Health insurance à la carte?
Reported by CNNMoney 16 hours ago.
Mix-and-match health coverage can be a risky alternative to Obamacare
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Mix-and-match coverage can be a risky alternative
As open enrollment season moves into its final weeks, some consumers looking for lower-cost alternatives are considering a patchwork approach to health insurance. The products may secure some basic protection, but leave patients on the hook for high medical bills.
Reported by CNNMoney 15 hours ago.
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Premier Health, Virginia company terminate sale of insurance business
The sale of Premier Health's insurance business to a Virginia-based company has been terminated, the hospital network announced nearly a month after the deal was seemingly finalized. Dayton-based Premier Health and Evolent Health, which provides integrated care platforms for health systems and physician organizations, have canceled the stock purchase agreement that would have allowed Evolent to acquire the Premier Health Plan. The health care companies were "unable to reach terms on related party…
Reported by bizjournals 2 days ago.
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"It's A Crisis Situation": One Chart Explains Why Obamacare Is Locked In An Inescapable Death Spiral
Ever since it was signed into law in 2010, defenders of Obamacare have dismissed staggering surges in annual premiums by highlighting only the rates paid by those fortunate enough to receive subsidies. In fact, last year we wrote about Marjorie Connolly's, from Obama's Department of Health and Human Services, response to the Tennessee insurance commissioner's fear that the exchanges in his state were "very near collapse" after a staggering 59% premium surge:*“Consumers in Tennessee will continue to have affordable coverage options in 2017. Last year, the average monthly premium for people with Marketplace coverage getting tax credits increased just $2, from $102 to $104 per month, despite headlines suggesting double digit increases,” *said Marjorie Connolly, HHS spokeswoman, in a statement.
We're unsure whether Connolly's comment was just propaganda intended to defend a failing piece of legislation or an intentional, blatant admission that the Department of Health and Human Services just doesn't care about the majority of Americans, the so-called 1%'ers, who are facing debilitating increases in healthcare costs simply because they manage to live above the poverty line. We'll let you decide on that one.
Be that as it may, as the Miami Herald points out this morning, roughly half of all Obamacare participants, nearly 9 million people in aggregate, don't qualify for the subsidies that Connolly praised and have been forced to absorb debilitating premium increases for the past several years.
*Meanwhile, the pie chart above from 2017 doesn't count the 1,000's of unsubsidized "millionaire, billionaire, private jets owners" making over $50,000 per year who have already been forced to drop their healthcare coverage because it was simply unaffordable*...a move which the Reiter family in Florida was forced to consider for 2018 after the premiums on their policy surged 54% to a cost of $40,000 per year.
As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act coverage nears the deadline of Dec. 15, and Florida once again leads all states using the federal exchange at healthcare.gov, Heidi and Richard Reiter sit at the kitchen table at their Davie home and struggle to piece together the family’s health insurance for 2018.
The Reiters buy their own coverage, but they earn too much to qualify for financial aid to lower their monthly premiums. *For 2017, they bought a plan off the exchange and paid $26,000 in premiums for family coverage, including their two sons, ages 21 and 17.*
*Keeping the same coverage for 2018 would have cost the Reiters $40,000 in premiums,* a 54 percent increase. So they selected a lower-priced plan that covers less but costs $29,000 in premiums.
*“That’s more than a lot of people’s mortgage payments,” Richard Reiter said. “For me, it’s a crisis situation.”*
Of course, while the Herald attempts to blame the Trump administration for Obamacare's continued premium hikes in 2018, we would just remind everyone once again that premiums surged an average of 113% across the United States during Obama's last term...
But sure, it's all Trump's fault. Reported by Zero Hedge 2 days ago.
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These Are The Top 5 Legislative Issues That Could Force The Next Government Shutdown
House Republicans successfully managed to kick the can down the road (if only for two weeks) when they managed to pass a two-week extension last week of the continuing resolution that had been funding the government since September.But after overcoming obstacles created by Democrats and conservative Republicans – with each camp pushing for priorities that were ultimately excluded from the extension bill – the White House and its allies in Congress will still need to figure out how to balance these demands if they want to successfully secure approval for the next funding bill by Dec. 22, the day the current extender bill requires.
Adding to the pressure on Congressional leaders, Republicans also need to work through what’s looking to be a difficult reconciliation process for the tax bill that President Donald Trump has vowed to pass before the end of the year.
With only four legislative sessions left on the official calendar (Congressional leaders reserve the right to delay the beginning of recess, something they will almost certainly need to do) the Hill has provided a quick rundown of five key issues that could possibly derail the spending bill - and finally usher in the shutdown that Trump believes could benefit the White House politically at the expense of Democrats, who are vying to take back the House and/or the Senate during next year's midterm elections.
* * *
And the issues are...
*Immigration:*
Trump announced earlier this year that he was ending the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants work permits to undocumented young immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children.
Congress has just a few months left to save the program or come up with a new solution, with DACA recipients set to lose their status beginning in early March.
*Many Democrats and even some Republicans like Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) have demanded that any spending legislation that stretches into 2018 shield so-called Dreamers from deportation.*
They view the must-pass spending bills as their best shot at getting a DACA solution over the finish line.
“We will not leave here without a DACA fix,” Pelosi vowed Thursday.
But conservatives have put their foot down on the issue, saying that attaching any DACA deal to a continuing resolution would be a non-starter with the Republican conference.
GOP leaders in both chambers have made clear that they oppose linking DACA to government spending bills, setting up a potential showdown at the end of the month.
*Republicans have in the past had to rely on Pelosi and the Democrats to pass stopgap funding bills, though the House passed the two-week spending bill this week without Democrats. However, Democratic support will still be needed in the Senate.*
*“A DACA solution will be a standalone solution,” Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, told reporters on Thursday. “If DACA gets attached to the spending bill, there will be major, major pushback."*
*Defense:*
It’s all but certain that Congress will need to pass another continuing resolution (CR) on Dec. 22 in order to buy more time to write a massive, omnibus spending package.
But defense hawks and conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus worry that yet another short-term spending bill would be harmful for the military.
*They are insisting that leadership boost money for the Pentagon before the end of the year – and have threatened to vote against another CR this year if that doesn’t happen.*
One option being considered would be to move a legislative package that funds defense at higher levels through September alongside a short-term patch to fund the rest of the government at current levels through January.
It’s unclear whether Democrats would be willing to go along with the idea. Their support would be crucial in the Senate, where at least eight Democratic votes are needed to overcome a filibuster.
Democrats have traditionally insisted that any increase in defense spending above budget caps be paired with an increase in spending on domestic programs.
*But House Republicans could just jam the Senate with the defense-first package and dare vulnerable Democrats like Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) to vote against a bill fully funding the military, especially with the escalating nuclear threat from North Korea hanging over their heads.*
*“Then they can go home and explain why they can’t fund the American military when the House did,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), an Appropriations cardinal.*
*ObamaCare:*
*Further complicating spending talks is the commitment that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) gave to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to help win her vote for the GOP tax reform bill.*
McConnell pledged to support passage of two bipartisan ObamaCare fixes before the end of the year, which could be attached to a government funding bill.
But House conservatives say they oppose the measures seen as simply propping up ObamaCare.
To lock up the necessary Republican votes for the two-week CR this week, House GOP leadership promised that the next spending bill would not contain funding for ObamaCare cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments, according to Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.).
*“The three things that we’ve been told are not going to happen as part of our agreement: no CSRs, no DACA, no debt limit,” said Walker, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee*
*Disaster aid.*
*Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to provide more supplemental funding for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida, as well as for western areas devastated by wildfires.*
The thinking is that disaster aid could be attached to the next CR, but members are still debating the price tag, according to Walker.
*The White House last month requested another $44 billion in disaster aid, which would be the third infusion of cash to help with relief and recovery efforts.*
But the funding request has been under fire from lawmakers who say it doesn’t go far enough to address the damage from the string of natural disasters.
And the White House has insisted that the latest disaster package be offset with cuts to non-defense federal programs, which could be problematic for Democrats.
*Children's health-care and the opioid crisis:*
*Democrats are also fighting for two health care priorities that could have bipartisan support: the renewal of a popular children’s health program and more money to combat the opioid crisis.*
Many members are pushing to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which expired in September.
Republicans have said the issue could be attached to the next CR in an effort to sweeten the pot and attract more Democratic votes for the stopgap bill.
*Democrats have also indicated that they want additional funding to fight the deadly opioid crisis in a larger spending deal.*
Trump declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency this year, but he stopped short of declaring it a national emergency — a designation that would have allocated new federal money toward the crisis.
It’s unclear, however, if additional dollars will come in a spending package.
*“We've done a lot, put a lot of resources into combating opioids already,” the Senate’s No. 3 Republican, Sen. John Thune (S.D.), said earlier this month. “If they've got a proposal, I'm sure we would take a look at it, but I don’t know that that's at least on the agenda at the moment."*
* * *
As the Trump administration continues to get its legislative bearings after Trump’s hectic first year in office (a year in which he accomplished many of the priorities that he set out during the campaign, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, rolling back financial regulation and defanging some of the EPA’s most stifling regulations), the president has wasted no time setting out his next major priority: The $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan to help rebuild America’s crumbling roads and bridges.
The Wall Street Journal revealed still more details of the plan, which helped flatten the yield curve last week after Trump revealed that he intends to push ahead on one of his most crucial, yet long-delayed, promises.
While some in Congress might balk at still more deficit-expanding spending, polls show that a majority of Americans – even those who loathe the president – support this aspect of his agenda.
*Recent polling showed that 52% of voters who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 back an infrastructure program, *according to the survey. *Some 53% of white male respondents in states won by Clinton support an infrastructure initiative, as well as 51% of voters who say they disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president.*
All of which begs the question: Will this be the issue that finally forces red-state Democrats to break with the “Chuck and Nancy” enforced plan for mass obstruction and throw their support behind the president’s agenda?
After all, their political futures may depend on it.
Reported by Zero Hedge 1 day ago.
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ACAenroll.com Provides Tips on How to Reduce Health Insurance Premiums and Out-Of-Pocket Costs through Advance Premium Tax Credits and Subsidies
Consumers run the risk of being penalized for not adhering to the Affordable Care Act regulations or missing out on valuable benefits such as government subsidies to reduce health insurance premiums.
BEDFORD PARK, Ill. (PRWEB) December 11, 2017
“With Open Enrollment Period ending this Friday, December 15th, many consumers are still confused as to how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules are applied and how to determine if they qualify for government subsidies,” explained Bob Dial, Chief Compliance Officer, ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions(ACAenroll.com). “As a result, many Americans run the risk of selecting a plan that is not suited for their budget or healthcare needs or even more costly, would be missing the Open Enrollment Period deadline altogether, leaving them open to expensive government penalties and the financial hardship that can result when not having adequate health insurance.”
Dial provides clarification on ACA Rules:
Fines for Not Having Qualifying Health Plan Coverage:
There is still a PENALTY for those individuals that do not have a Qualified Health Plan. This fine can be quite high, depending on the person’s household income. For 2018 the penalty for an individual will be the HIGHER amount, $695 or 2.5% of their household income.
IRS Regulations:
An important point is that the IRS has announced that it would step up its enforcement of the individual mandate by automatically rejecting electronic returns for tax year 2017, for those individuals that did not have a qualified health plan.· If a consumer has an outstanding premium balance from their 2017 health plan, the carrier may refuse issuing new coverage, until that premium is paid.
· If a consumer has not yet filed their 2016 Federal Tax Return, the consumer may not be eligible for any premium subsidies.
Qualification for Subsidies:
Subsidies are still available for those individuals with incomes of less than $48,000 (4 times the federal poverty level of $12,060.) Many factors need to be calculated to determine subsidy eligibility and monthly health insurance premiums
ACAenroll.com can be a very helpful resource to consumers. ACAenroll.com can provide tips on how to select the best health insurance plan that is tailored to meet the health needs and budget for individuals and their families and ensure that they obtain the appropriate tax subsidy to help reduce their premium.
Dial added, “If for some reason the Marketplace plan is still too expensive and the individual just can’t afford this, ACAenroll.com agents can also provide some options, like Short Term Medical or Limited Health Plans that provide some coverage at a much reduced rate. Even when taking in to account the tax penalty, many times their cost can be half the cost of a Marketplace plan.”
ACAenroll.com stands ready to assist consumer with all their enrollment needs. Their dedicated Call Center consists of a team of multi-lingual, health insurance professionals, which are trained to walk a client through the entire process of selecting a healthcare plan and enrolling them for their coverage, as well as responding to any questions they may have regarding their new health insurance policy. The ACAenroll.com Call Center will be available to assist consumer with enrolling for their 2018 health plan. Go to http://www.ACAenroll.com or call 1-800-342-0631 for more information.
About ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions:
Headquartered in Bedford Park, Illinois, ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions (aka ACAenroll.com) is a national enrollment firm specializing in the Health Insurance Marketplace as well as variety of other ancillary health insurance products, including Dental, Critical Illness, Short Term Medical, and others. ACAenroll.com provide enrollments services throughout the country, through national and regional insurance carriers. 2018 Plan year Open Enrollment ends Friday, December 15, 2017. Go to http://www.ACAenroll.com or call 1-800-342-0631 for more information. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
BEDFORD PARK, Ill. (PRWEB) December 11, 2017
“With Open Enrollment Period ending this Friday, December 15th, many consumers are still confused as to how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules are applied and how to determine if they qualify for government subsidies,” explained Bob Dial, Chief Compliance Officer, ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions(ACAenroll.com). “As a result, many Americans run the risk of selecting a plan that is not suited for their budget or healthcare needs or even more costly, would be missing the Open Enrollment Period deadline altogether, leaving them open to expensive government penalties and the financial hardship that can result when not having adequate health insurance.”
Dial provides clarification on ACA Rules:
Fines for Not Having Qualifying Health Plan Coverage:
There is still a PENALTY for those individuals that do not have a Qualified Health Plan. This fine can be quite high, depending on the person’s household income. For 2018 the penalty for an individual will be the HIGHER amount, $695 or 2.5% of their household income.
IRS Regulations:
An important point is that the IRS has announced that it would step up its enforcement of the individual mandate by automatically rejecting electronic returns for tax year 2017, for those individuals that did not have a qualified health plan.· If a consumer has an outstanding premium balance from their 2017 health plan, the carrier may refuse issuing new coverage, until that premium is paid.
· If a consumer has not yet filed their 2016 Federal Tax Return, the consumer may not be eligible for any premium subsidies.
Qualification for Subsidies:
Subsidies are still available for those individuals with incomes of less than $48,000 (4 times the federal poverty level of $12,060.) Many factors need to be calculated to determine subsidy eligibility and monthly health insurance premiums
ACAenroll.com can be a very helpful resource to consumers. ACAenroll.com can provide tips on how to select the best health insurance plan that is tailored to meet the health needs and budget for individuals and their families and ensure that they obtain the appropriate tax subsidy to help reduce their premium.
Dial added, “If for some reason the Marketplace plan is still too expensive and the individual just can’t afford this, ACAenroll.com agents can also provide some options, like Short Term Medical or Limited Health Plans that provide some coverage at a much reduced rate. Even when taking in to account the tax penalty, many times their cost can be half the cost of a Marketplace plan.”
ACAenroll.com stands ready to assist consumer with all their enrollment needs. Their dedicated Call Center consists of a team of multi-lingual, health insurance professionals, which are trained to walk a client through the entire process of selecting a healthcare plan and enrolling them for their coverage, as well as responding to any questions they may have regarding their new health insurance policy. The ACAenroll.com Call Center will be available to assist consumer with enrolling for their 2018 health plan. Go to http://www.ACAenroll.com or call 1-800-342-0631 for more information.
About ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions:
Headquartered in Bedford Park, Illinois, ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions (aka ACAenroll.com) is a national enrollment firm specializing in the Health Insurance Marketplace as well as variety of other ancillary health insurance products, including Dental, Critical Illness, Short Term Medical, and others. ACAenroll.com provide enrollments services throughout the country, through national and regional insurance carriers. 2018 Plan year Open Enrollment ends Friday, December 15, 2017. Go to http://www.ACAenroll.com or call 1-800-342-0631 for more information. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
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Late-night host Kimmel holds son, pleads for health care
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel held his baby son as he returned to his late-night show after a week off for the boy's heart surgery. Kimmel was crying from the first moment of his monologue Monday night as he pleaded with Congress to restore and improve children's health coverage, a cause he has championed since his son Billy was born with a heart defect in April. Billy needed one surgery just after his birth and had a follow-up operation last week. Kimmel kept up his ardent advocacy Monday night, urging Congress to restore the Children's Health Insurance Program, which has been left unfunded and stuck in a political stalemate since September.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 1 day ago.
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Parents Worry Congress Won't Fund The Children's Health Insurance Program
The federal funding of the program lapsed in September. States have been burning through leftover funds, or borrowing from other accounts, as they wait for Congress to act before the end of January.
Reported by NPR 1 day ago.
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Deadline for health insurance coverage coming up Friday
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois residents are being reminded that if they need health insurance coverage for next year they must register by Friday night. The Illinois Department of Insurance says it is issuing the reminder because people may not understand that they can no longer change their plans in January after receiving their first premium […]
Reported by Seattle Times 1 day ago.
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New Features of SutiHR Streamline HR Management Processes
SutiHR’s reports, time management and recruitment modules have been updated.
LOS ALTOS, Calif. (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
SutiSoft Inc., a leading provider of web-based and online business management solutions, today announces updates to the reports, time management and recruitment modules of SutiHR, its online HR management platform. The new features streamline HR management, while also aligning your workforce with your business strategy.
Here are some of the enhancements made.
Reports:
ACA reports have been added to the reports module. Organizations that employ 50+ full-time employees and offer group health insurance or provide their own health insurance are now required to submit IRS Forms 1094c/1095c in compliance with the ACA. The ACA report is intended to assist an employer determining employee health care coverage eligibility as defined by ACA. The data helps organizations remain in compliance with ACA standards and avoid penalties.
HR administrators can restrict users who have privileges to the reports module to view/edit the ACA reports. Based on the privileges given by the HR admin, the ACA report will be made available to the users.
HR administrators have an option to customize the menus in the reporting module. Users can now generate reports based on the permissions given by the HR administrator.
HR administrators can create and share custom reports with selected employees. An option to remove the assigned reports is also provided.
Time Management:
HR administrators now have the flexibility to adjust employee time off by fractions of days.
An option to submit a clock out entry for the previous day has been added. Employees who have not clocked out for the previous day can now update their previous day clock out time and clock in for the current day.
Recruitment:
HR administrators have the flexibility to bypass the approval processes without notifying the approvers.
SutiHR provides an option for HR administrators to clone a resume and make necessary changes to it.
For more information, please visit: https://www.sutihr.com or call us on 650-969-SUTI.
About SutiSoft
SutiSoft provides a comprehensive suite of cloud-based business platforms and solutions for companies of all sizes. These platforms include scalable and easy-to-use solutions for HR, Employee Travel & Expense, Wireless Spend Management, CRM, Document Management, Business Data Analytics, and Electronic signature. Our platforms and solutions enable small, mid-size, and large enterprise customers to control costs, save time and assist in making smart business decisions. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, SutiSoft also has regional offices in Germany, India, and Japan. For additional information visit our website at http://www.sutisoft.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
LOS ALTOS, Calif. (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
SutiSoft Inc., a leading provider of web-based and online business management solutions, today announces updates to the reports, time management and recruitment modules of SutiHR, its online HR management platform. The new features streamline HR management, while also aligning your workforce with your business strategy.
Here are some of the enhancements made.
Reports:
ACA reports have been added to the reports module. Organizations that employ 50+ full-time employees and offer group health insurance or provide their own health insurance are now required to submit IRS Forms 1094c/1095c in compliance with the ACA. The ACA report is intended to assist an employer determining employee health care coverage eligibility as defined by ACA. The data helps organizations remain in compliance with ACA standards and avoid penalties.
HR administrators can restrict users who have privileges to the reports module to view/edit the ACA reports. Based on the privileges given by the HR admin, the ACA report will be made available to the users.
HR administrators have an option to customize the menus in the reporting module. Users can now generate reports based on the permissions given by the HR administrator.
HR administrators can create and share custom reports with selected employees. An option to remove the assigned reports is also provided.
Time Management:
HR administrators now have the flexibility to adjust employee time off by fractions of days.
An option to submit a clock out entry for the previous day has been added. Employees who have not clocked out for the previous day can now update their previous day clock out time and clock in for the current day.
Recruitment:
HR administrators have the flexibility to bypass the approval processes without notifying the approvers.
SutiHR provides an option for HR administrators to clone a resume and make necessary changes to it.
For more information, please visit: https://www.sutihr.com or call us on 650-969-SUTI.
About SutiSoft
SutiSoft provides a comprehensive suite of cloud-based business platforms and solutions for companies of all sizes. These platforms include scalable and easy-to-use solutions for HR, Employee Travel & Expense, Wireless Spend Management, CRM, Document Management, Business Data Analytics, and Electronic signature. Our platforms and solutions enable small, mid-size, and large enterprise customers to control costs, save time and assist in making smart business decisions. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, SutiSoft also has regional offices in Germany, India, and Japan. For additional information visit our website at http://www.sutisoft.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
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NCMA’s Diabetes Center Receives Prestigious AADE Accreditation
Northern California Medical Associates announces that the NCMA diabetes center under the leadership of Chief Endocrinologist Dr. Yuichiro D. Nakai, M.D. has achieved AADE accreditation through the American Association of Diabetes Educators education program.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
Education, an important element of staying healthy with diabetes
Patients who have diabetes know how challenging it can be to manage the disease. In addition to constantly monitoring the condition and taking medication, reducing the risk for complications is part of the daily routine. Healthy eating, physical activity and managing symptoms while focusing on prevention may seem overwhelming for patients newly diagnosed with diabetes, this is where diabetes education steps in and helps to keep a patient on track.
As a member of the healthcare team, a diabetes educator focuses on making living with diabetes easier. They work with each patient individually to develop a personalized plan to stay healthy, while providing the tools and ongoing support to put that plan into action and make it a routine part of life.
“Most patients will never be “cured” of diabetes,” explains Dr. Nakai, NCMA endocrinologist Diabetes Center Medical Director. “Over their lifetime, most will have and live with multiple diabetes complications (medical, psychological, social, financial, etc.). As a chronic disease requiring both lifestyle and medication therapy, at some point, most will “burn out” on dealing with diabetes daily for at least some period of time.
“One crucial concept in diabetes care is goal-setting and management which comes with the understanding that most patients will experience a greater, cumulative lifetime benefit from setting aggressive goals for their diabetes management early in their diagnosis, rather than waiting to make lifestyle changes until symptoms become a real problem. This means that patients need to be educated in goal setting and promoting safe, yet aggressive early therapies for the disease. This in turn will lead to a lifetime of not only managed diabetes, but a longer, healthier life overall.”
The Educational Guidelines
Diabetes education is now a recognized part of diabetes care and is covered by Medicare and most health insurance plans when it is offered through an accredited diabetes education program such as the newly AACE/ACE accredited NCMA Diabetes Center, which has met vigorous criteria set by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
The AACE/ACE guidelines contain specific processes to assist in choosing therapy of which Dr. Naiki’s recommendations include:· Remember that lifestyle modifications first addressed back in 1916 still work and that aggressive lifestyle changes can outperform adding an individual diabetes drug without lifestyle change.
· Discuss what are likely to be changing individualized diabetes goals over time and provide specific suggested changes to get to those goals. If unable to do so personally due to time or other constraints, refer patients for diabetes and nutritional education.
· Recognize that most drugs will have benefits and side effects within days so in most circumstances adjustments can be made rapidly. The exceptions that take a little longer for full dose effect include TZDs, weekly incretins and new, longer-acting basal insulins.
· Scheduled, short-interval, one- to three-month follow-up appointments to specifically address success and side effects of medications may help keep the focus on diabetes and help minimize therapeutic inertia.
· Try to identify when patients are not ready or able to intensify glucose control early in visits, and then redirect time/effort to other long-term diabetes-related concerns such as foot exams, pushing patients to schedule eye exams, and addressing lipid or blood pressure goals.
· Refer to an endocrinologist or diabetes specialist when a patient is not meeting individualized goals.
About NCMA Diabetes Center
The NCMA Diabetes Center is under the leadership of Chief Endocrinologist and Diabetes Center Medical Director, Yuichiro D. Nakai, M.D. and offers a multidisciplinary team approach to treatment with diabetic nurse specialist Naya Barretto, FNP-BC, MPH, RN and Jennifer Logan, R.D., C.D.E.
Recognizing that education is the key to prevention as well as proper management of diabetes, NCMA Diabetes Center offers workshops to cover all aspects of diabetes care including diabetic weight management, nutrition, safe exercise for diabetics, glucose meter use, insulin use, carbohydrate exchanges/ carbohydrate counting. One-on-one patient diabetes education and nutritional visits are also offered.
To learn more visit the NCMA Health website or call 707-578-7530 to schedule an appointment. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
Education, an important element of staying healthy with diabetes
Patients who have diabetes know how challenging it can be to manage the disease. In addition to constantly monitoring the condition and taking medication, reducing the risk for complications is part of the daily routine. Healthy eating, physical activity and managing symptoms while focusing on prevention may seem overwhelming for patients newly diagnosed with diabetes, this is where diabetes education steps in and helps to keep a patient on track.
As a member of the healthcare team, a diabetes educator focuses on making living with diabetes easier. They work with each patient individually to develop a personalized plan to stay healthy, while providing the tools and ongoing support to put that plan into action and make it a routine part of life.
“Most patients will never be “cured” of diabetes,” explains Dr. Nakai, NCMA endocrinologist Diabetes Center Medical Director. “Over their lifetime, most will have and live with multiple diabetes complications (medical, psychological, social, financial, etc.). As a chronic disease requiring both lifestyle and medication therapy, at some point, most will “burn out” on dealing with diabetes daily for at least some period of time.
“One crucial concept in diabetes care is goal-setting and management which comes with the understanding that most patients will experience a greater, cumulative lifetime benefit from setting aggressive goals for their diabetes management early in their diagnosis, rather than waiting to make lifestyle changes until symptoms become a real problem. This means that patients need to be educated in goal setting and promoting safe, yet aggressive early therapies for the disease. This in turn will lead to a lifetime of not only managed diabetes, but a longer, healthier life overall.”
The Educational Guidelines
Diabetes education is now a recognized part of diabetes care and is covered by Medicare and most health insurance plans when it is offered through an accredited diabetes education program such as the newly AACE/ACE accredited NCMA Diabetes Center, which has met vigorous criteria set by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
The AACE/ACE guidelines contain specific processes to assist in choosing therapy of which Dr. Naiki’s recommendations include:· Remember that lifestyle modifications first addressed back in 1916 still work and that aggressive lifestyle changes can outperform adding an individual diabetes drug without lifestyle change.
· Discuss what are likely to be changing individualized diabetes goals over time and provide specific suggested changes to get to those goals. If unable to do so personally due to time or other constraints, refer patients for diabetes and nutritional education.
· Recognize that most drugs will have benefits and side effects within days so in most circumstances adjustments can be made rapidly. The exceptions that take a little longer for full dose effect include TZDs, weekly incretins and new, longer-acting basal insulins.
· Scheduled, short-interval, one- to three-month follow-up appointments to specifically address success and side effects of medications may help keep the focus on diabetes and help minimize therapeutic inertia.
· Try to identify when patients are not ready or able to intensify glucose control early in visits, and then redirect time/effort to other long-term diabetes-related concerns such as foot exams, pushing patients to schedule eye exams, and addressing lipid or blood pressure goals.
· Refer to an endocrinologist or diabetes specialist when a patient is not meeting individualized goals.
About NCMA Diabetes Center
The NCMA Diabetes Center is under the leadership of Chief Endocrinologist and Diabetes Center Medical Director, Yuichiro D. Nakai, M.D. and offers a multidisciplinary team approach to treatment with diabetic nurse specialist Naya Barretto, FNP-BC, MPH, RN and Jennifer Logan, R.D., C.D.E.
Recognizing that education is the key to prevention as well as proper management of diabetes, NCMA Diabetes Center offers workshops to cover all aspects of diabetes care including diabetic weight management, nutrition, safe exercise for diabetics, glucose meter use, insulin use, carbohydrate exchanges/ carbohydrate counting. One-on-one patient diabetes education and nutritional visits are also offered.
To learn more visit the NCMA Health website or call 707-578-7530 to schedule an appointment. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
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New Solismed Release Helps Free Clinics Digitalize Their Operations
Solismed is a freeware and can be hosted in the cloud or on a desktop computer.
Palo Alto, Union City, CA (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
Solismed Contributors (The Morag Consulting Consulting Group and Intesync LLC) announce the release of Solismed 2.1 with a number of patient care, clinic operations, and e-prescribing features. Many of the new features are designed to help free clinics transition from paper records to electronic and to improve the delivery of health care. The free clinics serve an underprivileged group of patients with limited resources. As a result, they are falling behind in health IT technology utilization. Statistics show that many of them are not using any EHR or practice management system because of the cost and a lack of software features that address their needs.
"One of our goals for this new release is to empower the free clinics with practical tools that can be used for meeting the day-to-day demands of providing patient care to a large group of patients who are either uninsured or underinsured," said Dr. Assaf Morag, CEO of the Morag Consulting Group. “Recent health insurance changes and proposals by the Trump’s administration are expected to increase the number of people needing services from the free clinics, and Solismed can help them meet this challenge.”
Here are some highlights of the system:· Solismed comes with a modern user interface and logical workflows.
· It’s designed for multi-tasking and team collaboration.
· Patients can be scheduled in advance or registered when they walk in.
· Encounter documentation is super easy and includes many automated functions.
· Staff and volunteers can work with patient charts from anywhere 24x7.
· A built-in patient portal is included, and it can be custom branded.
· Rx refills can be requested via the patient portal.
· Patient communication with staff and volunteers is secure and protected.
· Basic financial transactions, including invoicing, are included in the system.
· Various reports can be generated for treatment analysis and funding justification.
"We are very pleased to have Weno Exchange partnering with us to provide a free e-prescribing service via Solismed,” said Jonlee Wong, CEO of Intesync LLC. This critical service allows the patients to obtain medications and refills more easily without the long wait in line. In addition, the patients can receive a cash discount ranging from 10 to 85% on brand and generic prescriptions at over 60,000 participating pharmacies across the country. Mail ordering is available from selected pharmacies as an e-prescribing option.
The two Solismed Contributors encourage free clinics to take advantage of this freeware. There is no licensing fee, and the free clinics can call on volunteers with health IT background to help them set up and maintain the system. Paid support is also available from Solismed Contributors when it’s needed. One great thing about Solismed is that it can be customized to meet specific requirements. Anyone interested in learning more about the system can try out the demo hosted at https://www.solismed.com.
About The Morag Consulting Group
The Morag Consulting Group provides management and consulting services in healthcare technology and related areas. The company has 30 years of experience in medical informatics, including the development, sales, and deployment of clinical applications.
About Intesync LLC
Intesync LLC is a strategic ebusiness solutions provider that serves the ecommerce, healthcare, and greentech industries. The company has provided consulting and development services to a number of software vendors and is an early adaptor of artificial intelligence technologies.
About Weno Exchange LLC
Weno Exchange LLC (WENO) is an ePrescribing (eRX) network that specializes in drug price transparency through advanced drug benefit coordination. When established in 2011, WENO was hailed as an innovative competitor in an otherwise dominated ePrescribing network market. Reported by PRWeb 23 hours ago.
Palo Alto, Union City, CA (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
Solismed Contributors (The Morag Consulting Consulting Group and Intesync LLC) announce the release of Solismed 2.1 with a number of patient care, clinic operations, and e-prescribing features. Many of the new features are designed to help free clinics transition from paper records to electronic and to improve the delivery of health care. The free clinics serve an underprivileged group of patients with limited resources. As a result, they are falling behind in health IT technology utilization. Statistics show that many of them are not using any EHR or practice management system because of the cost and a lack of software features that address their needs.
"One of our goals for this new release is to empower the free clinics with practical tools that can be used for meeting the day-to-day demands of providing patient care to a large group of patients who are either uninsured or underinsured," said Dr. Assaf Morag, CEO of the Morag Consulting Group. “Recent health insurance changes and proposals by the Trump’s administration are expected to increase the number of people needing services from the free clinics, and Solismed can help them meet this challenge.”
Here are some highlights of the system:· Solismed comes with a modern user interface and logical workflows.
· It’s designed for multi-tasking and team collaboration.
· Patients can be scheduled in advance or registered when they walk in.
· Encounter documentation is super easy and includes many automated functions.
· Staff and volunteers can work with patient charts from anywhere 24x7.
· A built-in patient portal is included, and it can be custom branded.
· Rx refills can be requested via the patient portal.
· Patient communication with staff and volunteers is secure and protected.
· Basic financial transactions, including invoicing, are included in the system.
· Various reports can be generated for treatment analysis and funding justification.
"We are very pleased to have Weno Exchange partnering with us to provide a free e-prescribing service via Solismed,” said Jonlee Wong, CEO of Intesync LLC. This critical service allows the patients to obtain medications and refills more easily without the long wait in line. In addition, the patients can receive a cash discount ranging from 10 to 85% on brand and generic prescriptions at over 60,000 participating pharmacies across the country. Mail ordering is available from selected pharmacies as an e-prescribing option.
The two Solismed Contributors encourage free clinics to take advantage of this freeware. There is no licensing fee, and the free clinics can call on volunteers with health IT background to help them set up and maintain the system. Paid support is also available from Solismed Contributors when it’s needed. One great thing about Solismed is that it can be customized to meet specific requirements. Anyone interested in learning more about the system can try out the demo hosted at https://www.solismed.com.
About The Morag Consulting Group
The Morag Consulting Group provides management and consulting services in healthcare technology and related areas. The company has 30 years of experience in medical informatics, including the development, sales, and deployment of clinical applications.
About Intesync LLC
Intesync LLC is a strategic ebusiness solutions provider that serves the ecommerce, healthcare, and greentech industries. The company has provided consulting and development services to a number of software vendors and is an early adaptor of artificial intelligence technologies.
About Weno Exchange LLC
Weno Exchange LLC (WENO) is an ePrescribing (eRX) network that specializes in drug price transparency through advanced drug benefit coordination. When established in 2011, WENO was hailed as an innovative competitor in an otherwise dominated ePrescribing network market. Reported by PRWeb 23 hours ago.
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FairWarning, Inc. Certifies Harmony Healthcare IT as First Legacy Data Management Company to Enlist its Secure ePHI Solution
Harmony Healthcare IT becomes the first discrete data archiving company to incorporate an additional threat monitoring and alert capability in its robust Health Data Archiver solution. This move bolsters the archive's audit log function to further protect the long-term security of historical patient and employee records.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. and CLEARWATER, Fla. (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
FairWarning, Inc., a leading provider of solutions which expand trust in mission critical applications such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and cloud-based applications, today announced that it has joined forces with Harmony Healthcare IT, a leader in EHR and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) legacy data management. This is the first time a discrete data archiving company has been certified by FairWarning to implement its audit platform for monitoring the long-term security of historical patient and employee record storage.
Healthcare organizations are faced with managing massive amounts of data, and they need to streamline and secure that data throughout its entire lifecycle to meet record retention mandates and compliance regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Together, FairWarning and Harmony Healthcare IT ensure that electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) within Harmony Healthcare IT’s Health Data Archiver (HDA) product is monitored and protected for unusual activity and compliance through FairWarning’s Patient Privacy Monitoring Platform.
“Legacy data represents a considerable amount of ePHI that must be retained sometimes up to 25 years or more. As healthcare providers continue to replace EHR and ERP systems, more and more data is being migrated to a secure and accessible archive solution,” said Jim Hammer, vice president, product and program management at Harmony Healthcare IT. “Our product, Health Data Archiver, already has audit log capabilities built in, but, FairWarning provides an added layer of protection with ongoing monitoring and alerts of potential threats for the lifetime of record management.”
“As insider threats and cybercriminals have advanced their tactics to obtain patient data, healthcare organizations have become proactive in monitoring and securing ePHI, as an integral part of patient care,” said Scott Baker, Director of Alliances at FairWarning. “Hospitals that are already using FairWarning to monitor and protect their full-production EHRs can now also protect their consolidated historical records from other legacy systems for a wholistic and compliant patient data-protection program.”
About FairWarning®
FairWarning® is a leading provider of privacy and information security solutions which expand trust in mission critical applications such as Salesforce, Electronic Health Records and cloud-based applications. Auditing over 300 business applications, FairWarning solutions empower businesses globally to grow their reputation with their customers, increase velocity in their business and comply with complex federal and state privacy laws such as HIPAA, PCI, SOX, FISMA and EU Data Protection Act. FairWarning provides a comprehensive platform and managed services for performing forensic investigations of applications, enforcing access policies, conducting legal investigations, and improving compliance effectiveness. FairWarning catches people stealing your data.
About Harmony Healthcare IT
Since 2006, health IT analysts at Harmony Healthcare IT have extracted demographic, financial, clinical and administrative data for hundreds of healthcare provider organizations - both ambulatory and acute. Headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, the company’s mission is to preserve vital information that will improve lives. Harmony Healthcare IT employs experts in data extraction, migration, archival, retention, integration and analytics to provide its clients with trusted solutions. Working with hundreds of applications, billions of records and petabytes of data; Harmony Healthcare IT with its product, Health Data Archiver, provides clients with access to historical records. Simply. For more information about the company, visit: http://www.harmonyhit.com . For information about Health Data Archiver, visit: http://www.healthdataarchiver.com Reported by PRWeb 22 hours ago.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. and CLEARWATER, Fla. (PRWEB) December 12, 2017
FairWarning, Inc., a leading provider of solutions which expand trust in mission critical applications such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and cloud-based applications, today announced that it has joined forces with Harmony Healthcare IT, a leader in EHR and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) legacy data management. This is the first time a discrete data archiving company has been certified by FairWarning to implement its audit platform for monitoring the long-term security of historical patient and employee record storage.
Healthcare organizations are faced with managing massive amounts of data, and they need to streamline and secure that data throughout its entire lifecycle to meet record retention mandates and compliance regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Together, FairWarning and Harmony Healthcare IT ensure that electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) within Harmony Healthcare IT’s Health Data Archiver (HDA) product is monitored and protected for unusual activity and compliance through FairWarning’s Patient Privacy Monitoring Platform.
“Legacy data represents a considerable amount of ePHI that must be retained sometimes up to 25 years or more. As healthcare providers continue to replace EHR and ERP systems, more and more data is being migrated to a secure and accessible archive solution,” said Jim Hammer, vice president, product and program management at Harmony Healthcare IT. “Our product, Health Data Archiver, already has audit log capabilities built in, but, FairWarning provides an added layer of protection with ongoing monitoring and alerts of potential threats for the lifetime of record management.”
“As insider threats and cybercriminals have advanced their tactics to obtain patient data, healthcare organizations have become proactive in monitoring and securing ePHI, as an integral part of patient care,” said Scott Baker, Director of Alliances at FairWarning. “Hospitals that are already using FairWarning to monitor and protect their full-production EHRs can now also protect their consolidated historical records from other legacy systems for a wholistic and compliant patient data-protection program.”
About FairWarning®
FairWarning® is a leading provider of privacy and information security solutions which expand trust in mission critical applications such as Salesforce, Electronic Health Records and cloud-based applications. Auditing over 300 business applications, FairWarning solutions empower businesses globally to grow their reputation with their customers, increase velocity in their business and comply with complex federal and state privacy laws such as HIPAA, PCI, SOX, FISMA and EU Data Protection Act. FairWarning provides a comprehensive platform and managed services for performing forensic investigations of applications, enforcing access policies, conducting legal investigations, and improving compliance effectiveness. FairWarning catches people stealing your data.
About Harmony Healthcare IT
Since 2006, health IT analysts at Harmony Healthcare IT have extracted demographic, financial, clinical and administrative data for hundreds of healthcare provider organizations - both ambulatory and acute. Headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, the company’s mission is to preserve vital information that will improve lives. Harmony Healthcare IT employs experts in data extraction, migration, archival, retention, integration and analytics to provide its clients with trusted solutions. Working with hundreds of applications, billions of records and petabytes of data; Harmony Healthcare IT with its product, Health Data Archiver, provides clients with access to historical records. Simply. For more information about the company, visit: http://www.harmonyhit.com . For information about Health Data Archiver, visit: http://www.healthdataarchiver.com Reported by PRWeb 22 hours ago.
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Jimmy Kimmel Brings Son Billy Out for Emotional Monologue Endorsing CHIP (Video)
Forget a second-screen experience, viewers of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” need a box of Kleenex to enjoy their favorite late-night show these days. Jimmy Kimmel returned to ABC’s airwaves on Monday night, when he had a sidekick even cuter than Guillermo.“Hi, I’m Jimmy. This is Billy,” Kimmel began last night, holding his young son. “I was out last week — because this guy had heart surgery.”
“But look, he’s fine everybody,” he continued, “he may have pooped but he’s fine.”
*Also Read:* Melissa McCarthy Puts Her Parents on the Spot as 'Kimmel' Guest Host (Video)
“And I want to thank Chris Pratt, Tracee Ellis Ross, Neil Patrick Harris and Melissa McCarthy for filling in for us last week,” Kimmel, who began tearing up at this point, continued. “They each gave a full day of their very busy lives to give me time off and I am very grateful to them for doing that.”
“Daddy cries on TV, but Billy doesn’t — it’s unbelievable,” he quipped.
Kimmel then thanked the doctors and nurses at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, where Billy underwent successful heart surgery after being born with a heart defect. Unfortunately, if Congress doesn’t fully fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) fund — which was never a partisan issue in the past — some families won’t be as lucky as the Kimmels.
*Also Read:* 'Kimmel' Guest Host Neil Patrick Harris Assures Audience: Matt Damon Is 'Garbage' (Video)
Watch Kimmel’s message via the video above, where the “Man Show” alum implores viewers to “jam the House and Senate phones tonight, tomorrow – as long as it takes.”
TheWrap will do our part. Here’s their phone number: (202)-225-3121.
“Tell them to take a break from tax cuts for a minute and fully fund CHIP — now,” Kimmel concluded. “No more two-week extensions.”
*Related stories from TheWrap:*
Melissa McCarthy Goes Gravity Truther, Fights Jennifer Aniston on 'Kimmel' (Video)
'Kimmel' Fill-in Tracee Ellis Ross Is Just 'Another Black, Jewish, Female Host of Late-Night' (Video)
Watch That Full 'Kimmel' Alabama Rally Clip That's Got Roy Moore All Fired Up (Video) Reported by The Wrap 16 hours ago.
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When buying prescription drugs, some pay more with insurance than without it
Having health insurance is supposed to save you money on your prescriptions. But increasingly, consumers are finding that isn't the case.
Reported by Harrison Daily 20 hours ago.
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Jimmy Kimmel Returns To Late Night With His Son Billy For An Emotional Plea To Save Children's Health Care — Watch!
Billy Kimmel is officially one heart surgery away from a clean bill of health! But Jimmy Kimmel's fight to preserve affordable health care is far from over, as many other children are at risk due to Congress letting the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) run out of federal funding. Despite bipartisan support for the program in the [...]
Reported by Perez Hilton 20 hours ago.
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12 governors urge Congress to fund children’s health program
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Twelve governors of both parties are urging Congress to reauthorize funding for a popular children’s health insurance program as soon as possible. The recommendation involving the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, came in a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday. Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sik) and Democratic Colorado Gov. John […]
Reported by Seattle Times 19 hours ago.
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12 governors urge Congress to fund children's health program
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Twelve governors of both parties are urging Congress to reauthorize funding for a popular children's health insurance program as soon as possible. The recommendation involving the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, came in a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday. Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik) and Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper led the letter-writing effort. It was joined by the governors of Alaska, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia. Fresh funding for the $14 billion CHIP program ran out Oct. 1. Since then, some states have relied on unspent funds.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 19 hours ago.
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McAuliffe among 12 governors urging Congress to fund children's health program
Twelve governors of both parties are urging Congress to reauthorize funding for a popular children's health insurance program as soon as possible. The recommendation involving the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, came in a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday. Republican Ohio Gov....
Reported by dailypress.com 18 hours ago.
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Kimmel Attacks ‘Disgusting’ GOP, ABC & CBS Applaud
On Monday, liberal late-night host Jimmy Kimmel once again used his show to launch nasty attacks against Republicans over the issue of health care. While urging Congress to approve funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (C.H.I.P.), the comedian-turned-activist labeled the effort to pass tax reform “disgusting” and accused the GOP of “putting a tax cut that mostly goes to rich people ahead of the lives of children.”
Reported by CNSNews.com 17 hours ago.
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