CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A group of teachers, public employees and retirees in West Virginia is objecting to proposed health insurance benefits cuts. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the group expressed its concerns Wednesday evening to the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board at the last of five public hearings on the latest proposed cuts. The […]
Reported by Seattle Times 7 hours ago.
Public employees objecting to proposed benefits cuts
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Middle Class Families Confront Soaring Health Insurance Costs
In Virginia, premiums on policies sold under the Affordable Care Act are pushing health coverage out of reach, and customers see political forces at work.
Reported by NYTimes.com 6 hours ago.
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To Combat the Threat of Cyber Attacks, iSign International and TIPAAA to Offer HIPAA-compliant Digital Security Solutions to over 300,000 Physician Members
iSign’s proprietary technology prevents cyber attacks so your doctor’s computer network stays safe from hackers and health information exchanges with patients and other health care professionals remain private and confidential.
LACEY, Wash. (PRWEB) November 16, 2017
To combat the increasing threat of cyber attacks on health care providers, iSign International Inc. (iSign) and The Independent Physician Association of America (TIPAAA) have partnered to offer iSign’s suite of digital security solutions to TIPAAA’s over 300,000 physician members. The iSign suite keeps computer networks safe from hackers, allows secured health information exchange between doctors and patients, streamlines the patient check-in and registration process, and helps with compliance to HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Recent high-profile cyber attacks on health care providers including the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) have highlighted the enormous risks to our privacy faced at doctor offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities around the world. Given the fact the personal health data is so valuable and that more and more Internet-enabled devices can be found in the health care system, medical professionals and their patients are more vulnerable than ever before to hacking, ransomware attacks, and identity theft.
Through this partnership, iSign will offer a unified suite of proprietary digital security solutions to TIPAAA’s physician members, virtually eliminating these threats to our health data. What makes iSign’s technology unique is its 5-factor authentication, the highest security protocol available. This proprietary technology includes End-to-End Dynamic PKI encryption, Biometric Signature, GEO recognition and validation, active intrusion monitoring with auto blocking, and more to lock down every computer, server, mobile phone and tablet, and Internet-enabled device, including medical equipment, on the network.
From the moment patient information is first registered in iSign’s iCheckin, it is secure and safe from hackers. iMail email communications between physicians and with their patients are protected by the world's only biometric signature email system. Electronic health information such as x-rays, lab test results, medications, allergies, etc. is highly encrypted and can be shared in real-time. The entire process remains HIPAA compliant.
"We are excited to partner with TIPAAA to bring innovative, ground-breaking email and digital security technologies to TIPAAA's established 300,000+ physicians. iSign's applications offer patented and patent-pending technologies to secure communications between physicians and their clients," stated Thien Pham, iSign’s chief technology officer.
Rather than the typical cobbled together collection of vulnerable tools for email, collaboration, and data storage and transfer, the iSign and TIPAAA offering is a single secure unified suite which includes the following:
iMail - the only biometric signature protected email system with 5-factor authentication to prevent hacking and phishing emails keeping doctor-to-doctor and doctor-to-patient communications private and confidential. Real-time sharing of health information is possible in this highly encrypted, HIPAA-compliant environment.
iCheckIn - patient check-in kiosk system that streamlines the registration process reducing the wait times at clinics, hospitals and any other facilities that require patients to check-in. Many clients, such as Providence Health Services, have eliminated waiting lines altogether. Additionally, patient information is secured from the moment it’s registered using iCheckIn and remains secure forever.
iSecure Protector - computer network monitoring and blocking software that blocks rogue inbound connections and prevents internal attacks.
iSecure Protector (Server Edition) - server network monitoring and blocking software that allows IT personnel to lock down the servers from anywhere in the cases of internal attacks or external ones such as attacks via remote desktop protocol (RDP) and Secure Shell (SSH).
iSmart Guard - WiFi router hardware that protects all WiFi enabled devices, such as laptops and Internet-Of-Things, from external attacks by blocking all inbound connections and rapidly identifying the outbound bad actors and blocking them. This patent-protected technology has been independently certified by the Arizona State University Cybersecurity and Digital Forensic Center.
Al Holloway has stated, “ISign innovative products offer TIPAAA members the technology needed to secure sensitive patient data, meet the requirements of HIPAA and enable members to focus on delivering the highest quality patient care”.
Commenting on the partnership, Gerard Munera, the Chairman of iSign International Inc. said, "We are thrilled to be able to offer our unique anti-hacking software to more than 300,000 physicians through our partnership with TIPAA.With the constant threat of email hacking and digital theft, having a trusted and highly efficient electronic check-in system, already used by Providence Health & Services and Yavapai Regional Medical Center, is of crucial importance. TIPAAA will offer our sofware to its physician networks ;its use will not only results in full anti-hacking protection but it will also speed up, and in many cases eliminate the need to have a wait line."
About iSign International
iSign International Inc. is a private Texas corporation which has developed an original cyber security technology combining biometric signature recognition and projection, innovative devices pairing, PKI encryption, GPS localization and univocal computer generated transactional password. iSign believes that its technology, which is covered by several patent pending claims, constitutes a game changing approach as it renders hacking practically impossible.
About TIPAAA
The IPA Association of America (TIPAAA) is the leading trade association serving Independent/Integrated Physician Associations (IPAs). Founded in 1994 in Oakland, California, TIPAAA provides a wide range of products, services, and educational programs designed to help IPAs operate effectively and successfully in managed care. The association has nearly 677 IPAs, chapters in 39 states (with more in development), and represents more than 303,000 Physicians affiliated with IPAs. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
LACEY, Wash. (PRWEB) November 16, 2017
To combat the increasing threat of cyber attacks on health care providers, iSign International Inc. (iSign) and The Independent Physician Association of America (TIPAAA) have partnered to offer iSign’s suite of digital security solutions to TIPAAA’s over 300,000 physician members. The iSign suite keeps computer networks safe from hackers, allows secured health information exchange between doctors and patients, streamlines the patient check-in and registration process, and helps with compliance to HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Recent high-profile cyber attacks on health care providers including the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) have highlighted the enormous risks to our privacy faced at doctor offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities around the world. Given the fact the personal health data is so valuable and that more and more Internet-enabled devices can be found in the health care system, medical professionals and their patients are more vulnerable than ever before to hacking, ransomware attacks, and identity theft.
Through this partnership, iSign will offer a unified suite of proprietary digital security solutions to TIPAAA’s physician members, virtually eliminating these threats to our health data. What makes iSign’s technology unique is its 5-factor authentication, the highest security protocol available. This proprietary technology includes End-to-End Dynamic PKI encryption, Biometric Signature, GEO recognition and validation, active intrusion monitoring with auto blocking, and more to lock down every computer, server, mobile phone and tablet, and Internet-enabled device, including medical equipment, on the network.
From the moment patient information is first registered in iSign’s iCheckin, it is secure and safe from hackers. iMail email communications between physicians and with their patients are protected by the world's only biometric signature email system. Electronic health information such as x-rays, lab test results, medications, allergies, etc. is highly encrypted and can be shared in real-time. The entire process remains HIPAA compliant.
"We are excited to partner with TIPAAA to bring innovative, ground-breaking email and digital security technologies to TIPAAA's established 300,000+ physicians. iSign's applications offer patented and patent-pending technologies to secure communications between physicians and their clients," stated Thien Pham, iSign’s chief technology officer.
Rather than the typical cobbled together collection of vulnerable tools for email, collaboration, and data storage and transfer, the iSign and TIPAAA offering is a single secure unified suite which includes the following:
iMail - the only biometric signature protected email system with 5-factor authentication to prevent hacking and phishing emails keeping doctor-to-doctor and doctor-to-patient communications private and confidential. Real-time sharing of health information is possible in this highly encrypted, HIPAA-compliant environment.
iCheckIn - patient check-in kiosk system that streamlines the registration process reducing the wait times at clinics, hospitals and any other facilities that require patients to check-in. Many clients, such as Providence Health Services, have eliminated waiting lines altogether. Additionally, patient information is secured from the moment it’s registered using iCheckIn and remains secure forever.
iSecure Protector - computer network monitoring and blocking software that blocks rogue inbound connections and prevents internal attacks.
iSecure Protector (Server Edition) - server network monitoring and blocking software that allows IT personnel to lock down the servers from anywhere in the cases of internal attacks or external ones such as attacks via remote desktop protocol (RDP) and Secure Shell (SSH).
iSmart Guard - WiFi router hardware that protects all WiFi enabled devices, such as laptops and Internet-Of-Things, from external attacks by blocking all inbound connections and rapidly identifying the outbound bad actors and blocking them. This patent-protected technology has been independently certified by the Arizona State University Cybersecurity and Digital Forensic Center.
Al Holloway has stated, “ISign innovative products offer TIPAAA members the technology needed to secure sensitive patient data, meet the requirements of HIPAA and enable members to focus on delivering the highest quality patient care”.
Commenting on the partnership, Gerard Munera, the Chairman of iSign International Inc. said, "We are thrilled to be able to offer our unique anti-hacking software to more than 300,000 physicians through our partnership with TIPAA.With the constant threat of email hacking and digital theft, having a trusted and highly efficient electronic check-in system, already used by Providence Health & Services and Yavapai Regional Medical Center, is of crucial importance. TIPAAA will offer our sofware to its physician networks ;its use will not only results in full anti-hacking protection but it will also speed up, and in many cases eliminate the need to have a wait line."
About iSign International
iSign International Inc. is a private Texas corporation which has developed an original cyber security technology combining biometric signature recognition and projection, innovative devices pairing, PKI encryption, GPS localization and univocal computer generated transactional password. iSign believes that its technology, which is covered by several patent pending claims, constitutes a game changing approach as it renders hacking practically impossible.
About TIPAAA
The IPA Association of America (TIPAAA) is the leading trade association serving Independent/Integrated Physician Associations (IPAs). Founded in 1994 in Oakland, California, TIPAAA provides a wide range of products, services, and educational programs designed to help IPAs operate effectively and successfully in managed care. The association has nearly 677 IPAs, chapters in 39 states (with more in development), and represents more than 303,000 Physicians affiliated with IPAs. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
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Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Announces the Retirement of Chairman, President, and CEO Robert A. Marino
Kevin P. Conlin, National Leader in Delivery Reform, Will Head 85 Year Old Company on 1/1/2018
NEWARK, N.J. (PRWEB) November 16, 2017
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) announced today that Robert A. Marino will retire from the company at the end of 2017 after spending more than 40 years working in the Blue Cross Blue Shield system. Mr. Marino has served as Horizon’s President and CEO since March 2011 and became Chairman of the Board in March 2012.
The Board of Directors has chosen Kevin P. Conlin to succeed Mr. Marino. Mr. Conlin joined Horizon BCBSNJ in 2012 as Executive Vice President, Healthcare Management, and was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2016, responsible for directing and managing all of Horizon’s business activities. He will become the company’s Chairman, President and CEO effective January 1, 2018.
“For 85 years, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s mission has been to provide affordable, high quality health insurance to as many people as possible and it has been a privilege to lead the amazing team of dedicated, caring employees who make that mission their personal responsibility every day,” said Mr. Marino. “When I began my career with Blue Shield of New Jersey 40 years ago, I never thought that I’d have the honor of guiding the company that has consistently led the charge to transform and improve health care in New Jersey.”
Under Bob Marino’s leadership, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey:· Grew to serve 3.8 million members, including 74,000 previously uninsured New Jerseyans who obtained coverage through the individual market, with annual revenue exceeding $12 billion in 2016.
· Earned “Best Insurance Company” in the United States for overall customer satisfaction in 2016 and “Most Recommended Health Insurer In America” 2017 in Insure.com’s national surveys.
· Earned the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s “Brand Excellence for Innovation Award” recognizing the positive and measurable impact of OMNIA Health Plans.
· Strengthened its financial condition earning and maintaining an “A” credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, which recently praised management for “maintaining financial strength” and driving “various innovative payment models to make the New Jersey health-care system more effective, efficient, and affordable.”
In 2015, NJBIZ selected Bob Marino as New Jersey’s Executive of the Year citing his willingness to act boldly to challenge the status quo and “rethink how one of the biggest industries in the country operates.” Since becoming CEO, Marino has also been at or near the top on the publication’s annual Power 50 in Healthcare list.
“Leaders who show courage and commitment to New Jersey are extraordinarily valued. Bob Marino is unquestionably one such leader and we will miss him,” said Tom Bracken, President and CEO of the NJ State Chamber of Commerce. “Bob has continued in the tradition of exemplary leadership at one of New Jersey’s oldest and most reputable businesses. He’s had the strength and vision to place the interests of Horizon’s members first and his work to lower healthcare costs and improve quality outcomes has had a profound impact on New Jersey’s businesses and employees.”
Mr. Conlin has been the driving force behind Horizon’s efforts to transform health care in New Jersey from a fee for service model to a fee for value model. The company’s innovative patient-centered, value-based programs currently cover 1.5 million of its 3.8 million members, helping to improve quality of care, the patient experience and lower costs.
“By changing the way we deliver and pay for health care through innovative partnerships, Horizon put quality, cost and customer experience above all else. Under Kevin’s leadership, Horizon will be well positioned to continue redefining healthcare in New Jersey through innovative models of care that put the health and wellness of our customers in sharp focus,” said Marino. “Kevin understands better than anyone that collaborative, patient-centered models are essential to successfully fulfilling Horizon’s mission going forward.”
Prior to joining Horizon BCBSNJ, Mr. Conlin served in several leadership positions with health systems, hospitals and health insurance companies. He came to Horizon BCBSNJ from Coventry Healthcare where he served as Executive Vice President, responsible for the functions of medical management, national contracting and provider relations across the United States. He was also President and CEO of Via Christi Health, a large Kansas-based integrated health system of 8,000 employees.
Mr. Conlin is a Rutgers University graduate, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences. He holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Duke University.
About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services serving 3.8 million members. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at http://www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
NEWARK, N.J. (PRWEB) November 16, 2017
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) announced today that Robert A. Marino will retire from the company at the end of 2017 after spending more than 40 years working in the Blue Cross Blue Shield system. Mr. Marino has served as Horizon’s President and CEO since March 2011 and became Chairman of the Board in March 2012.
The Board of Directors has chosen Kevin P. Conlin to succeed Mr. Marino. Mr. Conlin joined Horizon BCBSNJ in 2012 as Executive Vice President, Healthcare Management, and was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2016, responsible for directing and managing all of Horizon’s business activities. He will become the company’s Chairman, President and CEO effective January 1, 2018.
“For 85 years, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s mission has been to provide affordable, high quality health insurance to as many people as possible and it has been a privilege to lead the amazing team of dedicated, caring employees who make that mission their personal responsibility every day,” said Mr. Marino. “When I began my career with Blue Shield of New Jersey 40 years ago, I never thought that I’d have the honor of guiding the company that has consistently led the charge to transform and improve health care in New Jersey.”
Under Bob Marino’s leadership, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey:· Grew to serve 3.8 million members, including 74,000 previously uninsured New Jerseyans who obtained coverage through the individual market, with annual revenue exceeding $12 billion in 2016.
· Earned “Best Insurance Company” in the United States for overall customer satisfaction in 2016 and “Most Recommended Health Insurer In America” 2017 in Insure.com’s national surveys.
· Earned the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s “Brand Excellence for Innovation Award” recognizing the positive and measurable impact of OMNIA Health Plans.
· Strengthened its financial condition earning and maintaining an “A” credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, which recently praised management for “maintaining financial strength” and driving “various innovative payment models to make the New Jersey health-care system more effective, efficient, and affordable.”
In 2015, NJBIZ selected Bob Marino as New Jersey’s Executive of the Year citing his willingness to act boldly to challenge the status quo and “rethink how one of the biggest industries in the country operates.” Since becoming CEO, Marino has also been at or near the top on the publication’s annual Power 50 in Healthcare list.
“Leaders who show courage and commitment to New Jersey are extraordinarily valued. Bob Marino is unquestionably one such leader and we will miss him,” said Tom Bracken, President and CEO of the NJ State Chamber of Commerce. “Bob has continued in the tradition of exemplary leadership at one of New Jersey’s oldest and most reputable businesses. He’s had the strength and vision to place the interests of Horizon’s members first and his work to lower healthcare costs and improve quality outcomes has had a profound impact on New Jersey’s businesses and employees.”
Mr. Conlin has been the driving force behind Horizon’s efforts to transform health care in New Jersey from a fee for service model to a fee for value model. The company’s innovative patient-centered, value-based programs currently cover 1.5 million of its 3.8 million members, helping to improve quality of care, the patient experience and lower costs.
“By changing the way we deliver and pay for health care through innovative partnerships, Horizon put quality, cost and customer experience above all else. Under Kevin’s leadership, Horizon will be well positioned to continue redefining healthcare in New Jersey through innovative models of care that put the health and wellness of our customers in sharp focus,” said Marino. “Kevin understands better than anyone that collaborative, patient-centered models are essential to successfully fulfilling Horizon’s mission going forward.”
Prior to joining Horizon BCBSNJ, Mr. Conlin served in several leadership positions with health systems, hospitals and health insurance companies. He came to Horizon BCBSNJ from Coventry Healthcare where he served as Executive Vice President, responsible for the functions of medical management, national contracting and provider relations across the United States. He was also President and CEO of Via Christi Health, a large Kansas-based integrated health system of 8,000 employees.
Mr. Conlin is a Rutgers University graduate, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences. He holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Duke University.
About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services serving 3.8 million members. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at http://www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
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Self-funded: The future of small business health insurance
Self-funded plans, once thought a viable option for large companies, are becoming an increasingly popular alternative for small-to-medium-sized businesses to mitigate skyrocketing costs associated with traditional, fully insured plans.
Reported by bizjournals 5 hours ago.
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In your retirement planning, include the cost of long-term care
Many Americans have a blind spot when it comes to retirement planning: long-term care costs. Even though the majority of Americans will at some point need long-term care, few are planning for it. Many underestimate the costs and mistakenly believe health insurance can help cover it.
“This is not... Reported by L.A. Times 4 hours ago.
“This is not... Reported by L.A. Times 4 hours ago.
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IRS starts to enforce health law’s rule that employers offer insurance
As Republicans and the Trump administration continue trying to chip away at the Affordable Care Act, the Internal Revenue Service has begun, for the first time, to enforce one of the law’s most polarizing provisions: the employer mandate. Thousands of businesses — many small or midsize — will soon receive a letter saying that they owe the government money because they failed to offer their workers qualifying health insurance. The first round of notices, which the IRS began sending late last month, are being mailed to companies that have at least 100 full-time employees and ran afoul of the law in 2015, the year that the mandate took effect.
Reported by SFGate 4 hours ago.
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Cleveland County, North Carolina Targets Millennials with New Manufacturing Talent Attraction Campaign
Charlotte's Backyard NC website promotes multiple factors that millennials consider when relocating: diverse manufacturing careers, lucrative salaries, ideal location, outdoor recreational assets and affordable housing.
CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. (PRWEB) November 17, 2017
Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership (CCEDP) has a message that they want to share with millennials across the country: Whether you’re new to the manufacturing industry, a seasoned pro, or even have zero experience - Cleveland County, North Carolina has more than 170 manufacturing companies who are hiring for a diverse array of careers - and they are interested in talking to YOU.
Cleveland County has undoubtedly been one of the most successful rural communities in North Carolina, as it relates to manufacturing relocations and expansions and new job growth. In fact, since 2008, more than 75 companies have either relocated or expanded their operations in this location, which equate to a combined total committed investment of over $6 billion dollars and 4,000 new jobs. As a result of this success, the community’s unemployment rate has plummeted from double to single digits, and now Cleveland County bears the prestigious distinction of being ranked as Site Selection Magazine’s #4 Top Micropolitan in the United States. Recognizing how a low unemployment rate could be perceived by many as the community not having a sufficient pool of skilled labor, Cleveland County wants to prove to their existing manufacturing companies and Site Location Consultants who represent new economic development projects, that they have a strategic plan in place to fuel and strengthen the manufacturing talent pipeline in their community.
Over the last year, CCEDP collaborated with local manufacturers, local government officials, educational partners and a variety of additional stakeholders to develop a creative, strategic and wide-reaching new multi-media Talent Attraction Campaign, Charlotte’s Backyard NC. The campaign and its new website, was formally launched today at the 2017 Making it Work: Manufacturing and Engineering Fair, which included hundreds of local manufacturers, high school students and teachers. The project will primarily target the millennial workforce and showcase to them the many reasons why Cleveland County is a wonderful location to find a lucrative manufacturing career, while they can also enjoy the benefits of the community’s close proximity to Charlotte and Asheville, wonderful quality life, and affordable cost of living.
Kristin Reese, Executive Director of CCEDP stated that, “The development of this campaign was something that we became convinced that we needed in order to position our community in a way that would strategically connect millennial talent to the manufacturing careers in our community. We’re witnessing a mass exodus of baby-boomers in the manufacturing sector who are now retiring or contemplating retirement in the near future. Millennials now represent the largest percentage of the US population, and by 2020 they are expected to represent the largest percentage of the US workforce. This generation could be a huge asset to companies who need new workers as a result of an expansion, or for others who are trying to fill the vacancies left by the baby-boomers. Charlotte is projected to have the highest rate of millennial growth in the nation, and so by leveraging and strategically marketing our close proximity to that growing city, we feel it will help to fuel Cleveland County’s talent pipeline. It’s a significant value proposition that we are sharing with people – work here, live here and take advantage of all of the conveniences of having larger cities nearby – but, because of the affordable cost of living and relaxed vibe of our smaller community, we guarantee your paycheck will go further and your overall quality of life will be enhanced.”
The Charlotte’s Backyard NC website has been designed to include rich content and strives to not only function as a resource for people who are evaluating relocation possibilities, but to also make Cleveland County residents aware of the manufacturing career opportunities that exist in their own backyard. The site includes a “Find a Career” search engine and profiles an array of local manufacturers and their employees. A few additional aspects of the site are that you can explore Cleveland County communities and learn more about what makes them special, as well as read up on local musical events and entertainment, hiking and biking trails – and even peruse a locally curated list of daycation ideas. Nick Wiebelhaus, Plant Manager of Greenheck, who also served on the task force that spearheaded the talent attract campaign said “I moved to Cleveland County from Tuscon, Arizona and soon realized that even though the pace of life here is slower, there is still a real energy and vibrancy. I’ve also realized the benefit of the low cost of living, and I appreciate how Charlotte’s Backyard NC authentically reflects the essence of what makes our community so great - and why people like me enjoy working and living here.”
CCEDP has retained the expertise of Development Counsellors International (DCI), a leader in economic development and tourism marketing who not only managed the development of the Charlotte’s Backyard NC brand, marketing and website development efforts, but also initially provided the organization with compelling national statistics and survey data relative to millennials and what factors play into their relocation decisions. CCEDP is also currently working with Little Red Bird on the campaign’s advertising and video production strategies, which will be fully launched in January 2018. The investigative analysis performance by both DCI and Little Red Bird were an integral component of the business case that was developed by CCEDP for the talent attraction campaign. Those findings were then subsequently tied into some of the key marketing and advertising messages of the campaign:· Top Millennial Mecca Meets Small-Town Charm: More millennials are moving to Charlotte than anywhere else in the world, according to a 2017 study from SmartAsset. In Cleveland County, you’ll tap into all the benefits that are drawing that generation to this area, without the high cost or stress of living in a major metropolitan area. Add to that a healthy dose of Southern hospitality and small-town charm and you won’t want to live anywhere else.
· Good Careers for all Kinds of People: Whether you are new to the manufacturing industry, a seasoned pro, or have zero experience – there are manufacturing opportunities available. Cleveland County companies offer competitive health insurance, paid time off, performance-based incentives and tuition reimbursement.
· More for Your Paycheck: Manufacturing workers in the US earn an average 18% higher than those in non-manufacturing industries. In 2016, the average advanced manufacturing wage in Cleveland County was $54,860.
Low Cost of Living and Affordable Housing: With a cost of living that is 15% lower than the national average, you can have more money in your pocket to spend on the things, and people, you love. The cost of housing in Cleveland County is 49% lower than the national average, which means you can save on rent, or buy a house without breaking the bank.· A Daytripper’s Paradise: Bustling cities, world-class theaters, mountains, beaches and hiking trails – all of these and more are either in Cleveland County, or just a stone’s throw away. There’s something for the outdoor adventurer, culture connoisseur, shopping enthusiast and foodie in all of us – all in less than an hour’s travel by car in Cleveland County. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.
CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. (PRWEB) November 17, 2017
Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership (CCEDP) has a message that they want to share with millennials across the country: Whether you’re new to the manufacturing industry, a seasoned pro, or even have zero experience - Cleveland County, North Carolina has more than 170 manufacturing companies who are hiring for a diverse array of careers - and they are interested in talking to YOU.
Cleveland County has undoubtedly been one of the most successful rural communities in North Carolina, as it relates to manufacturing relocations and expansions and new job growth. In fact, since 2008, more than 75 companies have either relocated or expanded their operations in this location, which equate to a combined total committed investment of over $6 billion dollars and 4,000 new jobs. As a result of this success, the community’s unemployment rate has plummeted from double to single digits, and now Cleveland County bears the prestigious distinction of being ranked as Site Selection Magazine’s #4 Top Micropolitan in the United States. Recognizing how a low unemployment rate could be perceived by many as the community not having a sufficient pool of skilled labor, Cleveland County wants to prove to their existing manufacturing companies and Site Location Consultants who represent new economic development projects, that they have a strategic plan in place to fuel and strengthen the manufacturing talent pipeline in their community.
Over the last year, CCEDP collaborated with local manufacturers, local government officials, educational partners and a variety of additional stakeholders to develop a creative, strategic and wide-reaching new multi-media Talent Attraction Campaign, Charlotte’s Backyard NC. The campaign and its new website, was formally launched today at the 2017 Making it Work: Manufacturing and Engineering Fair, which included hundreds of local manufacturers, high school students and teachers. The project will primarily target the millennial workforce and showcase to them the many reasons why Cleveland County is a wonderful location to find a lucrative manufacturing career, while they can also enjoy the benefits of the community’s close proximity to Charlotte and Asheville, wonderful quality life, and affordable cost of living.
Kristin Reese, Executive Director of CCEDP stated that, “The development of this campaign was something that we became convinced that we needed in order to position our community in a way that would strategically connect millennial talent to the manufacturing careers in our community. We’re witnessing a mass exodus of baby-boomers in the manufacturing sector who are now retiring or contemplating retirement in the near future. Millennials now represent the largest percentage of the US population, and by 2020 they are expected to represent the largest percentage of the US workforce. This generation could be a huge asset to companies who need new workers as a result of an expansion, or for others who are trying to fill the vacancies left by the baby-boomers. Charlotte is projected to have the highest rate of millennial growth in the nation, and so by leveraging and strategically marketing our close proximity to that growing city, we feel it will help to fuel Cleveland County’s talent pipeline. It’s a significant value proposition that we are sharing with people – work here, live here and take advantage of all of the conveniences of having larger cities nearby – but, because of the affordable cost of living and relaxed vibe of our smaller community, we guarantee your paycheck will go further and your overall quality of life will be enhanced.”
The Charlotte’s Backyard NC website has been designed to include rich content and strives to not only function as a resource for people who are evaluating relocation possibilities, but to also make Cleveland County residents aware of the manufacturing career opportunities that exist in their own backyard. The site includes a “Find a Career” search engine and profiles an array of local manufacturers and their employees. A few additional aspects of the site are that you can explore Cleveland County communities and learn more about what makes them special, as well as read up on local musical events and entertainment, hiking and biking trails – and even peruse a locally curated list of daycation ideas. Nick Wiebelhaus, Plant Manager of Greenheck, who also served on the task force that spearheaded the talent attract campaign said “I moved to Cleveland County from Tuscon, Arizona and soon realized that even though the pace of life here is slower, there is still a real energy and vibrancy. I’ve also realized the benefit of the low cost of living, and I appreciate how Charlotte’s Backyard NC authentically reflects the essence of what makes our community so great - and why people like me enjoy working and living here.”
CCEDP has retained the expertise of Development Counsellors International (DCI), a leader in economic development and tourism marketing who not only managed the development of the Charlotte’s Backyard NC brand, marketing and website development efforts, but also initially provided the organization with compelling national statistics and survey data relative to millennials and what factors play into their relocation decisions. CCEDP is also currently working with Little Red Bird on the campaign’s advertising and video production strategies, which will be fully launched in January 2018. The investigative analysis performance by both DCI and Little Red Bird were an integral component of the business case that was developed by CCEDP for the talent attraction campaign. Those findings were then subsequently tied into some of the key marketing and advertising messages of the campaign:· Top Millennial Mecca Meets Small-Town Charm: More millennials are moving to Charlotte than anywhere else in the world, according to a 2017 study from SmartAsset. In Cleveland County, you’ll tap into all the benefits that are drawing that generation to this area, without the high cost or stress of living in a major metropolitan area. Add to that a healthy dose of Southern hospitality and small-town charm and you won’t want to live anywhere else.
· Good Careers for all Kinds of People: Whether you are new to the manufacturing industry, a seasoned pro, or have zero experience – there are manufacturing opportunities available. Cleveland County companies offer competitive health insurance, paid time off, performance-based incentives and tuition reimbursement.
· More for Your Paycheck: Manufacturing workers in the US earn an average 18% higher than those in non-manufacturing industries. In 2016, the average advanced manufacturing wage in Cleveland County was $54,860.
Low Cost of Living and Affordable Housing: With a cost of living that is 15% lower than the national average, you can have more money in your pocket to spend on the things, and people, you love. The cost of housing in Cleveland County is 49% lower than the national average, which means you can save on rent, or buy a house without breaking the bank.· A Daytripper’s Paradise: Bustling cities, world-class theaters, mountains, beaches and hiking trails – all of these and more are either in Cleveland County, or just a stone’s throw away. There’s something for the outdoor adventurer, culture connoisseur, shopping enthusiast and foodie in all of us – all in less than an hour’s travel by car in Cleveland County. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.
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EBA’s Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark: Employers Continue to Struggle With Goal Setting, Communication Programs
Plan designs are mostly in place, but organizations still need help determining enrollment targets, explaining benefit changes to employees
NEW YORK (PRWEB) November 17, 2017
Employee Benefit Adviser’s Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark (OERB) finds organizations with benefit start dates in the first quarter of 2018 more prepared for their annual open enrollment season than they were the month before. However, many employers continue to struggle with key tasks, particularly in setting open enrollment targets and creating communication programs to explain plan changes to their workers.
The composite OERB score — an average of progress self-assessments for 26 open enrollment activities — ticked up three points from 49 in August to 52 in September. Employers reported strong progress in selecting health and retirement plans, choosing voluntary benefits and contracting with benefit advisers and brokers.
The open enrollment period, which usually takes place in the fourth quarter for U.S. companies, is a critical time for employers as they look to engage their staffs in health and retirement planning.
Still, many organizations have difficulty with goal setting, which registered just 46 on the benchmark. Employers often fail to establish basic open enrollment metrics – such as measuring the participation levels of various benefit plans – simply because they don’t know where to begin.
Planning and designing communications, which scored only 29, is another hurdle. Many employers grapple to explain premium increases and other health plan changes to employees who might be unfamiliar with insurance policies and how they work.
But these challenges present an opportunity for employee benefit advisers to help clients better structure their efforts.
“Advisers can provide a real service,” said John McCormick, Editorial Director of SourceMedia’s Employee Benefits group, which includes EBA and Employee Benefit News. “They know how to gauge enrollment success, and they know how to design communication programs that not only explain why costs are going up but, just as important, spell out the overall value of the benefits employees receive as part of their compensation.”
The Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark is a data-based performance benchmark that gauges how prepared employers are for their annual employee benefits enrollment periods. The benchmark is sponsored by ADP. To produce the results, SourceMedia Research and EBA each month survey more than 400 pre-screened HR and benefits executives at organizations of various sizes and across multiple industries. These professionals are asked to rate their completion levels for 26 activities — from selecting health plans to reviewing enrollment metrics — that take place during the four critical phases of open enrollment: benefit plan design, employee preparation, employee enrollment and post-enrollment analysis. Scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 100 and reflect the degree to which an employer considers itself prepared for a particular activity. The activity scores are then averaged to determine scores for each of the four phases and an overall readiness score. A complete analysis of the most recent OERB data is available here.
About Employee Benefit Adviser
Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) is the information resource for employee benefit advisers, brokers, agents and consultants, providing the current awareness and perspective they need to anticipate changes in the marketplace and optimally serve their clients. EBA delivers a broad range of critical content, including comparative market data, legal and regulatory updates, the latest products and services, and best practices in benefits delivery — including health insurance, vision and dental insurance, and voluntary and retirement benefits. The benefits broker community relies on EBA to stay connected through its website comment forums, its social media communities and live events.
About SourceMedia Research
SourceMedia Research is a full-service B2B market research service that draws upon SourceMedia’s market expertise and proprietary database of engaged executives to develop information and insights for clients. SourceMedia Research provides research solutions for marketers, agencies and others targeting sectors such as banking, payments, mortgage, accounting, employee benefits and wealth management.
About SourceMedia
SourceMedia, an Observer Capital company, is an innovative, growing digital business information and performance media company serving senior-level professionals in the financial, technology and healthcare sectors. Brands include American Banker, PaymentsSource, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning, Accounting Today, Mergers & Acquisitions, National Mortgage News, Employee Benefit News and Health Data Management.
About ADP
Powerful technology plus a human touch. Companies of all types and sizes around the world rely on ADP’s cloud software and expert insights to help unlock the potential of their people. HR. Talent. Benefits. Payroll. Compliance. Working together to build a better workforce. For more information, visit http://www.adp.com/business.
For more information, please contact:
Dana Jackson
dana.jackson@sourcemedia.com
212-803-8329
John McCormick
john.mccormick@sourcemedia.com
212-803-8509 Reported by PRWeb 12 hours ago.
NEW YORK (PRWEB) November 17, 2017
Employee Benefit Adviser’s Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark (OERB) finds organizations with benefit start dates in the first quarter of 2018 more prepared for their annual open enrollment season than they were the month before. However, many employers continue to struggle with key tasks, particularly in setting open enrollment targets and creating communication programs to explain plan changes to their workers.
The composite OERB score — an average of progress self-assessments for 26 open enrollment activities — ticked up three points from 49 in August to 52 in September. Employers reported strong progress in selecting health and retirement plans, choosing voluntary benefits and contracting with benefit advisers and brokers.
The open enrollment period, which usually takes place in the fourth quarter for U.S. companies, is a critical time for employers as they look to engage their staffs in health and retirement planning.
Still, many organizations have difficulty with goal setting, which registered just 46 on the benchmark. Employers often fail to establish basic open enrollment metrics – such as measuring the participation levels of various benefit plans – simply because they don’t know where to begin.
Planning and designing communications, which scored only 29, is another hurdle. Many employers grapple to explain premium increases and other health plan changes to employees who might be unfamiliar with insurance policies and how they work.
But these challenges present an opportunity for employee benefit advisers to help clients better structure their efforts.
“Advisers can provide a real service,” said John McCormick, Editorial Director of SourceMedia’s Employee Benefits group, which includes EBA and Employee Benefit News. “They know how to gauge enrollment success, and they know how to design communication programs that not only explain why costs are going up but, just as important, spell out the overall value of the benefits employees receive as part of their compensation.”
The Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark is a data-based performance benchmark that gauges how prepared employers are for their annual employee benefits enrollment periods. The benchmark is sponsored by ADP. To produce the results, SourceMedia Research and EBA each month survey more than 400 pre-screened HR and benefits executives at organizations of various sizes and across multiple industries. These professionals are asked to rate their completion levels for 26 activities — from selecting health plans to reviewing enrollment metrics — that take place during the four critical phases of open enrollment: benefit plan design, employee preparation, employee enrollment and post-enrollment analysis. Scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 100 and reflect the degree to which an employer considers itself prepared for a particular activity. The activity scores are then averaged to determine scores for each of the four phases and an overall readiness score. A complete analysis of the most recent OERB data is available here.
About Employee Benefit Adviser
Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) is the information resource for employee benefit advisers, brokers, agents and consultants, providing the current awareness and perspective they need to anticipate changes in the marketplace and optimally serve their clients. EBA delivers a broad range of critical content, including comparative market data, legal and regulatory updates, the latest products and services, and best practices in benefits delivery — including health insurance, vision and dental insurance, and voluntary and retirement benefits. The benefits broker community relies on EBA to stay connected through its website comment forums, its social media communities and live events.
About SourceMedia Research
SourceMedia Research is a full-service B2B market research service that draws upon SourceMedia’s market expertise and proprietary database of engaged executives to develop information and insights for clients. SourceMedia Research provides research solutions for marketers, agencies and others targeting sectors such as banking, payments, mortgage, accounting, employee benefits and wealth management.
About SourceMedia
SourceMedia, an Observer Capital company, is an innovative, growing digital business information and performance media company serving senior-level professionals in the financial, technology and healthcare sectors. Brands include American Banker, PaymentsSource, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning, Accounting Today, Mergers & Acquisitions, National Mortgage News, Employee Benefit News and Health Data Management.
About ADP
Powerful technology plus a human touch. Companies of all types and sizes around the world rely on ADP’s cloud software and expert insights to help unlock the potential of their people. HR. Talent. Benefits. Payroll. Compliance. Working together to build a better workforce. For more information, visit http://www.adp.com/business.
For more information, please contact:
Dana Jackson
dana.jackson@sourcemedia.com
212-803-8329
John McCormick
john.mccormick@sourcemedia.com
212-803-8509 Reported by PRWeb 12 hours ago.
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Obamacare enrollment is an unknown for a third of Americans, poll finds
Nearly a third of people overall - including a third of people without health insurance - said they had not heard anything about the sign-up period for individuals who buy health plans on their own, according to the survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Reported by philly.com 10 hours ago.
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Murkowski ties her Senate tax vote to stabilization of health-insurance markets
Reported by MarketWatch 10 hours ago.
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After trial, Menendez pitches health insurance enrollment
WEST NEW YORK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez spent the day after a mistrial was declared in his federal bribery trial urging people to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Menendez appeared Friday alongside Democratic Rep. Albio Sires and Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto in West New […]
Reported by Seattle Times 7 hours ago.
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How Uncle Sam Inflates Away Your Life
Authored by MN Gordon via EconomicPrism.com,*“Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon,”* once remarked economist and Nobel Prize recipient Milton Friedman. *He likely meant that inflation is the more rapid increase in the supply of money relative to the output of goods and services which money is traded for.*
As more and more money is issued relative to the output of goods and services in an economy, *the money’s watered down and loses value. *
By this account, price inflation is not in itself rising prices. *Rather, it’s the loss of purchasing power resulting from an inflating money supply.*
Indeed, Friedman offered a shrewd insight. However, he also accompanied it with an opportunist mindset. * Friedman saw promise in the phenomenon of monetary inflation. * Moreover, he saw it as a means to improve human productivity and economic growth.
*You see, a stable money supply was not good enough for Friedman.* He advocated for moderate levels of monetary growth, and inflation, to perpetually stimulate the economy. *By hardwiring consumers with the expectation of higher prices, policy makers could compel a relentless consumer demand.*
This desire to harness and control the inflation phenomenon has infected practically every government economist’s brain since the early 1970s.
*Over the decades they’ve somehow come to a consensus that 2 percent price inflation is the idyllic rate for provoking economic nirvana. *The Fed even tinkers with its federal funds rate for the purpose of targeting this magic 2 percent rate of price inflation.
-*Shadow Stats*-
On Wednesday the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published its October Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. *According to the government number crunchers, consumer prices are increasing at an annual rate of 2 percent. Of course, anyone who lives and works in the real world knows prices are rising much faster.*
For example, John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics calculates the CPI using early-1980s methods. Williams re-creates how the government previously calculated the CPI before they reconfigured their scheme to understate inflation versus common experience. * By Williams’ calculations the CPI is increasing at an annual rate of 9.8 percent.*
*What price inflation number you believe is up to you.* We’re merely providing information for your consideration. Are consumer prices rising at 9.8 percent per years, as Williams suggests? Are they rising at 5 percent? Are they going down?
We suppose it depends on if you’re buying a flannel shirt at Wal-Mart or paying your utility bill. Still, many would agree that, overall, their day to day experience includes price increases far greater than 2 percent per year.
*If we assume price inflation to be 3 percent per year, that means the purchasing power of your cash drops by 30 percent over a 12 year period. *
Hence, if you retire at age 62, that means you’ll see the purchasing power of each dollar you own decline to $0.70 by age 74. By age 86, your purchasing power will be cut in half.
*In short, 3 percent annual price inflation reduces each dollar you own to just $0.50 in less than 25 years. Without question, this is a significant loss in purchasing power. *
What’s more, generating consistent investment income to overcome this loss in purchasing power is a tall order. Surely, you can’t rely on the government’s cost of living adjustments (COLA), which are tied to the CPI, to maintain your living standard.
-*How Uncle Sam Inflates Away Your Life*-
We doubt that the dollar devaluing effects of price inflation is a new concept for you. Most likely you’ve heard this many times before. Certainly, you experience it as you go about your business.
*However, this stealthy destruction of your wealth bears repeating. * The fact is over the course of your retirement half of your life-savings will be covertly confiscated from your bank account. We find this to be wholly intolerable.
*Remember, your life-savings is just that. It represents your life. *Specifically, it’s stored up time you traded a portion of your life to earn. So, too, it’s a measure of your financial discipline and ability to save and invest overtime in lieu of supersized spending.
When Uncle Sam confiscates your life-savings via the inflation tax something more is happening. *Not only are you being robbed of your money, you’re being robbed of your life. Your life’s simply inflated away. * Poof!
Factor in federal and state income taxes, social security, disability, Medicare, capital gains taxes, outrageous health insurance costs, subsidizing luxury electric vehicles and grape flavored soda pop, and a vast array of fees and exactions, *it’s a miracle you have any money left over at all.*
Alas, what money you somehow manage to hold onto will be inflated away long before you need it most. Reported by Zero Hedge 6 hours ago.
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Democrats blame Trump for Obamacare rate hikes
As Americans sign up during Open Enrollment for health insurance in 2018, those on the Obamacare exchange are seeing higher premiums.
Reported by FOXNews.com 4 hours ago.
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"Helpless, Raging" Charlottesville Families Shocked By These 2018 Obamacare Premiums..."It's Horrific"
Over the past several months, Democrats have jumped on every opportunity possible to blame the Trump administration for yet another year of staggering Obamacare premium increases. Ironically, despite arguments from the Left that Trump's defunding of Obamacare's marketing budget would cause 2018 signups to plunge, as Politico recently noted, they're actually up in 2018...which begs the question:* was the Obama administration just wasting $100 million a year in taxpayer money for nothing?* Shocking thought, we know.Meanwhile a fresh barrage of outcries from Democrats, most notably Ms. Nancy Pelosi, came after Trump's decision to cut federal subsidies, an action which the CBO insisted could result in devastating premium increases of up to 20%.
*Of course, if Trump is responsible for 20% of Obamacare's premium hikes in 2018, then perhaps Nancy Pelosi should explain to the Dixon family in Charlottesville, VA precisely who is responsible for the other portion of the 235% premium hike they just received.*
As the Washington Post points out this morning, the Dixons, a family of 4 in Virginia, were shocked earlier this month to find that their Obamacare premiums were going to surge from roughly $900 per month in 2017 to over $3,000 per month in 2018.
Ian Dixon, who left his full-time job in 2016 to pursue an app-development business, did so because the ACA guaranteed that he could still have quality coverage for his young family, he said.
But when the 38-year-old Charlottesville husband and father of a 3- and a 1-year-old went to re-enroll this month,* his only choice for coverage would cost him more than $3,000 a month for his family of four, which amounted to an increase of more than 300 percent over the $900 he paid the year before. *And this is for the second-cheapest option, with a deductible of $9,200.
*“Helpless is definitely a good word for it,” Dixon said. “Rage is also a good word for it.”*
Of course, Democrats and the MSM also applauded Obamacare's 'great success' earlier this year when several counties that were previously feared to be left with no coverage options in 2018, suddenly picked up a carrier. That said, perhaps Bloomberg, Reuters, NBC, etc. should reconsider just how meaningful these Obamacare monopolies are if the premiums charged are so high that no one can afford them anyway...
*Earlier this year, Aetna and Anthem pulled out of the Albemarle market, citing too much unpredictability and risk. A smaller carrier, Optima, came in to fill the void. Consumers in the area went from having 19 plans offered in the options from Aetna and Anthem to only five coverage options with Optima.*
Several factors led to Optima’s offering such high-priced plans, said Michael Dudley, the president of Optima.
First, small communities like Charlottesville tend to be pricier to cover because there is a small patient pool to balance out risks. So Optima took a cue from the carriers who had already ditched the market when actuaries predicted it was a place where the insurance companies might be paying out more to cover claims than it receives in premiums.
It is also a more expensive coverage area because the primary provider is University of Virginia Health System, an academic medical center that charges higher rates for its care than a community hospital. Optima will include UVA Health System in-network, unlike many carriers who have dropped the big medical centers as a cost-saving measure.
...perhaps local business owner Shawn Cossette can provide the Obamacare cheerleaders within the media some helpful insights...
Among them was Shawn Marie Cossette, 55, who runs her own event and floral design business in Charlottesville. Last year, she purchased an Anthem silver plan for $550 a month for herself. This year, under Optima, a silver plan would cost her $1,859 monthly.
“It’s a huge percentage of my income,” she said. *“I really believed in the ACA. I really feel everyone deserves the right to health insurance, but who can afford those prices if you don’t qualify for subsidies?”*
Reported by Zero Hedge 4 hours ago.
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American Board of Lifestyle Medicine Announces Physicians and Health Professionals Who Have Earned Distinction of Being First-Ever to be Board-Certified in the Field
It was announced today that nearly 250 physicians and allied health professionals, from across the US and globally, have become the first ever to be board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine through the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM), in partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). Lifestyle Medicine, defined by the ACLM, is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, tobacco cessation, and other non-drug modalities, to prevent, treat, and, oftentimes, reverse chronic disease.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (PRWEB) November 17, 2017
The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine announced today that 204 physicians and 43 PhD/Masters-level health clinicians have become the first medical professionals globally to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/ACLM and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. The exam was given Oct. 26 in Tucson, AZ, following the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine 2017 conference.
As a result of this global pioneering effort, Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance sister organizations in Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America are scheduled to host Lifestyle Medicine certifications in their respective countries and regions, using the identical exam, proctoring, and pass rates, resulting in standardization of the field on a world-wide basis.
“Gone are the days of diagnosing the ill, prescribing the pill and sending the bill, which has worked so well in combating communicable disease, but is hopelessly inadequate in the fight against chronic disease,” said ABLM Executive Director Stephan Herzog. “Nourishment, movement, resilience and social connectedness will become the focal point of physicians in addressing the underlying causes of chronic disease, with increasing numbers of medical schools starting to train their students in the principles of lifestyle medicine."
“Driven primarily by large, self-insured employers, the requirement for healthcare providers to employ and deploy lifestyle medicine-certified physicians and health professionals will increase rapidly, as the reduction in medical utilization costs on a per-person per-annum basis is becoming increasingly evident when Lifestyle Medicine is used across the treatment spectrum,” Herzog continued.
ACLM President George Guthrie, MD, MPH, FACLM added, “For the patient, having health care providers not only look at the symptoms, but also at the underlying cause of disease, will help them take charge of their health and prevent, arrest and reverse chronic disease, thus returning years to their life and life to their years.”
Exams are scheduled to be conducted in Sydney, Australia, on November 18, 2017, by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine and in Manila, Philippines on Feb. 8th, 2018, by the Asia Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the IBLM (sign-up via http://www.iblm.co).
The next exam conducted in the U.S. will be Thursday, October 25, 2018, from 8 a.m. to noon at the 2018 ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Conference at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, IN. ACLM members will receive exclusive member-only 10 percent discounts on ABLM exam registration. To register, see http://www.ablm.co/membership-account/register-now/.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN BOARD OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: The ABLM was formed in November, 2015, in Nashville, TN, by a group of visionary physicians who saw the need to: educate physicians and allied health professionals about Lifestyle Medicine; set a common standard/language for Lifestyle Medicine protocols globally; differentiate between evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine professionals and non-evidence based Lifestyle Medicine practitioners; set a global Lifestyle Medicine benchmark; and attract health insurance funding for evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine by requiring that any fund receivers be formally certified. Learn more at https://ablm.co/about/.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the professional medical association for those dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system. More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanizing force for change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective desire to domestically and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever increasing quantities of pills and procedures. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the cause of disease. Learn more at http://www.LifestyleMedicine.org. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (PRWEB) November 17, 2017
The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine announced today that 204 physicians and 43 PhD/Masters-level health clinicians have become the first medical professionals globally to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/ACLM and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. The exam was given Oct. 26 in Tucson, AZ, following the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine 2017 conference.
As a result of this global pioneering effort, Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance sister organizations in Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America are scheduled to host Lifestyle Medicine certifications in their respective countries and regions, using the identical exam, proctoring, and pass rates, resulting in standardization of the field on a world-wide basis.
“Gone are the days of diagnosing the ill, prescribing the pill and sending the bill, which has worked so well in combating communicable disease, but is hopelessly inadequate in the fight against chronic disease,” said ABLM Executive Director Stephan Herzog. “Nourishment, movement, resilience and social connectedness will become the focal point of physicians in addressing the underlying causes of chronic disease, with increasing numbers of medical schools starting to train their students in the principles of lifestyle medicine."
“Driven primarily by large, self-insured employers, the requirement for healthcare providers to employ and deploy lifestyle medicine-certified physicians and health professionals will increase rapidly, as the reduction in medical utilization costs on a per-person per-annum basis is becoming increasingly evident when Lifestyle Medicine is used across the treatment spectrum,” Herzog continued.
ACLM President George Guthrie, MD, MPH, FACLM added, “For the patient, having health care providers not only look at the symptoms, but also at the underlying cause of disease, will help them take charge of their health and prevent, arrest and reverse chronic disease, thus returning years to their life and life to their years.”
Exams are scheduled to be conducted in Sydney, Australia, on November 18, 2017, by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine and in Manila, Philippines on Feb. 8th, 2018, by the Asia Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the IBLM (sign-up via http://www.iblm.co).
The next exam conducted in the U.S. will be Thursday, October 25, 2018, from 8 a.m. to noon at the 2018 ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Conference at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, IN. ACLM members will receive exclusive member-only 10 percent discounts on ABLM exam registration. To register, see http://www.ablm.co/membership-account/register-now/.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN BOARD OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: The ABLM was formed in November, 2015, in Nashville, TN, by a group of visionary physicians who saw the need to: educate physicians and allied health professionals about Lifestyle Medicine; set a common standard/language for Lifestyle Medicine protocols globally; differentiate between evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine professionals and non-evidence based Lifestyle Medicine practitioners; set a global Lifestyle Medicine benchmark; and attract health insurance funding for evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine by requiring that any fund receivers be formally certified. Learn more at https://ablm.co/about/.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the professional medical association for those dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system. More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanizing force for change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective desire to domestically and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever increasing quantities of pills and procedures. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the cause of disease. Learn more at http://www.LifestyleMedicine.org. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
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Sacramento strikes deal with health insurer that may bring up to 5,000 jobs
The city of Sacramento has signed an agreement with health insurance company Centene Corp. that may bring up to 5,000 new jobs to the city, according to city officials. “When completed, (the agreement) will represent the single biggest private-sector job recruitment in the city’s modern history,” Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. The agreement is said to be a first big step toward establishing a regional corporate headquarters for Centene (NYSE: CNC) in Sacramento. The company's main headquarters…
Reported by bizjournals 3 hours ago.
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Tired of Costly Health Insurance? Consider Direct Primary Care
This approach to healthcare takes insurance companies out of the loop.
Reported by Motley Fool 9 hours ago.
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What National Review Gets Wrong About the Opioid Crisis and the War on Drugs
Via The Daily Bell
Alright, libertarians, you wanted drug legalization, right? Well, with opioids, via loose prescriptions, you got it, and what’s happened? We are in the middle of the worst epidemic of overdose and addiction this country has ever seen, thousands are dropping like flies, and it appears that things will be getting worse before they get better. Your theories might sound nice when you don’t have skin in the game, but when reality intrudes on your fantasies of a free society, real people pay the price. Right?
Well, not quite.
The above argument might sound familiar because a variation of it is trotted out during every national crisis. Be it war, financial instability, poverty, during health insurance debates, or any other crisis or threat, a chorus rises to blame supporters of a free society for their juvenile dogmatism that is surely causing the very predicament everyone is suffering under.
“There are no libertarians in financial crises,” gloated mainstream financial analysts during the subprime meltdown, which was caused by “free market fundamentalists”, according to George Soros.
The opioid crisis is no different, but one would have thought the fingers would have pointed at libertarians far earlier. This may be partially due to the fact that support for ending the Drug War occupies a strange grey area between Left and Right. More traditional, law-and-order type conservatives generally support the War on Drugs, as well as the tough-on-crime tactics used to prosecute it, while the Left tends to support ending the Drug War due to its violation of civil liberties.
This has always seemed strange to me since conservatives tend to support more freedom as opposed to less, smaller government as opposed to big, and the Left tends to always and everywhere support greater restriction of liberty for the ostensible benefit of, well, someone, somewhere, and a large, intrusive government to do it. But, during a crisis, regardless of Left or Right, voices will denounce liberty in favor of something more “responsible”. “We don’t have the luxury of being libertarians right now”, say the condescending, adult voices of reason and responsibility.
And so it is with Jonah Goldberg at National Review, who recently authored a piece against the libertarian argument for full drug legalization, essentially stating that an opioid-addicted dystopia would be the inevitable future of a libertarian society, with heroin sold on the shelf right next to Johnny Walker, loaves of bread, and the morning paper.
In Goldberg’s piece, “The Opioid Crisis Should Make Libertarians Rethink the Drug Legalization Argument”, he sees the opioid crisis as an experiment in drug legalization. He then looks at the outcome, mass overdose deaths, then finger wags libertarians for their blind devotion to ideology.
David French had a similar take on the crisis in a piece back in April, “The Opioid Crisis Should Kill the Call to Legalize Hard Drugs”. He sees an opioid crisis and blames “drug libertarianism”.
Forgive me, but the libertarian argument for full legalization is a bit more nuanced than that.
Libertarians understand full well the dangers that hard drugs pose for society at large, but this is the very reason for their support for full legalization. Far from wanting anyone and their children to get their hands on heroin, they understand that drug prohibition itself has been the cause of the widespread use of these hard drugs.
Richard Cowen’s 1986 article, “How the Narcs Created Crack”, illustrates the “Iron Law of Prohibition”, which essentially states that the harder the crackdown on drugs, the harder the drugs become. There was no national conversation about heroin, meth, or crack-cocaine during the late 70s because there was no epidemic associated with these drugs. It was only once a militarized crackdown on marijuana and cocaine really got underway that black market entrepreneurs developed and sold the economic equivalent of bathtub gin that these hard drugs became a problem.
In my home state of Oklahoma, where meth use is rampant, law enforcement effectively eliminated the mom-and-pop labs that produced meth locally. But meth use still increased, and overdoses increased. What explains this? The Mexican drug cartels moved in, bringing their high potency meth, produced south of the border in super labs, and began supplying the demand. Oklahoma law enforcement unwittingly invited the cartels into this state, and are effectively the chief enforcers of their market share.
There is now a push by the Oklahoma AG to treat opioid manufacturers like organized crime through the use of the RICO law, but it only takes just a little imagination to understand that this would only benefit real organized crime.
The solution to the opioid epidemic isn’t to abandon the philosophy of liberty and opt for a renewed Drug War, but to develop a non-opioid based painkiller and make it widely available to patients and addicts. Cannabis appears to be the chief contender for this role, as it has been shown that addicts can be successfully weaned off their deadly poisons through the use of marijuana. And when given the choice, pain patients overwhelmingly prefer marijuana to opioids. So what’s the hold-up?
Prescribing heroin to those most susceptible to addiction, pain sufferers, should be an idea tossed in the dustbin, but the corollary policy doesn’t lie in the simplistic “let’s fight a war!” mindset. Simple-minded prohibition brought us to this precipice, it cannot bring us out. An amped-up, militarized war on prescription opioids will lead to an unprecedented plague of black market heroin, laced with fentanyl, elephant tranquilizers, and God knows what else.
The situation, then, will truly be out of control. The Cartel presence in the U.S. will become massive, and ubiquitous, as black market heroin profits will soar, corrupting law enforcement, the political class, and everyone standing to cash in. The United States will then truly become a Narco State.
Periods of national crisis are the true test of defenders of liberty and are the very times to defend the philosophy of liberty most vigorously, because it’s this philosophy that will lead the way out. Reported by Zero Hedge 8 hours ago.
Alright, libertarians, you wanted drug legalization, right? Well, with opioids, via loose prescriptions, you got it, and what’s happened? We are in the middle of the worst epidemic of overdose and addiction this country has ever seen, thousands are dropping like flies, and it appears that things will be getting worse before they get better. Your theories might sound nice when you don’t have skin in the game, but when reality intrudes on your fantasies of a free society, real people pay the price. Right?
Well, not quite.
The above argument might sound familiar because a variation of it is trotted out during every national crisis. Be it war, financial instability, poverty, during health insurance debates, or any other crisis or threat, a chorus rises to blame supporters of a free society for their juvenile dogmatism that is surely causing the very predicament everyone is suffering under.
“There are no libertarians in financial crises,” gloated mainstream financial analysts during the subprime meltdown, which was caused by “free market fundamentalists”, according to George Soros.
The opioid crisis is no different, but one would have thought the fingers would have pointed at libertarians far earlier. This may be partially due to the fact that support for ending the Drug War occupies a strange grey area between Left and Right. More traditional, law-and-order type conservatives generally support the War on Drugs, as well as the tough-on-crime tactics used to prosecute it, while the Left tends to support ending the Drug War due to its violation of civil liberties.
This has always seemed strange to me since conservatives tend to support more freedom as opposed to less, smaller government as opposed to big, and the Left tends to always and everywhere support greater restriction of liberty for the ostensible benefit of, well, someone, somewhere, and a large, intrusive government to do it. But, during a crisis, regardless of Left or Right, voices will denounce liberty in favor of something more “responsible”. “We don’t have the luxury of being libertarians right now”, say the condescending, adult voices of reason and responsibility.
And so it is with Jonah Goldberg at National Review, who recently authored a piece against the libertarian argument for full drug legalization, essentially stating that an opioid-addicted dystopia would be the inevitable future of a libertarian society, with heroin sold on the shelf right next to Johnny Walker, loaves of bread, and the morning paper.
In Goldberg’s piece, “The Opioid Crisis Should Make Libertarians Rethink the Drug Legalization Argument”, he sees the opioid crisis as an experiment in drug legalization. He then looks at the outcome, mass overdose deaths, then finger wags libertarians for their blind devotion to ideology.
David French had a similar take on the crisis in a piece back in April, “The Opioid Crisis Should Kill the Call to Legalize Hard Drugs”. He sees an opioid crisis and blames “drug libertarianism”.
Forgive me, but the libertarian argument for full legalization is a bit more nuanced than that.
Libertarians understand full well the dangers that hard drugs pose for society at large, but this is the very reason for their support for full legalization. Far from wanting anyone and their children to get their hands on heroin, they understand that drug prohibition itself has been the cause of the widespread use of these hard drugs.
Richard Cowen’s 1986 article, “How the Narcs Created Crack”, illustrates the “Iron Law of Prohibition”, which essentially states that the harder the crackdown on drugs, the harder the drugs become. There was no national conversation about heroin, meth, or crack-cocaine during the late 70s because there was no epidemic associated with these drugs. It was only once a militarized crackdown on marijuana and cocaine really got underway that black market entrepreneurs developed and sold the economic equivalent of bathtub gin that these hard drugs became a problem.
In my home state of Oklahoma, where meth use is rampant, law enforcement effectively eliminated the mom-and-pop labs that produced meth locally. But meth use still increased, and overdoses increased. What explains this? The Mexican drug cartels moved in, bringing their high potency meth, produced south of the border in super labs, and began supplying the demand. Oklahoma law enforcement unwittingly invited the cartels into this state, and are effectively the chief enforcers of their market share.
There is now a push by the Oklahoma AG to treat opioid manufacturers like organized crime through the use of the RICO law, but it only takes just a little imagination to understand that this would only benefit real organized crime.
The solution to the opioid epidemic isn’t to abandon the philosophy of liberty and opt for a renewed Drug War, but to develop a non-opioid based painkiller and make it widely available to patients and addicts. Cannabis appears to be the chief contender for this role, as it has been shown that addicts can be successfully weaned off their deadly poisons through the use of marijuana. And when given the choice, pain patients overwhelmingly prefer marijuana to opioids. So what’s the hold-up?
Prescribing heroin to those most susceptible to addiction, pain sufferers, should be an idea tossed in the dustbin, but the corollary policy doesn’t lie in the simplistic “let’s fight a war!” mindset. Simple-minded prohibition brought us to this precipice, it cannot bring us out. An amped-up, militarized war on prescription opioids will lead to an unprecedented plague of black market heroin, laced with fentanyl, elephant tranquilizers, and God knows what else.
The situation, then, will truly be out of control. The Cartel presence in the U.S. will become massive, and ubiquitous, as black market heroin profits will soar, corrupting law enforcement, the political class, and everyone standing to cash in. The United States will then truly become a Narco State.
Periods of national crisis are the true test of defenders of liberty and are the very times to defend the philosophy of liberty most vigorously, because it’s this philosophy that will lead the way out. Reported by Zero Hedge 8 hours ago.
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Retirement planning should include long-term care costs
By Alexandra Olson, The Associated Press Many Americans have a blind spot when it comes to retirement planning: long-term care costs. Even though the majority of Americans will at some point need long-term care, few are planning for it. Many underestimate the costs and mistakenly believe health insurance can help cover it. “This is not like […]
Reported by Denver Post 19 hours ago.
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