Three local residents have stepped forward as candidates for two seats on the Del Puerto Health Care District board and are seeking votes in the Nov. 6 election.

Incumbents Jeannette Kessler and board president Anne Stokman want to keep their four-year seats, while challenger Ed Maring, who served on the board for 30 years before losing his seat in the 2010 election, hopes to return to the local board.

The Irrigator provided a series of questions for Kessler, Stokman and Maring.

Fred Beltran, who has served in the boards only two-year position, has no opponent to retain his seat.

Other board members are Harold Hill and Ramona East, whose terms expire in 2014.

ANNE IELMINI STOKMAN What do you specifically plan to accomplish if you are elected to the Del Puerto Health Care District board? Why do you want to be on the board?

I have served one term on the board; we have been through a lot of changes: a new building, a new CEO, electronic medical records and multiple physicians. We have excellent staff at the district office, ambulance and clinic. We have reached stability and are ready to move toward building additional health care services.

I have lived in Patterson my entire life. I have 30 years experience as a registered nurse working in the hospital, home heath, hospice, clinic manager, diabetes educator and nurse consultant. I want to continue to volunteer to help expand services in our community for health care, prevention and urgent care.

What are the immediate needs for health care on the West Side? What needs to happen to bring those services to Patterson?

We need radiology services, including ultrasound and mammograms.

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Three vie for two seats on Del Puerto Health board

Politics The Election's Choice On Health Care Reform

On the issue of health care reform, your choice on Election Day comes down to Obamacare or "repeal and replace."

President Barack Obama's position can be "summed up" in 2,400 pages. That's the length of his Affordable Care Act, the landmark 2010 health care overhaul informally known as Obamacare, which makes sweeping consumer-centric changes to common health insurance practices.

The law is closely modeled after the Massachusetts health insurance reform that Republican challenger Mitt Romney championed when he was governor of that state in 2006. But now, the former Massachusetts governor vows that if he's elected president, he'll repeal the Obama law and replace it with a more conservative alternative. But what that might look like is one of the campaign's big questions.

Obama is promoting the Affordable Care Act as he makes his case for a second term. Go to the health care section of his campaign website to find out where he stands, and what you'll find are links where you can "learn how Obamacare benefits you."

Under the law, insurers by 2014 may no longer: deny coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions; impose lifetime or annual dollar limits on coverage; cancel coverage arbitrarily; limit doctor choice and out-of-network emergency services; or charge higher premiums based on gender or health status.

The act also allows young adults to remain on their parents' policy until age 26, and it provides a laundry list of preventive care screenings and services to all ages at no additional cost.

To help pay for this expansion of benefits, the law's "individual mandate" requires most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. To help consumers find affordable coverage, new state marketplaces called exchanges will open in 2014, government tax credits will be available for low-income individuals and families, and states are encouraged to expand their Medicaid programs to millions of uninsured, lower-income Americans.

The Medicaid expansion had been a requirement under the law, but the U.S. Supreme Court made it optional for states.

Romney's campaign website says Obama's approach to health care reform takes the country in the wrong direction, by relying on "a dense web of regulations, fees, subsidies, excise taxes, exchanges, and rule-setting boards to give the federal government extraordinary control over every corner of the health care system."

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Voters will have their say on fate of Obamacare

In February 2010, I sat down to talk health-care policy with Rep. Paul Ryan. Ryan wasn’t yet the lion of the right that he is today, but he had a reputation as an unusually wonkish legislator, and he didn’t disappoint. In the interview , he was clearly well-versed on the issues, fluent in both his ideas and the main criticiques. He was also refreshingly willing to step off-message, as when he ...

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What I learned debating Paul Ryan

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --As health care costs continue to rise, Walmart is introducing a first-of-its-kind Centers of Excellence program that will offer its associates quality health care with no out-of-pocket cost for heart, spine, and transplant surgeries at six of the leading hospital and health systems in the U.S.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090914/WALMARTLOGO)

The six designated health care organizations include the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio; Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa.; Mayo Clinic sites in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz., and Jacksonville, Fla.; Mercy Hospital Springfield in Springfield, Mo; Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas; and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Wash. These organizations will give Walmart associates the opportunity to receive care at hospitals and medical centers geographically located across the country that specialize in heart, spine and transplant care.

"We devoted extensive time developing Centers of Excellence in order to improve the quality of care our associates' receive," said Sally Welborn, senior vice president of global benefits at Walmart. "We have identified six renowned health care systems that meet the highest quality standards for heart, spine and transplant surgery. Through these hospital systems, our associates will have no out-of-pocket expenses and a greater peace of mind knowing they are receiving exceptional care from a facility that specializes in the procedure they require. This is the first time a retailer has offered a comprehensive, nationwide program for heart, spine and transplant surgery."

The new Centers of Excellence program is being expanded from covering transplants, which began with the Mayo Clinic in 1996, to include treatment for certain heart and spine surgeries. Walmart's associates and their dependents who are enrolled in the company's medical plans will receive consultations and care covered at 100 percent without deductible or coinsurance, plus travel, lodging and food for the patient and a caregiver.

Patients must be healthy enough to travel for the surgeries. Four of the designated health care systems -- Cleveland Clinic, Geisinger Medical Center, Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Virginia Mason Medical Center, will offer specific procedures for cardiac surgery that include open heart surgery for coronary artery bypass grafting, heart valve replacement/repair, closures of heart defects, thoracic and aortic aneurysm repair and other complex cardiac surgeries.

Three of the health care systems -- Mercy Hospital Springfield, Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Virginia Mason Medical Center will perform spine procedures that will include cervical and lumbar spinal fusion, total disk arthroplasty, spine surgery revisions and other complex spine surgeries. Transplants will continue to be provided by the Mayo Clinic.

In providing this service at no cost to its enrolled associates, Walmart has worked with these Centers of Excellence health systems to provide exclusive and unique bundled pricing arrangements for these types of procedures. Through Centers of Excellence, Walmart is working with all the health care organizations to collectively share best practices that will allow collaboration around best measures of service and new industry findings in comparison to industry practices.

Quotes from Center of Excellence Hospital and Health Systems:"Healthcare is inthe midst of an unprecedented transformation and requires innovation toimprove the way we deliver care to patients across the United States," said Cleveland ClinicPresidentand Chief Executive Officer,Toby M.Cosgrove, M.D. "Programs such as these will helpget patients to the right place, for the right care, at the right time while focusing on quality outcomesand cost control."

"Geisinger is recognized nationally for innovations that enhance patient care and create value, including our ProvenCare best-practice approach to caring for cardiac disease," said Geisinger Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Glenn Steele, Jr., M.D. "As a result of this innovative program and the commitment of our expert caregivers and support team, our patients recover faster, spend less time in the hospital and experience fewer complications. We are pleased to partner with Walmart in its Centers of Excellence Program and look forward to caring for their associates with cardiac disease."

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Walmart Expands Health Benefits to Cover Heart and Spine Surgeries at No Cost to Associates

Joyce Beck, who runs a small hospital and network of medical clinics in rural Nebraska, is reluctant to plan for the future until voters decide between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. The candidates' sharply divergent proposals for Medicare, Medicaid and coverage of the uninsured have created too much uncertainty, she explained.

"We are all on hold, waiting to see what the election brings," said Beck, chief executive of Thayer County Health Services, based in Hebron.

When Americans go to the polls next month they will cast a vote not just for president but for one of two profoundly different visions for the future of the country's health care system. With an Obama victory Nov. 6, the president's signature health care law including the contentious requirement that most Americans obtain health insurance or pay a tax penalty will almost certainly come into full force, becoming the largest expansion of the safety net since Lyndon Johnson pushed through his Great Society programs almost half a century ago.

If Romney wins and Republicans capture the Senate, much of the law could be repealed or its financing cut back and the president's goal of achieving near-universal coverage could take a back seat to Romney's top priority, controlling medical costs.

Given the starkness of the choice, historians and policymakers believe this election could be the most significant referendum on a piece of social legislation since 1936, when Republican Alf Landon ran against Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal programs.

Nearly eight decades have passed, but the debate sounds strikingly familiar: Landon described the Social Security Act, passed in 1935, as "the largest tax bill in history" and called for its repeal.

"It is very rare for a political party to pass a social program of this magnitude and then to face the possibility of a rollback or repeal in a presidential election," said James A. Morone, a professor of political science at Brown University who has studied the history of health policy.

For Medicare and Medicaid, the government health programs for older Americans, low-income people and the disabled, the candidates have sharply different visions as well. Romney's proposals call for fundamental changes in the structure of the programs, placing more emphasis on private-sector competition and much less on government regulation.

Obama would expand Medicaid to cover millions more people; Romney would effectively shrink it, giving each state a fixed amount of federal money to cover its disadvantaged population with more control over eligibility and benefits. Romney would eventually give each Medicare beneficiary a fixed amount of federal money to pay premiums for either the traditional Medicare program or private insurance. Obama would preserve the structure of Medicare but try to rein in costs, in part by trimming payments to health care providers.

Passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 was, to many, Obama's most significant legislative accomplishment. But the law proved so divisive that undoing it has become a central rallying cry of Republicans seeking to retake the White House.

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Future of health care hinges on election

ROCKFORD Janice Purifoy is passionate about her job as a certified nursing assistant, and she hopes that passion is indicative of the need for a better contract for her and her fellow union workers.

Purifoy, whos worked 13 years as a CNA at Alden Debes Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Rockford, joined other members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois on the picket line Wednesday outside Alden.

SEIU represents health care, child care, home care and nursing home workers in the Midwest. Purifoy and other nursing home employees in Illinois have worked without a contract since Dec. 31.

More than 2,000 workers were expected to join picket lines at 50 nursing homes, according to union officials. A common chant Wednesday was No contract, no peace.

Purifoy and Celena Clark, whos worked 7 years as a CNA at Alden Debes, are hoping to see some increase in pay without losing earned vacation time, which they said has been a point of contention during negotiations.

Theyre also concerned about staff turnover, which they worry affects the quality of patient care. We love what we do, and were just trying to get the message out that we deserve a fair contract, Purifoy said.

Union officials said contract talks are expected to resume Thursday.

Alden Debes is a member of the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities a nonprofit group of more than 375 licensed and certified long-term care facilities and programs and a statement released by Alden Debes said the group has been negotiating with the union in good faith to renew the contract.

We are disheartened by the picketing and inflammatory comments made by the union in an effort to disrupt the ongoing negotiations, the statement reads. Alden wants to assure our residents and community that we will continue to provide quality care and services during the ongoing talks.

Melissa Westphal: 815-987-1341; at mwestpha@rrstar.com; @mlwestphal

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Health care workers picket in Rockford for fair contract

TOLEDO, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Health Care REIT, Inc. (HCN) announced today that it will release its third quarter 2012 financial results before the market opens onNovember 6, 2012. The company will also host a conference call onNovember 6, 2012at10:00 a.m. Eastern Timeto discuss these results. The information to be discussed on the call will be contained in the company's earnings release, which will be available in the News section of the companys website atwww.hcreit.com.

The conference call will be accessible by telephone and through the Internet. Telephone access will be available by dialing (888) 346-2469or(706) 758-4923(international). For those unable to listen to the call live, a taped rebroadcast will be available beginning two hours after completion of the call throughNovember 20, 2012. To access the rebroadcast, dial (855) 859-2056or (404) 537-3406(international). The conference ID number is 40018571. To participate in the webcast, log on towww.hcreit.com15 minutes before the call to download the necessary software. Replays will be available for 90 days.

About Health Care REIT, Inc.

Health Care REIT, Inc., an S&P 500 company with headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, is a real estate investment trust that invests across the full spectrum of seniors housing and health care real estate. The company also provides an extensive array of property management and development services. As of June 30, 2012, the companys broadly diversified portfolio consisted of 1,010 properties in 46 states and Canada.

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Health Care REIT, Inc. Announces Date of Third Quarter 2012 Earnings Release, Conference Call and Webcast

For weeks, Tammy Schooley watched as health care providers ignored her father as he lay in a hospital bed suffering from cancer.

If she told them he needed a bed pan, for instance, Schooley said they told her to let him go in the bed. If he needed help during the night, I couldnt get anybody to come in and help me.

There was just such a lack of care and concern, and thats putting it nicely, Schooley said recently. Her father, a semiretired physicist, died at age 82 in August 2011.

What her dad went through, along with how her mother was treated when hospitalized with Alzheimers years earlier, motivated Schooley to train to be a certified nurse assistant.

In many ways, her story underscores the need for more qualified health care workers, a shortage that has been deepening in the past few years as the nations baby boomers age into retirement by the millions and fall in need of care.

I told myself as soon as I could find a program, I was going into the health care field, she said. I had to try and make a difference.

According to the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, by 2020 the nation will need 1.1 million additional direct care workers a category that includes certified nurse assistants.

With the increasing need in the health care field, the American Red Cross recently launched a second round of classes to train certified nurse assistants to provide basic care such as feeding, dressing, bathing and monitoring to patients.

It was exactly what Schooley, 51, of Conyers had hoped for, and when she happened upon the program in July, she signed up immediately.

Schooley would bring with her the compassion she believed her parents deserved, and the CNA instructors would teach her how to properly provide the care they needed.

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Red Cross launches new round of nurse assistant classes

BETHESDA, Md. & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Coventry Health Care, Inc. (CVH) and Healthways (HWAY) today announced an agreement to offer the award-winning SilverSneakers Fitness Program to Coventrys eligible Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in 13 states. This three-year agreement, effective January 1, 2013, makes SilverSneakers available to beneficiaries in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

For those plans with Silver Sneakers benefits, Coventrys Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will have full access, at no cost to them, to SilverSneakers programs and locations across the country. SilverSneakers is the nations leading exercise program designed to keep older adults active and healthy.

Coventry has offered fitness programs to its Medicare Advantage beneficiaries since 2009 to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle. Coventry and Healthways began their partnership in 2012 by offering SilverSneakers to eligible Coventry beneficiaries in Florida. In the first seven months of the programs availability, Coventry beneficiaries made more than 37,000 visits to SilverSneakers locations.

Coventry believes strongly in helping people get well and stay well for a better quality of life, said Nancy Cocozza, Senior Vice President, Medicare, at Coventry Health Care. The SilverSneakers model focuses heavily on reaching out to older adults to encourage them to become more active, healthy and fit. We have seen a high level of engagement and excitement from beneficiaries in Florida through this program, and we are pleased to offer SilverSneakers to thousands more nationwide.

Fitness and Flexibility Without Cost to Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries who participate in SilverSneakers have free access to more than 15,000 locations in the Healthways fitness center network nationwide, making it easier to take classes and participate in programs close to home or on the road. Staff members are on site at locations to

help beneficiaries meet their personal wellness goals. Many locations offer amenities, such as exercise equipment, pools, saunas, fitness classes and other activities.

Beneficiaries who cannot get to a fitness location can participate in SilverSneakers Steps, a personalized fitness program that offers kits for general fitness, strength, walking or yoga. Kits are mailed to beneficiaries, and include DVDs and other exercise tools that can be used at home or on the go.

The SilverSneakers online community offers a secure environment that allows beneficiaries to create exercise and nutrition plans, track fitness progress, find health articles and recipes and gain additional support and encouragement.

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Coventry Expands Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program to Its Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries in 13 States

BENSALEM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Health insurance expanded to cover nearly 13 million more individuals in June 2012 compared with 18 months prior, according to new research from BusinessOne Technologies, Inc. This 5.4 percent increase in total managed lives between Jan. 2011-June 2012 is due in part to already-implemented health care reform measures that are driving greater access to health care and prescription drugs ahead of the 2014 individual mandate roll-out.

These measures include dependent-child coverage up to age 26, small business tax credits, and early Medicaid expansion by some states. While health insurance coverage is on the rise, the national unemployment fell by almost 1 percent over the same 18-month period.

Managed Lives Trends in the Current Health Care Reform Environment is the third in BusinessOnes series of annual managed lives trend reports. The analysis finds the number of insured Americans increased across all third-party payer segments over the 18-month study period, with the exception of State Medicaid (Fee-for-Service).

Medicare lives grew at the fastest rate (12%), followed by Managed Medicaid (10.4%) and commercial insurance (5%). The commercial channel experienced the largest increase in number of insured individuals: 7.6 million people, accounting for more than half of the increase.

Analysis is based on data from BusinessOnes Maestro, which tracks Americas insured by commercial, Medicaid and Medicare plans, along with related benefit design, formulary, co-pay, coverage policy and other metrics.

Among the top 10 states in insured lives by channel:

It is critical for pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers to understand the implications of health care reform on access and reimbursement, said BusinessOne Technologies President James A. Barone. The combination of health care reform and a sluggish economy will have a dramatic effect on the movement of lives to state insurance exchanges, Medicaid and Medicare. Understanding this landscape is essential to developing appropriate strategies for the new managed care paradigm.

Managed Lives Trends in the Current Health Care Reform Environment shows why even small shifts in insured lives can significantly impact market share. The report:

Managed Lives Trends in the Current Economic Environment provides valuable market information to those interested in staying informed on the impact of health care reform. To obtain a copy of this report, visit BusinessOne Technologies, Inc., at http://www.businessonetech.com.

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Health Care Reform Impact: More Insured Americans Compared to 18 Months Ago, BusinessOne Technologies, Inc., Reports

Rocky Mountain Physical Therapy is hosting a free talk on back injuries and ways to prevent them. Physical therapist Meggan Jorgensen will present the talk from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Fort Collins Club Conference Room, 1307 E.

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In brief: Health care

DANVERS, MA--(Marketwire - Oct 10, 2012) - HealthLeaders Media, a division of HCPro, Inc., today announced they will join forces with Baylor Health Care System to host a unique live event on November 6, 2012, to provide healthcare executives with insights for how to develop an excellent cancer service line.

The event, "Cancer Service Line Leadership: Baylor Health Care System," will be held at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, and the event can also be attended virtually from anywhere in the world by logging onto a live simulcast on the Internet.

The rate to participate in the program is $399 for individual attendees. For more information about the event or to register, please go to http://www.hcmarketplace.com/ev-10641/Cancer-Service-Line-Leadership-Baylor-Health-Care-Dallas-TX.html.

"Hospitals need the clinical expertise to tailor treatment for the best possible outcomes, access to the latest clinical trials and experienced navigators to help guide each patient through the treatment process so that every patient has their best chance for a cure," said Jim Molpus, strategic relationships director at HealthLeaders Media and event moderator. "Baylor Health Care System has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to develop its successful cancer service line by combining the best aspects of academic and private-practice cancer care models to serve patients better."

The Dallas event is part of a series of HealthLeaders Media Rounds focused on various topics of concern to hospitals and health systems nationwide. Live and virtual attendees will also receive free copies of a recently completed white paper, which can also be downloaded at http://www.pages05.net/hcpro/Nov6Rounds/.

The speakers include: John McWhorter, President of Baylor University Medical Center and Senior Vice President of Baylor Health Care System; Alan Miller, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Director of Oncology at Baylor Health Care System and Medical Director of Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center; Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., Physician-in-Chief and Director of Translational Research at TGen (Translational Genomics Research Institute) in Phoenix; Cynthia Robinson, R.N. MBA, Manager of Patient Navigation Program at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center; and Steven Paulson, M.D., Chairman and President of Texas Oncology.

HealthLeaders Media Rounds provide healthcare leaders with access to in-depth insights, analysis and recommendations on specific challenges facing the industry. Using a case study format, Rounds events feature an array of leaders from host facilities who collectively share insights on how they have accomplished a particular initiative. This wide-angle view provides healthcare leaders with the ability to incorporate real-world solutions learned from the event into their own systems.

HealthLeaders Media HealthLeaders Media, a division of HCPro, Inc., is a leading multi-platform media company dedicated to meeting the business information needs of healthcare executives and professionals. As an integrated media company, HealthLeaders Media includes HealthLeaders magazine, HealthLeadersMedia.com, the HealthLeaders Media Intelligence Unit, HealthLeaders Media Rounds events, HealthLeaders Media Breakthroughs reports, and California HealthFax. All these platforms may be found online at http://www.healthleadersmedia.com.

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Baylor Health Care System and HealthLeaders Media to Host Forum on How to Build Successful Cancer Care Program

Need to engage political arena

Ron Sim's emphasis on individual responsibility in this matter is overlooking some major factors that affect public health [Take responsibility for your health-care costs, Opinion, Oct. 7].

The reason for this is that research into health inequalities indicates that there are systematic health differences between societal groups. The findings have uncovered many social factors associated with health outcomes.

One of these is that policy does impact public health. We cannot simply engage individuals, we must engage the political arena as well. Making the right policy decisions can improve public health and keep people out of the emergency room.

Daniel Tuttle, Seattle

Health-care insurance premiums should go down

On Oct. 7, The Seattle Times had two health-care articles with significant points.

The first, Insurers praised parts of health law but gave mostly to Republicans, pointed out that insurance company contributions greatly favor Republicans in their contributions because among other things, they dislike the Obamacare requirement that they spend 80 to 85 percent of their premium dollars on medical care for policyholders [News, Oct. 7].

The second article, an opinion piece by Ron Sims, reported on the New Hampshire Healthcost website that compares what hospitals, surgery centers, physicians and other health-care professionals receive for their services [Take responsibility for your health-care costs, Opinion, Oct. 7]. Such information can help New Hampshire people cut their health-care costs, but the amount of money that CEOs, other administrative personnel and health-care company shareholders receive was not separately mentioned.

Can this give us a clue as to why health-care insurance premiums are not coming down as we hoped? It seems to me that in addition to direct health-care providers, the health-care administrative personnel and insurance shareholders need to ask themselves: Is my involvement in the industry really intended to improve peoples' health? Or is it to increase my financial income? If it is both, which has priority? And, what income would be fair, or enough under public or divine scrutiny?

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Health-care-reform debate raises question of responsibility

Northwest Iowa's uninsured usually have jobs but a safety net isn't always available; maneuvering through health care delivery system is no easy task

Cynthia Houston didn't panic when she lost her school district job in 2008. She looked for another job and paid the extra money to keep insurance through COBRA. She found work but couldn't afford insurance there. That was when she had a breakdown.

"I guess you're in that nowhere land of: you don't really qualify for help with this, you're not old enough to get offered (insurance) for senior citizens," Houston, 60, said. "You're kind of out there on your own."

She eventually found help. But state efforts to help Iowans without health insurance pay for doctor visits and other medical care fail to reach all who could use the assistance, a review by five Iowa news organizations of the state's health care delivery systems for uninsured Iowans reveals.

Geographic limits, alone, ensure that one program Houston was referred to -- IowaCare -- does not reach all Iowans who need it, even though it is considered to be a last resort for Iowans ineligible for other programs that fund accessible, affordable health care.

One in 10 Iowans lives without health insurance. Estimates range from 312,600 by the Kaiser Family Foundation to 342,000 by the U.S. Census Bureau. They live in a state where some health care professionals -- although not all -- predict there won't be enough available primary care providers to handle growing demand for health care in Iowa from aging baby boomers, working people with inadequate insurance coverage and others entering the health care market.

"It seems to me, from my perspective, to be a perfect storm," Wendy Gray, executive director of Free Clinics of Iowa, said about that anticipated convergence of trends.

The health care workforce, which includes specialists, physician assistants, nurses and others, is a concern, said Dr. Stephen Eckstat, board president of Free Clinics of Iowa and CEO at Mercy Clinics Inc. of Des Moines. But, he said, he expects Iowa to have enough primary care doctors, with Des Moines University and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics graduating them and the doctors staying here.

The most serious concern, Eckstat said, is that people increasingly cannot afford insurance. "The crisis is financial," he said.

Free Clinics of Iowa's network of 33 free medical clinics dealt with more than 13,600 patient visits in each of the past two years, up from 13 clinics handling 5,018 clinic visits in 2005. It did not count the number of patients making the visits but about 11,000 visits each of the past two years were by people lacking health insurance, the organization's records show.

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Finding health care coverage for every Iowan an elusive dream

09-10-2012 05:17 (WTNH) -- The John Martinez School is part of New Haven's Boost! program. That means the school works with the United Way to help students not only with their academics, but to get them health care and family support as well. You say you didn't know that? Well, that's why folks are going door to door this Saturday to let everyone know.

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Giving a Boost to New Haven school children - Video

09-10-2012 13:22 DESPITE the passage of Obamacare, America's health-care system still needs reform. Mr Obama and Mr Romney have very different views on what should be done, and who should pay for it

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Election issues: Health care - Video

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he has a plan to help people with pre-existing medical conditions get health insurance. But there's a huge catch: You basically have to be covered in the first place.

If you had a significant break in health insurance coverage an insurer still could delve into your medical history, looking for anything from a bad back to high blood pressure that could foreshadow future claims. They'd be able to turn you down.

That's a contrast to President Barack Obama's health care law, which guarantees that people in poor health can get comprehensive coverage at the same rates everybody else pays, and provides government subsidies to help low- to middle-income households pay premiums.

Starting Jan. 1, 2014, an insurer "may not impose any pre-existing condition exclusion," the law says.

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Big gap in Romney health plan

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

LifeScience Alley announced today that 10 life science and health care organizations will be exhibiting cutting-edge technologies at the associations Eleventh Annual Conference as part of the New Technology Showcase. Three of the 10 selected organizations will be presenting their technologies during the luncheon general session in front of an anticipated audience of more than 1,600 national and international life science and health care professionals. The Conference will take place on December 5 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minn. This year's New Technology Showcase is sponsored by Mayo Clinic.

During the luncheon general session, Corventis, Inc., of St. Paul, Minn., will be presenting a wireless diagnostic solution to monitor and analyze various measurements from cardiovascular patients. Entellus Medical, a Plymouth, Minn., company, will be presenting a set of minimally-invasive sinusitis treatment tools. Additionally, Monteris Medical of Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be presenting a MRI-guided, minimally-invasive system for treating brain tumors.

These organizations will be joined in the New Technology Showcase exhibit area, located in the newly re-designed exhibit hall, by seven other finalists: Acuity Medical, a Minneapolis, Minn., company exhibiting a vision restoration technology treating macular degeneration; Clinical Healthcare Corporation, a Minneapolis, Minn., company exhibiting a software solution to help physicians manage patient data and communications in between visits; IntraMed Diagnostics, LLC, a Blue Earth, Minn., company exhibiting a point-of-care, disposable blood test to diagnose anemia; Mobi, LLC, a Bloomington, Minn., company exhibiting technologically advanced, ergonomic crutches; Sunshine Heart, an Eden Prairie, Minn., company exhibiting a minimally-invasive system designed to treat moderate to severe heart failure; Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, Inc., a Blaine, Minn., company exhibiting an advanced wheelchair technology to prevent the formation of pressure ulcers and Vital Simulations, LLC, a Minneapolis, Minn., company exhibiting an interactive healthcare simulation training module designed to teach care providers proper disease management techniques.

The New Technology Showcase provides an opportunity for companies around the world to apply for the opportunity to exhibit innovative medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and health care delivery products.

At Mayo Clinic, innovative technologies are a key component to providing more effective and value-added health outcomes for our patients, says James Rogers III, Chair of Mayo Clinic Ventures. Mayo is proud to sponsor the New Technology Showcase and introduce some of the latest technologies to members of the life science and health care communities.

About the Selection Process This years finalists were selected by a group of industry experts. Presenting and exhibiting organizations are selected based on the novelty of their technology, its market potential and its ability to improve patient outcomes while lowering per capita health care costs.

About the LifeScience Alley Conference The largest gathering of life science industry professionals in the Midwest, LifeScience Alleys annual conference brings together global leaders in the life science and health care industry to identify trends, share expertise and network across disciplines. This event includes participants from over 650 organizations worldwide, and is expected to attract 1,500-2,000 attendees this year. The 2012 Conference features three keynote sessions, four interactive breakout sessions and a newly redesigned exhibit hall. The goal of the conference is to equip attendees with information and resources that will help them stay current on Todays Science. Tomorrows Healthcare. For more information, visit http://www.lifesciencealley.org or http://www.lifesciencealleyconference.org.

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LifeScience Alley 11th Annual Conference to Highlight Innovative New Technologies

Twelve defendants were arrested last week on various charges, outlined in five indictments, regarding their roles in several unrelated conspiracies involving more than $100 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah Saldaa of the Northern District of Texas.

Two additional defendants that are named in the indictments are already in federal custody. Defendants began making their initial court appearances last week.

With the indictments unsealed today, over the last 18 months the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in Northern District of Texas has charged defendants with close to one half billion dollars of fraud and have sent a clear message that we will protect taxpayers dollars and the Medicare program, said Saldaa.

Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office Office of the Inspector General said, In one of the cases charged today, the defendants submitted claims for services to Medicare patients whose only connection to the defendants were that their names happened to be on a list of stolen Medicare ID numbers the defendants had obtained. The patients never visited the defendants business and never received any of the diagnostic tests and office visits for which their Medicare benefits were charged.

Lawrence Dale St. John, his son Jeffrey Dale St. John and Dr. Nicolas Alfonso Padron are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and 13 substantive counts of health care fraud. The indictment alleges that from May 2010 through January 5, 2012, the defendants conspired together to bill Medicare for care plan oversight, by Dr. Padron, for numerous beneficiaries when Dr. Padron was out of town, including dates when he was out of the country and on a cruise.

Dr. Padron has been in federal custody since his arrest in June 2012 on charges related to his role in a conspiracy to illegally distribute and dispense hydrocodone.

Pamela Adenuga, 38, and her husband, Kahinde Adenuga, 45, both of Arlington are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and seven substantive counts of health care fraud. The indictment alleges that since November 2007, Pamela and Kahinde Adenuga conspired together to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting claims for DME that was either not provided or not prescribed.

Olalekan Sorunke, 40, of Rowlett is charged with four counts of health care fraud stemming from his operation of Lincoln Medical Supply, Inc., a DME business he owned and operated in Dallas.

According to the indictment, Sorunke billed Medicare for power wheelchairs, hospital beds for home use and related accessories and other DME that was not medically necessary, and in some cases, was never provided to the Medicare beneficiaries. The indictment alleges that he engaged in up-coding wheelchairs, billing for but failing to provide wheelchairs, and forging doctors signatures on required documentation for the wheelchairs.

A physician, Joseph Megwa, 58, of Arlington, and two registered nurses Ferguson Ikhile and Ebolose Eghobor, who were associated with PTM Healthcare Services, Inc., a home healthcare agency, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three substantive counts of health care fraud arising from their association with a home health agency. In addition, Dr. Megwa is charged with four counts of making false statements relating to healthcare matters.

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Health care fraud indictments returned against 14

Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg Darden, which operates more than 2,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, employs about 180,000 people. The company says about 75 percent of its employees are part-timers.

Labor Restaurateur Darden moves more workers to part time to lessen coverage costs.

New York The owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants is putting more workers on part-time status in a test aimed at limiting the impact of looming health coverage requirements.

Darden Restaurants Inc. declined to give details but said the test is only in restaurants in four markets across the country, not including Utah, where it operates the national-brand eateries and will open two LongHorn Steakhouses in December. The move entails boosting the number of workers on part-time status, meaning they work less than 30 hours a week.

Under the new health care law championed by President Barack Obama, companies with 50 or more workers could be hit with fines if they do not provide basic coverage for full-time workers and their dependents. Starting Jan. 1, 2014, those penalties and requirements could significantly boost labor costs for some companies, particularly in low-wage industries such as retail and hospitality, where most jobs dont come with health benefits.

Darden, which operates more than 2,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, employs about 180,000 people. The company says about 75 percent of its employees are part-timers.

Bob McAdam, who directs government affairs and community relations for Darden, said the company is still learning from the tests, which were first reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

"Were not at a point where we have results," he said. McAdam also noted that Darden is not alone in looking at ways to keep labor costs in check, with companies industrywide prepping for the new regulations to take effect.

This summer, McDonalds Corp. Chief Financial Officer Peter Bensen noted in a conference call with investors that the fast food company was looking at the many factors that will impact health care costs, including its number of full-time employees.

"Theres not a company in those industries that arent looking at this," said Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

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Chain puts health care law to test