Paul Krugman admits Death Panels and value added tax is how we pay for health care
This is a chilling admission by one of the biggest Liberals around - Paul Krugman. He spoke at a church earlier in the week and admitted that death panels and a value added tax will be needed to pay for rising health care costs, Obamacare and the Entitlement State. Transcript below since it is hard to hear even though I upped the audio as much as possible in Premiere. Eventually we do have a problem. That the population is getting older, health care costs are rising... there is this question of how we #39;re going to pay for the programs. The year 2025, the year 2030, something is going to have to give... We #39;re going to need more revenue... Surely it will require some sort of middle class taxes as well.. We won #39;t be able to pay for the kind of government the society we want without some increase in taxes... on the middle class, maybe a value added tax... And we #39;re also going to have to make decisions about health care, doc pay for health care that has no demonstrated medical benefits. So the snarky version... which I shouldn #39;t even say because it will get me in trouble, is death panels and sales taxes is how we do this.

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Paul Krugman admits Death Panels and value added tax is how we pay for health care - Video

Total Home Health Care Video
Total Home Health Care. Tel. 305-228-6575.

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Total Home Health Care Video - Video

DES MOINES The diagnosis for action by the Iowa Legislature on health care issues this session is inconclusive.

Iowa enters the week facing a mid-February deadline for submitting a blueprint on how state officials envision operating a health insurance exchange in partnership with the federal government. Exchanges are online sites where small businesses and people who arent insured at work will be able to shop for health insurance starting in 2014.

As envisioned under President Obamas Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, individuals and small businesses would use the new framework to shop for health insurance among competing private plans and obtain federal subsidies to help defray the cost.

States are to notify the federal government by Friday if they want to help with selected tasks, like consumer assistance and the supervision of health plans, in partnership with the federal government.

Gov. Terry Branstad has notified federal officials that Iowa prefers a state-federal partnership and Michael Bousselot, Branstads policy adviser for health issues, said Iowa officials will submit a proposed blueprint to be certified by March 1 that will maintain and retain current state management and regulatory responsibilities of Iowas insurance market as well as control of the Medicaid eligibility system that connects with the federal government portal.

The federal government will handle the exchange website and information technology platform that interfaces with the federal portal and the Internal Revenue Service database. This will provide users with real-time income and tax information and enroll them into a qualified health insurance plan or Medicaid program with access to eligible tax credits, he said.

Were going to maintain control of certain areas and the federal government will run certain things, said Bousselot. Were going to maintain and do the things that basically the state of Iowa has done for a long time: regulate insurance and regulate the eligibility and intake of new people into our Medicaid rolls. What the federal government is going to do is kind of the stuff that the state of Iowa would have a tough time having ready by Oct. 1.

Open enrollment for exchange plans begins Oct. 1 for coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2014, when most Americans will be required to have insurance.

Sen. Jack Hatch, co-chairman of the House-Senate health and human services budget subcommittee, disagreed with Branstads decision to proceed with a partnership rather than a state-run exchange. Hatch, a Des Moines Democrat who is possibly the Legislatures top expert on health care policy and is weighing a bid for governor in 2014, also has been critical of the governor for not providing state lawmakers with information on the proposed exchange.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said he believes the governors decision to pursue a federal-state partnership does not require any legislation and he does not anticipate debating exchange legislation this session.

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Uncertain prognosis for Iowa’s health care plans

Marilyn Tavenner has another shot to be confirmed as leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but getting there will require defending the 2010 health care law to Senate Republicans.

Tavenner is the acting administrator of the agency, which has not had a confirmed leader in seven years. Even though Tavenner herself is generally respected, the agency charged with overseeing major federal health programs and implementation of the health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152) comes with a lot of controversy.

A confirmation hearing will provide Senate Finance Committee Republicans with a forum to air their concerns about the health care law and to grill Tavenner about its implementation. Tavenner has been acting as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator since December 2011, but going through the confirmation process will put her in the hot seat.

GOP lawmakers were quick to call for a confirmation hearing following Tavenners nomination Thursday.

The Senate should give Ms. Tavenner every opportunity to show she is a worthy choice to lead the agency responsible for Medicare, Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and a lot of the implementation of the Obama health care law, Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement.

Sean Neary, communications director for the Finance Committee, said the panel has not yet received the necessary paperwork on Tavenners nomination, including a completed questionnaire and tax return information. Once it does, the panel will begin the vetting process, he said.

Committee ranking Republican Orrin G. Hatch of Utah praised Tavenner as smart and diligent, but added that he needed more opportunity to speak with her.

With Medicare and Medicaid on an unsustainable fiscal path, the cost of health care continuing to rise, and with the implementation of the health law moving forward, there are many questions shell need to fully answer before I decide whether or not to support her nomination, Hatch said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Grassley said the senator is likely to ask Tavenner about philosophical issues, such as the future directions of Medicare and Medicaid as well as oversight and investigation issues, including the money granted to states to promote health insurance exchanges. Other questions may cover the role of fee-for-service payment systems in Medicare, and whether Medicaid should cover people with incomes more than 133 percent of the poverty line.

The controversy over the health care law is one reason Tavenners predecessor, Donald M. Berwick, was never confirmed. With Berwicks nomination facing strong GOP opposition, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., never scheduled a confirmation hearing. President Barack Obama gave Berwick a recess appointment in July 2010.

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Medicare Agency Nominee Likely to Face Health Care Law Questioning

PwCs annual Top Health Industry Issue report predicts that the pace of health care transformation will increase in 2013 because of technology, budget pressures and the Affordable Care Act. But an overarching theme in many of the trends is the role of the patient and how consumerism is expected to drive the way health care is delivered, especially in the primary care setting.

The days of a very transactional approach to health care is getting some pushback from consumers, said Warren Skea, director in PwC Health Industries Advisory. Consumers are more informed and are demanding from health care the service they can expect in other areas, such as retail.

Keeping patients happy will not only help patient satisfaction and retention, it also will help physicians pay, Skea said.

More payment models are tying patient satisfaction to payment, he said. In addition, population health models will rely on good relationships between physicians and patients and prompt physicians to re-examine the patient experience.

Primary care physicians, in the population health model, are very much the quarterbacks, the coordinators of care, Skea said. Its a significantly different role than it has been in the past. Everything from medication reconciliation to managing information and activities and procedures amongst all the physicians and specialists in a much more coordinated way. It is changing that role and the dynamic between patient and physicians.

The fact that physicians are playing this role is a trend that was not expected two years ago. It was thought that most physicians wouldnt have the necessary technology and infrastructure. But partnerships and consolidations of organizations have helped them get there, Skea said.

Only 21% of people change unhealthy behaviors because of employer wellness efforts.

A report issued by the Physicians Foundation in December 2012 predicted more consolidations in 2013, but expressed concern about monopolies and subsequent rises in health care costs.

Skea expects that as physicians assume leadership roles in the population health models, the result will be better health outcomes and lower health care expenses. This is something many employers hope to see as well.

The PwC report said 2013 probably will be a turning point for how health care benefits are delivered. Employers are among the biggest supporters of population health models, despite little success with their efforts to improve the health of their workers. The report found that even though many employers have changed to a more consumer-driven health care model and instituted wellness programs, only 21% of consumers have changed their behavior as a result of those efforts.

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Health care trends most likely to pressure physicians

DES MOINES The diagnosis for action by the Iowa Legislature on health care issues this session is inconclusive.

Iowa enters the week facing a mid-February deadline for submitting a blueprint on how state officials envision operating a health insurance exchange in partnership with the federal government. Exchanges are online sites where small businesses and people who arent insured at work will be able to shop for health insurance starting in 2014.

As envisioned under President Obamas Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, individuals and small businesses would use the new framework to shop for health insurance among competing private plans and obtain federal subsidies to help defray the cost. States are to notify the federal government by Friday if they want to help with selected tasks, such as consumer assistance and the supervision of health plans, in partnership with the federal government.

Gov. Terry Branstad has notified federal officials that Iowa prefers a state-federal partnership and Michael Bousselot, Branstads policy adviser for health issues, said Iowa officials will submit a proposed blueprint to be certified by March 1 that will maintain and retain current state management and regulatory responsibilities of Iowas insurance market as well as control of the Medicaid eligibility system that connects with the federal government portal.

The federal government will handle the exchange website and information technology platform that interfaces with the federal portal and the Internal Revenue Service data base needed to provide users with real-time income and tax information and enroll them into a qualified health insurance plan or Medicaid program with access to eligible tax credits, he said.

Were going to maintain control of certain areas, and the federal government will run certain things, Bousselot said. Were going to maintain and do the things that basically the state of Iowa has done for a long time: regulate insurance and regulate the eligibility and intake of new people into our Medicaid rolls. What the federal government is going to do is kind of the stuff that the state of Iowa would have a tough time having ready by Oct. 1.

Open enrollment for exchange plans begins Oct. 1 for coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2014, when most Americans will be required to have insurance.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it had given Iowa more than $6.8 million in federal money to help build its new health insurance exchange. This was to be used to conduct insurance market research and analysis. The state Department of Public Health can use the money to determine what financial resources are needed for individuals, small businesses, coverage appeals and complaints.

Sen. Jack Hatch, co-chairman of the House-Senate health and human services budget subcommittee, disagreed with Branstads decision to proceed with a partnership rather than a state-run exchange. Hatch, a Des Moines Democrat who is possibly the legislatures top expert on health-care policy and is weighing a bid for governor in 2014, also has been critical of the governor for not providing state lawmakers with information on the proposed exchange.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said he believes the governors decision to pursue a federal-state partnership does not require any legislation, and he does not anticipate debating exchange legislation this session.

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Health care bills face shaky prognosis with Iowa lawmakers

Municipal and Prince Georges County officials hope that state money to subsidize primary care practices will improve inner-Beltway community residents access to health care and decrease their reliance on the emergency room.

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) announced in January that Seat Pleasant, Fairmount Heights and Capitol Heights would form one of the countys five Health Enterprise Zones, which will get additional funding to attract primary care providers as well as preventative efforts to promote nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

Dr. Ernest L. Carter, deputy health officer at the countys health department, said the county is receiving a grant from the state for $5 million over the next four years, all of which will be used in the ZIP code that includes the three municipalities. He said the area is one of the worst in the state in terms of the ratio between physicians and residents.

There are virtually no physicians per 3,500 residents, Carter said. The health indicators are significantly not meeting the U.S. [public health] standards.

Carter said the Capitol Heights areas provider to population ratio of about 1 provider per 3,500 residents is far below the national standard ratio of 1 to 2,000. When patients dont have easy access to primary and preventative care, they tend to over-utilize the emergency room, causing both an unnecessary financial burden both for themselves and for the health care system, Carter said.

When you dont have primary care you tend to let your diseased state go, so when you do get care you have to be hospitalized, he said. And because they have disjointed care, their medical records arent available and a lot of times they cant describe all of the health events in their life. They end up having redundancies of care like repeat X-rays, so almost everything that causes costs to go up are a function of not being able to access primary care.

Much of the annual $1.2 million in funding will go toward helping physicians set up primary care facilities in the area, Carter said, from tax breaks to loans and other subsidies. The rest of the funding will go toward other initiatives, like health screenings and informational sessions, he said.

And the county hopes to coordinate with municipalities conducting their own outreach efforts, Carter said.

Seat Pleasant Mayor Eugene Grant said that he wants to set up a health house to host regular events for residents, from health screenings and blood testing to workshops on healthy eating, exercise and diabetes management.

Those kinds of educational things are what help to give the desired health outcomes we expect, Grant said. ...By doing all of these things [with increased primary care access], we believe we can realize a reduction in the utilization of the ER, reducing re-admission rates and making sure people dont use the hospital like a clinic.

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Gazette.Net: New health care subsidies target inner-Beltway communities

Health Care in Japan - My JLPT results - back from California
just a little vlog update of what is going on in my life. Feel free not to watch.

By: sonomama82

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Health Care in Japan - My JLPT results - back from California - Video

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -

The MetroHealth System has received approval from federal officials to launch a Medicaid waiver program that will provide a medical home and health coverage for up to 30,000 uninsured residents of Cuyahoga County. The program began Friday.

The program, called MetroHealth Care Plus, is the first in Ohio to provide healthcare coverage to more of the uninsured. It is designed to provide the high-quality services people need to maintain their health, while also reducing healthcare spending.

"We are grateful that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the State of Ohio's Office of Medical Assistance and our own Cuyahoga County government shared our commitment to reduce the uninsured rate in Cuyahoga County, and to improve the health status and quality of care for thousands of county residents," said Edward Hills, DDS, Interim President and CEO of MetroHealth.

"I particularly want to thank Ohio Medicaid Director John McCarthy, Cuyahoga County Executive Edward FitzGerald and Cuyahoga County Council for working with us to make this happen. I also want to thank U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Representatives Marcia Fudge, Marcy Kaptur, Jim Renacci, and former Representatives Steven LaTourette and Dennis Kucinich for expressing their support for the waiver with CMS."

The MetroHealth System will finance this care locally with the $36 million annual subsidy it receives from Cuyahoga County taxpayers, which allows the MetroHealth Care Plus program to leverage another $64 million in annual federal Medicaid matching funds. No state dollars are being used to pay for the demonstration project.

"MetroHealth will be on the forefront of expanding health coverage to uninsured Ohioans- helping to improve access to appropriate health care and reduce costs to taxpayers and businesses in Ohio," said Senator Sherrod Brown. "By covering up to 30,000 uninsured Ohioans, MetroHealth will improve the health of Ohioans while reducing costly emergency room visits."

"I commend all the parties at the federal, state and county level who worked with MetroHealth to bring expanded healthcare coverage to approximately 30,000 uninsured residents of Cuyahoga County," said Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge.

"This decision will not only enable MetroHealth to provide the quality medical care they need but it will also help significantly reduce healthcare costs for everyone by reducing the use of emergency room care."

"As the first program of its kind in Ohio, MetroHealth has taken a leadership role in expanding health coverage for the uninsured and reducing the cost of healthcare," said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald.

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New health care program for uninsured Cuyahoga County residents

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is preparing to launch a cost and quality calculator, an online tool designed to allow members to figure health care costs and compare providers.

Eric Schultz, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim, said the Now I Know tool will give members a new level of transparency to compare cost and quality.

"We believe that knowledgeable and empowered members are the key to improving quality and reducing the growth in health care spending," Schultz said.

Set to be released later this year, Now I Know will give users financial information on their policy, displaying the deductible and how much of it has been paid. If a patient has paid $300 toward a $2,000 deductible, for example, the screen will show the $1,700 remaining deductible.

Choosing from more than 700 medical procedures listed on the Now I Know site, doctors and hospitals throughout Harvard's network of providers are listed. The user can see how much a provider charges for a given service, and how much they will need to pay out of pocket versus what will be covered.

Beth Roberts, senior vice president of regional markets at Harvard Pilgrim, said the site is a more developed version of a previous Harvard-Pilgrim site, which helped patients find low-cost providers.

"Let's say I needed knee surgery. I could go onto this tool and find out the approximate cost at multiple hospitals and be able to make an informed decision about a cost that feels comfortable to me," Roberts said.

She said what distinguishes the new tool is that it integrates cost and quality, two of the top health care considerations.

"This is for folks who want to do more self-service, plan and get concrete information linked to their plan design," she said. "This gives you cost and quality, but the fact that it links to both is what sets it apart."

The site is intended to save money for both patients and Harvard Pilgrim. Roberts said the nonprofit, which serves more than a million members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, will save because of lower payments to providers - the less money a procedure costs, the less money Harvard-Pilgrim is liable for. By choosing their own providers, patients will also be helping to reduce Harvard-Pilgrim's administrative costs, Roberts said.

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Harvard Pilgrim calculator helps monitor health care cost

OUR STATE has an opportunity to lead the nation in paving the way for improved access to health care for underserved and low-income citizens, who represent a disproportionate share of the nation's health care costs because they are unable to afford health insurance. This population also disproportionately faces environmental and nutritional issues, as well as chronic conditions, that themselves exacerbate health problems, creating a vicious cycle of growing health care needs without corresponding health coverage.

On Jan. 28, California lawmakers introduced a series of proposals to help implement the Affordable Care Act - President Obama's national health care overhaul - and to expand Medi-Cal, the state's public insurance program for the poor. The proposals were the first part of a special session, requested by Gov. Jerry Brown in his State of State speech on Jan. 24, that was dedicated expressly to implementation of the overhaul.

Arguably the most significant of these bills is one to streamline the enrollment process for Medi-Cal, with the aim being to enroll hundreds of thousands of Californians - up to perhaps as many as half a million - who are eligible for the program but have not signed up. Additionally, a proposal to expand the income levels for Medi-Cal eligibility could make another 1.4 million Californians eligible for the coverage.

Though the federal government foots most of the bill for Medi-Cal, implementation of these newest

It would be money well spent, in my view, as it would follow the "spending money to make money" philosophy. The costs for enhancing Medi-Cal coverage, and thus health care access, for up to nearly 2 million people pale in comparison to the health care costs, and potential care costs, that will be generated by that same, uninsured population over time. From a dollars-and-cents standpoint, it simply makes sense, even if an initial outlay of several million dollars is needed to make it happen.

Beyond and above the money, though, stand the people themselves. From a humanistic perspective, expanding coverage for this population is clearly the right thing to do, for it fulfills what I believe to be a social duty all of us carry to help those among us with the most limited means. Their challenges are of the very basic variety - feeding, clothing and housing themselves and their loved ones. A "luxury" like paying for health care coverage, or having the cash on hand for a trip to the emergency room, the dentist or the eye doctor, is beyond the realm of their daily existence.

Yes, some see them as the face of the health care "problem," but that is a deeply mistaken perception. What they truly represent is our finest opportunity to make the system work for everyone; the improved health and ease of care access they will one day enjoy is the benchmark by which we will gauge not only the efficacy of health care itself, but also the depth of our commitment to our fellow citizens.

Noble words and intentions cannot quickly solve the problems at our doorstep, to be sure. In addition to the funding issues attached to implementation of the ACA and an expanded Medi-Cal program, an ongoing shortage of physicians will make simply finding enough doctors for the larger pool of insured citizens a stiff challenge. Bureaucracies also simply do not disappear overnight, nor do the myriad rules and regulations that are their stock in trade. Navigating these waters will continue to be tricky, especially as the landscape changes.

But keep this in mind. Our country has the finest health care professionals in the world, expertly trained and blessed with access to superior technology and resources. The shining city on the hill that represents the best of our health care system has welcomed millions of us, offering healthier todays and brighter tomorrows through education, innovation, compassion and caring.

But that city cannot be reached by millions more of us. Now is the time to help them successfully make the journey.

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State proposals to expand health care coverage to poor deserve support: Opinion

The hospital districts in Travis and Nueces counties have publicly owned, privately operated hospitals, setting them apart from their urban peers across Texas. But as the two communities begin an overhaul of the way they provide health care to low-income and uninsured residents, they are taking different paths.

Both counties, along with the rest of the state, are participating in the so-called 1115 Medicaid waiver program a sweeping overhaul of the federal-state program that covers health care for poor, elderly and disabled people. Medicaid has become increasingly expensive, and Texas sought the federal waiver to find creative ways to do Medicaid care better and cheaper.

Travis County has devised a one-of-a-kind plan that gives the hospital district board new authority to hold hospitals and health care providers accountable for the dollars they get, Seton and Central officials said.

Central Health, the hospital district, is creating a new nonprofit group with its partner, the Seton Healthcare Family. The new group will be called the Community Care Collaborative. Over the next four years, the collaborative will distribute several hundred million dollars in public money to projects that the state has judged to be successful at improving health care and increasing efficiencies. The public Central Healths board will oversee the nonprofit by setting policy and maintaining ultimate control over the money, district officials said Thursday.

Government authorities in Nueces and other counties wont have that same power.

The hospitals in Nueces County, like those elsewhere in Texas, will be paid directly for their performance and are not required to share information with the hospital district, said Jonny Hipp, the Nueces hospital districts CEO. That means the hospitals will have control of the money without another local board looking over their shoulders.

Hipp called Central Healths approach innovative.

I think a lot of folks are going to look at Travis County, and I genuinely think that, once the things are in place, if they work the way they say theyre going to work we might consider a nonprofit model, he said.

The Central Health-Seton collaborative will provide regular financial reports to the Central Health board, which also will publicly approve its budget. Central Health will receive reports on how well the changes are going, and it will set up an electronic network of information about patients aimed at cutting duplication of services.

The 1115 waiver requires hospitals and other providers to report more information than ever before, said Seton executive Greg Hartman, president and CEO of the publicly owned, Seton-operated University Medical Center Brackenridge.

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Nonprofit touted as key to cutting cost of public health care

Vicki Head, co-owner of Hilton Head Auto Body, and about 40 other Beaufort County business owners turned their heels on sunny, warm weather on a recent Tuesday and instead piled into a dark conference room.

Their hope: figure out what new federal health care changes will mean for them and others.

"It's scary, and there's so much uncertainty about what it will mean for us," said Head, who provides health care coverage for her 24 employees at two Hilton Head locations. "Our employees work hard. They're on their feet all day. They're bent over. They need and deserve good coverage. But we need information on how to do it with all of these changes."

Business owners across the state echo the sentiment Head and others voiced during a seminar in Bluffton by Beacon Insurance Group, a local agency. With the reelection of President Barack Obama and talk of a quick overturn of federal health care reform muted, business owners are scratching their heads over the new health care law that many deem complicated and possibly costly.

There's still time for them to figure it out.

Some provisions have already taken effect, but the major changes will be phased in starting in 2014, according to state health care experts working with the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Those changes will create winners and losers, according to the president of Carolina Care Plan, one of the presenters at the seminar Head and others attended.

"We'll see premium rates that increase for some and will decrease for others," Carson Meehan said.

The number of employees and the age of those employees are among the factors that dictate just how much the new law affects a business, Meehan added.

SMALL BUSINESS VS. BIG BUSINESS

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Beaufort County business owners sweating new health care laws

The health care industry has boomed over the last few years,growing twice as fast as the national economy.

As the industry continues to grow, there will be a high demand for quality health care professionals.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the health care and social assistance industry is expected to generate the "largest number of jobs, 5.6 million, at an annual rate of 3.0 percent" between now and 2020 the most dramatic growth compared to any sector in the country.

And this growth won't be slowing down any time soon. A recent paper by Georgetown Universityreported that around 78 million baby boomers will be older than 65 by 2030, which means that the need for health care professionals is higher now than ever before.

As a huge proportion of the population gets older, there will be a high demand for better health care services, cutting-edge technology, and new drugs along with the doctors, nurses, lab researchers, technicians, and administrators who can propel the industry forward.

Robin Singleton,Executive Vice President and the national health care practice leader for DHR International, a recruiting firm responsible for placing executive s, explained how the health care industry is transforming, especially under President Obama's health care reforms.

"The days of the independent, not-for-profit community hospitals are shrinking because they don't have the resources for the technology, medical devices and the technology to capture all of this data they have to capture that will satisfy under the new health reform," Singleton said.

Instead, health care providers the hospitals, pharmaceutical, life science and biotechnology companies are consolidating together to create large self-sustaining systems.

There's also a greater emphasis on service and patient satisfaction within these new health care mega-systems.

That's partially because the Meaningful Use Act under Obama's reform says that these organizations are going to have to demonstrate "meaningful use" in order to get paid the maximum amounts allowable from the government(for Medicare and Medicaid patients) and the insurance companies. This means that providers can only fully get reimbursed if they have demonstrated through their outcomes data that the services they provide are appropriate and satisfactory to the patients.

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The Hottest Jobs In Health Care Right Now

How to Fix Health Care Without Spending a Dime
Here are ways to deal with most of the things that are wrong with our health care system, none of which will cost the taxpayers any money at all. This is a reupload of a previous video. Both parts are now integrated into one video, and the AMA section has been expanded to make it more clear. The color issues have also been fixed. Sources: Restore consumer-controlled health care: http://www.downsizedc.org Make your health insurance more affordable: http://www.downsizedc.org Protect and Improve Health Savings Accounts: http://www.downsizedc.org End onerous health care regulations: http://www.downsizedc.org Sources: Parente, S. et al, "Consumer Response to a National Marketplace for Individual Insurance," Final Technical Report for DHHS Contract HP-07-024, aspe.hhs.gov Brook, R. et al, "The Effect of Coinsurance on the Health of Adults," R-3055-HHS, http://www.rand.org Ruwart, Mary J., "Healing Our World in an Age of Aggression" (Second Edition) Bovard, James, "Shakedown: How the Government Screws You From A to Z" Angell, Marcia and Arnold S. Relman. "Prescription for profit," The Washington Post 2001 Jun 20; Sect. A:27. Brenson, Alex, "Sending Back the Doctor #39;s Bill," The New York Times 29 July 2007, http://www.nytimes.com 77 Percent of Doctors Say AMA Does Not Represent Their Views thinkprogress.org

By: Shane Killian

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How to Fix Health Care Without Spending a Dime - Video

Sen. Frockt discusses health care reform

By: WASenateDemocrats

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Sen. Frockt discusses health care reform - Video

LURACO Massage chair with Health Care Modes
LURACO Massage chair with Health Care Modes

By: LuracoTech

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LURACO Massage chair with Health Care Modes - Video

Health Care Reform by Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio

February 7, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. The federal health care overhaul will reduce the amount of money Minnesota hospitals pay each year to care for patients who can't afford their services, according to a new report from the Minnesota Department of Health.

In 2011, uncompensated care cost hospitals $308 million, and without the federal Affordable Care Act it would grow to about $319 million by 2016, said the report issued Wednesday by the health department's Health Economics Program.

Under the Affordable Care Act, which would include a health insurance exchange and an expanded basic health plan for lower income individuals, the state's hospitals would save between $134 million and $168 million on uncompensated care, the report said. However, if the state decides not to expand Medicaid in order to cover people with incomes 138 percent above federal poverty guidelines, hospitals would save less on uncompensated care, the report said.

The health department says charity care care for low-income patients who receive free or discounted services accounts for about half of uncompensated care. The other half is made up by patient debt. The report said 44 percent of uncompensated care is provided on behalf of insured patients whose coverage requires them to pay a large portion of the cost for health care services.

A copy of the report is posted here.

Elizabeth Dunbar is a general assignment reporter for MPR News.

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Report: Health care overhaul would reduce hospitals' costs

United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), the leading package delivery company, has announced the expansion of its health care distribution facilities in North America. The company is seeking expansion in five major markets including Burlington, Ontario, Louisville, Mira Loma, Atlanta, and Reno that brings its total global health care network to 37 dedicated facilities. The company's accelerated health care investment positions it well to tap market opportunity in this rapidly expanding health care business for shipping companies.

Over the years, the company has established various distribution facilities dedicated to health care in key markets like Singapore, the Netherlands, Canada, Latin America, Australia and the U.S. It sees further opportunities in emerging markets like China, India, Japan and Brazil.

As a result, UPS extended its 8-year long partnership in 2011 with pharma company Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) to expand its distribution and logistics services to certain Asian and Latin American markets. Further, in 2012, the company acquired Italian pharma logistics provider Pieffe Group to enhance its health care distribution networks in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

Besides expanding its health care business, the company plans to invest about $500 million toward new technology and facility expansion over the next few years in markets including France, Latin America, Vietnam, China and Korea. In sync with this expansion spree, the company augmented phase 1 of its European hub operations at Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany to increase capacity by 65%.

The expansion would cost about $200 million, with the entire project slated to be completed at year-end 2013. Overall, UPS projects capital expenditures of $2.4 billion for the year, which is concurrent with its capital spending target of 4% of revenues over the next five years.

We believe these accelerated investment plans arise from the company's optimism in its earnings power and revenue generating capabilities even in a difficult operating environment. Despite the disappointing end of the $6.8 billion mega acquisition of Dutch shipping company, TNT Express and an economic setback that affected demand trend, UPS managed to grow with top and bottom line increases driven by operational efficiency and an enhanced worldwide network.

However, we remain concerned about the volatile economic conditions that continue to restrict market demand. Further, the company is also exposed to unionized workforce and intense competition from giants like FedEx Corporation (FDX).

Other Stock

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (ATSG), which has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) is another stock worth considering in this sector.

UPS has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

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UPS Expands in Health Care Markets - Analyst Blog

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Detroit residents, like Americans across the country, are finding a disconnect with what they want from their health care provider and what they actually receive, according to a new survey released today by the American Psychological Association (APA), conducted online by Harris Interactive among 2,020 U.S. adults ages 18+. In addition, 221 residents of Detroit were interviewed.

Thirty-five percent of Detroit residents say their stress has increased over the past year. And more Detroit residents report experiencing symptoms of stress this year, including headaches (31 percent in 2012 vs. 25 percent in 2011), changes in sleeping habits (34 percent in 2012 vs. 30 percent in 2011) and being unable to concentrate (24 percent in 2012 vs. 19 percent in 2011). The survey shows that only 38 percent of Detroit residents give their physical health care an "A" grade and only 26 percent of Detroit residents would give the same "A" grade to their mental health care.

Similarly, one-quarter of Detroit residents say that they discuss stress management with their health care provider often or always, which while low, is higher than Americans overall (26 percent vs. 17 percent nationally).

Stress also remains higher than what Detroit consider healthy. Detroit residents report an average stress level of 5.1 (on a 10 point scale), which is 1.4 points higher than what they define as a healthy level of stress (3.7 on a 10 point scale). Survey respondents in Detroit cite money, work, and the economy as the most common sources of stress, similar to adults nationwide (money: 69 percent for Detroit and nationally; work: 78 percent vs. 65 percent; economy: 65 percent vs. 61 percent). Detroit residents report reading (53 percent), exercising or walking (51 percent), and listening to music (46 percent) as ways that they manage their stress.

"Stress can negatively affect one's overall health, and the fact that most Detroit residents are not discussing their stress with their health care provider is concerning," said Dr. Katherine Nordal , psychologist and executive director of professional practice with the American Psychological Association. "With Detroit residents reporting higher levels of stress than what they consider healthy, it is important for people to talk to their provider about ways they can manage stress to prevent stress-related illness."

Findings from the national survey, Stress in America: Missing the Health Care Connection, suggest that people are not receiving what they need from their health care providers to manage stress and address lifestyle and behavior changes to improve their health. The survey showed that while Americans think it is important that health care focuses on issues related to stress and living healthier lifestyles, their experiences do not seem to match up with what they value. For example, though 32 percent of Americans say it is very/extremely important to talk with their health care providers about stress management, only 17 percent report that these conversations are happening often or always.

To read the full Stress in America report or to download graphics, visit http://www.stressinamerica.org.

For additional information on stress, lifestyle and behaviors, visit http://www.apa.org/helpcenter and read APA's Mind/Body Health campaign blog http://www.yourmindyourbody.org. Join the conversation about stress on Twitter by following @apahelpcenter and #stressAPA.

Methodology

The Stress in America survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Psychological Association between August 3 and 31, 2012, among 2,020 adults aged 18 and older who reside in the U.S. In addition, an oversample of 221 adults living in the Detroit Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was collected. MSAs are a formal definition of metropolitan areas produced by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. These geographic areas are delineated on the basis of central urbanized areas contiguous counties of relatively high population density. Counties containing the core urbanized area are known as the central counties of the MSA. Additional surrounding counties (known as outlying counties) can be included in the MSA if these counties have strong social and economic ties to the central counties as measured by commuting and employment. Note that some areas within these outlying counties may actually be rural in nature. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. To read the full methodology, including the weighting variables, visit http://www.stressinamerica.org

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Health Care System Falling Short for Stress Management, Detroit Residents Report