2/26/14 House Health Care Policy Hearing
Committee: Health Care Policy Chair: Frederick, Keith - (Rep-121) Vice Chair: Franklin, Diane-(Rep-123) Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Time: 12:00 PM Loc...
By: Progress Missouri (Channel Two)
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To shop for health care, it would help to know what childbirth or a CT scan will cost ahead of time. But is it possible to actually list prices for medical procedures? And will patients armed with the information look for bargains when they seek care?
Massachusetts is trying to find out. Since Jan. 1, hospitals and doctors there have been required to tell patients how much things cost, if they ask. It's part of the state's health care cost control law. We set out to run a test.
Our shopper: Caroline Collins, a 32-year-old pregnant real estate agent from Fitchburg who is trying to compare prices for a vaginal delivery. Her first call is to the main number at Health Alliance Hospital in nearby Leominster. From there, she is transferred to the hospital's obstetrics department. A receptionist there tells Collins to call the billing office at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, which is part of the same hospital network as Health Alliance.
When a customer service rep answers, Collins launches right in: "I'm due in June and my husband and I have pretty minimal coverage, just a really high deductible, so I just wanted to check and see what the cost would be." Collins' deductible is $3,000 a year, but she expects the delivery to cost more than that. She just wants to know how much more.
Collins is directed to the extension of someone named Cathy, who apparently has the price list for services at UMass member hospitals. Turns out Cathy will be out for two weeks. Collins leaves a message, tries another number in the billing office and leaves another message.
She moves on to Emerson Hospital, where she's transferred from the main switchboard four times before leaving a message for a woman who has not called back after two days. Massachusetts law requires a callback within two days.
The only place where she reaches a person who gives her a price after one call is a natural birth center called the Birth Cottage. Their price: $3,000 to $5,000 for a normal vaginal delivery.
The third day, Collins hears from UMass Memorial. "She did give me an average price," Collins says. A vaginal delivery would cost "between $10,000 and $16,000." If her delivery turned into an emergency C-section, the cost would be between $20,000 and $30,000 "depending on the operation and how it went," Collins says.
Collins is told she will probably only have to pay her $3,000 deductible of whatever the price is in the end, but she's not sure. She's getting conflicting information about what is and isn't covered from her obstetrician, the hospitals and her insurer.
No one said this would be easy. Each hospital negotiates prices with each insurer. Sometimes the hospital and physician charges are separate, sometimes they are not. And what the patient pays on top of their premium varies if they have a deductible or coinsurance.
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This afternoon the last in a series of sector profiles will be launched in Palmerston North. The Health Care and Social Assistance sector is the largest sector in the Manawat and is achieving the highest rate of growth of all sectors.
The sector profile is authored by Palmerston North City Councils economic policy advisor Peter Crawford. He says the Health and Social Assistance Sector took over in 2012 from education as Manatwats largest sector in terms of economic activity.
The report also found that:
- Earnings generated in the sector (salaries, wages, self-employment) equalled $347 million in the year to March 2012 (12.8% of total earnings in the region).
- Annual earnings increased by $204 million between 2000 and 2012, an increase of 143%: 17% of total income growth in the region. Total income growth in the region was 78% so health is growing at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the economy.
Peter Crawford says nationally the health sector is also the fastest growing sector. "Manawat is fortunate to have significant strengths in the sector since it will continue to be a significant contributor to strong economic growth in the region."
Palmerston North Mayor Jono Naylor says it is easy in a developed nation like ours to forget how fundamental good health is to general well-being and economic prosperity.
"There has been significant growth in residential care services, 62% job growth since 2000, nearly double the rate of growth nationally," the Mayor said. "While retirement village growth is a factor in this, the strongest growth has been in other care services. Included in this category are the Hospice, mental health services and care services for people with an intellectual disability. Providing high quality of care isnt just about the amount of economic activity created but about enhancing the quality of life for all people in our community."
While the MidCentral District Health Board is the largest employer in the sector it is obvious the strength of the region in health and care services reflects strength in the government, business and not-for-profit sector organisations in the region. It is hard to list all of the major participants without overlooking key organisations but many of them are represented at the profile launch.
The Health Care and Social Assistance sector profile is being launched at the Palmerston North Convention Centre at 4:30, speakers include Ian McKelvie, MP for Rangitkei, Murray Georgel, chief executive MidCentral District Health Board; Clare Crawley, acting chief executive - strategy at UCOL; and, Cynric Temple-Camp, chief executive officer of Medlab Central.
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Health care to take center stage during Maryland governor race
Democrats and Republicans will focus on health care and its impact on Maryland residents during the 2014 Maryland gubernatorial race.
By: dcexaminer
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Health care to take center stage during Maryland governor race - Video
Canada #39;s Healthcare System Explained!
Last week we discussed the United States health care system. This week we discuss Canada #39;s. We also take some time to bust some myths about their single paye...
By: Healthcare Triage
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Mobile Monday Mike Maney Mobile Health care
By: Rick Toone
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Plenary: National Assembly, 25 February 2014 (afternoon session)
National Assembly Plenary 14:00 -- 19:19 5. Members #39; statements 6. Consideration of Report of PC on Police on Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment...
By: Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
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Plenary: National Assembly, 25 February 2014 (afternoon session) - Video
TEDMED Great Challenges: X = : The Potential of New Crowdsourcing Research Platforms
TEDMED Great Challenges hangouts are moving to a new time: Tuesdays at noon EST! Jessica Richmond #39;s uBiome project asks "citizen scientists" to submit body ...
By: TEDMED
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TEDMED Great Challenges: X = : The Potential of New Crowdsourcing Research Platforms - Video
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is touting the new health care data website launched in late January, saying it will help promote transparency. Regional health officials, however, say more work remains.
The new, easily navigable website, SCHealthData.org, features five years worth of profitability and occupancy data for the states 60 hospitals, from 2008 to 2012. The data includes how much each hospital collected from Medicaid for treating uninsured patients.
People can search for hospitals by name, find them on a map or compare up to four at a time from a list. The websites expected audience includes legislators and journalists as part of Phase One.
Its really targeted toward them because its higher-level data from hospitals like overall profitability, costs and occupancy rates. It doesnt tell you how much will be charged for an MRI or hip replacement. That will be in the second phase, said Tony Keck, director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
We expect by sometime in mid-March that we will start doing hospital comparisons of prices for certain common procedures and other types of work done in hospitals, Keck said. Well be able to look at not only state Medicaid data, but state employee health plan data which is administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield and, once we get federal approval, Medicare data, too.
Keck said the website is a good first step forward in making data more user-friendly.
I think theres a general consensus around the country that better transparency into pricing and quality for all health care services is really required if were going to get better value out of health care, he said. The South Carolina Health Data site is our first phase in helping people understand how much health care costs.
The SCDHHS reports that, on average, 17 percent of the states hospitals occupied bed days in 2012 were for Medicaid patients.
Twenty-three percent of the occupied beds at the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg were for Medicaid patients in 2012. Eight percent of the occupied beds at the Southern Palmetto Hospital, formerly Barnwell County Hospital, were for Medicaid patients. Sixteen percent of the Colleton Medical Centers occupied beds were also for Medicaid patients during the same time period.
South Carolina hospitals 2012 bottom lines varied widely by hospital, with profits (or revenues in excess of expenses for nonprofit hospitals) as high as $159,745,573 and losses as much as $20,556,997. The RMC had a profit of $6,178,113 in 2012. Barnwell County Hospital showed a profit of $1,004,8446, while Colleton County Hospital had a profit of $3,365,011.
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Good first step Officials: New health care data website promotes transparency
Health care workers who routinely come in contact with hazardous chemicals lack training and awareness of employer procedures to adequately protect themselves from exposure, according to a new NIOSH study.
The survey of more than 12,000 health care workers found that workers administering aerosolized antibiotics were the least likely to have received training on their safe use, followed closely by those exposed to surgical smoke.
Conducted in 2011, the Web-based survey is the largest federally sponsored study of health care workers that addresses safety and health practices and use of hazardous chemicals, according to NIOSH. The study results are published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
"Safeguarding health care workers from potential occupational hazards is an essential part of providing good jobs for these dedicated men and women, and furthering high-quality patient care," NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard said. "The limited information available on safe-handling practices associated with use of hazardous chemicals makes our work even more important."
The study is the first in a series of reports describing current practices used by health care workers to minimize chemical exposures as well as barriers to using recommended personal protective equipment. The chemical agents under study included antineoplastic agents, high-level disinfectants, aerosolized medications, anesthetic gases, surgical smoke and chemical sterilants.
Among the highlights, the study found that:
NIOSH said the surveys findings will help the agency and other health care stakeholders better understand current health and safety practices related to working with hazardous chemical agents; identify gaps in current knowledge about those practices; and design further research in collaboration with partners for addressing those gaps.
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NIOSH: Health Care Workers Lacking in Training on Hazardous Chemicals
Perceptions, Perspectives and Choice - Part 2, Feb. 23, 2014
A discussion of the process that leads to health care choices even when detrimental to good health. Programmed perceptions can blind and bind us.
By: ddmayfield
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Perceptions, Perspectives and Choice - Part 2, Feb. 23, 2014 - Video
8 Hours 528 Hz Pure Tone (Solfeggio Frequency)
Download The high Quality 8 Hr. MP3 FOR FREE! Visit: http://free-relaxing-music.com/8-hours-528-hz-pure-tone/ This audio plays the pure sine wave of 528 Hz f...
By: AudioEntrainment
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker uses a cell phone to illustrate a point about health care plans during a special session on jobs in America during the National Governor's Association Winter Meeting in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014. ((AP Photo/Cliff Owen))
WASHINGTON The explosive politics of health care have divided the nation, but America's governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, suggest that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is here to stay.
While governors from Connecticut to Louisiana sparred Sunday over how best to improve the nation's economy, governors of both parties shared a pragmatic outlook on the controversial program known as "Obamacare" as millions of their constituents begin to be covered.
"We're just trying to make the best of a bad situation," said Republican Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa, who calls the health care law "unaffordable and unsustainable," yet something he has to implement by law. "We're trying to make it work as best we can for the people of Iowa."
As governors gathered in Washington this weekend, Democratic governors such as Maryland's Martin O'Malley and Connecticut's Dannel Malloy made pitches to raise the minimum wage, while Republican governors such as Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and Indiana's Mike Pence called for more freedom from federal regulations, particularly those related to the health insurance overhaul.
But governors from both parties report that a full repeal of the law would be complicated at best, if not impossible, as states move forward with implementation and begin covering millions of people both by expanding Medicaid rolls for lower-income resident or through state or federal exchanges that offer federal subsidies to those who qualify.
Republican opposition to the law is the centerpiece of the GOP's political strategy ahead of the midterm elections.
Despite a troubled rollout, nearly 3.3 million people have signed up through Feb. 1 for health care coverage under the law.
The White House reported that 1 million people signed up nationwide for private insurance under the law in January alone. It remains unclear that the administration will reach its unofficial goal of 7 million people by the end of March.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, said governors spent about half of their private lunch session on Saturday discussing the health care law and the tone was much different than in past years.
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WASHINGTON The explosive politics of health care have divided the nation, but Americas governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, suggest that President Barack Obamas health care overhaul is here tostay.
While governors from Connecticut to Louisiana sparred Sunday over how best to improve the nations economy, governors of both parties shared a far more pragmatic outlook on the controversial program known as Obamacare as millions of their constituents begin to becovered.
Were just trying to make the best of a bad situation, said Republican Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa, who called the health care law
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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he had a productive meeting with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Sunday to discuss options to preserve the states waiver from provisions of the federal No Child Left Behindlaw.
The governor said in a statement that there is a realistic path tosuccess.
He said hell talk next with state lawmakers and the superintendent about the statesoptions.
WASHINGTON The explosive politics of health care have divided the nation, but Americas governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, suggest that President Barack Obamas health care overhaul is here tostay.
While governors from Connecticut to Louisiana sparred Sunday over how best to improve the nations economy, governors of both parties shared a far more pragmatic outlook on the controversial program known as Obamacare as millions of their constituents begin to becovered.
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Governors: Health care law here to stay - Mon, 24 Feb 2014 PST
THE measures to aid older Singaporeans with health-care costs are not just about providing monetary assistance but also strengthening family ties.
That was the view of both MP Lily Neo and Tsao Foundation chairman Mary Ann Tsao at The Straits Times Budget Roundtable discussion.
They noted that the nature of the benefits in last Friday's Budget will help both young and old, as it means elderly Singaporeans can have a greater degree of independence while reducing their financial reliance on their children.
That encompasses the key message from the Government: That part of the burden of health costs will be borne by the state and community and not just individual households.
A Budget highlight was the Pioneer Generation Package, which consists of lifelong health-care benefits for some 450,000 pioneers.
It includes subsidies for outpatient care, Medisave top-ups and MediShield Life subsidies, all to be paid for from an $8 billion fund set aside in the Budget.
Both Dr Tsao and Dr Neo agreed health-care costs were a key concern for the elderly, and said the pioneer package would help ease worries the older generation may have about being a burden to their children.
Dr Tsao said: "When you take that away, the older person is in control of their own health care without feeling that they're burdening their children. The children also feel that they don't have to be as burdened. This shifts their relationship to a more positive way."
Dr Neo added: "With this in place... they would have a better relationship and they can also live happily with their family members."
They also praised the Budget for including help not only with insurance premiums but also with specialist outpatient costs, and for extending this aid to lower- and middle-income Singaporeans.
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Feb. 23, 2014 @ 11:24 PM
STEVE PEOPLES and KEN THOMAS
WASHINGTON -- The explosive politics of health care have divided the nation, but America's governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, suggest that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is here to stay.
While governors from Connecticut to Louisiana sparred Sunday over how best to improve the nation's economy, governors of both parties shared a far more pragmatic outlook on the controversial program known as "Obamacare" as millions of their constituents begin to be covered.
"We're just trying to make the best of a bad situation," said Republican Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa, who called the health care law "unaffordable and unsustainable" yet something he has to implement by law. "We're trying to make it work as best we can for the people of Iowa."
As governors gathered in Washington this weekend, Democrats such as Maryland's Martin O'Malley and Connecticut's Dannel Malloy made pitches to raise the minimum wage, while Republicans such as Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and Indiana's Mike Pence called for more freedom from federal regulations, particularly those related to the health insurance overhaul.
But governors from both parties say a full repeal of the law would be complicated at best, if not impossible, as states move forward with implementation and begin covering millions of people -- both by expanding Medicaid rolls for lower-income residents or through state or federal exchanges that offer federal subsidies to those who qualify.
Obama hosted most of the governors for a White House dinner Sunday night, calling for collaboration on the economy, education, climate change and health care in what he hopes will be "a year of action."
Republican opposition to the health care law is the centerpiece of the GOP's political strategy ahead of the midterm elections. And to be sure, not every GOP leader embraced the inevitability of the law's implementation.
"I don't think that it's so deeply entrenched that it can't be repealed," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said. "But I do think, as we argue for repeal, we have to show folks what you replace it with."
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Written by: Nathan Warner on October 22, 2009.
Charging those with unhealthy habits is more fair than any alternative
click image to enlarge
One idea being tossed around in the current chaotic debate on health care is to instate a sin tax on unhealthy behaviors.
This idea is not new it has been endorsed and legislated worldwide for things like smoking and gasoline use. These Pigovian taxes (after economist Arthur Pigou) are intended to correct negative market externalities, unwanted consequences of economic activity that are experienced by unrelated third parties and in inefficient markets.
For example, all of humanity is affected by the environmental degradation inflicted by use of carbon fuels. But the incentive to drive less and thus contribute to less air pollution is, on the aggregate nonexistent.
There is no incentive for any single individual to drive less it is too much of an individual sacrifice. And it simply wont make a difference if the rest of society doesnt also change driving habits.
To rectify this, a high tax could be levied on gasoline. This would not explicitly prohibit driving but would decrease the total number of hours spent driving across society, thus lessening carbon emissions.
In other words, the externality would be corrected. Drivers would be made to internalize the full consequences of their decisions even those that affect others.
The same concept has been suggested regarding other sin behaviors actions that are entirely logical at the individual level but force high costs on unrelated parties who have no influence or choice on the action.
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By DONNA CASSATA Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans intent on highlighting the woes of President Barack Obama's health care law need to look no further than their own back yards, some of which are traditionally liberal strongholds.
Maryland's online health care exchange has been plagued by computer glitches since its rollout last year, reflected in abysmal enrollment numbers well below projections through January. The state's lone Republican in Congress, Rep. Andy Harris, has asked the inspector general of the federal Health and Human Services Department to investigate.
In Oregon, the online portal has struggled to sign up a single individual, and Republican Rep. Greg Walden recently sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office pressing for an inquiry. Officials in both states insist they are working to fix the problems.
"Everybody's pointing fingers at everyone else, so we have no idea why this went wrong," Harris, who was an anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 30 years, said in a recent interview.
Unified in their opposition to the law, Republicans have been relentless in focusing on its problems, from complaints of canceled policies to higher insurance premiums and Obama's unilateral decision to delay for two years the requirement that small businesses cover employees.
The GOP effort has intensified this election year as Republicans look to capitalize on dissatisfaction with the law, turning voter dismay into November victories. The ill effect of "Obamacare" is the GOP's constant refrain.
Nearly 3.3 million Americans have enrolled through the federal and state marketplaces as the federal online site worked out the problems of its disastrous rollout, a recent sign of promise for the 4-year-old law.
A silver lining for Democrats in the recent enrollment numbers is the actual sign-ups exceeding projected totals in New Hampshire, North Carolina, Michigan and Colorado, according to the January figures. Three of those states have Senate Democrats who voted for the law and now face re-election - Kay Hagan in North Carolina, Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire and Mark Udall in Colorado.
In Michigan, Democratic Rep. Gary Peters is trying to win the open seat currently held by retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin.
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Critical Illness Protection - The Gapin Hole in Health Care Coverage
A discussion covering the topic of Critical Illness, and why everyone should take the necessary steps to protect themselves, and their families, in case they...
By: Bob Levine
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Critical Illness Protection - The Gapin Hole in Health Care Coverage - Video
How can we cure our ailing health care system?
That was the question posed by the film Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Health Care. The film was presented as part of the Center for Community Growths 2014 film series on Friday at the Indiana Theater along Philadelphia Street.
American health care costs are rising so rapidly that they could reach $4.2 trillion annually, roughly 20 percent of our gross domestic product, within 10 years, according to the films website. We spend $300 billion a year on pharmaceutical drugs almost as much as the rest of the world combined. We pay more, yet our health outcomes are worse.
[PHOTO: Peter Broad, left, moderated the panel discussion with Dr. Abigail Adams, IUP anthropology professor and medical anthropologist; Dr. Kim Hatcher, president of the Indiana County Medical Society; Lee Bevak, certified application counselor for the Affordable Care Act; and Elizabeth Sierminski, board member of Healthcare 4 All PA. (James J. Nestor/Gazette photo)]
Joining the film was a panel of four people, each with backgrounds in health care or health care policy. The panel consisted of Abigail Adams, IUP anthropology professor and medical anthropologist; Dr. Kim Hatcher, dermatologist and president of the Indiana County Medical Society; Lee Bevak, certified application counselor for the Affordable Care Act, with the Armstrong-Indiana Drug and Alcohol Commission; and Elizabeth Sierminski, Health Care 4 All PA development coordinator and board member and University of Pittsburgh student.
The panel was moderated by Peter Broad, an Indiana Borough councilman.
Initial comments were given by the panel prior to the beginning of the film, with a question-and-answer session held afterward.
The U.S. spends more on health care per capita or as a percentage of gross domestic product than any other nation on earth, Broad said, referring to the films premise. At the same time we have some of the worst health care results when compared to other industrialized nations.
Broad also cited high infant mortality rates and high obesity rates.
Adams urged the audience to go into the film thinking of health care as a business driven by economic demand. Health care has become a compartmentalized system dependent on having a large population of unhealthy individuals, she said. She also asked the audience to consider what she called medical citizenship, or ideas of entitlement and deservedness that articulate what we deem to be the basic rights as citizens, what human rights are recognized as regarding health.
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