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Compensation Programs Welcomes New Team Members

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Compensation announces new hires.

Lincoln, Nebraska (PRWEB) June 01, 2017

Compensation Programs, Inc. (ComPro) is excited to welcome two new team members, Brian Northup and Christel Essay.

Northup, the newest Individual Account Manager has been with the ComPro Team since late 2016 and comes with great credentials from the banking industry. Northup impressed ComPro by passing his insurance license exam in only 30 days and is guiding ComPro clients in selecting health insurance plans.

Northrup said, “I love getting to know our clients and making health insurance work for them. There are many variables that are often overlooked that can make a big difference in how people interact and benefit from their health insurance. I want our clients to be as informed as possible so they can make educated decisions regarding their health care.”

Essay, Group Account Manager, recently joined the ComPro Team. She comes with experience in Voluntary Benefits products and accolades from her former clients. Essay is learning her way around the Employee Benefits market and is responding to client service needs. While health insurance is a new market for Essay, she is well versed in providing great service and taking the extra step to ensure clients are well cared for.

“I thrive on helping people understand insurance, what benefits they have and where they may have a gap in coverage. Learning more about health insurance will allow me to do that to a greater extent now,” said Essay when asked about her new role.

ComPro has been serving Nebraska’s Individual, Family and Group health insurance needs since 1991. To learn more about ComPro and their services, contact Chris McPike at chrismcpike(at)comproins.com or visit http://www.comproins.com Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.

Healthcare Executive To Lead Weber Health

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Weber Associates announces Anthony J. Pino will assume the position of President of Weber Health.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) June 01, 2017

Weber Associates, a consulting and marketing agency, today announced that Anthony J. Pino will assume the position of President of Weber Health effective June 19, 2017.

As President of Weber Health, Tony will assume responsibility for leading our focus in healthcare and related industries, directing the organization's growth while ensuring and maintaining Weber's unique culture and commitment to its clients.

Tony has over 38 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He served in a number of executive positions over the years including Senior Vice President of Managed Care at Ameritox, CEO and President of MedPlans Partners, President of American Benefit Plan Administrators, and Executive Vice President of Firstsource's Healthcare Vertical.

Early in his career, he held Supervisor, Manager and Director level positions at the Washington D.C., Maryland and New York City Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans. In these positions, he successfully directed and/or provided oversight for the complete spectrum of health insurance, managed care and utilization review functions.

"We are honored to have someone of Tony’s caliber join our team. His depth of knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we look to find new ways to add value to our clients. He will be a mentor and coach to all of us,” said Koichi Kiyohara, partner of Weber Associates.

About Weber Associates

Weber Associates provides frontline consulting and marketing communication services to improve the performance of sales and customer service for clients across a number of industries. These services focus in the following areas:

Strategies & Tactics: Crafting marketing and sales strategies, messaging, and frontline tools to effectively communicate and execute on the brand promise.·     Brand Messaging
·     Web Development
·     Social Media Planning & Execution
·     Sales Tool Development
·     Advertising

Frontline Execution: Designing and executing frontline processes and coaching programs to improve the customer experience and increase sales.·     Contact Center Effectiveness
·     Field & Channel Partner Effectiveness
·     Coaching Excellence
·     Frontline Training & Certification
·     Sales Campaign Execution

Insights & Analytics: Turning customer and frontline observations and data into actionable and operational recommendations to drive growth.·     Market Research
·     Quality Assurance Monitoring and Calibration
·     Data Analysis
·     Interactive Dashboards

Weber Associates was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Columbus, OH. For more information, visit http://www.weberassoc.com.

Media Contact:
Annette Crouch
Weber Associates
acrouch@weberassoc.com
614-222-6806 Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.

United States: Affordable Care Act – From Repeal and Replace to Regulatory Reform? - Bowditch & Dewey

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Health care providers who have grown used to a new landscape shaped by the increased availability of health insurance coverage for their patients, made possible by Massachusetts health reform efforts .. Reported by Mondaq 17 hours ago.

AIS Health, 3M Partner for June 15 Webinar on Using Risk Adjustment to Manage Variation in Health Care

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During this complimentary webinar from AIS Health and 3M Health Information Systems, participants will learn how to manage variation using risk adjustment to improve health care value.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 01, 2017

AIS Health and 3M Health Information Systems are pleased to announce “Managing Variation in Health Care: The Unique Role of Risk Adjustment,” a complimentary June 15 webinar. In this hour-long program, L. Gordon Moore, M.D., Senior Medical Director of Clinical Strategy & Value Based Care at 3M, and Consultant Erika Johnson will discuss how to use risk adjustment to reveal variation — the difference between the quality and utilization rates you can expect (expected rate) and the rates that actually occur (observed rates) — and how that variation impacts payment rates and performance goals.

Webinar participants will learn:· How understanding variability can help form strategies and tactics to impact outcomes
· What goes into calculating an expected rate
· How expected rates are used to develop budgets and determine key performance indicators (KPIs)
· How to monitor performance against a budget and KPIs to unmask variability

Visit https://aishealth.com/sponsored/3M-webinar-0617 for more details and registration information.

About 3M
3M Health Information Systems works with providers, payers and government agencies to anticipate and navigate a changing healthcare landscape. 3M provides healthcare data aggregation, analysis and strategic services that help clients move from volume to value-based health care, resulting in cost savings, improved provider performance and higher quality care. 3M’s innovative software is designed to raise the bar for computer-assisted coding, clinical documentation improvement, performance monitoring, quality outcomes reporting and terminology management. For more information, visit http://www.3m.com/his/vbc or follow on Twitter @3MHISNews.

About AIS Health
AIS Health is a publishing and information company that has served the health care industry for more than 30 years. AIS Health’s mission is to provide objective and relevant business and strategic information for health care executives, by developing highly targeted news, data and analysis for managers at health insurance companies, pharmaceutical organizations, providers, purchasers and other health care industry stakeholders. AIS Health, which maintains journalistic independence from its parent company, MMIT, is committed to integrity in reporting and bringing transparency to health industry data. Learn more at https://AISHealth.com and https://AISHealthData.com. Reported by PRWeb 17 hours ago.

GOP Health Plan Could be Costly for Those With Coverage Gaps

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As a thyroid cancer survivor battling nerve damage and other complications, Lisa Dammert was in such dire financial straits in 2014 that she and her husband did the unthinkable: They let their health insurance lapse for a while. Reported by Newsmax 9 hours ago.

Lee plans spending increase on SF homeless programs

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San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, facing pressure from residents tired of stepping around sidewalk tents and piles of dirty needles, said Wednesday that he would spend additional millions to deal with homelessness and make it a top budget priority in the next two years. Most of that was spent on three broad areas: shelters and Navigation Centers that take in homeless people, their partners and even their pets, and provide services such as substance-abuse treatment and job-finding help; long-term supportive housing for formerly homeless people; and medical outreach teams that care for people who would otherwise shuttle in and out of emergency rooms. Lee hopes to expand services at a new harm reduction center at Sixth and Mission streets, which offers counseling and medical care for people with addictions and mental health issues. The mayor’s budget would also beef up a “fix-it” program that the city started last year to deal with such street health and safety hazards as abandoned drug paraphernalia and broken streetlights, and eyesores including graffiti and dilapidated news racks. A large portion of the $65 million in new spending over the next two years would be directed at drug users, specifically those hooked on heroin and other opiates, addictions the mayor blames for long-term inability of San Francisco and many other cities to make a visible dent in the street population. The plan for a special paramedic team, which began as a pilot last year, is designed to ease the burden on San Francisco’s overwhelmed 911 dispatch center and emergency rooms. Lee’s budget would also replace $32 million in state funds that are being cut for an in-home care program for seniors and people with disabilities, a program that provides legal representation for foster youth, and for the CalWORKS welfare program. [...] it sets aside $50 million to help San Franciscans who might not have health insurance should President Trump and Republicans in Congress sharply cut federal health care spending. Reported by SFGate 15 hours ago.

Making Leave Affordable

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Cross-posted from Families as They Really Are with permission.

By Maura Baldiga and Pamela Joshi

The birth or adoption of a child. The serious illness of a parent. One’s own health emergency. There are health and medical occasions, both joyous and difficult, which require workers to take time off to care and heal. Yet not all people can take the time they need.

Nearly all industrialized nations recognize the necessity of time by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave. The U.S. does not. Paid family and medical leave policy provides extended partially paid time off from work in the event of workers’ own or a close family member’s serious medical condition. A growing number of U.S. workers have access to paid family and medical leave from state or local polices or through their employers. However, most workers do not have access to any paid family or medical leave.

Although the U.S. lacks national paid family and medical leave policy, it does have national unpaid leave. In 1993 the U.S. passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), an important law which guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid family and medical leave for qualifying employees who need to provide care for themselves or a close family member.

In the event they need to take family and medical leave, the FMLA provides eligible employees with two primary protections: retention of health insurance (if insurance is provided by the employer) and job protection, meaning that upon return from leave employees are restored to the same or an equivalent position. A key caveat of the FMLA is that most workers do not meet the eligibility requirements necessary to gain access to these protections. At diversitydatakids.org, our research finds that that less than half (45 percent) of all workers (including the self-employed) are eligible for FMLA and that there are inequities in eligibility.

Beyond eligibility, for many families, forgoing pay for up to 12 weeks, even in the midst of serious health needs, is highly unrealistic. Workers may rely on sick days, vacation time, or other types of paid time off, but not all workers have access to these benefits, which are not designed to provide workers with extended time off. Research shows that the financial cost of family and medical leave is a primary barrier workers face as they make leave choices.

Our new fact sheet from diversitydatakids.org explores how paid family and medical leave policy could reduce cost barriers to leave for U.S. working families. This research answers several important questions related to the affordability of family and medical leave.

*How much does unpaid family and medical leave cost families in the event they need it?*

Taking unpaid family and medical leave, in the event that it is needed, results in a large financial burden for families. Six weeks of unpaid family and medical leave results in a 27 percent loss of family income over a three-month period (i.e., quarterly income) for U.S. full-year workers. The financial shock of family and medical leave is even greater if a worker needs to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave: on average he/she loses well over half of quarterly family income.

*Are there alternatives to unpaid family and medical leave that could be implemented in the U.S.?*

As an alternative to national unpaid family and medical leave that would bring the U.S. in line with other industrialized nations, the U.S. could offer paid leave through a social insurance policy approach (similar to the approach taken by Social Security programs). Employers and workers would jointly finance an insurance fund which workers would then draw from if they experienced a qualifying health condition and needed to take family and medical leave. While on leave, workers would receive partial wage replacement (maximums would be set for both the benefit amount and the number of weeks of leave). While social insurance does impose a cost on employers in addition to employees, studies of existing state paid family and medical leave insurance programs have found minimal perceived negative impact on businesses.

As proposed in pending federal legislation, a paid family and medical leave social insurance approach that based eligibility on the parameters set by Social Security Disability Insurance would increase eligibility rates for paid leave in the U.S. to 89 percent of the working-age population.

*How would paid family and medical leave help families?*

Currently four states and the District of Columbia have paid leave insurance laws. If we apply the New Jersey family and medical leave policy to U.S. workers (66 percent wage replacement up to a maximum of $633 per week) income losses would be reduced by half. Rather than lose 27 percent of income for six weeks of unpaid family and medical leave during a three month period, families would lose just 12 percent. Loss of income for 12 weeks of family and medical leave would be reduced from 55 percent of quarterly family income to 23 percent of family income. For middle-income workers the benefits of paid family and medical leave are even greater: it would reduce affordability constraints by almost two-thirds.

*Public Policy Options*

Recent public opinion surveys indicate broad public support for a social insurance paid leave policy in the U.S.: over three quarters of voters support a federal law establishing a fund that would offer all workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. Paid family and medical leave is a popularly supported program and there is pending legislation in the U.S. Senate that would establish a family and medical leave insurance program to provide for families in times of health crises.

People need support to maintain employment during health crises or when they become parents; it’s about time the U.S. provides it.Maura Baldiga (left) is a research associate and Pamela Joshi (right) is associate director and senior scientist at the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Their research focuses on family economic security and access to work and family policies.  

-- 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 10 hours ago.

Mick Mulvaney Says It Might Be Time to Dump the CBO

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Mick Mulvaney Says It Might Be Time to Dump the CBO In the interview, Mulvaney reserved particular ire for the CBO analysis of how many individuals would lose health insurance through Medicaid. Reported by Mediaite 11 hours ago.

Spartan Capital Securities LLC Hires Jeremy Dickstein to Head its Private Wealth Management Division

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Spartan Capital Securities LLC Hires Jeremy Dickstein to Head its Private Wealth Management Division

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 01, 2017

Jeremy Dickstein has joined Spartan Capital Securities LLC as a Senior Managing Director overseeing Spartan Capital Private Wealth Management LLC. Mr. Dickstein brings over 25 years of experience across various roles in the financial services industry with firms such as Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley and Fidelity Investments. A natural leader, Mr. Dickstein has been teaching financial literacy for over 20 years and has extensive experience training and supervising teams engaged in financial planning, asset allocation, investment vehicles and educational and retirement planning.

Spartan Capital Securities’ Founder and CEO, John Lowry commented: “We are very pleased that Mr. Dickstein has joined the Spartan team. His strong leadership skills and extensive knowledge will be instrumental in helping to leverage our Firm's capabilities and grow our Private Wealth Management Division."

Mr. Dickstein received a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University. He serves as a Mentor, Class Agent Reunion and Traditions Committees Member, Alumni Interviewer and Social Ambassador for Columbia and is also the Westchester Region Chair for Columbia's Alumni Representative Committee (ARC). He currently holds FINRA Series 7, 8, 63 and 65 licenses, as well as a New York State life, accident and health insurance license.

About Spartan Capital Private Wealth Management LLC:
Spartan Capital Private Wealth Management LLC directly serves high net worth and ultra high net worth clients globally offering a full suite of banking, investment and other wealth management solutions. The business also provides asset management products and services through its partnership with RBC Wealth Management's Portfolio Advisory Group.

About Spartan Capital Securities LLC:
Spartan Capital Securities, LLC (SCS) is a full-service, integrated financial services firm that provides sound investment guidance for high net worth individuals and institutions. Their in-depth market knowledge, calculated risk management strategy and investment acumen have earned them a strong reputation as trusted financial advisors. SCS also offers advisory and insurance services through its affiliates, Spartan Capital Private Wealth Management LLC and Spartan Capital Insurance Services LLC.

If you have any questions, contact:
info(at)spartancapital.com Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.

Trump Wants To Roll Back Birth Control Access. Women Aren't Having It.

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The Trump administration is poised to roll back an Obamacare mandate that requires employers to cover birth control for female employees, according to a draft rule released this week.

Democratic leaders have called the move “sickening.” The American Civil Liberties Union said it would fight the rule in court. And women across the country who have come to count on being able to access a broad range of contraceptive options without a copay were outraged, taking to Twitter to share their personal stories.


Used to pay roughly $1200 a year for the pill. Now I pay nothing. Would love for it to remain the case. *smh* https://t.co/hwRWqPd4xH

— Hugh Madson (@sweet_epiphany) May 31, 2017



ACA meant I could afford my long term implanted bc (implanon!) and let my husband and I focus on paying off our debt before having kids. https://t.co/XVWwEXaRfe

— Meagan Lopez (@MeaganMCrowe) May 31, 2017


HuffPost Women spoke to 12 women about how the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate has affected their lives, and the many reasons why they rely on birth control. Here are their powerful stories.

 

Alexandra, 31, got an IUD after being raped:

“I wasn’t on birth control when I was raped at 19. It was the scariest six weeks of my life as I waited for my next cycle. I have an IUD now, which I got 10 years after my rape when I was a staff member at Planned Parenthood. I’m on medication to treat several autoimmune disorders and cannot get pregnant. 

*Birth control is more than a contraceptive to me; it helped me regain control of my body after someone robbed it from me*. I was able to get my IUD covered through the mandate. In three years, when I need a new one put in, I know I will not be able to afford to pay out of pocket. It would be a financial burden, but my Mirena is part of my medical treatment—just like the other medications I take.” —Alexandra Dukat, 31, New York

 

Anonymous, 23, needs birth control to help manage her PCOS:

“I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which is an endocrine disorder that causes a host of problems, like painful cysts, weight gain, insulin resistance and diabetes, acne, exhaustion, brain fog, vitamin deficiencies, depression, anxiety, and trouble getting pregnant, just to name few. My birth control prescription not only helps keep all of those symptoms at bay, it allowed me to finish a bachelor’s degree in three years because I was able to actually function.

*The day that the Obamacare birth control mandate went into effect, I cried at the pharmacy counter. I wasn’t really aware of what was happening ― I was in college, still on my mother’s insurance and was accustomed to forking over $20 of my $100 monthly grocery budget for the pill. It was such a huge relief to know I would be covered at no cost.* I am worried now, knowing that as I search for jobs in the post-grad world, that I could wind up in a similar situation ― or worse. I hear people say, ‘Well, you shouldn’t go to work for a company that wouldn’t cover your birth control at 100 percent.’ As if every person in the country gets a million options for employment. As if this won’t turn into a slippery slope of non-religious employers opting out of the mandate just to cut costs.” —Anonymous, 23, Texas

 

Danielle, 26, needs birth control to get out of bed and function: 

“I have been on birth control since age 16 due to incredibly painful heavy periods and ovarian cysts. *The pain was so terrible that a couple days every month I would be bedridden. The paramedics even had to come to my home because I would often hyperventilate from the electrifying pain and pass out. *

With birth control pills, my pain is almost entirely gone, and so are my cysts. I can participate in life. Birth control lets me rock my career, explore and try new activities and travel the world with my love—plus, I don’t want kids. Not now, not ever.”—Danielle Chandler, 26, California

 

Anne, 40, needs her birth control to be covered or she’ll have to have a hysterectomy: 

“I was grateful for the coverage mandate when I began taking birth control pills while undergoing infertility treatment. Before two separate egg retrieval operations, I needed to take the pill to prevent natural egg release.* Infertility treatment is extremely expensive, and we were desperate just for that little bit of financial relief. We were already extended, and it was just a bit more that we didn’t have to take out in a loan. *

While our attempts to have a baby were ultimately unsuccessful, my doctor is currently considering birth control pills to help manage an issue with recurring uterine fibroids. Without coverage, I will likely have to resort to a hysterectomy as I cannot afford additional monthly medical expenses.” —Anne Hunter, 40, Illinois

 

Katrina, 35, takes birth control to lower her cancer risk:

“I’m a BRCA carrier, like Angelina Jolie, who lives in fear of ovarian cancer. If a pill means that I can lower the chances of meeting the fate of my family members, I want that pill. I took it for 10 years and have also used an IUD. I also recently had my tubes tied. All of my birth control choices, from the pill to surgery, were covered by my insurance. 

*The idea that my BRCA mutation, which I may have passed on to my three daughters, could already be considered a preexisting condition is stressful enough without knowing that the one thing that is non-invasive and can help reduce their risk can be taken away as well.” *—Katrina, 35, New Jersey

 

Kelsey, 24, needs birth control to function and she can’t afford $100 a month:

“I’ve been on birth control since I was in 8th grade. When I got my period, I bled for almost two whole weeks every month and remember having constant spotting. Schools only were allowed to administer so much ibuprofen, Tylenol before I was turned away and was eventually sent home because I couldn’t sit upright in my desk chair.

I’m now 24 years old and have never stopped taking birth control. I have an active sex life with my long-term boyfriend. We are both college grads with crippling amounts of student debt and rely on my birth control being free every month. *We don’t want to have to decide between $100 in a prescription or a $100 of food for the month. I’m scared. I don’t want my coverage of birth control to disappear. Will I be able to continue working if the unbearable cramps return with the two-week periods?* I don’t know—and I don’t want to find out.” —Kelsey, 24, Kansas

 

Lynnsey, 25, needs the NuvaRing to manage her endometriosis: 

“I rely on contraceptives to manage my endometriosis. After complications and a surgery to remove an ovary, I’ve finally found a doctor who knows how to keep my symptoms at bay, and that includes taking birth control.

*Without the coverage mandate, I wouldn’t be able to afford the medication that prevents my endometriosis from getting worse and damaging other organs*. I currently use the NuvaRing, which would cost around $130. I would not be able to swing that much each month.” —Lynnsey, 25, Wisconsin

 

Devina, 23, uses birth control because she never wants kids:

“I’m 23 years old and have always known I never wanted kids. The free birth control my employer’s health insurance provides makes that happen. My mother, who was not so fortunate to have easily accessible birth control, had me at a young age and raised me on her own and went through struggles I will never know to ensure she could not only provide a promising future for me, but for herself as well (she got a Ph.D. in math).

*With the current contraceptive mandate, I know my reproductive future will go exactly the way I want it to, and that I can stay as happy in life as I am right now. Before, I had to pay a $40 co-pay every month.* I could afford that, but other women cannot.” —Devina Alvarado-Rodela, 23, Arizona

 

*Nicole, 28, worries she won’t be able to afford another IUD: *

“I started taking pills I believe when I was 13 to track my periods and make sure they didn’t interfere with swim meets. My periods meant horrible cramps, so knowing what meets had conflicting dates with my cycle was really, really helpful.

Eventually, I switched to an IUD, which was paid for in full by my insurance. I need to replace it next year, and I’ll admit I’m a little nervous—I’m not sure how much a replacement will run me. My fiance and I have talked about it and I’ve agreed to go back on the pill if that’s more within our price range. While I’m sure we can afford some form of birth control, I’m sad that price might mean limiting some of our options.” —Nicole, 28, Florida

 

Anonymous, 23, got better birth control through the ACA:

“I’m young. I work three jobs and can barely make ends meet. Having a baby now would ruin me financially, probably for the rest of my life—not to mention how it would impact that child. *I rely on birth control because I don’t think I should have to take a vow of celibacy just because I’m not financially stable yet.*

Before the ACA, I was on the cheapest generic birth control I could get—it cost me about $10 a month out of pocket. After the election, I scheduled an appointment to get an IUD and it’s looking more and more like I made the right decision.”—Anonymous, 27, Missouri

 

Mandie, 31, needs birth control to help with PMDD:

“I depend on birth control to help with my acne, to combat PMDD (which is an awful, super-sized version of PMS) and to curb cramps.* I already pay about $30 a month out-of-pocket on other prescriptions, so it’s really nice that this has been free and available to me.* The kind I take isn’t cheap—well over $50 a month without coverage. Without insurance, I’d never be able to afford it.” —Mandie, 31, Wisconsin

 

Sarah, 29, already has three kids and doesn’t want another: 

*“I choose to use an oral birth control pill because I currently do not want to have another baby* (I recently had my third child) and I do not want to get an abortion, though I am pro-choice. I’m fortunate that the contraceptive coverage mandate doesn’t affect me, because my medications are fully covered under military health care. Unfortunately, that is not an option for everyone.” —Sarah Peachey, 29, currently based in Germany 

-- 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.

ODH Medical Director Candace Saldarini, M.D. to Co-Present on Leveraging Technology to Maximize Care Management for High-Risk Patients at AHIP Health Conference

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ODH, Inc. Medical Director Candace Saldarini, M.D. will co-present at upcoming AHIP conference on strategies for integrating and leveraging behavioral and physical health care data to address the complex care needs of high-risk patients.

Princeton, NJ (PRWEB) June 01, 2017

Candace Saldarini, M.D., a medical director of ODH, Inc. is co-presenting at AHIP’s upcoming Institute & Expo 2017 on strategies for integrating and leveraging behavioral and physical health data to address the complex care needs of high-risk patients. Dr. Saldarini’s co-presenters are Monica Oss, CEO of Open Minds and Debra Smyers, Senior Vice President of Medical Management for Sunshine Health.

Dr. Saldarini will discuss how the use of technology, including risk assessment methodologies and predictive analytics, can improve clinical decision-making.

Dr. Saldarini, Ms. Oss and Ms. Smyers will present on Friday, June 9, 2017 from 7:45am to 8:30am CST. The Institute & Expo conference will be held at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas.                 

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) is the national association whose members provide coverage for health care and related services. Through these offerings, it improves and protects the health and financial security of consumers, families, businesses, communities and the nation. It is committed to market-based solutions and public-private partnerships that improve affordability, value, access, and well-being for consumers.

About ODH, Inc.
ODH, Inc. is an innovative behavioral health technology and services solution company that leverages technology and clinical expertise to transform the delivery and economics of behavioral healthcare. ODH’s team of experts have decades of experience in the behavioral health, medical, clinical, pharmacy, business and data analytics and information technology fields, and is uniquely qualified to support the transformation of the management of behavioral healthcare. ODH is a subsidiary of Otsuka America, Inc. and part of the Otsuka Group of companies, an $11.9 billion global organization. Otsuka aspires to create new products for better health worldwide. For additional information on ODH, Inc., visit http://www.ODHSolutions.com and follow on Twitter @ODHInc. Reported by PRWeb 8 hours ago.

GOP Senators Weigh Taxing Employer-Health Plans

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Senate Republicans set on reworking the Affordable Care Act are considering taxing employer-sponsored health insurance plans, a move that would meet stiff resistance from companies and potentially raise taxes on millions of people who get coverage on the job. Reported by Wall Street Journal 5 hours ago.

The Wall Street Journal: Senate Republicans mull tax on employer-based health insurance

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Reported by MarketWatch 4 hours ago.

Have UK political parties run out of original ideas?

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Have UK political parties run out of original ideas? Reading through each manifesto, it quickly became apparent that all of the parties are offering up some variation of the same plan: spend more now, balance the budget later – just as soon as the next guy or gal comes to power.

(Labour has arguably taken a slightly different line than the others; rather than reinforcing the broken policies of today, the party is gunning to implement the failed policies of “yesterday” – known as 1970’s socialism.)

Changing demographics, underfunded liabilities and growing welfare commitments inch us closer each day to a breaking point – but not closer, it seems, to any kind of progressive or innovative solutions to these looming time bombs.

From Ukip to the SNP, the parties are turning inward: preaching even louder about their cherry-picked issue of the day, whether that be independence from Brussels or independence from the rest of the UK. But on those crucial domestic policy issues, there seems only one, uniform answer: keep trotting down the same old path, paving it with a bit more taxpayer money along the way.

The obvious exception to this was the Conservative manifesto shakeup on social care. The Tories, in an attempt to address inter-generational inequality and acknowledge the simple truth that younger generations cannot feasibly fund social care spending long-term, attempted to implement reform by partially shifting the burden of care onto wealthier pensioners.

The Conservatives inability to defend their position was a painful one, but the backlash from the other parties was even more concerning. No one put forward a better solution to address the social care funding crisis. The only goal was to discredit any change to the current system – to crush any thinking outside the box.

This political era has given rise to mass disincentives for innovative thinking. The scaremongering that occurs across the political spectrum tends to brand new ideas as a threat to the public’s way of life.

Employment law is massively behind the new landscape for jobs and self-employment, but a re-think of how business is regulated is deemed an attack on workers’ rights. Corporation tax is out of date and comes out of employee wages, but suggestions to scrap and replace the tax are met with accusations of being in the pockets of big business.

The case-in-point example is the National Health Service – a system that is now in a perpetual state of crisis and in need of reform more than almost any other British institution.

Yet this is the one institution politicians dare not criticise, let alone propose alternative solutions to provide universal access to healthcare.

In the past 72 hours alone, the news has been littered with NHS woes – from frustrated doctors and staff, to shortages in hospital beds, to rationing vital care. Meanwhile, longer-term evidence continues to show how social health insurance systems in other parts of Europe provide far better treatment and get significantly better outcomes for patients than the NHS delivers.

In any rational debate, the winner would be the person or party who puts forward pioneering reforms that could save the NHS and make it fit for purpose in the long-term.

But when it comes to the NHS, the reality is not rational. It is purely emotionally driven by all corners of political debate, with every party pledging billions of pounds more, to be guzzled up by a healthcare system that is so inefficient and outdated, not even billions will fix it.

Less than a week from election day, the parties will play it even safer, and the messaging will become even more familiar. But come June 9, the new government must flip the incentives on their head, and create space for bold ideas to solve our growing list of problems – because playing it safe is looking evermore dangerous. Reported by City A.M. 39 minutes ago.

GOP Senators Weigh Taxing Employer-Health Plans

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Senate Republicans set on reworking the Affordable Care Act are considering taxing employer-sponsored health insurance plans, a move that would meet stiff resistance from companies and potentially raise taxes on millions of people who get coverage on the job. Reported by Wall Street Journal 22 hours ago.

The U.S. Can Have Great Health Care If Congress Chooses To Act

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The American health care system is under attack from two angles, a direct attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and an indirect assault via the budget. Each, if allowed to occur, will have tremendous implications for the millions of Americans who will lose their access to quality health care. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If Congress chose to have bipartisan discussions aimed at improving the health care system, we could, as the president has suggested, have the best health care system in the world.

The House-proposed health care initiative, which barely passed a few weeks ago, is not being seriously considered in the Senate. This is good, since the majority of Americans are opposed to the House health care plan. That initiative would once again allow insurance companies to penalize Americans with “pre-existing conditions” and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would result in 23 million fewer Americans having health insurance.

In his first budget proposal, the president requested $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid, the program that provides health coverage to the nation’s poorest citizens. These reductions include decreases to health care coverage for children.

If these proposals were made law, which is not likely, states would be left reeling, trying to cover growing medical needs. Patients would very often be left out in the cold by states unable to meet burgeoning demands.

Medical groups from the American Medical Association to the American Nurses Association and the American Hospital Association, all stand in staunch opposition to these proposed health care changes. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention wrote, “We must ensure the gains we have made in mental health and substance use disorder coverage remain in place so every American has a path to a more healthy and productive life.” There is no dissent in the health care community; the GOP’s proposals will be devastating to our health care system and to millions of individual lives.

It is true that the Affordable Care Act has flaws. However, the way to improve it is not to return to a more draconian system in which insurance companies routinely refuse to provide even the most basic coverage to those in need. It has been proven in nations around the world that a single payer system, in our case “Medicare for all,” reduces medical costs and improves access to health care. A single payer system is good for business because businesses get healthier employees and the cost, spread out among everyone, would likely be less than what is currently paid in premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses in our current system.

We are not powerless. As an electorate, we have been convinced that our system is “us or them” – you’re in or you’re out. That’s not in any way true, but so long as we abdicate our sway with Congress, we give our authority to big businesses and powerful lobbies. If you want better health care at a more affordable rate, if you want to see pre-existing conditions covered, call your representatives and demand that they engage in meaningful debate about the state of our health care system. Insist upon compromise that is forward thinking. This is our nation. We have a right to quality health care. Let your representatives know it.

-- 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.

NetCloud, LLC awarded Prime Federal contract from HRSA and CMS

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NetCloud will provide professional, administrative, and management support services to HRSA and CMS

Arlington, VA (PRWEB) June 02, 2017

NetCloud, LLC (NetCloud) has been awarded a prime Federal contract from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide Technical Assistance for the HRSA Data Warehouse Insure Kids Now Project.

NetCloud will support the 5-year HRSA and CMS contract with professional, administrative, and management support services. Specifically, NetCloud was selected to provide technical assistance support services to assist States in improving the quality, accessibility and utilization of the data available on the IKN Oral Health Provider Locator and to identify and implement ways to improve and expand the functionality and accessibility. The technical assistance support services will be provided through webinars, telephone and online assistance, case studies and other written materials.

“This project really hit close to home, as a child I relied on Texas Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and have a passion to give back to the program that once provided critical insurance for my siblings and I,” said Mehul Satasia, CEO of NetCloud. He added, “I personally plan to be oversee the project to provide the highest levels of service and support to HRSA and CMS ensuring Medicare and Medicaid patients are able to effectively utilize the IKN Oral Health Provider Locator to accurately match up with Oral Health Providers in their State.”

About NetCloud, LLC
NetCloud, LLC (NetCloud) is an SBA 8(a) certified small business that strives to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions to the Federal Government. NetCloud’s area of expertise encompass Cloud, Software Development, Data Analytics, Training and Support Services. Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.

The List: Florida Health Insurance Providers

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A long-standing company ranked first on the South Florida Business Journal’s list of Florida Health Insurance Providers. The provider earned the top spot based on its statewide direct premium earnings of $5.44 billion. To see who topped the list, click through the slideshow included with this post. The Florida Health Insurance Providers list includes contact information, statewide market share and number of lives covered. We are currently surveying for our accounting firms, largest employers… Reported by bizjournals 17 hours ago.

Freedom Financial Network Offers New Grads 8 Steps to Straight A's in Money

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Fintech company advocates habits of budgeting, saving, avoiding debt

San Mateo, Calif. (PRWEB) June 02, 2017

This month, millions of young adults, armed with new diplomas, are entering the job market – some already in debt and burdened with student loans. Freedom Financial Network (FFN), an innovative financial services company that enables consumers to overcome debt, build wealth and achieve better financial health, has tips for new graduates to get started on the right financial footing.

About 3.5 million students will graduate high school this spring, and another 4 million will earn a college or graduate degree. The average college graduate owes more than $37,000 in student loan debt.

Sean Fox, co-president of Freedom Financial Network, recommends that graduates take these eight steps as they begin their adult financial life.

1.    Benefit from today’s low unemployment rate. Good news for today’s grads: The unemployment rate for people ages 16 and up was just 4.4 percent in April. That is the lowest the rate has been in more than 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even if the first job is not exactly what they were seeking, graduates are likely to find some employment. They can gain experience and a paycheck while continuing to seek out their dream jobs.

2.    Create a budget. A budget is a spending plan, based on income, lifestyle and goals. Grads should begin by tallying all set monthly expenses – including housing, utilities, student loans, car payments and any credit card debt – and variable expenses, such as groceries, gas and clothing. The total will help set a target for monthly income and savings.

3.    Use credit cards wisely. Younger millennials (age 18-24) have fewer credit cards, and use them less than any other generation. In fact, just 67 percent of young millennials use credit cards at all. However, most adults need one credit card for personal business and to help build a credit history. “New grads generally will find it helpful to have one credit card they use in moderation, and on which they pay the balance on time and in full every month,” says Fox. “Doing so will help credit scores by showing financial companies, employers and landlords a level of financial responsibility.” Grads who have any credit card debt should aim to pay it off before student loan payments begin.

4.    Take charge of student loans. Most student loans have a six-month grace period after graduation before regular payments begin. Graduates can check into loan repayment options, such as profession-based programs. Teachers or public servants may qualify for loan forgiveness. Some people qualify for income-based repayment plans. Those who suspect they might have trouble making payments should ask their lender about alternative arrangements.

5.    Pay on time. On-time payments are the single most important way build and protect a credit rating. They account for more than one-third of a person’s credit score.

6.    Build an emergency fund. Deposit graduation money in a savings account dedicated to an emergency fund. Then, contribute 10 percent – or as much as possible – to the account from each paycheck. Build this fund to cover six to nine months of basic living expenses, although most new grads will find that even a few hundred dollars saved will go a long way toward covering an unexpected job loss, sudden car repair or a rental deposit.

7.    Save for retirement. Everyone should enroll in an employer’s retirement plan or open an individual retirement account (IRA). Saving $100 per month, growing at an annual rate of 6.5 percent, would amount to more than $320,000 over 45 years. Anytime income increases, raise the savings amount.

8.    Get health coverage. At this writing, the Affordable Care Act remains in place, which means that health insurance policies are available to policyholders’ adult children until they turn 26. This provision can make it more affordable for young adults who do not have insurance offered through their employers to maintain health insurance. “Health insurance is your best option to cover unexpected medical bills, rather than going into debt to pay for a health crisis,” Fox says. In addition, current law imposes a fine – paid when filing annual tax returns – for anyone who does not have health insurance.

“Find a way to stay within budget and live below your means,” Fox advises. “Whether that means working two jobs, having multiple roommates or living without a car if it comes with a car payment, there’s no better time than your young adult years to build good habits and build a strong financial foundation.”

Freedom Financial Network (http://www.freedomfinancialnetwork.com)
Freedom Financial Network, LLC (FFN), is a family of companies providing innovative solutions that empower people to live healthier financial lives. For people struggling with debt, Freedom Debt Relief offers a custom program to significantly reduce and resolve what they owe more quickly than they could on their own. FreedomPlus tailors personal loans to each borrower with a level of customer service unmatched in the industry. Bills.com helps homeowners better understand their loan options and make smarter mortgage decisions.

Headquartered in San Mateo, California, FFN also operates an office in Tempe, Arizona, and employs more than 1,600 people. The company has been voted one of the best places to work in both the San Francisco Bay area and the Phoenix area for several years. In 2016, FFN ranked No. 1 in the Extra-Large category of the Phoenix Business Journal's Best Places to Work awards.
(end) Reported by PRWeb 17 hours ago.

United States: Issues For Employers As Health Care Legislation Moves To The Senate - Jones Day

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Although the American Health Care Act, as passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, mainly affects the individual and small group health insurance markets, it has implications for large employers. Reported by Mondaq 16 hours ago.
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