With the rise in healthcare costs, it has become difficult to afford timely and adequate healthcare services without a good health insurance policy.
Reported by Zee News 58 minutes ago.
How to save money on life and non-life insurance premiums?
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People with pre-existing conditions could face tough times ahead
The Trump administration is taking steps to lower premiums, increase choice and foster competition in the health insurance market. But many of those steps are coming at the expense of those with pre-existing conditions.
Reported by CNNMoney 5 days ago.
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Pacific Northwest companies land among nation's top 10 for pay and benefits
Money isn't everything, but for most employees, the numbers after the dollar sign on the front of their paychecks do matter quite a bit. Employee benefits also play a big role in defining what a great place to work is. With that in mind, job listing site Indeed tapped its database of 18 million employee reviews to find the top 15 U.S. employers, as ranked by compensation and benefits. The site took into account the most common benefits — health insurance, parental leave, stock options and company…
Reported by bizjournals 5 days ago.
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Staffers say these companies offer best pay and benefits
Money isn't everything, but for most employees, the numbers after the dollar sign on the front of their paychecks do matter quite a bit. Employee benefits also play a big role in defining a great place to work. With that in mind, job listing site Indeed tapped its database of 18 million employee reviews to find the top 15 U.S. employers, as ranked by compensation and benefits. See the top 10 in the attached gallery. The site took into account the most common benefits — health insurance, parental…
Reported by bizjournals 5 days ago.
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TERACO Announces HIPAA and HITECH Compliance, Becoming One of a Select Few HIPAA Compliant Card Manufacturers in the Insurance Card Industry
Attaining HIPAA Compliance marks an important milestone in Teraco’s evolution as an industry leader in providing a secure-access-control manufacturing, personalization and fulfillment environment for all of our customers.
MIDLAND, Texas (PRWEB) March 01, 2018
Teraco, http://www.teraco.com, announced today the results of an extensive audit conducted to qualify its production facility to work in the Healthcare Sector. Third Party Experts in the Secured Payment and Insurance Card Industry determined Teraco to be well positioned to securely receive and process sensitive data, including Personal Health Information “PHI” and Personally Identifiable Information “PII,” and process product requiring confidentiality and physical protections as determined by HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules and HITECH Meaningful Use Requirements. Implemented across a 120-Day test period, a comprehensive Physical and Logical security controls risk assessment was utilized to codify Teraco’s compliance status.
Teraco Chairman & CEO, Harrison A. Bubrosky congratulated the Team, “Guy Meeker, President & CEO, led a highly successful project by establishing and documenting a program of continuous physical and logical security controls in order to attain HIPAA Compliance. The Team demonstrated a very strong and cohesive work ethic during the entirety of a demanding and complicated process.” Meeker commented, “This marks an important milestone in Teraco’s evolution as an industry leader in providing a secure-access-control manufacturing, personalization and fulfillment environment for all of our Customers.” Bubrosky explained “As a result of the sharp increase and extent of data breaches across Corporate America, Teraco made a conscious decision to establish a 360 Degree Security Platform for our Closed-Loop Card Market Customer.”
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) of 1996 was signed into law on August 21, 1996. Title II of HIPAA establishes policies and procedures for maintaining the privacy and the security of individually identifiable health information.
About Teraco: Teraco partners best in class manufacturing and personalization capabilities with custom software and platform services to deliver Brand-Building-Plastic-Card-Solutions to the Gift, Loyalty, Healthcare, and Hospitality markets. Our customers include Fortune 500 Company’s, Payment Processors, and Small Businesses, all of whom rely on Teraco’s commitment to Best Practices in consistently delivering the highest quality product, service and data security standards.
Company Contacts:
Guy Meeker
President & COO
432-681-6605
guy.meeker(at)teraco(dot)com
Teraco Manufacturing Facility
2080 Commerce Drive
Midland, TX 79703
800-687-3999
http://www.teraco.com Reported by PRWeb 5 days ago.
MIDLAND, Texas (PRWEB) March 01, 2018
Teraco, http://www.teraco.com, announced today the results of an extensive audit conducted to qualify its production facility to work in the Healthcare Sector. Third Party Experts in the Secured Payment and Insurance Card Industry determined Teraco to be well positioned to securely receive and process sensitive data, including Personal Health Information “PHI” and Personally Identifiable Information “PII,” and process product requiring confidentiality and physical protections as determined by HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules and HITECH Meaningful Use Requirements. Implemented across a 120-Day test period, a comprehensive Physical and Logical security controls risk assessment was utilized to codify Teraco’s compliance status.
Teraco Chairman & CEO, Harrison A. Bubrosky congratulated the Team, “Guy Meeker, President & CEO, led a highly successful project by establishing and documenting a program of continuous physical and logical security controls in order to attain HIPAA Compliance. The Team demonstrated a very strong and cohesive work ethic during the entirety of a demanding and complicated process.” Meeker commented, “This marks an important milestone in Teraco’s evolution as an industry leader in providing a secure-access-control manufacturing, personalization and fulfillment environment for all of our Customers.” Bubrosky explained “As a result of the sharp increase and extent of data breaches across Corporate America, Teraco made a conscious decision to establish a 360 Degree Security Platform for our Closed-Loop Card Market Customer.”
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) of 1996 was signed into law on August 21, 1996. Title II of HIPAA establishes policies and procedures for maintaining the privacy and the security of individually identifiable health information.
About Teraco: Teraco partners best in class manufacturing and personalization capabilities with custom software and platform services to deliver Brand-Building-Plastic-Card-Solutions to the Gift, Loyalty, Healthcare, and Hospitality markets. Our customers include Fortune 500 Company’s, Payment Processors, and Small Businesses, all of whom rely on Teraco’s commitment to Best Practices in consistently delivering the highest quality product, service and data security standards.
Company Contacts:
Guy Meeker
President & COO
432-681-6605
guy.meeker(at)teraco(dot)com
Teraco Manufacturing Facility
2080 Commerce Drive
Midland, TX 79703
800-687-3999
http://www.teraco.com Reported by PRWeb 5 days ago.
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BLJ: Nurse paralegals read between the lines
Mary Versterling has been a nurse for eight years, starting at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and later in the health insurance field. “I spent that time really developing hands-on nursing skills,” she said. “I’ve always been fortunate enough to be an advocate for patients and their families.” Last year, while considering a change in her career, she found out about an opening at Hurwitz & Fine P.C. for a nurse paralegal. “I was excited to take on a role like this because…
Reported by bizjournals 23 hours ago.
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These 10 companies have the best pay and benefits, according to Indeed
Money isn't everything, but for most employees, the numbers after the dollar sign on the front of their paychecks do matter quite a bit. Employee benefits also play a big role in defining what a great place to work is. With that in mind, job listing site Indeed tapped its database of 18 million employee reviews to find the top 15 U.S. employers, as ranked by compensation and benefits. The site took into account the most common benefits — health insurance, parental leave, stock options and company…
Reported by bizjournals 23 hours ago.
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NY to Host Largest Worldwide Gathering of Policy Makers and Opioid Addiction Treatment Experts to Present Updated Information in Response to Opioid Use Epidemic in the US
-- Over 1,800 National and International Leaders in Opioid Treatment to Convene for Five-Day Conference -- -- Former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Elinore F. McCance-Katz to Speak – -- Governor Chris Christie to Receive “Friend of the Field” Award --
New York, New York (PRWEB) March 05, 2018
(New York, New York – March 5, 2018) -- The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) is convening its major Conference in New York City at the Marriot Marquis Hotel, from March 10th through March 14th, 2018. This conference features over 200 municipal, state, national and international presentations, focusing on cutting-edge policy and new clinical findings with regard to the treatment of opioid use disorders. More than 1,800 treatment providers and opioid addiction policy officials from every state in the country will focus on solutions for dealing with the raging public health epidemic of opioid addiction in the United States.
Over 100 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose, and there has been a 286% increase in heroin-related deaths since 2002. This epidemic had its root in the increased prescribing of pain medications in medical practice settings and has morphed into a full-scale heroin and fentanyl epidemic.
The hosts of the 2018 AATOD meeting, "Advancing & Integrating Specialized Addiction Treatment & Recovery,” are the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates of New York State (COMPA). The meeting will have an opening from OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez and will conclude with presentations from Dr. Elinore McCance–Katz (Assistant Secretary for Health and Substance Use – DHHS) and former Congressman Patrick Kennedy. The Conference will also recognize former Governor Chris Christie’s leadership in expanding access to opioid use disorder treatment in the state of New Jersey and his contributions to the Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
“Our nation is facing a terrible and deadly public health challenge,” said Mark Parrino, M.P.A., President of AATOD. “We need to increase access to well-coordinated and high-quality treatment services for people suffering from an opioid use disorder. The challenge is to provide coordinated care as patients are saved from overdoses and connected to emergency medical care and comprehensive treatment services. Our country will need to devote significant financial resources to achieve this in addition to promoting an effective public education campaign about opioid use disorder and its treatment.”
AATOD 2018 is one of the most respected and content rich Conferences in the United States. This conference comes at a unique time for the U.S. and New York in particular, which has the largest patient population in an opioid treatment program setting in the nation. On any given day, New York State provides opioid addiction treatment services to more than 41,000 people. During the proceedings, the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, of which AATOD is a member, will also convene a major meeting on Sunday, March 11th, 2018.
“When it comes to addressing our nation’s opioid epidemic, improving access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a logical step in moving from words to action," said Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative (D-RI) and member of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. "I am honored to be part of largest gathering of the opioid treatment community and look forward to connecting with MAT providers, policymakers, peers, and advocates as we strive to achieve true health care reform, integrated systems of delivery, and a solid, evidence-based response to the greatest public health crisis of our time.”
“The opioid epidemic is devastating our country, and under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is leading the way in combatting this terrible scourge,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “We look forward to sharing New York State’s efforts to expand our continuum of care and launch innovative programs, such as our 24/7 Open Access Centers and mobile health services. The conference also offers us an invaluable opportunity to hear from experts in the field and discuss new ways to strengthen our fight against the opioid epidemic.”
Featured speakers will include:· Monday, March 12 -- Arlene González-Sánchez, Commissioner, OASAS; Mark W. Parrino, MPA, President, AATOD; Icro Maremmani, MD, President, World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence; The Honorable Chris Christie, former Governor of New Jersey and Chairman of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis (evening awards ceremony). Moderated by Allegra Schorr, President, COMPA.
· Tuesday, March 13 --Jason A. Helgerson, MPP, Deputy Commissioner/New York State Medicaid Director, New York State Department of Health Office of Health Insurance Programs; Kathleen Maurer, MD, Director of Health and Addiction Services & Medical Director Connecticut Department of Corrections; Mark Friedlander, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Behavioral Health, Blue Bell, PA. Moderated by Robert A. Kent, Esq., General Counsel, OASAS.
· Wednesday, March 14 -- Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative (D-RI), founder of The Kennedy Forum, member of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, co-founder of One Mind, and author of “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction;” The Honorable Elinore McCance-Katz, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health and Substance Use, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Moderated by Allegra Schorr/COMPA.
An advance copy of the full conference program, which will be made available to attendees onsite, can be found here: http://www.aatod.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-Conference-Program.pdf.
Conference hashtag: #aatod2018
About AATOD
The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) was founded in 1984 to enhance the quality of patient care in treatment programs by promoting the growth and development of comprehensive opioid treatment services throughout the United States. AATOD represents more than 1,100 Opioid Treatment Programs in the United States. AATOD has thirty state chapters and is also a founding partner in the development of the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, which represents another 600 treatment programs throughout Europe. The World Federation has special consultative status with the United Nations. Accordingly, AATOD actively works with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other agencies in order to provide access opioid addiction treatment wherever it is needed in the world. For more information visit http://www.aatod.org. Find AATOD on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @aatod1984. Reported by PRWeb 22 hours ago.
New York, New York (PRWEB) March 05, 2018
(New York, New York – March 5, 2018) -- The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) is convening its major Conference in New York City at the Marriot Marquis Hotel, from March 10th through March 14th, 2018. This conference features over 200 municipal, state, national and international presentations, focusing on cutting-edge policy and new clinical findings with regard to the treatment of opioid use disorders. More than 1,800 treatment providers and opioid addiction policy officials from every state in the country will focus on solutions for dealing with the raging public health epidemic of opioid addiction in the United States.
Over 100 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose, and there has been a 286% increase in heroin-related deaths since 2002. This epidemic had its root in the increased prescribing of pain medications in medical practice settings and has morphed into a full-scale heroin and fentanyl epidemic.
The hosts of the 2018 AATOD meeting, "Advancing & Integrating Specialized Addiction Treatment & Recovery,” are the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates of New York State (COMPA). The meeting will have an opening from OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez and will conclude with presentations from Dr. Elinore McCance–Katz (Assistant Secretary for Health and Substance Use – DHHS) and former Congressman Patrick Kennedy. The Conference will also recognize former Governor Chris Christie’s leadership in expanding access to opioid use disorder treatment in the state of New Jersey and his contributions to the Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
“Our nation is facing a terrible and deadly public health challenge,” said Mark Parrino, M.P.A., President of AATOD. “We need to increase access to well-coordinated and high-quality treatment services for people suffering from an opioid use disorder. The challenge is to provide coordinated care as patients are saved from overdoses and connected to emergency medical care and comprehensive treatment services. Our country will need to devote significant financial resources to achieve this in addition to promoting an effective public education campaign about opioid use disorder and its treatment.”
AATOD 2018 is one of the most respected and content rich Conferences in the United States. This conference comes at a unique time for the U.S. and New York in particular, which has the largest patient population in an opioid treatment program setting in the nation. On any given day, New York State provides opioid addiction treatment services to more than 41,000 people. During the proceedings, the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, of which AATOD is a member, will also convene a major meeting on Sunday, March 11th, 2018.
“When it comes to addressing our nation’s opioid epidemic, improving access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a logical step in moving from words to action," said Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative (D-RI) and member of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. "I am honored to be part of largest gathering of the opioid treatment community and look forward to connecting with MAT providers, policymakers, peers, and advocates as we strive to achieve true health care reform, integrated systems of delivery, and a solid, evidence-based response to the greatest public health crisis of our time.”
“The opioid epidemic is devastating our country, and under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is leading the way in combatting this terrible scourge,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “We look forward to sharing New York State’s efforts to expand our continuum of care and launch innovative programs, such as our 24/7 Open Access Centers and mobile health services. The conference also offers us an invaluable opportunity to hear from experts in the field and discuss new ways to strengthen our fight against the opioid epidemic.”
Featured speakers will include:· Monday, March 12 -- Arlene González-Sánchez, Commissioner, OASAS; Mark W. Parrino, MPA, President, AATOD; Icro Maremmani, MD, President, World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence; The Honorable Chris Christie, former Governor of New Jersey and Chairman of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis (evening awards ceremony). Moderated by Allegra Schorr, President, COMPA.
· Tuesday, March 13 --Jason A. Helgerson, MPP, Deputy Commissioner/New York State Medicaid Director, New York State Department of Health Office of Health Insurance Programs; Kathleen Maurer, MD, Director of Health and Addiction Services & Medical Director Connecticut Department of Corrections; Mark Friedlander, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Behavioral Health, Blue Bell, PA. Moderated by Robert A. Kent, Esq., General Counsel, OASAS.
· Wednesday, March 14 -- Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative (D-RI), founder of The Kennedy Forum, member of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, co-founder of One Mind, and author of “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction;” The Honorable Elinore McCance-Katz, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health and Substance Use, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Moderated by Allegra Schorr/COMPA.
An advance copy of the full conference program, which will be made available to attendees onsite, can be found here: http://www.aatod.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-Conference-Program.pdf.
Conference hashtag: #aatod2018
About AATOD
The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) was founded in 1984 to enhance the quality of patient care in treatment programs by promoting the growth and development of comprehensive opioid treatment services throughout the United States. AATOD represents more than 1,100 Opioid Treatment Programs in the United States. AATOD has thirty state chapters and is also a founding partner in the development of the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, which represents another 600 treatment programs throughout Europe. The World Federation has special consultative status with the United Nations. Accordingly, AATOD actively works with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other agencies in order to provide access opioid addiction treatment wherever it is needed in the world. For more information visit http://www.aatod.org. Find AATOD on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @aatod1984. Reported by PRWeb 22 hours ago.
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Arkansas becomes third U.S. state to add Medicaid work requirements
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arkansas on Monday became the third U.S. state to require that Medicaid recipients work or participate in employment activities as a condition of receiving health insurance as the Trump administration continues to approve state requests that fundamentally change the 50-year-old program.
Reported by Reuters 17 hours ago.
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These health insurance companies just won $50M in contracts
Seven health insurance companies have been awarded a total of $50 million in contracts to serve 1.5 million Medicaid members in Arizona. It's been a stressful time for health plan executives over the past couple of months, as they submitted bids for new contracts to integrate physical and behavioral health care services. While all seven companies that bid received at least one geographical service area of the state, the only insurer that lost a statewide contract was UnitedHealthcare. UHC had…
Reported by bizjournals 10 hours ago.
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Industry Pros on Why You Should Follow Your Passion: ‘You Can Always Restart’ (Video)
In 2007, actress Andrene Ward-Hammond was working in sales when she learned she had a tumor. She couldn’t get health insurance, reassessed her career and turned to improv comedy as a way of supporting herself. Ward-Hammond decided that if she underwent a surgery that could kill her, would she feel she was living her best life?“You’ve only got one life, and if you let someone dictate how you’re going to live your life, you’re going to be completely miserable,” Ward-Hammond told TheWrap’s Sharon Waxman on March 1 during a panel discussion at the Savannah College of Art and Design. “Wake up tomorrow morning, no matter what it is. Shoot, you can always restart. The next minute you have is a restart for yourself.”
Ward-Hammond — whose credits include “Atlanta,” “Star” and the Oscar-nominated film “Loving” — agreed with her fellow panelists at TheWrap’s Breaking Into the Business Live series that passion is crucial whether you’re pursuing a career in entertainment or anything else.
*Also Read:* Industry Pros Tell Students: 'Do the Jobs You Don't Necessarily Want to Do' (Video)
“When you get to that red carpet, it’s amazing, but it’s not what you think it is,” Ward-Hammond said. “There will be lonely moments sometime. So make sure that what you’re doing really is for the passion, because you’ll have seven, eight-month lulls where you question everything. Is this really it?”
Steve Mensch, president and general manager of studio operations for Tyler Perry Studios, said he had a similar revelation in his life that convinced him he needed to follow his own path. His father worked in a job where he was counting the days until his retirement, and he passed away just weeks before he could. Mensch didn’t want to feel the same.
“I never want to get up and dread work,” Mensch said. “The message is, you need to love what you do, especially in this business. If you don’t, there are so many people who want the job that you want. It can’t feel like work. You can’t be looking at your watch and going, ‘God, when do we wrap?'”
*Also Read:* Nail Your 20s, Crush Your 30s: Industry Pros Share How to Break Into the Business (Video)
Ward-Hammond has instilled the same mentality in her daughter Tyla Harris, a 17-year-old actress who so far has appeared in the series “Six” and “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World.” Harris was born into the acting world, but she still had to fight for her place in it.
“I do understand that I have to show this is my passion,” Harris said. “Because even if you get grandfathered, you still have to put in the work to get past that, because no one is going to go off a cute face.”
Ward-Hammond said though that part of pursuing your goals means overcoming your fears and insecurities. As a minority in the entertainment industry, she had doubts about her hair, her body, how she looked on camera and her image in general.
*Also Read:* Pay Attention Or Fall Behind: Industry Pros Share How to Get Ahead in Entertainment (Video)
“I discovered that I’m OK with where I am and how I feel about myself when I look in the mirror, because there’s only one of me,” Ward-Hammond said. “Everybody in here has a special gift, a special talent that I don’t think that we all take advantage of, because we’re told it’s not the best route, that it’s not the smartest thing to do.”
Wherever you are in your career, you can reset and find the thing that’s right for you, even if that job is, as Ward-Hammond pointed out, a “professional cuddler” that can make $80,000 a year.
“Whether or not it made me money or not, I wanted to make sure that the quality of work I put out was solid so that it came back to me,” Ward-Hammond said. “Every time you feel like you’ve made a mistake, you always have an opportunity to do something else. Every second is an opportunity to redo. Start again, and start doing it in the direction that makes you most happy.”
Watch a clip from TheWrap’s Breaking Into the Business Live event above.
*Related stories from TheWrap:*
Female Oscar Nominees Talk Breaking Into the Industry At TheWrap's Women, Whisky and Wisdom Event (Video)
Industry Pros Tell Students: 'Do the Jobs You Don't Necessarily Want to Do' (Video)
Pay Attention Or Fall Behind: Industry Pros Share How to Get Ahead in Entertainment (Video)
Nail Your 20s, Crush Your 30s: Industry Pros Share How to Break Into the Business (Video) Reported by The Wrap 20 hours ago.
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Top Universities Join Forces to Launch First U.S. Based HIFU Patient Registry for Prostate Treatment
Medical Schools Contribute Outcome Data from HIFU Focal Therapy to Registry, funded by EDAP TMS. Places Information at the Fingertips of Doctors across the U.S.
AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
With the goal of collecting high quality clinical data on hundreds of patients, a consortium of renowned medical institutions are introducing the FoR-UsA Registry, also known as the Focal Robotic Ultrasound Ablation Registry. The new database will track baseline and follow-up information on patients undergoing partial-gland ablation of the prostate using the Ablatherm® Robotic High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) device, manufactured by EDAP TMS.
Participating organizations include the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Weil Cornell-Houston Methodist Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Duke University and the University of Southern California.
The FoR-UsA Registry is the first in the US that specifically collects data on patients who have had HIFU focal therapy for prostate tissue ablation, giving urologists around the US greater access to short and long term HIFU outcomes. The registry also holds the potential for the FDA, which cleared HIFU for prostate tissue ablation in 2015, to re-evaluate the technology in the future for a prostate cancer indication. Likewise, health insurance reimbursements on a wider scale are also possible with a registry documenting HIFU data from North American patients.
“Our goal is to have one comprehensive focal therapy HIFU registry in the US that will enable us to better define the role of HIFU in the spectrum of treatment modalities for patients with prostate conditions,” said Dipen Parekh, M.D., chairman and professor of the Department of Urology at the University of Miami, who is the principal investigator for the FoR-UsA Registry.
Documenting Long Term Outcomes
Led by the University of Miami, patient data will be published in the registry by 2020 and again in five year intervals, at the five, 10 and 15 year marks to document long term patient outcomes. That data may also support future clinical evaluations for HIFU as a first-line prostate cancer treatment.
The FoR-UsA Registry will record data including patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and, most importantly, collect valuable data on cancer control and functional outcomes for patients undergoing HIFU. Data on side effects and complication rates will also be collected. The registry puts answers about HIFU at participating researchers’ disposal and will provide greater insight about how HIFU is best used to benefit patients.
As part of an Internal Review Board (IRB) approved protocol, all patients in the registry will undergo a follow up biopsy within six to 12 months from the time of the HIFU ablation to assess cancer control. Standard questionnaires they complete regarding urinary and sexual function will also be tracked, since international studies have shown that patients undergoing HIFU procedures report lower rates of incontinence and impotence compared to other treatments. Already in Europe and around the world, EDAP’s HIFU technology has been used to treat more than 50,000 patients.
Urologists from the participating institutions that join the registry must have their protocols approved by their IRB or Independent Ethics Committee. Once the legal and administrative approvals are complete they will be able to enter information on their own patients and assess their individual focal therapy results in comparison with a larger cohort of patients around the US.
EDAP TMS, manufacturer and distributor of the Ablatherm® Robotic HIFU device, is providing financial support for the FoR-UsA Registry. The company established the @-Registry in Europe 10 years ago, which currently includes data on more than 10,000 HIFU patients.
The FoR-UsA Registry is based on REDCap technology, software for designing clinical and translational research databases originally created by Vanderbilt University and funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
About EDAP TMS
A recognized leader in the global therapeutic ultrasound market for almost 40 years, EDAP TMS develops, manufactures, promotes and distributes worldwide minimally-invasive medical devices for urology using ultrasound technology. By combining the latest technologies in imaging and treatment modalities in its complete range of Robotic HIFU devices, EDAP TMS introduced the Focal One® (currently pending FDA clearance) in 2013 as the answer to all requirements for ideal prostate tissue ablation as a complement to the existing FDA cleared Ablatherm® Robotic HIFU and Ablatherm® Fusion. As a pioneer and key player in the field of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), EDAP TMS exclusively utilizes the latest generation of shock wave source in its Sonolith® range of ESWL systems. For more information on the Company, please visit http://www.edap-tms.com, and us.hifu-prostate.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including matters not yet known to us or not currently considered material by us, and there can be no assurance that anticipated events will occur or that the objectives set out will actually be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the clinical status and market acceptance of our HIFU devices and the continued market potential for our lithotripsy device. Factors that may cause such a difference also may include, but are not limited to, those described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in particular, in the sections "Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
With the goal of collecting high quality clinical data on hundreds of patients, a consortium of renowned medical institutions are introducing the FoR-UsA Registry, also known as the Focal Robotic Ultrasound Ablation Registry. The new database will track baseline and follow-up information on patients undergoing partial-gland ablation of the prostate using the Ablatherm® Robotic High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) device, manufactured by EDAP TMS.
Participating organizations include the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Weil Cornell-Houston Methodist Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Duke University and the University of Southern California.
The FoR-UsA Registry is the first in the US that specifically collects data on patients who have had HIFU focal therapy for prostate tissue ablation, giving urologists around the US greater access to short and long term HIFU outcomes. The registry also holds the potential for the FDA, which cleared HIFU for prostate tissue ablation in 2015, to re-evaluate the technology in the future for a prostate cancer indication. Likewise, health insurance reimbursements on a wider scale are also possible with a registry documenting HIFU data from North American patients.
“Our goal is to have one comprehensive focal therapy HIFU registry in the US that will enable us to better define the role of HIFU in the spectrum of treatment modalities for patients with prostate conditions,” said Dipen Parekh, M.D., chairman and professor of the Department of Urology at the University of Miami, who is the principal investigator for the FoR-UsA Registry.
Documenting Long Term Outcomes
Led by the University of Miami, patient data will be published in the registry by 2020 and again in five year intervals, at the five, 10 and 15 year marks to document long term patient outcomes. That data may also support future clinical evaluations for HIFU as a first-line prostate cancer treatment.
The FoR-UsA Registry will record data including patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and, most importantly, collect valuable data on cancer control and functional outcomes for patients undergoing HIFU. Data on side effects and complication rates will also be collected. The registry puts answers about HIFU at participating researchers’ disposal and will provide greater insight about how HIFU is best used to benefit patients.
As part of an Internal Review Board (IRB) approved protocol, all patients in the registry will undergo a follow up biopsy within six to 12 months from the time of the HIFU ablation to assess cancer control. Standard questionnaires they complete regarding urinary and sexual function will also be tracked, since international studies have shown that patients undergoing HIFU procedures report lower rates of incontinence and impotence compared to other treatments. Already in Europe and around the world, EDAP’s HIFU technology has been used to treat more than 50,000 patients.
Urologists from the participating institutions that join the registry must have their protocols approved by their IRB or Independent Ethics Committee. Once the legal and administrative approvals are complete they will be able to enter information on their own patients and assess their individual focal therapy results in comparison with a larger cohort of patients around the US.
EDAP TMS, manufacturer and distributor of the Ablatherm® Robotic HIFU device, is providing financial support for the FoR-UsA Registry. The company established the @-Registry in Europe 10 years ago, which currently includes data on more than 10,000 HIFU patients.
The FoR-UsA Registry is based on REDCap technology, software for designing clinical and translational research databases originally created by Vanderbilt University and funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
About EDAP TMS
A recognized leader in the global therapeutic ultrasound market for almost 40 years, EDAP TMS develops, manufactures, promotes and distributes worldwide minimally-invasive medical devices for urology using ultrasound technology. By combining the latest technologies in imaging and treatment modalities in its complete range of Robotic HIFU devices, EDAP TMS introduced the Focal One® (currently pending FDA clearance) in 2013 as the answer to all requirements for ideal prostate tissue ablation as a complement to the existing FDA cleared Ablatherm® Robotic HIFU and Ablatherm® Fusion. As a pioneer and key player in the field of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), EDAP TMS exclusively utilizes the latest generation of shock wave source in its Sonolith® range of ESWL systems. For more information on the Company, please visit http://www.edap-tms.com, and us.hifu-prostate.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including matters not yet known to us or not currently considered material by us, and there can be no assurance that anticipated events will occur or that the objectives set out will actually be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the clinical status and market acceptance of our HIFU devices and the continued market potential for our lithotripsy device. Factors that may cause such a difference also may include, but are not limited to, those described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in particular, in the sections "Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
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Altruista Health Launches Application with TennCare to Manage Medication for Medicaid Members
Tool Designed to Address Costs and Outcomes for Medicaid Beneficiaries
RESTON, Va. (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
Altruista Health, Inc., an innovative provider of medical management and population health technology solutions for health plans and provider organizations today introduced a first-of-its-kind Medication Therapy Management (MTM) application for Medicaid members. Altruista has rolled out the application with TennCare, the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program serving 1.4 million members, to cut the risk of drug-drug interactions, improve patient compliance and reduce barriers to care.
TennCare already uses Altruista’s GuidingCare® population health platform to coordinate care with providers who are participating in the state’s patient-centered medical homes and Health Link programs. The new MTM module brings pharmacists into the care team, where they play a critical role in monitoring prescriptions and over-the-counter products for potential interactions, determining patient compliance by frequency of refills and identifying barriers to care that inhibit compliance, such as cost, language and transportation.
“The concept of an interdisciplinary care team has been around for a long time. The pharmacist is an integral part of this team but has often been working in disparate systems and has been unable to truly connect with the rest of the team,” said Altruista Chief Medical Officer Munish Khaneja, MD. “With the addition of the Medicaid MTM module in Tennessee’s care coordination tool, the pharmacist can truly perform a much-needed assessment of the medications – both drug interactions and barriers – while connecting deeply with the other care team members.”
Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities often have complex and chronic health needs that require long-term medication therapies. They are often older (45+) and require more prescriptions as they age. The MTM application will allow pharmacists to better manage this smaller percentage of a population that often accounts for most of the costs. The application also allows pharmacists to track the use of multiple pharmacies and providers, dosages, off-label use of drugs, and medication use by beneficiaries identified to be at risk. Careful prescribing and patient compliance can often prevent poor outcomes and more costly hospitalizations or higher levels of care.
“Pharmacists play an integral role in our member’s health journey,” said Dr. Victor Wu, TennCare’s Chief Medical Officer. “Engaging our members on how to use their medications and manage their diseases is essential to empowering them to take control of their own health. Integrating pharmacists with primary care and mental health providers in a collaborative care team approach can be highly impactful.”
After piloting the Medicaid MTM application with TennCare, the module is now available to other payers and providers as part of the GuidingCare platform that enables health plans to manage their populations while reducing avoidable expenses and improving health outcomes. More than 38 million members are managed on the platform by health plans and provider organizations in over 35 states.
Dr. Khaneja and Renee Williams, Pharm D, the Director Clinical Pharmacy Services with TennCare, will be discussing the Medicaid MTM program and new application at HIMSS on Tuesday, March 6 at 2 p.m. in the Population Health Solutions Lab Pavilion in the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. For more information visit the HIMSS website here.
About Altruista Health
Altruista Health delivers population health management solutions that support value-based and person-centered care models. Our GuidingCare® technology platform integrates care management, care coordination and quality improvement programs through a suite of sophisticated yet easy-to-use web applications. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, Altruista Health has grown into a recognized industry leader, culminating in a spot on the Deloitte’s 2015 Technology Fast 500. Health plans and healthcare providers in more than 35 states use GuidingCare to transform their processes, reduce avoidable expenses and improve patient health outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.altruistahealth.com.
About TennCare
TennCare is the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program which provides health insurance to approximately 1.4 million low-income Tennesseans including pregnant women, children, caretaker relatives of dependent children and older adults, and adults with physical disabilities. With a satisfaction rating above 90 percent since 2009, TennCare provides health insurance through the use of managed care. For more information, visit http://www.tn.gov/tenncare. Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.
RESTON, Va. (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
Altruista Health, Inc., an innovative provider of medical management and population health technology solutions for health plans and provider organizations today introduced a first-of-its-kind Medication Therapy Management (MTM) application for Medicaid members. Altruista has rolled out the application with TennCare, the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program serving 1.4 million members, to cut the risk of drug-drug interactions, improve patient compliance and reduce barriers to care.
TennCare already uses Altruista’s GuidingCare® population health platform to coordinate care with providers who are participating in the state’s patient-centered medical homes and Health Link programs. The new MTM module brings pharmacists into the care team, where they play a critical role in monitoring prescriptions and over-the-counter products for potential interactions, determining patient compliance by frequency of refills and identifying barriers to care that inhibit compliance, such as cost, language and transportation.
“The concept of an interdisciplinary care team has been around for a long time. The pharmacist is an integral part of this team but has often been working in disparate systems and has been unable to truly connect with the rest of the team,” said Altruista Chief Medical Officer Munish Khaneja, MD. “With the addition of the Medicaid MTM module in Tennessee’s care coordination tool, the pharmacist can truly perform a much-needed assessment of the medications – both drug interactions and barriers – while connecting deeply with the other care team members.”
Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities often have complex and chronic health needs that require long-term medication therapies. They are often older (45+) and require more prescriptions as they age. The MTM application will allow pharmacists to better manage this smaller percentage of a population that often accounts for most of the costs. The application also allows pharmacists to track the use of multiple pharmacies and providers, dosages, off-label use of drugs, and medication use by beneficiaries identified to be at risk. Careful prescribing and patient compliance can often prevent poor outcomes and more costly hospitalizations or higher levels of care.
“Pharmacists play an integral role in our member’s health journey,” said Dr. Victor Wu, TennCare’s Chief Medical Officer. “Engaging our members on how to use their medications and manage their diseases is essential to empowering them to take control of their own health. Integrating pharmacists with primary care and mental health providers in a collaborative care team approach can be highly impactful.”
After piloting the Medicaid MTM application with TennCare, the module is now available to other payers and providers as part of the GuidingCare platform that enables health plans to manage their populations while reducing avoidable expenses and improving health outcomes. More than 38 million members are managed on the platform by health plans and provider organizations in over 35 states.
Dr. Khaneja and Renee Williams, Pharm D, the Director Clinical Pharmacy Services with TennCare, will be discussing the Medicaid MTM program and new application at HIMSS on Tuesday, March 6 at 2 p.m. in the Population Health Solutions Lab Pavilion in the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. For more information visit the HIMSS website here.
About Altruista Health
Altruista Health delivers population health management solutions that support value-based and person-centered care models. Our GuidingCare® technology platform integrates care management, care coordination and quality improvement programs through a suite of sophisticated yet easy-to-use web applications. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, Altruista Health has grown into a recognized industry leader, culminating in a spot on the Deloitte’s 2015 Technology Fast 500. Health plans and healthcare providers in more than 35 states use GuidingCare to transform their processes, reduce avoidable expenses and improve patient health outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.altruistahealth.com.
About TennCare
TennCare is the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program which provides health insurance to approximately 1.4 million low-income Tennesseans including pregnant women, children, caretaker relatives of dependent children and older adults, and adults with physical disabilities. With a satisfaction rating above 90 percent since 2009, TennCare provides health insurance through the use of managed care. For more information, visit http://www.tn.gov/tenncare. Reported by PRWeb 21 hours ago.
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BBG Announces Reference Based Pricing Certification
The Business Benefits Group, a Northern Virginia benefits brokerage, has just announced that they now offer Reference Based Pricing.
FAIRFAX, Virginia (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
The Business Benefits Group (BBG) has just announced that they are now an approved agency for Reference Based Pricing (RBP). This makes them the first agency in the National Capital Region certified to deliver RBP plans and allows them to create new solutions for their clients through their partner network.
RBP is the answer to rising costs in healthcare, aimed at significantly lowering the pricing of company needed healthcare. Employers will set a pricing cap for the maximum amount for healthcare coverage, relative to Medicare, allowing them to save money in the long run. BBG’s COO Brandon Downs commented that, “We see a strong future with Reference Based plans in the health insurance market. Our clients with self-funded plans are looking at RBP as an exciting tool to go outside of traditional network negotiations and directly attack the true cost of billed charges.” BBG hopes to use RBP to further connections in the healthcare system while maintaining low costs for their clients.
BBG plans to educate their clients on RBP, allowing them to fully understand the change that is taking place within their company. This also allows them to look at more options for their healthcare coverage plans while saving money. “We see this as a core commitment we need to make to clients to at least offer the education on these innovative solutions,” says Derek Winn, BBG’s Director of Sales, “Staying the course could still be the best option for some clients, but for those looking to take control, we have some innovative means to do so.” In educating their clients in RBP, they hope to at least let them know if the benefits to RBP.
Michelle Milam, BBG’s Director of HR Services voices the need for education as a “fiduciary responsibility of Employers.” She continued that, “No longer should employers take a renewal at face value. BBG will always be here to support clients with fully insured models, but for those looking to peel back the layers of the onion and be an agent of change may see a brighter future.”
BBG will ensure that the new changes will affect their clients positively as they use the new certification to allow them to change their current strategies. More information will be known at a seminar that BBG is holding in order to fully understand what RBP is and how it affects the company and their clients.
BBG is brokerage company located in Northern Virginia, extending throughout the region and even into Washington DC. The services they hold range from health care to business insurance. Their goal is to help businesses and employees to get the coverage they need through the various programs they offer. For more information, please contact bbgmanagement(at)bbgbroker.com. You can also visit them at 4069 Chain Bridge Road, Top Floor, Fairfax, VA 22030 or call (844) 201-3609. Reported by PRWeb 20 hours ago.
FAIRFAX, Virginia (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
The Business Benefits Group (BBG) has just announced that they are now an approved agency for Reference Based Pricing (RBP). This makes them the first agency in the National Capital Region certified to deliver RBP plans and allows them to create new solutions for their clients through their partner network.
RBP is the answer to rising costs in healthcare, aimed at significantly lowering the pricing of company needed healthcare. Employers will set a pricing cap for the maximum amount for healthcare coverage, relative to Medicare, allowing them to save money in the long run. BBG’s COO Brandon Downs commented that, “We see a strong future with Reference Based plans in the health insurance market. Our clients with self-funded plans are looking at RBP as an exciting tool to go outside of traditional network negotiations and directly attack the true cost of billed charges.” BBG hopes to use RBP to further connections in the healthcare system while maintaining low costs for their clients.
BBG plans to educate their clients on RBP, allowing them to fully understand the change that is taking place within their company. This also allows them to look at more options for their healthcare coverage plans while saving money. “We see this as a core commitment we need to make to clients to at least offer the education on these innovative solutions,” says Derek Winn, BBG’s Director of Sales, “Staying the course could still be the best option for some clients, but for those looking to take control, we have some innovative means to do so.” In educating their clients in RBP, they hope to at least let them know if the benefits to RBP.
Michelle Milam, BBG’s Director of HR Services voices the need for education as a “fiduciary responsibility of Employers.” She continued that, “No longer should employers take a renewal at face value. BBG will always be here to support clients with fully insured models, but for those looking to peel back the layers of the onion and be an agent of change may see a brighter future.”
BBG will ensure that the new changes will affect their clients positively as they use the new certification to allow them to change their current strategies. More information will be known at a seminar that BBG is holding in order to fully understand what RBP is and how it affects the company and their clients.
BBG is brokerage company located in Northern Virginia, extending throughout the region and even into Washington DC. The services they hold range from health care to business insurance. Their goal is to help businesses and employees to get the coverage they need through the various programs they offer. For more information, please contact bbgmanagement(at)bbgbroker.com. You can also visit them at 4069 Chain Bridge Road, Top Floor, Fairfax, VA 22030 or call (844) 201-3609. Reported by PRWeb 20 hours ago.
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New Jersey Eyes Reboot Obamacare Individual Mandate
A New Jersey Senate panel is backing legislation to require all state residents to buy health insurance or pay a penalty in a bid to protect the health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act.
Reported by Newsmax 17 hours ago.
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Low OERB Scores Signal Need for Better Open Enrollment Planning
EBA’s Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark hits an all-time low, a strong indication that it’s time for a new way of thinking about the annual sign-up period
NEW YORK (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
Employee Benefit Adviser’ s Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark (OERB) score for December came in at just 38 for employers with first-quarter benefit start dates. Granted, when the last month of the year rolled around, many organizations had concluded their benefit sign-up preparations and completed enrollment. However, OERB marks were low throughout 2017, peaking at just 59 in October.
The low scores in the OERB report are a clear indication to benefit brokers and consultants that their clients, regardless of size or industry, find open enrollment a persistent challenge. For advisers, this presents an opportunity to work more closely with employers to help them better manage the process.
The best way to prepare for open enrollment, according to numerous benefits industry experts, is to break it down into a manageable set of activities that can be accomplished monthly. Key steps include designing a benefit plan, selecting health insurance and retirement products, and reviewing compliance and eligibility issues.
“Unfortunately, employers don’t know how to properly prepare for the benefits sign-up season and often wind up trying to get everything done in the final few months leading up to open enrollment,” said John McCormick, Editorial Director of SourceMedia’s Employee Benefits group, which includes EBA and Employee Benefit News. “Breaking tasks into discrete activities with monthly deadlines is one way advisers can help their clients stay on track.”
The OERB tallies employer self-assessments in 26 activities that need to be completed in four key stages for a successful open enrollment, with no progress receiving a score of zero and completed tasks earning a score of 100. The open enrollment period, which usually takes place in the fall, is a critical time for employers as they look to engage their staffs in health and retirement planning.
The Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark is a data-based performance benchmark that gauges how prepared employers are for their annual employee benefits enrollment periods. The benchmark is sponsored by ADP. To produce the results, SourceMedia Research and EBA each month survey more than 400 pre-screened HR and benefits executives at organizations of various sizes and across multiple industries. These professionals are asked to rate their completion levels for 26 activities — from selecting health plans to reviewing enrollment metrics — that take place during the four critical phases of open enrollment: benefit plan design, enrollment preparation, employee enrollment and post-enrollment analysis. Scores range from a low of zero to a high of 100 and reflect the degree to which an employer considers itself prepared for a particular activity. The activity scores are then averaged to determine scores for each of the four phases and an overall readiness score. A complete analysis of the most recent OERB data is available here.
About Employee Benefit Adviser
Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) is the information resource for employee benefit advisers, brokers, agents and consultants, providing the current awareness and perspective they need to anticipate changes in the marketplace and optimally serve their clients. EBA delivers a broad range of critical content, including comparative market data, legal and regulatory updates, the latest products and services, and best practices in benefits delivery — including health insurance, vision and dental insurance, and voluntary and retirement benefits. The benefits broker community relies on EBA to stay connected through its website comment forums, its social media communities and live events.
About SourceMedia Research
SourceMedia Research is a full-service B2B market research service that draws upon SourceMedia’s market expertise and proprietary database of engaged executives to develop information and insights for clients. SourceMedia Research provides research solutions for marketers, agencies and others targeting sectors such as banking, payments, mortgage, accounting, employee benefits and wealth management.
About SourceMedia
SourceMedia, an Observer Capital company, is an innovative, growing digital business information and performance media company serving senior-level professionals in the financial, technology and healthcare sectors. Brands include American Banker, PaymentsSource, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning, Accounting Today, Mergers & Acquisitions, National Mortgage News, Employee Benefit News and Health Data Management.
About ADP
Powerful technology plus a human touch. Companies of all types and sizes around the world rely on ADP’s cloud software and expert insights to help unlock the potential of their people. HR. Talent. Benefits. Payroll. Compliance. Working together to build a better workforce. For more information, visit http://www.adp.com/business.
For more information, please contact:
Dana Jackson
dana.jackson(at)sourcemedia(dot)com
212-803-8329
John McCormick
john.mccormick(at)sourcemedia(dot)com
212-803-8509
# # # Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.
NEW YORK (PRWEB) March 06, 2018
Employee Benefit Adviser’ s Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark (OERB) score for December came in at just 38 for employers with first-quarter benefit start dates. Granted, when the last month of the year rolled around, many organizations had concluded their benefit sign-up preparations and completed enrollment. However, OERB marks were low throughout 2017, peaking at just 59 in October.
The low scores in the OERB report are a clear indication to benefit brokers and consultants that their clients, regardless of size or industry, find open enrollment a persistent challenge. For advisers, this presents an opportunity to work more closely with employers to help them better manage the process.
The best way to prepare for open enrollment, according to numerous benefits industry experts, is to break it down into a manageable set of activities that can be accomplished monthly. Key steps include designing a benefit plan, selecting health insurance and retirement products, and reviewing compliance and eligibility issues.
“Unfortunately, employers don’t know how to properly prepare for the benefits sign-up season and often wind up trying to get everything done in the final few months leading up to open enrollment,” said John McCormick, Editorial Director of SourceMedia’s Employee Benefits group, which includes EBA and Employee Benefit News. “Breaking tasks into discrete activities with monthly deadlines is one way advisers can help their clients stay on track.”
The OERB tallies employer self-assessments in 26 activities that need to be completed in four key stages for a successful open enrollment, with no progress receiving a score of zero and completed tasks earning a score of 100. The open enrollment period, which usually takes place in the fall, is a critical time for employers as they look to engage their staffs in health and retirement planning.
The Open Enrollment Readiness Benchmark is a data-based performance benchmark that gauges how prepared employers are for their annual employee benefits enrollment periods. The benchmark is sponsored by ADP. To produce the results, SourceMedia Research and EBA each month survey more than 400 pre-screened HR and benefits executives at organizations of various sizes and across multiple industries. These professionals are asked to rate their completion levels for 26 activities — from selecting health plans to reviewing enrollment metrics — that take place during the four critical phases of open enrollment: benefit plan design, enrollment preparation, employee enrollment and post-enrollment analysis. Scores range from a low of zero to a high of 100 and reflect the degree to which an employer considers itself prepared for a particular activity. The activity scores are then averaged to determine scores for each of the four phases and an overall readiness score. A complete analysis of the most recent OERB data is available here.
About Employee Benefit Adviser
Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) is the information resource for employee benefit advisers, brokers, agents and consultants, providing the current awareness and perspective they need to anticipate changes in the marketplace and optimally serve their clients. EBA delivers a broad range of critical content, including comparative market data, legal and regulatory updates, the latest products and services, and best practices in benefits delivery — including health insurance, vision and dental insurance, and voluntary and retirement benefits. The benefits broker community relies on EBA to stay connected through its website comment forums, its social media communities and live events.
About SourceMedia Research
SourceMedia Research is a full-service B2B market research service that draws upon SourceMedia’s market expertise and proprietary database of engaged executives to develop information and insights for clients. SourceMedia Research provides research solutions for marketers, agencies and others targeting sectors such as banking, payments, mortgage, accounting, employee benefits and wealth management.
About SourceMedia
SourceMedia, an Observer Capital company, is an innovative, growing digital business information and performance media company serving senior-level professionals in the financial, technology and healthcare sectors. Brands include American Banker, PaymentsSource, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning, Accounting Today, Mergers & Acquisitions, National Mortgage News, Employee Benefit News and Health Data Management.
About ADP
Powerful technology plus a human touch. Companies of all types and sizes around the world rely on ADP’s cloud software and expert insights to help unlock the potential of their people. HR. Talent. Benefits. Payroll. Compliance. Working together to build a better workforce. For more information, visit http://www.adp.com/business.
For more information, please contact:
Dana Jackson
dana.jackson(at)sourcemedia(dot)com
212-803-8329
John McCormick
john.mccormick(at)sourcemedia(dot)com
212-803-8509
# # # Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.
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Online health insurance exchange EHealth to close Mass. office, cut 79 jobs
The Mountain View, California-based company that bills itself as America's first and largest private online health insurance marketplace will close its Medicare sales office in Massachusetts and lay off 79 workers.
Reported by bizjournals 13 hours ago.
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The seven biggest types of asset owners
Say whatever you want about the world, but there’s never been a better time to be an end investor.Many things investment professionals fear — fee compression, automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain — benefit clients through higher account balances and lower fees.
Asset owners are the largest of those clients. Though they are frequently lumped together as ‘institutional investors’, they can be as different from each other as any two individuals. The only characteristic they reliably share is size, which means their goals shape the market.
Institutional investors are characterised as ‘big fish’ and ‘smart money’, but what else are they and what motivations drive them? Here are the ‘big fish’:
**1. Pensions**
Pension funds are the largest asset owners, with $36.4 trillion in AUM in 2016, according to Willis Towers Watson’s “2017 Global Pension Asset Study.” They fall into four primary categories:
· *National pensions* are sponsored by a federal government and can be either mandatory — all citizens must save a defined amount — or voluntary. The largest national pension plan is Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund with around $1.3 trillion in AUM.
· *Corporate pensions* are sponsored by a single employer or several related employers within a corporate group. Many are ‘defined-contribution’ (DC) plans, which means the plan sponsor does not bear the investment risk. The largest corporate pension plans include those of IBM, AT&T, and United Technologies. Edmund A. Mennis, CFA, and Chester D. Clark’s Understanding Corporate Pension Plans offers a thorough overview.
· *Public pensions *traditionally provide public employees with defined benefits after they retire. These benefits are based on a formula, not the investment returns of the beneficiary’s contributions. Mark Harrison, CFA, provided a helpful primer on the closely watched and widely emulated Canadian public pension fund model.
· *Union pensions* are operated by groups of companies together with officials of the unions that represent their workers. They are common in the building trades, retail, and mining industries. Some of the largest and most influential are the 1199SEIU Pension and Retirement Funds, Broadway League, National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (NRRIT), and National Electrical Benefit Fund.
Pensions tend to be conservative and often rely on liability-driven investment strategies to ensure that funds will be available to pay benefits when they are due. Some have raised concerns that these funds will not be able to fulfil their responsibilities.
**2. Insurance Company General Accounts**
Insurance companies tend to invest the premiums they are paid to boost their earnings. Globally, insurance company assets totalled about $23 trillion in 2015, according to the most recent insurance indicators asset data from the OECD.
The liabilities assumed by insurers can vary considerably in their predictability and timeframe, which leads to significant divergence in how the portfolios created to offset them are managed. Differences in regulation, product mix, and competition will play a role in the ultimate composition of these portfolios, but we can lay out some high-level differences.
The three primary types of general accounts are:
· *Health*: Providing health insurance creates a predictable but short-term liability with high liquidity needs. Managers of these accounts will thus keep as much as 25% of their portfolio in cash to meet these demands, and will tend to have some equity exposure to allow for long-term growth. Aetna Capital Management and CIGNA Investment Management are some of the largest organisations of this kind.
· *Life*: These long-term liabilities are often offset through long-term fixed income instruments, like treasuries and corporate bonds. Managers tend to be prohibited from holding large equity allocations, so will diversify into mortgages and other assets while holding proportionally small cash balances. MetLife is an example of a large life insurance general account.
· *Property and casualty*: These insurers face ‘lumpy’ liability streams that they offset by keeping as much as 10% of their assets in cash and 70% in bonds. They will typically blend equities and other assets in the balance of the portfolio to provide for some long-term growth. Among the large property and casualty insurance general accounts are Chubb and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.
Warren Buffett is perhaps the most widely known investor on the planet and has built his impressive track record in part by shrewdly managing the portfolios of insurance companies. John L. Maginn, CFA, explored how these entities operated in the mid-1990s in the United States.
**3. Sovereign Wealth Funds**
Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are state-owned investment funds whose investable asset base is derived from a country’s reserves and has been set aside for intergenerational savings, reserve management, fiscal stabilisation, retirement benefits, or development. Taken together, they manage just over $7.5 trillion in assets.
Most SWF funding comes from budget and trade surpluses or revenue generated from the exports of natural resources. They are generally not liability-driven investors, and as such, can adopt a long-time horizon in their investment activities. Some funds have pursued innovative strategies to exploit the “huge advantage” their unique nature affords them, while others have fallen prey to political pressures and underperformed.
The roughly $900-billion China Investment Corporation is one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, and provides an interesting case study on the mechanics of operating such a fund. The fund’s chief representative, Felix P. Chee, discussed how the fund approaches portfolio construction and risk management in 2011.
A more detailed case study can be found in Multi Asset Strategies: The Future of Investment Management, edited by Larry Cao, CFA. The sixth chapter details the evolution of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. The closely watched fund does not reveal its AUM, but the US State Department estimated they were in excess of $300 billion in 2017.
**4. Investment Consultant Outsourced CIOs**
The majority of large investment consultants have outsourced CIO practices.
An OCIO will often manage all or a portion of the asset owner’s investment portfolio with discretion to make and monitor changes. The OCIO divisions of investment consultants differ from the core investment consulting business, which is to provide asset allocation and asset manager selection advice to asset owners. Collectively, investment consultants advise on trillions of dollars in asset owner assets under a nondiscretionary, advisory-only framework. Mercer, Russell Investments, and Aon Hewitt Investment Consultants are among the largest of these organisations.
Hiring one of these firms can “present significant advantages for a small fund,” as they bring significant expertise in investment management and manager selection, according to Jeffrey V. Bailey, CFA, and Thomas M. Richards, CFA, in their primer for investment trustees. Though they also warn that the model comes with drawbacks, most notably that “the natural checks and balances of standard solutions” are somewhat lacking.
**5. Single Family Offices**
A single family office (SFO) is a private company that manages investments and trusts for one family. These organisations can cost more than $1 million a year to operate and thus are mostly used by the wealthiest of the wealthy.
The SFO’s sole function is to centralise the management of a family fortune. SFO staff manage investments, taxes, philanthropic activities, trusts, and legal matters. SFOs are privately owned by high-net-worth families, so not much information on them is available to the public. Prominent SFOs include Willett Advisors, which invests the personal and philanthropic assets of Michael Bloomberg; the Heinz Family Office; and SAFO (Shari Arison Family Office) Investment Company.
**6. Endowments and Foundations**
Endowments and foundations (E&Fs) are large pools of money that benefit a specific charitable cause. Endowments tend to serve educational institutions while foundations write grants for a wide range of causes.
In the United States, 805 college and university endowments and affiliated foundations collectively had over $515 billion in endowment assets, according to the 2016 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. E&Fs pay out on average 4%–5% of AUM each year to their specific cause.
No asset owner has a longer time horizon or is able to assume greater risk. E&Fs have a perpetual life and no defined liability stream, which led to the evolution of the alternatives-heavy ‘Endowment Model’ popularised by Yale University’s David Swensen. David Chambers and Elroy Dimson explored the origins and evolution of this model in a recent article for the CFA Institute Financial Analysts Journal®. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the world’s largest foundation, while Harvard University has the largest endowment.
**7. Multi-Family Offices**
Multi-family offices (MFOs) provide a range of services similar to an SFO, but work with more than one family group. These services are available to wealthy clients with as “little” as $20 million in investable assets.
A MFO typically offers comprehensive investment solutions to affluent individuals and families, with some also handling other financial matters, including budgeting, insurance, wealth transfer, and tax services. Some notable MFOs are Bessemer Trust and Rockefeller & Co.
**Moving forward**
Many aspects of the investment landscape are set to change, but these asset owners are likely to remain at the centre of the market for many years to come. If you still have questions, Owen Concannon, CFA’s exploration of the asset management industry may be the next place to look.
--
*Thomas Brigandi *is an associate lead analyst in the Global Project and Infrastructure Finance Group at a credit rating agency, where he serves as a lead analyst for 34 power, toll-road, airport, port, and project finance credits.
*Sloane Ortel* is a regular contributor to the CFA Institute blog Enterprising Investor, and a co-author (with Jason Voss, CFA) of the CFA Institute Investment Idea Generation Guide. Reported by City A.M. 4 hours ago.
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'The Wolf of Wall Street' producers to pay $60 million to US in lawsuit settlement
The company behind the 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street, agreed to pay the United States government $60 million to settle a civil lawsuit that sought to seize assets allegedly bought with money stolen from a Malaysian state fund.
The film's producer, Red Granite Pictures, co-founded by the Malaysian prime minister's stepson, announced last September that it had "reached a settlement in principle" with the US government, but did not reveal any sum at the time.
According to a filing in a California court on Wednesday, the company also settled claims against its rights and interests in two other films, Daddy's Home and Dumb and Dumber Two.
"We are glad to finally put this matter behind us and look forward to refocusing all of our attention back on our film business," Red Granite said in a statement on the filing.
US prosecutors, pursuing their biggest kleptocracy asset recovery initiative, had claimed the three films were financed by Red Granite using money misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded in 2009 by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
While Najib has not been the subject of any of the lawsuits, a number of his close associates, including stepson Riza Aziz, have been named by US investigators.
Najib and Riza have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The Malaysian prime minister's office did not respond to an emailed request from Reuters for comment.
Wednesday's filing said Red Granite would pay the government in three instalments: $30 million within 30 days, $20 million within the next 180 days, and the final $10 million within 180 days after that.
Film studio Paramount Pictures, which has held profits from Daddy's Home while the case was pending, would release the funds to a government-controlled account.
The forfeiture suit was part of a broader US action to seize some $1.7 billion in assets allegedly bought with funds misappropriated from 1MDB.
The US prosecutors had asked for the civil forfeiture suits to be put on hold last year while they pursued a criminal investigation. Last week, the Justice Department asked a court to lift the stay so that the settlement could be reached.
Under the terms of the settlement, Riza will draw no salary from Red Granite during the payment period, other than what is needed to maintain health insurance coverage.
The settlement also stipulates that the payment should not be construed as "an admission of wrongdoing or liability on the part of Red Granite".
The US lawsuits have also sought to seize a $3.2-million Picasso painting, allegedly bought from 1MDB funds and gifted to Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the star of The Wolf of Wall Street.
DiCaprio has since turned over the painting to US authorities.
Article Type:
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Tags:
The Wolf of wall street
1MDB
Wed, 7 Mar 2018-02:11pm
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Highlights: Reported by DNA 2 hours ago.
The film's producer, Red Granite Pictures, co-founded by the Malaysian prime minister's stepson, announced last September that it had "reached a settlement in principle" with the US government, but did not reveal any sum at the time.
According to a filing in a California court on Wednesday, the company also settled claims against its rights and interests in two other films, Daddy's Home and Dumb and Dumber Two.
"We are glad to finally put this matter behind us and look forward to refocusing all of our attention back on our film business," Red Granite said in a statement on the filing.
US prosecutors, pursuing their biggest kleptocracy asset recovery initiative, had claimed the three films were financed by Red Granite using money misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded in 2009 by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
While Najib has not been the subject of any of the lawsuits, a number of his close associates, including stepson Riza Aziz, have been named by US investigators.
Najib and Riza have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The Malaysian prime minister's office did not respond to an emailed request from Reuters for comment.
Wednesday's filing said Red Granite would pay the government in three instalments: $30 million within 30 days, $20 million within the next 180 days, and the final $10 million within 180 days after that.
Film studio Paramount Pictures, which has held profits from Daddy's Home while the case was pending, would release the funds to a government-controlled account.
The forfeiture suit was part of a broader US action to seize some $1.7 billion in assets allegedly bought with funds misappropriated from 1MDB.
The US prosecutors had asked for the civil forfeiture suits to be put on hold last year while they pursued a criminal investigation. Last week, the Justice Department asked a court to lift the stay so that the settlement could be reached.
Under the terms of the settlement, Riza will draw no salary from Red Granite during the payment period, other than what is needed to maintain health insurance coverage.
The settlement also stipulates that the payment should not be construed as "an admission of wrongdoing or liability on the part of Red Granite".
The US lawsuits have also sought to seize a $3.2-million Picasso painting, allegedly bought from 1MDB funds and gifted to Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the star of The Wolf of Wall Street.
DiCaprio has since turned over the painting to US authorities.
Article Type:
Report
Sections:
Hollywood
Entertainment
Agencies:
Reuters
Tags:
The Wolf of wall street
1MDB
Wed, 7 Mar 2018-02:11pm
Date updated:
Wednesday, 7 March 2018 - 2:11pm
Article Images:
Short URL:
dnai.in/fioG
Embargo:
Syndicate:
Hide lead image:
Page views:
1
From Print Edition:
Highlights: Reported by DNA 2 hours ago.
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House of Delegates approves bills promising lower-cost health insurance
State Senate bills aimed at helping Virginians find cheaper insurance squeaked though the House of Delegates Tuesday.
But though they had earlier sailed through the Senate with hints that they’d be part of a comprehensive effort to boost access to health care, senior Senate Republicans said they... Reported by dailypress.com 21 hours ago.
But though they had earlier sailed through the Senate with hints that they’d be part of a comprehensive effort to boost access to health care, senior Senate Republicans said they... Reported by dailypress.com 21 hours ago.
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