Some employers offer extra pay to employees who decline to enroll in employer-offered group health coverage. However, these “opt-out” payments may have consequences for employers because they may affect whether the employer’s offer of coverage is affordable under one of the safe harbors defined under the Affordable Care Act. One safe harbor test for affordability is whether the employee’s share of the premium is less than 9.66 percent (for 2016) of the employee’s wages. For example,…
Reported by bizjournals 18 hours ago.
Paying employees to waive health insurance has ramifications
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Union workers approve Schnucks contract
Schnucks workers represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 voted Wednesday to approve a new three-year contract with Schnuck Markets Inc., averting a possible strike. Workers meeting at the Family Arena in St. Charles voted 1,020 to 507 to accept the new agreement. Features of the new deal include pay raises, two-week advance schedules and continued eligibility to earn up to five weeks' vacation. The new contract also stipulates there will be no loss of health insurance, no change…
Reported by bizjournals 17 hours ago.
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Wheels Are Coming Off Nightmarish Obamacare Health Reforms
Obamacare is becoming a nightmare. Health insurance premiums will jump an average of 22 percent in 2017, and federal spending to assist moderate income families is spinning out of control.
Reported by Newsmax 17 hours ago.
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Take 5 with Harmony Healthcare – Are you ready for the next installment of ICD-10 regulations?
Harmony Healthcare has posted a timely video on the impact of the new ICD-10 regulation updates for fiscal year 2017
Tampa Bay, Florida (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
Harmony Healthcare has posted a timely video (https://harmony.solutions/take-five-with-harmony-healthcare/) on the impact of the new ICD-10 regulation updates for fiscal year 2017.
Founder and CEO Christopher H.G. Brown and Privacy and Compliance Officer Lisa Knowles discuss the new landscape for healthcare providers and the potential negative impacts on revenue cycle for facilities that fail to prepare.
According to Knowles, "I think one of the things that revenue cycle needs to do is tighten the workflow. Being prepared for the fact that we’re a year into ICD-10, we are going to need to be prepared for coding denials. They are about to become true as payers are struggling to maintain budget neutrality.” Another area of concern is ensuring pre-authorization CPT codes are included at final coding to reduce denials and the negative impact on cash flow that they cause.
Looking forward, Knowles says “Hospitals are living in a world of value-based purchasing. Coding and CDI should be a collaborative integrated team as we approach those things that make up value-based purchasing. When you can bring together that team and be integrated to how we approach those items, then the hospitals thrive in that environment.”
Harmony Healthcare provides interim, outsourcing, project management and reviews, as well as direct-to-hire services for clients. The company specializes in hiring revenue cycle and health information management professionals for client facilities. The company’s experts are highly trained, can spot problems and lead a client facility through the best processes, procedures and solutions.
With a career marked by a sharp entrepreneurial eye and the love of a good challenge, Brown founded Harmony Healthcare in 2010 after recognizing just how revolutionary the change from paper to digital medical records would be for healthcare facilities. His company helps clients solve problems associated with digital medical records and health information management that have coincided with the change in the way healthcare facilities collect patient information, code it, communicate with insurance companies and collect revenue in a timely manner.
As the Privacy and Compliance Officer for Harmony Healthcare, Knowles has 25 years of experience in revenue cycle, health information management and coding.
With a large breadth of expertise, the company is able to provide support in areas ranging from clinical documentation improvement and coding to auditing and GSA government compliance at Veterans Administration hospitals and U.S. military bases.
Harmony employs more than 500 people and has staff at client sites across the United States. The company maintains low turnover by providing 100 percent covered health insurance, paid time off, paid travel expenses and keeping the back-office operation inexpensive.
Harmony Healthcare also boasts a 418 ranking, with a three-year sales growth of 922 percent, on the 2016 Inc. 5000 list. This list of the fastest-growing companies in America represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.
Brown founded and lead an accounting, finance, IT and human resources contract and placement services company known as Burlington Wells, Inc., until 2000 when it was sold to Monster.com/TMP Worldwide. He began and lead a Health Information Management contract and placement company called Insights Search, until its acquisition by On Assignment (ASGN) in 2006.
As a member of the Spartan Staffing board of directors from 1999-2004, Brown was recruited to help develop the internal structures and culture in preparation for the sale of the company. Further, Brown is an accomplished writer on the subject of recruiting and staffing. His 2001 book, “Insights, A guide to Successful Recruitment Strategies and Training” is a comprehensive guide to recruitment, staffing and human resources training.
Brown’s career record boasts an abundance of successes with founding and growing businesses, all while helping his employees excel in their own careers and dreams.
“This recognition is a testament to all the hard work of our dedicated, savvy employees,” he said. “I am thrilled that Harmony made the list again and am proud of the successes that we’ve had in the past year.”
Brown learned some of his best leadership lessons from the well-known, much-loved, and highly successful UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden. Many of Wooden’s words of wisdom apply both on and off the basketball court.
“It’s not what you do, but how you do it,” is one of Brown’s favorite quotes from Wooden.
“This is our belief system and culture,” points out Brown. “Harmony Healthcare was founded on the principals of integrity, character, hard work and discipline.” Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.
Tampa Bay, Florida (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
Harmony Healthcare has posted a timely video (https://harmony.solutions/take-five-with-harmony-healthcare/) on the impact of the new ICD-10 regulation updates for fiscal year 2017.
Founder and CEO Christopher H.G. Brown and Privacy and Compliance Officer Lisa Knowles discuss the new landscape for healthcare providers and the potential negative impacts on revenue cycle for facilities that fail to prepare.
According to Knowles, "I think one of the things that revenue cycle needs to do is tighten the workflow. Being prepared for the fact that we’re a year into ICD-10, we are going to need to be prepared for coding denials. They are about to become true as payers are struggling to maintain budget neutrality.” Another area of concern is ensuring pre-authorization CPT codes are included at final coding to reduce denials and the negative impact on cash flow that they cause.
Looking forward, Knowles says “Hospitals are living in a world of value-based purchasing. Coding and CDI should be a collaborative integrated team as we approach those things that make up value-based purchasing. When you can bring together that team and be integrated to how we approach those items, then the hospitals thrive in that environment.”
Harmony Healthcare provides interim, outsourcing, project management and reviews, as well as direct-to-hire services for clients. The company specializes in hiring revenue cycle and health information management professionals for client facilities. The company’s experts are highly trained, can spot problems and lead a client facility through the best processes, procedures and solutions.
With a career marked by a sharp entrepreneurial eye and the love of a good challenge, Brown founded Harmony Healthcare in 2010 after recognizing just how revolutionary the change from paper to digital medical records would be for healthcare facilities. His company helps clients solve problems associated with digital medical records and health information management that have coincided with the change in the way healthcare facilities collect patient information, code it, communicate with insurance companies and collect revenue in a timely manner.
As the Privacy and Compliance Officer for Harmony Healthcare, Knowles has 25 years of experience in revenue cycle, health information management and coding.
With a large breadth of expertise, the company is able to provide support in areas ranging from clinical documentation improvement and coding to auditing and GSA government compliance at Veterans Administration hospitals and U.S. military bases.
Harmony employs more than 500 people and has staff at client sites across the United States. The company maintains low turnover by providing 100 percent covered health insurance, paid time off, paid travel expenses and keeping the back-office operation inexpensive.
Harmony Healthcare also boasts a 418 ranking, with a three-year sales growth of 922 percent, on the 2016 Inc. 5000 list. This list of the fastest-growing companies in America represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.
Brown founded and lead an accounting, finance, IT and human resources contract and placement services company known as Burlington Wells, Inc., until 2000 when it was sold to Monster.com/TMP Worldwide. He began and lead a Health Information Management contract and placement company called Insights Search, until its acquisition by On Assignment (ASGN) in 2006.
As a member of the Spartan Staffing board of directors from 1999-2004, Brown was recruited to help develop the internal structures and culture in preparation for the sale of the company. Further, Brown is an accomplished writer on the subject of recruiting and staffing. His 2001 book, “Insights, A guide to Successful Recruitment Strategies and Training” is a comprehensive guide to recruitment, staffing and human resources training.
Brown’s career record boasts an abundance of successes with founding and growing businesses, all while helping his employees excel in their own careers and dreams.
“This recognition is a testament to all the hard work of our dedicated, savvy employees,” he said. “I am thrilled that Harmony made the list again and am proud of the successes that we’ve had in the past year.”
Brown learned some of his best leadership lessons from the well-known, much-loved, and highly successful UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden. Many of Wooden’s words of wisdom apply both on and off the basketball court.
“It’s not what you do, but how you do it,” is one of Brown’s favorite quotes from Wooden.
“This is our belief system and culture,” points out Brown. “Harmony Healthcare was founded on the principals of integrity, character, hard work and discipline.” Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.
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Aetna tops Street 3Q expectations, narrows 2016 forecast
Aetna's third-quarter earnings rose nearly 8 percent to top Wall Street forecasts, as growing government business and cost cutting countered higher costs from the health insurer's Affordable Care Act coverage. Aetna's enrollment in government programs like Medicaid and Medicare grew 11 percent, to nearly 4.5 million people, while its much larger commercial business fell compared to last year's quarter. The state-based public exchanges are a key element behind the ACA's push to expand insurance coverage, but they face challenges on many fronts. Health insurance is Aetna's main product, and most of the 23.1 million people it covers come from commercial insurance sold through employers or directly to individuals.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 16 hours ago.
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Healthcare staff lack basic cyber security awareness
The consequences of a security breach in the healthcare sector can be severe, yet a new survey reveals that healthcare staff are among the most likely to fall victim to social engineering attacks. The study from SecurityScorecard exposes vulnerabilities across 700 healthcare organizations including medical treatment facilities, health insurance agencies and healthcare manufacturing companies. Among the findings are that over 75 percent of the entire healthcare industry has been infected with malware over the last year, with healthcare manufacturing reaching almost 90 percent malware infection rates. Healthcare has the fifth highest count of ransomware among all industries and 96 percent of… [Continue Reading]
Reported by betanews 16 hours ago.
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Report: Lower health care costs taking up a larger share of family income
Employees are spending a larger percentage of their income on health insurance than they did before passage of the Affordable Care Act, according to a newly released report from The Commonwealth Fund. The study describes the development as a general increase in “the share of median family income necessary to cover premium costs and deductibles.” On average, the report says, that family share grew from 6.5 percent in 2006 to 10.1 percent last year. But in many cases, the trend doesn't draw from…
Reported by bizjournals 15 hours ago.
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5 Most Expensive States for Pet Insurance
See the 5 most expensive states for pet insurance in America. PetInsuranceQuotes.com shares data from their annual pet insurance cost analysis.
Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
The American pet insurance market was $689 million in 2015 and is expected to reach $789 million in 2016.
The national average for an individual plan is $41 per month, but like most personal insurance products, some states are more expensive than others.
An in-depth analysis of 750,000 quotes over the past 12 months identified the 5 most expensive states for pet insurance in 2016.
Avg. Premium for Dogs
1. New York - $48/mo.
2. California - $46/mo.
3. Rhode Island - $45/mo.
4. Hawaii - $44/mo.
5. Alaska - $43/mo.
Avg. Premium for Cats
1. New York - $38/mo.
2. California - $36/mo.
3. Rhode Island - $35/mo.
4. Hawaii - $34/mo.
5. Alaska - $33/mo.
The cost of pet insurance depends on several factors, including a pet’s breed, age and zip code. The cost of living is a significant factor in how much a pet owner will pay for insurance.
"Pet owners in these states benefit the most because of the higher the costs," explained Nick Braun, CEO of PetInsuranceQuotes.com. “The higher the premium, the more a pet owner can save by shopping around.”
Veterinary surgery in New York City is twice as much as veterinary surgery in Lawrence, Kansas and because pet insurers pay claims based on the actual vet bill they need to charge more for policies in expensive zip codes like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"Pet insurance is very similar to auto insurance," explained Braun. “In both cases rates are based on the likelihood of a loss and the cost of a claim. Folks who live in an expensive part of the country, generally speaking, will pay more for insurance.”
About PetInsuranceQuotes.com
Founded in 2011, PetInsuranceQuotes.com (PIQ) is America's #1 independent pet insurance agency. The company offers free pet health insurance quotes for dog and cats owners from all the highest rated companies in the U.S. PIQ is fully licensed in all 50 states. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.
Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
The American pet insurance market was $689 million in 2015 and is expected to reach $789 million in 2016.
The national average for an individual plan is $41 per month, but like most personal insurance products, some states are more expensive than others.
An in-depth analysis of 750,000 quotes over the past 12 months identified the 5 most expensive states for pet insurance in 2016.
Avg. Premium for Dogs
1. New York - $48/mo.
2. California - $46/mo.
3. Rhode Island - $45/mo.
4. Hawaii - $44/mo.
5. Alaska - $43/mo.
Avg. Premium for Cats
1. New York - $38/mo.
2. California - $36/mo.
3. Rhode Island - $35/mo.
4. Hawaii - $34/mo.
5. Alaska - $33/mo.
The cost of pet insurance depends on several factors, including a pet’s breed, age and zip code. The cost of living is a significant factor in how much a pet owner will pay for insurance.
"Pet owners in these states benefit the most because of the higher the costs," explained Nick Braun, CEO of PetInsuranceQuotes.com. “The higher the premium, the more a pet owner can save by shopping around.”
Veterinary surgery in New York City is twice as much as veterinary surgery in Lawrence, Kansas and because pet insurers pay claims based on the actual vet bill they need to charge more for policies in expensive zip codes like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"Pet insurance is very similar to auto insurance," explained Braun. “In both cases rates are based on the likelihood of a loss and the cost of a claim. Folks who live in an expensive part of the country, generally speaking, will pay more for insurance.”
About PetInsuranceQuotes.com
Founded in 2011, PetInsuranceQuotes.com (PIQ) is America's #1 independent pet insurance agency. The company offers free pet health insurance quotes for dog and cats owners from all the highest rated companies in the U.S. PIQ is fully licensed in all 50 states. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.
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Thomas Force, Esq. Lobbies Against Bill Benefiting Elite Insurers
President of The Patriot Group Testifies on Behalf of Out-of-Network Providers in New Jersey Senate
Trenton, NJ (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
At the request of the Medical Society of New Jersey, Thomas Force, Esq., President of The Patriot Group testified in opposition to a proposed bill that will negatively impact health care practices before the Appropriations Committee at the New Jersey State House in Trenton, NJ, Thursday October 27. You can read the bill in its entirety here. The following explains Mr. Force's stance on how the bill may negatively impact health care practices in New Jersey.
The bill, includes all plans (including self-funded plans) prohibits out-of-network providers from billing patients more than in-network rates. If passed, the bill would basically eliminate out-of-network reimbursements in the state of New Jersey. Further, it would essentially result in out-of-network allowed amounts at Medicare rates.
“This is the kind of legislation that is being attempted in New Jersey and in several other states, pushed by the powerful health plan and insurer elites. I testified for the NJ out-of-network providers in the State Senate in Trenton on Thursday. We need to get the industry engaged to stop these type of laws that have the potential of destroying out-of-network reimbursements country-wide,” says Force.
According to Force, the bill has greater implications. Although NJ legislature may think this bill will benefit patients, it will primarily benefit health insurance providers. In actuality, the passage of this bill will reduce consumer choices and opportunities to receive the best medical care possible. It will drive physicians out of New Jersey to other states such as New York, which accepts a Fair Health formula for out-of-network physicians and facilities.
“If passed, the law could result in a mass exodus of prominent out-of-network physicians, surgeons and facilities. New Jersey’s loss will be a gain for other states, which will likely lead to increased unemployment in the state of New Jersey,” says Force.
This bill has potential to effect health care practices nationwide. If you are a physician or office manager and would like more information about how this law may impact your practice, please contact Mr. Force at The Patriot Group.
About Thomas Force, Esq., President, The Patriot Group:
Force is a state and federally licensed attorney in both New Jersey and New York. Mr. Force has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare and insurance industries. His success as a Wall Street insurance litigator and his tenure as General Counsel for a New York-based Accident and Health Insurance Company where he served as Chief Compliance Officer propelled the founding of The Patriot Group, a full service healthcare revenue recovery, compliance and advocacy company serving physicians, hospitals, urgent care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and other healthcare organizations nationwide. To learn more about The Patriot Group, visit http://www.patriotcompli.com. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.
Trenton, NJ (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
At the request of the Medical Society of New Jersey, Thomas Force, Esq., President of The Patriot Group testified in opposition to a proposed bill that will negatively impact health care practices before the Appropriations Committee at the New Jersey State House in Trenton, NJ, Thursday October 27. You can read the bill in its entirety here. The following explains Mr. Force's stance on how the bill may negatively impact health care practices in New Jersey.
The bill, includes all plans (including self-funded plans) prohibits out-of-network providers from billing patients more than in-network rates. If passed, the bill would basically eliminate out-of-network reimbursements in the state of New Jersey. Further, it would essentially result in out-of-network allowed amounts at Medicare rates.
“This is the kind of legislation that is being attempted in New Jersey and in several other states, pushed by the powerful health plan and insurer elites. I testified for the NJ out-of-network providers in the State Senate in Trenton on Thursday. We need to get the industry engaged to stop these type of laws that have the potential of destroying out-of-network reimbursements country-wide,” says Force.
According to Force, the bill has greater implications. Although NJ legislature may think this bill will benefit patients, it will primarily benefit health insurance providers. In actuality, the passage of this bill will reduce consumer choices and opportunities to receive the best medical care possible. It will drive physicians out of New Jersey to other states such as New York, which accepts a Fair Health formula for out-of-network physicians and facilities.
“If passed, the law could result in a mass exodus of prominent out-of-network physicians, surgeons and facilities. New Jersey’s loss will be a gain for other states, which will likely lead to increased unemployment in the state of New Jersey,” says Force.
This bill has potential to effect health care practices nationwide. If you are a physician or office manager and would like more information about how this law may impact your practice, please contact Mr. Force at The Patriot Group.
About Thomas Force, Esq., President, The Patriot Group:
Force is a state and federally licensed attorney in both New Jersey and New York. Mr. Force has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare and insurance industries. His success as a Wall Street insurance litigator and his tenure as General Counsel for a New York-based Accident and Health Insurance Company where he served as Chief Compliance Officer propelled the founding of The Patriot Group, a full service healthcare revenue recovery, compliance and advocacy company serving physicians, hospitals, urgent care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and other healthcare organizations nationwide. To learn more about The Patriot Group, visit http://www.patriotcompli.com. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.
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Health insurance company on the verge of crippling Obamacare profits handsomely from the government
On Monday, the Obama administration announced that premiums on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace insurance plans are expected to jump by double digit percentages in 2017. But that’s not the end of the bad news for people hoping to buy insurance through the ACA: many markets will be mon...
Reported by Raw Story 13 hours ago.
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Vetary, The Leading Marketplace Exclusively for Pet-Care Financing, Brings Cloud-Based Technology, Transparent Rates to Make Pet-Care Affordable
Consumer Lender Cuts Costs, Reduces Stress and Saves Lives
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
Vetary, a division of Finrise, today announced it has launched the only marketplace exclusively for pet-care financing and wellness. Pet owners can now get qualified for immediate financial assistance, anytime and from any device, and veterinarians can offer financial solutions directly at the point of sale.
Vetary’s breakthrough cloud-based financing solution eliminates the need for special credit terminals and much of the paperwork and administrative costs involved with legacy options. Those savings are passed on to both veterinary practices and the pet owners they serve. The process can be completed in just a few minutes, with terms presented in a completely transparent interface over a tablet or mobile phone. In addition to financing options, Vetary pet owners benefit from a comprehensive ecosystem of pet health information and 24/7 live support.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t enough great insurance options for our pets, as there are for other members of the family.” said Finrise medical director Dr. Zachary Landman, M.D. “Vetary makes sense. Pet owners can simply and easily afford for care when it’s needed, and pay for it on a timeline that makes sense for them.”
Americans spent an estimated $15.73 billion on veterinary care in 2015, with three quarters of pet-owning households making at least one trip to the veterinarian. According to an APPA survey, dog owners spent an average of $235 on routine vet visits in 2015 — cat owners $196. The average lifetime cost of a dog is $23,410 but can go as high as $100,000, with nearly 40% of the cost going toward health care. And yet, less than one percent of the 90.5 million cats and 73.9 million dogs owned by Americans are covered by pet health insurance.
“What Vetary is doing is truly remarkable and will come as a welcome relief for pet owners and veterinarians alike,” said Dr. Theodore (Ted) Cohn, DVM, Vetary’s clinical advisor and recent president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. “Anyone who has worked in veterinary medicine has experienced the frustration and dismay of deferred care or even care shelved indefinitely, due to financial considerations. Many owners love their pets as much as any member of the family, and yet they still struggle to find reasonable ways to afford even the most basic care for their animals. Vetary provides a smart and fair way of addressing those concerns, so that animals can receive the veterinary medical care, which they need.”
Beyond making pet care affordable by paying over time, the Vetary team utilizes design and data to enable universal access to best-in-class pet health information and resources. “The Vetary technology and digital wellness ecosystem simplifies being a pet owner,” says Tyler Quiel, Vetary COO and co-founder. “We want pet owners to take an active role in managing their pet’s health. This includes decision-support services, symptom checkers, qualified treatment options, and a constantly updated list of pet-care providers — for free. In fact, more than a quarter of a million pet owners have benefited from the Vetary ecosystem since launch.”
Pet owners and Veterinarians aren’t the only one to benefit from the cost saving technology. Vetary gives back to local 501(c)(3) animal organizations through The Vetary Foundation. To date, Vetary has engaged with more than 200 animal rescue and care organizations. Each time a pet owner is referred from a partner organization, the Vetary Foundation makes a donation.
Vetary will be available immediately in Utah and Missouri, with additional expansion in other regions of the U.S. in coming months. Veterinarians can now sign up to offer their patients affordable financing options or painlessly switch from an existing solution at https://www.vetary.com/credit/vets. Pet owners can prepare for their next visit by prequalifying at https://www.vetary.com/apply/credit/. Vetary is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
About Finrise
Finrise is building tailored solutions to suit both doctors’ and patients’ needs, starting with Vetary, which launched exclusively into the $29B veterinary market in early October 2016.
Finrise is the simplest way to finance treatments and services that are not typically covered by insurance, directly in the doctor’s office. Our mission is to increase the accessibility of quality healthcare, starting with patients of dental, audiology, and veterinary services. The entire process is seamless — with the financing provided in the form of a transparent interest rate loan with multiple term options and immediately available payment. Finrise is headquartered in Burlingame, CA with investment from NFX Guild, Mayfield, WTI, and several notable private institutional and individual investors. For more information, please visit https://finrise.com/. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) October 27, 2016
Vetary, a division of Finrise, today announced it has launched the only marketplace exclusively for pet-care financing and wellness. Pet owners can now get qualified for immediate financial assistance, anytime and from any device, and veterinarians can offer financial solutions directly at the point of sale.
Vetary’s breakthrough cloud-based financing solution eliminates the need for special credit terminals and much of the paperwork and administrative costs involved with legacy options. Those savings are passed on to both veterinary practices and the pet owners they serve. The process can be completed in just a few minutes, with terms presented in a completely transparent interface over a tablet or mobile phone. In addition to financing options, Vetary pet owners benefit from a comprehensive ecosystem of pet health information and 24/7 live support.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t enough great insurance options for our pets, as there are for other members of the family.” said Finrise medical director Dr. Zachary Landman, M.D. “Vetary makes sense. Pet owners can simply and easily afford for care when it’s needed, and pay for it on a timeline that makes sense for them.”
Americans spent an estimated $15.73 billion on veterinary care in 2015, with three quarters of pet-owning households making at least one trip to the veterinarian. According to an APPA survey, dog owners spent an average of $235 on routine vet visits in 2015 — cat owners $196. The average lifetime cost of a dog is $23,410 but can go as high as $100,000, with nearly 40% of the cost going toward health care. And yet, less than one percent of the 90.5 million cats and 73.9 million dogs owned by Americans are covered by pet health insurance.
“What Vetary is doing is truly remarkable and will come as a welcome relief for pet owners and veterinarians alike,” said Dr. Theodore (Ted) Cohn, DVM, Vetary’s clinical advisor and recent president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. “Anyone who has worked in veterinary medicine has experienced the frustration and dismay of deferred care or even care shelved indefinitely, due to financial considerations. Many owners love their pets as much as any member of the family, and yet they still struggle to find reasonable ways to afford even the most basic care for their animals. Vetary provides a smart and fair way of addressing those concerns, so that animals can receive the veterinary medical care, which they need.”
Beyond making pet care affordable by paying over time, the Vetary team utilizes design and data to enable universal access to best-in-class pet health information and resources. “The Vetary technology and digital wellness ecosystem simplifies being a pet owner,” says Tyler Quiel, Vetary COO and co-founder. “We want pet owners to take an active role in managing their pet’s health. This includes decision-support services, symptom checkers, qualified treatment options, and a constantly updated list of pet-care providers — for free. In fact, more than a quarter of a million pet owners have benefited from the Vetary ecosystem since launch.”
Pet owners and Veterinarians aren’t the only one to benefit from the cost saving technology. Vetary gives back to local 501(c)(3) animal organizations through The Vetary Foundation. To date, Vetary has engaged with more than 200 animal rescue and care organizations. Each time a pet owner is referred from a partner organization, the Vetary Foundation makes a donation.
Vetary will be available immediately in Utah and Missouri, with additional expansion in other regions of the U.S. in coming months. Veterinarians can now sign up to offer their patients affordable financing options or painlessly switch from an existing solution at https://www.vetary.com/credit/vets. Pet owners can prepare for their next visit by prequalifying at https://www.vetary.com/apply/credit/. Vetary is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
About Finrise
Finrise is building tailored solutions to suit both doctors’ and patients’ needs, starting with Vetary, which launched exclusively into the $29B veterinary market in early October 2016.
Finrise is the simplest way to finance treatments and services that are not typically covered by insurance, directly in the doctor’s office. Our mission is to increase the accessibility of quality healthcare, starting with patients of dental, audiology, and veterinary services. The entire process is seamless — with the financing provided in the form of a transparent interest rate loan with multiple term options and immediately available payment. Finrise is headquartered in Burlingame, CA with investment from NFX Guild, Mayfield, WTI, and several notable private institutional and individual investors. For more information, please visit https://finrise.com/. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.
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Even The New York Times Is Bashing Obamacare - "It Has Not Worked All That Well"
Obamacare open enrollments for 2017 start next Tuesday and, being just 1 week prior to election day, that couldn't be worse timing for the Clinton campaign. As we've written on numerous occasion, Obamacare is an unmitigated disaster...so much so that *even Obama recently acknowledged its failures by referring to it as a "starter home."* Now, even the New York Times is admitting that Obamacare is a farce, pointing out that millions of healthy Americans would rather pay massive penalties to the IRS than buy health insurance policies with sky-high premiums.*The architects of the Affordable Care Act thought they had a blunt instrument to force people — even young and healthy ones — to buy insurance* through the law’s online marketplaces: a tax penalty for those who remain uninsured.
It has not worked all that well, and that is at least partly to blame for soaring premiums next year on some of the health law’s insurance exchanges.
The full weight of the penalty will not be felt until April, when those who have avoided buying insurance will face penalties of around $700 a person or more. But even then that might not be enough: For the young and healthy who are badly needed to make the exchanges work, it is sometimes cheaper to pay the Internal Revenue Service than an insurance company charging large premiums, with huge deductibles.
*“In my experience, the penalty has not been large enough to motivate people to sign up for insurance,”* said Christine Speidel, a tax lawyer at Vermont Legal Aid.
Some people do sign up, especially those with low incomes who receive the most generous subsidies, Ms. Speidel said. But others, she said, find that *they cannot afford insurance, even with subsidies, so “they grudgingly take the penalty.”*
*The I.R.S. says that 8.1 million returns included penalty payments for people who went without insurance in 2014,* the first year in which most people were required to have coverage. *A preliminary report on the latest tax-filing season, tabulating data through April, said that 5.6 million returns included penalties averaging $442 a return for people uninsured in 2015*.
Of course, with final Obamacare rates for 2017 up a staggering 25%, on average, across the country, Donald Trump and other Republicans are making its failure a key topic on conversation on the campaign trail leading up to election day.
Obamacare is a disaster. We must REPEAL & REPLACE. Tired of the lies, and want to #DrainTheSwamp? Get out & VOTE #TrumpPence16 & lets #MAGA! pic.twitter.com/IO5fwVHLeT
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2016
Hillary, on the other hand, has vowed to make changes to "fix problems" like soaring premiums but, as The Hill points out, her chances of success are fairly minimal. Unfortunately for most American's, Hillary's proposals to "fix" Obamacare entail *doubling down on penalties on young/healthy people, increasing subsidies and adding a "public option"...all of which just means higher taxes.*
Responding to the uproar over ObamaCare premium hikes, Hillary Clinton on Tuesday promised: *“We’re going to make changes to fix problems like that.”*
The question is: What changes could actually get through Congress?
Both parties agree that ObamaCare has problems. *Premiums are rising sharply, and the pool of enrollees is smaller and sicker than expected.*
But the agreement mostly ends there. Republicans say the law should be repealed, a position echoed by their presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
Should Clinton win the White House, as polls indicate, *most if not all of her ideas for changing ObamaCare would have virtually no chance of passing Congress,* so long as Republicans control the House and/or Senate.
Clinton is calling for *adding a public insurance option* to increase competition with private carriers, but Republicans and some Democrats fiercely oppose that idea.
She is *urging an increase in the financial assistance available under the law to make premiums more affordable,* but Republicans say that would be doubling down on a failed system.
In summary, *"it's the craziest thing in the world."* Reported by Zero Hedge 12 hours ago.
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Losing health insurance led woman to win $1.1M N.J. lottery jackpot
The New Jersey Lottery revealed the identities of the three recent Jersey Cash 5 winners in a news release Thursday.
Reported by NJ.com 12 hours ago.
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Becoming a Lawyer
I am often asked why I decided to go to law school in the midst of a successful career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. The answer lies in the complexity of the laws that were affecting the practices of all health care providers. I did not understand these laws and I was pretty sure my colleagues were as much in the dark as I was. I hoped to get some new knowledge to, hopefully, level the playing field when forced into the legal arena.
Unfortunately, being a physician now requires much more than just knowledge of medical issues; it now requires business acumen and a knowledge of the law. Electronic Health Records, Pay for Performance, health care fraud, billing requirements, performance measures, the Emergency Medical Treatment Active Labor Act (EMTALA), Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), all have very complex rules. Of course, being sued for medical malpractice has its own set of elements including "standard of care", "duty owed", and "causation", none of which are readily understandable for people right out of medical school.
In general, the statutes pertaining to health care are complex. There are lawyers who specialize in health care law and even they do not always understand the nuances of the precepts. In fact, some courts in dealing with these issues have come up with some very different interpretations of the laws. If the lawyers and the judges are confused as to what these various laws mean, there is little hope for the health care providers and hospital administrators who are doing their best just to care for the patients.
Being a physician has always entailed some risks, especially if working with patients with infectious diseases; this is the case for most surgeons. Exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and now, even Ebola can occur in practice. Adding to these medical risks are the legal risks that the health care practitioner must confront. Lack of knowledge of the laws is no excuse and this ignorance will not be recognized in a court of law.
It is common to read about physicians who have been arrested for billing fraud. The cases presented seem to be pretty egregious and I am sure there are some bad apples in my profession who should be called to account, however, it seems like our society is intent on marginalizing its physicians. Doctors and dentists in particular are being described as special interest groups only intent on making money. They are described as "providers" and the patients are "customers".
Federal and State agencies are investigating practitioners for fraud in the provision and billing of services. Patients are being advised to review their billing information and inform enforcement agencies if they feel that fraud is involved. In fact, they can even receive some of the settlement funds if their claim is a winning one.
Even our teaching hospitals and medical schools are subject to severe penalties if their documentation does not meet legal requirements; and these legal requirements are constantly changing. Some of these changing laws are even being enforced in a retroactive fashion which, for laws that may have criminal consequences, seems to be in violation of the Constitution which forbids enforcement of criminal laws in an ex post facto fashion.
In America, everyone is equal under the law. This idea is a linchpin for our society and it is critical for our on-going quest for ordered liberty. James Garfield, our last president to actually have been born in a log cabin, said "I have always found a keen intellectual pleasure in the law. It reaches into what is impersonal, it is unpartisan, and may be so studied as to enlarge the spirit." (Margaret Leech and Harry Brown, The Garfield Orbit 185, (1978))
It took me four years to get through law school. I had to go part time in order to maintain my surgical practice. During the first year, the professors would address me as "Mister Weiman" just like they would address all of the students with the "Mr." or "Ms." descriptor. After the first year grades came out, they all started to call me "Dr. Weiman." They wanted to be sure that I was serious about law school before they would be willing to acknowledge that I was a medical doctor.
I never intended to give up on my career as a surgeon, but I wanted to learn as much as possible about the law and then, hopefully, convey some of that knowledge to my colleagues so that they could better participate in the legal process.
The tide of health care law is changing rapidly and the debates are contentious. Just a few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine a Congress passing legislation that would force citizens to buy health insurance with mandated coverage for conditions that the buyer would never have. A Supreme Court decision allowing the Congress to levy a heavy tax on those who did not buy this mandated insurance was hard to foresee. Thousands of new IRS employees have been hired to police the new laws and many new boards and commissions have been or are being formed to further decide what the legal requirements of the law will mean.
As the state legislatures and the United States Congress are actively involved in formulating health care law, health care providers with knowledge of the system should be better able to participate in the legal debates dealing with reform. This participation is essential as the laws will affect how future care is provided.
I enjoy reading and studying the law. The legal opinions are generally written by very smart people and these opinions often provide a picture of what was going on in our country at that time. The study of law is a study of the history of our country. The study of the law is far more interesting than studying biochemical pathways or minutiae of anatomy and histology. I study both medicine and the law but studying the law is much more fun.
I know that taking care of patients is a noble profession and I still enjoy being a surgeon very much. However, I fear that the best and the brightest of the younger generations are being discouraged from pursuing this career path in part due to legal contraints. This cannot be in the public's best interest.
Dr. Weiman's website is www.medicalmalpracticeandthelaw.com
-- 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 11 hours ago.
Unfortunately, being a physician now requires much more than just knowledge of medical issues; it now requires business acumen and a knowledge of the law. Electronic Health Records, Pay for Performance, health care fraud, billing requirements, performance measures, the Emergency Medical Treatment Active Labor Act (EMTALA), Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), all have very complex rules. Of course, being sued for medical malpractice has its own set of elements including "standard of care", "duty owed", and "causation", none of which are readily understandable for people right out of medical school.
In general, the statutes pertaining to health care are complex. There are lawyers who specialize in health care law and even they do not always understand the nuances of the precepts. In fact, some courts in dealing with these issues have come up with some very different interpretations of the laws. If the lawyers and the judges are confused as to what these various laws mean, there is little hope for the health care providers and hospital administrators who are doing their best just to care for the patients.
Being a physician has always entailed some risks, especially if working with patients with infectious diseases; this is the case for most surgeons. Exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and now, even Ebola can occur in practice. Adding to these medical risks are the legal risks that the health care practitioner must confront. Lack of knowledge of the laws is no excuse and this ignorance will not be recognized in a court of law.
It is common to read about physicians who have been arrested for billing fraud. The cases presented seem to be pretty egregious and I am sure there are some bad apples in my profession who should be called to account, however, it seems like our society is intent on marginalizing its physicians. Doctors and dentists in particular are being described as special interest groups only intent on making money. They are described as "providers" and the patients are "customers".
Federal and State agencies are investigating practitioners for fraud in the provision and billing of services. Patients are being advised to review their billing information and inform enforcement agencies if they feel that fraud is involved. In fact, they can even receive some of the settlement funds if their claim is a winning one.
Even our teaching hospitals and medical schools are subject to severe penalties if their documentation does not meet legal requirements; and these legal requirements are constantly changing. Some of these changing laws are even being enforced in a retroactive fashion which, for laws that may have criminal consequences, seems to be in violation of the Constitution which forbids enforcement of criminal laws in an ex post facto fashion.
In America, everyone is equal under the law. This idea is a linchpin for our society and it is critical for our on-going quest for ordered liberty. James Garfield, our last president to actually have been born in a log cabin, said "I have always found a keen intellectual pleasure in the law. It reaches into what is impersonal, it is unpartisan, and may be so studied as to enlarge the spirit." (Margaret Leech and Harry Brown, The Garfield Orbit 185, (1978))
It took me four years to get through law school. I had to go part time in order to maintain my surgical practice. During the first year, the professors would address me as "Mister Weiman" just like they would address all of the students with the "Mr." or "Ms." descriptor. After the first year grades came out, they all started to call me "Dr. Weiman." They wanted to be sure that I was serious about law school before they would be willing to acknowledge that I was a medical doctor.
I never intended to give up on my career as a surgeon, but I wanted to learn as much as possible about the law and then, hopefully, convey some of that knowledge to my colleagues so that they could better participate in the legal process.
The tide of health care law is changing rapidly and the debates are contentious. Just a few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine a Congress passing legislation that would force citizens to buy health insurance with mandated coverage for conditions that the buyer would never have. A Supreme Court decision allowing the Congress to levy a heavy tax on those who did not buy this mandated insurance was hard to foresee. Thousands of new IRS employees have been hired to police the new laws and many new boards and commissions have been or are being formed to further decide what the legal requirements of the law will mean.
As the state legislatures and the United States Congress are actively involved in formulating health care law, health care providers with knowledge of the system should be better able to participate in the legal debates dealing with reform. This participation is essential as the laws will affect how future care is provided.
I enjoy reading and studying the law. The legal opinions are generally written by very smart people and these opinions often provide a picture of what was going on in our country at that time. The study of law is a study of the history of our country. The study of the law is far more interesting than studying biochemical pathways or minutiae of anatomy and histology. I study both medicine and the law but studying the law is much more fun.
I know that taking care of patients is a noble profession and I still enjoy being a surgeon very much. However, I fear that the best and the brightest of the younger generations are being discouraged from pursuing this career path in part due to legal contraints. This cannot be in the public's best interest.
Dr. Weiman's website is www.medicalmalpracticeandthelaw.com
-- 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 11 hours ago.
↧
What is dirt cheap and better than Obamacare, mind-altering drugs, chiropractors, or internet porn?
Q: What did the yogi say to the hot dog vendor?
A: Make me one with everything!
Several years ago I was in a bad car accident. Our car was destroyed by a large commercial truck that escaped virtually unscathed. The other driver, my young child, and I, all said we were uninjured, as we stood around being thankful we were alive and waited for the wrecker and police to arrive. Next day, my neck and shoulder started to hurt. I eventually visited two world-renowned orthopaedic surgeons. They showed me on the CT images where two of the vertebrae in my neck were obviously pinching the nerve that ran between them and out to my shoulder. I did not have any loss of motor skill or feeling, thankfully, only pain. Both surgeons recommended that I not have surgery, as long as I did not have a functional deficit, and as long as I could tolerate the pain. They recommended a physical therapist to help get me started with some exercises that would hopefully help.
So, for a whole year, I dealt with the pain. Sometimes it would keep me up at night. I discovered I could get some relief by sticking my elbow up in the air and holding my hand behind my head. I would work, cook, eat meals, sit in bed, ride horses, operate a vehicle, or even trail run like this for miles and miles.
Sometimes when the pain in my neck would flare up, mrs_horseman would say to me, "I am sorry you hurt. Why don't you try some stretches?" I knew that she meant yoga.
For decades, I would come home from work and find mrs_horseman practicing yoga. Like an exotic piece of new furniture, I might find her doing a hand stand in the middle of our bathroom, or knotted up in a ball in front of the fireplace. Once, while waiting for our plane at a gate, I woke up from a nap to find her doing yoga on the airport floor, wearing a "Fuck Y'all, I'm From Texas" t-shirt, with half-a-dozen men in business suits staring at her in absolute wonder.
I kept telling my wife no, I don't want to do some stretches, and I suffered in pain for about a year.
Finally, I gave in. I asked my wife if she would teach me.
She sat me down on a blanket in the living room, and opened a book, *Kundalini Yoga for Strength, Success, and Spirit*, by Ravi Singh. She said that we were only going to do the first three sets of three warm-up exercises. In between each set, and at the end, we would sit for a time with our legs crossed and then lie on the floor, in specific ways that are clearly and briefly described at the beginning of the book, which she had me quickly read. Then we began.
It took me maybe 30 minutes to do all nine of the simple exercises, with the prescribed rest and meditation poses between each set. They were not difficult. With a little instruction, I believe almost anyone can do them. However, as I lay there on the floor in corpse pose between sets and at the end of the session, I was very confused. It seemed to me that my body was somehow at war with my injury. It also seemed that maybe the injury was winning! I couldn't lie there for more than a few seconds. The pain in my neck, back, and shoulder was very obvious, but not very painful. It was a strange feeling for me.
We repeated the session the next two evenings, with much the same results, except that the pain became less obvious at the end of each session, and I was able to lie in corpse pose for much longer time periods. The day after the third session I was pain free, and have been ever since, more than five years.
Over the years on Zerohedge I have frequently expressed my desire to practice disintermediation in my life wherever and whenever possible. Here was one example:
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-01-24/lets-talk-disintermediat...
As Obamacare inexorably destroys many aspects of the health insurance system in America, if not the entire healthcare system, mrs_horseman and I have found it to be beneficial and comforting to practice disintermediation with our health, as often as is prudent. As ZH readers may know, we have removed many middlemen, such as the corporate-food-chemists that are making exciting new sweeteners, by producing much of our own food. We have also removed many middlemen, like drug companies, supplement companies (Herbalife), and even some doctors, by simply maintaining healthy weights with regular exercise and active lifestyles. We have dramatically reduced interactions with many middlemen, like health insurance claims processors, pharmacists, and nurses, by recognizing that given a little time, rest, and toughness, a healthy body is often able to fight off most diseases and heal most injuries on its own. In the above case of my car accident, we have eliminated middlemen like surgeons, spinal implant sales reps, healthcare administrators, and hospital CEOs by practicing yoga.
Please do not misunderstand me. I think modern medicine is fantastic, for some things. When one of the lil_horseman breaks a leg, we don't just pray for healing. We also don't take him to the emergency Room, pediatrician, chiropractor, or stand-up MRI facility. We call and then go, directly, to visit an orthopaedic surgeon. Also, as pale white people of Northern European decent, with familial histories of skin cancer, we examine each other from head to toe, not frequently enough if you ask me, but still pay a regular visit to a board certified skin cancer specialist with dual-fellowships in oncology and plastic surgery.
Practicing a little disintermediation in your health just takes a bit of common sense, the ability to understand the difference between a symptom and a medical condition, and a desire to not be a professional patient, spending countless beautiful days in a doctor's office to learn that you aren't dead. It also requires the willingness to do just a little research to find the medical doctor that is board certified as a specialist in the area of whatever ails you. God bless the internet.
http://www.abms.org/member-boards/specialty-subspecialty-certificates/
Notice there is no chiropractor listing on that site. There is a very good reason that health insurance companies will usually not pay to have a doctor of chiropractic medicine adjust your back and wave colored lasers over you as a treatment because you fell on your elbow.
I am not necessarily saying that I believe all chiropractors are quacks. However, my personal experience, described above, matches the experiences of many other people I have talked to. I believe that back injuries, like I had, can be best addressed, permanently and cheaply, by yoga or similar self-inflicted treatments. Feel free to pay your local chiro for intermediation, 10 sessions a month, for months on end, because your insurance company sure doesn't want to. From what I have seen, only the chiropractor and the lawyer that referred you to him truly receive any benefit.
I am sure that by now many of you are saying, "Where is the part about better than internet porn, or was that just more hedgeless_horseman click bait?" Fair enough. The bad news is that it is definitely click bait. The good news is that yoga is indeed better than internet porn, but alas, probably not cheaper, at least the kind of yoga that one might find more sexually stimulating than internet porn. After all, and as horrible and damaging as it is, internet porn is widely available for free.
What I am talking about, now, is practicing yoga at a commercial studio. Dear readers, I will say that you will be hard pressed to find a collection of more beautiful, healthier, sexier, hotter, sweatier, and scantily clad men and women of all ages than you will meet, up close and personal, in a typical power-flow class at any major hot yoga studio. And if that is what it took to get you to read this article, and to give yoga a try, then so be it.
Any normal people reading this article (as if) will be pleased to learn that, in reality, a typical power-flow class at any major hot yoga studio is definitely not likely to be a pervert fest. In fact, mrs_horseman and I have found it to be quite the opposite. All around the world, we have discovered that yoga class instructors and participants tend to be mentally healthy, as well as physically. The studios truly strive to be, and in fact are, Judgement-Free Zones. So, for every Caitriona Balfe and Brad Pitt lookalike, you will likely see a truly beautiful, healthy, sexy, hot, sweaty, and scantily clad Oprah Winfrey or hedgeless_horseman lookalike.
If you feel like you would be more comfortable taking the studio-instructor approach, instead of learning from a book or youtube at home, then here is a good place to start:
https://www.baptisteyoga.com/pages/community
Unlike the Kundalini yoga warm-up exercises that mrs_horseman first had me do at home to heal my neck, hot yoga and/or power yoga can be very challenging at first. Talk to the studio, let them know you are a beginner, and they will get you in the right class.
Finally, I want to offer you, dear reader, the hedgeless_horseman E-Z Internet Guarantee and Stone-Cold Leadpipe Lock for anyone, injured or healthy, beginning and completing a program of disintermediation and yoga, which is that you will absolutely increase your self-esteem. Self-esteem is something of great value. It is strange, because others cannot give you self-esteem, but they can steal it from you, by doing for you what you can do for yourself.
Peace!
h_h Reported by Zero Hedge 10 hours ago.
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Health law consumers face least choice in program’s history
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans in the health insurance markets created by President Barack Obama’s law will have less choice next year than any time since the program started, a new county-level analysis for The Associated Press has found. The analysis by AP and consulting firm Avalere Health found that about one-third of U.S. counties will […]
Reported by Seattle Times 9 hours ago.
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A mom explains her tragic loss: My daughter died because she told ER she didn’t have health insurance
The final two times Amy Vilela hugged her daughter are captured in a pair of photographs taken in June and July of 2015. In the first photo, Amy is holding Shalynne in her hospital bed, tubes sticking out of the 22-year-old’s neck and face. Staff at a hospital in Kansas City had just taken her off l...
Reported by Raw Story 8 hours ago.
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Health law consumers face least choice in program's history
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans in the health insurance markets created by President Barack Obama's law will have less choice next year than any time since the program started, a new county-level analysis for The Associated Press has found. With many other communities affected, however, the problem of dwindling choice may create even bigger political headaches than the rising premiums announced earlier this week. Dwindling choice could be a trickier issue than rising premiums for the Obama administration and advocates of the 2010 law, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Most customers get financial assistance, and their subsidies are designed to rise along with premiums, which are increasing an average of 25 percent in states served by HealthCare.gov. "Rising premiums get all of the political attention, but lack of choice between insurers could be a bigger problem for consumers," said Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president with Avalere. HealthCare.gov has taken steps to help consumers whose insurer is leaving by matching them to the closest comparable plan on the marketplace next year. Administration officials also point out that many private employers offer workers just one plan. The upheaval in the health insurance markets has consumers scrambling to figure out options.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 8 hours ago.
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Obama rallies Obamacare troops at ‘critical time’ for program
President Barack Obama on Thursday urged more than 25,000 volunteers and advocates who dialed in to a White House conference call to pull out the stops to boost the number of people signing up for Obamacare health insurance plans. Obama warned it will be challenging to overcome the skepticism about ...
Reported by Raw Story 7 hours ago.
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Obama says health consumers need to shop around
President Barack Obama is telling workers and volunteers signing up customers for health insurance coverage that the enrollment season comes at a critical time in the Affordable Care Act's history.
Reported by FOXNews.com 6 hours ago.
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More Pages to Explore .....
