A Top Trump Official Just Flunked The Jimmy Kimmel Test

May 12, 2017, 7:40 pm

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You’ve heard of the undeserving poor? Get ready for the undeserving sick.

A top Trump administration official defended the American Health Care Act, the GOP bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, by arguing Thursday that it would take care of people who have pre-existing conditions without asking healthy people to pay for those who made poor choices.

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, made the comments during the LIGHT Forum at Stanford University in response to a question about the “Jimmy Kimmel test.” That was a reference to comedian and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who, after watching his newborn son struggle but survive a severe medical scare last week, declared, “No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their child’s life.”

Although Kimmel went out of his way to avoid making a partisan point, his statement, which went viral almost immediately, was an obvious jab at the Republican health care bill, which would allow states to waive Obamacare rules that prohibit insurance companies from charging higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions.

Republicans have frequently responded by pointing to AHCA provisions designed to help these people. High on the list is funding for special insurance plans, called high-risk pools, that would be available to people unable to get coverage at standard prices because of their medical histories.

“We have plenty of money to deal with that. We have plenty of money to provide that safety net so that if you get cancer you don’t end up broke,” Mulvaney said at the Leaders in Global Healthcare and Technology forum. 

But then he drew a distinction between people like Kimmel’s son, born with a congenital heart disease, and people who end up with conditions like diabetes. “That doesn’t mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes,” Mulvaney said, according to a Washington Examiner account consistent with real-time social media reports. “Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmel’s kid? I don’t think that it is.”


OMB's Mulvaney says AHCA should meet Kimmel test - cover all kids - but not adults who make "bad choices" #LIGHTForum17 #KimmelTest

— Lee Sanders, MD, MPH (@SandersMDMPH) May 11, 2017

It’s not the first time a Republican has said something along those lines. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) made similar comments a few weeks ago, saying that the AHCA would benefit people who “have done the things to keep their bodies healthy … who have done things the right way.”

And it happens to be an intellectually honest expression of what many conservatives think ― namely, that it’s wrong to require higher insurance premiums for healthy people in order to pay for the costs of the sick, except in a very narrow class of cases.

But the “cross-subsidy” of healthy and sick that Mulvaney, Brooks and perhaps many other Republicans find objectionable is also the underlying principle of every universal coverage scheme in the world and the vast majority of employer plans here in the U.S. as well.

There are a few reasons for that.

One is that people are a lot less responsible for their own medical problems than the likes of Mulvaney and Brooks seem to think. Although the research on causes of medical problems is far from definitive, the rough consensus among experts is that behavior explains no more than half of all medical problems and probably a lot less.

Pretty much every condition that generates high medical bills has a substantial hereditary or environmental component, or both ― a point that the American Diabetes Association was quick to make Friday in response to Mulvaney.

“Mr. Mulvaney’s comments perpetuate the stigma that one chooses to have diabetes based on his/her lifestyle,” the ADA said. “All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause.”

Another big reason most health insurance systems treat people equally regardless of medical condition is that segregating them almost inevitably leads to shabby care for the sick, regardless of how they got that way. High-risk pools are actually a perfect example of this. Roughly two-thirds of the states operated them before the Affordable Care Act took effect, and they inevitably offered coverage that was less affordable, less available or less comprehensive than standard policies.  

Although those plans helped some people, offering them much-needed security, by and large they were an inadequate solution for people with medical problems who were often left with crippling bills and poor access to care, no matter how deserving or undeserving. Republicans have said their high-risk pools would work better under the AHCA because it allocates more money for them, but few experts think the money proposed is enough.

Forcing insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions has made insurance more expensive and has caused some real hardship, particularly among those who don’t qualify for the Obamacare subsidies. But lawmakers could fix that by making the subsidies more generous and more widely available, or by taking other steps, such as using government bargaining power to drive down drug prices.

But those options are not on the table because they would require some combination of higher spending and taxes to pay for it, or more regulation. And so Republicans are proposing instead to undermine the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions ― justifying it, every once in a while, by suggesting that the people who would end up struggling with medical bills have themselves to blame.

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A Mother's Day Gift To Help Working Families

May 13, 2017, 4:23 pm

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Mother’s Day is traditionally a day of flowers, gifts, breakfast in bed, or dinner out ― or at least that is how it is in the popular imagination. While mothers everywhere no doubt appreciate the attention and gratitude, what they could really use is some help. Yet it’s a sad reality that the U.S. has the least family-friendly policies in the industrialized world, with no nationally mandated paid leave of any kind. That means no sick leave to use at work when having a child, no family leave to take care of a sick child or other relative, and certainly no vacation to get a much-needed break.

Women are nearly half the U.S. workforce and are the breadwinners or co-breadwinners in two-thirds of all families. More than 41 million private-sector workers in the U.S. cannot earn a single paid sick day, including an estimated 22 million women, more than 7.3 million African Americans, and 14 million Latinos, even though nearly 40 jurisdictions now guarantee sick leave by law. 

An estimated 31 million people, the majority of whom are women, are caring for minor children and aging parents at the same time. For them, the routine worrying about who is caring for their child while they are at work or how they can find time to provide the emotional support a teenager may need on any given day is already double duty. Add to that caring for an aging parent, taking time to help an elderly family member get to the doctor or the drugstore, or supervising a variety of needed caregivers or caregiving programs, and you have a seriously overextended individual. Imagine all this topped by a medical crisis that requires your presence — or your own convalescence — as you lose wages or even your job.


it’s a sad reality that the US has the least family-friendly policies in the industrialized world

The push for paid leave is not new or radical. It is of a piece with other social advances like a livable minimum wage, workers’ compensation for on-the-job injuries, and universal health insurance, be it Medicare, Medicaid, employer-provided insurance, or adequate affordable health insurance obtained through the Affordable Care Act. Opponents of paid sick leave complain about the cost to employers, but they neglect the cost to individuals and the cost to the economy when workers lose the income they need to feed their families or, ill themselves, spread disease among fellow workers and the general public.

Now this very good but not new idea is embodied in the proposed Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act (S 337/HR 947), introduced in February 2017 by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Modeled on successful state programs, it would provide millions of workers with access to 12 weeks of paid leave to take care of their parents, children, spouses, or themselves. The FAMILY Act would cover all workers at all companies, ensuring that those who need it the most — low wage earners and single parents, who are disproportionately women and people of color — would have access to paid family and medical leave.The idea has overwhelming popular support — everyone knows someone who needs the protection provided by the FAMILY Act. More than three-quarters of voters say they would favor establishing a national law that provides 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, including nearly two-thirds who say they “strongly favor” such a measure. The support is bipartisan — 93 percent of Democrats, 77 percent of independents, and 66 percent of Republicans. 

These approval ratings aren’t reflected in Congress, however. The leadership in the House of Representatives has opposed virtually every measure on paid leave proposed over the past several years. In fact, the latest “family friendly” policy championed by the right and recently passed by the House would erode longstanding overtime protections and create a “comp time” law that would offer hardworking people a false choice between compensatory time off and money in their paychecks.

Too often in the U.S. social policies that could help people are viewed through a lens that sees only individual benefits tied to whether this or that group of people “deserve” help. Paid leave is a social good, with widespread benefits for all of society, including businesses. In a survey after California passed a similar bill, employers overwhelmingly reported that paid family leave had either a “positive effect” or “no noticeable effect” on productivity, profitability and performance, turnover, and employee morale. Small businesses were even less likely than larger ones to report negative effects.

When the holes in our social safety net are repaired, communities are strengthened, employment is stabilized, and families have a better shot of taking care of themselves. That’s a Mother’s Day gift we can all work toward.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 9 hours ago.

CAMedicare.com Explains How Medicare Enrollment Allows Employers to Slash Health Care Costs

May 13, 2017, 12:04 am

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For every employee that enrolls in Medicare, employers can cut the premium by approximately two thirds while offering employees less out of pocket costs.

Calabasas, CA (PRWEB) May 13, 2017

One of the reasons that the Affordable Care Act has seen health insurance premiums rise is because young healthy people have decided that it is cheaper to pay the penalty than purchase a health insurance plan. The ACA imposed a 3:1 limit on “age rating” – which restricted insurers from charging older adults more than 3 times more what young people pay. However, under the American Health Care Act, the age rating will increase 5:1. This will cause rates for employer and individual coverage for older people to rise. "The unsaid truth is that older employee’s expensive premiums can dissuade employers from hiring them,” said Larry Hurwitz, Founder and President of CA Medicare.

However, a mitigating factor to this new imposition will be the increased tax credits for older people. The AHCA will now issue tax credits to help people afford coverage on individual plans. This will range from $2,000 for those in their twenties and $4,000 for those in their early sixties.

Under the AHCA, tax credits would begin to phase out at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for households. Tax credits would be eliminated for individuals who earn more than $215,000 annually, and a household that makes more than $290,000.

The 5:1 “age rating” for older people also applies to employer groups under 100 employees. Employers can offset this by offering to pay for their employees Part B Medicare Premiums and Supplements.

While Medicare isn’t ACA compliant, if the ACA employer plan is being offered then it won’t affect the requirement that employers offer their health plan to 95% of the full-time employees to avoid the $2,000 per employee penalty.

Currently, Medicare is an “employer payment plan,” but can be integrated with group health coverage. To be compliant, the employee must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and B. Under the payment plan, the premiums are deductible under section 106 of the Internal Revenue Code. This payment is not taxable to the employee.

Breakdown of costs:

$134 Premium for Medicare Part B
$170 for the Medicare Supplement, Plan F in LA County for a 65-year-old
$30 for a typical Prescription Drug Plan

Less than $400

For every employee that enrolls in Medicare, employers can cut the premium by approximately two thirds while offering employees less out of pocket costs. Benefits are a significant portion of an employer’s total compensation package. A $400/month expenditure per employee should drive down the costs.

Learn more now at: https://camedicare.com

# # #

CA Medicare was created to help match individuals turning 65 or seeking to change Medicare coverage in California. 
Contact: Larry Hurwitz, President of BenefitPackages.com 
larryh(at)benefitpackages(dot)com 
800-356-3615 Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.

How Republicans' Healthcare Tax Breaks Would Work

May 13, 2017, 3:25 am

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The premium tax credit, which offers a tax break to low- and moderate-income private health insurance enrollees, is about to go through some significant changes. Reported by Motley Fool 22 hours ago.

Hope You Don't Expect The Senate GOP To Be Transparent About Obamacare Repeal

May 13, 2017, 2:25 pm

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Senate Republicans have spent the last 10 days or so promising not to tackle health care in the same hurried, irresponsible way that their House counterparts did. “We are not under any deadlines,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said last week, “so we are going to take our time.”

They have also suggested they have little interest in drafting something that looks like the American Health Care Act ― the wildly unpopular House bill that would roll back many of the Affordable Care Act’s most important insurance regulations and deprive something like 24 million people of coverage. “We’re starting over from a clean sheet of paper here,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) promised.  

All of that is probably true ― and less meaningful than it sounds at first blush.

It’s possible to write a bill in a slower, more deliberative manner than the House did without allowing the kind lengthy, open public debate that legislation of such magnitude would seem to require. It’s also possible to pass less disruptive, less extreme legislation that would nevertheless take away insurance from many millions of people, causing widespread hardship.

In fact, from the looks of things, this is precisely what Senate Republican leaders are trying to do.

GOP leaders are trying to shield their legislation from scrutiny

The big boast Senate Republicans are making is that they won’t vote on legislation before the Congressional Budget Office has a chance to analyze it. That’s what House Republicans did when they voted on their bill last week, less than 24 hours after making amendments that had potential to affect insurance coverage and the federal budget in fairly significant ways.

“Y’all, I’m still waiting to see if it’s a boy or a girl,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) quipped afterward. “Any bill that has been posted less than 24 hours, going to be debated three or four hours, not scored? Needs to be viewed with suspicion.”

But voting without a CBO score was merely one way in which the House rushed its debate.

House leaders wrote legislation privately and then pushed it through the two committees of jurisdiction with markup sessions that lasted just one day each. Leaders had to pull the bill from the House floor at the last minute, because it lacked enough support to pass, but their response was to return to private negotiations, hash out the additional amendments, and then proceed quickly with the final vote.

Even those House Republicans who had time to read and study the final language (many admitted they hadn’t) probably didn’t grasp its implications, because those implications were still becoming apparent in real time. Two days before the vote, for example, a Brookings Institution report showed how the bill could bring back annual and lifetime limits on benefits, even for employer policies.


You saw what the House Republicans did. When you don’t read it, you don’t know what the impact is.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
Those limits, which the Affordable Care Act prohibits, would be a huge deal for that tiny portion of Americans dealing with the most severe medical problems ― think aggressive cancer that requires chemotherapy and surgery, or genetic disorders that require long stays in neonatal care. By the time a Wall Street Journal article on the subject brought the possibility to national attention, the vote was just hours away ― too late for new information to have an effect.

Of course that was precisely what House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and his allies were trying to accomplish ― to avoid public scrutiny, to get legislation through the House before either the media or the public could recognize and seize on its shortcomings. Now it looks like Senate Republicans are intent upon doing the same thing.

Back in March, the first time the House was set to vote on repeal, Senate leaders indicated that they intended to bypass the two committees that had jurisdiction. “Probably straight to the floor,” Cornyn told CNN, when asked about the plan, “Because there has already been a lot of consultations on a bicameral basis to get us here.”

Leadership hasn’t said much about his plans since that time, and the office of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declined to answer HuffPost’s inquiries about process and timetable. But on Wednesday, finance committee chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) told The Hill, “I don’t think it’s going to go through the committees, at least from what I know about it.”

Democrats are furious, in part because most of them were around in 2009 and 2010 when they spent more than a year writing and debating what eventually became the Affordable Care Act. For all of the discussion that took place behind closed doors back then, quite a lot took place in public ― over the course of more than 130 hearings, spanning five committees, according to a Democratic tally that didn’t even include administration events like the daylong, bipartisan session at Blair House that President Barack Obama presided over personally.

“We had 45 bipartisan hearings and roundtables,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), ranking Democrat on the help, education, labor and pensions committee, said in an interview. “Every issue and aspect of this was discussed. People had a chance to really see the impact ― line by line, amendment by amendment ― and know what they were actually passing.”

“You saw what the House Republicans did,” Murray added. “When you don’t read it, you don’t know what the impact is. And somebody who is being impacted doesn’t have a chance to say, ‘Wait a minute, that doesn’t work for me.’”

This isn’t just some partisan talking point. Norm Ornstein, a respected political scientist at the American Enterprise Institute, says, “The push and pull, give and take of an open markup can make a bad bill, with stupid provisions, sloppy drafting, unintended consequences, repeated mistakes from past experience, a better one.” 

Earlier this week, Murray and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking Democrat on the finance committee, sent their GOP counterparts a letter demanding hearings. They have not gotten a formal response, and neither did HuffPost inquiries to those offices, except for a statement from Hatch’s office that he “appreciates Senate Democrats’ renewed interest in improving the nation’s healthcare system and welcomes their input and ideas as we move through this debate.”

Most Republicans seem ready to accept some pretty big cuts 

One reason the House bill is so spectacularly unpopular is the likelihood that it will leave so many millions of Americans without health insurance. And from the very beginning of the debate, senators have been warning, publicly and privately, that they could not abide such dramatic losses of coverage.

Many of those warnings focused on the American Health Care Act’s proposed cuts to Medicaid. That includes phasing out the new funding available through Obamacare that the states have used to expand eligibility for the program ― effectively making it available to all people with incomes below or just above the poverty line. Among the 32 states that have accepted the money and expanded the program are more than a dozen with Republican senators*. *

One of them is Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who has reportedly taken the lead on figuring out how the Senate legislation will deal with Medicaid. Something like 700,000 of his constituents got insurance through the Medicaid expansion, and the program has become a critical source of financing for opioid treatment, as well as for community clinics that provide basic medical care to the poor. Ohio’s Medicaid expansion also has a vocal, influential champion in Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio), one of about a half-dozen Republican governors who have lobbied hard to keep the expansion in place.

But Portman told reporters on Wednesday that he was looking for a “soft landing” on Medicaid and that he supported ending expansion funding eventually. A key letter on Medicaid he and three other Republican senators wrote during the early stages of House debate was careful to talk about “stability for individuals currently enrolled in the program” ― which suggests they are open to a proposal that tapers off funding slowly, and lets people who qualify under the expansion hold onto Medicaid until their enrollment lapses.

That’s actually what the House bill already does. The Medicaid population would still drop sharply in the first three years, CBO predicts, because low-income people tend to have volatile incomes and lose eligibility quickly. Senate Republicans might have some other ideas for stretching out the transition ― they have said very little publicly ― but it appears to be a matter of when, not whether, the expansion population loses its coverage.

“Clearly the House has done some important work,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said this week. “I think we’d like to take the Medicaid provision and engineer a softer landing and eventually get to the same place”

The House bill wouldn’t simply roll back the Medicaid expansion. It would also introduce a “per capita cap” that would reduce the program’s funding over time. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), who joined the Portman letter and whose home state is particularly dependent on Medicaid, left a meeting two days ago saying that the Senate was open to per capita caps ― a tell-tale sign that the cap, or something like it, could end up in final legislation.

And then there are the implications that repeal could have for people purchasing coverage on their own, either directly from insurers or through healthcare.gov and state-run insurance exchanges. Senate Republicans have said the House bill would punish older consumers too much, by allowing insurers to charge near-retirement seniors up to five times what they charge younger consumers ― and, simultaneously, by rearranging the Affordable Care Act’s financial aid so that it doesn’t provide extra help to people with high insurance costs.

But they haven’t made the same fuss about the way the House bill also shifts assistance away from lower-income consumers, which is a big reason why so many people would lose coverage. And key members like Hatch seem committed both to cutting as much spending as possible ― and rescinding the Affordable Care Act’s taxes, including hefty levies on corporations and the wealthiest American households. The net result is likely to be large losses of insurance coverage, even if they are not as large as the losses in the House bill.

Senate politics are tricky enough that public pressure matters

GOP leaders face some big obstacles as they try to craft a bill that can pass, and most likely those obstacles are bigger than the ones that stood in the way of Ryan and his allies earlier this year.

In the Senate, Republicans need 50 votes to pass legislation, assuming Vice President Mike Pence would break a tie, and they have only 52 seats. Already two of their members, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), have called explicitly to preserve or even expand the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of insurance coverage. Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), who is among those who have been most openly critical of the House bill, faces a difficult re-election fight in a Democratic state. 

Put those together with the likes of Capito, Portman and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and their strong feelings about protecting the Medicaid expansion population, and it’s easy to see how the Senate could end up with a bill that’s less extreme than the House version ― or maybe no bill at all.

But even Cassidy and Collins have left themselves wiggle room, which means they could end up supporting a bill in exchange for minor modifications, just as so-called moderates in the House did. And they will be fighting ultra-conservatives like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), whose idea of “compromise” is a bill that looks like the House bill or is maybe even more extreme.

The deciding factor could be public reaction, but the public can’t react to a bill unless it gets a good look at it. It appears Republican leaders are trying not to let that happen.

-- 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.

Lawmakers Who Voted To Make Health Care Worse For Moms Hope You Have A Happy Mother’s Day

May 14, 2017, 5:47 pm

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Like millions of Americans, members of Congress on Sunday tweeted out fond memories and well-wishes to the moms in their lives in honor of Mother’s Day. 

Several Twitter users pointed out that the lawmakers’ sentiments were at odds with their recent votes on the American Health Care Act, a Republican-driven law that has been criticized for the way it overwhelmingly makes health care for women ― especially moms ― worse. 

One of the most celebrated aspects of the Affordable Care Act is the way it helped fix some of the gender disparity in health coverage. Pre-ACA, women commonly had to pay more than men for comparable health care coverage, and only a small percent of individual market plans included coverage for benefits like maternity care.

Under the Republican AHCA plan, states would be allowed to remove maternity care as an essential benefit in insurance coverage. 

Among those lawmakers who voted in favor of the AHCA on May 4 ― and the people who were having none of their platitudes: 

*House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)*


Happy #MothersDay to my mom & all moms who do whatever it takes. pic.twitter.com/0EjCQa8OAn

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) May 14, 2017


Happy Mother's Day from the guy who just had a keg party to celebrate making pregnancy a pre-existing condition! https://t.co/YVu7kBoPg6

— Chloe Angyal (@ChloeAngyal) May 14, 2017

*Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.)*


Happy #MothersDay to all, including my four beautiful daughters, my wife, Mary Grace, and my mother, Angeline, who I miss every day. pic.twitter.com/t0Bg2RekgR

— Rep. Lou Barletta (@RepLouBarletta) May 14, 2017


.@RepLouBarletta just voted against to make maternity care optional and defund lifesaving preventative care for women #MothersDay https://t.co/t6rxDHvPI6

— Tara Murtha (@taramurtha) May 14, 2017

*Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.)*


Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom, Evelyn, my incredible wife, Eva, and all the super moms across the country!

— Gus Bilirakis (@RepGusBilirakis) May 14, 2017


@RepGusBilirakis Nothing like supporting moms and women like advancing TrumpCare, which treats rape and sexual assault as a pre-existing! #GusIsNotForUs

— Ryan Taylor (@bballholic90) May 14, 2017

*Rep. John Culberon (R-Texas)*


Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful moms of the world!

— John Culberson (@CongCulberson) May 14, 2017


@CongCulberson Especially the ones you are trying to take healthcare away from in the US! Special Happymothers day to them #hypocrisy

— Citizen of The World (@justimagine1111) May 14, 2017

*Rep. Jason Chaffez (R-Utah)*

 


Happy Mother's Day! Moms do it all. Julie is such a loving, carrying Mom to our 3 kids helping… https://t.co/pjad1TII2n

— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) May 14, 2017


@jasoninthehouse How does she feel about you voting to take healthcare away from 24M moms or kids so that wealthy could get a tax break?

— thesum (@thesum) May 14, 2017

*Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.)*


Happy #MothersDay to all the mothers whose love, hard work and sacrifices make our families, communities and nation stronger! pic.twitter.com/3H2EcrgcHY

— Rep. Carlos Curbelo (@RepCurbelo) May 14, 2017


@RepCurbelo makes you wonder why you vote against maternity care and maternity leave?

— Mommommom (@MarthaDebry) May 14, 2017

*Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)*


Happy #MothersDay! pic.twitter.com/TNoO9a5BMV

— Rep. Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) May 14, 2017


@SteveScalise How dare you utter the words Happy Mothers Day when you voted to kick millions of women & children off health care F__K YOU!

— PROUD AMERICAN (@PROUDAM00187654) May 14, 2017

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.)


Happy Mother's Day to those in our life who nurture, love, and care for us. Here's to you! #MothersDay pic.twitter.com/27c7l15nXi

— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) May 14, 2017


@MarioDB And those who you stripped of health insurance? Those who need prenatal care that #trumpcare won't pay for? You're mother should be ashamed

— Vincent DeGennaro (@DoctorGlobal) May 14, 2017

Luckily for the lawmakers, these burns are probably covered by their insurance. 

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

Gen Re Receives Reinsurance Branch License in India

May 14, 2017, 7:39 pm

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*Business Wire India*Gen Re has received approval from the Insurance Regulation and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to open a branch in Mumbai (R3 license).   The Indian insurance market is a huge business opportunity waiting to be harnessed. The new branch structure will now allow Gen Re to deliver underwriting and risk management expertise locally rather than cross-border. It will facilitate an optimal business model, both efficient in process and highly beneficial to clients. Gen Re has already been committed to the Indian market for the past 15 years through various channels, most recently through a local support services company in Mumbai. The focus was primarily on the Life and Health sector. Gen Re will continue contributing and expanding in this segment while simultaneously exploring opportunities to grow its presence in the Property/Casualty reinsurance market.   Venkatesh N. Chakravarty will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer and lead the branch. Bringing almost three decades of re/insurance experience to the role, he has held senior positions with both an international and domestic focus. Venkatesh will also hold operational responsibility for the Life/Health business. The Property/Casualty business will be headed by Nighat Khan.   Speaking recently, Winfried Heinen, Chairman of the Executive Board of Directors of General Reinsurance AG, said, “We are delighted about the opening of the Indian market. Establishing a reinsurance branch is an important milestone for us. We firmly believe in the great potential of the Indian market, especially for life and health insurance products. With Venkatesh as our local head we have an extraordinarily professional and capable team in place to lead this important move. I am excited about the opportunities on the horizon.”   “The new structure will enable us to provide technical and risk management services locally. Beyond classic reinsurance of traditional lines of business, the development of innovative life and health insurance products with and for our clients is at the core of our value proposition. We are now ideally positioned to meet the demands and challenges of the market,” added Venkatesh Chakravarty.   _____________________________   *About Gen Re*   Gen Re delivers reinsurance solutions to the Life/Health and Property/Casualty insurance industries. We work closely with our clients to understand their strategic and operational goals, offering a wide range of products, tools and resources that aim to promote our clients’ ongoing growth and success. As a direct reinsurer, we are in the risk assumption business, just like our clients. Our shared perspective helps us understand and evaluate even the toughest risks – and propose the right solutions. Gen Re is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, and has earned superior financial strength ratings from each of the major rating agencies.   To learn more visit: www.genre.com   # # #  
  View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170514005025/en/Gen-Receives-Reinsurance-Branch-License-India​ Reported by Business Wire India 6 hours ago.

Trump-backed Obamacare repeal bill disliked by 2 to 1 in poll

May 15, 2017, 4:40 am

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The House Republican bill could leave 24 million more Americans without health insurance than under current law. Reported by NJ.com 21 hours ago.

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Mental Health Treatment Can Save Lives, But The Right Diagnosis Can Take Years

May 15, 2017, 7:19 am

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*In His Own Words: *Above, Nic Newling, 30, writes how his experience with untreated bipolar disorder made him feel.

Animation by Isabella Carapella/Photography by Damon Dahlen

1,277 days. That’s approximately how long it took Nic Newling to figure out he was dealing with bipolar disorder after first reaching out for help.

Newling was born and raised in Sydney. He first began to notice something was wrong when he was a young teen in school. He felt panicked and burned out ― sometimes for no reason at all ― and it was severely destabilizing his everyday routine.

“I was a high achiever in school,” Newling recalled. “I was really dedicated to it, but halfway through that school year, I noticed I was getting really stressed and anxious. And from there it was a really long journey of trying to find the right help.”

He was admitted into an adolescent psychiatric hospital at age 14, where physicians believed he was dealing with some form of psychosis. He stayed for nine months. 

Newling was diagnosed with major depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizoaffective disorder. He received medication and therapies to treat those specific illnesses. Nothing seemed to work.

At age 16, he underwent shock therapy, also known as electroconvulsive therapy. The controversial treatment sends small electric currents through the brain to alter its chemistry and treat issues like depression.

Newling reports feeling suicidal at the time. He knew, deep down, that he wasn’t getting the right help.

Data published by the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association found that 69 percent of people with bipolar disorder are originally misdiagnosed, and more than one-third remain misdiagnosed for a decade or more. Many factors can contribute to this, including the delayed onset of certain symptoms or patients not sticking with treatment.

After three and a half years of incorrect diagnoses and different treatment methods, Newling finally found relief during a stay at a different psychiatric facility. His attending doctor caught him in a period of mania. After another evaluation, his physician diagnosed him with bipolar II disorder and gave him more specific medication to treat it.

“I felt skeptical at first,” Newling said. “I’d been told I have so many different conditions over the years, and each one came with months or years of traveling down a path of no relief and diminishing hope.”Your browser does not support HTML5 video.

Animation by Isabella Carapella/Photography by Damon Dahlen

The Dangers Of Misdiagnosis

The major reason people are misdiagnosed is because their symptoms often materialize in different ways, says Bob Carolla, a spokesperson and senior writer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“Finding the right treatment plan comes in stages,” he said. “Not all symptoms may be appearing at the same time. Others may not be immediately recognized as symptoms.”

This is especially true when it comes to high-functioning people. For example, if a person is ordinarily achievement-oriented or creative, it may not be obvious they’re having a manic episode, Carolla said.

While there are no definitive statistics on how often mental illnesses are misdiagnosed as a whole, research suggests that bipolar disorder is the most misdiagnosed condition. This could mean more treatment costs and lost workplace productivity, as well as increased risk of suicidal thoughts if the person isn’t getting the most effective care.

To rectify this problem, it can be useful to have more frequent check ins with a doctor ― especially when a person is first seeking help, according to Victor Schwartz, chief medical officer of the mental health group The Jed Foundation.

“It’s really important for both the patient and the clinician, when they don’t know what kind of issue they’re dealing with, to be in touch more often,” he said. “You need to evaluate things more consistently.”

There also needs to be better access to medical support, Schwartz says. Current data suggest that treatment is becoming less accessible thanks to issues with health insurance and a lack of available providers.

This is particularly true in the rural U.S., Schwartz explains, where patients may be most affected by the shortage of mental health professionals. A 2016 report found that people living in certain states struggle more to get help. Alabama, for example, has one mental health worker per ever 1,200 people.Regardless of their nature, roadblocks to treatment can contribute to the patient losing hope. That’s why it’s so critical to perfect the diagnosis phase.

Newling says he feels lucky that he was able to receive the help he did, especially since he was also having suicidal ideations. But he wishes it hadn’t taken so long.

“I was very thankful, but also really annoyed that it took so long to get right,” he said. “I’d seen many doctors over the years who were very skilled, but it still took most of my adolescent years away from me.”

How Stigma And Symptoms Impede Progress

Not only did Newling struggle to receive the right diagnosis, but he also felt he had to keep the entire process “hush, hush,” he said. 

“It’s not always just judgment from others you’re worried about, it’s often that internalized shame or fear,” Newling said. “You start to feel like people have a right to feel uncomfortable or weird toward you. A lot of that comes from within.”

Negative stereotypes about mental illness often prevent people from reaching out for help, research shows.

“Stigma is in our culture. It is in our language,” Carolla said. “People are afraid to ask for help because of what may happen. It is in perceptions created by movies or television shows that link mental illness to violence or use it as the butt of jokes. Some also internalize stigma, believing stereotypes or myths and destroying their self-esteem.”Your browser does not support HTML5 video.

Animation by Isabella Carapella/Photography by Damon Dahlen

And as people with mental illness contend with those issues, they must also cope with symptoms that can be debilitating and make them feel like they’re not getting any better.

Bipolar disorder can cause a sense of hopelessness and make it difficult to sleep during the depressive phase. The period of mania can cause increased risk-taking and a heightened sense of euphoria. Some people, like Newling, may also experience racing thoughts during this phase.

“The perpetual flurry of random, disjointed words would fill my mind,” Newling said of his symptoms. “I couldn’t hear the real world.”

These side effects prevented Newling from experiencing a full and productive life, he says. Even though he was once high-achieving, his will had gradually evaporated.

“I was more comfortable ‘existing’ rather than ‘living,’” he explained. “It felt like a slow death.”The Relief Of Getting The Right Treatment

Mental health professionals stress that it’s vital for patients to stick with the treatment process to help manage their conditions. It can sometimes take three months for treatment to start working, according to Schwartz.

On top of that, no one method will be effective for everyone. A combination of techniques is likely to be most effective, experts say. Therapy can rewire the brain to help with mental health symptoms, but some people also need medication or other lifestyle changes.

Newling says it felt like a door had opened for him after he got a correct diagnosis.

“I felt I had a way forward,” he said. “I believed that it could be possible that I might want to live and that I might have a decent life ahead of me.”

It’s been well over a decade since Newling discovered he had bipolar disorder. At age 30, he’s been able to fully manage his condition and lives a normal, enriching life. He’s also now a fierce advocate, working with mental health-related organizations like The Champions and R U OK? to share his story.

“I look forward to the future in a way I never thought possible,” he said.Your browser does not support HTML5 video.

Animation by Isabella Carapella/Photography by Damon Dahlentype=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=More Stories From Mental Health Month + articlesList=5908a355e4b02655f840f835,59035afee4b0bb2d086d9271,59039dd7e4b0bb2d086e6e31As part of May’s *Mental Health Awareness Month*, we’re focusing on treatment and the stigma around getting help. Check out our coverage here and share your story at strongertogether@huffingtonpost.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 19 hours ago.

Trusting Health Care To Your State Could Prove A Disaster

May 15, 2017, 1:30 pm

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The truth is your state can often make or break the insurance marketplace, which impacts whether you can afford health insurance. The health insurance marketplaces authorized by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are in real trouble in some areas of the country. Over the next 12 weeks you will learn if and how much insurers will be raising premium rates in your state. In some states there may be only one or even no insurers that will sell policies on the marketplace. While Republicans want to blame the federal government for this situation, the real story of why some marketplaces are working and some are failing resides primarily at the state level.

Your state government has a significant role in the delivery and financing of health care. States regulate health care providers and the state’s insurance markets with some exceptions related to the self-insured and Medicare Advantage markets. Your state runs Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for lower-income individuals, and they finance the care of state employees.

So your state can actually make or break its individual market, including the ACA health insurance marketplace, depending on how they decide to handle a number of issues. These would include whether the state has accepted the chance to expand Medicaid as allowed under the ACA; whether it has allowed non-ACA compliant health plans to continue to be sold; whether it adequately staffs its departments of insurance and health with knowledgeable people; and whether the state actively promotes health care coverage enrollment to its citizens. In every case where there is the potential for the marketplace to fail, the state government has made poor decisions.

One example would be Tennessee. Over the past several weeks there were rumblings that Tennessee would become one of the first health insurance marketplace “deserts” in 2018. A marketplace desert being one where no plan is offered. While it appears that BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is going to fill the gaps for 2018, it is important to understand why the marketplace was on the verge of collapse. If the underlying problems are not addressed, it’s likely that the same risks will reemerge in 2019. We need only look at decisions made by Tennessee’s state government. First the state has not expanded Medicaid. This means more lower-income, higher-risk individuals end up in the individual market as opposed to the Medicaid program. Then Tennessee allows the Farm Bureau Health Plans to siphon off 175,000 of the healthiest individuals from the individual market by selling non-ACA compliant health insurance policies. These plans attract healthier, wealthier individuals who do not believe they need the more robust ACA coverage and are capable of paying the full cost of the insurance upfront without federal assistance via the ACA tax credits or cost-sharing reductions. This is possible because the state allowed the Farm Bureau to skirt federal insurance market rules by deeming the organization a “not-for-profit membership services organization” as opposed to what they really are which is an insurer. These two decisions alone are a double-whammy on the marketplace’s risk pool: more high-risk enrollees are coming into the marketplace because they can’t enroll in Medicaid, while the lower-risk, higher income individuals get to opt out. What that means is essentially, the state’s marketplace is a de-facto high-risk pool requiring high premiums to prevent the insurers from suffering unsustainable losses and pulling out. If you live in Tennessee you should know that under the current ACA your state legislature and governor can fix this.

The president and Republicans in Congress are singing from the same hymnal. All you hear from them is the simplistic refrain that states are the perfect laboratories to test different approaches to solving problems. Another ubiquitous saying they like to use is “health care is local.” If you believe those two things you could agree with them it would be logical to provide states with flexibility to tailor health care solutions to meet local needs.

The reality is very different. Your health care isn’t local but rather it is personal. Each of us is entitled to have the best possible care for the best possible rates. Instead of looking for the best practices if your state’s marketplace is failing what your state legislature and governor have most likely done is to look for the cheapest way out for them rather than the best way to provide health care to you. What you want them to do is look to other states with marketplaces that are working and adopt the approaches that others have tested and are working.

No one is saying the ACA is perfect and everyone agrees it needs some fixes. But those fixes aren’t turning over everything to states and cutting Medicaid by over eight hundred billion dollars. That won’t get you better health care and in fact it might get you even higher premiums and less services, if you can even get someone to insure you. The bill the House of Representatives passed to repeal the ACA and turning decisions on your health care coverage to your state will make things worse, not better, for you and your family. You need to tell that to your United States senator before they approve the same bill and allow it to become law.-- 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 13 hours ago.

Man Attempting To Make Rape A Pre-Existing Condition Ushers In Women's Health Week

May 15, 2017, 9:00 am

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President Donald Trump, whose American Health Care Act includes a remarkable slew of preexisting conditions that predominantly affect women, has announced his commitment to honoring Women’s Health Week.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer tweeted the following statement from Trump on Mother’s Day:


.@POTUS celebrates Women's Health Week and the importance of providing affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare in the 2018 Budget. pic.twitter.com/Oaal9wiNTD

— Sean Spicer (@PressSec) May 15, 2017

In the letter, Trump lauded the advancements in health care science in recent decades (while failing to acknowledge that the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country, and that that rate is continuing to rise), before sharing his vague plans for improving women’s health, particularly maternal health care, and touting his own health care plan: 

Ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare is critical to improving women’s health and ensuring that it fits their priorities at any stage of life. In particular, women should have access to quality prenatal, maternal, and newborn care. Under the current healthcare system, however, the lack of choice in health insurance and in healthcare providers, along with skyrocketing premium and out-of-pocket costs, are failing our citizens, our families, and, in particular, our women. Studies show that women are often the primary healthcare decision-maker for their family and they deserve better options.

Strong words coming from someone whose health care plan treats sexual assault as a preexisting condition and could increase the cost of pregnancy by 425 percent. 

The ACA repeal would also include defunding Planned Parenthood ― a health care organization that provides services to more than 2.5 million Americans annually. “The lack of choice in health insurance and in healthcare providers” that Trump references above will almost certainly be a problem for the estimated 390,000 low-income women who would no longer be able to access preventative health care services, like contraception and cancer screenings, if Trump’s health care plan were to pass in the Senate.

He continued: 

I am committed to working with Congress to help mothers — and fathers — have paid family leave so that childcare is accessible and affordable, and to invest in the comprehensive care that women receive at community health centers. Through these reforms, and my 2018 Presidential Budget, we will enable access to the critical healthcare services women need.

It’s a nice sentiment, sure, but much like the rest of his health care legislation, his maternity leave policy proposals have come up way too short for working women. In September 2016, when he announced his maternity leave plan, HuffPost’s Emily Peck wrote that, “The Trump scheme is really just a hazy fantasy in which white men drink scotch all day at the office while a woman at home tends to all the details of life.” Since being elected, his maternity leave policies have yet to evolve ― and women are paying attention and speaking out about his unfair policies.

The irony of Trump’s Women’s Health Week message being delivered on Mother’s Day was not overlooked, and many on Twitter were quick to point out the hypocrisy of those who voted for the AHCA, like House Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.)

The AHCA has yet to move forward in the Senate, and lawmakers have said that many amendments will be made to the act before the Senate votes. 

-- 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 17 hours ago.

Montana Democrat Hits Opponent For Health Care Flip-Flop In New Ad

May 15, 2017, 11:11 am

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In a new ad released Monday, Montana Democrats attacked Republican House candidate Greg Gianforte for trying to hide his support for the deeply unpopular health care bill passed this month by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The multimillionaire Republican backed the proposed American Health Care Act ― which could imperil health insurance for more than 70,000 Montanans ― in a call with wealthy donors this month. After The New York Times published audio of the call, Gianforte walked back his comments, suggesting last week that he would have voted against the bill. 

The ad cuts together clips of local TV news reports about Gianforte’s changing stance on the bill, along with ominous piano music. The ad is running statewide ahead of the May 25 special election to fill the House seat vacated by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. The campaign to elect Democrat Rob Quist, a musician and ranchers’ son running on a populist platform, paid for the ad. 

“Gianforte said he was thankful for a bill that takes away protections for pre-existing conditions and raises premiums,” says the ad’s narrator. “Thankful, because he got a huge tax break in return.” 
Less than one-third of the American public favors the health care bill, according to a HuffPost/YouGov survey published last week. A Fox News poll found similar results.

Gianforte, who narrowly lost a bid to become Montana’s governor last year, leads Quist by about 6 percentage points in the latest poll. At a high-profile event last Friday, Vice President Mike Pence campaigned with Gianforte. 
Quist has attracted political star power of his own. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) plans to barnstorm Montana the weekend before the election alongside Quist, who backed Sanders’ insurgent campaign against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary last year. 

The national Democratic Party initially ignored Quist’s campaign, apparently dismissing his bid as a long shot. But as support grew for Quist, who backs single-payer health care and marijuana legalization, the party began to invest heavily in the race. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee injected $400,000 in the contest in May, twice its previous investment. The Democratic National Committee has repeatedly solicited donations from its sizable email list in recent weeks. 

Health care could prove a winning narrative for the Democrats. Quist spiraled into debt two decades ago after a botched surgery left him with a “pre-existing condition” that made health insurance unaffordable. He nearly went bankrupt paying out of pocket for repeated follow-up surgeries. 

Quist’s campaign said it raised over $550,000 last week after Gianforte’s health care flub. Total donations now top $3.8 million, with an average contribution of $25 and about 147,000 individual contributors. Sanders, for context, regularly boasted that his average donation was $27 during his failed presidential bid. 

Shane Scanlon, a spokesman for Gianforte, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. 

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-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.

Insurer Harken Health shutting doors

May 15, 2017, 1:55 pm

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Insurer Harken Health is closing its doors in Illinois and Georgia, ending an experiment to combine health insurance and care.

The insurer, which operates five health clinics in Chicago, Skokie and Des Plaines, began selling plans in Illinois and Georgia in 2015. A subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare,... Reported by ChicagoTribune 12 hours ago.

Controversial bill would give Oregon insurance regulators powers in face of Obamacare changes

May 15, 2017, 3:07 pm

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Oregon regulators are gunning for a bill that would give them more leeway to act if actions at the federal level cause the health insurance market to crater. House Bill 2342 passed the House Committee on Rules last week on a 7-2 vote, but not without some pushback from House Republican Leader Mike McLane and autism advocates. But as Department of Consumer and Business Services Director Patrick Allen sees it, the bill would give him more flexibility and tools to address sudden changes in health… Reported by bizjournals 11 hours ago.

Business Highlights

May 15, 2017, 3:53 pm

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed ambitious hopes for Asian and European governments to work more closely on finance, law enforcement and a broad range of other issues, as leaders from 30 nations issued a joint endorsement of a Beijing-led trade initiative. The "Belt and Road" project is China's biggest foreign initiative to date as Beijing looks for global stature to match its economic success. A federal judge's order that bars Uber from using technology taken by a star engineer before he left Waymo is bad news for Uber and likely will hurt the ride-hailing company's self-driving research, legal experts say. After the Volkswagen diesel cheating scandal, scientists looked worldwide and found government lab tests don't accurately measure real-world tailpipe pollution. A spurt in oil prices on Monday revived energy stocks, which have been among the year's worst performers, and helped push the broader market back to record highs. A for-sale sign has been put on the Chicago Sun-Times, and Tronc, the company that operates rival Chicago Tribune, has announced it is interested in owning the newspaper. A federal judge in Boston has approved a $7.5 million class action settlement between Wal-Mart and an ex-employee who challenged the retail chain's lack of health insurance benefits for her same-sex spouse. The settlement will pay for claims by Wal-Mart associates who say they were unable to obtain health insurance for their same-sex spouses from 2011 to 2013. Natural gas fell 8 cents to $3.35 per 1,000 cubic feet, heating oil rose 2 cents to $1.51 per gallon and wholesale gasoline climbed 2 cents to $1.60 per gallon. Reported by SeattlePI.com 10 hours ago.

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Gov't report: Progress reducing US uninsured stalled in 2016

May 15, 2017, 9:34 pm

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WASHINGTON (AP) — After five consecutive years of coverage gains, progress reducing the number of uninsured Americans stalled in 2016, according to a government report Tuesday that underscores the stakes as Republicans try to roll back Barack Obama's law. The politically unpopular GOP bill passed by the House would limit Medicaid financing and curtail subsidies for many consumers buying their own private policies. Republicans also would repeal the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance or risk fines. "The real question is, will we be able to keep the gains that we have made?" Critical of the ACA and co-author of an alternative plan by GOP policy experts, Wilensky nonetheless supports the goal of expanding coverage. To increase coverage, you would have to see more states take up the Medicaid expansion, and some reforms to increase takeup in the individual (private) market. Hillary Clinton, who Trump defeated, had promised to increase government assistance for private insurance costs, and also work to convince holdout states to expand their Medicaid programs. Reported by SeattlePI.com 4 hours ago.

RAM Technologies, Inc. to Showcase Advanced Capabilities to Simplify Medicare and Medicaid Administration at AHIP’s Institute 2017

May 16, 2017, 12:05 am

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RAM Technologies to highlight next generation software for Medicare and Medicaid health plans at annual meeting of America’s Health Insurance Plans, Institute 2017.

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) May 16, 2017

RAM Technologies, Inc., the perennial leader in the development of enterprise claims processing software for healthcare payers is pleased to announce its continued support of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) with the sponsorship of Institute 2017. RAM is participating in the event as both a sponsor and exhibitor. This year’s conference will be held June 7th through 9th in Austin, Texas.

“AHIP is at the forefront of the evolution of the American healthcare system,” stated Christopher P. Minton, Executive Vice President of RAM Technologies. “They are dedicated to strengthening the system as a whole and ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable healthcare. We are very proud to support AHIP and the fine work they do on behalf of all Americans.”

AHIP’s Institute 2017 is the consummate event for healthcare payers (health plans and benefit administrators). This year’s conference features essential discussions focused on strengthening our healthcare system including:· Idea Sharing – with big-picture visionaries and mission-focused stakeholders
· Industry Best Practices – to identify what works, what does not work and how to implement those practices to best serve your membership

Within the exhibit hall of this year’s event RAM will be demonstrating their solutions HEALTHsuite® Mercato and eHealthsuite™ and their proven capabilities to reduce the cost of Medicare Advantage, Managed Medicaid and Dual Eligible administration.

HEALTHsuite Mercato is a highly adaptable, browser-based solution designed to streamline the administration of government sponsored healthcare programs (Managed Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Financial Alignment Initiative-Duals, Federal Employee Health Benefits, etc.). HEALTHsuite Mercato provides unparalleled automation across health plan operations including eligibility and enrollment, benefit administration, provider contracting and reimbursement, provider credentialing, medical & utilization management, care management, premium billing, encounter / claims administration, overpayment recovery, customer service, contact management, capitation, subrogation, fulfillment, EDI integration, management & operational reporting and more.

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

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

About RAM Technologies:
RAM Technologies is the leading provider of enterprise claims processing software and claims adjudication software for health plans. For over 36 years RAM Technologies has led the way in the creation of Medicaid software solutions, Medicare software solutions and software for dual eligible processing (the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative). RAM Technologies has been recognized on Inc. Magazine’s List of Fastest Growing Private Companies and the Philadelphia Business Journal’s List of Top Software Developers for their advancements in the creation of comprehensive claims management software for Medicare and Medicaid administration. To learn more about RAM Technologies’ healthcare claims processing and managed care software solutions call (877) 654-8810 or visit ramtechinc.com. Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.

NCAA and LEAD1 Association to Collaborate on Insurance Study for Student-Athletes

May 16, 2017, 12:25 am

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Goal of study is to determine how insurance is provided for student-athletes and identify potential new approaches by working with a group of 30 institutions across all three NCAA divisions, with an emphasis on universities in Division I.

Indianapolis and Washington, D.C (PRWEB) May 16, 2017

The National Collegiate Athletic Association and LEAD1 Association have agreed to conduct a joint study of university and college insurance practices and how they support student-athletes.

The goal of the study is to more fully understand how campuses provide insurance coverage for their student-athletes and identify potential new approaches by working with a group of 30 institutions across all three NCAA divisions, with an emphasis on universities in Division I.

Jon Oliver, executive associate athletics director at the University of Virginia, will lead a task force that will direct the study and analyze the results. David Brookbank, a consultant who specializes in insurance programs and best practices, will conduct the study. Brookbank consults with various colleges and universities on the topic of student-athlete insurance programs.

Kathleen McNeely, NCAA senior vice president of administration and chief financial officer, said the study will help colleges and universities determine how to continue to support student-athletes’ health and safety.

“This is a primary goal for the NCAA and has been since our founding as an Association,” McNeely said. “We already had been sharing data with LEAD1 on this important topic, so undertaking this study was a natural and collaborative next step to examine how to provide the most effective and affordable health insurance coverage possible for student-athletes at member institutions. Our hope is that by looking more closely at what is working well, we can benefit all student-athletes.”

C. Thomas McMillen, president and chief executive officer of LEAD1 Association, commented: “We are pleased to undertake this study with the NCAA and hope to identify insurance programs that provide solid coverages for student-athletes participating in intercollegiate sports. Providing and/or making available the best affordable insurance coverage to student-athletes is paramount in today’s college sports. Our student-athletes deserve the best and most cost-efficient products the insurance industry has to offer.”

About the NCAA: The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association.

About LEAD1 Association: LEAD1 is an association of the athletics directors of the 129 universities that compose the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision. LEAD1 Association represents the athletics directors and the athletics programs of these institutions as well as the student-athletes in each program. Key to the LEAD1 Association mission are influencing how the rules of college sports are enacted and implemented, advocating for the future of college athletics and providing various services to the members.

Media Contacts:

NCAA
Stacey Osburn
Director of Public and Media Relations
317-917-6117
sosburn(at)ncaa.org

LEAD1 Association
Jonathan Yates
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
(301) 807-2523
jonathan(at)lead1a.com Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.

Joseph Norena of Bridge Norena & Associates Highlights 5 Misconceptions About Student Accident Plans

May 16, 2017, 1:07 am

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Calabasas Insurance professional who specializes in student accident insurance plans, separates fact from fiction.

Calabasas, CA (PRWEB) May 16, 2017

Joseph Norena’s firm, Bridge Norena and Associates, has helped educators and administrators meet their insurance needs for over thirty-five years, long enough to witness how easy it is for certain erroneous beliefs to form regarding what school accident plans really are, what they cover, what they don’t and how schools can best leverage them.

Mr. Norena has put together a list of the five most common misconceptions currently circulating on this topic.

Misconception #1 — A basic student accident plan covers all elements of the student experience.

According to Norena, it’s often taken for granted that student accident policies cover students both at school and while participating in any school-affiliated function, from most team practices to senior prom. This is not the case. The basic student accident policy covers registered students only during essential “school time” activities: class, recess, physical education etc. For extracurricular and off-campus activities, such as field trips and school sponsored sports, an additional layer of coverage is required.

Misconception #2 — Basic student accident plans are “all-risk” policies

When it comes to insuring a school and its students, there are more risk dimensions in play than most administrators realize. “Basic student accident plans do not provide coverage for sickness nor do they compensate parents for time taken off work to take their child to see a physician,” Norena says. “It’s important to know where all of these coverage gaps are in your student accident insurance plan.”

Misconception #3 — Student accident plans take the place of family health insurance

When a child sustains an injury at school, the family’s health insurance is the primary insurer not the school accident plan. The school accident plan acts as the secondary insurer; it may be able to provide some relief in certain areas left uncovered or under-covered by the family health insurance.

Misconception #4 — If an injured student is covered by a student accident plan, then the family does not need to take any action.

Not true. As Norena points out, ”Student accident plans are ‘claims-made.’ The family must submit medical statements along with a corresponding explanation of benefits.” Norena goes on to urge families to take action as soon as possible following an injury, and to be aware of the benefit period, which usually spans one calendar year from the injury date.

Misconception #5 — School volunteers cannot be covered on a student accident policy

Another common misconception; according to Norena, “[A student accident policy] can be endorsed to provide an additional layer of protection…and can help pick up the costs for medical treatment left unpaid or not covered by the volunteer’s primary health insurance.”· These statements are intended for general information and educational purposes only. The material is intended, but not promised to complete, or up to date and should in no way be taken as an indication of future or current practice.*

About Bridge Norena & Associates Insurance Agency
Bridge Norena & Associates is a family owned and operated insurance agency that provides a number of diverse insurance products to various types of state-licensed facilities within California. Its insurance services include package policies, business auto, workers’ compensation, student accident, special event and more. For more information, please call (818) 225-1627, visit http://www.bridgenorena.com/ or follow them on Facebook. The office is located at 23875 Ventura Blvd., Suite 105, Calabasas, CA 91302.

For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361. Reported by PRWeb 55 minutes ago.

Employee Benefit Professionals Launch StuLo, a Student Loan Debt Relief and Financial Wellness Benefit

May 16, 2017, 1:07 am

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As an alternative to employer-funded student loan repayment assistance benefits, Student Markets Group, Inc. d/b/a StuLo, provides significantly more benefit value at little to no cost to the employer.

Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) May 16, 2017

Student Markets Group Inc. has announced the launch of StuLo, an employee and association-member benefit program that is focused on financial wellness, student loan debt relief, and credit repair services.

The program was created by employee benefit veterans and Student Markets Group co-founders Ben Rozum and Aaron Cook to make a meaningful difference in employees lives by providing a solution to the issue of student loan debt in the United States, along with the many rising financial issues employees face.

With student loan debt taking center stage in the marketplace, many are working to find a solution. Today, 44 million Americans—including recent graduates, parents and grandparents—are paying off student loans. And in 2016, college graduates averaged more than $37,000 in loan debt. With $1.3 trillion dollars of total student loan debt in the U.S., the student loan relief benefit is rising in popularity. According to Forbes, it is one of the hottest employee benefits of 2017.

Emerging companies that are looking to provide a solution in the employee benefits marketplace tend to be singular-focused solutions from outside the benefits industry who are technology-platform companies, banks, or financial institutions. StuLo differentiates itself by being an employee benefits-based company and taking a wholistic-approach to offering a benefit solution for all employees, and not just those with student loans.

“Coming from an employee benefits background, we understand how HR professionals and benefit advisors look at non-core employee benefit programs,” said Ben Rozum, Co-Founder and President of Student Markets Group, “The solution can’t just help a small segment of employees. With StuLo, we offer a wholistic approach to financial wellness for all employees, and not just those saddled with student loan debt. By offering a voluntary benefit option, employers do not have to commit a huge budget toward a student loan repayment benefit and can offer a meaningful benefit with StuLo that will help employees with immediate monthly cash flow savings.”

StuLo aims to provide a solution for employers and employees alike. Millennials consist of the largest generation in the workforce and surveys show they want (and expect) their employer to help them with their financial issues. Moreover, the studies reveal that a student loan relief benefit ranks as the 3rd most important benefit behind health insurance and 401(k) match. The benefit can not only provide financial relief for employees and improve productivity in the workplace, it can also be used as a recruiting and retention tool for employers.

StuLo consists of four core services:
1.    Student loan consolidation and refinancing marketplace to reduce monthly payments, lower overall interest payments, and potentially qualify for federal student loan debt forgiveness.
2.    Financial coaching that provides telephone counseling and online tools to help balance everyday financial stresses and provide overall well-being.
3.    Credit repair, which includes advocacy and document processing with creditors and credit bureaus to significantly increase credit scores.
4.    Insurance and other benefits, such as debt payment protection, identity theft security, and other related insurance products and financial protection services.

In addition, StuLo includes a concierge-level of service that provides employees with over-the-phone support to access financial coaches, student loan specialists, and credit repair consultants.

“Financial concerns and student loan issues are complicated. They are not a ‘DIY’ solution that employees should be left to figure out on their own through web-based technology tools,” says co-founder Ben Rozum. “With StuLo, we’ve partnered with industry-leading providers to offer a concierge-level of telephonic services to help employees fully understand their situation to make informed and confident financial benefit decisions.”

This packaged benefit solution will be distributed through employee benefit brokers and consultants to employers, exchanges, associations, and affinity groups. StuLo can be offered on a completely voluntary basis via an employee’s credit or debit card, or as an employer-paid benefit. As an alternative to an employer-funded student loan repayment assistance benefit, StuLo is easy for employers to implement because it has a voluntary option that requires no cost and no administration.

For more information on how to offer StuLo to employees or association members, contact your employee benefits broker or call Student Markets Group Inc. at 602-888-3090 or visit http://www.StuLoWellness.com.

About Student Markets Group Inc. d/b/a StuLo and Coterie Advisory Group Inc.
Student Markets Group, which is majority-owned by Coterie Advisory Group, is the national pro-gram manager for the StuLo benefit program. The companies provide consultative services and product solutions that are dedicated to helping consumers in the insurance and benefits industry—including the rising concerns of affordable health insurance and student loan debt relief.

StuLo is an employee benefit and association-member benefit program that is focused on: financial wellness, student loan debt relief, and credit repair services. The benefit program takes a wholistic approach to providing a financial wellness benefit for all employees and members—not just a benefit to help student loan holders only. The aggregation of financial related benefits include: general financial coaching and online tools, concierge services to help with federal student loan consolidation enrollment, private student loan refinancing marketplace, concierge services to help with credit repair, debt payment protection, identity theft security, and other financial related insurance benefits and non-insurance services. As an alternative to an employer-funded student loan repayment assistance benefit, StuLo provides significantly more benefit value at little to no cost to the employer.

Our packages of consumer-centric insurance and non-insurance programs solve real-world problems, make a meaningful difference in consumers' lives, and have a track record of being market-leading and market-changing. http://www.StuLoWellness.com | http://www.coterieadvisors.com

## Reported by PRWeb 55 minutes ago.