If President Donald Trump prevails in shutting down a major "Obamacare" health insurance subsidy, it would have the unintended consequence of making free basic coverage available to more people, and making upper-tier plans more affordable.
Reported by Denver Post 7 hours ago.
Trump’s health subsidy shutdown could lead to free insurance
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Trump's plan to end health care subsidy could yield unintended consequence
Policy experts suggest that shutting down a major 'Obamacare' health insurance subsidy could mean free basic coverage would be available to more people.
Reported by Christian Science Monitor 7 hours ago.
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Health Plans Launch New STOP Initiative to Help Battle Opioid Crisis in America
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health plans nationwide are working closely with state and federal leaders, as well as with physicians and other providers on multiple strategies to address the opioid crisis. To build on these efforts, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has launched its Safe, Transparent Opioid Prescribing (STOP) Initiative. The STOP Initiative is designed to support widespread adoption of clinical guidelines for pain care and opioid prescribing. As its first action under the
Reported by Business Wire 7 hours ago.
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Trump's health subsidy shutdown could lead to free insurance
If President Donald Trump prevails in shutting down a major "Obamacare" health insurance subsidy, it would have the unintended consequence of making free basic coverage available to more people, and making upper-tier plans more affordable. The unexpected assessment comes from consultants, policy...
Reported by dailypress.com 2 hours ago.
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The Latest: 2 senators formally propose health deal
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the bipartisan health deal in the Senate (all times local): 1:30 p.m. Two leading senators have formally proposed their bipartisan compromise for steadying health insurance markets. The measure has 24 sponsors, half Republicans and half Democrats. The two main authors hope that number will help persuade President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to consider the measure. So far, Trump and McConnell have been reluctant to do that. It was unclear what impact the 12 GOP sponsors would have, since that's less than one-quarter of the Senate's 52 Republicans. The deal was reached by Tennessee GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander and Washington Democrat Patty Murray.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 5 hours ago.
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Bernie To Americans: "Sure, You'll All Pay More Taxes... But You'll Get More Free Stuff"
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the runner-up for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president in 2016, told an audience on CNN Wednesday night that *Americans would be happy to pay more in federal income taxes if he could just explain to them it would mean they’ll get more “free” government benefits, including health care, child care and college.*
As DailyCaller.com's Derek Hunter details, in a televised debate against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, *Sanders told the audience the American people would support his economic vision if only he were able to explain it to them*.
Sanders says raising taxes can help lower health care premiums, the cost of childcare and college tuition https://t.co/sWxgHO5Din
— CNN (@CNN) October 19, 2017
*“If we can explain to people, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be paying more in taxes. It’s going to be a progressive tax system,'” *Sanders told the crowd,
“‘The wealthy are going to pay their fair share, not the middle class, not the working class, but* everybody will pay some more. But you’re gonna get free health care, and maybe you’re gonna get free child care, and maybe your kids are gonna be able to go to college tuition-free. *You know what? You’re gonna better off than under Ted’s system.'”
Sanders recently introduced a Medicare For All bill to extend the government-run health insurance program for the elderly and disabled to all Americans. His bill, which has garnered support from one third of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate, would extend benefits not only to all Americans, but to illegal aliens as well.
Additionally, as Justin Caruso reports, Cruz said,* “Let me just ask, since this is a tax debate, what is the difference between a socialist and a Democrat on taxes?”*
Sanders paused for several seconds before saying, *“Well, I don’t know the answer to that because I don’t know…”*
Cruz cut him off, saying, “I don’t know either.”
*Sanders then launched into a sales pitch on democratic socialism,* saying,
“But here is what I think. As a democratic socialist, similar to the people in Denmark and Sweden and Norway and Finland, people who have by and large a much higher standard of living than we have, people who guarantee health care to all of their people as a right, where kids have free, free preschool education, where retirement benefits are much more generous than the United States.”
He added, *“I believe that in a civilized society, people, especially those on top, should be asked to pay their fair share so that every man, woman and child in our country can have a decent standard of living.”* Reported by Zero Hedge 3 hours ago.
As DailyCaller.com's Derek Hunter details, in a televised debate against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, *Sanders told the audience the American people would support his economic vision if only he were able to explain it to them*.
Sanders says raising taxes can help lower health care premiums, the cost of childcare and college tuition https://t.co/sWxgHO5Din
— CNN (@CNN) October 19, 2017
*“If we can explain to people, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be paying more in taxes. It’s going to be a progressive tax system,'” *Sanders told the crowd,
“‘The wealthy are going to pay their fair share, not the middle class, not the working class, but* everybody will pay some more. But you’re gonna get free health care, and maybe you’re gonna get free child care, and maybe your kids are gonna be able to go to college tuition-free. *You know what? You’re gonna better off than under Ted’s system.'”
Sanders recently introduced a Medicare For All bill to extend the government-run health insurance program for the elderly and disabled to all Americans. His bill, which has garnered support from one third of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate, would extend benefits not only to all Americans, but to illegal aliens as well.
Additionally, as Justin Caruso reports, Cruz said,* “Let me just ask, since this is a tax debate, what is the difference between a socialist and a Democrat on taxes?”*
Sanders paused for several seconds before saying, *“Well, I don’t know the answer to that because I don’t know…”*
Cruz cut him off, saying, “I don’t know either.”
*Sanders then launched into a sales pitch on democratic socialism,* saying,
“But here is what I think. As a democratic socialist, similar to the people in Denmark and Sweden and Norway and Finland, people who have by and large a much higher standard of living than we have, people who guarantee health care to all of their people as a right, where kids have free, free preschool education, where retirement benefits are much more generous than the United States.”
He added, *“I believe that in a civilized society, people, especially those on top, should be asked to pay their fair share so that every man, woman and child in our country can have a decent standard of living.”* Reported by Zero Hedge 3 hours ago.
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Hartford Could Default On Its Debt As Soon As Next Month, Moody's Says
Moody’s latest warning about Hartford Connecticut is its most dire yet.In a report issued Thursday, the ratings agency’s analysts said Hartford, Connecticut’s once-proud capital city, could default on its debt as soon as next month, forcing the capital of the country’s wealthiest state (on a per capita basis) into bankruptcy.
If the city doesn’t change course (and given its shrinking tax base and the departure last year of Aetna, a major insurance company that was founded in Hartford and had located its headquarters in the city for more than 150 years, reforms appear unlikely), receive a state bailout or strike some kind of deal with its creditors, Moody’s says lenders can expect it to run up annual deficits in excess of $60 million through the next 20 years.
Moody’s (along with its rivals Fitch and Standard & Poor’s) *downgraded Hartford’s credit rating on Sept. 26 to Caa3 from Caa1, *reflecting a view that creditors would only manage to recoup between 60% and 80% of their principal should Hartford default.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that the state government will be there to support troubled Hartford. Four months into the fiscal year, Connecticut is the only state in the country that hasn’t passed a budget as lawmakers the state’s lame-duck Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy joust over how to close a $3.5 billion two-year budget deficit. In a reflection of the state’s broader fiscal crisis (as is the case in many US states), Moody’s says Hartford’s public employee unions represent a “significant constraint” to cutting the city’s deficit, as the Hartford Courant points out.
*Moody’s called Hartford’s unions “a constraint” to trimming the city’s deficit. “Contractual salary increases and employee benefits are significant contributors to the city's long term structural imbalance,” the report read.* Unions would have to make “significant concessions” for Hartford to narrow those deficits, it said.
*High labor costs stem from “decades of contractual salary increases and employee benefits,” Moody’s wrote, and those benefits — which include health insurance, pensions payments and workers compensation, among others — are expected to increase by $21 million in 2018.* Moody’s found that benefits and insurance costs have increased 6 percent each year for the last 10 years, compared to an annual increase of just 2 percent in the urban consumer price index during the same period.
*Moody’s called Hartford’s unions “a constraint” to trimming the city’s deficit. “Contractual salary increases and employee benefits are significant contributors to the city's long term structural imbalance,” *the report read. Unions would have to make “significant concessions” for Hartford to narrow those deficits, it said.
To circumvent this, Moody’s suggests the state craft legislation that would open up the arbitration process and allow municipalities to renegotiate contracts - a process that, given the immense political power wielded by public employee unions in the state, appears unlikely to succeed, even as state and local finances rapidly deteriorate.
Unfortunately for the city, Moody’s says debt restructuring wouldn’t be as effective a concession as the other strategies being pursued by the city’s Democratic Gov. Luke Bronin. This is largely because the city would be forced to pay more in interest further down the road. Bronin his hoping to convince creditors to restructure *some $600 million in debt. *
Of the three avenues being pursued by Mayor Luke Bronin — debt restructuring, increasing state aid and renegotiating labor contracts —* debt service would be “a smaller source for potential concessions” than escalating state aid or negotiating with unions, Moody’s said.*
*Moody’s said bondholders and city leaders discussed issuing new refunding bonds with a maturity of 30 years, rather than the previous cap of 20 years, which “would provide principal repayment in full but over a longer period." *
While that maneuver would reduce Hartford’s immediate deficits, the city would be forced to pay more interest, increasing the cost of its debt, Moody’s wrote.
Bronin has said he is not interested in saddling Hartford with mounting interest for decades to come, and Moody’s said it does not expect him to take this route.
Bond yields on Hartford's muni debt have shot higher since the first spate of downgrades earlier this year...
...as for the state government, WSJ reported Wednesday that lawmakers have reached a preliminary deal, a sign that the budget impasse may soon be coming to an end.
Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the first “preliminary deal” to fall apart at the last minute.
* * *
*Read the Moody’s press release in full below:*
New York, October 19, 2017 -- The City of Hartford (Caa3 negative) is likely to default on its debt as early as November without additional concessions from the State of Connecticut (A1 stable), bondholders and labor unions, Moody's Investors Service says in a new report. How and when the concessions are realized will factor into bondholder recovery as well as the city's financial recovery.
"Our analysis projects operating deficits of $60 million to $80 million per year through 2036, the final maturity of its general obligation debt," says Nicholas Lehman, a Moody's AVP. "Fixed costs — including pension contributions, benefits and insurance, and debt service — are driving large projected operating deficits of approximately 11% of revenues. "
*Hartford will look to bondholders to restructure roughly $604 million in general obligation and lease debt. Options for restructuring include refinancing debt by issuing new refunding bonds with a maximum maturity of 30 years, instead of the previous cap of 20 years. As well, the new bonds would be secured by a statutory lien on property taxes.*
In the event of a default, bondholder recovery is extremely sensitive to the amount of concessions received from stakeholders, and how those concessions are allocated. Bondholder recovery analysis supports the Caa3 rating based on Moody's expectation the state and labor unions will provide significant concessions.
Hartford has lobbied Connecticut for additional short- and long-term aid, which would be an additional revenue source to help resolve the fiscal imbalance. However, the availability of this support is highly unknown in the midst of a state budget impasse, as one of the key contentious elements within the budget is additional aid for Hartford.
"Beyond the short-term funding that may or may not come in fiscal 2018, the city has urged the state to participate in a long-term solution," Lehman says. "One option is the state fully funding the existing payments in lieu of taxes formula, which has been underfunded for years; fully funding the payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) formula would provide the city with $52.3 million of additional revenue each year."
Moody's says the additional grant revenue, or an amount equal to the additional PILOT payments, would provide significant improvement to the city's structural imbalance and would cut our projected annual operating deficits by more than half.
Hartford unions are a constraint to significant labor spending cuts. Though the city has reduced its labor force, contractual salary increases and employee benefits are significant contributors to its long-term structural imbalance.
Reported by Zero Hedge 1 hour ago.
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With Obamacare, fewer Americans were uninsured when they were told they had cancer
As President Trump and his allies in Congress keep pushing to get rid of Obamacare, new research shows that the contentious law has succeeded in expanding health insurance coverage for Americans with cancer.
But not everywhere. This upside of Obamacare — known formally as the Patient Protection... Reported by L.A. Times 54 minutes ago.
But not everywhere. This upside of Obamacare — known formally as the Patient Protection... Reported by L.A. Times 54 minutes ago.
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Survey: US uninsured up 3.5M this year; expected to rise
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of U.S. adults without health insurance is up nearly 3.5 million this year, as rising premiums and political turmoil over "Obamacare" undermine coverage gains that drove the nation's uninsured rate to a historic low. That finding is based on the latest installment of a major survey, released Friday. The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index asks a random sample of 500 people each day whether they have health insurance. The survey found that the uninsured rate among adults was 12.3 percent during the period from July 1-Sept. 30, an increase of 1.4 percentage points since the end of last year. The increase in the number of uninsured is more striking because it comes at a time of economic growth and low unemployment.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 15 hours ago.
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United States: President Trump Issues Executive Order To Reshape Health Insurance Market - Littler Mendelson
After failing to achieve a legislative solution to "repeal and replace" the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), President Trump issued an executive order (EO) on October 12, 2017
Reported by Mondaq 12 hours ago.
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Where can you find the best quality of life?
People in Madison, Wis., are living the good life. The city ranked No. 1 on NerdWallet’s list of Best Cities for Quality of Life for its high number of residents with health insurance, low unemployment numbers and an average 20-minute work day commute. NerdWallet studied 177 U.S. cities with more than 150,000 residents using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey. To determine quality of life, NerdWallet analyzed number of hours worked, commute times, percentage of…
Reported by bizjournals 12 hours ago.
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Obamacare whiplash leaves states, insurers with dueling price plans
President Donald Trump's reversals in the past week on maintaining Obamacare subsidies to insurers are sowing new confusion over what kind of health insurance will be available to consumers, and at what price, when enrollment for 2018 begins in two weeks.
Reported by DNA 11 hours ago.
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Populytics/BeneFIT Corporate Wellness Health Coaches Among First to Receive National Board Certification
The Populytics/BeneFIT Corporate Wellness coaching team earned National Board Certification for Health and Wellness Coaches after passing the first-ever exam for this credential in September 2017. The certification was created by the International Consortium for Health & Wellness Coaches (ICHWC) in order to assess the quality of health coaching programs.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (PRWEB) October 20, 2017
All health coaches at BeneFIT Corporate Wellness SM recently received National Board Certification for Health and Wellness Coaches, after passing the first-ever exam to qualify for the new standard. The newly adopted certification confirms the expertise and quality of coaches based upon standards created by the International Consortium for Health & Wellness Coaches (ICHWC) and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
“There are more wellness companies and coaching programs available than ever before, and it’s important that employers and consumers have a way to assess coaching quality,” says Kristin Behler, MPH, MCHES®, Director, Health Promotion and Wellness at Populytics, Inc., a population health management and health care analytics firm in eastern Pennsylvania that encompasses BeneFIT Corporate Wellness services. “Along with our recent Accreditation in Wellness and Health Promotion from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), this board certification is an excellent complement to the high standards upheld by the BeneFIT coaching program.”
The establishment of national standards is the first step in advancing consistent training, education, and assessment of programs’ and individuals’ competencies, as well as enabling growth of an evidence base to which future measures can be determined. Since 2010, the ICHWC has been researching the knowledge, tasks, skills, and core competencies essential to the practice of health and wellness coaching in order to develop coaching quality standards. Once the elements of quality were identified, the ICHWC validated them with a national survey. Through partnership with the National Board of Medical Examiners, the results were transferred into a comprehensive examination, administered for the first time in September 2017.
Health coaches who have been board certified through the ICHWC can be recognized by the credentials “NBC-HWC” after their names. Additional board certification exams will take place in June and November 2018, after which the exam will be available twice a year.
For more information, contact Populytics at 484-862-3500, toll-free at 866-733-6158, email info(at)populytics(dot)com, or visit http://www.populytics.com/benefit.
ABOUT POPULYTICS/BENEFIT CORPORATE WELLNESS
Regional businesses can fully leverage the power of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN) employer health care resources by accessing them through one convenient source, Populytics, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lehigh Valley Health Network. Populytics’ BeneFIT Corporate Wellness services have long been promoting healthy workplace cultures with programs ranging from individualized health coaching, health fairs and screenings, to specialty services like Tobacco Cessation (BeneQUIT), administered by a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist. Many programs include an online wellness portal; consultative services, and reporting; and are available to all employers, regardless of the company’s size, health insurance provider, or plan. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (PRWEB) October 20, 2017
All health coaches at BeneFIT Corporate Wellness SM recently received National Board Certification for Health and Wellness Coaches, after passing the first-ever exam to qualify for the new standard. The newly adopted certification confirms the expertise and quality of coaches based upon standards created by the International Consortium for Health & Wellness Coaches (ICHWC) and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
“There are more wellness companies and coaching programs available than ever before, and it’s important that employers and consumers have a way to assess coaching quality,” says Kristin Behler, MPH, MCHES®, Director, Health Promotion and Wellness at Populytics, Inc., a population health management and health care analytics firm in eastern Pennsylvania that encompasses BeneFIT Corporate Wellness services. “Along with our recent Accreditation in Wellness and Health Promotion from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), this board certification is an excellent complement to the high standards upheld by the BeneFIT coaching program.”
The establishment of national standards is the first step in advancing consistent training, education, and assessment of programs’ and individuals’ competencies, as well as enabling growth of an evidence base to which future measures can be determined. Since 2010, the ICHWC has been researching the knowledge, tasks, skills, and core competencies essential to the practice of health and wellness coaching in order to develop coaching quality standards. Once the elements of quality were identified, the ICHWC validated them with a national survey. Through partnership with the National Board of Medical Examiners, the results were transferred into a comprehensive examination, administered for the first time in September 2017.
Health coaches who have been board certified through the ICHWC can be recognized by the credentials “NBC-HWC” after their names. Additional board certification exams will take place in June and November 2018, after which the exam will be available twice a year.
For more information, contact Populytics at 484-862-3500, toll-free at 866-733-6158, email info(at)populytics(dot)com, or visit http://www.populytics.com/benefit.
ABOUT POPULYTICS/BENEFIT CORPORATE WELLNESS
Regional businesses can fully leverage the power of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN) employer health care resources by accessing them through one convenient source, Populytics, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lehigh Valley Health Network. Populytics’ BeneFIT Corporate Wellness services have long been promoting healthy workplace cultures with programs ranging from individualized health coaching, health fairs and screenings, to specialty services like Tobacco Cessation (BeneQUIT), administered by a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist. Many programs include an online wellness portal; consultative services, and reporting; and are available to all employers, regardless of the company’s size, health insurance provider, or plan. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
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Oregon Supreme Court denies request for information release
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Supreme Court has denied a request by The Oregonian Publishing Co. for Oregon Health and Science University to release the names of patients who intend to sue. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the court ruled on Thursday that the information is protected from public disclosure under the federal Health Insurance Portability […]
Reported by Seattle Times 10 hours ago.
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Your guide to buying health insurance for the first time
Happy 26th birthday! It's time to buy health insurance.
Reported by CNNMoney 10 hours ago.
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Fourth Meeting of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis Convenes Today
Congressman Kennedy to probe health insurance leaders on mental health parity compliance
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) October 20, 2017
The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis will convene today at The Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. This is the Commission’s fourth and final meeting prior to the release of its recommendations to President Trump. The meeting will include presentations from invited government, health plan, and health insurance leaders regarding the industry’s efforts to fully implement provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) – a landmark law requiring insurance plans to cover mental health benefits equal to that of medical/surgical benefits.
Commissioner Kennedy served as the chief sponsor of that legislation while in Congress. In the nearly 10 years since the enactment of MHPAEA, the health insurance industry has failed to achieve the full aim of the law. The parity provisions outlined in the law are a critical component to ensuring that individuals living with mental health and substance use disorders receive access to the life-saving care needed.
The Commission will listen to remarks from eight of the nation’s largest private health insurance plan leaders, including a presentation by Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta. The United States Department of Labor is responsible for administering and enforcing health insurance benefits for roughly half of the U.S. workforce.
The Commission, created by Presidential Executive Order 13784, is expected to release its final report in November.
The meeting will be live streamed. Click here to view the full agenda.
WHO:· Commissioner Chris Christie, Commission chairman, Governor of New Jersey
· Commissioner Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts
· Commissioner Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina
· Commissioner Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum
· Commissioner Bertha Madras, Ph.D., professor of psychobiology in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
· Commissioner Pam Bondi, Florida Attorney General
· Reed Cordish, assistant to the President for intergovernmental and technology initiatives
· The Honorable R. Alexander Acosta, Secretary, United States Department of Labor
· The Honorable Eric Hargan, Acting Secretary, United States Department of Health and Human Services
· The Honoroable Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorneey General, United States Department of Justice
· The Honorable David M. Shulkin, Secretary, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
· Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the President
· Marilyn Tavenner, president & CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plans
· Pamela Greenberg, president & CEO, Association for Behavioral Health & Wellness
· Dr. Harold Paz, executive VP & chief medical officer, Aetna
· Joseph Swedish, chairman, president & CEO, Anthem Inc.
· Kim Holland, VP, state affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
· Dr. Anuradha Rao-Patel, medical director, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
· Dr. Douglas Nemecek, chief medical officer, Cigna
· Dr. Michael Sherman, senior VP & chief medical officer, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
· Dr. Edward M. Ellison, executive medical director and chairman, Southern California Permanente Medical Group (on behalf of Kaiser Permanente)
· Dr. Richard Migliori, executive VP & chief medical officer, UnitedHealth Group
· Diane Holder, president & CEO, UPMC Health Plan
WHEN:· Friday, October 20, 2017 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT
WHERE: · The Eisenhower Executive Office Building
· 1650 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
· Washington, D.C. 20502
About The Kennedy Forum
Founded in 2013 by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.), The Kennedy Forum focuses on advancing evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and substance use issues. This is achieved through promoting public discourse in health and addiction issues, ensuring equal coverage for patients living with mental health and/or substance use disorders; and advancing prevention and treatment throughout the entire continuum of the healthcare delivery system. The Kennedy Forum’s collaborative partnerships help to foster greater provider accountability, integration and coordination, cutting-edge technologies, and brain fitness and health. The nonprofit organization publishes frequent issue briefs and is a repository of other educational resources on parity issues. To learn more about The Kennedy Forum’s efforts, please visit http://www.thekennedyforum.org. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) October 20, 2017
The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis will convene today at The Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. This is the Commission’s fourth and final meeting prior to the release of its recommendations to President Trump. The meeting will include presentations from invited government, health plan, and health insurance leaders regarding the industry’s efforts to fully implement provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) – a landmark law requiring insurance plans to cover mental health benefits equal to that of medical/surgical benefits.
Commissioner Kennedy served as the chief sponsor of that legislation while in Congress. In the nearly 10 years since the enactment of MHPAEA, the health insurance industry has failed to achieve the full aim of the law. The parity provisions outlined in the law are a critical component to ensuring that individuals living with mental health and substance use disorders receive access to the life-saving care needed.
The Commission will listen to remarks from eight of the nation’s largest private health insurance plan leaders, including a presentation by Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta. The United States Department of Labor is responsible for administering and enforcing health insurance benefits for roughly half of the U.S. workforce.
The Commission, created by Presidential Executive Order 13784, is expected to release its final report in November.
The meeting will be live streamed. Click here to view the full agenda.
WHO:· Commissioner Chris Christie, Commission chairman, Governor of New Jersey
· Commissioner Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts
· Commissioner Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina
· Commissioner Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum
· Commissioner Bertha Madras, Ph.D., professor of psychobiology in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
· Commissioner Pam Bondi, Florida Attorney General
· Reed Cordish, assistant to the President for intergovernmental and technology initiatives
· The Honorable R. Alexander Acosta, Secretary, United States Department of Labor
· The Honorable Eric Hargan, Acting Secretary, United States Department of Health and Human Services
· The Honoroable Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorneey General, United States Department of Justice
· The Honorable David M. Shulkin, Secretary, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
· Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the President
· Marilyn Tavenner, president & CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plans
· Pamela Greenberg, president & CEO, Association for Behavioral Health & Wellness
· Dr. Harold Paz, executive VP & chief medical officer, Aetna
· Joseph Swedish, chairman, president & CEO, Anthem Inc.
· Kim Holland, VP, state affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
· Dr. Anuradha Rao-Patel, medical director, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
· Dr. Douglas Nemecek, chief medical officer, Cigna
· Dr. Michael Sherman, senior VP & chief medical officer, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
· Dr. Edward M. Ellison, executive medical director and chairman, Southern California Permanente Medical Group (on behalf of Kaiser Permanente)
· Dr. Richard Migliori, executive VP & chief medical officer, UnitedHealth Group
· Diane Holder, president & CEO, UPMC Health Plan
WHEN:· Friday, October 20, 2017 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT
WHERE: · The Eisenhower Executive Office Building
· 1650 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
· Washington, D.C. 20502
About The Kennedy Forum
Founded in 2013 by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.), The Kennedy Forum focuses on advancing evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and substance use issues. This is achieved through promoting public discourse in health and addiction issues, ensuring equal coverage for patients living with mental health and/or substance use disorders; and advancing prevention and treatment throughout the entire continuum of the healthcare delivery system. The Kennedy Forum’s collaborative partnerships help to foster greater provider accountability, integration and coordination, cutting-edge technologies, and brain fitness and health. The nonprofit organization publishes frequent issue briefs and is a repository of other educational resources on parity issues. To learn more about The Kennedy Forum’s efforts, please visit http://www.thekennedyforum.org. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.
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WATCH: Trump’s Opioid Crisis Committee Hearing LIVE STREAM
President Donald Trump's opioid commission will convene Friday morning to discuss the role health insurance policies can play in resolving the drug crisis.
Reported by Mediaite 8 hours ago.
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3.5 million more people are without health insurance since Trump was elected
**· *The percentage of Americans without health insurance increased to 12.3% in the third quarter.*
· *This is an increase of 0.6 percentage points from last quarter, and 1.4 points from a year ago.*
· *Gallup said the increase is in part due to "Congressional Republicans' attempts to replace" Obamacare.*
--------------------The percentage of Americans living without health insurance ticked up in the third quarter, according to a new Gallup-Sharecare poll.
12.3% of Americans are currently without insurance, an increase of 0.6 percentage points from the second quarter and up 1.4 percentage points from its historic low a year ago when President Donald Trump was elected.
According to Gallup, this is the highest the uninsured rate has been since the fourth quarter of 2014.
While the increase seems small in terms of percentages, the raw number of people is still tremendous.
"However, the 1.4-point increase in the percentage of adults without health insurance since the end of last year represents nearly 3.5 million Americans who have entered the ranks of the uninsured," said a blog post from Gallup on the poll.
The reasons for the rise in the number of uninsured are diverse ranging from insurer participation in the Obamacare exchanges to healthcare costs, according to a post from Gallup. The attempts by Trump and congressional Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare also could having an impact.
"Uncertainty about the healthcare law also may be driving the increase," Gallup said. "Congressional Republicans' attempts to replace the healthcare law may be causing consumers to question whether the government will enforce the penalty for not having insurance."
Despite the uptick, the uninsured rate is still well below its pre-Obamacare level of 18%.
*SEE ALSO: The new bill to fix Obamacare has enough votes to pass — but Trump and the GOP could still kill it*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: The Supreme Court will hear a landmark case on gerrymandering — here’s how the political tactic changed the US forever Reported by Business Insider 8 hours ago.
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Companies announce new health insurance rates for Montana
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Two companies have revised their health insurance rates for the Montana marketplace after the president ended subsidies for low- to moderate-income policy holders under the Affordable Care Act. Insurance Commissioner Matt Rosendale says PacificSource will raise its premiums by an average of 13.1 percent, compared to the 7.4 percent submitted when […]
Reported by Seattle Times 8 hours ago.
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Enrollment period for Vermont Health Connect starts Nov. 1
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermonters who want to sign up for a health insurance plan for next year through the state’s online exchange or existing subscribers who want to change to a different plan can do so starting next month. The annual enrollment period for Vermont Health Connect runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. […]
Reported by Seattle Times 7 hours ago.
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