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Category Archives: Health Care

Part IV – Roundtable 1, Regulation in the health care sector: are economic tools useful and used? – Video

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Part IV - Roundtable 1, Regulation in the health care sector: are economic tools useful and used?
Part IV - hospinnomics launch event 2014 -- Chair: Bob Elliott (HERU, Aberdeen, UK) -- Brigitte Dormont (PSL, Universit Paris Dauphine, FR): #39;Hospital payment reform in France: which economic...

By: Chaire hospinnomics

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Part IV - Roundtable 1, Regulation in the health care sector: are economic tools useful and used? - Video

Using Journalism and the Media for Public Health | Voices in Leadership | Joanne Kenen – Video

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Using Journalism and the Media for Public Health | Voices in Leadership | Joanne Kenen
Joanne Kenen, the health care editor of Politico, spoke at the Harvard School of Public Health as part of the Voices in Leadership series on October 20, 2014. Watch the entire leadership series...

By: Harvard Public Health

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Using Journalism and the Media for Public Health | Voices in Leadership | Joanne Kenen - Video

President Obama Delivers Remarks on American Health Care Workers Fight Against Ebola – Video

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President Obama Delivers Remarks on American Health Care Workers Fight Against Ebola
In the East Room of the White House, President Obama thanked American health care workers for their service on the frontlines of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. October 29, 2014.

By: The White House

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President Obama Delivers Remarks on American Health Care Workers Fight Against Ebola - Video

Planning for health care in retirement

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Once Medicare kicks in at age 65, picking a plan differs little from choosing a plan at work or on an ACA health-care exchange. Different plans offer different coverage, but the Employee Benefit Research Institute says that in general, Medicare covers about 60 percent of the cost of heath-care services, not including long-term care.

Ramnani said that to arrive at an accurate number, her firm estimates what kind of coverage might be chosen by clients and by what they pay out of pocket currently.

Read MoreHow to control health costs

"They might be using out-of-network providers or have specific health-care needs not being covered by insurance," she said. "We assume those expenses will continue."

The biggest costs come from co-payments, deductibles and excluded benefits, along with out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and the cost of premiums for Medicare Part B (basic coverage) and Part D (prescription drug benefits). Premiums for Medicare are based on income; the higher your income, the more you'll pay. Beyond basic coverage, there also are other options that come with additional costs.

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Planning for health care in retirement

US health care unprepared for Ebola

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FILE- In this Oct. 24, 2014 file photo, members of the Department of Defense's Ebola Military Medical Support Team dress with protective gear during training at San Antonio Military Medical Center in San Antonio. Even small clusters of Ebola cases could overwhelm parts of US medical care system, according to an Associated Press review of readiness at hospitals and other components of the emergency medical network. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

The U.S. health care apparatus is so unprepared and short on resources to deal with the deadly Ebola virus that even small clusters of cases could overwhelm parts of the system, according to an Associated Press review of readiness at hospitals and other components of the emergency medical network.

Experts broadly agree that a widespread outbreak across the country is extremely unlikely, but they also concur that it is impossible to predict with certainty, since previous Ebola epidemics have been confined to remote areas of Africa. And Ebola is not the only possible danger that causes concern; experts say other deadly infectious diseases - ranging from airborne viruses such as SARS, to an unforeseen new strain of the flu, to more exotic plagues like Lassa fever - could crash the health care system.

To assess America's ability to deal with a major outbreak, the AP examined multiple indicators of readiness: training, manpower, funding, emergency room shortcomings, supplies, infection control and protection for health care workers. AP reporters also interviewed dozens of top experts in those fields.

The results were worrisome. Supplies, training and funds are all limited. And there are concerns about whether health care workers would refuse to treat Ebola victims.

Following the death of a patient with Ebola in a Texas hospital and the subsequent infection of two of his nurses, medical officials and politicians are scurrying to fix preparedness shortcomings. But remedies cannot be implemented overnight. And fixes will be very expensive.

Dr. Jeffrey S. Duchin, chairman of the Public Health Committee of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a professor of medicine at the University of Washington, said it will take time to ramp up readiness, including ordering the right protective equipment and training workers to use it. "Not every facility is going to be able to obtain the same level of readiness," he said.

AP reporters frequently heard assessments that generally, the smaller the facility, the less prepared, less funded, less staffed and less trained it is to fight Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases.

"The place I worry is: Are most small hospitals adequately prepared?" said Dr. Ashish Jha, a Harvard University specialist in health care quality and safety. "It clearly depends on the hospital."

He said better staff training is the most important element of preparation for any U.S. Ebola outbreak. He believes a small group of personnel at each hospital needs to know the best procedures, because sick people are likely to appear first at medium-size or small medical centers, which are much more common than big ones.

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US health care unprepared for Ebola

Daytona International Speedway switches health care sponsor

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The Turn 1 gate at Daytona International Speedway will be sponsored by Florida Hospital, which also is becoming the Speedways official health care provider.

DAYTONA BEACH Florida Hospital has been named the exclusive health care provider of Daytona International Speedway, replacing a public hospital that has had a long relationship with racing and the family that built NASCAR.

Florida Hospital and the Speedway have signed a 12-year partnership that will give the not-for-profit health care system branding rights to one of five remodeled entrances, a concourse, the infield care center and first-aid stations.

The partnership is a great way for Florida Hospital to reach a wide audience and promote its brand at the Speedway, which is in the midst of a $400 million renovation that will be completed in 2016, said Daryl Tol, a regional CEO for the Volusia-Flagler market.

We need to get out of the four walls of the hospital and get out into our communities, he said. We need to be there close to peoples homes where they celebrate, where they work, where they live rather than waiting for them to come to us.

Halifax Health, down the street from the Speedway, previously served as the tracks official health care provider.

Florida Hospital and the Speedway announced the partnership Thursday morning outside Turn 1 before an audience of cheering nurses, doctors and hospital staff. The agreement will take effect Jan. 1. Florida Hospital officials did not disclose how much they paid for the sponsorship.

During the ceremony, Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III presented Tol with a racing helmet autographed by racing star Dale Earnhardt Jr. In exchange, Tol gave a white lab coat to Chitwood.

Florida Hospitals competitor Halifax Health, a 678-bed public hospital system, has worked closely with the Speedway through the years. In a prepared statement, Halifax Health CEO Jeff Feasel said the hospital is proud of the long history of exceptional care provided to competitors, crew and fans at the Speedway, and that the move was strictly a business decision by the Speedway.

Halifax Health will continue to support Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR, the NASCAR Nation and the many fans who frequent our community for many years to come, Feasel said.

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Daytona International Speedway switches health care sponsor

U.S. health care network unprepared for Ebola

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Allina EMS first responders receive training on the latest protocol for handling future patients possibly infected with Ebola in Mounds View, Minn.

The U.S. health care apparatus is so unprepared and short on resources to deal with the deadly Ebola virus that even small clusters of cases could overwhelm parts of the system, according to an Associated Press review of readiness at hospitals and other components of the emergency medical network.

Experts broadly agree that a widespread nationwide outbreak is extremely unlikely, but they also concur that it is impossible to predict with certainty, since previous Ebola epidemics have been confined to remote areas of Africa. And Ebola is not the only possible danger that causes concern; experts say other deadly infectious diseases ranging from airborne viruses such as SARS, to an unforeseen new strain of the flu, to more exotic plagues like Lassa fever could crash the health care system.

To assess America's ability to deal with a major outbreak, the AP examined multiple indicators of readiness: training, staffing, funding, emergency room shortcomings, supplies and protection for health care workers. AP reporters also interviewed dozens of top experts in those fields.

The results were worrisome. Supplies, training and funds are all limited, and there are concerns about whether health care workers would refuse to treat Ebola patients.

Following the death of a man suffering from Ebola in a Texas hospital and the subsequent infection of two of his nurses, medical officials and politicians are scurrying to fix preparedness shortcomings. But remedies cannot be implemented overnight. And fixes will be expensive.

AP reporters frequently heard assessments that the smaller the facility, the less prepared it is to fight Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases. The U.S. has many more medium-size and small medical centers than large hospitals.

"The place I worry is: Are most small hospitals adequately prepared?" said Dr. Ashish Jha, a Harvard University health care quality specialist. "It clearly depends."

Other findings:

Experts concur that training health care workers on safe Ebola treatment and education is one of the antidotes.

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U.S. health care network unprepared for Ebola

3 Health Care Picks To Beat Earnings – Earnings ESP

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3 Health Care Picks To Beat Earnings

Ebola virus disease fears coupled with the lack of any approved treatment for Ebola has brought the spotlight on health care companies like Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp. ( TKMR ), Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) and GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK ) among others researching on Ebola vaccines or treatments. U.S. government agencies are working closely and providing support as well as funding to the companies developing vaccines/treatments targeting Ebola. With investors glued on Ebola vaccine/treatment related updates, companies working on Ebola therapies stand to make the most of the current furor.

On the other hand, tax-saving reverse mergers, which had until recently become a rage, have somewhat fizzled out owing to uncertainty surrounding proposed changes in U.S. tax laws. Earlier this month, AbbVie Inc. ( ABBV ) abandoned its plans to acquire Shire ( SHPG ) on proposed anti-inversion policies. The deal, valued at approximately $54.5 billion, was set to complete by year end.

However, tax saving is not the sole motivation behind reinvigorated M&A activities in the health care sector currently. Cash-rich companies are on the lookout for other players that have a portfolio of potential multi-million dollar products or lucrative pipeline candidates. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. ( VRX ) is looking to acquire Allergan ( AGN ) to strengthen its portfolio. However, Allergan has stated that Valeant's latest acquisition offer significantly undervalued the company. Another company rumored to be interested in Allergan is Actavis ( ACT ).

Despite the patent cliff being mostly over, some health care companies have continued to witness declining sales in the third quarter of 2014 owing to genericization. Several health care companies now have fewer blockbuster products. Increasing competition for legacy products in the form of newer therapies is also affecting sales. Merck ( MRK ) and Glaxo reported disappointing revenues in the third quarter - the former due to patent expiries of key products and the latter facing the brunt of increasing competition for Advair.

Health care companies have been resorting to share buybacks, restructuring, streamlining of operations, divestment of non-core/redundant assets to boost the bottom line. Amgen ( AMGN ) has initiated a company-wide restructuring, which involves the reduction of 20% of its workforce and approximately 23% of the facilities footprint by the end of 2015.

Some of the companies are also increasing their dividends to increase shareholder returns.

Thus, it may be a good idea to look at some companies in the health care sector that have the potential to beat earnings in their upcoming releases. These stocks are well positioned in today's market environment, and could see considerable upside riding on the aforementioned trends. An earnings beat should help these stocks gain investor confidence and show a favorable price movement.

How to Pick?

Given a large number of industry participants, pinpointing stocks that have the potential to beat estimates could appear to be a daunting task. But our proprietary methodology makes it fairly simple. One way to narrow down the list of choices this earnings season is by looking at stocks that have the combination of a favorable Zacks Rank - Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) - and a positive Zacks Earnings ESP .

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3 Health Care Picks To Beat Earnings - Earnings ESP

Health Care Worker Back From Working With Ebola Patients In Africa Mad About Being Quarantined – Video

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Health Care Worker Back From Working With Ebola Patients In Africa Mad About Being Quarantined
Health Care Worker Back From Working With Ebola Patients In Africa Mad About Being Quarantined Kaci HIckox health care worker from africa in quarantine New Jersey A health care worker who...

By: Charles Walton

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Health Care Worker Back From Working With Ebola Patients In Africa Mad About Being Quarantined - Video


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