Arkansas received great news this week regarding our states groundbreaking initiative to improve the quality of health care while reducing its costs.

After two years of discussions with federal officials about our innovative ideas to revamp health care, Arkansas will receive a $42 million State Innovation Model grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We were competing against other states for this grant, and Arkansas was one of only six states selected to receive this funding.

While the money will be important for our work in the coming years, this grant is also an announcement to the country that Arkansas is building a model that the federal government believes will work.

The system we are creating in Arkansas will reward physicians for providing high-quality care with good patient outcomes, and will provide those patients with more personalized services. They will receive the types of services that our current fee-for-service payment system is not built to include. We think patients, particularly those with chronic conditions, should have more individualized care that will reduce the need for repeated hospital admissions and will create better health outcomes for them.

As weve begun putting the initiative into place, we have focused on finding the most successful and cost-effective practices in treating a small number of diagnoses. Physicians who see good episode-of-care outcomes with such practices will be eligible for incentives from the State.

As 2013 progresses, we will add more areas of care to the initiative.

Over the next few years, another part of our payment-reform initiative will focus more directly on helping certain patients avoid costly conditions while helping others manage chronic diseases. This concept is called a medical home, with different providers coordinating to present a comprehensive, team-based approach to care. In the current fee-for-service system, there are no incentives for providers to follow up with a patient who has been recently released from the hospital. Phone consultations can be difficult to obtain because of the nature of physicians schedules and because the payment system doesnt compensate for them.

The medical home model encourages these measures.

A nurse can follow up with a patient recovering from surgery to ensure that they are taking their medications and not experiencing adverse symptoms.

A doctor can more easily take a call from a concerned patient to determine whether or not an office or hospital visit is needed before the patient travels to a medical facility. This can help prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations, and is often more convenient and less costly both to patients and to taxpayers.

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Health Care: Sensible and Affordable

WASHINGTON (AP) Buying your own health insurance will never be the same.

This fall, new insurance markets called exchanges will open in each state, marking the long-awaited and much-debated debut of President Barack Obamas health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybodys guess from bureaucracy, confusion and indifference to seamless service and satisfied customers.

Exchanges will offer individuals and their families a choice of private health plans resembling what workers at major companies already get. The government will help many middle-class households pay their premiums, while low-income people will be referred to safety-net programs they might qualify for.

Most people will go online to pick a plan when open enrollment starts Oct. 1. Counselors will be available at call centers and in local communities, too. Some areas will get a storefront operation or kiosks at the mall. Translation to Spanish and other languages spoken by immigrants will be provided.

When you pick a plan, youll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If youre a woman, you cant be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They cant be charged more than three times what younger customers pay, compared with six times or seven times today.

If all this sounds too good to be true, remember that nothing in life is free and change isnt easy.

Starting Jan. 1, 2014, when coverage takes effect in the exchanges, virtually everyone in the country will be required by law to have health insurance or face fines. The mandate is meant to get everybody paying into the insurance pool.

Obamas law is called the Affordable Care Act, but some people in the new markets might experience sticker shock over their premiums. Smokers will face a financial penalty. Younger, well-to-do people who havent seen the need for health insurance may not be eligible for income-based assistance with their premiums.

Many people, even if they get government help, will find that health insurance still doesnt come cheaply. Monthly premiums will be less than the mortgage or rent, but maybe more than a car loan. The coverage, however, will be more robust than most individual plans currently sold.

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Health care changes coming in the fall

Moss Adams Webinar: Health Care Reform - An Employer Perspective
Presented February 14th, 2013 by Chris Rivard, Rob Grannum and Brian Connor. See the flash based webinar, with supporting documents and slides here: bit.ly

By: MossAdamsLLP

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Moss Adams Webinar: Health Care Reform - An Employer Perspective - Video

Topeka Allowing more low-income people to get health coverage will save lives and boost the economy, health care providers said Friday as they urged legislators to reject a resolution that says Kansas isn't interested in expanding Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act.

But several Republican legislators supported the resolution, saying Medicaid expansion would be too costly, drive up the federal deficit, and they expressed general displeasure with the ACA, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama and is known as Obamacare.

After the hearing, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Marc Rhoades, R-Newton, said he would talk with fellow committee members to see if there was any interest in working further on House Concurrent Resolution 5013.

The measure indicates the Legislature's "intention not to expand Medicaid services in Kansas," under the ACA.

Currently, Medicaid provides health care coverage to about 380,000 Kansans. The largest portion of them about 230,000 are children. The rest are mostly lower-income, pregnant women, people with disabilities and elderly people. The $2.8 billion program is funded with federal and state dollars.

Medicaid in Kansas doesnt cover low-income adults who dont have children. And a nondisabled adult with children is eligible only if his or her income is below 32 percent of the poverty level, which is approximately $5,000 per year. That is about the most difficult eligibility level in the country.

But starting in 2014, the ACA creates an eligibility level of 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $15,415 per year for an individual and $26,344 per year for a family of three.

Estimates are that upwards of 150,000 more Kansans would be covered under the expansion. The federal government would pay all the costs of expansion for three years and then ratchet that down to 90 percent of the cost over the next several years.

The influx of dollars would help the economy, while getting early medical care to more Kansans, supporters of the ACA said.

But in bringing up the resolution, Rep. David Crum, R-Augusta, and chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, said he feared the federal government would be unable to keep its funding commitment because of budget problems, which would leave states on the hook for paying for the coverage.

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Health care providers oppose Republican resolution to not expand Medicaid

CONCORD -- Gov. Maggie Hassan announced today that the state Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded up to $1.6 million in federal funds to develop a State Health Care Innovation Plan to improve quality and reduce growth in health care costs through improved coordination.

The grant program is issued by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation through the Affordable Care Act.

The governor's office said the funds "will allow New Hampshire to develop a strategy to transform the health care delivery system through multi-payer payment reform and other state initiatives."

"Innovating in health care is critical for reducing the growth in health care costs and improving the quality of care for all of our people," Hassan said in a prepared statement. "New Hampshire has led the way in health care innovation through initiatives like accountable care organizations, and these federal funds will allow us to develop a comprehensive strategy to continue our progress and strengthen our health care system."

The governor's office said New Hampshire's plan will lay out a framework for aligning consumer access across delivery system "silos," payer support for outcomes-based long term care services, and global accountability for cost-effectiveness and outcomes."

The governor's office said:

"A central tenet of the transformation activities will target opportunities for improved coordination across systems for individuals who are either in need of or at-risk for needing long-term support services; this population will be targeted due to the complex health needs and the cross-cutting nature of the services and payments needed to coordinate their care. Through this process, New Hampshire will leverage ongoing activities in the development of the new system and align the ongoing state and national quality initiatives with the new system."

New Hampshire has six months to submit its plan to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and will use its Health Care Innovation Plan to apply for an anticipated second round of awards

For more information on the grant, visit: http://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/State-Innovations <http://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/State-Innovations> . To learn more about other innovative models being tested by the CMS Innovation Center, please visit: innovation.cms.gov.

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State gets 1.6m grant for 'Health Care Innovation Plan'

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will brief other state leaders this weekend on his plan to lower Medicaid costs, touting an overhaul that President Barack Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address for its potential to lower the deficit even as health care expenses climb. The Oregon Democrat leaves for Washington, D.C., on Friday to pitch his plan that changes the way doctors and hospitals are paid and improves health care coordination for low income residents so that treatable medical problems don't grow in severity or expense. Kitzhaber says his goal is to win over a handful of other governors from each party. "I think the politics have been dialed down a couple of notches, and now people are willing to sit down and talk about how we can solve the problem" of rising health care costs, Kitzhaber told The Associated Press in a recent interview. Kitzhaber introduced the plan in 2011 in the face of a severe state budget deficit, and he's been talking for two years about expanding the initiative beyond his state. Now, it seems he's found people ready to listen. Hospital executives from Alabama visited Oregon last month to learn about the effort. And the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it's giving Oregon a $45 million grant to help spread the changes beyond the Medicaid population and share information with other states, making it one of only six states to earn a State Innovation Model grant. Kitzhaber will address his counterparts at a meeting of the National Governors Association. His talk isn't scheduled on the official agenda, but a spokeswoman confirmed that Kitzhaber is expected to present. "The governors love what they call stealing from one another - taking the good ideas and the successes of their colleagues and trying to figure out how to apply that in their home state," said Matt Salo, director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. There's been "huge interest" among other states in Oregon's health overhaul, Salo said, not because the concepts are brand new, but because the state managed to avoid pitfalls that often block health system changes. Kitzhaber persuaded state lawmakers to redesign the system of delivering and paying for health care under Medicaid, creating incentives for providers to coordinate patient care and prevent avoidable emergency room visits. He has long complained that the current financial incentives encourage volume over quality, driving costs up without making people healthier. Obama, in his State of the Union address this month, suggested that changes such as Oregon's could be part of a long-term strategy to lower the federal debt by reigning in the growing cost of federally funded health care. "We'll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for Medicare, because our medical bills shouldn't be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital - they should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive," Obama said. The Obama administration has invested in the program, putting up $1.9 billion to keep Oregon's Medicaid program afloat over the next five years while providers make the transition to new business models and incorporate new staff and technology. In exchange, though, the state has agreed to lower per-capita health care cost inflation by 2 percentage points without affecting quality. The Medicaid system is unique in each state, and Kitzhaber isn't suggesting that other states should adopt Oregon's specific approach, said Mike Bonetto, Kitzhaber's health care policy adviser. Rather, he wants governors to buy into the broad concept that the delivery system and payment models need to change. That's not a new theory. But Oregon has shown that under the right circumstances massive changes to deeply entrenched business models can gain wide support. What Oregon can't yet show is proof the idea is working - that it's lowering costs without squeezing on the quality or availability of care. The state is just finishing compiling baseline data that will be used as a basis of comparison. One factor driving the Obama administration's interest in Oregon's success is the president's health care overhaul. Under the Affordable Care Act, millions more Americans will join the Medicaid rolls after Jan. 1, and the health care system will have to be able to absorb the influx of patients in a logistically and financially sustainable way. The federal government will pay 100 percent of the costs for those additional patients in the first three years, and 90 percent thereafter. "There are a lot of governors who are facing the same challenges we're facing in Oregon," Kitzhaber said. "They recognize that the cost of health care is something they're going to have to get their arms around."

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Govs to Hear Oregon Health Care Plan

ATLANTA Alliant GMCF, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Georgia, has recognized UPAC-Moultrie for improving the quality of health care for Georgians.

We are very proud of our dedicated employees and their focus on resident-centered care. UPAC-Moultrie is committed to delivering the highest quality service, said Vickie Patterson, administrator.

UPAC-Moultrie is truly committed to improving the quality of care for Georgians, noted Anne Hernandez, deputy QIO director. By working to improve quality, UPAC-Moultrie improved residents lives and helped to reduce health care costs.

Alliant GMCF and the Georgia Health Care Association (GHCA) present quality awards each year to select Georgia nursing homes. Facilities are judged on results of state surveys, CMS quality measures and performance on internal quality improvement projects. Quality of care measures for all nursing homes are tracked and reported publicly on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare website. To view Nursing Home Compare, visit http://www.medicare.gov and select Find Nursing Homes.

Alliant GMCF, the Medicare QIO for Georgia, is a not-for-profit, physician-sponsored organization dedicated to continuously improving health care. In operation since 1970, Alliant GMCF provides innovative health care solutions focused on quality improvement, utilization management, medical review, and health care outcomes research. For more information, please visit http://www.gmcf.org.

Founded in 1953, the Georgia Health Care Association is a not-for-profit organization representing long-term and post-acute care providers located throughout the state of Georgia. The association is dedicated to enhancing the ability of providers to provide competent and compassionate care and advocates for quality care and services for frail, elderly and disabled Georgians. GHCAs more than 350 members serve more than 58,000 individuals annually. For more information visit http://www.GHCA.info.

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UPAC-Moultrie recognized for quality health care

DETROIT, MI -- A health care worker pleaded guilty Friday to selling seniors' Medicare information for $200-$300 per beneficiary, according to the FBI.

Clarence Cooper of Detroit was accused of playing a role in a scheme to submit fraudulent Medicare claims for home health care services that were either unnecessary or never provided.

The now-defunct First Choice Home Health Care Services Inc. and Reliance Home Care, LLC used the information of hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries provided by Cooper to bill the government nearly $1 million in fraudulent claims between 2008 and 2012, investigators found.

Cooper, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, according to an FBI news release.

He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Cooper is scheduled to be sentenced July 23.

Federal investigators believe the scheme was part of a larger operation that cost the government more than $24.7 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for home health care, psychotherapy and other medical services.

Some other recent federal health care fraud prosecutions:

-Seven arrested in Medicare fraud scheme involving four Oakland County health care agencies

-Livonia doctor accused of luring fraudulent patients with fast food ordered to pay back $3 million in Medicare costs

-Farmington Hills woman pleads guilty in $4.7 million Medicare scheme

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Health care worker pleads guilty to selling Medicare information in Detroit-area scheme

Better Health Care Through Electronic Records Program

Helps Doctors Treat Chronic Conditions

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, Health Commissioner Thomas A. Farley announced that the use of electronic health records has led to better health outcomes for tens of thousands New Yorkers in the critical areas of high blood pressure management, diabetes and tobacco control.

New York Citys introduction of electronic health records, which has become a national model, was a result of the Primary Care Information Project, a program that began in 2005 to help medical providers, particularly those with underserved patients, use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care. The prompts that electronic health records give doctors, such as signaling a daily dose of aspirin to prevent heart disby ease or follow up questions for someone who smokes, make a dramatic difference in how aggressively they treat the chronic health conditions of their patients.

Through 3,200 primary care providers serving more than three million New Yorkers with electronic health records, over 96,000 additional patients reduced their high blood pressure, 81,000 patients improved their diabetes management and an additional 58,000 smokers were given assistance and successfully quit.

Our Administration has focused on improving health care in New York by empowering health care providersat every levelas well as their patients, said Bloomberg. Weve focused on expanding the use of preventive care to tackle some of the biggest health challenges we face: heart and respiratory diseases; diabetes; and high blood pressure. The development and expanded use of electronic health records has given doctors the tools to improve both the length and quality of New Yorkers lives and it is rewarding to see the program become a national model.

A small number of services that can be delivered in doctors offices are proven to prevent common diseases like heart disease and cancer, but these services are not used enough, added Farley. The Primary Care Information Project has now shown that, through the help of information technology, primary care providers can substantially improve their delivery of these services, thereby improving the health of many thousands of patients.

By helping doctors care for patients better, PCIP has helped tens of thousands of New Yorkers avoid heart attacks, strokes, and death at a young age, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control. PCIP shows that when the guiding principle is getting the most health benefit, health records can improve patient health dramatically.

The Primary Care Information Project was started in New York City by Dr. Farzad Mostashari under then- Health Commissioner Frieden as a $27 million city initiative to use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care throughout the five boroughs, especially in some of New York Citys medically underserved neighborhoods: East and Central Harlem, the South Bronx, and Central Brooklyn.

More than 3,200 medical providers treating three million New Yorkers received electronic health record software and training to learn how to use it in their practices.

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Better Health Care Through Electronic Records Program

(CNN) The health care debate is full of numbers: 48.6 million uninsured Americans; $2.6 trillion spent on health care annually; family premiums that have increased 97% over the past decade.

But those numbers are abstract and hold little meaning for Americans struggling to pay their medical bills.

Perhaps a more accurate number is $3,200: the average out-of-pocket health care cost for a family of four in 2011. Or $815 the typical cost of an abdominal MRI in Chicago. Or $24,431 the hospital fee for having a pacemaker inserted in San Diego.

Those are the numbers that can leave you feeling helpless.

When youre ill, the last thing you should do is turn down care. Instead, learn to take charge of your health care costs to prevent your medical bill from making you even sicker.

(People) frequently overpay for services just because they dont know that theres price variation that you can get the exact same care at a different facility across the street for a fraction of the cost, says Dr. Jeffrey Rice, founder of HealthCareBlueBook.com, a free price comparison website for patients.

Rice often tells the story of his son, who needed outpatient foot surgery. Rice was initially quoted $37,000 for the procedure. His total after insurance and discounts would be around $20,000, the doctor told him. So Rice asked if there was another facility where they could get the procedure.

His new total? $1,500 for a happy and healthy son.

If there was a gas station that said $20 a gallon, you would not go there, correct? Rice asks. But in health care, thats how bad it is. There are people who pay five times too much for their health care every day.

Just ask

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4 ways to control your health care costs

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --The Affordable Care Act has already made certain health care services more accessible and affordable, but today's uninsured individuals still cannot afford the high cost of even the most basic health care services. Sprighealth.com offers a solution for uninsured individuals in the Northwest. This online marketplace allows consumers to book services with a variety of medical providers in Portland at steep discounts of 50 percent or more, no insurance required.

"Skyrocketing costs have put health care out of reach for too many people in our communities. Our transparent, simple and affordable model has opened doors that were previously closed to uninsured individuals in Portland," said Sprig President Kris Gorriaran. "For example, patients are normally charged $425 for a woman's wellness exam. Using Sprig to book and pay $180 for the same visit. This represents a significant savings to the patient."

Sprig Health is easy to use; consumers can visit http://www.sprighealth.com to review and select a provider, book an appointment and pay with a credit card. Then they simply go to the scheduled appointment. Sprig Health currently contracts with over 360 provider partners spanning over 130 medical services, from chiropractic care to pediatrics and women's wellness visits to naturopathic care. Providers include Epic Imaging, Legacy Health Systems, Doctor's Express, EyeHealth Northwest, and Grain Integrative Health.

About Sprig Health

Sprig Health is a company based in Portland, Oregon that believes everyone should have access to affordable health care. Sprig offers individuals a simple way to schedule and pay online for a doctor's appointment at savings up to 50 percent below the standard market rate. Sprig's mission is to provide a marketplace that connects cash-paying patients with trusted health care providers. Sprig is a subsidiary of Cambia Health Solutions, a leading health company headquartered in the Pacific Northwest/Intermountain region. For more information about Sprig Health, please visit http://www.SprigHealth.com or call 855-697-7744 (855-MY-SPRIG).

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Sprig Health Offers Uninsured Individuals up to 50 percent Discounts on Health Care

WISHTV - Health Care Partnership

By: ecommunity

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WISHTV - Health Care Partnership - Video

Controlling Health Care--Acquired Infections
Cassandra D. Salgado, MD, hospital epidemiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and Linda Formby, RN, Manager of Infection Control at MUSC, discuss the health care and economic burdens of health care--acquired infections (HAIs) and best practices for preventing and/or controlling their spread, with particular emphasis on Clostridium difficile infection and central venous line--associated bloodstream infections. To learn more, visit MUSChealth.com/progressnotes.

By: muschealth

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Controlling Health Care--Acquired Infections - Video

Medical and Health Care Tourism
Medical Tourism Learn More: http://www.theshouldercenter.com "medical tourism" "medical travel" "medical tourism asia" "health tourism" "what is medical tourism" "international medical travel" "medical travel industry" "medical travel" "medical tourism agency" "medical tourism agent" "medical...

By: Arthro Scopic

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Medical and Health Care Tourism - Video

The leading healthcare analytics and business intelligence solutions provider will showcase its capabilities and provide educational insights at the event that brings together healthcare CIOs and other information technology professionals.

Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) February 19, 2013

HCD will provide demonstrations of its KnowledgeEdge Enterprise Data Warehouse and advanced analytics. KnowledgeEdge helps hospitals and healthcare systems manage to metrics, drive more informed decision making and improve the bottom line. HCD will be at booth #7513 in Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

More than 37,000 healthcare industry professionals are expected to attend HIMSS13 to discuss health information technology issues and review innovative solutions designed to transform health care. For those interested in setting up a one-on-one demo with HCD, visit http://www.hcdatworks.com/himss-form.htm to fill out a form. For more information on the conference, visit the HIMSS13 website at http:www/himssconference.org

HCD also will participate in the 2013 CHIME/HIMSS CIO Forum at the New Orleans Riverside Hilton Hotel on Sunday, March 3, that brings together CIOs and healthcare IT executives to provide community-building and educational opportunities. HCD is sponsoring a CHIME Focus Group, Best Practices for User Adoption of Healthcare Analytics and BI, on Wednesday, March 6, at 10 a.m. CST on level 3 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. For more information, visit http://www.cio-chime.org.

In addition, HCD board member Dave Garets will deliver the opening keynote at the Clinical and Business Intelligence Symposium: A Practical Guide, entitled Imperatives for the Next 36 Months, to be held on Sunday, March 3. For more information on this symposium, visit the HIMSS13 conference website.

About Health Care DataWorks, Inc.

Health Care DataWorks, Inc., a leading provider of business intelligence solutions, empowers healthcare organizations to improve their quality of care and reduce costs. Through its pioneering KnowledgeEdge product suite, including its enterprise data model, analytic dashboards, applications and reports, Health Care DataWorks delivers an Enterprise Data Warehouse necessary for hospitals and health systems to effectively and efficiently gain deeper insights into their operations. For more information, visit http://www.hcdataworks.com.

Marcy Fleisher Health Care DataWorks 614-397-0032 Email Information

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Health Care DataWorks, Leading Provider of Business Intelligence Solutions, Will Participate in HIMSS13 Conference ...

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Two in-demand health care careers patient advocacy and transformational leadership are now achievable through accelerated professional certificate programs offered by UCLA Extension this spring.

Transformational leadership skills are urgently needed as organizations implement the Affordable Healthcare Act. Meanwhile, nurses and other health care practitioners looking to transition their expertise to patient advocacy roles can quickly gain the necessary skills in a field expected to see double-digit hiring growth.

Free informational webcasts hosted by health care experts and UCLA Extension administrators will go live on Youtube on Tuesday, March 5. Easy registration links are provided below.

The health care landscape is becoming more complex, which in turn is requiring more individuals with unique expertise and qualities. These new certificate programs are created by top health care experts and designed specifically for these two critical, evolving areas of health care, said Michelle Stiles, interim dean for UCLA Extension.

As the countrys population continues to grow and age, there is a corresponding need for more trained health care advocates. The Patient Advocacy certificate offered by UCLA Extension is designed to quickly provide a full range of skills and knowledge required for this emerging field.

Patient advocates help individuals and their families navigate through the complex health-care system, sort through medical bills and insurance requirements, advise family members on how to advocate for sick relatives, and more. The U.S. Department of Labor projects this field will grow by more than 25 percent over the next five years. Patient advocacy is important to assist patients young and old, with a range of health issues including mental health. The Patient Advocacy certificate can be earned entirely online.

Health care institutions also are increasingly looking for leaders who can manage current and impending changes in the U.S. health care system prompted by the Affordable Care Act. A focused certificate in Transformational Leadership in Health Care which can be achieved fully online helps create leaders who assist organizations in realizing goals for improving patient care, creating new service delivery models while maintaining patient care, managing demand, and finding other solutions in a growingly complex industry.

The free Transformational Leadership in Health Care webcast features Dr. Shana Alex Lavarreda, director of health insurance studies at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and an Extension instructor; and Ric Zappala, program director for UCLA Extensions Humanities and Sciences section. To access this expert-led webcast, please register here.

The free Patient Advocacy webcast features Marcia Colone, system director for care coordination at UCLA Health Systems; Lori Viveros, program manager for the UCLA/Avon Cares for Life Program; and Sheila King, program director for UCLA Extensions Humanities and Sciences section. To access this expert-led webcast, please register here.

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Top Health Care Experts Prepare Professionals for Patient Advocacy, Affordable Care Act Through New UCLA Extension ...

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Tupper Hillard, Vice President and Senior Communications Consultant for The Segal Company, says, We need to start communicating with our target audiences from the perspective of what can we do/say/share with you that will engage you in healthy living and motivate you to deal with any current health issues? He stresses that shifting the paradigm around health care benefits communications is crucial: While many organizations have already implemented value-based health care (VBHC) strategies, including wellness and disease management programs, they must communicate with the goal of motivating and inspiring people to take advantage of the programs available to them.

Mr. Hillard explains that plan sponsors are often so busy communicating the numbers, processes, and descriptions of health care benefits, that they seldom address what is important: improving health and creating an environment that supports shared responsibility in taking care of participants, retirees and their families.

Communication is an integral part of any successful VBHC strategy, says Hillard. But as with any major change, an organization that wants to refocus its approach to health care benefits should develop a communications campaign around the concept. Hillard suggests holding focus groups with members and spouses to learn what these key audiences want to know about their benefits, options and resources. The findings can be used to build and promote branded communications that will elicit positive responses. Hillard concludes, People-centered, value-based design is likely the single best strategy for maintaining a healthy, high performing workforce at the greatest quality/cost ratio by lowering the financial and behavioral barriers to getting the right treatment.

For more information, or to speak with Tupper Hillard about this topic, contact Mary L. Feldman.

The Segal Company (www.segalco.com) is an independent, US-based firm of benefit, compensation and human resources consultants. Clients include joint boards of trustees administering pension and health and welfare plans under the Taft-Hartley Act, corporations, non-profit organizations, professional service firms and state and local governments.

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Segal Announces Communicating Health Care Benefits Leads to Better Outcomes

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- When it comes to retirement and savings, REITs are well positioned to play an important role -- both as an investment to help build a retirement portfolio and also to provide income to meet living expenses. It's important to remember that REITs are forced, by law, to payout at least 90% of their taxable income to their shareholders in dividends -- a crucial differentiation that makes the income highly sustainable, in good times and bad.

Another key differentiator is that REITs are low to moderately correlated with non-REIT stocks and bonds; conversely, over the long term, REITs help to reduce overall portfolio volatility and cushion the "zigs and zags" caused by Mr. Market, prior to and during the retirement years. Also, REITs are a proven and effective hedge that can help shield portfolios against inflation. As you know, rising inflation can sap the sweetness out of a retirement portfolio faster than my daughter can spend $300 at Forever 21. (Sorry Lauren, but you know it's true).

Speaking of inflation, I really like the Health Care REITs. The growing sector -- fueled by The Affordable Care Act and the expected increase in utilization of health services -- will continue to be a durable and defensive REIT class. It's a fact that people don't tend to change their health care spending patterns, regardless of economic conditions. The demand for patience is expected to rise considerably as an additional 35 million to 45 million insured patients make their way into the buildings occupied by the health care operators. That trend will bring meaningful exposure to hospitals, medical office buildings, lab space and assisted living facilities.

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Ready for Retirement: 3 Health Care REITs That Outperform

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A measure that would allow Tennessee to approach Congress about forming its own health care system has failed this year.

The proposal sponsored by Republican Rep. Mark Pody of Lebanon failed on a vote of 9-9 in the House Insurance and Banking Committee on Tuesday.

A similar measure failed during the final day of session last year. Like this one, it would have allowed Tennessee to join an interstate health care compact in seeking other options.

In defending his bill, Pody said it's wise to have other options for health care because of uncertainty about what it's going to look like down the road.

Opponents say it's unnecessary and that it might affect Tennessee's federal match for TennCare, the state's expanded Medicaid program, and other health care initiatives.

2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Health care compact fails in House committee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A measure that would allow Tennessee to approach Congress about forming the state's own health care system has failed a second consecutive year after opponents said Tuesday it's unnecessary and could hurt the state's other health initiatives.

The proposal sponsored by Republican Rep. Mark Pody of Lebanon failed 9-9 in the House Insurance and Banking Committee.

A similar measure failed on the House floor last year after about 28 members were either absent or abstained on the vote.

In defending his bill on Tuesday, Pody said it's wise to have other options for health care. Like the one last year, it would have allowed Tennessee to join an interstate health care compact in seeking other options.

"I believe we're putting another bullet in our gun for legislators down the road," he said before the vote. "I want to have Tennessee in a position where we have as many options as possible, because we don't know how things are going to be."

Opponents said the measure is unnecessary and that it might affect Tennessee's federal match for TennCare, the state's expanded Medicaid program, and other health care initiatives.

"I've been involved in health care for more than 40 years, and we are treading on dangerous territory," said Rep. Joanne Favors, a Chattanooga Democrat and nurse.

"There are too many unanswered questions with this health care compact."

Pody said the measure wouldn't affect federal funding the state is receiving, but lawmakers still expressed apprehension even some GOP members of the Republican-majority committee.

"Why can't we just send a letter to Congress asking can't we do this?" asked Charles Sargent, R-Franklin. "This doesn't make sense, when we can do this without putting it into law."

Link:

Health care compact fails in Tenn. House committee