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Category Archives: Health Care

Australians pay more for health care than France, UK, report says, amid Medicare co-payment debate

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Australians are paying much more for health care than people in France and the UK, consumer advocates say, amid debate over a proposed Medicare co-payment.

Further, 17 per cent of healthcare expenditure in Australia is already being funded by individual co-payments, and any extra fee will create major barriers to accessing health care, a report by the Consumers Health Forum suggests.

The proposal to charge patients a $6 fee for bulk-billed GP visits was raised in late December by a health consultant who said it was a reasonable measure to keep the Medicare system going.

Health Minister Peter Dutton has flagged major changes to the system, saying he wants to have a frank and fearless conversation about co-payments.

But the forum, the national peak body representing the interests of Australian healthcare consumers, says if the $6 co-payment proposal was implemented, low-income earners would be hit hardest, along with the chronically ill and the elderly.

The forum's chief executive, Adam Stankevicius, says consumers should not be slugged with more fees.

"We want to have an evidence-based discussion as to what it is that's going to make the biggest impact in terms of better financially managing the sustainability of our healthcare system," he said.

"But we don't want health care consumers to be slugged with additional costs when there are other more complex and more intricate arguments [to be had on] how we can best move forward on that sustainability footing."

He says co-payments will fail to generate cost savings for the health system, delay treatments and reduce access to health care for Australians.

"People who are older, people on pensions in particular, are those that consider the financial outlay more seriously," he said.

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Australians pay more for health care than France, UK, report says, amid Medicare co-payment debate

Care Communications, Inc. Consultant Reviews Native ICD-10 Coding and the Impact on Data Testing and Analysis

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Chicago, IL (PRWEB) March 03, 2014

Native ICD-10 coding should be a prominent part of any ICD-10 implementation plan prior to the October 1, 2014 launch of the new coding classification system. Lisa Fink, a senior health information management (HIM) consultant at Care Communications, Inc. writes in a recent post on the Care Communications Blog that the testing and analysis of data is another important reason to natively code in ICD-10, and outlines important considerations for internal and external testing.

Read the full post, titled Native ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Testing and Analysis by following this link: http://bit.ly/1fho7SZ.

About the Author

Lisa Fink, MBA, RHIA, CPHQ, has extensive experience in ICD-10 assessment and preparation, HIM, quality improvement and information technology. She has performed multiple ICD-10 engagements that include readiness assessments and implementation planning. She has also supported hospital coding functions and post "go live" system implementations through interim management.

About Care Communications, Inc.

Care Communications, Inc. is a nationally recognized leader in health information management and has served the needs of leading health care organizations since 1976. Care Communications offers the industrys most comprehensive suite of health information consulting and outsourcing services, including coding production, audits and education, ICD-10 transition, EHR data quality and integrity services, interim management, cancer registry, research services and leadership development. Care Communications has been a preferred health information management vendor for VHA/Novation since 2007 and has been an Elite Award winner as one of Chicagos 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For since 2008.

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Care Communications, Inc. Consultant Reviews Native ICD-10 Coding and the Impact on Data Testing and Analysis

This month's big health-care deadline: What you need to know

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This March 1, 2014, photo shows part of the website for HealthCare.gov as photographed in Washington. Sick of hearing about the health care law? Plenty of people have tuned out after all the political jabber and website woes. Now is the time to tune back in, before it s too late. The big deadline is coming March 31. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sick of hearing about the health care law?

Plenty of people have tuned out after all the political jabber and website woes.

But now is the time to tune back in, before it's too late.

The big deadline is coming March 31.

By that day, for the first time, nearly everyone in the United States is required to be signed up for health insurance or risk paying a fine.

Here's what you need to know about this month's open enrollment countdown:

___

ALREADY COVERED? NO WORRIES

Most people don't need to do anything. Even before the health care law passed in 2010, more than 8 out of 10 U.S. residents had coverage, usually through their workplace plans or the government's Medicare or Medicaid programs. Some have private policies that meet the law's requirements.

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This month's big health-care deadline: What you need to know

Bringing compassion back to health care

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Stacey Chang talked with students and guests about health care Thursday evening in the UMFA auditorium. Photo by Brent Uberty.

Chang, an associate partner and director of IDEOs Health & Wellness practice, spoke in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts Thursday evening in his presentation Humanity in Health Care: Rediscovering our Roots. The presentation described how the intersection of design and health care can better the experience of people seeking medical attention.

If youre not pursuing a human need, there wont be success, he said.

He told the audience a story of a negative experience he had regarding health care and a doctor who did not seem to care or respect him. Chang said incidences such as this one happen when doctors lose sight of why they are doctors. He said they get the creativity knocked out of them.

Taylor Lybbert, a graduate student in business administration and public relations, said changes need to be made in health care to empower patients. That is Changs purpose in IDEO. He said health care is complex, but when breaking it down there are only two parts involved: people needing care and people giving care. Over time, he said, the human component of medical care has vanished, turning the practice into a business.

In returning humanity to health care we have the opportunity to solve some of the problems that we face, Chang said.

IDEO aims to resolve the multi-faceted problems of patient care by reintroducing a human element into health visits. For instance, Chang said some patients feel they do not have a compassionate and effective recovery. In order to solve this problem IDEO came up with the Journey Home Board, enabling nurses to talk one-on-one with post-delivery mothers about their recovery process.

The reason its really valuable is the nurses can go in the room and actually talk to the patients, Chang said.

Their returning veterans project focused on building homes accessible to returning veterans who were injured in war. Previous homes for veterans were designed like institutions, Chang said. IDEO incorporated health elements, like handlebars, into the design of the furniture to assist disabled veterans without looking like a doctors office.

Adam Vaughn, a graduate student in international affairs and global enterprise, said the country hit its peak and is now becoming too relaxed with health care.

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Bringing compassion back to health care

The Impact of Change on Health Care Providers | The Business of Health Care: Bending the Cost Curve – Video

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The Impact of Change on Health Care Providers | The Business of Health Care: Bending the Cost Curve
This panel examined how changes implemented in 2014 and beyond will impact hospitals, physicians, insurers, and integrated delivery systems. It also explored...

By: University of Miami School of Business Administration

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The Impact of Change on Health Care Providers | The Business of Health Care: Bending the Cost Curve - Video

Mary Landrieu In 2009: ObamaCare Will Fix "Skyrocketing" Health Care Costs For Small Business – Video

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Mary Landrieu In 2009: ObamaCare Will Fix "Skyrocketing" Health Care Costs For Small Business
Mary Landrieu In 2009: ObamaCare Will Fix "Skyrocketing" Health Care Costs For Small Business (November 18, 2009)

By: DemocratFlashback

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Mary Landrieu In 2009: ObamaCare Will Fix "Skyrocketing" Health Care Costs For Small Business - Video


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