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Category Archives: Health Care

Health care reform and the opportunities for startups

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A key provision of the Affordable Care Act is going into effect as statewide insurance exchanges opened up around the country.

But thats just the latest in a series of changes to theU.S. health care system that will open up new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

With the passing of theHealth Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Actin 2009, doctors got new incentives to move from paper-based to digital systems. As a result, investors poured funding into new electronic medical record providers, like CareCloud and Practice Fusion.Since then, doctors use of electronic systems has shot up in May, the department of Health and Human Services announced that doctors and hospitals use of health IT has nearly doubled since 2012.

Smart entrepreneurs are paying equally close attention to the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare). Weve already seen new companies form to offer private health insurance exchanges so consumers can shop for affordable care. These exchanges are open for business today, Oct. 1, enabling individuals to sign up online, by phone, or in-person, with health insurance coverage starting next year.

However, top health investors are thinking about the long-term impacts of the ACA, the biggest expansion in coverage in nearly 50 years. I caught up with investors from Emergence Capital, Venrock, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Google Ventures at a health IT dinner earlier this week to discuss new opportunities for health-tech entrepreneurs.

Heres what these expert investors think are the hot areas for health-tech startups to focus on.

A Boston-based health care system, Partners Healthcare, invested ina new suite of devices and tools to monitor patients at home and on the go. The connected health program was an expensive endeavor, but Partners reported promising early results.

Partners may be among the first to experiment with a connected health initiative, but it certainly wont be the last. The goal of the ACA is to help hospitals move from volume-based care to value-based care, meaning that doctors wont make money by ordering expensive tests. Instead, physicians will be motivated to keep patients healthy and prevent readmissions to the hospital.

Doctors in the Partners network use new devices that can track and monitor patients at home. According to a recent estimate by Rock Health, investors have already poured $102 million into the development of these new devices.

Entrepreneurs are building some seriously cool devices totrack body metrics, like a patients blood pressure and heart rate. Patients with chronic conditions, like diabetes, are purchasing glucometers, blood pressure cuffs, smart Wi-Fi scales, and pulse oximeters. Check out InformationWeeks list of the most promising remote patient monitoring devices.

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Health care reform and the opportunities for startups

Health care hikes put herbs in the spotlight

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With rising costs in health care, families are paying more out of pocket for doctor visits and common medications.

Today, a trip to the doctor for the common cold can set you back an average of $740, before insurance deductions. Analysts say that health care costs will continue to rise, and reforms tied to the Affordable Care Act could mean a 32 percent cost increase for families across the board.

In order to cut back, families are considering more natural remedies to soothe ailments, making alternative medicine more popular then ever.

Clinical herbalist, Maria Groves, of Wintergreen Botanicals, LLC, in Allentstown, N.H., teaches families how to use home-grown herbs for their everyday needs and said that more families are interested in herbal remedies then ever before.

The idea of getting things back into their own hands was really important," said Groves. "And being able to cut down costs in the long run, being able to take care of themselves and their families was really important and herbs do really well for mostcommon illnesses.

Groves also said that using herbal remedies may be better for you than most common medications you can find at the drug store, but noted that it's important you do your research before administering any herbal remedies to yourself or your family.

Herbs, I think, are much more effective than over-the-counter remedies.," said Groves. "Most over-the-counter remedies are just masking symptoms, and usually they are suppressing the immune system. So in the long run, they are making you feel more comfortable, but they are not actually helping.

As cold and flu season approaches, Groves noted that there are several herbs that are safe and effective for the whole family, including elderberry.

What elderberry seems to do is block out those receptor sites that viruses use to get into the body, she said.

Using the right herbal treatments can be an easy, inexpensive and effective way to save a trip to the doctor and time sitting in the waiting room with other sick patients.

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Health care hikes put herbs in the spotlight

Health care providers raise concerns about KanCare

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Topeka A long line of health care providers today appeared before a legislative committee to complain about problems under KanCare, the privately run managed-care program that provides medical services to nearly 400,000 Kansans.

Hospitals across the state have complained about delays in payments and unwarranted claim denials from the three private insurance companies that run the program. And prior authorization requirements for treatments have in some cases created significant delays in patient care, health officials have said.

But state officials and representatives of the companies said many of the concerns are being addressed and that some problems were inevitable in the transition to KanCare, which is administered by three private insurance companies: Amerigroup Kansas Inc., Sunflower State Health Plan and United Healthcare Community Plan of Kansas.

"Claims are being overpaid, underpaid and in some areas, not being paid at all," Tom Bell, president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Hospital Association, told members of the House-Senate oversight committee on KanCare, which held its first meeting.

Lawrence Memorial Hospital, however, has reported not running into similar problems with KanCare.

Cindy Luxem, chief executive officer of the Kansas Health Care Association, said nursing homes were having serious problems with KanCare.

"There has been a huge administrative price to pay with the new systems. These are dollars and resources not being used for patient care, not going into the quality of care for our residents," Luxem said.

But several health care groups said while there have been serious concerns, they acknowledged that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment was working hard to address them.

Kari Bruffett, director of the Division of Health Care Finance at KDHE, said the agency and the managed care organizations were making progress on resolving problems.

Jean Rumbaugh, chief executive officer of Sunflower State Health Plan, said the company was taking steps to ensure improved care.

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Health care providers raise concerns about KanCare

Is Obamacare slowing health care spending?

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Health care spending is at record lows, but should Obamacare get credit?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Myth: Obamacare has slowed health care spending growth.

Reality: President Obama likes to stress that health care spending has fallen to record lows in recent years thanks in part to Obamacare.

It's true that after years of skyrocketing increases, America's health care spending growth has slowed to record lows. The Office of the Actuary in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported earlier this year that national health spending grew by 3.9% each year from 2009 to 2011, the lowest rate of growth since the federal government began keeping such statistics in 1960, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But is Obamacare the reason?

Not entirely, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and Altarum Institute, a health research group. They concluded that about three-quarters of the slowdown is due to the lackluster economy. The rest stems from efforts to keep spending down, including measures introduced in the 2010 health reform law, commonly known as Obamacare.

Share your story: Are you signing up for Obamacare?

People spend less on health care in weak economic times. Those who lose their jobs often lose coverage and hold off on seeing the doctor. Even workers with company-sponsored plans may still face large out-of-pocket costs that they'd rather avoid unless absolutely necessary.

Companies have tried to curb their spending, too, by raising deductibles and co-pays, as well moving toward high-deductible plans, through which enrollees must typically spend a few thousand dollars before coverage kicks in. A growing number of companies have also instituted disease management or wellness efforts that aim to cut costs by keeping workers healthier.

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Is Obamacare slowing health care spending?

Hannity, Pascrell Have Shouting Match Over Health Care Subsidies for Congress – Video

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Hannity, Pascrell Have Shouting Match Over Health Care Subsidies for Congress
Sean Hannity tells Rep Bill Pascrell he #39;s full of crap for denying that there #39;s a special subsidy for Congress in Obamacare that #39;s not available to average A...

By: WashingtonFreeBeacon

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Hannity, Pascrell Have Shouting Match Over Health Care Subsidies for Congress - Video

Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services | Your Business Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services – Video

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Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services | Your Business Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services
Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services | Your Business Here| Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services call us now for this spot 4125856979 Are you looking fo...

By: Bill Walsh

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Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services | Your Business Scottsdale AZ Home Health Care Services - Video

Community Mental Health Care Not for Everyone

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For immediate release:

Community Mental Health Care Not for Everyone The way in which patients with serious mental illnesses are managed in the community is being questioned in the wake of two murder sentences in the last seven days.

Paul Gottermeyer received a life sentence with a ten year non-parole period and Geoffrey Tampin escaped conviction by reason of insanity in decisions handed down last week.

Both men were receiving community care as mental health outpatients at the time of the murders.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust has called into question the adequacy of care both men received in the period leading up to the murders and cites lack of resources as a major contributing factor in these homicides and others like them.

These are not isolated incidents, says Graeme Moyle, Trust spokesman on mental health issues. A pattern is emerging of inadequate community care of the seriously mentally ill and we are only going to see more deaths as a result unless those entrusted with this care take ownership of the situation.

Police are being called to incidents involving mentally unwell patients on average, 30 times a day, St John responds to about 10 such incidents a day Clearly some patients cannot cope and need long term secure care, Mr Moyle says. This is not a call to a return to the days of large wholesale incarceration of anyone suspected of being mentally ill, but an acknowledgement that some people are just unable to manage, unsupervised in the community.

The pendulum has swung too far and those with the most need cannot access the treatment they require until a tragedy occurs.

The shame in all this is that those responsible for this care remain silent when a homicide of this nature occurs.

District Health Boards need to be investigated, independently, after any such incident, just as the Police are, Moyle says, By investigating and then accepting some responsibility in these cases perhaps lessons can be drawn upon to prevent repeat failures and unnecessary deaths.

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Community Mental Health Care Not for Everyone

Be Our Guest: Expand health care marketplace access to non-English speakers

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Gary He for New York Daily News

As an example of the diversity of languages in New York City, Samyah Mohamed, owner of Avenue U Candy, Deli & Grocery in Brooklyn, shows off all the different language newspapers sold at his newsstand.

While Obamacare is intended to improve access to health care around the country, many immigrants and Limited English Proficient persons in New York may be left out.

Last week, the New York State Department of Health debuted its Health Plan Marketplace, an organized marketplace designed to help people shop for and enroll in health insurance coverage. Individuals, families and small businesses will be able to use this service to check their eligibility to programs such as Medicaid. However, the Marketplace has failed to take necessary steps to ensure access for immigrants and New Yorkers with limited English language proficiency. But with relatively straightforward changes, the state can maximize the benefits of the Health Plan Marketplace and increase access to health care for all New Yorkers.

One area in which the Marketplace fails to adequately serve immigrant communities is language access. For example, the enrollment application on the Marketplace website is only available in English, while 36% of New Yorkers who could potentially visit the site to enroll in a plan speak a language other than English.

We applaud the state for recently publishing a number of factsheets in seven different languages. However, there is an urgent need to translate the application itself. Although the state has announced plans to translate the Marketplace application into other languages, it has yet to provide a detailed timeline or concrete plan for doing so. While there is a call center available to assist consumers with limited English proficiency, there are no taglines in other languages directing non-English speakers to the call center. Without access to the translated application, many of these New Yorkers risk missing out on the benefits of the Marketplace.

In addition to limited language access, the Marketplace has little to no information about free or low-cost options that are available to all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status, including sliding fees at federally qualified health centers .

However, the Marketplace has an incredible opportunity to serve as a go-to hub for all health coverage-related information, both for those who qualify and those who may be ineligible to participate.

A critical example of the Marketplaces potential for increasing access to information is Emergency Medicaid. Earlier this year, the Department of Health issued a new directive allowing for prequalification for Emergency Medicaid, which provides emergency treatment for individuals not eligible for Medicaid due to their immigration status. Unfortunately, many patients and even some providers were not even aware of the existence of this program, causing patients in need of vital emergency care to go untreated or be burdened with huge bills unnecessarily. By allowing immigrants to prequalify before they experience an emergency, the state is increasing access to emergency medical care and ensuring that hospitals receive reimbursements for the care they provide.

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Be Our Guest: Expand health care marketplace access to non-English speakers

Local agencies assisting Chesco residents with health care reform rollout

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With the rollout of the Affordable Care Acts open enrollment beginning today, local health care representatives are working to help Chester County residents navigate the new federal insurance marketplace amid fears that the new health care reform law itself presents problems.

Beginning Oct. 1, anyone without access to affordable health care can begin to apply to buy insurance through the federal marketplace. The marketplace will remain opened until March 31, 2014, and after that citizens can enroll only if affected by a major life event such as a job loss, birth, marriage or divorce.

Those on Medicare do not need to replace their coverage with insurance provided on the marketplace, according to the federal government.

Also, those who receive insurance through their employer may want to shop the marketplace to see their options, experts say, but likely they will receive better options through their plan at work.

Rather, the open enrollment will mostly affect those who are uninsured or under-insured, and local agencies indicate they want to help applicants navigate the new system.

According to Paula Sunshine, vice president for consumer sales and marketing for Independence Blue Cross, the insurer has been spending a lot of time preparing for the marketplace to open.

Weve been at this for a year and a half to prepare people, said Sunshine. Our primary goal is to make sure that people in the marketplace are educated.

According to Sunshine, Independence Blue Cross has named three things consumers should know for the start of open enrollment. The first, she said, is the timeline of the Affordable Care Act, which allows people to shop on the marketplace for six months, from Oct. 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014. Those wanting insurance coverage starting Jan. 1, 2014, must submit an application by Dec. 15.

The second priority, Sunshine said, is for consumers to understand what is going to be available under the plans in the marketplace. She said every carrier has the same basic layout and fit into four metallic tiers: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Premiums will be highest under the platinum plan, but will have the lowest out-of-pocket expenses. According to Sunshine, all of the plans will cover the same basic essential health benefits determined by the government including hospitalization, mental health care and maternity care services.

No matter what type of plan you pick, the benefits are all the same, said Sunshine. The difference is going to be premium costs and how much you actually pay when you go to access health care. Continued...

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Local agencies assisting Chesco residents with health care reform rollout

Obama: Americans 'definitely shouldn't give up' on troubled health care law

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WASHINGTON -- Defending the shaky rollout of his health care law, U.S. President Barack Obama said frustrated Americans "definitely shouldn't give up" on the problem-plagued program now at the heart of his dispute with Republicans over reopening the federal government.

Obama said public interest far exceeded the government's expectations, causing technology glitches that thwarted millions of Americans when trying to use government-run health care websites.

"Folks are working around the clock and have been systematically reducing the wait times," he said.

The federal gateway website was taken down for repairs over the weekend, again hindering people from signing up for insurance.

Obama, in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, also disclosed that U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iran continues to be a year or more away from having the capability to make a nuclear weapon. That assessment is at odds with Israel, which contends Tehran is on a faster course toward a bomb.

He expressed optimism about the blossoming diplomacy between his administration and Iran's new president, but said the U.S. would not accept a "bad deal" on the Islamic republic's nuclear program.

The president spoke to the AP on Friday, four days into a partial shutdown of the federal government that has forced 800,000 people off the job, closed national parks and curbed many government services.

Obama reiterated his opposition to negotiating with House Republicans to end the shutdown or raise the nation's debt ceiling.

"There are enough votes in the House of Representatives to make sure that the government reopens today," he said. "And I'm pretty willing to bet that there are enough votes in the House of Representatives right now to make sure that the United States doesn't end up being a deadbeat."

On other points, Obama:

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Obama: Americans 'definitely shouldn't give up' on troubled health care law


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