Amycare is nearly here.

Next summer, Colorados new state health care exchange will begin a testing phase and be up and running by Oct. 1. Its a significant part of the states health care reform efforts and is designed to lower costs for businesses and individuals by creating what backers call a health care marketplace.

The nickname Amycare refers to the bipartisan SB200, passed in 2011, which created the exchange system. State Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, was the prime House sponsor, and opponents of the bill dubbed it Amycare, linking it to Obamacare, the GOP description for the federal health care bill.

Obamacare mandates that all 50 states create their health care exchange or accept one created by the federal government, and Amycare was designed to pre-empt federal intervention. The Colorado exchange will be an online portal that businesses and individuals can use to look for insurance tailored to their needs. Thats pretty much what Obamacare requires, and Amycares legal language says that the measure is designed to be in keeping with the federal law.

That also puts Colorado ahead of many other states that havent begun setting up exchanges, especially because states have to declare that theyre setting up exchanges, along with blueprints for the exchange, in a letter to the federal government by Dec. 14.

Leaders in several states were waiting to see what would happen if President Barack Obama lost his bid for re-election, or in case Obamacare was overturned in court.

Federal money will keep Colorados new exchange running for a year, but by Jan. 1, 2015, the exchange will be self-funded, said Patty Fontneau, CEO of the nonprofit in charge of setting it up. And the job is well under way.

You can let the federal government come in and dictate to us what kind of model were going to have, or we can build it openly ourselves, to meet the needs of individuals and businesses, Fontneau said. Thats what were doing.

Not all the federal regulations on health care exchanges, however, have been set up, or announced.

We will abide by Colorado state law and by federal law, Fontneau said.

Read more:

Health care exchange will lift off in 2013

The cornerstones of a thriving community include quality education, a vibrant industrial base, dependable public safety, and reliable and trusted health care.

Were fortunate in Northwest Ottawa County to have all of these.

To say anyone is more important than the other would be a tough argument, and we dont intend to do so here. We recognize the fact that all play a vital role in making our community a place that people want to visit and live, and we encourage you to support each of them.

The health care market, however, is different.

Residents of the Tri-Cities area are nestled between two large health systems to the east and to the north, both of which provide excellent care and services to their patients, as does our health system right here in Grand Haven.

People have choices.

A big difference is that the Grand Haven-based North Ottawa Community Health System is operated by professionals who are a part of our community. They are people who are committed to providing affordable, quality medical care close to home. They practice health care in our community because they want to be here, not because they have to be.

How important is it to have health care managed locally? If you consider the 800 jobs, the $34 million in annual salaries and benefits, and that 90 percent of employees live in the area and reinvest millions of dollars back into our community as important, then the answer is simply very!

We applaud the North Ottawa Community Health System for its efforts in redefining its relevance to the community with sure financial footing and a plan for growth. We encourage you to get to know your local health care system, and find out more about what it means to you and to our community as a whole to keep health care local.

Our Views reflects the majority opinion of the members of the Grand Haven Tribune editorial board: Kevin Hook, Cheryl Welch, Matt DeYoung and Fred VandenBrand. What do you think? E-mail us a letter to the editor to news@grandhaventribune.com or log-in to our website and leave a comment below.

Continued here:

Keeping health care local

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -

The first meeting of a Senate select committee on the federal Affordable Care Act turned raucous Monday, with a group of speakers saying the state should not carry out the law --- and jeering Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith after he defended the role of the federal government.

Members of the group, including "tea-party" activists, said the law known as "Obamacare" is an unconstitutional overreach by Washington. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the law in June, which has led to state lawmakers considering whether to carry out portions such as an expansion of Medicaid eligibility and creation of a health-insurance exchange.

KrisAnne Hall, a north Florida lawyer who was a chief spokeswoman for the group, described the federal law as a "trainwreck."

"You have to stand now in defense of the constitution, in honor of your oath,'' she told members of the Senate Select Committee on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

But a short time later, Smith, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, offered a different view of the federal government's role, saying, "It's hard to sit here and be silent and listen to some of this.''

Smith said, for example, the federal government had to play a large role in the past on issues such as integrating schools. Also, he pointed to part of the U.S. Constitution that originally treated black people as less than white people for representation purposes.

"The federal government had to step in because our constitution is an imperfect document,'' Smith said, drawing boos from the health-law opponents. "If it was perfect, you would not have amendments to it."

Committee Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, tried to stem the booing.

"I would ask everyone, show courteousness and decorum,'' Negron said.

Link:

Hearing on federal health care law turns raucous

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Advisory Board Company's Southwind program announced on Monday that it has recognized three top-performing health care provider organizations with national awards for successful physician alignment.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110802/PH45999LOGO )

Southwind presented the following awards:

"When hospitals, health systems, and other providers begin making the transformation from volume-based to value-based care, no factor plays a more critical role in their success than the ability to align closely with physicians on cost and quality performance," said John Deane, CEO, Southwind, The Advisory Board Company's health care management and consulting services program. "These three organizations are national leaders in executing key initiatives for an accountable care strategy: improving performance, raising quality, and reducing costs."

Southwind Physician Alignment Award in Clinical Integration: Dignity HealthIn CI programs, a network of independent physicians collectively commits to collaborate with a hospital or health system to deliver improvements in quality and cost of care. Dignity Health, headquartered in San Francisco, is one of the nation's five largest health care systems in the nation with 11,000 physicians across Arizona, California, and Nevada. Dignity Health sought a model of care that would leverage local affiliations and foster physician leadership in each market, but would also align physicians with the system's overarching strategy to become regional, integrated care delivery systems.

Working with Southwind, Dignity Health developed an executive strategy to foster and support local, physician-led efforts for CI programs. Today, more than 2,300 physicians across the Dignity Health system participate in a local CI program.

Dignity Health has CI program development under way in six of nine service areas, with the other three on pace to have CI within 12 to 18 months. Three of the CI programs have made informal introductions to the Federal Trade Commission.

"Working with physicians to build clinically integrated networks is an important part of our commitment to modernizing the U.S. health care system," said Bruce Swartz, Senior Vice President of Physician Integration at Dignity Health. "We are honored by this recognition for our efforts and we look forward to continuing our progress to make care more efficient and easier to navigate for both patients and physicians."

Southwind Physician Alignment Award in Clinical Transformation: Adirondack Region Medical Home PilotClinical Transformation refers to a change in hospital-physician partnerships to support value-based care. The Adirondack Region Medical Home Pilot is a collaboration between Community Providers, Inc. comprised of CVPH (Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital) Medical Center and Elizabethtown Community Hospital and Adirondack Health and Hudson Headwaters Health Network. Together, these organizations worked with Southwind to help transform health care delivery across a region twice the size of Rhode Island by implementing an advanced primary care model.

In partnership with the State of New York, the partner organizations formed a commissioned regional medical home pilot for 49 NCQA Level III-recognized patient centered medical homes and established the Adirondack Health Institute (AHI) as the managing entity of the pilot. The effort has drawn participation from all providers across the community: five hospital systems, 33 primary care practices, and 225 primary care providers.

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Three Health Care Organizations Honored for Successful Hospital-Physician Alignment

Eligible - Next Gen Health Information Exchange - HIE - API
The US health information system passes over 2 trillion records annually in disparate data formats (X12, HL7, NCPDP, CCD etc). We #39;ve created simple REST APIs that developers integrate in minutes to process health care transactions such as eligibility and preauthorizations. We #39;re already processing over 33000 transactions across the country per month. Contact us for more info: eligibleapi.com.From:keligibleapiViews:3 0ratingsTime:00:25More inScience Technology

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Eligible - Next Gen Health Information Exchange - HIE - API - Video

Handball zone defense animation created using Yellowjacket Sting Simulation Editor
This video is one in a series of demo videos for the Yellowjacket Sting Simulation Editor. Sting makes it easy to simulate the movement of objects or information and allows you to create animations for a wide range of industries. These include sports, education, telecom, health care, social and physical sciences, transportation and more. Please visit our home page at http://www.yellowjacket.ca for more information.From:YellowjacketSoftwareViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:15More inSports

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Handball zone defense animation created using Yellowjacket Sting Simulation Editor - Video

Boston Office Style
A "Gangnam Style" parody about being a consultant in Navigant #39;s Boston Office for the company #39;s talent show competition, which had a 2-minute time limit. See lyrics below! "Boston Office Style" Lyrics: Boston office style Boston style We #39;ve got a vision to be number one And clients love our experts Trusted with business problems #39;Cause we #39;re so freakin #39; awesome B**** it #39;s Friday night, we be United Club loungin #39; Check my conspicuous expenses I #39;m way up in the air In a middle seat, c #39;mon this isn #39;t fair The guy to my left is as big as a grizzly bear The kid to my right lost his binky - don #39;t know where Straight up losing hair Life Science Construction That #39;s Boston (Hey!) That #39;s so Boston (Hey!) Health Care Strategy That #39;s Boston (Hey!) Yeah, that #39;s so Boston (Hey!) You should visit us #39;Cause we make so much mon-AY-AY-AY-AY-AY! Boston office style! Boston style! Bos bos bos bos bos bos Boston office style! Bos bos bos bos bos bos Boston office style! Hey, wealthy clients! Boston office style! Hey, wealthy clients! Boston office style! Boston office style!From:Joel WorthingtonViews:24 2ratingsTime:02:06More inEntertainment

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Boston Office Style - Video

Escrow payment demo created using Yellowjacket Sting Simulation Editor
This video is one in a series of demo videos for the Yellowjacket Sting Simulation Editor. Sting makes it easy to simulate the movement of objects or information and allows you to create animations for a wide range of industries. These include sports, education, telecom, health care, social and physical sciences, transportation and more. Please visit our home page at http://www.yellowjacket.ca for more information.From:YellowjacketSoftwareViews:4 0ratingsTime:00:49More inEducation

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Escrow payment demo created using Yellowjacket Sting Simulation Editor - Video

Helpful Hints for Hang-ups Episode 04: House On Fire
Do not decide not to take a medication primarily because of side effects. That is like not putting out a fire because you are afraid of water damage. --- This video is only for informational purposes. For your own treatment and any side effects, please consult your physician. If you are think you are having a medical or health emergency, call your health care professional, or 911 (in the United States) immediately. Public Domain Works Used archive.org/details/ YourFire1949_2 - YourFire1949 Firefighters_544 bb_house_cleaning_blues FireDamageRestorationInIllinois clker.com/clipart-scale.htmlFrom:Harish MalhotraViews:3 0ratingsTime:01:36More inHowto Style

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Helpful Hints for Hang-ups Episode 04: House On Fire - Video

Health Care For Children Movie
Listening to them is the greatest ways to how how you do care and love them:)From:Aulia Rizqi MulyaniViews:0 0ratingsTime:05:01More inPeople Blogs

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A Looming Crisis in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid? The "Fiscal Cliff" is a Scam Pt2
James Galbraith: It #39;s been known since the 1950 #39;s that there would be more demands on social security; If there was political will health care costs could be controlled, it #39;s not a problem of MedicareFrom:TheRealNewsViews:161 13ratingsTime:08:51More inNews Politics

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A Looming Crisis in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid? The "Fiscal Cliff" is a Scam Pt2 - Video

Republicans Are Bad for the Economy
"...the only basic issue...is whether our government will fall in a conservative rut and die there, or whether we will move ahead in the liberal spirit of daring..." [John F. Kennedy, New York, 1960] "Do Republicans Cause Economic Depression?" "The Republicans controlled the Presidency and Congress 80% and 100% of the decade prior to 1929. For comparison, in the decade prior to the current crisis Republican control has been 60% and 100%. Indeed, there has been a long period of Republican dominance in the legislative and executive branches, with control over Congress from 1995-2007 and the Presidency since 2001, not unlike the long period of Republican dominance leading up to the 1929 Depression. We are under very similar party governance conditions as the 1929 Great Depression." nebulium.wordpress.com "They deregulated finance, now they want to deregulate health care!" Jason Rosenbaum,. The Huffington Post, September 18, 2008 http://www.huffingtonpost.com "Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Lehman Brothers, and now AIG have fallen, forcing taxpayers to pick up the tab. They fell because they were allowed to buy and sell mortgages that should have never been created in the first place. They fell because banks that created these mortgages were allowed to lend vast amounts of money to people who couldn #39;t pay them back. Most importantly, they fell because the government implicitly acted as a safety net for risk, a role made explicit with the trillion dollar bailouts that have occurred over ...From:NRUN65Views:1 0ratingsTime:11:16More inEducation

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Republicans Are Bad for the Economy - Video

As excitement heats up in India about the affordable health care industry, some questions remain.

Excerpt from:

India Ink: Should Health Care for the Very Poor Be a Fast-Growth Business?

National health reform has survived two presidential elections, a year-long debate in Congress, a summer of Tea Party uprisings, a Republican counteroffensive in the 2010 elections, more than 30 repeal votes in the U.S. House and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last summer.

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Hotdish Politics: 'National' health care reform not there yet

Assura is a buy for its long term income stream.

Simon Laffin, chairman of property group Assura, spent more than 300,000 on shares in the group last week. It is always a positive sign when management make such a confident statement on a companys prospects.

The business owns and operates primary health care properties such as GP surgeries. Its (Euronext: ALITS.NX - news) business model is similar to Primary Health Properties (Other OTC: PYHPF.PK - news) , but the group is smaller. It plans to convert to a real estate investment trust in April next year.

Interim results released last week were positive. In the six months to September, pre-tax profit was 6.5m compared with a 26.3m loss last year. Last years loss related to charges associated with an interest rate swap that went bad. This resulted in a rights issue but this issue is now behind the company. The balance sheet has been fixed and the company is ready for growth. The primary health care industry offers positive growth prospects. Most GP surgeries are old and dated and more modern health care facilities will be built over the next decade, especially after GPs get involved in commissioning decisions from April 2013.

In the past six months, Assuras rent roll was 36.2m compared with 34.9m. Its property rose 3.7pc in value over the past six months.

The company pays dividends quarterly, which at the moment stand at 0.285p a share. The prospective yield is 3.2p, rising to 3.6pc next year, which is not astoundingly high, but the company has a progressive dividend policy and the average lease length on core portfolio of 15.5 years.

The shares are trading on a discount to its net asset value of almost 10pc. Questor likes the long-term dividend stream. Buy.

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Questor share tip: Health care group Assura has good long-term prospects

< class="photo full"> < class="photoCredit">AP Photo/Alex Brandon