Sen. Shannon Jones said she is impressed with recent development in the city during a meet and greet Monday at Cincinnati State Middletown.

The Clearcreek Twp. Republican, who represents Ohios 7th Senate District, will now represent constituents in the citys 4th Ward and parts of the 2nd Ward because of redistricting.

Middletown really has a lot going on, she said, citing the East End development and the rejuvenation of this downtown area.

Jones is entering her seventh year working in Columbus, first taking office in the Ohio House in January 2007.

She was appointed to her Senate seat in August 2009 following the death of the late Sen. Bob Schuler, and subsequently elected in November 2010. The district had included Warren Countys portion of Middletown. She talked exclusively with The Middletown Journal during her visit Monday.

Q: Middletowns 4th and 2nd wards are rather different from the suburban communities youve represented in the past. How can you help these two areas of the city?

A: I think the biggest thing I can do it to just be present and to listen to people, rather than me dictate to them what their needs are. Im here today to listen to whats on peoples minds.

Q: What do you hope to learn about the community?

A: I hope to learn what the core institutions are in the community because that gives me a sense of what the community values are, as well as the key people who are active in the community. Once you sort of know what the landscape looks like, I just plan to be around and listen and learn.

Q: It appears Middletown and the region are becoming an educational hub in addition to being a health care hub. Is this good for the region?

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Jones: Health care, child safety are legislative focus

It's a good day for companies reporting earnings, and strong quarters are powering the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) higher. The Dow has rocketed to yet another 52-week high, continuing to surge through the start of 2013. As of 2:20 p.m. EST, the index has pulled in gains of 70 points, or 0.51%. Let's check out the biggest names making moves today.

A healthy dose of optimism It's a great day to be a health care investor, and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is leading the charge on the Dow. Along with several other companies, Pfizer reported earnings that smashed expectations. The company's profit almost quadrupled from a year ago, buoyed by its sale of its nutrition business to Nestle. Despite the patent loss of best-selling blockbuster Lipitor last year, Pfizer's earnings, even without the Nestle sale, slightly topped analyst projections. And despite the hit to Lipitor sales, revenue also beat the Street's best guess.

So far, Pfizer's shares have risen more than 3.2% to hit a new 52-week high.

The optimism around the medical industry has pushed Merck (NYSE: MRK) higher as well, even though the company doesn't report its quarterly data until later in the week. Merck is among the leaders of the Dow, up 1.5% so far today. The company is dealing with its own patent-loss blues, as declining sales of Singulair have weighed on growth expectations. Merck investors could use a good report; the stock has lost nearly 6% over the past three months.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Unitedhealth Group have also swung up on the day, with shares gaining a little more than 1% each. J&J recently reported earnings that beat expectations, but its 2013 guidance disappointed Wall Street. The company is debating selling or spinning off its diagnostics business in its search for new growth. The guidance hit hasn't stopped this stock from hitting a new 52-week high as well, however.

Even outside the health care field, stocks on the Dow lean heavily toward winners. However, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) is leading the small corps of laggards down today, with shares falling 3.9%. Reports have surfaced from a PDF file on the company's website that HP may be preparing to launch its own version of Google's Chromebook, a laptop operating on Google's Chrome OS. However, with the PC market under fire, it'll take a lot more than that to turn this beleaguered company around.

Interested in Johnson & Johnson? Health care stocks are dominating the headlines today, and there's no bigger player in the sector than medical colossus Johnson & Johnson. Offering everything from baby powder to biologics, the company is considered by some to be spread too thin, becoming nothing more than a bloated corporate whale. Is this true, or is J&J a well-diversified giant that's perfect for your portfolio? Make sure you understand the full story behind the stock, along with its key opportunities and risks, by checking out our brand-new premium report on Johnson & Johnson. To claim your copy, simply click here now for instant access.

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Health Care Earnings Invigorate the Dow

Home to Stay Health Care Cherry Hill NJ, Home Care Review
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Home to Stay Health Care Cherry Hill NJ, Home Care Review - Video

Health care cited as cure for economy
The head of the largest health insurer in the region is convinced that the ever-growing health care industry is going to be the key to fixing the ailing local economy at long last. Alphonso O #39;Neil-White, chief executive officer of HealthNow, was the keynote speaker Jan. 24, 2013 at the 9th annual Buffalo News Prospectus Premiere kickoff dinner in Salvatore #39;s Italian Gardens, Lancaster.

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Italian Health Care Presentation

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Italian Health Care Presentation - Video

Here at Maclean's, we appreciate the written word. And we appreciate you, the reader. We are always looking for ways to create a better user experience for you and wanted to try out a new functionality that provides you with a reading experience in which the words and fonts take centre stage. We believe you'll appreciate the clean, white layout as you read our feature articles. But we don't want to force it on you and it's completely optional. Click "View in Clean Reading Mode" on any article if you want to try it out. Once there, you can click "Go back to regular view" at the top or bottom of the article to return to the regular layout.

This is as good as it gets, demographically speaking. Right now, Canada is in a demographic sweet spot. Our dependency ratio is currently at an all-time low of 59 dependents (those under 19 and over 65 years old) per 100 working-age adults, who pay the bills. Our share of non-workers to workers will never be so favourable again.

Two well-established trends are behind our current situation: a decline in the percentage of young Canadians due to falling birth rates; and the fact that the bulk of the baby boom generation is still working.

The problem is that this fortuitous circumstance cant last. Public purses will soon be hit by a rising dependency ratio spurred by a flood of boomer retirees, improvements in longevity and continued sluggishness in births. In theory, governments would adapt to this changing situation by reallocating spending. In its regular update on Ottawas long-term fiscal outlook, for example, the parliamentary budget office recently noted that: Population aging will put . . . upward pressure on programs whose benefits are mostly realized by Canadians in older age groups, such as health care, elderly benefits and public pension benefits. Such a future funding crunch, however, will be partially offset by reduced spending on programs with benefits largely focused on younger age groups, such as education.

More retirees inevitably mean more government spending on things old people need, while fewer young people should in turn mean less government spending on things children and teenagers need. Thats the theory, at any rate. Unfortunately, this sort of budgetary self-correction is nowhere to be seen in the real world.

Last week, Statistics Canada released a lengthy summary of primary and secondary education across the country, covering the past ve years. At a time when education spending should be gradually declining in step with reductions in the number of students, in fact the exact opposite is occurring.

Since the 2006-2007 school year, the total head count in Grades 1 to 12 across the country has fallen by over 200,000 students, a greater than four per cent drop. At the same time, total spending across Canada on public elementary and secondary schools has grown by $10 billion. The bulk of this increase is due to teacher compensation, which has leapt by more than $9,000 per educator over five years. Ontario teachers, to pick one example, have seen their average salaries and allowances grow from $71,000 to $80,000.

A combination of fewer students and more expensive teachers means Canadians are now spending more on each student than ever before. After correcting for inflation, per-student public spending has risen $1,300 since the 2006-2007 school year. While parents (and no doubt teachers) may think this is a good thing, it is a situation that simply cannot be maintained.

As classrooms empty out, the opposite is occurring in our nations long-term-care facilities and old age homes. The number of 80-year-olds, for example, is expected to double over the next decade or so.

To meet these changing circumstances, we will obviously need more health care professionals and fewer teachers. The first part of this equation is already occurring. The number of new doctors currently outpaces the population growth rate threefold. Nurses are increasing at double the rate of population growth. Canada now spends almost $6,000 per person on health care annually, or $207 billion in total, a figure that is also growing faster than the population.

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Education vs. health care

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Business developer Robert Schultz is a startup business consultant who got his MBA in 2008. He was able to find health care coverage when he graduated and hang on to his insurance through job changes.

WASHINGTON 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 Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's 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, you'll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If you're a woman, you can't be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They can't be charged more than three times what younger customers pay, compared with six times or seven times today.

Starts Jan. 1, 2014

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.

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Health care overhaul on target

MIAMI -

Florida's Republican lawmakers are reluctantly acknowledging that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and are taking steps to determine exactly what that will look like. The Sunshine State has one of the highest numbers of uninsured residents in the country, some of the most stringent eligibility requirements for health care safety nets, a large number of legal immigrants and a proposal to privatize its Medicaid program statewide.

So how will the federal health overhaul impact that? There are still a lot of unanswered questions, perhaps the biggest being whether Gov. Rick Scott will expand Florida's Medicaid rolls. The Republican governor was a vocal opponent of so-called "Obamacare" but softened his stance after the November election. He remains wary of the increased cost a Medicaid expansion could bring to Florida taxpayers and has been accused of playing politics with numbers after he referenced figures showing costs could be as high as $26 billion over a decade. The state health agency later revised that figure to $3 billion.

Florida lawmakers are also playing catch-up because the Legislative session is not convening until March, after or very close to federal deadlines.

Here are some questions and answers about how the Affordable Care Act could play out in Florida.

Q: How many Floridians are uninsured and how many of those are projected to get insurance under the exchange?

A: Florida had the nation's third-highest rate of residents without health insurance during the past three years, according to Census data. It also has some of the most stringent eligibility requirements in the country for Medicaid. A family of three with income of $11,000 a year makes too much to qualify and single residents are not covered.

Nearly 1 million people are estimated to take advantage of the state exchange, including residents who are employed and the unemployed. Many would be eligible for federal subsidies to help pay for it.

Q: How many people Floridians are currently served by Medicaid and how many more will be served if lawmakers choose Medicaid expansion?

A: Florida's Medicaid program currently costs more than $21 billion a year, with the federal government picking up roughly half the tab. It covers nearly 3 million people - about half are children - and consumes about 30 percent of the state budget. About 900,000 more residents could be covered if Florida decides to expand its Medicaid rolls.

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What the new health care market means for Fla.

Associated Press Release

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

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 Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's 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, you'll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If you're a woman, you can't be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They can't 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 isn't easy.

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New Health Care Markets On The Way

health care centre in kumbh mela
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health care centre in kumbh mela - Video

Perhaps the biggest irony of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is that if youre young and healthy, youll likely to end up paying higher premiums for individual health insurance than someone who is old and frail or with high-cost medical conditions.

The health care reform law restricts insurers from charging older, sicker policyholders more than three times what they charge younger, healthier members under a policy known as community rating.

The law also prohibits insurers from rejecting very sick individuals or those with pre-existing conditions that are more costly to treat. But the higher costs for treating those patients will be spread among younger, healthier Ohioans obtaining coverage on their own or through government-run health exchanges expected to go on-line next year, experts say.

A report prepared for the Ohio Department of Insurance by Seattle-based Milliman Inc. found that a healthy young male in Ohios individual health insurance market paying about $200 a month in premiums in 2010 could see his health insurance costs increase from 90-130 percent when the health exchanges begin signing up new enrollees in October.

By contrast, someone age 60 or older in the individual health insurance market could see their premiums fall by as much as 40 percent as a result of the community rating restrictions.

Melissa Thomasson, a Miami University professor who teaches classes on the economic impact of the Affordable Care Act, said the community rating was necessary to ensure that the sick and uninsured could get coverage, which was one of the reform laws main goals.

Young healthy people pay the lowest health coverage rates now because theyre less likely to suffer from disease, Thomasson said. On the other hand, many sick people are priced out of the market, if its available at all. The only way to make insurance coverage available for sick people is essentially to use healthy people to subsidize it.

Still, forcing young people to pay more to help cover the cost of caring for the elderly and chronically ill could have the unintended consequence of driving health care costs up for everybody. Some individuals and small businesses will drop health insurance coverage due to significant premium increases, experts predict, and others will simply decide to remain uninsured due to financial constraints.

That would pose a problem for the health exchanges, which would be left with a disproportionate number of older, more costly enrollees and too few healthy individuals to help absorb those costs.

Lets say no young people participated. In that case, the community rating would have to go up, and wed be back to square one because then wed have a bunch of sick people and older people in those exchanges at rates they really cant afford, she said.

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Premiums to rise under health care law

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press

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 Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's 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, you'll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If you're a woman, you can't be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They can't 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 isn't 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.

Obama's 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 haven't seen the need for health insurance may not be eligible for income-based assistance with their premiums.

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Consumer alert: new health care markets on the way - NBC40.net

When Sandy Beall founded Ruby Tuesday 40 years ago, the restaurateur made the decision to provide health benefits to all of his employees, even as the chain has grown to some 35,000 workers worldwide."That's one thing that sets us apart from others. Sandy has always believed everybody should take care of their own, so we always have. But we think all companies should be on an even playing field," said Belinda Sharp, vice president of human resources for Ruby Tuesday.

Under sweeping changes to the nation's health care system through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, companies with 50 or more full-time employees will be required to join in the game beginning in 2014, when they'll have to provide coverage or face penalties. Part-time employees must be offered benefits if they work 30 or more hours per week.

While some businesses like Maryville-based Ruby Tuesday say they don't expect to see much impact, others are bracing for changes that will be mandated over the next two years.

Businesses varying from restaurants and indoor tanning salons to medical device companies and a craft hobby chain have come out nationally against the legislation, which mandates new tax and regulatory requirements.

They argue that the health care overhaul will stifle business and economic growth by discouraging expansion, cutting worker hours and raising prices to cover additional costs.

But there is one thing on which businesses agree many unresolved questions remain.

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess // Buy this photo

Russell's Pest Control employee J.P. Wellens performs a quarterly service call on a customer's home in Knoxville on Jan. 11. The small, family-owned business doesn't meet the employer mandate that requires it to offer health benefits, but owner Mark Nadolski said he feels that he must to stay competitive. AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS/ NEWS SENTINEL

For the restaurant industry, such uncertainty creates zero job growth, said Greg Adkins, president and CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality Association.

A vast majority of the statewide trade organization's more than 1,000 members have concerns with the law, he said. The restaurant industry operates under low profit margins and with a high number of part-time employees.

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Health care reform: Knox area businesses bracing for health care changes

Covenant Health

The largest hospital operator in East Tennessee provides all of its full-time employees with free health care at its hospitals, whether they are having a baby or heart surgery.

But as health care reform legislation mandates new requirements, Covenant Health CEO Tony Spezia said it may have to consider a new approach, such as outsourcing some tasks like housekeeping to an outside company that may offer a lesser benefit than Covenant. It also raises a lot of questions, he said, about whether employers are allowed, or required, to provide such benefits to part-time or contract employees which might mean limiting hours for some employees.

Spezia said Covenant's health benefits are a huge recruiting and retention tool.

"It's a big benefit. No co-pays, no deductibles, no nothing. We want our employees to stay here," Spezia said.

Spezia said that because so much of the law is unclear, it's impossible to know yet how it will affect large employers that traditionally have provided good health benefits.

ORNL Federal Credit Union

"My issue with the Affordable Care Act is, rather than focusing on the people that needed coverage and providing coverage, they focused more or as much on the people that had coverage and the companies that were providing coverage and created tons of rules around that," he said. About 70 percent of the Oak Ridge-based credit union's 500 employees take advantage of health care coverage offered.

"We want to be the employer of choice. It would be difficult to tout that if you didn't offer a benefits package," Compensation and Benefits Manager Amy Vichich said.

But with new fees being assessed because of health care reform, ORNL Federal Credit Union has been evaluating ways to offset increased costs, including a look at its health benefits plan.

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Health care reform: A look at what area companies provide

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 Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's 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, you'll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If you're a woman, you can't be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They can't 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 isn't 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.

Obama's 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 haven't 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 doesn't 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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Consumer alert: new health care markets on the way

More than 204 communities and school districts have collectively saved $205 million in health insurance premiums thanks to the states municipal health care reform law, Gov. Deval Patrick announced today while speaking at the Massachusetts Municipal Association's annual meeting.

"Massachusetts leads the nation in health care coverage, and working together we are lowering the cost of health care so it can be as affordable as it is accessible," Patrick said in a press release. "With labor at the table, municipal health care reform has had a powerful and immediate impact on municipal finances across the commonwealth, while maintaining quality, affordable health care for working families.

There is the potential for an additional $45 million in savings if more municipalities and regional school districts use the reform process. Combined with savings announced today, this reform has the potential to achieve over $250 million in savings statewide.

So far, 81 communities have completed the process, modifying employee health plans or joining the Group Insurance Commission That has resulted in almost $70 million in employer and employee premium cost savings.

More than 122 communities and school districts have used the new law to negotiate plan changes without actually adopting the reform, resulting in more than $137 million in premium savings for employers and employees in the first year, according to the release.

The release notes the reform offers savings while preserving a role for unions in negotiations and protecting the quality of health care.

The reform could create up to $2.8 billion in cumulative savings over 10 years if implemented in all communities and districts, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

This is among the most meaningful municipal reforms in decades, and its success has surpassed all expectations, Michael Widmer, the foundations president, said in the release. The early and widespread adoption by communities across the state shows the importance of this tool in providing municipal budget relief, both now and for years to come.

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Municipal health care reform leads to $205 million in savings

NEW YORK (AP) Health care stocks have started off the year on a tear.

The industry group that includes health care providers, drugmakers and biotechnology companies has advanced 7.3 percent this year, making it the second-best in the Standard and Poors 500 index, trailing only energy companies. Even drugmakers, traditionally considered a safe-haven play, are outperforming the market.

The rally has solid foundations, but not all companies will benefit equally from the influx of cash. Also, the wide range of stocks in the sector offer investors vastly differing risk and return dynamics.

U.S. health care spending is projected to climb at a faster pace than economic growth in coming years as the population ages and President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act gives millions of Americans greater access to care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects that total health care spending will rise 70 percent over last years estimated level of $2.8 trillion to $4.8 trillion by 2021. Thats almost 20 percent of U.S. gross domestic product.

Theres just a lot more money flowing into health care and were seeing the markets react accordingly, says Derek Taner, a portfolio manager at Invesco.

President Obamas re-election in November gave the sector a boost by removing the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Republican candidate Mitt Romney had said that he would overturn the act if elected.

The biggest beneficiaries of the act will likely be hospital companies, which have the potential to increase their earnings significantly, says Taner, who manages Invescos Global Health Care fund.

So-called managed-care companies should also benefit from the increase in spending, though they also face higher taxes and restrictions on how they can price their coverage, so the law will be challenging to them too.

HCA Holdings Inc., a bellwether for the hospital industry, has gained 25 percent so far this year. Tenet Healthcare Corp., a Dallas-based operator of acute care hospitals, has advanced 20 percent.

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Health care among early leaders in the S&P 500

TULSA, Oklahoma -

One area home health care company is trying to keep its clients from catching the flu.

They call themselves "The Visiting Angels," and they come bearing paper towels and hand sanitizer.

Page Cole is on a mission to stop the spread of the flu before it can begin.

He's with the home health care company, Visiting Angels, which has been dropping off flu prevention kits to its clients.

"We don't look at this as just a nice little marketing gift, this could be life saving for some seniors, it really could," Cole said.

The kits come with hand sanitizer, Vitamin C supplements, disinfectant spray, paper towels, even pens that seniors can use instead of the ones in public places like grocery stores and banksall designed to fend off the flu.

"It's almost like an emergency preparedness kit for bad weather. This is an emergency preparedness kit for illness, and it would be a good thing to prevent that from ever happening," Cole said.

Visiting Angels has about 75 clients in Tulsa and Bartlesville.

Seniors are especially susceptible to the flu, which can lead to pneumonia and even death.

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Tulsa Home Health Care Group Helps Elderly Clients Avoid Flu

The National Health Care System should be improved, not abolished
Full debat with Kantor Management

By: GroupKantor

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The National Health Care System should be improved, not abolished - Video

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Castlight Health, the leader in Health Care Transparency for employers, today announced that Butler University is implementing Castlights health care management suite. With Castlight, Butler will be able to offer its employees and their dependents better insight into the cost and quality of health care procedures and providers, allowing them to make more effective health care decisions.

Fostering a happy, healthy workforce is a key priority for Butler, and we realized that increased health care transparency was the next logical step in helping support that goal, said Bruce Arick, chief financial officer, Butler University. Not only will Castlight empower our employees with the information they need to better control their care and medical outcomes, but it will also allow us to ease the workload on our human resources department. We consider Castlight a game-changer in the space, and look forward to the university, our employees and their families reaping the benefits of increased transparency into health care.

Butler selected Castlight following a comprehensive review process that involved several different health care transparency solutions. Castlight was chosen for its market leadership and ability to present a combination of rich, independent data on both health care quality and cost. The ease of use and simple navigation of Castlights interface, as well as the companys innovative product roadmap, also set it above the competition.

Butler University is the latest customer in Indianas educational sector to implement Castlights health care management suite. Recently, Indiana University chose Castlight to reduce costs and improve quality of care for its 17,000 employees. The selection was part of a university-wide effort to increase education around navigating the complex world of health care delivery.

As a primary advocate for Health Care Transparency, we know first-hand how it can help organizations engage their employees and better manage their health care, said Randy Womack, Chief Operating Officer, Castlight Health. Forward thinking institutions, like Butler, see the value increased transparency can provide to the workforce, allowing employees to drive down costs while receiving higher quality care.

The university will also deploy Castlight Mobile, providing users easy access to key information on medical providers and procedures from their preferred mobile devices, anytime, anywhere.

About Castlight Health

Castlight Health enables employers, their employees, and health plans to take control of healthcare costs and improve care. Named #1 on The Wall Street Journals list of The Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies for 2011 and one of Dow Jones 50 Most Investment-Worthy Technology Start-Ups, Castlight Health helps the countrys self-insured employers and health plans empower consumers to shop for health care. Castlight Health is headquartered in San Francisco andbacked by prominent investors including Allen & Company, Cleveland Clinic, Maverick Capital, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Oak Investment Partners, Redmile Group, T. Rowe Price, U.S. Venture Partners, Venrock, Wellcome Trust and two unnamed mutual funds. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.castlighthealth.com or call (415) 829-1400.

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Butler University Selects Castlight Health to Deliver Health Care Transparency to its Workforce