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Category Archives: Health Care

Health care costs: Flexible spending accounts get more flexible

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Quick links to other pages on this site | Still can't find it? see Site Index AP/FileTreasury Secretary Jacob Lew

Opinion

The federal governments balky new online health care apparatus is catching its fair share of flak.

Flex facts

Flexible spending account background: Employers arent required to offer flexible spending accounts. For those that do, workers decide during their benefits enrollment period how much pretax pay to contribute for the next year, up to $2,500. A debit card is used to draw from the account for qualified expenses. Experts suggest keeping all receipts in the event of an audit.

No hoarding: Under the looser rules, the most that can be carried over is $500. That way, the maximum in any year wont exceed $3,000.

Pick one: Employers now can offer either a 2.5-month grace period, the 12-month $500 carryover or no grace period at all.

On the web: tinyurl.com/mrz3jgr

Theres no such squabbling about a lesser-known change it recently made to the old system, to a program based on the quaint notion of saving for a rainy day.

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced Oct. 31 theyre now offering a new option to the use-it-or-lose-it rule for flexible spending accounts that some employers offer.

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Health care costs: Flexible spending accounts get more flexible

Health Care Law Troubles Give Boost To Republicans

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WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) The health care law's seemingly endless problems are giving congressional Republicans a much-needed boost of energy, helping them to move past the government-shutdown debacle and focus on a theme for next year's elections.

Republicans are back on offense, and more quickly than many had expected, after seeing their approval ratings plunge during last month's partial shutdown and worrisome talk of a possible U.S. debt default.

They pillory administration officials at Capitol Hill hearings. They cite the millions of people getting dropped by insurers despite President Barack Obama's promise that it wouldn't happen. They harp on the program's flawed enrollment process.

Now they're relishing Obama's apology to those who are losing health insurance plans he had repeatedly said they could keep.

"If the president is truly sorry for breaking his promises to the American people, he'll do more than just issue a halfhearted apology on TV," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement.

Republicans once pinned their health care criticisms largely on computer glitches in the application and enrollment process. Today, they're accusing Obama and congressional Democrats of much worse, including deceit and incompetence.

Conservative groups are pouring money into ad campaigns reminding voters that many Democrats had promised Americans they could keep their current insurance policies if they wanted. In particular, Republicans hope these efforts will help them with women, who tend to vote Democratic and often make health care decisions for their families and in-laws.

In the 2014 elections, "this is going to be a big issue, and it's not going away," said Daniel Scarpinato of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Democrats who voted for Obamacare," he said, "are pretty desperately running around with their hair on fire, trying to distance themselves, which they're not going to be able to do."

The White House says canceled policies can be replaced with better coverage, sometimes at lower prices. What the administration doesn't emphasize is that better coverage often costs more, and those looking for new policies may not qualify for the tax subsidies available under the new law.

Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for the GOP's top Senate campaign group, acknowledged that Republicans took a hit last month when an angry public blamed them for the 16-day partial government shutdown.

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Health Care Law Troubles Give Boost To Republicans

Travel Story – Ep06C02 Korean Health Care Service and Namsangol Hanok Village – Video

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Travel Story - Ep06C02 Korean Health Care Service and Namsangol Hanok Village
Subscribe:http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=arirangkorean Last Dream of Korean War Veteran Sometimes even the life of one person can serve ...

By: ARIRANG KOREAN

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Travel Story - Ep06C02 Korean Health Care Service and Namsangol Hanok Village - Video

Grants fuel health care expansion

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Two area health care agencies are getting federal grants to create new clinics in Lemoore and Riverdale.

United Health Centers of San Joaquin Valley and the Avenal Community Health Center are getting a total of $1.35 million to increase access to health care in rural communities.

Were excited and pleased to get the grant, said David Phillips, director of community development for United Health Centers of San Joaquin Valley. This is something that the community definitely needs.

Phillips said their grant of $700,000 will be used to create a new center in Lemoore that will include medical, dental, optometry, lab and x-ray services. The new center would be able to serve nearly 8,000 additional patients.

The organization has a little over two years to complete the project. United Health Centers, which is based out of Parlier, already has a Corcoran center in Kings County.

We researched and found that Lemoore is one of the communities with the greatest health-care needs, he said. This grant is going to provide great opportunities for access and quality health care.

Avenal Community Health Center is using its $650,000 grant to develop a new clinic in Riverdale staffed with nine employees that will be able to serve about 2,300 patients.

Were thrilled that we were chosen for the grant, said CEO John Blaine. This is a big plus in supporting the farm community of Riverdale.

The new clinic will offer primary medical care supported by nursing staff. Blaine said he wants a temporary, mobile clinic up and running within four months. Once that is completed, they will work on finding or building a permanent location for the clinic.

I know it will go a long way in providing health care to the community, he said.

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Grants fuel health care expansion

Health care act hits home for small businesses

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For Marty Smith, co-owner of a small accounting firm in Charlotte, the Affordable Care Act means less money for training and new technology.

For financial adviser Richard Joyce, it means not hiring any more part-time employees, working longer days and filing more paperwork.

And for Rick Seifert, owner of the Pest Control Authority, it means administrative headaches and group insurance premiums potentially three times higher than last years.

None of these small-business owners is subject to the new health laws employer mandate. That provision, which starts in 2015, will require owners of businesses with 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees to offer workers health insurance or pay a fine.

But like many small-business owners, the health care overhaul already has brought complications and higher premiums and a hit to their bottom line.

Small businesses have an outsized effect on the economy: In Mecklenburg County, for instance, 97 percent of all employers have fewer than 100 workers. So their experience with the Affordable Care Act will have a major impact on how the law plays out.

Its been mass chaos and confusion, Seifert said. Everything has changed so fast. I dont even know how to play the game.

Among North Carolina companies with fewer than 50 employees, just under one-third offer health insurance, according to 2011 figures from the Department of Health and Human Services. Those that do so say it helps them attract top talent and encourages employees to stick around longer. But it comes at a price: In general, its their second-biggest expense, behind payroll.

Those companies now face a choice: offer a group medical plan, subsidize employees plans on the new individual exchange, or stop coverage altogether and risk seeing employees walk away.

And according to many small-business owners, the higher premiums are making the last two options more attractive.

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Health care act hits home for small businesses

Health care leaders strive to connect more with community

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Saturday, November 9, 2013 10:26 PM EST

By SCOTT WHIPPLE STAFF WRITER

NEW BRITAIN Health care change is coming, and whether we like it or not, we want to be leaders of that change, to be proactive rather than reactive.

That is the message from Lucille Janatka, president of Hartford HealthCares new Central Region, which includes The Hospital of Central Connecticut and the MidState Medical Center in Meriden. Janatka is now chief executive of both facilities and retains oversight of VNA HealthCare and Connecticut Senior Health Services.

Introducing her management team this week at HOCC, Janatka stressed that in restructuring, HHC can become a leader in health care transformation while delivering high-quality care efficiently at a lower cost.

HHC made the strategic decision in September to keep ahead of health care changes by creating three regions in the state East, Central and Hartford. Hartford HealthCare, parent organization of Hospital of Central Connecticut, is a health care network with more than 16,000 employees and $2 billion in net revenue.

We wanted to better immerse ourselves in the communities we serve and transform health care delivery statewide, explained Jeff Flaks, HHCs new chief operating officer. As COO he is responsible for the three regions and its system-wide service lines.

Members of the Central Region management team are:

/ Carolyn Freiheit, Hartford HealthCare regional vice president, finance. Most recently, Freiheit was vice president and chief financial officer for The Hospital of Central Connecticut. Before that, she was director of finance at HOCC.

/ Mary Morgan, Hartford HealthCare regional vice president, human resources. Morgan, formerly vice president of human resources at The Hospital of Central Connecticut, joined the former New Britain General Hospital in 1999 and has served in various human resources positions, including director.

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Health care leaders strive to connect more with community

John R. Hogness Symposium on Health Care SLIM by Design: Scientific Approaches to Eating – Video

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John R. Hogness Symposium on Health Care SLIM by Design: Scientific Approaches to Eating
Leading behavioral economist, food psychologist, and best-selling author Brian Wansink introduces groundbreaking solutions for our schools, restaurants, groc...

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John R. Hogness Symposium on Health Care SLIM by Design: Scientific Approaches to Eating - Video

Obama Pushes Health Care on Ted Cruz’s Home Turf: ‘Not a Lot of Logic’ From Anti-Obamacare Crowd – Video

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Obama Pushes Health Care on Ted Cruz #39;s Home Turf: #39;Not a Lot of Logic #39; From Anti-Obamacare Crowd
11/6/13 - President Obama spoke in Dallas, Texas tonight to promote Obamacare in Ted Cruz #39;s backyard. Obama defended the health care law from critics, pushed...

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Obama Pushes Health Care on Ted Cruz's Home Turf: 'Not a Lot of Logic' From Anti-Obamacare Crowd - Video


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