Health care website gets down time for repairs

It's not the sign that the Obama administration wants people to see on its health overhaul website: down for repairs.

Using overnight hours this weekend to debug the system, the Health and Human Service Department hoped to fix the technological problems that overwhelmed the launch of new health insurance markets. Glitches have frustrated millions of consumers unable to complete their applications.

Enrollment functions of the healthcare.gov site will be unavailable during off-peak hours this weekend, HHS said Friday. The department did not release a schedule for hours of operation, but a spokeswoman said the site would be taken down at 1 a.m. EDT each night for a few hours. The website will remain open for general information.

The enrollment function was back online at little before 8 a.m. EDT Saturday, but was working slowly because of heavy traffic.

"Please stay on this page," said a notice. "We're working to make the experience better, and we don't want you to lose your place in line. We'll send you to the login page as soon as we can."

There was no indication of how long the wait would be.

Credit card companies, banks and other online service providers regularly take down websites for repairs. That may also become a feature of the new insurance program.

An effort by congressional Republicans to defund or delay the health care law led to an impasse with Democrats over passing a budget bill, and that sparked a partial government shutdown Tuesday. Republicans quickly pointed to the website problems as another reason that the law they call "Obamacare" should be pulled back.

"Americans have seen once again that Obamacare is not ready for prime time," Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican, said in a statement Friday. "A dysfunctional website is the least of that law's problems."

The administration put the best face on the situation, noting the unexpectedly strong interest from millions of consumers.

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Health care website gets down time for repairs

Obama: Don't 'give up' on health care law

Charles Dharapak / AP

President Barack Obama speaks during an interview at the White House with The Associated Press on Friday.

By Julie Pace, Associated Press

Defending the shaky rollout of his health care law, 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.

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Obama: Don't 'give up' on health care law

Obama tells Americans not to 'give up' on problem-plagued health care program

Charles Dharapak / AP

President Barack Obama speaks during an interview at the White House with The Associated Press on Friday.

By Julie Pace, Associated Press

Defending the shaky rollout of his health care law, 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.

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Obama tells Americans not to 'give up' on problem-plagued health care program

Health care overhaul sees shaky start in Brazos County

The online marketplace for health insurance opened Tuesday, and local agencies are gearing up to help the residents of Brazos County without insurance to find coverage.

The first day for uninsured Texans to find health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act got off to a rocky start, with technical difficulties grinding the government health care website to a halt. While the website struggled to accommodate the online traffic, local offices and groups found the new market got off to a quiet start.

The Brazos Valley Community Action Agency and St. Joseph said there was little to no activity from residents wanting to explore the new health care options on the first day.

"It's Day One and this is a six-month open enrollment period, so if someone goes on the site or didn't try it today because they were confused about what it meant, that's absolutely OK," said Tim Ottinger, vice president of communications and marketing with St. Joseph. "There is a lot of time for them to become educated and informed about getting health insurance."

Much of the publicity for the new exchange marketplace and options for the uninsured is yet to come. HealthPoint, St. Joseph, Project Unity and the Brazos Valley Council of Governments are forming a coalition to coordinate efforts to share information and put people in contact with counselors in the community. There will also be presentations and plans to set up at different locations for people to get registered on site.

United Way of the Brazos Valley is also taking calls at 2-1-1 to help direct people who may have questions about the health care law.

Eric Todd, clinical CEO of HealthPoint, the health services division at BVCAA, said there will soon be a campaign to publicize an 800 phone number where residents can locate a counselor in the area who will walk them through their health care options.

HealthPoint has nine certified counselors who went through the federal training program to help prepare people to find their way through the online marketplace registration. Those counselors got between five and seven hours of training, and three more employees of HealthPoint are going to be certified this week. There are also navigators, who took about 30 hours of training and can help both individuals and small businesses extend insurance to their employees and take advantage of tax credits.

Ottinger said counselors will be available to sit down on site and talk about what kind of service might be appropriate. There are multiple levels of coverage depending on age, health, family size and financial situation, and the counselors will help determine which is the best option for each individual.

Some may opt for a lower copay and deductible with a higher monthly cost if they need a lot of health services, but someone who is relatively healthy and won't often seek medical attention may go for a higher copay for a lower monthly cost.

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Health care overhaul sees shaky start in Brazos County

Government Shutdown Nears As House Picks New Gambit Targeting Health Care – Video


Government Shutdown Nears As House Picks New Gambit Targeting Health Care
Government Shutdown Nears As House Picks New Gambit Targeting Health Care Thwarted by the U.S. Senate #39;s insistence on funding the government without attachin...

By: WochitGeneralNews

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Government Shutdown Nears As House Picks New Gambit Targeting Health Care - Video

Nurses, Health Care Workers Picket Over Staffing Levels

Funding health care has becoming a national issue with the implementation of President Obama's health care plan; but the timing is a coincidence.

Tuesday, dozens of nurses and health care workers picked up their signs and bullhorns and took their argument to the streets outside Deaconess Hospital in Spokane and Valley Hospital in Spokane Valley: "put patient care first and restore safe staffing levels."

Registered Nurse and Service Employees International Union member Angela Crigger was among them. She told KHQ the hospital ratio used to be one nurse to four or five patients, but now it's one to six. While that may not sound like a huge change, she says the effect is compounded because aides and support staff have been cut on top of that.

"Now some days we don't have an aid, we don't have secretaries to answer the phone, sometimes there are two nurses on the entire floor," Crigger explained.

She went to Olympia to testify before the Health Care and Wellness committee a few months ago and also says hospital officials are violating Washington law (RCW 70.41.420) by not going through the safe-staffing committee when making ratio adjustments.

Also at Tuesday's picket was Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart. He told KHQ he recently met with a few doctors when one told him, "I hate sending my patients to Valley Hospital because of all the cuts they've had."

"That's what you have when you have a for-profit system, you continually cut back in order to make profits, but patients suffer when that happens, when we cut nurses on the front lines," Stuckart added.

Hospital administrators provided this written statement in response to the picketing:

"Deaconess Hospital is operating as usual today and our top priority is the care and safety of our patients, employees and visitors. All inpatient, outpatient and emergency services are available and all surgeries and diagnostic procedures are continuing as scheduled."

The two sides are scheduled to come together again tomorrow for collective bargaining.

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Nurses, Health Care Workers Picket Over Staffing Levels

McLaren Health Care Names New Chief Operating Officer

FLINT, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

McLaren Health Care has hired Michael Taylor as executive vice president/chief operating officer to help administer all hospital and related subsidiary operations across the entire organization. More particularly, Taylor will work to establish systemwide goals in relation to quality outcomes, patient-experience initiatives and financial performance, as well as develop and carry out plans and policies in collaboration with McLaren leadership. When appropriate, he will also serve as a liaison between McLaren Health Care and various community, public and governmental organizations.

Adding Michael Taylor as chief operating officer to the McLaren team was a natural step in our organizations progression, said Phil Incarnati, president and CEO of McLaren Health Care. As we continue to grow and expand, Michaels more than 30 years of experience as a hospital system executive will allow him to help facilitate the integration of each of our subsidiaries with an eye toward operational efficiencies and exceptional quality standards.

Taylor most recently served as senior vice president for Dignity Health Sacramento, part of Dignity Health, a San Francisco-based not-for-profit health care system of 40 hospitals with annual net revenues exceeding $11 billion. In this role, he oversaw eight general acute care hospitals and two specialty hospitals in the Sacramento region, reducing regional costs by $74 million through integration and consolidation strategies.

Prior to Dignity Health, Taylor served as senior vice president, operations, for Baylor Health Care System, a not-for-profit system located in Dallas, Texas, with 14 hospitals and annual system revenues of $3.8 billion. He has also held executive administrative positions at MedCath, Inc., in Tucson, Ariz.; Oakwood Healthcare in Dearborn, Mich.; and Deaconess Service Corporation in Evansville, Ind.

Im extremely excited about joining McLaren Health Care, said Taylor. McLaren provides services to an impressive market, and based upon data relative to quality outcomes, patient experiences and economics, the organization has produced exceptional results. All of this indicates that McLaren is moving in the right direction and allows for future opportunities.

Originally from the Richmond, Va., area, Taylor earned a bachelors degree in health care management from the Medical College of Virginia. He also holds a masters degree in management from Purdue University and a masters degree in public administration from the University of Southern California. He is a fellow of the American College of Health Care Administrators and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Taylor and his wife, Maureen, will reside in Fenton, Mich.

About McLaren Health Care

With headquarters in Flint, Mich., McLaren Health Care is one of the largest health care providers in the state with a system that reaches more than half of Michigan residents through more than 200 locations, 17,400 employees and 21,000 network physicians. McLaren Health Care had net revenues of $2.5 billion in 2012 and has achieved double-digit growth each year since 1989. The nonprofit system includes medical centers in Bay City, Flint, Lapeer, Lansing, Mount Clemens, Mount Pleasant, Petoskey and Pontiac. Additional health care services are provided at McLaren Clarkston; McLaren Bay Special Care in Bay City; McLaren Orthopedic Hospital in Lansing; and McLaren Proton Therapy Center in Flint. McLaren Health Care also operates McLaren Medical Group, an employed physician network; McLaren Homecare Group, an award-winning home health, hospice and medical supplies provider; McLaren Health Plan, a licensed HMO offering benefit plans for commercial businesses and Medicaid recipients; and McLaren Cancer Institute, the largest cancer care network of its kind in the state. For more information, visit mclaren.org.

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McLaren Health Care Names New Chief Operating Officer

Health care website experiences glitch

The Affordable Care Act launched Tuesday, but many page visitors saw error messages

A federally operated website designed to help people choose health care plans under the Affordable Care Act experienced some glitches on its opening day.

Many who visited http://www.healthcare.gov saw error messages, most of which resulted from the high traffic to the site, said Jeremiah Samples, assistant to the secretary for the state Department of Health and Human Resources.

Some error messages told visitors an account had not been created yet. Others said a timeout had occurred or that the site was experiencing high traffic, Samples said.

However, the state website, http://www.wvinroads.org, which was meant to help state residents determine their eligibility for different kinds of assistance, had a good launch, Samples said.

Residents can use the state site to determine whether they qualify for programs like Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, long-term care, Medicare Premium Assistance, cash assistance/work training, home energy assistance and school clothing vouchers.

Ineligible residents are directed to the federal website.

In the last two weeks, about 45,000 West Virginians signed up for automatic enrollment in the Medicaid program, according to The Associated Press.

"No major problems as of yet have been identified," Samples said. "We are early into the process but I'm not hearing any major issues taking place in state offices."

Other organizations in the state also offered a helping hand to understand the new health care exchange marketplace or the Medicaid expansion.

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Health care website experiences glitch

McLaren Health Care Hires New Chief Information Officer

FLINT, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

McLaren Health Care has named Ron Strachan as chief information officer to manage systemwide information technology functions. Strachans role will involve determining short- and long-term IT needs for McLaren and implementing an overall strategy with regard to computer and systems development, hardware acquisition, and integration.

The realities of the new market economy in health care coupled with technical medical advances, new federal and state regulations, and the need to integrate technology throughout the McLaren system to benefit our patients, physicians and staff demand that we have expert IT talent, said Phil Incarnati, president and CEO of McLaren Health Care. Ron Strachan has an excellent track record of implementing technology in innovative yet affordable ways in his previous positions. Hell be an asset to the McLaren system as we continue to grow and expand.

With nearly 30 years of experience, Strachan most recently served as network chief information officer for Indianapolis-based Community Network Health, a nonprofit health system with more than 200 sites of care and affiliates throughout central Indiana. In this role, he oversaw more than 150 IT professionals and led the efforts that earned the organization multiple Health Cares Most Wired awards.

Additionally, Strachan has held similar positions at WellStar Health System in Marietta, Ga.; HealthEast Care System in St. Paul, Minn.; Matria Healthcare in Marietta, Ga.; and Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio. While employed at WellStar Health System, he was twice named a finalist for the Georgia CIO of the Year award, presented by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.

Im thrilled to be joining McLaren Health Care, said Strachan. Its a strong health care system that has remarkable geographic reach across Michigan and beyond. Through the years, Ive paid close attention to the organizations growth and have been highly impressed with its ability to provide exceptional clinical care while remaining fiscally solvent.

A native of Lincoln Park, Mich., Strachan earned a bachelors degree in business administration from Davenport University in Dearborn, Mich. He also holds a masters degree in administration from Central Michigan University. He has been a member of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society since 1993.

Strachan and his wife, Chris, plan to relocate from Indiana to Michigan.

About McLaren Health Care

With headquarters in Flint, Mich., McLaren Health Care is annually recognized as one of the top integrated health networks in the nation. McLaren is one of the largest health care providers in the state with a system that reaches more than half of Michigan residents through more than 200 locations, 17,400 employees and 21,000 network physicians. McLaren Health Care had net revenues of $2.5 billion in 2012 and has achieved double-digit growth each year since 1989. The nonprofit system includes medical centers in Bay City, Flint, Lapeer, Lansing, Mount Clemens, Mount Pleasant, Petoskey and Pontiac. Additional health care services are provided at McLaren Clarkston; McLaren Bay Special Care in Bay City; McLaren Orthopedic Hospital in Lansing; and McLaren Proton Therapy Center in Flint. McLaren Health Care also operates McLaren Medical Group, an employed physician network; McLaren Homecare Group, an award-winning home health, hospice and medical supplies provider; McLaren Health Plan, a licensed HMO offering benefit plans for commercial businesses and Medicaid recipients; and McLaren Cancer Institute, the largest cancer care network of its kind in the state. For more information, visit mclaren.org.

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McLaren Health Care Hires New Chief Information Officer