Cigna policyholders who received a letter saying Northwell would no longer accept their health insurance can disregard the mailing, officials said Thursday.
Reported by Newsday 19 hours ago.
Northwell, Cigna reached insurance deal after letter went out
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Hillary Clinton criticizes Congress over fate of children's health insurance program
Clinton tweeted her frustrations about how Congress has dealt on a popular program that provides children with health insurance.
Reported by USATODAY.com 17 hours ago.
Reported by USATODAY.com 17 hours ago.
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The Feds just asked a huge healthcare company who their real clients are and the answer is totally unsatisfying
· *The SEC forced pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts to break out a seemingly benign number from its balance sheet. It has to do with the rebates it collects from pharmaceutical firms.*· *Experts say it's weird that the company wasn't breaking this out before.*
· *The number does, however, speak to a lot of concerns people have about PBMs in general, and who they're actually serving — their clients or big pharma.*
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The SEC has been trying to get to the bottom of a very important question for Express Scripts, the country's biggest pharmacy benefits manager (PBM).
The question is: Who are your clients?
Ideally, in Express Scripts' business, the client is ultimately you — or whoever pays for your health insurance. The company manages lists called formularies that determine what your insurer will and will not pay for. It's like a gatekeeper, and it's the biggest gatekeeper in the country. It, along with PBMs run by CVS and UnitedHealth control 80% of all covered lives in the US.
It is paid by insurers and employers to do this, and the point is to keep costs down — to get you the best medication as cheaply as possible and take on the complicated process of choosing what drugs are worth paying for.
Part of how PBMs do this is by setting up rebates with drug companies. The PBM keeps a portion of it, and passes the rest on to you.
But all of the details of that are top secret. That is to say, why you pay the price you pay is all a black box.
Some people are starting to have a problem with that.
Over the last year or so Washington has been wondering if enough of those rebates are actually being passed along to you. It's also wondering if those rebates incentivize PBMs to choose expensive drugs that have higher rebates.
Back in June, for example, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) asked experts on a drug pricing panel if rebates "are actually a benefit to our society" since because of them "you may be paying more because you're on insurance than you would without it."There's also concern that rebates are blocking out the competition. In a recent presentation, the Federal Trade Commission highlighted a lawsuit between Sanofi and Mylan (yes, of EpiPen price gouging fame). Sanofi sued Mylan for offering PBMs and others such fat rebates that it couldn't sell its EpiPen competitor, Auvi-Q.
It's not just the government that's bothered by all this. In fact, Express Scripts' biggest customer, Anthem Insurance, just dropped it citing sky-high prices for drugs and operational failures.
*What makes a client?*
And a few months ago, the SEC asked Express Scripts why it wasn't breaking out the rebate money it was getting from pharmaceutical firms on its balance sheet. All of the letters were made public, and you can read them here.
Instead of breaking it out, Express Scripts was just lumping its receivables from pharmaceuticals firms in with receivables from its clients. The SEC wasn't having that.
From a letter on October 12, 2017 [emphasis ours]:
Rule 5-02.3 of Regulation S-X requires separate disclosure of receivables from customers (trade) and others. It is unclear why you believe accounts receivable from pharmaceutical manufacturers are a component of customer receivables *considering that pharmaceutical manufacturers do not appear to be your customer.* Please revise your disclosure to separately state accounts receivable from pharmaceutical manufacturers or further explain why you do not believe this is required.
The numbers Express Scripts ended up disclosing are no small thing. At the end of last December pharma receivables — that is, payments due to the company — were $2.2 billion, out of a total $7 billion. By the end of September 2017, pharma receivables were $2.5 billion out of $6.8 billion in total receivables.
We should note that Express Scripts asked for its exchange with the SEC to be made confidential.
Ed Ketz, an accounting professor at Penn State, thought that was odd. He thought it was even odder that Express Scripps wouldn't disclose its gross rebate receivables.
"I'm amazed that they would balk at this. Just make the disclosure and be done with it... They must have thought this was really important." he told me.
So what to make of the disclosure?
"I think at 40% [of receivables] we can start thinking of the pharmaceutical companies as customers. They're not just bystanders in this equation," he said.
Either way, Ketz told me, disclosing gross rebate receivables would give investors a better understanding of Express Scripts' business.
"It would clearly be better for investors if we had a better picture of the amounts of rebates."
*Why so secret?*
As it stands now, it's basically impossible to know how much Express Scripts is making from rebates. The company told me that "the bulk" of what it collects from pharma is in rebates, though it does sell some services to drug manufacturers.
It's also impossible to figure out how much of its rebates get passed along to customers. The company claims that it hands 89% of rebates back to customers, but there are a couple of reasons why that's hard to figure out from its financial statements, or if you're a customer.
· As the SEC noted in its letters, Express Scripts gives clients qualitative reasons for its pricing, instead of quantitatively showing clients how rebates lower costs. The company says that quantifying rebates "would be misleading to investors because it is only one of several measures of pricing in any given contract."
· We don't know, as Professor Ketz pointed out, how much Express Scripts is collecting in gross rebates. Its insistence on secrecy made him "mostly confused."
· We don't know how much non-rebate revenue Express Scripts is getting from pharma. If it's a significant amount, that tilts the incentive structure in this business toward pleasing pharma. And that's probably a big conflict for the insurers who pay it huge sums to help them manage costs.
Express Scripts said that its clients can audit the company at any time. But that's arduous, expensive process for many businesses. Either way, that's very far removed from what's really worrying Americans — rising healthcare costs gobbling up more and more of their paychecks.
If it feels like that money is just falling into a black hole, that's because it is.
*SEE ALSO: The big loser in the CVS-Aetna deal already seems pretty clear*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: How couples improved their sex lives in just one week Reported by Business Insider 17 hours ago.
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Op-Ed Contributors: Please Save Kids’ Health Care
A bipartisan group of state governors warns of the consequences of failing to reauthorize CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Reported by NYTimes.com 12 hours ago.
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Will CVS Get the Chance to Buy Aetna?
The pharmacy giant and the health insurance have little real overlap, but the combination could be viewed as harmful to consumers.
Reported by Motley Fool 13 hours ago.
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O’Hare restaurant workers vote to strike, but timing of a walkout is unclear
Workers at O’Hare International Airport’s restaurants, bars and coffee shops voted Thursday to strike in an effort to secure higher wages and more affordable health insurance, but union officials wouldn’t say when such a strike would actually occur.
The vote was 84 percent in favor of the strike,... Reported by ChicagoTribune 2 hours ago.
The vote was 84 percent in favor of the strike,... Reported by ChicagoTribune 2 hours ago.
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Ralph Nader: The Republicans’ Devious Tax Attack On The People – OpEd
Have the Republican greed-hound toadies gone too far? How much are the American people going to take before they replace the reckless Republicans in the next election? Low and middle-income Americans are bracing for the likely passage of a Trump-supported tax bill that deviously redistributes even more of the people’s income to the richest one percent (including a big tax cut for Trump) and the unpatriotic giant corporations.
Greased through Congress with the support of Republican mega-donors, over the inept opposition of the Democrats who astonishingly offered no tax plan of their own, this tax legislation does exactly the opposite of what House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and their prevaricator-in-chief, Donald Trump, are declaring.
Namely, this utterly complex brew of greed and handouts for the super-rich gives a gut punch to the masses, including people making below $30,000. Far from a tax cut the Republicans are trying to Peddle to the people, the Senate bill is projected to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over ten years to pay for the huge tax cuts enriching the corporate plutocrats who are laughing all the way to the bank. Such unsustainable losses in revenue sets the stage for cutting Medicare, Medicaid and other critical services to vulnerable Americans, with Republicans using the ballooning deficit they created as their excuse.
Slashing and burning in every direction, this legislation endangers the financial security of regular Americans of every age, every occupation and, by ending many deductions for local sales and income taxes, hurting state and local budgets.
Ryan and McConnell undermined the integrity of the legislative process by banning public hearings on this tax legislation in the House and Senate. In doing so, they denied the American people, including honest tax experts, the opportunity to adequately examine these dangerous proposals, especially the huge giveaways to multinational corporations at the expense of working class families. No Congress has ever gone this far. If this shameless lack of transparency proves successful, Congressional Republicans will succeed in driving Capitol Hill further under the dictatorship of the oligarchs, using the people’s delegated power against them.
To make matters worse, Senate Republicans prevented their Democratic colleagues from even seeing clean portions of the bill until just before the final vote at 1:25 am on Saturday, December 2. When faced with such hyper-partisan foul play, the Democrats should have shut the Senate down with a sit-in until they were given a reasonable amount of time to read this raid on the regular taxpayers, before the final vote.
Here are some malicious items from the House and Senate bills:
1. The Senate bill widens the double standard of favoring corporations over individuals, with a top corporate tax rate of 20% compared to a highest tax rate of 38% for individuals. Such blatant corporate favoritism shows which “people” the Republican Congress truly represents. Chalk one up for corporate supremacy for further inequality.
2. The House bill retains business entertainment deductions for hard liquor but takes away deductions from teachers who use their own money to buy needed classroom materials for their students, along with taxing fellowships for graduate students.
3. The Senate bill repeals the individual mandate for buying health insurance, setting the stage for higher health insurance premiums and 13 million more people going without health insurance over the next ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
4. The House bill repeals the medical expense deduction used by millions of ailing citizens. The Senate bill does not.
5. The House phases out the estate tax, while the Senate bill exempts more rich people from that tax, which only applied to less than 5000 estates a year, according to the Tax Policy Center. These measures were vigorously opposed by 400 very rich Americans, in a public letter to Congress and by another responsible organization called Patriotic Millionaires.
6. There is a new tax on university and college endowments and tax breaks for parents to send their elementary students to private schools. And this massive piece of legislation is full of escape hatches, such as credits, for preferred vested interests in commercial arenas. Cash register politics.
The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that beginning in 2021 taxpayers with incomes of only $10,000 to $30,000 will be worse off, paying nearly $6 billion more in taxes. The Committee also concluded that by 2027, taxes will go up for taxpayers with income below $75,000 by over $27 billion.
Increase a standard deduction here, get rid of an exemption there, cause the increase in deductibles for health insurance policies here, but decrease deductibles used by consumers there – this cruel deception produces a mind shattering complexity and bonanza for accountants and lawyers.
The last minute gifts to monied interests emerged as usual from the darkness at the last minute – what the New York Times called “Last-Minute Breaks for Developers, Banks and Oil Industry” plus tax breaks for offshore profits by the likes of Pfizer, Google and Apple, lower taxes for the top one percent, benefits for car dealers and other goodies for people dealing with speculative security derivatives on Wall Street.
The Republican leadership justifies everything they are doing to the powerless people back home by claiming the tax bill will increase wages, investment and economic growth. This trickery could spark the voters to say “enough” and send the Republican scoundrels packing.
Dozens of impartial experts laugh at the fanciful Republican predictions about the “benefits” of the tax bill, citing historical evidence, and the existing economic growth, enabled by low inflation and low interest rates.
Nothing was more embarrassing for Donald Trump and the Republicans than when Gary Cohn, Trump’s chief economic advisor, asked a business audience how many of them would increase jobs and wages due to what he called this “tax reform.” Almost nobody raised a hand.
The corporate bosses in the audience knew what the Republicans don’t want us to know. These big companies are already neck-deep in massive uninvested capital, so they’re wasting trillions of dollars on stock buybacks which don’t produced any jobs. They don’t need more tax breaks for any more capital.
It is time for a voter’s revolt!
Tell your members of Congress there is still time to reject the Republican attack on the working class. A shift of just two more votes in the senate (e.g. Senators McCain, Collins and Flake) will defeat the existing legislation. Reported by Eurasia Review 8 hours ago.
Greased through Congress with the support of Republican mega-donors, over the inept opposition of the Democrats who astonishingly offered no tax plan of their own, this tax legislation does exactly the opposite of what House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and their prevaricator-in-chief, Donald Trump, are declaring.
Namely, this utterly complex brew of greed and handouts for the super-rich gives a gut punch to the masses, including people making below $30,000. Far from a tax cut the Republicans are trying to Peddle to the people, the Senate bill is projected to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over ten years to pay for the huge tax cuts enriching the corporate plutocrats who are laughing all the way to the bank. Such unsustainable losses in revenue sets the stage for cutting Medicare, Medicaid and other critical services to vulnerable Americans, with Republicans using the ballooning deficit they created as their excuse.
Slashing and burning in every direction, this legislation endangers the financial security of regular Americans of every age, every occupation and, by ending many deductions for local sales and income taxes, hurting state and local budgets.
Ryan and McConnell undermined the integrity of the legislative process by banning public hearings on this tax legislation in the House and Senate. In doing so, they denied the American people, including honest tax experts, the opportunity to adequately examine these dangerous proposals, especially the huge giveaways to multinational corporations at the expense of working class families. No Congress has ever gone this far. If this shameless lack of transparency proves successful, Congressional Republicans will succeed in driving Capitol Hill further under the dictatorship of the oligarchs, using the people’s delegated power against them.
To make matters worse, Senate Republicans prevented their Democratic colleagues from even seeing clean portions of the bill until just before the final vote at 1:25 am on Saturday, December 2. When faced with such hyper-partisan foul play, the Democrats should have shut the Senate down with a sit-in until they were given a reasonable amount of time to read this raid on the regular taxpayers, before the final vote.
Here are some malicious items from the House and Senate bills:
1. The Senate bill widens the double standard of favoring corporations over individuals, with a top corporate tax rate of 20% compared to a highest tax rate of 38% for individuals. Such blatant corporate favoritism shows which “people” the Republican Congress truly represents. Chalk one up for corporate supremacy for further inequality.
2. The House bill retains business entertainment deductions for hard liquor but takes away deductions from teachers who use their own money to buy needed classroom materials for their students, along with taxing fellowships for graduate students.
3. The Senate bill repeals the individual mandate for buying health insurance, setting the stage for higher health insurance premiums and 13 million more people going without health insurance over the next ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
4. The House bill repeals the medical expense deduction used by millions of ailing citizens. The Senate bill does not.
5. The House phases out the estate tax, while the Senate bill exempts more rich people from that tax, which only applied to less than 5000 estates a year, according to the Tax Policy Center. These measures were vigorously opposed by 400 very rich Americans, in a public letter to Congress and by another responsible organization called Patriotic Millionaires.
6. There is a new tax on university and college endowments and tax breaks for parents to send their elementary students to private schools. And this massive piece of legislation is full of escape hatches, such as credits, for preferred vested interests in commercial arenas. Cash register politics.
The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that beginning in 2021 taxpayers with incomes of only $10,000 to $30,000 will be worse off, paying nearly $6 billion more in taxes. The Committee also concluded that by 2027, taxes will go up for taxpayers with income below $75,000 by over $27 billion.
Increase a standard deduction here, get rid of an exemption there, cause the increase in deductibles for health insurance policies here, but decrease deductibles used by consumers there – this cruel deception produces a mind shattering complexity and bonanza for accountants and lawyers.
The last minute gifts to monied interests emerged as usual from the darkness at the last minute – what the New York Times called “Last-Minute Breaks for Developers, Banks and Oil Industry” plus tax breaks for offshore profits by the likes of Pfizer, Google and Apple, lower taxes for the top one percent, benefits for car dealers and other goodies for people dealing with speculative security derivatives on Wall Street.
The Republican leadership justifies everything they are doing to the powerless people back home by claiming the tax bill will increase wages, investment and economic growth. This trickery could spark the voters to say “enough” and send the Republican scoundrels packing.
Dozens of impartial experts laugh at the fanciful Republican predictions about the “benefits” of the tax bill, citing historical evidence, and the existing economic growth, enabled by low inflation and low interest rates.
Nothing was more embarrassing for Donald Trump and the Republicans than when Gary Cohn, Trump’s chief economic advisor, asked a business audience how many of them would increase jobs and wages due to what he called this “tax reform.” Almost nobody raised a hand.
The corporate bosses in the audience knew what the Republicans don’t want us to know. These big companies are already neck-deep in massive uninvested capital, so they’re wasting trillions of dollars on stock buybacks which don’t produced any jobs. They don’t need more tax breaks for any more capital.
It is time for a voter’s revolt!
Tell your members of Congress there is still time to reject the Republican attack on the working class. A shift of just two more votes in the senate (e.g. Senators McCain, Collins and Flake) will defeat the existing legislation. Reported by Eurasia Review 8 hours ago.
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Worldwide Achievers Felicitated the Winners of International Healthcare Summit and Awards 2017
*Business Wire India**Worldwide Achievers International Healthcare Summit & Awards 2017**Worldwide Achievers *organized *International Healthcare Summit & Awards 2017 *association with* CARE WORLD TV as Media Partner *and* Drug Today Medical Times as Print Media Partner *held on 06.12.2017 at New Delhi, Ceremony to felicitate across India’s top Doctors, Clinics & Hospitals, Healthcare Providers, Nursing Homes, Medical Devices and Hospital Equipment Companies, Diagnostic Laboratories, Medical Educational Institutions, Nursing Training Centers, Health Insurance Companies.
*INTERNATIONAL HEALTHCARE SUMMIT*- Aims at felicitating organizations and individuals for their contributions to the industry by innovating for increased efficiency and improved performance of healthcare delivery at large. The Worldwide Achievers Awards have emerged as the most credible and coveted in the industry within a short span of time.
The main purpose of the summit is to focus on healthcare sector. The theme of the summit is revolved around various topic: *Latest in treating Neurological Disability/ Cancer/ Cardiac Disease/ Kidney Disease, Innovation in Healthcare Delivery Systems, Healthcare Tourism and Medical informatics in India, One of the pressing issues in the country- Affordability of Healthcare Challenges in Rural Areas, Government Policies and Healthcare Management.*
The awards were based on a comprehensive market research study and opinion surveys conducted by Worldwide Achievers.* Shri Shanta Kumar (Hon’ble Member of Parliament and Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh), Dr. C.P Thakur (Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Former Cabinet Minister Govt. of India) and Shri Avinash Rai Khanna (Hon’ble Vice President, BhartiyaJanta Party and Vice Chairman, Indian Red Cross Society) and R Sathiyasundaram (DCP- Security, Delhi Police) *were the Chief Guest & Guest of Honor at the gala ceremony and gave away the award certificates & trophy to the winners which included Individuals/organizations from all across India.
*INTERNATIONAL HEALTHCARE AWARDS -2017*
*NARAYANA SUPERSPECIALITY HOSPITAL- *BEST SUPERSPECIALITY HOSPITAL OF THE YEAR-ONCOLOGY
*SQUATS FITNESS PVT. LTD- *BEST WELLNESS SERVICE PROVIDER COMPANY IN MAHARASHTRA
*DR SURAJ MUNJAL- *BEST OPHTHALMOLOGIST IN DELHI
*APOLLO MEDSKILLS LTD- *BEST PARAMEDICAL TECHNICAL SKILL PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
*DR. KUSHAGRA GHOGRE- *BEST DIETICIAN IN BENGALURU
*DR. BHUPENDRA CHAUDHARY- *MOST PROMISING NEUROLOGIST IN UTTAR PRADESH
*DR. SUDHIR REDDY- *BEST ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON IN TELANGANA
*DR. PRADEEP POSWAL - *MOST PROMISING CARDIAC ANESTHESIOLOGIST OF THE YEAR
*DR. MAJID AHMED TALIKOTI- *CANCER SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR
*QURA DIAGNOSTIC & RESEARCH CENTRE- *BEST DIAGNOSTIC & IMAGING CENTRE IN MADHYA PRADESH
*DR. SUNIL BHATT- *HEALTHCARE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR- PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGY, ONCOLOGY AND BMT
*DR. GAURAV SACHDEVA- *BEST FAMILY MEDICINE SPECIALIST IN PUNJAB
*DR. RICHA SETH- *BEST OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGIST IN DELHI
*MRS. SHIVANI SIKRI- *BEST DIETICIAN IN DELHI
*DR. PRASANNA SHRINIVAS KASEGAONKAR- *HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR – NEUROLOGY
*DR. SHANKAR ESWARAPPA- *BEST ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON IN SOUTH INDIA
*MRS. SHWETHA BHATIA- *BEST FITNESS CONSULTANT IN WESTERN INDIA
*SRCC CHILDREN\'S HOSPITAL- *BEST SUPERSPECIALITY HOSPITAL OF THE YEAR-PEDIATRIC
*SUSRUTA PHARMACEUTICALS PVT. LTD- *BEST UPCOMING PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY IN WEST BENGAL
*RABINDRANATH TAGORE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CARDIAC SCIENCES- *BEST CARDIAC SCIENCE INSTITUTE OF THE YEAR
*DR. A K BHALLA- *BEST NEPHROLOGIST IN NORTH INDIA
*DR. ADITTYA KUMAR SHARMA- *BEST UROLOGIST AND TRANSPLANT SURGEON IN MUMBAI
*IR INNOVATE RESEARCH PRIVATE LIMITED- *BEST CLINICAL RESEARCH SERVICES IN DELHI/NCR
*DR. PRASHANT RAO- *BEST LAPAROSCOPIC GI SURGEON IN MAHARASHTRA
*DR. J.R. KUNWAR- *BEST CARDIOTHORACIC & VASCULAR SURGEON IN DELHI
*DR. BIKAS MANDAL- *BEST ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON IN KARNATAKA
*DR. ANSHUMAN NAIK- *BEST DIABETOLOGIST IN ODISHA
*CH. SHASHIDHAR- *BEST NEPHROLOGIST IN HYDERABAD (TELANGANA)
*DR. PRAMOD KUMAR SHARMA- *MOST PROMISING CARDIAC SURGEON IN NORTH INDIA
*DR. SHARAD MISHRA- *BEST HAIR TRANSPLANTATION SPECIALIST IN DELHI
*DR. SANJAY KUMAR AGARWAL- *HEALTHCARE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – NEPHROLOGY
*DELHI STATE CANCER INSTITUTE- *BEST INNOVATIVE CANCER INSTITUTE OF THE YEAR
*DOCROSH HEALTH PVT.LTD.- *BEST HEALTHCARE IT COMPANY IN MAHARASHTRA
*DR. GOURI SHANKAR BHATTACHARYYA- *HEALTHCARE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – ONCOLOGY
*PROF. MATCHA BHASKAR- *BEST RESEARCHER IN HEALTHCARE – ANDHRA PRADESH
*VIAAN EYE & RETINA CENTRE- *BEST OPHTHALMOLOGY CLINIC IN GURGAON (HARYANA)
*TEZPUR SUPER SPECIALTY DENTAL CARE- *BEST DENTAL CLINIC IN ASSAM
*ASHREY SKIN CARE CENTER & LASER CLINIC- *BEST SKIN CARE CENTER & LASER CLINIC
*DR RAJAT GUPTA- *BEST YOUNG PLASTIC SURGEON IN INDIA
*DR. M AADIL BEG- *BEST INNOVATION AND RESEARCH IN HEALTHCARE (MADHYA PRADESH)
*DR. NITIN SHARMA- *BEST CHILD HEALTHCARE ONLINE INFORMATION PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
*K C PRASHANT PATH LAB- *BEST PATHOLOGY SERVICES IN RURAL HARYANA
*DNA XPERT PVT. LTD- *BEST EMERGING PATHOLOGY LABORATORY IN DELHI
*DR. ANSHUMAN PHULL- *BEST NON INVASIVE CARDIOLOGIST IN PUNJAB
*DR. RUCHITA MAHESHWARI- *BEST EMERGING DIETICIAN IN MUMBAI (MAHARASHTRA)
*DR. A. K. GUPTA\’S ANTI-RABIES CENTRE- *MOST PROMISING INFECTIONS DISEASE CENTRE OF THE YEAR
*MR. S A ANAND- *INDIA'S BEST HEALTH COACH AND TURN AROUND EXPERT
*DR. YUGANDAR- *MOST ADMIRED MASTER DERMATOLOGIST OF THE YEAR
*SHRI KRISHAN HOSPITAL, DAUSA- *BEST EMERGING HOSPITAL IN RAJASTHAN
*GLOBAL IMAGING- *BEST EMERGING IMAGING SOLUTION COMPANY IN NORTH INDIA
*DR. MEENAKSHI SABHARWAL- *MOST ADMIRED OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGIST IN DELHI/NCR
*CARE WORLD TV- *BEST HEALTHCARE CHANNEL OF THE YEAR
*MR. ABHISEKH BHATTACHARYA- *BEST EMERGING HEALTHCARE MARKETER IN DELHI
*P. K. Choudhary (CEO) Worldwide Achievers* said that the winners have exemplified excellence amongst their peers in respective industries and regions. Almost all the winners scored extremely well in our research study due to their dedication towards excellence, dedication, innovation and best ethical practices. These awards intend to inspire others towards big achievements.
*ABOUT WORLDWIDE ACHIEVERS*
Worldwide Achievers is a dynamic global analytical company providing research, analysis and rating services.
We are leading Market research & rating company in India. We have been providing state of the art market research, rating and analysis for organizations of all sizes.
We are also the foremost provider of high-end research to the world's largest leading industry. With sustainable competitive advantage arising from our strong brand, unmatched credibility, market leadership across businesses, and large customer base, we deliver analysis, opinions, and solutions that make markets function better.
We are experienced and qualified practitioners of both Market and community research our directors have strong expertise in market research, advertising, Public relations, brand management, retail sales and operations, franchising and event management improvement, encompassing a true passion for business of our clients. Reported by Business Wire India 2 hours ago.
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Governors write in support of child health insurance plan
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A stopgap spending bill passed by Congress to prevent a government shutdown makes money available to states that are running out of funds for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a concern of the New Hampshire and Vermont governors. The program provides medical care to more than eight million children. In a […]
Reported by Seattle Times 3 days ago.
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Retired Texas teachers leaving state health plan
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Thousands of retired Texas teachers are abandoning the health insurance program the state created for them, a concerning move for a health care system that faces a $700 million funding shortfall. The Austin American-Statesman reports that about 7,800 retirees are requesting to leave the health insurance program housed under the Teacher […]
Reported by Seattle Times 3 days ago.
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Are short-term plans better than none at all for those desperate for health coverage?
When one of Cindy Holtzman’s clients told the Woodstock, Ga., health insurance broker he was considering dropping his Affordable Care Act plan because next year’s cost approached $23,000 for his family of four, she suggested a new option: a back-to-back set of four, 90-day short-term plans, which...
Reported by L.A. Times 3 days ago.
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City, county officials oppose Kansas property tax lid
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Local officials say new limits on the ability to raise property tax revenues from one year to the next are hamstringing Kansas cities and counties as they attempt to cover rising health insurance costs for their employees. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that officials representing local governments voiced their concerns about the […]
Reported by Seattle Times 3 days ago.
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McAuliffe joined Hampton residents Saturday for health insurance enrollment
Volunteers hustled inside the Hampton Roads Convention Center Saturday morning to help as many as possible with health care registration before the cutoff date of Dec. 15.
This year’s Affordable Care Act registration window is considerably shorter than last year, when registration ended Jan. 31.... Reported by dailypress.com 1 day ago.
This year’s Affordable Care Act registration window is considerably shorter than last year, when registration ended Jan. 31.... Reported by dailypress.com 1 day ago.
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Isagenix Recognized on Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work List for Large Employers
Isagenix International, a global health and wellness company providing nutrition and lifestyle solutions, was named one of Phoenix Business Journal’s 2017 Best Places to Work based on results of an employee survey.
GILBERT, Ariz. (PRWEB) December 08, 2017
Isagenix International, a global health and wellness company providing nutrition and lifestyle solutions, has been named one of Phoenix Business Journal’s 2017 Best Places to Work. The Best Places to Work program recognizes companies with excellent morale, engagement, and retention. Isagenix ranked 15th on the list for large employers (250-999 employees) based on results of an employee survey by Quantum Workplace, Phoenix Business Journal’s research partner.
“Isagenix is honored to receive this recognition, as we’re committed to providing an exceptional work experience for our employees,” said Jim Coover, Isagenix co-founder and chief executive officer. “Employees are not only an integral part of the company’s success, they’re also family.”
This is the second time this year Isagenix has been recognized for employee engagement. Direct Selling News magazine named the company one of its Best Places to Work in Direct Selling based on an employee survey by Quantum Workplace.
Isagenix engages employees by paying well and offering excellent benefits including:· Affordable health insurance
· Paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents
· Gym reimbursement
· A 401(k) retirement savings plan
· Tuition reimbursement
· Year-round casual dress
· A minimum of three weeks of vacation per year for every full-time employee
· Deep discounts on Isagenix products and free products each month
In keeping with the company’s commitment to health, its Gilbert headquarters, which houses more than 700 employees, features an on-site wellness center. The center is staffed by a full-time wellness coach who provides consultations and on-site exercise classes including yoga.
Another way employees can work toward their health and wellness goals is by participating in various health challenges throughout the year, including an employee-only IsaBody Challenge®. In the most recent employee Challenge, contestants and winners shared in over $20,000 in cash and prizes.
“Isagenix is proud to offer such robust compensation and benefits,” Coover said. “By valuing our employees and meeting their needs, we’ve created a world-class workforce that ensures customers receive the best products and services in the health and wellness industry.”
Isagenix also engages its employees through a variety of employee activities. An internal team focused on company culture creates events throughout the year including employee appreciation events, holiday parties, and community volunteer and giving-back activities.
The Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work lists recognize top companies in a variety of industries and sizes. The publication also recently recognized Isagenix as a top corporate philanthropist, a top family-owned business, and a healthiest employer.
To learn more about Isagenix, visit our newsroom at Isagenix.com, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Isagenix, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @Isagenix.
About Isagenix International
Established in 2002, Isagenix provides systems for weight loss, energy, performance, healthy aging, and wealth creation. With more than 550,000 customers worldwide and more than 100 life-changing products, packs, and systems globally, the company is committed to producing Solutions to Transform Lives™. In 2017, Isagenix surpassed $5 billion in cumulative global sales through an independent network of associates in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Isagenix is a privately owned company with headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. For more information, visit Isagenix.com.
### Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.
GILBERT, Ariz. (PRWEB) December 08, 2017
Isagenix International, a global health and wellness company providing nutrition and lifestyle solutions, has been named one of Phoenix Business Journal’s 2017 Best Places to Work. The Best Places to Work program recognizes companies with excellent morale, engagement, and retention. Isagenix ranked 15th on the list for large employers (250-999 employees) based on results of an employee survey by Quantum Workplace, Phoenix Business Journal’s research partner.
“Isagenix is honored to receive this recognition, as we’re committed to providing an exceptional work experience for our employees,” said Jim Coover, Isagenix co-founder and chief executive officer. “Employees are not only an integral part of the company’s success, they’re also family.”
This is the second time this year Isagenix has been recognized for employee engagement. Direct Selling News magazine named the company one of its Best Places to Work in Direct Selling based on an employee survey by Quantum Workplace.
Isagenix engages employees by paying well and offering excellent benefits including:· Affordable health insurance
· Paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents
· Gym reimbursement
· A 401(k) retirement savings plan
· Tuition reimbursement
· Year-round casual dress
· A minimum of three weeks of vacation per year for every full-time employee
· Deep discounts on Isagenix products and free products each month
In keeping with the company’s commitment to health, its Gilbert headquarters, which houses more than 700 employees, features an on-site wellness center. The center is staffed by a full-time wellness coach who provides consultations and on-site exercise classes including yoga.
Another way employees can work toward their health and wellness goals is by participating in various health challenges throughout the year, including an employee-only IsaBody Challenge®. In the most recent employee Challenge, contestants and winners shared in over $20,000 in cash and prizes.
“Isagenix is proud to offer such robust compensation and benefits,” Coover said. “By valuing our employees and meeting their needs, we’ve created a world-class workforce that ensures customers receive the best products and services in the health and wellness industry.”
Isagenix also engages its employees through a variety of employee activities. An internal team focused on company culture creates events throughout the year including employee appreciation events, holiday parties, and community volunteer and giving-back activities.
The Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work lists recognize top companies in a variety of industries and sizes. The publication also recently recognized Isagenix as a top corporate philanthropist, a top family-owned business, and a healthiest employer.
To learn more about Isagenix, visit our newsroom at Isagenix.com, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Isagenix, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @Isagenix.
About Isagenix International
Established in 2002, Isagenix provides systems for weight loss, energy, performance, healthy aging, and wealth creation. With more than 550,000 customers worldwide and more than 100 life-changing products, packs, and systems globally, the company is committed to producing Solutions to Transform Lives™. In 2017, Isagenix surpassed $5 billion in cumulative global sales through an independent network of associates in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Isagenix is a privately owned company with headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. For more information, visit Isagenix.com.
### Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.
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Over 1 million children and pregnant women are on the brink of losing health insurance
· *If Congress doesn't reauthorize funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), at least 1.2 million children could lose healthcare coverage.*· *A handful of states are expected to run out of money by early next year. *
· *Medical officials in those states are beginning to send termination notices to families as they prepare for the worst. *
· *Even if Congress does restore CHIP money, the delay in funding will have already cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.*
--------------------For the first time in the history of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — which has provided healthcare to millions of Americans and helped to drastically reduce the uninsured rate of children since its implementation in 1997 — states may run out of funding.
A lack of funding could result in 1.2 million children losing coverage and becoming uninsured, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute.
"These are families making $8, $10, or $12 an hour that don't have insurance. And they're going to get letters saying 'your insurance is canceled,'" Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown said during a debate on the Senate floor November 30. "How can we let that happen?"
The reauthorization deadline for CHIP passed over two months ago without Congress agreeing to an extension, making it the longest lapse in funding since the program was first introduced.
"The politics are ugly. This should not be a Republican or Democratic issue," Colorado Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne told Business Insider. "There's never been any talk of it not making sense."
"I feel like there's a little hostage taking with kids and pregnant women in the middle," she added.
The only other time Congress failed to reauthorize it was in 2007, when then-President George W. Bush vetoed reauthorization because he believed the Democrats' proposal to spend billions more on the program would encourage families to leave the private insurance market. After just five days, lawmakers compromised and funding was quickly reissued.
Today's gap in funding has forced states around the country to rely on leftover funds and emergency government grants to maintain coverage for the millions of people who might otherwise be uninsured. But those temporary funds are quickly disappearing.
"We're concerned about the cost to the people and the magnitude of the anxiety it is producing," Lynne said. "Imagine if you're a pregnant women and you're going to lose your insurance?"
CHIP proponents are holding out hope that something can be done this week. Theoretically, Congress could address the problem by lumping money for CHIP in with an overall funding measure that must be in place by December 22 to avoid a government shutdown.
Such a move would be the quickest way to end concerns families may have about the future of their coverage, says Tricia Brooks, a healthcare policy expert and former CHIP director for New Hampshire.
"We are guardedly hopeful because unlike all of the other health policy initiatives Congress has tackled this year, CHIP actually has bipartisan agreement in the House and Senate," Brooks told Business Insider.
"The fact that states had leftover funds and that there was emergency money distributed to states gave Congress the feeling that were wasn't as much urgency. But that cushion is getting extremely thin. Congress needs to act," she added.
*'We don't have any money anymore'*
CHIP itself is not controversial. It has wide bipartisan support as Brooks says. But exactly how the annual $15.6 billion program should be paid for is the issue under dispute. Republicans have proposed cutting back the Affordable Care Act to pay for CHIP while Democrats have proposed tying the program's reauthorization in with measures to stabilize Obamacare.
"We're going to do CHIP. There's no doubt about it in my mind, " said Sen. Orin Hatch of Utah, who helped craft the program with Sen. Ed Kennedy of Massachusetts in the 1990s. "But the reason CHIP is having trouble is because we don't have any money anymore."
CHIP currently provides health insurance for roughly 9 million children nationwide who come from families with incomes just above Medicaid eligibility levels.
The program also includes coverage for more than 327,000 pregnant women through the "unborn child option." Technically, these recipients are classified as children even though the women are the ones who are actually being treated.
How states can respond to a loss of federal funds depends on how they implemented CHIP in the first place.
For states that used the money to expand Medicaid to insure more children, they will still have to cover those recipients, albeit with some other source of funding, even if the government no longer helps.
For states that created separate CHIP programs, those recipients are likely to completely lose coverage, or at best, receive more expensive coverage through employer-sponsored or marketplace exchange alternatives if their families can afford those options.
Some states have a combination of CHIP-funded Medicaid expansion and separate CHIP programs, complicating the situation.
*States plan emergency measures*
A handful of states are on the brink of running out of money, some as soon as next month.
Carrie Williams, a spokesperson for Texas' Health and Human Services Commission, told Business Insider that without Congressional action, the Lone Star State will be forced to end CHIP coverage by February 1 for more than 450,000 children.
Under state law, HHSC must notify families that their plans are being canceled at least 30 days before termination. In the meantime, HHSC has requested an additional $90 million from the government's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which administers CHIP.
Texas' situation is especially dire because of the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. After the disaster struck, the government waived co-pays and enrollment fees for CHIP recipients. That meant the state would be collecting less money, which is why they're relying on the federal government for an additional grant.
"Based on our conversations with CMS this week, we are confident that a redistribution of funds will happen, which will allow the program to continue through February for Texas," Williams said.
Texas has the most CHIP recipients in the country after California, but 16 other states could run out of money by February.
West Virginia's Children's Health Insurance Board has gone so far as to already approve a plan to close its program — which currently covers 21, 321 children — by February 28. The state's Department of Health and Human Resources plans to start sending termination notices to families by early January, according to communications director Allison Adler.
*'We've never had to do this before'*
The longer Congress delays funding, the more states must prepare contingency plans in the event that money is not restored.
But it's hard for medical officials to gauge exactly when they should take action — such as sending out notice letters to families and doubling up on call center staffing for the inevitable barrage of inquiries — since they are reliant on Congress to make the next move.
"They [states] are trying to hold off on taking action as long as possible because they don't want to cause concern among families," Samantha Artigo, an analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told Business Insider. "But as we get farther along, they are really going to be bumping up against difficult deadlines where they will need to begin taking action. It cannot be done overnight."
Medical officials in Colorado, which is preparing to run out of money by January 31, have already sent notice letters to the families of the roughly 75,000 children and 800 pregnant women who might lose coverage.
Florida has enough funding to last through January. The healthcare of 198,605 children is on the line in that state, according to Shelisha Coleman, a spokesperson for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration.
On December 1, Nevada received a nearly $5.6 million grant to provide coverage through this month and into January. Utah has also warned recipients that it will exhaust funds by the end of January.
Officials in Connecticut and Virginia said they are planning to send out letters by mid-December.
"We've never had to do this before," Linda Nablo, an official with Virginia's Department of Medical Assistant Services, told Kaiser Health News. "How do you write the very best letter saying, 'Your child might lose coverage, but it's not certain yet. But in the meantime, these are some things you need to think about'?"
Families are preparing, too.
Myra Gregory is the mother of 11-year-old Roland, who has a rare form of lung cancer. Last month, Gregory wrote an op-ed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pleading Congress to get its act together.
"If Congress forces Missouri to drop Roland's coverage, our family will be in an impossible situation. I don't have the savings to pay for Roland's care out of pocket," Gregory said. "I don't have family and friends — much less a bank — who will loan us tens of thousands of dollars for Roland's treatment.
Gregory created a GoFundMe page to raise money for her son's treatment.
*A lose-lose for the taxpayer*
The kicker is that states will still lose money even if Congress restores funding.
Writing, printing, and mailing termination notices to families requires time and money. So does notifying insurance providers and other stakeholders, submitting paperwork to the CMS, and paying call center staff overtime for helping concerned parents figure out how to proceed in the absence of CHIP.
A Georgetown University study estimated that ending CHIP will cost Colorado, for example, at least $300,000.
"Inaction by Congress costs states time and money as officials grapple with various 'what if' scenarios," the study authors wrote.
In early November, the House passed a bill that would provide funding for CHIP for five years. The bill stalled in the Senate.
"There's no question that if CHIP isn't refunded, we're going to do a turn on the success in covering children that we've had," said Brooks, the healthcare expert. "Where are the values in this country?"
*SEE ALSO: Congress is about to miss a major deadline on an important healthcare program — and some states could start to panic*
*DON'T MISS: Hurricane Harvey throws another wrinkle into Congress' wild 'budget brawl'*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: White House photographer Pete Souza on how Obama balanced being president with his family life Reported by Business Insider 2 days ago.
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Rockwell City provides insurance for slain officer’s family
ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) — The City Council in Rockwell City has voted to provide health insurance to the family of a police officer killed in the line of duty in 2013, fulfilling a pledge to ensure coverage for five years after the officer’s death. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports the council voted Monday night […]
Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.
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Here's How Much Retirees Are Spending To Support Their Adult Kids
At one point in time in America, living at home with mom and dad after crossing out of your teenage years and into your 20s was embarrassing and something that was generally avoided at all costs. And while hard times come and go, 20-somethings who were forced back into their parents' care worked their tails off until they could save up enough money to once again regain their freedom.But, these days millennials seem to be embracing the free room and board provided by their parents. According to a new study from the Census Bureau,* roughly one-third of all millennials live at home with their parents and one-fourth of them can't be bothered with enrolling in school or finding a job.*
Of course, while living at home can help millennials cut down on costs, according to a new study from Nerd Wallet, it can also have a *devastating impact on the retirement savings potential of their overly accommodating parental units*...to the tune of a quarter million dollars. Here are some of the key takeaways from Nerd Wallet's survey:
· *Parents could miss out on almost a quarter-million dollars in retirement savings by paying their adult kids’ expenses: According to NerdWallet analysis, a parent’s retirement savings could be $227,000 higher if they chose to save the money that would otherwise go to their child’s living expenses and tuition.*
· Parents paying college costs could be missing out on almost $80,000 in retirement savings: More than a quarter of parents of children 18 and older (28%) are paying or have paid for their adult children’s tuition or student loans. The average parent takes out $21,000 in loans for their child’s college education, but the hit to retirement savings is almost quadruple that amount.
· *Most adult children are living with their parents for more than a year after they turn 18:* Almost 3 in 5 parents with kids 18 and older (59%) have had adult children living with them for more than a year; over 1 in 5 (23%) have had adult children living with them for more than five years. On average, these parents say the longest period of time they have had their adult children living with them is 4.5 years.
· Parents expect their kids to help them financially during retirement: Almost a quarter of parents saving for retirement (23%) expect their children to provide financial support for them after they retire. Millennial parents are most likely to say this (44% vs. 25% of Generation X parents and 5% of baby boomer parents), despite saving more than parents from other generations.
So where is the money going..
Many parents of children 18 and older are paying or have paid for their adult children’s basic living costs, *including groceries (56%), health insurance (40%) and rent or housing outside the family home (21%). Some parents are also covering or have covered their adult child’s cell phone bill (39%) and car insurance (34%). But it’s important for parents* — especially those who are behind in saving for retirement — to note that those same dollars could significantly grow their nest eggs over time.
In addition to these living costs, some parents of children 18 and older are paying or have paid for other expenses, such as *clothing (32%), entertainment (20%), an allowance (10%) or a car loan (10%).*
So, how long can your adult children be expected to interrupt your golden years? According to Nerd Wallet, *1 in 5 households surveyed said their adult children lived with them for more than half a decade.*
Frankly, we continue to be shocked that all of those kids out there with $250,000 Art and Anthropology degrees are finding it difficult to land their dream jobs... Reported by Zero Hedge 1 day ago.
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As health premiums rise, small businesses seek alternatives
As small business owners learn what their 2018 health insurance costs will be, some are considering providing different types of coverage for their employees.
Reported by Denver Post 1 day ago.
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Funding at risk for children’s health insurance, clinics
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and others are sounding the alarm over the expiration of federal funding that provides health insurance to 116,000 lower-income children in Michigan, saying cancellation notices may be sent to families as early as next month despite bipartisan support for continuing the program. The Children’s Health Insurance Program […]
Reported by Seattle Times 1 day ago.
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Price hikes push health insurance shoppers into hard choices
Margaret Leatherwood has eight choices for health insurance next year but no good options. The cheapest individual coverage available in her market would eat up nearly a quarter of the income her husband brings home from the oilfields. The Bryson, Texas, couple makes too much to qualify for Affordable Care Act tax credits that help people buy coverage. But they don't make enough to comfortably afford insurance on their own, even though Paul Leatherwood works seven days a week. "I hate to put it like this, but it sucks," said Margaret Leatherwood, who stays at home and takes care of her grandchildren. This largely middle-class crowd of shoppers is struggling to stay insured.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 17 hours ago.
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