While it didn’t actually repeal the Affordable Care Act or the individual mandate, the tax bill passed by Congress late last year pulls the teeth out of the measure by eliminating income penalties on those who opt out of health insurance coverage. Insurers are still unsure how that will impact enrollment and rates in the longterm.
Reported by bizjournals 20 hours ago.
Insurers wary of impact from repeal on individual mandate penalty
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Senate Budget Deal Would Give A Boost To Health Programs
An agreement reached Wednesday would add $2 billion to the National Institutes of Health and fund community health centers. Children's Health Insurance Program funding would be extended to 10 years.
Reported by NPR 15 hours ago.
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Senate Budget Deal Would Give A Boost Health Programs
An agreement reached Wednesday would add $2 billion to the National Institutes of Health and fund community health centers. Children's Health Insurance Program funding would be extended to 10 years.
Reported by NPR 15 hours ago.
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Justice confirms teacher insurance terms won’t change soon
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Gov. Jim Justice confirms teachers and other West Virginia public employees will see their health insurance coverage unchanged for the next 17 months with his administration finding another $29 million to support the cost. Speaking Thursday at the Capitol, flanked by House Speaker Tim Armstead and Senate President Mitch Carmichael, Justice […]
Reported by Seattle Times 9 hours ago.
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Bill to reauthorize Medicaid expansion has murky future
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire House has voted to send a bill that would reauthorize the state’s version of Medicaid expansion for further study, giving it an uncertain future. This bill would have reauthorized the New Hampshire Health Protection Program, the state’s program that provides health insurance coverage for over 50,000 low-income adults […]
Reported by Seattle Times 6 hours ago.
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Wellmark to sell Iowa Affordable Care Act insurance in 2019
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to sell health insurance policies compliant with the federal Affordable Care Act in Iowa next year. The company announced Thursday plans to offer polices as long as there aren’t any significant changes to the 2010 law also known as Obamacare. Wellmark, the state’s […]
Reported by Seattle Times 6 hours ago.
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Prescription drugs among budget deal changes to Medicare
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drug companies would bear a bigger share of Medicare's costs under the congressional budget deal, a shift that could help limit future increases in beneficiaries' premiums for prescription coverage. Changes to Medicare's popular "Part D" prescription plan headline a long list of budget-deal tweaks to the government's premier health insurance program, which covers about 60 million seniors and disabled people. Also, the drug coverage gap known as the "doughnut hole" would be eliminated one year earlier than currently scheduled, in 2019 instead of 2020. "On the whole, I think this is a good bill for people with Medicare," said Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, an advocacy group for beneficiaries.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 6 hours ago.
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Obesity Drives US Health Care Costs Up By 29 Percent
The prevalence of obesity has risen dramatically in the U.S., but there has been little information about the economic impact of this trend for individual states.
Recent research by John Cawley, professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University, provides new insights on how individual states are affected by the health care costs of obesity.
“We have, for the first time, estimated the percentage of health care spending that is devoted to obesity, using microdata for each state,” said Cawley, who co-authored “The Impact of Obesity on Medical Costs and Labor Market Outcomes in the U.S.” with Adam Biener of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Chad Meyerhoefer of Lehigh University.
Large differences exist across states, Cawley said. “In 2015, states such as Arizona, California, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania devoted five to six percent of their total medical expenditures to treating obesity-related illness, whereas North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin spent more than twice that – over 12 percent of all health care dollars in those states were used to treat obesity-related illness.”
Overall, the authors found the percent of U.S. national medical expenditures devoted to treating obesity-related illness in adults rose from 6.13 percent in 2001 to 7.91 percent in 2015, an increase of 29 percent.
The publication reports results by payer type, including private health insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. “Once again, we find dramatic differences across states in the fraction of Medicaid spending that is devoted to obesity-related illness,” Cawley said. “For example, over 2001-15, Kentucky and Wisconsin devoted over 20 percent of their Medicaid spending to obesity-related illness. In contrast, in New York, 10.9 percent of Medicaid spending was devoted to obesity-related illness, and the average for the U.S. as a whole was 8.23 percent during that period.”
By analyzing data for 2001-15 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative survey of Americans’ health care utilization and costs, the authors estimated the percent of health care costs that were associated with adult obesity for the most populous states.
Estimates could not be generated for less populous states because of a scarcity of information about their residents in the data. Previous estimates of the health care costs of obesity by state were not based on microdata for each state but on assumptions about how national costs should be apportioned to different states.
These differences across states are driven by a number of factors, such as differences in obesity prevalence, health care access by obese individuals, how obesity is treated and prices of health care, Cawley said. Reported by Eurasia Review 2 hours ago.
Recent research by John Cawley, professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University, provides new insights on how individual states are affected by the health care costs of obesity.
“We have, for the first time, estimated the percentage of health care spending that is devoted to obesity, using microdata for each state,” said Cawley, who co-authored “The Impact of Obesity on Medical Costs and Labor Market Outcomes in the U.S.” with Adam Biener of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Chad Meyerhoefer of Lehigh University.
Large differences exist across states, Cawley said. “In 2015, states such as Arizona, California, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania devoted five to six percent of their total medical expenditures to treating obesity-related illness, whereas North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin spent more than twice that – over 12 percent of all health care dollars in those states were used to treat obesity-related illness.”
Overall, the authors found the percent of U.S. national medical expenditures devoted to treating obesity-related illness in adults rose from 6.13 percent in 2001 to 7.91 percent in 2015, an increase of 29 percent.
The publication reports results by payer type, including private health insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. “Once again, we find dramatic differences across states in the fraction of Medicaid spending that is devoted to obesity-related illness,” Cawley said. “For example, over 2001-15, Kentucky and Wisconsin devoted over 20 percent of their Medicaid spending to obesity-related illness. In contrast, in New York, 10.9 percent of Medicaid spending was devoted to obesity-related illness, and the average for the U.S. as a whole was 8.23 percent during that period.”
By analyzing data for 2001-15 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative survey of Americans’ health care utilization and costs, the authors estimated the percent of health care costs that were associated with adult obesity for the most populous states.
Estimates could not be generated for less populous states because of a scarcity of information about their residents in the data. Previous estimates of the health care costs of obesity by state were not based on microdata for each state but on assumptions about how national costs should be apportioned to different states.
These differences across states are driven by a number of factors, such as differences in obesity prevalence, health care access by obese individuals, how obesity is treated and prices of health care, Cawley said. Reported by Eurasia Review 2 hours ago.
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AP count: Nearly 11.8M enroll for Obama health law in 2018
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 11.8 million Americans have signed up for coverage this year under former President Barack Obama's health care law, about 3 percent less than last year. That's according to a new tally by The Associated Press. Enrollment remained remarkably stable despite President Donald Trump's disdain for "Obamacare." The Republican-led Congress repeatedly tried to repeal the program, while the administration cut the sign-up window in half and took actions that raised premiums. The Affordable Care Act offers subsidized private health insurance to people who don't have coverage on the job, through HealthCare.gov and state-run insurance markets.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 4 days ago.
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CHIP: What to know about the Children's Health Insurance Program
After the federal funds for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired last year, healthcare experts urged lawmakers to act fast.
Reported by FOXNews.com 3 days ago.
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Insurance, teacher pay addressed in West Virginia House
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The West Virginia House of Delegates has voted to seek a delay in expected health insurance coverage increases for public employees, while a House committee passed its own version of pay raises for them. A House resolution passed 97-1 Wednesday will ask the Public Employees Insurance Agency to hold off on […]
Reported by Seattle Times 3 days ago.
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New Health Insurance Enrollment Report Shows Obamacare's Not Dead
Almost as many people enrolled in health insurance for this year as for 2017 -- despite Trump's sabotage campaign.
Reported by Huffington Post 3 days ago.
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United States: Elaborate: New Healthcare Opportunities On The Horizon For Small Employers And The Self-Employed - Phelps Dunbar LLP
President Trump has repeatedly commented that health insurance should be sold "across state lines" and that it should be easier for self-employed individuals and small employers
Reported by Mondaq 3 days ago.
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Ondine Biomedical, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Vicente Fox, Former President of Mexico (2000 - 2006) to Board of Directors
Ondine Biomedical, Inc. is proud to announce the appointment of Vicente Fox, Former President of Mexico, to their board of directors.
VANCOUVER, B.C. (PRWEB) February 08, 2018
Ondine Biomedical Inc. today announced that Vicente Fox, Former President of Mexico (2000 - 2006) has been appointed to Ondine's Board of Directors.
Since leaving the Presidency, Mr. Fox has returned to private life in his home state of Guanajuato, actively supporting three Foundations together with his wife, Marta Maria Sahagún de Fox, including the Vicente Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum ('Centro Fox'). Centro Fox is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and harnessing of compassionate leaders that will help shape a better world. Under the Fox Administration and leadership, the Mexican Government introduced policies to ensure basic healthcare access for all its citizens. Mr. Fox remains active in the development of improved healthcare access for all Mexicans, including the establishment of a hospital treating patients with complex neurological disorders.
"We are truly honoured to welcome Former President Fox to our Board of Directors," said Carolyn Cross, CEO and Chairman, Ondine Biomedical Inc. "From our earliest interactions with the Former President, his deep commitment to improving the lives of people across Mexico and Latin America - and indeed worldwide - has been abundantly evident. He is passionate in his belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and that optimal healthcare means patients should never suffer from healthcare associated infections. Mr. Fox, a well-known Humanitarian, believes that helping mankind is a 'shortcut to happiness', a philosophy that aligns with Ondine corporate mission and culture."
"As President of Mexico, I worked tirelessly to improve living conditions for all Mexicans, including the establishment of health insurance coverage, modernizing hospitals as well as introducing new hospital equipment throughout Mexico," stated Mr. Fox. "While we have made great strides, we are nevertheless in urgent need of scalable solutions to healthcare problems we share with other developed nations, including the problem of hospital-acquired infections and the troubling rise in antibiotic resistance. I look forward to assisting Ondine in deploying their photodisinfection technology across Mexico and Latin America, and ultimately, across the globe".
Former President Fox joins the board with two new board members: The Honourable Jean Charest, Former Premier of Quebec and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, and Mr. Joseph Sowell III, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Nashville, TN-based HCA Healthcare.
About Ondine Biomedical Inc.
Ondine Biomedical Inc. is dedicated to the development of non-antibiotic anti-infective therapies for a broad spectrum of bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Ondine is the global leader in the development of a revolutionary platform technology called Photodisinfection, a patented light activated technology that provides rapid antimicrobial efficacy without encouraging antibiotic resistance. Ondine's lead product is the MRSAid™ nasal decolonization system which is used to decolonize the nose of all pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and fungi. Pre-surgical nasal decolonization has been proven, across numerous clinical studies, to significantly reduce surgical site infections. Several next-generation products in the hospital-associated infection market are currently under development.
Contact Ondine Biomedical Inc.
Angelika Vance
Director Corporate Development
avance(at)ondinebio(dot)com Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.
VANCOUVER, B.C. (PRWEB) February 08, 2018
Ondine Biomedical Inc. today announced that Vicente Fox, Former President of Mexico (2000 - 2006) has been appointed to Ondine's Board of Directors.
Since leaving the Presidency, Mr. Fox has returned to private life in his home state of Guanajuato, actively supporting three Foundations together with his wife, Marta Maria Sahagún de Fox, including the Vicente Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum ('Centro Fox'). Centro Fox is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and harnessing of compassionate leaders that will help shape a better world. Under the Fox Administration and leadership, the Mexican Government introduced policies to ensure basic healthcare access for all its citizens. Mr. Fox remains active in the development of improved healthcare access for all Mexicans, including the establishment of a hospital treating patients with complex neurological disorders.
"We are truly honoured to welcome Former President Fox to our Board of Directors," said Carolyn Cross, CEO and Chairman, Ondine Biomedical Inc. "From our earliest interactions with the Former President, his deep commitment to improving the lives of people across Mexico and Latin America - and indeed worldwide - has been abundantly evident. He is passionate in his belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and that optimal healthcare means patients should never suffer from healthcare associated infections. Mr. Fox, a well-known Humanitarian, believes that helping mankind is a 'shortcut to happiness', a philosophy that aligns with Ondine corporate mission and culture."
"As President of Mexico, I worked tirelessly to improve living conditions for all Mexicans, including the establishment of health insurance coverage, modernizing hospitals as well as introducing new hospital equipment throughout Mexico," stated Mr. Fox. "While we have made great strides, we are nevertheless in urgent need of scalable solutions to healthcare problems we share with other developed nations, including the problem of hospital-acquired infections and the troubling rise in antibiotic resistance. I look forward to assisting Ondine in deploying their photodisinfection technology across Mexico and Latin America, and ultimately, across the globe".
Former President Fox joins the board with two new board members: The Honourable Jean Charest, Former Premier of Quebec and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, and Mr. Joseph Sowell III, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Nashville, TN-based HCA Healthcare.
About Ondine Biomedical Inc.
Ondine Biomedical Inc. is dedicated to the development of non-antibiotic anti-infective therapies for a broad spectrum of bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Ondine is the global leader in the development of a revolutionary platform technology called Photodisinfection, a patented light activated technology that provides rapid antimicrobial efficacy without encouraging antibiotic resistance. Ondine's lead product is the MRSAid™ nasal decolonization system which is used to decolonize the nose of all pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and fungi. Pre-surgical nasal decolonization has been proven, across numerous clinical studies, to significantly reduce surgical site infections. Several next-generation products in the hospital-associated infection market are currently under development.
Contact Ondine Biomedical Inc.
Angelika Vance
Director Corporate Development
avance(at)ondinebio(dot)com Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.
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Insurers wary of impact from repeal on individual mandate penalty
While it didn’t actually repeal the Affordable Care Act or the individual mandate, the tax bill passed by Congress late last year pulls the teeth out of the measure by eliminating income penalties on those who opt out of health insurance coverage. Insurers are still unsure how that will impact enrollment and rates in the longterm.
Reported by bizjournals 3 days ago.
↧
Senate Budget Deal Would Give A Boost To Health Programs
An agreement reached Wednesday would add $2 billion to the National Institutes of Health and fund community health centers. Children's Health Insurance Program funding would be extended to 10 years.
Reported by NPR 3 days ago.
↧
Senate Budget Deal Would Give A Boost Health Programs
An agreement reached Wednesday would add $2 billion to the National Institutes of Health and fund community health centers. Children's Health Insurance Program funding would be extended to 10 years.
Reported by NPR 3 days ago.
↧
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Justice confirms teacher insurance terms won’t change soon
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Gov. Jim Justice confirms teachers and other West Virginia public employees will see their health insurance coverage unchanged for the next 17 months with his administration finding another $29 million to support the cost. Speaking Thursday at the Capitol, flanked by House Speaker Tim Armstead and Senate President Mitch Carmichael, Justice […]
Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.
↧
Bill to reauthorize Medicaid expansion has murky future
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire House has voted to send a bill that would reauthorize the state’s version of Medicaid expansion for further study, giving it an uncertain future. This bill would have reauthorized the New Hampshire Health Protection Program, the state’s program that provides health insurance coverage for over 50,000 low-income adults […]
Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.
↧
Wellmark to sell Iowa Affordable Care Act insurance in 2019
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to sell health insurance policies compliant with the federal Affordable Care Act in Iowa next year. The company announced Thursday plans to offer polices as long as there aren’t any significant changes to the 2010 law also known as Obamacare. Wellmark, the state’s […]
Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.
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