FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Kentucky led the nation with the largest decrease of people without insurance since the implementation of former President Barack Obama’s health care law. In 2013, 14.3 percent of Kentucky’s population did not have health insurance. By 2016, that number dropped to 5.1 percent. […]
Reported by Seattle Times 8 hours ago.
Kentucky leads nation with decline of uninsured
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Sen. Markey co-sponsors national health coverage legislation
BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Edward Markey is co-sponsoring a bill by Sen. Bernie Sanders that would guarantee everyone in the country is covered by health insurance. Markey joins fellow Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren in backing the bill introduced Wednesday by the independent Vermont senator. The bill would create a federal “single-payer” health care […]
Reported by Seattle Times 8 hours ago.
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UnitedHealth in talks to snap up Chilean health care company
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is in negotiations to acquire Chilean health care company Banmédica in a deal that could be worth more than $3 billion. In a statement, Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth confirmed it's in "non-binding exploratory" talks with Banmédica, which sells health insurance, operates hospitals and provides other services. Banmédica told regulators last week it may sell the company for $3.47 per share, or $2.8 billion. Including the assumption of debt, the deal's total value would likely…
Reported by bizjournals 7 hours ago.
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Emory Healthcare buys six former Harken Health clinics
Emory Healthcare's primary care services are undergoing a big expansion. The health system on Sept. 13 announced it will open nine new clinics. Six of these locations were purchased from Harken Health, an insurance startup launched by UnitedHealth Group Inc. that pulled out of the Atlanta market in July 2017 after suffering financial losses. UnitedHealth launched Harken Health in late 2015 and opened in Atlanta in January 2016. In October, Harken announced it would pull out of Obamacare exchanges…
Reported by bizjournals 6 hours ago.
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AP FACT CHECK: No consensus on government-paid health care
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are not clamoring for single-payer health care, as Sen. Bernie Sanders suggests they are in proposing a plan that would have the government foot most medical bills. He's right that support for the idea has grown and in some polls tops 50 percent. But polls suggest that the prevailing sentiment is ambivalence. Saving money on health insurance holds lots of appeal. Seeing taxes rise to cover those costs may dull the appetite. Sanders' plan, coming out Wednesday, would have the government finance coverage now paid for by a mix of employers, their workers, public plans and people in the individual insurance market. He's not given details of the likely cost or how, exactly, he'd pay for it.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 6 hours ago.
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Stop trying to kill Obamacare
Congressional action to stabilize the individual health-insurance market should not be caught up in the lingering debate over Obamacare.
Reported by Seattle Times 6 hours ago.
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Uninsured rate keeps dropping in Pennsylvania, Census says
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The number of people without health insurance in Pennsylvania continues to decline, reaching what Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s office says is the lowest uninsured rate on record. U.S. Census Bureau data released this week shows Pennsylvania’s 2016 uninsured rate at 5.6 percent, tied for the 12th lowest rate in the nation. […]
Reported by Seattle Times 4 hours ago.
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Bernie Sanders Would Make Government Health Care Role Even Bigger
In an animated, campaign-style rally, Sen. Bernie Sanders unveiled his plan to remake the nation's convoluted health care system into federally run health insurance Wednesday — a costly proposal embraced by liberal activists hoping to steer the Democratic Party in upcoming elections.
Reported by cbs4.com 4 hours ago.
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Earth Friendly Products® Named “Employer of the Year” by ISSA Hygieia Network for Promoting Women’s Interests
Earth Friendly Products®, the maker of ECOS™ environmentally friendly cleaning products, has been awarded “Employer of the Year” by the ISSA Hygieia Network
Cypress, CA (PRWEB) September 13, 2017
Earth Friendly Products®, the maker of ECOS™ environmentally friendly cleaning products, has been awarded “Employer of the Year” by the ISSA Hygieia Network. Presented at the ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America Trade Show, running September 11–14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the award recognizes the company in the cleaning industry that best promotes women’s interests in its organization.
ISSA/INTERCLEAN® is the largest trade show in the commercial cleaning industry, and Earth Friendly Products® is at the show to showcase its ECOS™ Pro line of safer, plant-powered commercial cleaners.
The ISSA Hygieia Network is the first women's network for the global cleaning community. Established to develop female professionals within the cleaning industry, the network is named for Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health and cleanliness. The Hygieia Network selected Earth Friendly Products® for the award because of its long-standing commitment to supporting, mentoring, and promoting women within its organization. The Greek connection is particularly appropriate for the family-owned and –operated company, which was founded by a Greek immigrant in 1967.
“As the head of a woman-owned company, this award is very meaningful to me and a great honor for our company,” explains Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, Earth Friendly Products® president and CEO. “I’m proud to sit at the helm of a company that has over 50% of our C-suite and executive positions held by women.”
The company has achieved this high level of diversity and inclusion in its highest ranks through an active program of mentorship and empowerment.
“Supporting women in the workplace pays huge dividends, not just for the women as they grow and advance but for the companies who support them. Diverse companies make better decisions, they understand their customers better, and they have a competitive edge in the global market,” says Vlahakis-Hanks.
Earth Friendly Products® is passionate about supporting all its employees with an extensive benefits package, and it pays its employees one of the highest minimum wages in the industry, currently $17 per hour. As a leader in corporate social responsibility, the company offers its employees a range of family-friendly benefits that include health insurance, paid sick time, and paid maternity/paternity leave—benefits that many women in the organization cite as critical to creating a happy and healthy family life as they advance in their careers.
The Hygieia Network “Employer of the Year” award is the latest in a string of achievements marking the company’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The company has received many awards for its innovations in safer green chemistry and in 2017 won the U.S. EPA’s coveted Safer Choice Partner of the Year for a second time. The company has also received Natural Child World Eco-Excellence Awards, Single Moms Planet Family Brand of the Year, and the Environmental Media Association Healthy Family Seal in 2017.
ABOUT EARTH FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
Family owned and operated since 1967, Earth Friendly Products® is the maker of ECOS™ Laundry Detergent and over 200 other environmentally friendly products that are safer for people, pets and the planet. ECOS™ plant-powered cleaners are made in the U.S. using thoughtfully sourced global ingredients. Made without dyes, parabens, phosphates or phthalates, ECOS™ cleaners are pH balanced, readily biodegradable and never tested on animals. Earth Friendly Products® is a leader in sustainable manufacturing with carbon neutral, water neutral and Zero Waste Platinum certified facilities that save over 53 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually and divert over 95% of all their waste from landfills. The company has received many awards for its innovations in safer green chemistry and is a two-time winner of the U.S. EPA’s coveted Safer Choice Partner of the Year. It's also a leader in corporate social responsibility, paying one of the highest minimum wages in the nation and supporting their employees with family-friendly benefits such as paid healthcare and paid leave. ECOS™, Baby ECOS™, ECOS™ for Pets!, and ECOS™ Pro products are available at major club and grocery retailers and natural foods stores throughout the U.S., in over 60 countries and online at http://www.ecos.com.
### Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.
Cypress, CA (PRWEB) September 13, 2017
Earth Friendly Products®, the maker of ECOS™ environmentally friendly cleaning products, has been awarded “Employer of the Year” by the ISSA Hygieia Network. Presented at the ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America Trade Show, running September 11–14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the award recognizes the company in the cleaning industry that best promotes women’s interests in its organization.
ISSA/INTERCLEAN® is the largest trade show in the commercial cleaning industry, and Earth Friendly Products® is at the show to showcase its ECOS™ Pro line of safer, plant-powered commercial cleaners.
The ISSA Hygieia Network is the first women's network for the global cleaning community. Established to develop female professionals within the cleaning industry, the network is named for Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health and cleanliness. The Hygieia Network selected Earth Friendly Products® for the award because of its long-standing commitment to supporting, mentoring, and promoting women within its organization. The Greek connection is particularly appropriate for the family-owned and –operated company, which was founded by a Greek immigrant in 1967.
“As the head of a woman-owned company, this award is very meaningful to me and a great honor for our company,” explains Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, Earth Friendly Products® president and CEO. “I’m proud to sit at the helm of a company that has over 50% of our C-suite and executive positions held by women.”
The company has achieved this high level of diversity and inclusion in its highest ranks through an active program of mentorship and empowerment.
“Supporting women in the workplace pays huge dividends, not just for the women as they grow and advance but for the companies who support them. Diverse companies make better decisions, they understand their customers better, and they have a competitive edge in the global market,” says Vlahakis-Hanks.
Earth Friendly Products® is passionate about supporting all its employees with an extensive benefits package, and it pays its employees one of the highest minimum wages in the industry, currently $17 per hour. As a leader in corporate social responsibility, the company offers its employees a range of family-friendly benefits that include health insurance, paid sick time, and paid maternity/paternity leave—benefits that many women in the organization cite as critical to creating a happy and healthy family life as they advance in their careers.
The Hygieia Network “Employer of the Year” award is the latest in a string of achievements marking the company’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The company has received many awards for its innovations in safer green chemistry and in 2017 won the U.S. EPA’s coveted Safer Choice Partner of the Year for a second time. The company has also received Natural Child World Eco-Excellence Awards, Single Moms Planet Family Brand of the Year, and the Environmental Media Association Healthy Family Seal in 2017.
ABOUT EARTH FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
Family owned and operated since 1967, Earth Friendly Products® is the maker of ECOS™ Laundry Detergent and over 200 other environmentally friendly products that are safer for people, pets and the planet. ECOS™ plant-powered cleaners are made in the U.S. using thoughtfully sourced global ingredients. Made without dyes, parabens, phosphates or phthalates, ECOS™ cleaners are pH balanced, readily biodegradable and never tested on animals. Earth Friendly Products® is a leader in sustainable manufacturing with carbon neutral, water neutral and Zero Waste Platinum certified facilities that save over 53 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually and divert over 95% of all their waste from landfills. The company has received many awards for its innovations in safer green chemistry and is a two-time winner of the U.S. EPA’s coveted Safer Choice Partner of the Year. It's also a leader in corporate social responsibility, paying one of the highest minimum wages in the nation and supporting their employees with family-friendly benefits such as paid healthcare and paid leave. ECOS™, Baby ECOS™, ECOS™ for Pets!, and ECOS™ Pro products are available at major club and grocery retailers and natural foods stores throughout the U.S., in over 60 countries and online at http://www.ecos.com.
### Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.
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Maine uninsured rate remains below national level
New U.S. Census Bureau figures show that the number of Maine residents without health insurance stayed steady from 2015 to 2016. According to a new federal report released Tuesday , Maine’s uninsured rate of 8.6 percent is a drop from 11.2 percent in 2013. About 106,000 Mainer residents lacked health insurance last year, down from […]
Reported by Seattle Times 23 hours ago.
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Your 20 Steps to Financial Health
American Consumer Credit Counseling provides consumers a step-by-step guide to financial success
Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 14, 2017
Financial fitness isn’t achieved overnight. Establishing a healthy financial lifestyle takes time, knowledge and dedication. Now American Consumer Credit Counseling is offering a guide to help consumers achieve better financial health.
“Getting organized is one of the keys to achieving lifelong financial health,” said Steve Trumble, President and CEO of the non-profit American Consumer Credit Counseling, which is based in Newton, MA. “Consumers need to learn to track their spending, protect their identity and take the time to understand what credit is and how to build it.”
According to a recent Fox Business report, the average savings rate in the United States is 5.5 percent, dramatically lower than the recommended 10 to 15 percent. Still, there is also encouraging news. Bankrate’s June 2017 Financial Security Index survey found that only 24 percent of American adults now say they have no money at all for an emergency. And 31 percent of those respondents say they have enough savings to cover six or more months of expenses should an emergency occur.
“Getting in the habit of saving money every month is really important,” said Trumble. “But there’s a whole host of important steps to achieving true financial health.”
Here are American Consumer Credit Counseling’s 20 steps to financial health:
1. Pledge to change how to feel about money – examine your attitudes about money and decide that you are ready to change your financial situation.
2. Get organized – organize income and expenses to see your whole financial picture.
3. Get copies of your credit report – Review for accuracy to identity errors or fraudulent activity.
4. Dispute any erroneous information on your credit report – write to the credit reporting agency disputing the item and include any supporting documents.
5. Set financial goals – goals should be specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and timely.
6. Set short-, mid- and long-term goals – goals differ in length of time needed to achieve them.
7. Track your spending – it is important to determine where and how your money is being spent in order to achieve financial health.
8. Create a budget – a budget shows the flow of money in (income) and out (expenses) of the household.
9. Reduce spending – reducing daily, weekly and monthly spending is crucial in achieving financial health and an instrumental step to successful budgeting.
10. Determine your net worth – knowing your net worth allows you and measure your progress over time. The more you save, the greater your net worth.
11. Pay down debt – calculate your monthly payoff amount and date of completion by using a debt payoff calculator.
12. Eliminate unnecessary credit cards – the best number of credit cards depends on your ability to manage your debt and credit card payments.
13. Start a savings plan – consumers should plan on committing to a 10 percent savings plan.
14. Protect your assets – review your health insurance policy, auto policy, life insurance and disability insurance to ensure there is adequate coverage.
15. Manage major purchases – before making a major purchase review your financial goals, budget, cash flow and accessibility and availability of credit.
16. Secure your financial future – investing is one way to potentially grow your net worth. Take advantage of employer-sponsored investment plans such as a 401k.
17. Financial checkups – periodically check-in and make sure you are on track as it is easy to let things fall by the wayside once a routine is created and things can change.
18. Understand the cost of credit – be sure to weigh your options before making a credit decision.
19. Protect your identity – check your credit report for signs of identity theft, errors in reporting or other red flags.
20. Watch out for the warning signs of financial trouble – some signs include paying bills after the due date, skipping a credit card bill to pay another or ignoring credit card statements.
ACCC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides free credit counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and housing counseling to consumers nationwide in need of financial literacy education and money management. For more information, contact ACCC:· For credit counseling, call 800-769-3571
· For bankruptcy counseling, call 866-826-6924
· For housing counseling, call 866-826-7180
· Or visit us online at http://www.ConsumerCredit.com
About American Consumer Credit Counseling
American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education concerning debt solutions. To help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loan assistance, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living, and retirement. Consumers can use ACCC’s worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit http://www.consumercredit.com/financial-education.aspx Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.
Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 14, 2017
Financial fitness isn’t achieved overnight. Establishing a healthy financial lifestyle takes time, knowledge and dedication. Now American Consumer Credit Counseling is offering a guide to help consumers achieve better financial health.
“Getting organized is one of the keys to achieving lifelong financial health,” said Steve Trumble, President and CEO of the non-profit American Consumer Credit Counseling, which is based in Newton, MA. “Consumers need to learn to track their spending, protect their identity and take the time to understand what credit is and how to build it.”
According to a recent Fox Business report, the average savings rate in the United States is 5.5 percent, dramatically lower than the recommended 10 to 15 percent. Still, there is also encouraging news. Bankrate’s June 2017 Financial Security Index survey found that only 24 percent of American adults now say they have no money at all for an emergency. And 31 percent of those respondents say they have enough savings to cover six or more months of expenses should an emergency occur.
“Getting in the habit of saving money every month is really important,” said Trumble. “But there’s a whole host of important steps to achieving true financial health.”
Here are American Consumer Credit Counseling’s 20 steps to financial health:
1. Pledge to change how to feel about money – examine your attitudes about money and decide that you are ready to change your financial situation.
2. Get organized – organize income and expenses to see your whole financial picture.
3. Get copies of your credit report – Review for accuracy to identity errors or fraudulent activity.
4. Dispute any erroneous information on your credit report – write to the credit reporting agency disputing the item and include any supporting documents.
5. Set financial goals – goals should be specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and timely.
6. Set short-, mid- and long-term goals – goals differ in length of time needed to achieve them.
7. Track your spending – it is important to determine where and how your money is being spent in order to achieve financial health.
8. Create a budget – a budget shows the flow of money in (income) and out (expenses) of the household.
9. Reduce spending – reducing daily, weekly and monthly spending is crucial in achieving financial health and an instrumental step to successful budgeting.
10. Determine your net worth – knowing your net worth allows you and measure your progress over time. The more you save, the greater your net worth.
11. Pay down debt – calculate your monthly payoff amount and date of completion by using a debt payoff calculator.
12. Eliminate unnecessary credit cards – the best number of credit cards depends on your ability to manage your debt and credit card payments.
13. Start a savings plan – consumers should plan on committing to a 10 percent savings plan.
14. Protect your assets – review your health insurance policy, auto policy, life insurance and disability insurance to ensure there is adequate coverage.
15. Manage major purchases – before making a major purchase review your financial goals, budget, cash flow and accessibility and availability of credit.
16. Secure your financial future – investing is one way to potentially grow your net worth. Take advantage of employer-sponsored investment plans such as a 401k.
17. Financial checkups – periodically check-in and make sure you are on track as it is easy to let things fall by the wayside once a routine is created and things can change.
18. Understand the cost of credit – be sure to weigh your options before making a credit decision.
19. Protect your identity – check your credit report for signs of identity theft, errors in reporting or other red flags.
20. Watch out for the warning signs of financial trouble – some signs include paying bills after the due date, skipping a credit card bill to pay another or ignoring credit card statements.
ACCC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides free credit counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and housing counseling to consumers nationwide in need of financial literacy education and money management. For more information, contact ACCC:· For credit counseling, call 800-769-3571
· For bankruptcy counseling, call 866-826-6924
· For housing counseling, call 866-826-7180
· Or visit us online at http://www.ConsumerCredit.com
About American Consumer Credit Counseling
American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education concerning debt solutions. To help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loan assistance, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living, and retirement. Consumers can use ACCC’s worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit http://www.consumercredit.com/financial-education.aspx Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.
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Tech PR Agency ARPR Adds Two Marquee Health IT Brands to Its Portfolio; Erin Bocherer Hired as First Practice Group Director
Additions of Merck & Co., Inc. subsidiary Staywell and NASDAQ-traded iCAD Inc. cement the firm’s reputation as a premier marketing and PR partner for leading healthcare tech companies
ATLANTA (PRWEB) September 14, 2017
ARPR, a tech public relations agency that propels global leaders to #MakeNews and #DriveLeads, today announced that it has added two marquee Health IT brands to its portfolio. Joining ARPR is StayWell, a health solutions company that uses the science of behavior change to help people live happier, healthier lives. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, StayWell is majority-owned by Healthcare Services & Solutions, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. ARPR will also serve as the agency of record for Nashua, NH-based iCAD, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICAD), which delivers innovative cancer detection and radiation therapy solutions and services that enable clinicians to find and treat cancers earlier while enhancing patient care. Both medical software and device companies chose ARPR for its healthcare technology experience and its Panoramic Approach, which tightly integrates traditional public relations, social media, content marketing and lead generation to drive measurable results.
“Partnering with such prestigious medtech companies at the forefront of improving patient outcomes, physician workflows and population health is a real privilege,” said Anna Ruth Williams, ARPR founder and CEO. “For over four years, our Health IT team, as well as our SaaS, cybersecurity, mobility and mission critical practice groups, have exceeded expectations of what a PR firm can achieve, resulting in our ability to attract and retain growth-stage and enterprise clients of this caliber.”
ARPR today also announced the hiring of Erin Bocherer to the newly created position of Health IT Practice Group Director. Erin brings more than 20 years’ experience to ARPR, having worked with both medtech startups and publicly-traded companies covering nearly every aspect of the healthcare industry, including medical device companies, pharmaceuticals, software solutions and health insurance exchanges. In her role, Erin will serve as the lead strategist for all Health IT clients, mentor and guide account team members, and support new business initiatives.
“Having worked for both small and large agencies, spanning Atlanta to San Francisco, I was drawn to ARPR because the agency is truly PRopelling what’s possible,” said Bocherer. “I am excited to join the talented team and help to build on its modern, integrated and aggressive approach to achieving results, as well as to continue growing its Health IT practice for years to come.”
ARPR is one of the country’s fastest growing tech PR agencies. Since its launch in 2012, it has twice garnered national recognition as agency of the year, been recognized as a Top Place to Work by PR News, and its founder and CEO has been honored as one of the country’s 50 PR Game Changers. The 18-person agency services growth-stage to enterprise clients in cybersecurity, Fintech, Health IT, MarTech, mission critical, mobility and SaaS. For the past three years, more than 95 percent of ARPR clients said they would recommend the agency.
For more information on ARPR, visit http://www.arpr.com and follow @ar__pr on Twitter. To learn how ARPR is propelling the conversation about the #FutureofPR, visit http://www.futureofpr.org.
About ARPR
ARPR is a tech PR agency that propels global leaders to #MakeNews and #DriveLeads.
Headquartered in the tech boomtown of Atlanta and with offices in New Orleans and San Francisco, ARPR is pioneering the Future of PR through innovation and services that push the limits of what a public relations agency can achieve. ARPR was named the 2016 National Tech Public Relations Agency of the Year by Bulldog Reporter and a 2016 TOP Places to Work in PR by PR News. For more information on ARPR clients and services, visit http://www.arpr.com and follow @AR__PR on Twitter. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
ATLANTA (PRWEB) September 14, 2017
ARPR, a tech public relations agency that propels global leaders to #MakeNews and #DriveLeads, today announced that it has added two marquee Health IT brands to its portfolio. Joining ARPR is StayWell, a health solutions company that uses the science of behavior change to help people live happier, healthier lives. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, StayWell is majority-owned by Healthcare Services & Solutions, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. ARPR will also serve as the agency of record for Nashua, NH-based iCAD, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICAD), which delivers innovative cancer detection and radiation therapy solutions and services that enable clinicians to find and treat cancers earlier while enhancing patient care. Both medical software and device companies chose ARPR for its healthcare technology experience and its Panoramic Approach, which tightly integrates traditional public relations, social media, content marketing and lead generation to drive measurable results.
“Partnering with such prestigious medtech companies at the forefront of improving patient outcomes, physician workflows and population health is a real privilege,” said Anna Ruth Williams, ARPR founder and CEO. “For over four years, our Health IT team, as well as our SaaS, cybersecurity, mobility and mission critical practice groups, have exceeded expectations of what a PR firm can achieve, resulting in our ability to attract and retain growth-stage and enterprise clients of this caliber.”
ARPR today also announced the hiring of Erin Bocherer to the newly created position of Health IT Practice Group Director. Erin brings more than 20 years’ experience to ARPR, having worked with both medtech startups and publicly-traded companies covering nearly every aspect of the healthcare industry, including medical device companies, pharmaceuticals, software solutions and health insurance exchanges. In her role, Erin will serve as the lead strategist for all Health IT clients, mentor and guide account team members, and support new business initiatives.
“Having worked for both small and large agencies, spanning Atlanta to San Francisco, I was drawn to ARPR because the agency is truly PRopelling what’s possible,” said Bocherer. “I am excited to join the talented team and help to build on its modern, integrated and aggressive approach to achieving results, as well as to continue growing its Health IT practice for years to come.”
ARPR is one of the country’s fastest growing tech PR agencies. Since its launch in 2012, it has twice garnered national recognition as agency of the year, been recognized as a Top Place to Work by PR News, and its founder and CEO has been honored as one of the country’s 50 PR Game Changers. The 18-person agency services growth-stage to enterprise clients in cybersecurity, Fintech, Health IT, MarTech, mission critical, mobility and SaaS. For the past three years, more than 95 percent of ARPR clients said they would recommend the agency.
For more information on ARPR, visit http://www.arpr.com and follow @ar__pr on Twitter. To learn how ARPR is propelling the conversation about the #FutureofPR, visit http://www.futureofpr.org.
About ARPR
ARPR is a tech PR agency that propels global leaders to #MakeNews and #DriveLeads.
Headquartered in the tech boomtown of Atlanta and with offices in New Orleans and San Francisco, ARPR is pioneering the Future of PR through innovation and services that push the limits of what a public relations agency can achieve. ARPR was named the 2016 National Tech Public Relations Agency of the Year by Bulldog Reporter and a 2016 TOP Places to Work in PR by PR News. For more information on ARPR clients and services, visit http://www.arpr.com and follow @AR__PR on Twitter. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
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Black residents see progress, but poverty gap in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Black residents in Minnesota are seeing signs of economic progress, but a wide poverty gap remains. State Demographer Susan Brower tells Minnesota Public Radio that U.S. Census Bureau data over the last several years show more black residents in Minnesota have jobs and health insurance and that fewer children are […]
Reported by Seattle Times 9 hours ago.
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Maryland health exchange hones marketing message amid national ACA turmoil
The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange wants to convince consumers that health insurance can still be affordable, despite high spiking premiums and ongoing opposition from federal lawmakers. The state's Affordable Care Act marketplace has recently lost some ground. Enrollments in private health plans for 2017 dropped 3 percent, down from 162,652 in 2016. Dr. Howard Haft, interim executive director of the exchange, said the drop is small, but exchange will certainly be trying to gain some of those…
Reported by bizjournals 8 hours ago.
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Obamacare enrollment to fall in 2018 and beyond after cuts: CBO
Enrollment on the Obamacare health insurance exchanges in 2018 and later years is expected to be less than previously forecast, dampened by the Trump administration’s decision to pull back enrollment efforts, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office said on Thursday. The administration has cut bac...
Reported by Raw Story 7 hours ago.
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Analysts see Trump threats to insurers boosting premiums
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress' nonpartisan budget analysts expect average premiums for individually purchased health insurance to grow 15 percent next year, largely because it's unclear if President Donald Trump will let federal subsidies to insurers continue. The Congressional Budget Office estimate comes with Trump repeatedly threatening to block the payments in his drive to dismember President Barack Obama's health care law. The budget office and insurance industry previously projected 2018 premiums would grow an average 20 percent if Trump halted the subsidies. Obama's law requires insurers to reduce out-of-pocket costs for lower-earning customers and mandates that the government reimburse them. It costs about $7 billion annually.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 6 hours ago.
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Idaho officials pitch new plan to address Medicaid gap
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials said Thursday they have found a creative solution to provide health care to poor residents who do not have medical coverage while simultaneously limiting the state’s ongoing health insurance hikes. “Health care is very broad and very complex,” said former Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dick Armstrong. […]
Reported by Seattle Times 5 hours ago.
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Teen's Invention Aims To Help Those With Food Allergies Safely Eat Out
Watch VideoAbout 15 million Americans have food allergies. And if you feel like you've heard more and more about food allergies in recent years, you probably have.FAIR Health, a nonprofit that compiles insurance claim data, found the number of health insurance claims that included a diagnosis of anaphylactic food reactions went up 377 percent between 2007 and 2016.
Anaphylactic food reactions are when the body has a severe reaction to the antigen, which is the substance it's allergic to. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, getting a rash, turning pale and losing consciousness.
"Both the incidence and prevalence of food allergies have increased tremendously," Dr. James R. Baker Jr. said.
Baker is the CEO and chief medical officer of Food Allergy Research and Education. It's a nonprofit focused on improving education and awareness of food allergies. It also says it's the world's largest source of private funding for food allergy research.
"I've been an allergist for 35 years, and when I first started practicing, if we saw someone with a food allergy, we invited in all the trainees because it was an anomaly," Baker explained. "Now a third of the population that we see. And unfortunately — and that's the patient population, not the total population. But the reasons for that are probably multiple: Food has changed; the environment has changed; and childhood development has changed. Young people are very fortunate that they don't get sick anymore. They get vaccines and antibiotics, and the food is very different for them. So in fact, their immune systems don't evolve the way they used to. And we think all these factors are coming into increasing the incidence of food allergy."
One person who is hoping to make more people aware of the dangers of food allergies is Katie Parkins.
She's a typical 13-year-old busy with eighth grade and after-school activities like choir. But she also has to deal with some pretty adult stuff: severe allergies that if left untreated can be life-threatening. Parkins isn't alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 13 American children have food allergies.
"Eating out — it's always been a challenge for me for so many reasons," Parkins said. "I don't really know if the waiter or waitress is writing down my allergens. Sometimes, they might mix them up."
A mix-up can be very dangerous for Parkins.
She explained: "My tongue will start to sting immediately. Then about three or four hives will appear across my face. ... I am anaphylactic with all of those foods and so what will happen is overtime, if I'm not given Benadryl or an EpiPen, if it comes to be that severe, my throat will close and my airways will be blocked for breathing."
Parkins was diagnosed with food allergies before she turned 3. She's allergic to tree nuts, and her allergies to fish and shellfish are so severe, the simple smell of them can cause a reaction.
The CDC says between 150 and 200 people die each year from reactions to food allergies. It cites a study that found that over a 13-year period, about half of food allergy-related deaths were caused by foods from restaurants or other food services.
*SEE MORE: Food Allergies Could Soon Be Turned Off By Tiny Bits Of Plastic*
But only a few states have laws on the books aimed at improving restaurants' awareness of food allergies. And only some of those states require a restaurant manager to complete training on handling food allergies.
Parkins said: "I was brainstorming, ‘How can I fix this? How can I guarantee that I know that my allergens are properly listed on the order ticket already? And how they know about cross contact and how that can still be attached to my order."
That brainstorming session led Parkins to create My Teal Ticket. It's a form people with food allergies can fill out and hand to their servers at restaurants.
Parkins explained how it works: "They will check mark their allergens so it's already written down. And if their allergen is not written down, let's say they're allergic to sesame seeds. They would write down 'sesame seeds' under 'other,' then fill in the box and check mark 'other.' Let's say their allergies — they're more severe, so they need the waiter or waitress or the kitchen staff to take extra care to make sure that the allergens don't come into contact with the meal. They have to use fresh knives, fresh equipment, they would check 'cross contact.'"
That idea Parkins had in November became a business in July. She has a website and began getting orders the day it launched.
"Truthfully, I didn't expect the business to kick off as quickly as it did," she said.
Or to reach as far as it did.
"We've had people contact us from Canada, the U.K. — different places in Europe," Parkins said.
Baker explained: "This helps two ways: It helps the vendor focus on food allergy and appreciate the individual who has food allergy. And it sort of reinforces for the person with food allergy to the restaurant or other store that this is a problem for them. One of the problems with food allergy is a lack of awareness and understanding. People hear the word 'allergy' and they think more of an annoyance rather than something that could actually kill you. So in fact, we've had to do a lot of education related to this. I think the education and the fact that so many people are allergic to food now, have both come together to increase awareness. And that in and of itself has helped with the understanding of people that don't have food allergies or that prepare or serve."
Parkins says she's just getting started.
"My hopes and plans for the future is to have people have a safer and easier dining experience while using My Teal Ticket. And to promote and share real stories of people in real life that do have food allergies so people can get a better understanding of what it is like," Parkins explained.
My Teal Ticket is also available in Spanish. Parkins says there could be more languages available in the future.
Get a deeper understanding of the stories that matter with Newsy's "The Why"— weekdays 7-9 p.m. ET. Reported by Newsy 57 minutes ago.
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Smartsheet Announces New Capability to Support HIPAA-Subject Customers
HIPAA support addresses growing demand for secure and compliant cloud solution where customers can share, store and access protected health information
BELLEVUE, Washington (PRWEB) September 15, 2017
Smartsheet, the world’s leading cloud platform for managing and automating collaborative work, today announced its support for the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as amended, including Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Enterprise customers across healthcare, pharmaceutical and government industries can now use Smartsheet to securely share, store and access protected health information (PHI) while meeting or exceeding all of HIPAA’s regulatory requirements.
“Smartsheet’s emphasis on privacy and security is fundamental to the success of our platform and we want to ensure that our customers can operate at a security level that meets their respective regulatory needs,” said Mark Mader, CEO of Smartsheet.
“HIPAA support is an important sign of maturity for any enterprise software vendor, and for Smartsheet, it is no exception,” said Chris Marsh, Research Director, Workforce Productivity and Compliance, 451 Research. “Being HIPAA aligned strengthens Smartsheet’s appeal to healthcare institutions and government departments looking for new ways to encourage collaborative work. It is also another incentive to put more data, workflows and people into the platform as part of rethinking work across silos.”
Smartsheet does not collect or store PHI as part of normal business operations, however, any HIPAA-subject organization with an Enterprise plan that works with PHI can enter into a business associate agreement (BAA) with Smartsheet. This BAA ensures both parties agree to fully comply with the requirements of the HIPAA rules.
HIPAA, as amended, is a federal law that enables healthcare companies to incorporate technology into their businesses while ensuring data privacy and security. Smartsheet offers a HIPAA Implementation Guide to provide customers with information and instructions on how to tailor the Smartsheet services while fulfilling HIPAA requirements.
About Smartsheet
Smartsheet is the world's leading SaaS application for managing and automating collaborative work. Our award-winning solutions deliver value for more than 70,000 brands and millions of information workers across more than 190 countries. Recently named to the Forbes Cloud 100 list of the world's best cloud companies, customers like Netflix, Salesforce, the GSA, Google, and over half of the Fortune 500 use Smartsheet internally, with clients, and partners.
Smartsheet is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and, as of September 2017, has more than 690 employees in its Bellevue and Boston offices. To learn more, visit http://www.Smartsheet.com. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.
BELLEVUE, Washington (PRWEB) September 15, 2017
Smartsheet, the world’s leading cloud platform for managing and automating collaborative work, today announced its support for the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as amended, including Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Enterprise customers across healthcare, pharmaceutical and government industries can now use Smartsheet to securely share, store and access protected health information (PHI) while meeting or exceeding all of HIPAA’s regulatory requirements.
“Smartsheet’s emphasis on privacy and security is fundamental to the success of our platform and we want to ensure that our customers can operate at a security level that meets their respective regulatory needs,” said Mark Mader, CEO of Smartsheet.
“HIPAA support is an important sign of maturity for any enterprise software vendor, and for Smartsheet, it is no exception,” said Chris Marsh, Research Director, Workforce Productivity and Compliance, 451 Research. “Being HIPAA aligned strengthens Smartsheet’s appeal to healthcare institutions and government departments looking for new ways to encourage collaborative work. It is also another incentive to put more data, workflows and people into the platform as part of rethinking work across silos.”
Smartsheet does not collect or store PHI as part of normal business operations, however, any HIPAA-subject organization with an Enterprise plan that works with PHI can enter into a business associate agreement (BAA) with Smartsheet. This BAA ensures both parties agree to fully comply with the requirements of the HIPAA rules.
HIPAA, as amended, is a federal law that enables healthcare companies to incorporate technology into their businesses while ensuring data privacy and security. Smartsheet offers a HIPAA Implementation Guide to provide customers with information and instructions on how to tailor the Smartsheet services while fulfilling HIPAA requirements.
About Smartsheet
Smartsheet is the world's leading SaaS application for managing and automating collaborative work. Our award-winning solutions deliver value for more than 70,000 brands and millions of information workers across more than 190 countries. Recently named to the Forbes Cloud 100 list of the world's best cloud companies, customers like Netflix, Salesforce, the GSA, Google, and over half of the Fortune 500 use Smartsheet internally, with clients, and partners.
Smartsheet is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and, as of September 2017, has more than 690 employees in its Bellevue and Boston offices. To learn more, visit http://www.Smartsheet.com. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.
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