Aetna and BayCare to Introduce Collaborative Care in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Aetna (NYSE: AET), BayCare Health System and BayCare Physician Partners, announced today a new collaborative care agreement designed to improve the quality of care for Aetna members and lower overall health care costs. The agreement includes Aetna commercial and Medicare Advantage members.

Aetna is delighted to participate in this new agreement with BayCare, said Mark LaBorde, president of Aetnas Florida markets. This is the first of what we expect will be several joint efforts to improve the overall quality of health care and reduce costs for customers in the Tampa Bay area.

Aetna members who received care from physicians who are part of BayCares clinically integrated network in the last 24 months will participate in the new collaborative care model. Aetna is also introducing a Medicare Provider Collaboration model with BayCare Physician Partners to support Aetna Medicare Advantage members in the area.

Aetna provides health benefits to more than 1 million people in Florida through a broad array of commercial and Medicare plans. Its members have access to a contracted network of 209 hospitals and more than 28,000 primary care and specialist physicians.

BayCare Physician Partners is a group of 1,100 physicians both employed by BayCare and independent community physicians who have agreed to work together to improve the health of their patients and enhance the overall quality and efficiency of patient care services in the Tampa Bay area.

To create this new model of care, BayCare Physician Partners spent more than a year developing the network and recruiting physicians with backing from BayCare, the areas leading health system with 10 not-for-profit hospitals, home care, laboratories and outpatient facilities. The result is a clinically integrated network of physicians that commit to coordinating with one another and using advanced technology to manage and improve patient care.

Under the collaborative care agreement, Aetna and BayCare agreed to a new payment model that supports physicians in assuming greater accountability for the quality and cost of Aetna members overall health care experience.

Aetna will reward BayCare physicians for achieving agreed upon quality and efficiency measures, including:

Our collaboration with Aetna will help evolve the health care delivery system in the Tampa Bay area into a new, improved model, said Bruce Flareau, M.D., president of BayCare Physician Partners and executive vice president, BayCare Health System. By working together, BayCare and Aetna can align resources and share information around the goals of prevention, early detection and chronic disease management, and ultimately lead to a healthier community.

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Aetna and BayCare to Introduce Collaborative Care in Tampa

Health Care Reform Leaves Adults without Dental Coverage

OAK BROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

While health care reform promises to provide children access to dental coverage, the same cannot be said for millions of adults. Regardless of where one falls on this political debate, the sobering fact remains that for every adult without health insurance, an estimated three lack dental coverage.

According to a June, 2012 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2010, 22 percent of low-income adults had gone five years or more without visiting a dentist. Additionally, more than 44 million Americans live in federally-designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, meaning it is difficult for many to access a dentist whether or not they have insurance.

Thankfully, organizations throughout the country are working to meet these oral health needs. A young Oregon girl was suffering from an abscessed tooth that needed immediate care. But with only $100 to her name, the mom feared that care was outside her childs reach. Then a school nurse connected the mom with the Tooth Taxi, a state-of-the-art dentist office on wheels sponsored by Oregon Dental Service (a Delta Dental company), OEA Choice Trust and the Dental Foundation of Oregon. The Taxis staff screened the little girl, prescribed her an antibiotic and treated her two days later a gesture that brought her mom to tears.

Stories like these were found all across the country as part of an annual review revealing that Delta Dental companies invested more than $88 million in oral health charitable efforts last year. These donations supported prevention, treatment, oral health education, dental education, research and more. As a result of this philanthropy, the lives of millions of adults and children were improved through programs like Missions of Mercy (two-day, free dental clinics that have treated more than 100,000 people since 2000), community water fluoridation, mobile dental units that visited schools, scholarships for dental students, school loan repayment programs that attract dentists to underserved areas, school sealant programs, Hispanic outreach programs, oral health research and many more. All told, Delta Dental companies nationwide provided financial support for more than 500 organizations and charities.

Delta Dentals mission is to improve the oral health of all Americans, said Kim Volk, president and CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association. One way we do this is by providing affordable dental benefits to our 60 million members. Still, we know coverage does not always mean access, and far too many people have no coverage at all. Thats why we are committed to supporting safety net programs throughout the country, said Volk. In addition to the programs we support annually, our member companies helped launch 170 new programs in 2011, including 63 programs specifically serving children.

For more information about the positive impact that Delta Dental is having on the oral health of your community, please visit http://www.deltadental.com/communitybenefit.

About Delta Dental Plans Association

The not-for-profit Delta Dental Plans Association (www.deltadental.com,) based in Oak Brook, Ill., is the leading national network of independent dental service corporations. It provides dental benefits programs to more than 60 million Americans in more than 95,000 employee groups throughout the country. For more oral health news and information from Dr. Kohn and DDPA, subscribe to our blog and follow us on Twitter.

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Health Care Reform Leaves Adults without Dental Coverage

Muslim Aid Australia – Orphan Aid Kenya – Garbatulla Project – Video


Muslim Aid Australia - Orphan Aid Kenya - Garbatulla Project
Muslim Aid Australia is currently implementing and OrphanAid project in Kenya to support 200 girl orphans with foodAid, shelter, clean water, education, clothing, and health care. For this project to continue, we require your support. Donate now at http://www.muslimaid.org.au or call us on 1800 100 786.From:MuslimAidAusViews:3 0ratingsTime:04:21More inNonprofits Activism

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Muslim Aid Australia - Orphan Aid Kenya - Garbatulla Project - Video

Medicare Coverage in Mississippi by Medicare Pathways – Video


Medicare Coverage in Mississippi by Medicare Pathways
Turning 65? Looking for the right information for Medicare and Medicare Supplements? Look no further. Medicare Part B is your basic medical insurance. Medicare Part B helps cover: Services from doctors and other health care providers Outpatient care Home health care Durable medical equipment Some preventative services Like Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B will cover up to 80% of your medical costs in most cases. You will be responsible to pay out of pocket for the leftover 20%. Generally, most people the Part B premium of $104.90 each month in 2013 and your part B deductible. However, if you do not sign up for Medicare Part B when you are first eligible, you may be required to pay a late enrollment penalty as well. Also, if you are modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from two years ago, is above a certain amount, you may also be required to pay more. Usually if this applies to you, Social Security will contact you. Keep in mind however, that the amount you pay can change from year to year depending on your income. How Medicaid and Medicare work together: http://www.medicarepathways.com Video, publisher, and owners are not associated, endorsed or authorized by the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or the Department of Health and Human Services nor do we claim to be. Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information. This site contains basic information about Medicare, services related to ...From:Laura KimbleViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:12More inEducation

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Folk Music in Rogers Park–Craig and Louise Champlin – Video


Folk Music in Rogers Park--Craig and Louise Champlin
Our musical guests this week are Craig and Louise Champlin. Craig, once known as "The King of Glenwood Avenue", is a songwriter, guitar teacher, musician, author and alter-ego of his fictional character, Ernie Bedlam. For years he ran the famed Glenwood Avenue Thursday Night Open Mic, first at the No Exit Caf and then at the Red Line Tap. He performs with Champlin Menard X2. They play the Heartland Caf on the third Thursday of each month: catch them Thursday, December 20 at 8 pm or at Lizard #39;s Liquid Lounge (3058 W. Irving Park Road) on Friday, December 21. Contact Craig at erniebedlam@yahoo.com. Louise Champlin, in addition to making beautiful music, has been associated with the Chicago Women #39;s Health Center that has been providing sensitive, educational health care and mental health services on a sliding-scale to Chicago area women and trans people for 37 years. It operates as the oldest women #39;s health collective in the country. After decades in Lakeview, CWHC will be moving to 1025 W Sunnyside in early 2013. For more info on CWHC : 773-935-6126.From:heartlandmediaViews:0 0ratingsTime:13:59More inEntertainment

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Folk Music in Rogers Park--Craig and Louise Champlin - Video

123Triad.com : medicalbillreductioncom – Video


123Triad.com : medicalbillreductioncom
123Triad is proud to design website for http://www.medicalbillreduction.com If medical bills are keeping you up at night...they can help. The financial aspects of their health care system are often confusing (sometimes intentionally so), and stacked against the average consumer. The Oxinda Group can help you sort it out, negotiate with your medical providers, get you the greatest medical bill reduction possible, and get you back to sleeping at night.From:123triadusViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:36More inPeople Blogs

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Health care tops most overlooked stories of 2012

Canada's credibility on the world stage, health care, and climate change topped the list of most overlooked political stories of 2012, according to Canada's federal finance minister and opposition party leaders.

In separate interviews airing Saturday on CBC Radio's The House, host Evan Solomon asked Jim Flaherty, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May what they thought was the most underreported story of 2012.

Here are their answers (edited for length):

1. Jim Flaherty, federal finance minister

"Canadians should know that Canada does punch above its weight internationally, we really do.

And when we put pressure on Europe, as we've done to start to deal in a substantive way with their issues ... we have a lot of influence with them, we have a lot of credibility with them.

And the same thing with the United States, with both the Democrats and Republicans, which is a good thing. And they do look at Canada as a country that sort of got its act together on fiscal matters. This is not common in the world today.

So Canada's credibility is strong."

2. Tom Mulcair, leader of the Official Opposition

"Almost a year ago today, Mr. Flaherty was at a meeting with his provincial counterparts, all the provincial finance ministers.

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Health care tops most overlooked stories of 2012

John Sculley backs health care startups

John Sculley backs health care startups The former Apple chief executive officer is taking on the thorny problem of reforming health care by mentoring tech entrepreneurs. Sculley's decadelong tenure included company growth and successful products, but was marred by the flop of the Newton portable digital assistant and his role in forcing out the man who became a business legend. In the years ...

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John Sculley backs health care startups

Burma health care broken under military rule

  ZEE PHYU KWIN, Burma (AP) — In her long scarlet sarong, crisp white shirt and nurse’s cap pinned neatly in place, Khin Aye Nwe looks as though she belongs in a modern hospital. Instead, the midwife’s clean sandals scuff across the dusty cement floor of a dilapidated clinic in Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta. She covers

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Burma health care broken under military rule

Myanmar health care broken under military rule

ZEE PHYU KWIN, Myanmar (AP) In her long scarlet sarong, crisp white shirt and nurse's cap pinned neatly in place, Khin Aye Nwe looks as though she belongs in a modern hospital. Instead, the midwife's clean sandals scuff across the dusty cement floor of a dilapidated clinic in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta.

She covers a territory spanning 15 villages with 3,000 people, delivering babies, immunizing children and treating everything from malnutrition to malaria in an area where 80 percent of young children and pregnant women are anemic.

For half a century, such work was almost completely ignored by the secretive military-run government, which starved virtually every sector of the budget except defense. Now, with the dramatic change that has given Myanmar an elected government, there are hopes for improvement, but the country faces a long climb. Under military rule, it spent less than $1 per person on health in 2008, minus donor money, and ranks among the lowest countries in nearly every category of health care funding.

Despite the neglect, Nwe and a small army of other dedicated women have continued to fan out across the country's vast rice basket to help the sick. They walk, ride buses, climb inside rickety boats and hop on the backs of motorbikes to reach patients who have no other source of medical care.

The work is exhausting, and Nwe knows no matter how hard she pushes herself, it will never be enough to help everyone. But she says now, for the first time, there's reason to hope.

"I'm not seeing it here yet," she says, softly. "I haven't seen the improvements or changes yet, but I think it will come."

The excitement following a wave of political reforms and historic international visits is easily felt in bigger cities such as Yangon, formerly named Rangoon, where T-shirts adorned with pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's face are hawked at roadside stalls and Western business people are filling up hotel rooms.

But a half day's drive away into the delta, it's harder to sense that energy among the poor who live meal-to-meal in flimsy thatch huts on bamboo stilts along coffee-brown rivers and rice paddies.

After being isolated from the rest of the world for so long, many are used to expecting very little in a country where running water and electricity are still considered luxuries in many areas.

For years, the U.S. and others used economic sanctions to pressure the junta to clean up its dismal human rights record and allow democratic reforms. As international donor aid poured into nearby countries, with Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos receiving $52, $34 and $67 per capita respectively in 2010, Myanmar got $7.

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Myanmar health care broken under military rule