental health and public health experts--to develop a series of recommendations for federal and state legislators based on this evidence.

As the Consortium points out, legislative initiatives should not scapegoat Americans dealing with mental health issues, the overwhelming majority of whom will never become violent in their lifetimes. By focusing on people with elevated risk across the spectrum instead of a diagnosis of mental illness, we can strike a balance between a commitment to public safety and respect for the privacy of persons dealing with serious mental illness.

Specifically what should we do to prevent those at elevated risk of violence from purchasing and possessing firearms? Here are the recommendations from the Consortium:

• The federal government should clarify that any court-ordered involuntary commitment, including outpatient commitment, should be prohibitory. Thanks to the Obama administration, this item can now be checked off.

• State laws should be strengthened to temporarily prohibit individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms after a short-term involuntary hospitalization.

• The process for restoring firearm rights should be modified to better protect the public while being fair to individuals who seek to regain their rights.

• Congress and state legislatures should enact new restrictions on purchase and possession of firearms by individuals found guilty by a court of having engaged in specific criminal offenses shown to be significant risk factors for future violence and by individuals subject to any domestic violence restraining order.

• The current civil restraining order process should be expanded to allow law enforcement and family members to petition a court to authorize seizure of firearms and issue a temporary prohibition on the purchase and possession of firearms based on a specific, substantiated threat of physical harm to self or others.

As Fareed Zakaria recently wrote, "the greatest tragedy" when it comes to gun violence in the United States is that "we know how to [prevent] it," but fail to act. Let us all resolve to make 2014 the year we finally do it. Reported by Huffington Post 8 hours ago.

Health Partners America Publishes New Whitepaper “Private Exchanges: A Better Marketplace”

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Health Partners America (http://www.healthpartnersamerica.com), a company that provides training, tools, and technology solutions for insurance agents and employers who are navigating the health reform legislation, announces the release of its new white paper – Private Exchanges: A Better Marketplace. This 12-page document describes a private-market solution for consumers shopping for individual health insurance coverage.

(PRWEB) January 07, 2014

Health Partners America (http://www.healthpartnersamerica.com), a company that provides training, tools, and technology solutions for insurance agents and employers who are navigating the health reform legislation, announces the release of its new white paper – Private Exchanges: A Better Marketplace. This 12-page document describes a private-market solution for consumers shopping for individual health insurance coverage.

The Healthcare.gov website, established by the Department of Health and Human Services, along with the state-based exchanges set up by a number of state governments, have gotten a lot of attention in the past few months – most of it negative.

These sites were supposed to make it easier for consumers to compare their health insurance options and apply for qualified coverage, but most of the websites have been plagued by technical glitches that have left millions of Americans uninsured.

But even if the sites worked as designed – without all the technical problems – the white paper points out that the government usually isn’t very good at developing consumer-friendly solutions: “When you need to buy a birthday card for someone, where do you go – the Hallmark store or the post office? Both offer a selection of cards, but you have a lot more to choose from at Hallmark than you do at the Postal Store. And the same is true no matter what government agency you want to pick on.”

Instead of enjoying expanded coverage and reduced costs – two of the main goals of the Affordable Care Act – individuals who shop for health insurance on the Healthcare.gov individual marketplace website “are forced to purchase a plan that is probably more comprehensive and almost certainly more expensive than they would like; they have fewer options to choose from than they have in the past; the shopping experience leaves a lot to be desired; and they’ll have to look elsewhere if they truly want to protect their family by purchasing other important insurance products.”

A private exchange website, though, can help solve all of these problems. As explained in the white paper, private exchanges offer more plan options and more product lines than the government websites, and consumers who qualify are still able to apply for a premium tax credit to help lower their monthly bill through these user-friendly sites.

Josh Hilgers, the company’s president, reiterates a point made in the report: “Because private exchanges are owned and operated by licensed insurance agents, consumers have the advantage of getting some professional advice and hearing some innovative solutions that can protect their families and save them some money in the process.” With all the rule changes this year, this expert guidance is more important than ever.

Health Partners America is offering the full report, which is applicable to insurance advisors, employers, and individual consumers, at no cost through the company’s website.
About Health Partners America

Founded in 2007, Health Partners America provides insurance brokers with the tools, training and technology to help businesses deliver quality health coverage using affordable solutions. The company offers the industry’s first broker-friendly private health insurance exchange, allowing advisors to provide custom solutions to employer groups, associations, and other organizations.

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Josh Hilgers, please call Katie Burns at 205-443-2184 or visit http://www.healthpartnersamerica.com. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.

LMC Authorized as a Certified Application Counselor Designated Organization

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Certified staff available to help consumers understand, apply and enroll for insurance in a Federally Facilitated Marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act

Boca Raton, Florida (PRWEB) January 07, 2014

LMC Medical Supplies, Inc. and LMC Pharmacy, a fully licensed pharmacy and Medical Equipment Supplier, has been authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to be a Certified Application Counselor Designated Organization (CDO).

LMC’s staff are trained and certified under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as Certified Application Counselors (CAC) to help consumers understand, apply and enroll for health coverage in the state of Florida..

Under the CAC program, consumers will be able to get live in-person help as they go through the process of applying for and choosing new coverage options in the Marketplace. Consumers will be able to compare insurance options based on price, benefits, quality and other factors. They will receive fair and impartial information, and be able to obtain a clear picture of premiums and costs to assist in deciding the best-fit insurance.

LMC is committed to helping the uninsured receive quality and affordable health care by providing fair, impartial information and facilitating the selection of a Qualified Health Plan. For assistance, information, enrollment, etc. please call toll free 1-877-855-6655 to schedule an appointment, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.

LMC’s staff is trained and fully compliant with HIPAA laws privacy and confidentiality of personal information. Consumer personal private information will be kept safe and strictly confidential.

For more information about LMC Medical Supplies, Inc and LMC Pharmacy contact the National Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center or on HealthCare.gov under “Find Someone Local.”

About LMC Medical Supplies, Inc. and LMC Pharmacy:

LMC Medical Supplies, Inc. and LMC Pharmacy, a wholly owned subsidiary of MED-CARE Diabetic & Medical Supplies, Inc., is a fully licensed pharmacy and Medical Equipment Supplier located in Boca Raton, Florida. LMC provides an extensive menu of products and services that assist patients, care givers and their employers manage their health. LMC works together with Nurses and Doctors to facilitate the continuum of patient care from hospital to home by ensuring necessary medications are ordered and delivered prior to a health care professional visit. For more information, visit http://www.lmcmedical.com/. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.

Pets Best Releases 2013 List of Most Popular Pet Names

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The name Bella still reigns supreme.

Boise, ID (PRWEB) January 07, 2014

In an effort to highlight current pet-naming trends, Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC, a leading U.S. pet insurance agency, has released its list of the top 10 most popular names for dogs and cats enrolled with the agency in 2013.

Each year, pop culture tends to have a considerable impact on the names people select for their pets. Illustrating this trend, Bella was the No. 1 name among dogs insured by Pets Best. The increased popularity of the name Bella can be attributed to the well-known main character of the “Twilight” book and movie series. Bella also served as the most popular canine name in 2012.

While Lucy took the No. 2 spot for canines, other favorites in 2013 included classic dog names that remain popular throughout the years, such as Max, Buddy, Molly and Charlie. Although Bailey was the fourth most popular name in 2012, it slid to tenth place in 2013.

Lucy was the most popular cat name, representing an impressive increase from 2012, when it was tenth on the list. Bella was also popular among felines, placing fourth in 2013. In addition, the name Lily dropped from first place in 2012 to fifth in 2013. Simba, the name of the courageous young lion in Disney’s animated film “The Lion King,” fell out of the top ten in 2013 after ranking fourth in 2012. Simba’s spike in popularity likely came as a result of the popular film’s 3D rerelease in 2011.

Top 10 Dog Names of 2013
1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Max
4. Charlie
5. Daisy
6. Molly
7. Buddy
8. Lola
9. Maggie
10. Bailey

Top 10 Cat Names of 2013
1. Lucy
2. Jack
3. Max
4. Bella
5. Lily
6. Oliver
7. Charlie
8. Lucky
9. Sammy
10. Leo

“A pet’s name often has a strong personal significance to its owner,” said Dr. Jack Stephens, president and founder of Pets Best. “Many people show their affection by naming pets after characters and icons they admire and enjoy. Pet owners also often give their dogs and cats human names that seem to reflect the unique personalities of their four-legged family members.”

Pets Best offers a multitude of pet health insurance plans for both cats and dogs. These include a Feline Illness plan that covers common feline illnesses and a Cancer Only plan covering the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. For more information about the agency and its plans, visit http://www.petsbest.com.

About Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC
Dr. Jack L. Stephens, president of Pets Best, founded pet insurance in the U.S. in 1981 with a mission to end euthanasia when pet owners couldn’t afford veterinary treatment. Dr. Stephens went on to present the first U.S. pet insurance policy to famous television dog Lassie. Pets Best provides coverage for dogs and cats and is the only veterinarian founded and operated pet insurance company in the United States. Dr. Stephens leads the Pets Best team with his passion for quality pet care and his expert veterinary knowledge. He is always available to answer questions regarding veterinarian medicine, pet health and pet insurance. The Pets Best team is a group of pet lovers who strive to deliver quality customer service and value. Visit http://www.petsbest.com for more information.

Pet insurance coverage offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company, a Delaware insurance company. Independence American Insurance Company is a member of The IHC Group, an organization of insurance carriers and marketing and administrative affiliates that has been providing life, health, disability, medical stop-loss and specialty insurance solutions to groups and individuals for over 30 years. For information on The IHC Group, visit: http://www.ihcgroup.com. Additional insurance services administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC are underwritten by Prime Insurance Company. Some existing business is underwritten by Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut. Each insurer has sole financial responsibility for its own products.

Pets Best is a proud member of the North America Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA).

### Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.

Let's get real: the 'sharing economy' won't solve our jobs crisis | Moira Herbst

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With labor force participation at a 35-year low, we can't look to clothing re-sales and ride sharing as real economic solutions

These days, everyone's talking about the so-called sharing economy. Newspaper columnists, pundits and tech reporters are – for the most part – enthusiastically explaining how new rental, resale and sharing services like Uber, Lyft, TaskRabbit and DogVacay are revolutionizing how we consume, and fostering entrepreneurship, conservation, cost savings and community spirit along the way. The prevailing narrative is that startups like these are the bright spots in an otherwise lackluster economy, and that if we could all learn to be better micro-entrepreneurs, our economy would recover faster.

True, the emergence of innovative ways to share or rent everything from car rides to Wi-Fi access, and from clothing and jewelry to software and apartments, is making life easier and maybe even more fun for a growing number of users. But we must not get so starry-eyed with excitement about these services that we assume they can collectively save us from our economic woes, especially our most important one: the unemployment and underemployment crisis.

Unfortunately, talk of jobs is glaringly absent from most discussions of the sharing economy. While some "sharing" companies are funding economic impact studies that claim big benefits to cities like New York, independent economists say the data is murky. Until it becomes clearer, we'll have to rely on anecdotal information and common sense.

One big problem with claims that the "sharing economy" can lead the way out of our economic morass is that proponents often advocate less consumption. How can that be a solution for an economy that – for better or worse – is fueled by consumer spending?

If we all start renting the same person's car, boat or power tool, we'll need fewer people to make and sell cars, boats and power tools. (It's no wonder that the "sharing economy" first emerged just after the recession, when demand plummeted and people had to make do with less.) And what happens to the tax base if these transactions are happening under the radar?

The question of jobs got superficial treatment in a recent column by Thomas Friedman at the New York Times. He celebrates clothing resale website Tradesy and its founder, Tracy DiNunzio – "one in a wave of entrepreneurs who've been buoying our economy from below". The website allows users to sell new or used clothes and other items.

Friedman acknowledges that sites like Tradesy both create and destroy jobs, but says they're still "surely part of the answer" to our economic woes. What part, exactly? Certainly not the one that could employ significant numbers of people as designers, sales clerks, warehouse staff and construction workers – and help bring four million long-term unemployed people back into the workforce.

The same could be said for Ebay. The site can save users money – assuming they would otherwise have paid retail price for a similar item – and allow the seller to make a profit. But no one else's labor is needed. There is no sales staff, manager, security guard or cleaner.

There are other labor-related problems with the sharing economy. One is that being a micro-entrepreneur may sound sexy, but it offers no security, health insurance, pension or 401(k), workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, paid vacation, or paid sick days. Makes it all sound a little less glamorous.

The truth is that, especially in a down economy, most people want security. Though you'd never know it from all the glowing media coverage of startups and entrepreneurship, Americans have been starting fewer businesses and are now less inclined to change jobs. Clearly micro-entrepreneurship isn't for everyone.
Again, none of this is to say that the "sharing" model isn't doing great things for a growing number of individuals and communities.

While it's hard to define and quantify the "sharing economy", it's clear some sort of movement has emerged, complete with a "news, action and connection hub" called Shareable and other websites like CollaborativeConsumption.com. One group, mesh2013, held its first conference this year, sponsored by GE and Barclays. There's even a Global Sharing Day every June, which organizers say reaches more than 70 million people in 192 countries.

But the reality is that with the economy still more than a million jobs short of pre-recession employment levels, and with labor force participation at a 35-year low, we can't look to clothing re-sales and ride sharing as juggernaut solutions.

To that end, a reality check may be in order. I'd advocate renaming the "sharing economy", which can be a misnomer and just sounds absurd in the face of the highest rate of income inequality in nearly a century. How about the "renting economy" when people are renting something another person owns? Or the "reselling economy" when people are buying stuff someone used to own? Doesn't have the same ring to it – and marketing types will cling onto "sharing"– but it would be a lot more accurate.

We also need to force discussions of jobs amid the "sharing economy" buzz, and encourage innovations that create or preserve good jobs. Everyone knows about Ebay, but fewer know that 26 US states and Washington DC run job sharing programs that allow employers to prevent layoffs and workers to remain in the job market in slack periods? Such initiatives are succeeding both in the US and Germany, lowering unemployment and preserving good jobs. To me, they embody the true spirit of the term "sharing economy". Reported by guardian.co.uk 6 hours ago.

Affordable Care Act Will Create a Nation of Cheaters Predicts Physician/Author

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ObamaCare Evasion Will Dwarf Income Tax Evasion, Reports Mark Davis, MD, on Sharon Kleyne Hour Radio Show.

Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) January 07, 2014

If you thought income tax evasion was widespread, says author Mark Davis, MD, that will soon be dwarfed by ”ObamaCare evasion, ”the attempt to avoid the restrictions, delays, mandates, soaring premiums and additional taxes created by the new Affordable Care Act, commonly called “ObamaCare”. The result, in the opinion of Davis, will be a nation of cheaters.

Davis made the comments in a recent interview on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® syndicated radio show on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes.

Mark Davis, MD, has been a practicing physician, health facility administrator, health care lobbyist and author of hundreds of articles and several books. His latest book is ObamaCare: Dead on Arrival: Prescription for Disaster.

Sharon Kleyne hosts the globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® radio show on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes. Kleyne also Founded Bio Logic Aqua Research, a fresh water and health research, education and product development center. Nature’s Tears® EyeMist®, the Research Center’s global signature product.

Davis claims to be one of the few people who has read the 2,310-page ACA in its entirety.

In Davis’s opinion, the ACA will, over time, “place virtually every aspect of the nation’s medical care system under government control.” This includes, Davis contends, doctor and hospital fees, which medial treatments or tests may or may not be applied, where and from whom one may purchase health insurance, and the specifics of every health insurance policy. A broad range of tests and treatments, says Davis, will now require prior government approval. Fines for failure to comply will be gradually raised each year.

Dr. Davis is deeply concerned that what he believes will be greatly increased government control over medical care, will result in a significant loss of choice for most consumers. Ultimately, in the opinion of Davis, this will lead to greater government power a less personal freedom.    

Davis states that he cannot understand why the ACA does not simply address the 15.7% of the population who presently cannot afford insurance. To Davis, this makes far more sense than turning us into a nation of government dependent cheaters.

Kleyne pointed out that under the old system, if one desired a policy that included pre-existing conditions, it was available. For those wanting a policy that covered psychiatric counseling, acupuncture, naturopathic medicine or health club membership, that was available. All one had to do was pay a little extra. More important, for those desiring only minimal, basic coverage, that was also available.

A large number of people, Davis and Kleyne predict, will be unable to afford the soaring premiums required to pay for items now mandated for inclusion in every policy. Those hit hardest, Davis believes, will be middle income people who do not qualify for insurance subsidies. The subsidies, in the opinion of Davis, and the large number of new of government compliance workers and administrators, will be financed by tax increases paid by everyone.

Even for those who qualify for subsidies, Davis predicts, ObamaCare will create problems. Employers are already cutting back worker hours to decrease the number of people for whom they will be required to purchase the now much more expensive group insurance.

Possibly the largest single driver of medical costs over the past few decades, in the experience of Dr. Davis, is malpractice insurance. Dr. David noted that in his last year of practice, he paid $80,000 for malpractice insurance. ObamaCare, says Davis, does nothing to address this.        

In the opinion of Davis, ObamaCare is not socialized medicine, it is a completely new and untested invention. Dr. Davis believes that the law is too complex to be fully or fairly administered, does little to lower costs and does everything to raise them. Most important, Dr. Davis predicts, the law will not improve health care and will turn us into a nation of cheaters. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
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