First-Hand Look at Health Care Careers
Nearly 150 Bay Area high school and community college students aspiring to careers in health got a glimpse of the wide array of jobs in health care during a ...
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Category Archives: Health Care
Insurance companies dumping doctors – Video
Insurance companies dumping doctors
Chris Frates investigates claims that insurance companies are dumping doctors in response to the new health care law.
By: CNN
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Dealing with Holiday Stress – Video
Dealing with Holiday Stress
Tips on dealing with holiday stress from Hartford Health Care #39;s Behavioral Health Network.
By: RushfordCT
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Michelle Obama to Sharpton: Obamacare Benefits Get Lost in Political ‘Back and Forth’ – Video
Michelle Obama to Sharpton: Obamacare Benefits Get Lost in Political #39;Back and Forth #39;
Al Sharpton previewed his radio interview with First Lady Michelle Obama on his MSNBC show Wednesday afternoon. In the short clips, the first lady defended t...
By: ToprisingNews
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Michelle Obama to Sharpton: Obamacare Benefits Get Lost in Political 'Back and Forth' - Video
Obama declares 2014 a year of action – Video
Obama declares 2014 a year of action
Citing strong progress on the economy, President Barack Obama said at his annual year-end news conference Friday that 2014 "can be a breakthrough year for Am...
By: PBS NewsHour
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Government gives Americans an extra day to sign up for health care
CHICAGO Anticipating heavy traffic on the government's health care website, the Obama administration extended Monday's deadline for signing up for insurance by a day, giving Americans in 36 states more time to select a plan.
Colorado, one of 17 states with ther own health care exchange, did not extend its deadline but will try to be lenient with latecomers, said Ben Davis, Colorado Connect for Health spokesman.
The federal move was the latest in a series of pushed-back deadlines and delays that have marked the rollout of the health care law.
But federal officials urged buyers not to procrastinate.
"You should not wait until tomorrow. If you are aiming to get coverage Jan. 1, you should try to sign up today," said Julie Bataille, a spokeswoman for the federal agency in charge of the overhaul.
Bataille said the grace period which runs through Tuesday was being offered to accommodate people from different time zones and to allow for any technical problems that might result from a last-minute rush of applicants.
The healthcare.gov site had a disastrous, glitch-prone debut in October but has gone through extensive improvements to make it more reliable and increase its capacity, and the administration said the system was running well Monday.
By the afternoon, the site had received a record 850,000 visits, five times the number logged by the same time last Monday, the administration said. Bataille said the system was handling the volume with error rates of less than 1 in 200 and response times at less than one second.
The administration was careful not to characterize Tuesday as a new deadline or an extension, likening the move instead to the Election Day practice in which people who are in line when the polls close are still allowed to vote.
The Obama administration is hoping for a surge of year-end enrollments to show that the technical problems were merely a temporary setback.
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Government gives Americans an extra day to sign up for health care
Health care site put to the test as deadline neared
CHICAGO The government's retooled health care website was put to its biggest test yet as record numbers of Americans rushed to beat midnight Tuesday's extended deadline for signing up for insurance.
After a glitch-filled rollout in October, HealthCare.gov, where people in 36 states can shop for coverage, received 2 million visits Monday, its highest one-day total, the government said.
Traffic was not as heavy on Tuesday but still high, White House spokeswoman Tara McGuinness said. She had no immediate estimate of visitors or how many succeeded in obtaining insurance.
"The site is performing well under intense consumer traffic," said Kurt DelBene, a former Microsoft executive appointed last week to take over management of the online marketplace.
Error rates were lower than 1 in 200, and pages loaded quickly, in less than a half-second, officials said.
Colorado does not use the website.
Ian Stewart of Salt Lake City said he and his wife, both students, had been trying for weeks to complete their application on the federal site, thwarted by computer error messages each time.
On Tuesday morning, while visiting relatives in Colorado, they reached a call center counselor who succeeded in enrolling them. The "silver" plan they chose will cost them $241 a month after a cost-lowering tax credit.
"We're relieved that we got it working, elated that we got insurance again and very frustrated that it took this long," Stewart said.
More than 110,000 people had called the government's help line by Tuesday afternoon, with wait times averaging 27 minutes, officials said. On Monday, the call center received more than 250,000 calls, a one-day record.
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Health care site put to the test as deadline nears – NBC40.net
By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO (AP) - The government's retooled health care website was put to its biggest test yet as record numbers of Americans rushed to beat Tuesday's extended deadline for signing up for insurance.
After a disastrous, glitch-filled rollout in October, HealthCare.gov, where people in 36 states can shop for coverage, received 2 million visits Monday, its highest one-day total, the government said.
Traffic was not as heavy on Tuesday but still high, White House spokeswoman Tara McGuinness said. She had no immediate estimate of visitors or how many succeeded in obtaining insurance before the midnight deadline.
"The site is performing well under intense consumer traffic," said Kurt DelBene, a former Microsoft executive appointed last week to take over management of the online marketplace. "With the highest volumes we have seen to date, response time is fast and the error rating is low."
Error rates were lower than 1 in 200, and pages loaded quickly, in less than a half-second, officials said.
For a multitude of reasons, including technical difficulties with the site or trouble understanding the instructions, thousands of people sought telephone help and wound up waiting on hold on Christmas Eve at the government's call center.
Ian Stewart of Salt Lake City said he and his wife, both students, had been trying for weeks to complete their application on the federal site, thwarted by computer error messages each time.
On Tuesday morning, while visiting relatives in Colorado for Christmas, they reached a call center counselor who succeeded in enrolling them. The "silver" plan they chose will cost them $241 a month after a cost-lowering tax credit.
"We're relieved that we got it working, elated that we got insurance again and very frustrated that it took this long," Stewart said.
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Health care site put to the test as deadline nears - NBC40.net
Federal health care website put to test on deadline day
The governments revamped health care website was put to its biggest test yet as a record-breaking surge of Americans rushed to beat Tuesdays extended deadline for signing up for coverage.
HealthCare.gov, the website where people in 36 states can shop for insurance, received nearly 2 million visits Monday and handled the traffic well, the government said.
Monday was the sign-up deadline for people wanting coverage at the start of the new year. But the Obama administration pushed back the deadline a day to deal with expected heavy traffic from procrastinators.
Critics of the law seized on the extension as more evidence that the program is in trouble.
The amazing, ever-expanding deadline? Its clearly a sign of desperation by the administration to do everything they can to increase the number of people signing up, said health economist Gail Wilensky, who ran Medicare for President George H.W. Bush.
The laws supporters said the extra day means the public got the message and wants subsidized health insurance.
A lot of people who previously found health care unaffordable are learning they can get very substantial subsidies that bring premiums within their reach, said Ron Pollack, president of Families USA, a liberal advocacy group leading efforts to get uninsured people signed up for coverage next year. Thats why were seeing a large influx of people trying to get enrolled.
The website went through extensive hardware and software upgrades to make it more reliable and increase its capacity.
When the number of simultaneous users reached 60,000 on Monday, site operators employed a queuing system that allows people to either wait or give an email address to be invited back later, the government said. More than 60,000 users gave their email.
Many states operate their own online marketplaces for buying coverage, and some of them also extended their deadlines.
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Health care insurance shoppers get 1-day extension
CHICAGO Anticipating heavy traffic on the governments health care website, the Obama administration extended Mondays deadline for signing up for insurance by a day, giving Americans in 36 states more time to select a plan.
It was the latest in a series of pushed-back deadlines and delays that have marked the rollout of the health care law.
But federal officials urged buyers not to procrastinate.
Certified enrollment specialist Richelle Baker, right, talks to Martha Medina, left, and her daughter Martha at a Healthcare Insurance Marketplace office in Miami on Friday. The government extended Mondays deadline for signing up for insurance by one day. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
You should not wait until tomorrow. If you are aiming to get coverage Jan. 1, you should try to sign up today, said Julie Bataille, a spokeswoman for the federal agency in charge of the overhaul.
Bataille said the grace period which runs through today was being offered to accommodate people from different time zones and to allow for any technical problems that might result from a last-minute rush of applicants.
The HealthCare.gov site had a disastrous, glitch-prone debut in October but has gone through extensive improvements to make it more reliable and increase its capacity, and the administration said the system was running well Monday.
By the afternoon, the site had received a record 850,000 visits, five times the number logged by the same time last Monday, the administration said. Bataille said the system was handling the volume with error rates of less than 1 in 200 and response times of less than one second.
The Obama administration is hoping for a surge of year-end enrollments to show that the technical problems were merely a temporary setback. That would also go a long way toward easing concerns that insurance companies wont be able to sign up enough young, healthy people to keep prices low for everyone.
But the grace period may have been a tacit acknowledgement that the website remains vulnerable to heavy traffic. Whats more, the delay offered critics of Obamacare another opportunity to argue that the law still isnt working and that President Barack Obama keeps changing the rules.
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Health care site put to the test
CHICAGO The governments revamped health care website was put to its biggest test yet as a record-breaking surge of Americans rushed to beat Tuesdays extended deadline for signing up for coverage.
After a disastrous, glitch-plagued rollout in October, HealthCare.gov, the website where people in 36 states can shop for insurance, received nearly 2 million visits Monday and handled the traffic well, the government said.
Monday was the sign-up deadline for people wanting coverage at the start of the new year. But the Obama administration pushed back the deadline a day to deal with expected heavy traffic from procrastinators.
The grace period was the latest in a series of delays that have marked President Barack Obamas health care overhaul.
Critics of the law seized on the extension as more evidence that the program is in trouble.
The amazing, ever-expanding deadline? Its clearly a sign of desperation by the administration to do everything they can to increase the number of people signing up, said health economist Gail Wilensky, who ran Medicare for President George H.W. Bush.
The laws supporters said the extra day means the public got the message and wants subsidized health insurance.
A lot of people who previously found health care unaffordable are learning they can get very substantial subsidies that bring premiums within their reach, said Ron Pollack, president of Families USA, a liberal advocacy group leading efforts to get uninsured people signed up for coverage next year. Thats why were seeing a large influx of people trying to get enrolled.
The website went through extensive hardware and software upgrades to make it more reliable and increase its capacity.
When the number of simultaneous users reached 60,000 on Monday, site operators employed a queuing system that allows people to either wait or give an email address to be invited back later, the government said. More than 60,000 users gave their email.
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Senator Blunt Outlines Common-Sense Health Care Solutions To Replace ObamaCare 12/18/13 – Video
Senator Blunt Outlines Common-Sense Health Care Solutions To Replace ObamaCare 12/18/13
On Wednesday, December 18, 2013, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor to highlight common-sense health care solutions to replace ObamaCare.
By: SenatorBlunt
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Senator Blunt Outlines Common-Sense Health Care Solutions To Replace ObamaCare 12/18/13 - Video
‘Crunch Time’ for Health Care Enrollment – Video
#39;Crunch Time #39; for Health Care Enrollment
http://smarturl.it/AssociatedPress President Barack Obama says health insurance sign-ups have surged now that the government #39;s website is working better, but...
By: AssociatedPress
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Holiday health care, Medicaid rally targets Gov. Corbett – Video
Holiday health care, Medicaid rally targets Gov. Corbett
With just days to go before the holidays and the new year, people who are concerned about the personal impact of Pennsylvania Gov. Tob Corbett #39;s decisions ab...
By: WTAE-TV Pittsburgh
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Holiday health care, Medicaid rally targets Gov. Corbett - Video
Saudi Arabia announces 56th death from coronavirus; 3 new cases – Video
Saudi Arabia announces 56th death from coronavirus; 3 new cases
A Muslim pilgrim wears a mask as he arrives to perform evening prayers in Mecca #39;s Grand Mosque, on Oct 8, 2013, prior to the start of the annual hajj pilgrim...
By: TeleFunkNews
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Saudi Arabia announces 56th death from coronavirus; 3 new cases - Video
Feds extend health care sign up by one day
GWEN IFILL: Tonight, we get the latest on the health care exchanges and why the Obama administration is giving people another day to sign up. The deadline for new coverage that would take effect on January 1 was supposed to be midnight tonight, but the administration quietly pushed it back. That decision came as White House officials announced President Obama has himself signed up for a health plan.
Alex Wayne covers health care for Bloomberg News, and he joins us now.
So, what is the real reason that this is being pushed back, Alex?
ALEX WAYNE, Bloomberg News: Sure.
Well, the website the federal government has to sell insurance to people who need it saw more than a million visitors just today. And a lot of those visitors probably ran into the same screen that I ran into when I tried it a few times throughout the day, which was basically a holding screen that said very politely, look, we have too much traffic right now. Please wait until there's less traffic. And if you would give us an e-mail address, we will send you an e-mail in a few hours and you can come back when traffic subsides and sign up.
They don't want these people to go away without coverage. They want to make sure that all those people get the coverage they came to the website expecting to sign for. And so they are giving really everybody in the country another day, not just the folks who visit today.
RELATED INFORMATION
Health coverage deadlines changed to prevent insurance gaps
GWEN IFILL: So as long as you were there today and as long as you registered and got this -- signed up for this e-mail...
ALEX WAYNE: Yes.
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Deadline looms for Texans seeking health care
Health care workers and officials in Texas rushed to sign people up for health plans Monday as they faced a looming deadline for those buying coverage under the new federal health care law to have their plans kick in Jan. 1.
In Dallas and Houston, hundreds of people trained to assist with enrollment worked the day before Christmas Eve, forgoing a vacation day that many others enjoyed. Tuesday is the last day for those who want their insurance plans to go into effect on New Years Day.
We expect, just like we see on all deadline days, that well see a crush of people, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said, encouraging people to get online or call immediately to enroll.
Dont wait till late afternoon or nightfall when the biggest procrastinators will be clogging up the phones and the websites, Jenkins said.
About 25 percent of Texas residents, or some 6 million people, lack health insurance. It is the highest rate in the nation. Caring for those people costs millions of taxpayer dollars annually, officials said. So the opportunity to get them health insurance through President Barack Obamas signature law is key to lowering those costs, Jenkins said. About 14,000 Texans enrolled for coverage in October and November.
In Dallas and Houston, health care workers and nonprofit groups doing outreach to the uninsured held dozens of events in recent days. Many people wrongly believed they also had to pay on Monday for Jan. 1 coverage, so part of the job was explaining that payments were not due at the same time, said Mario Castillo, who is leading outreach and enrollment efforts in a 13-county region surrounding Houston for Enroll America, a nonprofit whose mission it is to get people coverage under the new law.
Enrolling Texans is crucial to the laws success. In Dallas County alone, Jenkins said, taxpayers spent some $685 million in 2012 to care for those who lack insurance, much more than the $430 million the county collected in hospital taxes.
But Texas Gov. Rick Perry, like many other conservative Republicans, has staunchly opposed the law. The state deferred to the federal government to set up Texas enrollment website, and it rejected federal funding to expand Medicaid. As a result, more than a million people could remain uninsured because they will not qualify for subsidized insurance under the exchange but will also earn too much to qualify for Medicaid in its current configuration in Texas.
Still, every person that gets coverage will help decrease the strain on the system.
Its key from a public health standpoint, and its the most important thing we can do economically to keep our taxes low and to keep our economy strong, Jenkins said.
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CNN Poll: Health care law support drops to all-time low
Washington (CNN) Support for the country's new health care law has dropped to a record low, according to a new national poll.
And a CNN/ORC International survey released Monday also indicates that most Americans predict that the Affordable Care Act will actually result in higher prices for their own medical care. CNN/ORC International survey full results
Only 35% of those questioned in the poll say they support the health care law, a 5-point drop in less than a month. Sixty-two percent say they oppose the law, up four points from November.
Nearly all of the newfound opposition is coming from women.
"Opposition to Obamacare rose six points among women, from 54% in November to 60% now, while opinion of the new law remained virtually unchanged among men," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "That's bad news for an administration that is reaching out to moms across the country in an effort to make Obamacare a success."
According to the survey, 43% say they oppose the health care law because it is too liberal, with 15% saying they give the measure a thumbs down because it is not liberal enough. That means half the public either favors Obamacare, or opposes it because it's not liberal enough, down four points from last month.
Sixty-three percent say they believe the new law will increase the amount of money they personally pay for medical care, which may not be a good sign for a law known as the "Affordable Care Act."
The survey also indicates that 42% say they will be personally worse off under Obamacare, with 16% saying the law will help them, and four in 10 saying it will have no effect on them.
Just over six in 10 say they believe they will be able to receive care from the same doctors that they now use, with 35% saying they will not be able to see the same doctors.
The Affordable Care Act, which is the signature domestic achievement for President Barack Obama, was passed along party lines in 2010, when Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. Since that passage, Republicans have fought to either repeal, defund, or severely restrict the law. A push by congressional conservatives to defund the law was the catalyst for October's 16-day long partial federal government shutdown, the first in nearly two decades.
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Poll: Health care law support hits new low
WASHINGTON (CNN) -
Support for the country's new health care law has dropped to a record low, according to a new national poll.
And a CNN/ORC International survey released Monday also indicates that most Americans predict that the Affordable Care Act will actually result in higher prices for their own medical care.
Only 35% of those questioned in the poll say they support the health care law, a 5-point drop in less than a month. Sixty-two percent say they oppose the law, up four points from November.
Nearly all of the newfound opposition is coming from women.
"Opposition to Obamacare rose six points among women, from 54% in November to 60% now, while opinion of the new law remained virtually unchanged among men," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "That's bad news for an administration that is reaching out to moms across the country in an effort to make Obamacare a success."
According to the survey, 43% say they oppose the health care law because it is too liberal, with 15% saying they give the measure a thumbs down because it is not liberal enough. That means half the public either favors Obamacare, or opposes it because it's not liberal enough, down four points from last month.
Sixty-three percent say they believe the new law will increase the amount of money they personally pay for medical care, which may not be a good sign for a law known as the "Affordable Care Act."
The survey also indicates that 42% say they will be personally worse off under Obamacare, with 16% saying the law will help them, and four in 10 saying it will have no effect on them.
Just over six in 10 say they believe they will be able to receive care from the same doctors that they now use, with 35% saying they will not be able to see the same doctors.
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Health care sign-up deadline extended to Tuesday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. Monday was supposed to be the deadline for health care enrollment, but those taking it down to the wire have been given a reprieve again. President Barack Obama pushed the deadline back one day to Tuesday for those seeking coverage effective on January 1st.
In the metro area, the Shepherd Center was a busy place where navigators dealt with back-to-back appointments and a rush of people wanting health care coverage. Jenny Gottsch graduated from college last weekend. Shes looking for a job and an affordable plan.
Ive been enrolled in programs before where it`s just been too expensive for me to pay, she said.
Jenny started the enrollment process on healthcare.gov, but said she needed help figuring out which plan is best for her.
Its supposed to be user-friendly, but I`m still confused as a 22-year-old. I`m still learning about all this stuff, she said.
George Mayer is a trained navigator, one of 80,000 in the country working to help people like Jenny.
We dont sell insurance. Were not employed by an insurance company. Were just here to help people get through the system, Mayer said.
The system had its share of problems. During the first two months of enrollment there were many hardware and software defects. Consumers were frustrated by error messages.
Early on the web site was very unstable, but things have gotten a lot better now and were signing up people every day, Mayer said.
George said it takes anywhere from 45 minutes to four-and-a half hours to enroll in a plan. It just depends on a clients personal situation. For Jenny, a young woman with a bright future, having coverage is a relief.
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