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

Health Management Associates, Inc. (HMA) announced today that its management will present at the Robert W. Baird & Co.'s 2012 Health Care Conference to be held September 5 - 6, 2012, at the New York Palace Hotel in New York City.

Health Managements senior leaders will present on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at 11:20 AM EDT. The presentation will be webcast live over the Internet via Health Management's website (http://www.hma.com). Listeners are encouraged to go to the Investor Relations section of Health Management's website approximately five minutes prior to the event to register and download any necessary media player software.

Health Management enables America's best local health care by providing the people, processes, capital and expertise necessary for its hospital and physician partners to fulfill their local missions of delivering superior health care services. Health Management, through its subsidiaries, operates 70 hospitals, with approximately 10,500 licensed beds, in non-urban communities located throughout the United States.

All references to "Health Management," "HMA" or the "Company" used in this release refer to Health Management Associates, Inc. and its affiliates.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as "expects," "estimates," "projects," "anticipates," "believes," intends, "plans," may, continues, should, "could" and other similar words. All statements addressing operating performance, events or developments that Health Management Associates, Inc. expects or anticipates will occur in the future, including but not limited to incurrence of indebtedness, projections of revenue, income or loss, capital expenditures, earnings per share, debt structure, bad debt expense, capital structure, repayment of indebtedness, the amount and timing of funds under the meaningful use measurement standard of various Healthcare Information Technology (HCIT) incentive programs, other financial items and operating statistics, statements regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations, innovations, or market service development, statements regarding acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures and other proposed or contemplated transactions (including but not limited to statements regarding the potential for future acquisitions and perceived benefits of acquisitions), statements of future economic performance, statements regarding legal proceedings and other loss contingencies, statements regarding market risk exposures, statements regarding the effects and/or interpretations of recently enacted or future health care laws and regulations, statements of the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements, and other statements which are other than statements of historical fact, are considered to be "forward-looking statements."

Because they are forward-looking, such statements should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties are more fully described in Health Management Associates, Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under the heading entitled "Risk Factors." Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of Health Management Associates, Inc.'s underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could vary materially from those currently anticipated. In addition, undue reliance should not be placed on Health Management Associates, Inc.'s forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Health Management Associates, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update its risk factors or to publicly announce updates to the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect new information, future events or other developments.

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Health Management to Present at the Robert W. Baird & Company 2012 Health Care Conference

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Sept. 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ResCare, Inc., the country's largest private human services company, has joined Hero Health Hire, a coalition of companies and other entities in the health care industry united with the goal of employing wounded veterans. Launched in Washington, D.C., in 2011, Hero Health Hire includes health care companies, associations and hospitals that collectively employ hundreds of thousands of people. Each member commits to helping veterans with disabilities find and retain jobs in health care.

"ResCare continues its focus on recruiting and hiring veterans of our military services by joining Hero Health Hire," said Ralph G. Gronefeld, Jr., ResCare President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our commitment to hiring wounded veterans isn't a charitable endeavor; it's a deliberate plan to add effective, experienced, dedicated leaders to our company at all levels. We know our veterans are strengthened and enriched by their service, and it only makes sense to put them in a position to apply their skills and positive attitude in helping the people we serve."

Hero Health Hire unites the health care industry with government agencies and the military to understand and eliminate the barriers to employment facing veterans with disabilities. The organization also develops ways to support veterans in their transition from military to civilian life. Since its inception, Hero Health Hire has recruited additional industry partners representing nearly one million employees with worksites in every U.S. state.

The health care industry is considered the fastest growing industry in our economy, requiring talented individuals to help meet multi-generational health care needs. The industry is also uniquely positioned to understand and support the needs of our nation's wounded warriors who return home to face physical and mental health challenges.

About Hero Health Hire

Hero Health Hire is a coalition of 34 health care industry leaders who share a common goal of helping wounded warriors gain employment within health care organizations that are well-suited to their skills and will offer them opportunities for professional, financial and personal stability. For more information, visit http://www.HeroHealthHire.com.

About ResCare

ResCare is a human service company that provides residential, therapeutic, job training and educational supports to people with developmental and other disabilities, to seniors who need in-home assistance, to youth with special needs and adults who are experiencing barriers to employment. Based in Louisville, Ky., ResCare and its nearly 45,000 dedicated employees serve some 57,000 people daily in 42 states, Washington, D.C., Canada and Puerto Rico. Please visit the company's website at http://www.ResCare.com.

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ResCare Joins Hero Health Hire

ScienceDaily (Sep. 4, 2012) The protection of the savings of the elderly -- one of the primary goals of Medicare -- is under threat from a combination of spiraling healthcare costs and increased longevity. As the government attempts to reduce Medicare costs, one suggestion is that the elderly could pay a larger proportion of the costs of their healthcare. But exactly how much would this be and what impact would it have on their finances?

A new study by Amy Kelley at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and her colleagues, funded by the National Institute on Aging, aims to identify the portion of wealth Medicare beneficiaries spend on healthcare costs in the last five years of life. Their work appears online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.

Medicare provides nearly universal health care coverage to the population over 65. However it does not pay for everything. There are co-payments and deductibles, and more importantly, homecare services and non-rehabilitative nursing home care, which are not covered. If proposals suggest the elderly should make even larger contributions to care, it is important to know more about patients' out-of-pocket spending under the current Medicare program.

The authors analyzed data from 3,209 individuals with Medicare coverage included in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from 2002-2008. They measured total out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures in the last five years of life, and looked at these costs as a percentage of total household assets. More than three quarters of households spent at least $10,000, with spending for all participants averaging $38,688 in the last five years of life. Even more shocking was the fact that a quarter of participants made an average contribution of $101,791, and the same number spent more than their total household assets on healthcare.

Kelley and colleagues note that the amount spent on healthcare varied widely with the type of illness suffered, with dementia costing the most money. Out-of-pocket spending for individuals or their spouses dying with dementia was more than twice the average for dying from gastrointestinal disease or cancer. The majority of these costs are related to nursing home expenses which accounted for 56 percent of average spending in those suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Thus far, attempts to promote legislation to help with long-term care requirements have all been deemed too expensive. Until someone comes up with a financially viable scheme, the authors speculate that the financial outlook for the elderly in coming decades is discouraging. They conclude that, "as more baby boomers retire, a new generation of widows or widowers could face a sharply diminished financial future as they confront their recently-depleted nest egg following the illness and death of a spouse."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Springer.

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Health-care costs hit the elderly hard, diminish financial wellbeing

DURHAM -- Patients within the Central East Local Health Integration Network are being invited to share their experiences with local health care.

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Share your stories of health care in Durham

Call volume surged in the SPDR Health Care Index Fund on Friday, but it wasn't necessarily bullish.

A block of 25,000 December 41 calls traded for $0.41 against previous open interest of just 1,037 contracts.

At first glance it appeared that the calls were sold. But just 90 seconds later, the largest trade in the stock went off: 600,000 shares sold for $38.80. That was a full $0.18 less than the trades immediately before and after. Given that the bid/ask spread on the options was just $0.03 and the options traded in the middle of that, it may very well be that that calls were bought against the short stock position.

In that case, we're looking at a neutral position that can profit if the XLV moves sharply in either direction. It will also make money if the actual volatility of the stock is more than that implied by the options.

XLV rose 0.31 percent to $38.84 on Friday. That was lower than Wednesdays close, but it did touch a new all-time high of $39.05 during the session. It's been trending higher for the last 11 months, having bottomed just above $30 in October.

Total option volume in the fund was 8 times greater than average.

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Volatility trade targets health care fund

San Francisco's cutting-edge universal health care program continues to be roundly applauded for its goal of ensuring all city residents have medical care - but the way employers are paying for it, or sometimes not paying for it, remains a major controversy at City Hall.

At Supervisor David Campos' urging, the Board of Supervisors is expected to hold a hearing this month or next on businesses, primarily restaurants, that levy a surcharge on customers' bills to pay for Healthy San Francisco, but pocket some of the money themselves. Campos has asked that the district attorney investigate the surcharges on the grounds they may amount to consumer fraud.

Campos is also concerned about businesses of all kinds that create health reimbursement accounts as a way to comply with the city mandate but are tight-fisted in actually spending the money on their employees' health care.

"We in San Francisco have been proud to be the first city to have universal health care," Campos said. "But it's hurting the vast majority of businesses that are actually playing by the rules and following the letter and spirit of the law if they have to compete with businesses that are not doing that."

But Rob Black, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said Campos, who is up for re-election in November, is relying on old or faulty data to make his case.

Black believes changes to the employer mandate approved by the board and mayor late last year are working - and that Campos is basing his concern on data produced before the changes were made.

"He's either misrepresenting it or he has no clue what he's talking about," Black said.

At issue is Healthy San Francisco, the first program of its kind in the country, which debuted five years ago. Any uninsured adult living in the city who doesn't qualify for coverage under Medicare or Medi-Cal can participate - regardless of their immigration status, pre-existing medical conditions or whether they're employed. Currently, 47,285 participants are treated at 37 locations.

The overarching idea was always popular in liberal San Francisco, but the restaurant association sued the city over the mandate that employers provide health care, either through private benefits, paying into Healthy San Francisco or creating their own health reimbursement accounts. The city prevailed in court.

In November, Mayor Ed Lee signed legislation intended to close a loophole in the way employers could set up the reimbursement accounts. Previously, employers could take back any unused money at the end of every year. In 2010, 860 employers put a total of $62.5 million into the accounts and re-pocketed all but $12.4 million.

The rest is here:

Restaurants deny Healthy S.F. needs fix

LONDON, September 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

British health care professionals are working harder than they were one year ago according to research carried out by Randstad, the UK sector specialist recruiter.

In a survey of over 2,000 British employees[1], Randstad found that doctors, nurses and other health care professionals feel they are performing the job of 1.5 people meaning they are covering 50% more work than one person should be - the equivalent of two and a half additional work days every week. In contrast, British employees across all sectors feel they are performing the job of 1.3 employees - an additional day and a half.

While just over a quarter (27%) of those in health care and nursing jobs feel their workload is suitable for one person, nearly a third (33%) feel that in an ideal world their role would need one full time and one part-time member of staff. 28% believe their role needs two full-time people to manage the level of work and 4% feel their role really needs at least two full-time members of staff as well as an additional part-time person.

VickyShort, operationsdirectorof RandstadCare, said:"It's clear thatpublic austeritymeasures areexerting more and more pressure onlocal authorities and the NHSto keep their workforces as lean as possible.Healthcare professionals are facinggreater workloadsandreduced capacityasfundingrestraintsarecausing job cuts.While this will help manyemployersnavigate thesqueeze on funding,it isn't sustainable.

"Spreading the workforce too thin leads to burnout, mistakes and lower productivity in the long-run. It's vital that heavier work burdens for health care professionals do not lead to the erosion of the quality of service provision."

Workload taking its toll

The rise in workload is taking its toll on Britain's health care workforce. One in four workers (25%) feel more stressed now than they did six months ago, nearly half (49%) said it takes longer to switch off at the weekends than it did six months ago and one in ten (11%) are consistently sleeping badly because of work.

Holidays unable to ease pressure

Rising stress and work worries also mean that holidays are unable to provide suitable respite. 10% of health care respondents feel unable to take holiday this summer because of work pressure. And while one third (34%) of employees have been able to take two or more weeks off work for their main holiday this year, one in nine employees (11%) will be checking emails or calls, with a further 13% worrying about what is happening at work in their absence.

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Spread Thin Britain - Health Care Workers Increasingly Stretched

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lvs3f2/health_care_reform) has announced the addition of the "Health Care Reform Compliance Workshop: Your Questions Answered" audio conference to their offering.

The landmark health care reform bill signed by President Obama last year is packed with complicated consequences for all sectors of the nation's health system. And perhaps no one faces more burdens (and potential penalties) than employers.

No longer is health care reform a topic you can ignore. The bill has become law, and you need to understand its impact and the steps your organization needs to take to comply.

Get up to speed on your new responsibilities by signing up for our special audio recording, Health Care Reform Compliance Workshop: Your Questions Answered. Learn (in plain English!) the specific steps employers of all sizes need to take to comply with these regulations before they are fully enforced.

Using a simple year-by-year timeline, experts Melissa Listug Klick and Patrick Casinelli break down your employer responsibilities in easy-to-understand steps. They explain the changes coming in each year between now and 2018 and the decisions employers need to make to stay in compliance.

Some provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act don't take effect until 2014. But many others are kicking in now, including changes to dependent eligibility. You MUST understand this short-term timetable and how your company must respond - plus the long-term timetable so you can plan ahead.

Speakers

Patrick Casinelli is the vice president of Cavignac & Associates insurance brokers in San Diego and serves as the director of the company's Benefits Department. He previously was an employee benefits manager for Lincoln National Life and New York Life, and a regional sales manager for Humana, Inc. and CIGNA. He's also served as vice president and COO for Casinelli Financial, Inc., a family-owned insurance services firm.

Melissa Listug Klick is an attorney with the Paul Plevin firm in San Diego. She represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment litigation, including lawsuits relating to wage and hour, leave and benefit issues. She trains HR professionals and supervisors on employment law issues.

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Research and Markets: Health Care Reform Compliance Workshop: Your Questions Answered - New Mandates New ...

San Jose native Dr. Rita Nguyen is spending most of her two-week summer vacation on a bus, visiting the Republican and Democratic National Conventions with one goal in mind: spreading the word about affordable quality health care for all.

As a member of Doctors For America, a group of 15,000 U.S. physicians and medical students working to improve the health of the nation by ensuring that everyone has access to health care, Nguyen is passionate about the tour's message, called "Patients Over Politics."

"We don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat," said the 28-year-old Mt. Pleasant High School graduate, who went on to Stanford University and then Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

"What we care about is what's good for our patients and communities, and we've seen how the Affordable Care Act has helped our patients. We don't want to see it weakened, delayed or repealed. This is about patients' lives and that should be the bottom line. Not the politics."

Nguyen was at the GOP convention in Tampa and on Monday arrived at the Democrat's convention in Charlotte, N.C., where she and 50 others, mostly doctors and some patients, are providing preventive care to the public, including blood pressure and diabetes screening.

At the same time, they're gathering signatures for petitions the group hopes to deliver to politicians in Washington, D.C., before the Nov. 6 presidential election. So far, she said, the tour has garnered

"The one resounding thing is that people are very interested to hear what doctors have to say about the Affordable Care Act," said Nguyen of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010 and referred to by many as Obamacare. Backers say the law is aimed primarily at decreasing the number of uninsured Americans and reducing the overall costs of health care.

But others want to see the law overturned. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney calls Obamacare "the wrong approach," saying it will make America a less attractive place to practice medicine, discourage innovators from investing in lifesaving technology, and restrict consumer choice.

Nguyen can't recall a time when she wasn't volunteering or getting involved, whether it was painting her middle school gym or serving as president of her high school community service club.

While an undergrad majoring in human biology at Stanford, she co-founded a free health clinic at San Jose's Overfelt High School that helped mostly Spanish and Vietnamese immigrants.

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San Jose physician pushing for equal health care access at both political conventions

WASHINGTON Some of President Barack Obama's former advisers are proposing major changes aimed at controlling health care costs as political uncertainty hovers over his health law.

Call it Health Care Overhaul, Version 2.0. Their biggest idea is a first-ever budget for the nation's $2.8-trillion health care system, through negotiated limits on public and private spending in each state.

The approach broadly resembles a Massachusetts law signed this summer by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick that puts pressure on hospitals, insurers, and other major players to keep rising costs within manageable limits. It could become the Democratic counterpoint to private market strategies favored by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan.

Health costs lie at the heart of budget problems confronting the next president. Health care accounts for 18 percent of the economy and about one-fourth of the federal budget, and many experts believe it can't grow unchecked without harming other priorities. Because the United States spends much more than other advanced countries, there's a consensus that savings from cutting waste and duplication won't harm quality.

"We think of these as the next generation of ideas," said Neera Tanden, who was a senior member of the White House team that helped pass the health law. Tanden is now president of the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank close to the administration.

Under the proposal, the major public and private players in each state would negotiate payment rates with service providers such as hospitals. The idea is to get away from paying for each individual test and procedure. Negotiated rates could be based on an entire course of treatment. Payments would have to fit within an overall budget that could grow no faster than the average rise in wages.

The spending limits would be enforced by an independent council, but crucial details need to be spelled out. In Massachusetts, for example, budget-busting providers will be required to file plans with the state laying out how they'll amend their spendthrift ways.

The federal government would provide grants to states interested in developing their plans.

Tanden joined a brain trust of former administration officials floating the proposal recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The group included Peter Orszag (former budget director), John Podesta (transition director), Donald Berwick (first Medicare chief), Ezekiel Emanuel (Orszag's health policy guru), and Joshua Sharfstein (former No. 2 at the Food and Drug Administration). Also on board was former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., Obama's first pick to shepherd his health care overhaul.

Their proposal includes other ideas, such as a malpractice liability shield for doctors who follow best clinical practices, and competitive bidding for all Medicare supplies and lab tests, not just home health equipment. All of the signers support Obama's health care law, but see cost control as unfinished business.

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Bay State is a template for health care reform again

DALLAS, Sept. 3, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is calling on physicians and other health care professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers, to participate in the upcoming large free clinic for uninsured persons at the Dallas Convention Center, Hall A, 650 South Griffin St., on Sept. 29.

The NAFC will hold its latest C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic in conjunction with the Lone Star Association of Charitable Clinics (LSACC) and the North Texas Association of Charitable Clinics (NTACC).

"We are hopeful that many individuals in the community will volunteer at this one-day, life-altering event," NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. "This C.A.R.E. Clinic is funded and made possible through the generosity of private citizens and sponsors, not one tax payer dollar is being utilized to pay for this clinic. In order for us to provide much needed free health care for as many uninsured patients as possible, we will need 100 doctors, 300-400 nurses and 500 or more non-medical volunteers."

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country with about 26 percent of residents in general and 22 percent of children lacking health insurance. The overall uninsured rate is about the same in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but the situation for children is even worse with 26.4 percent lacking health insurance. Further, among people living in poverty, the rate of being uninsured soars to 46 percent.

"This free clinic is not just for the sick but also for anyone who is uninsured and has not seen a doctor recently," LSACC Executive Director Jody Hopkins said. "Some patients have not seen a doctor in several years, others need follow-ups because they have chronic diseases, and some simply need checkups or physicals. The one characteristic they all share is limited access to get such care. All participants will receive preventive, primary medical care and be connected to the area's safety-net providers and available resources."

Both medical and non-medical volunteers are needed from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on the day of the clinic, Sept. 29, as well as for setup on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 27, and all day Friday, Sept. 28. Medical volunteers needed for the Dallas clinic include doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, emergency medical technicians, medical administrators, licensed clinical social workers and more. Non-medical volunteers are needed to help with documentation, logistical support, patient intake and translation, as well as to be patient greeters and escorts.

Information on the event and how to register is available online at: http://www.nafcclinics.org/. Information on how to donate to support this and future clinics is also available at that website address by clicking on the "Donate Now" button. Patients register for an appointment by calling 800-340-1301.

This will be the 12th in a series of large C.A.R.E. Clinics held around the country to bring together physicians and other health care professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers, to serve the needs of thousands of people who might otherwise go without medical care and to connect them to local safety-net resources. Since September 2009, more than 15,000 uninsured patients have received medical care at C.A.R.E. Clinics throughout the country.

About the Organizations:

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of more than 1,200 free and charitable clinics and the people they serve in the United States.

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Volunteers are Needed for Large Free Medical Clinic for the Uninsured in Dallas

WASHINGTON Some of President Barack Obamas former advisers are proposing major changes aimed at controlling health care costs as political uncertainty hovers over his health law.

Call it Health Care Overhaul, Version 2.0. Their biggest idea is a first-ever budget for the nations $2.8-trillion health care system, through negotiated limits on public and private spending in each state.

The approach broadly resembles a Massachusetts law signed this summer by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick that puts pressure on hospitals, insurers, and other major players to keep rising costs within manageable limits. It could become the Democratic counterpoint to private market strategies favored by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan.

Health costs lie at the heart of budget problems confronting the next president. Health care accounts for 18 percent of the economy and about one-fourth of the federal budget, and many experts believe it cant grow unchecked without harming other priorities. Because the United States spends much more than other advanced countries, theres a consensus that savings from cutting waste and duplication wont harm quality.

We think of these as the next generation of ideas, said Neera Tanden, who was a senior member of the White House team that helped pass the health law. Tanden is now president of the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank close to the administration.

Under the proposal, the major public and private players in each state would negotiate payment rates with service providers such as hospitals. The idea is to get away from paying for each individual test and procedure. Negotiated rates could be based on an entire course of treatment. Payments would have to fit within an overall budget that could grow no faster than the average rise in wages.

The spending limits would be enforced by an independent council, but crucial details need to be spelled out. In Massachusetts, for example, budget-busting providers will be required to file plans with the state laying out how theyll amend their spendthrift ways.

The federal government would provide grants to states interested in developing their plans.

Tanden joined a brain trust of former administration officials floating the proposal recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The group included Peter Orszag (former budget director), John Podesta (transition director), Donald Berwick (first Medicare chief), Ezekiel Emanuel (Orszags health policy guru), and Joshua Sharfstein (former No. 2 at the Food and Drug Administration). Also on board was former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., Obamas first pick to shepherd his health care overhaul.

Their proposal includes other ideas, such as a malpractice liability shield for doctors who follow best clinical practices, and competitive bidding for all Medicare supplies and lab tests, not just home health equipment. All of the signers support Obamas health care law, but see cost control as unfinished business.

Go here to read the rest:

Health cost controls follow Mass. lead

Health Care Heroes: Previous honorees

This year's event marked the fourth annual celebration of Health Care Heroes.

Past honorees are:

Pete DeBusk, DeRoyal, Lincoln Memorial University;

Bernard Bernstein, Bernstein, Stair & McAdams, University Health System;

Bob Koppel, East Tennessee Children's Hospital

Janell Cecil, University of Tennessee Medical Center;

Dr. Lynn Massingale, TeamHealth;

Joe Dawson, Blount Memorial Hospital

Missy Kane, Covenant Health;

Continued here:

Health Care Heroes: Previous honorees

WASHINGTON Some of President Barack Obama's former advisers are proposing major changes aimed at controlling health care costs as political uncertainty hovers over his health law.

Call it Health Care Overhaul, Version 2.0. Their biggest idea is a first-ever budget for the nation's $2.8-trillion health care system, through negotiated limits on public and private spending in each state.

The approach broadly resembles a Massachusetts law signed this summer by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick that puts pressure on hospitals, insurers, and other major players to keep rising costs within manageable limits. It could become the Democratic counterpoint to private market strategies favored by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan.

Health costs lie at the heart of budget problems confronting the next president. Health care accounts for 18 percent of the economy and about one-fourth of the federal budget, and many experts believe it can't grow unchecked without harming other priorities. Because the United States spends much more than other advanced countries, there's a consensus that savings from cutting waste and duplication won't harm quality.

"We think of these as the next generation of ideas," said Neera Tanden, who was a senior member of the White House team that helped pass the health law. Tanden is now president of the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank close to the administration.

Under the proposal, the major public and private players in each state would negotiate payment rates with service providers such as hospitals. The idea is to get away from paying for each individual test and procedure. Negotiated rates could be based on an entire course of treatment. Payments would have to fit within an overall budget that could grow no faster than the average rise in wages.

The spending limits would be enforced by an independent council, but crucial details need to be spelled out. In Massachusetts, for example, budget-busting providers will be required to file plans with the state laying out how they'll amend their spendthrift ways.

The federal government would provide grants to states interested in developing their plans.

Tanden joined a brain trust of former administration officials floating the proposal recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The group included Peter Orszag (former budget director), John Podesta (transition director), Donald Berwick (first Medicare chief), Ezekiel Emanuel (Orszag's health policy guru), and Joshua Sharfstein (former No. 2 at the Food and Drug Administration). Also on board was former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., Obama's first pick to shepherd his health care overhaul.

Their proposal includes other ideas, such as a malpractice liability shield for doctors who follow best clinical practices, and competitive bidding for all Medicare supplies and lab tests, not just home health equipment. All of the signers support Obama's health care law, but see cost control as unfinished business.

Continue reading here:

Former advisers to President Barack Obama seek health care cost control

September 2, 2012 in Health

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Some of President Barack Obamas former advisers are proposing major changes aimed at controlling health care costs as political uncertainty hovers over his healthlaw.

Call it Health Care Overhaul, Version 2.0. Their biggest idea is a first-ever budget for the nations $2.8-trillion health care system, through negotiated limits on public and private spending in eachstate.

The approach broadly resembles a Massachusetts law signed this summer by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick that puts pressure on hospitals, insurers, and other major players to keep rising costs within manageable limits. It could become the Democratic counterpoint to private market strategies favored by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate PaulRyan.

Health costs lie at the heart of budget problems confronting the next president. Health care accounts for 18 percent of the economy and about one-fourth of the federal budget, and many experts believe it cant grow unchecked without harming other priorities. Because the United States spends much more than other advanced countries, theres a consensus that savings from cutting waste and duplication wont harmquality.

We think of these as the next generation of ideas, said Neera Tanden, who was a senior member of the White House team that helped pass the health law. Tanden is now president of the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank close to theadministration.

Under the proposal, the major public and private players in each state would negotiate payment rates with service providers such as hospitals. The idea is to get away from paying for each individual test and procedure. Negotiated rates could be based on an entire course of treatment. Payments would have to fit within an overall budget that could grow no faster than the average rise inwages.

The spending limits would be enforced by an independent council, but crucial details need to be spelled out. In Massachusetts, for example, budget-busting providers will be required to file plans with the state laying out how theyll amend their spendthriftways.

Link:

Ex-Obama advisers seek health care cost control - Sun, 02 Sep 2012 PST

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- OK, let's clear the air about Cooper Green Mercy Hospital.

First, it's not going to close.

Come Dec. 1, the target date for changes ordered last week by the Jefferson County Commission, the venerated health care institution for the county's indigent residents will still occupy its building on Sixth Avenue South. Its outpatient clinics will still see and treat the sick. And walk-in care still will be provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said County Manager Tony Petelos.

"Our patients will continue to be served, and none will be left on the street," he said.

But at least three major changes are coming, Petelos said:

That 24/7 walk-in service at Cooper Green will be urgent care, not an emergency room, meaning it will handle problems that require immediate attention but are not life-threatening.

Cooper Green patients who need to be admitted to a hospital will go to some other hospital -- sites still to be determined through agreements between the hospitals and the county -- and Cooper Green will shutter its inpatient hospital care.

Many of Cooper Green's staff will lose their jobs. In addition to about 100 who have been cut since March, Petelos said he expects more than 200 layoffs. The hospital employs 528 people.

"The staff of Cooper Green is very upset," he said. "There is a lot of uncertainty."

[Cooper Green Mercy Hospital discretionary fund audit raises questions.]

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Cooper Green Mercy Hospital changes could draw on indigent care report

WASHINGTON (AP) Some of President Barack Obamas former advisers are proposing major changes aimed at controlling health care costs as political uncertainty hovers over his health law.

Call it Health Care Overhaul, Version 2.0. Their biggest idea is a first-ever budget for the nations $2.8-trillion health care system, through negotiated limits on public and private spending in each state.

The approach broadly resembles a Massachusetts law signed this summer by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick that puts pressure on hospitals, insurers, and other major players to keep rising costs within manageable limits. It could become the Democratic counterpoint to private market strategies favored by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan.

Health costs lie at the heart of budget problems confronting the next president. Health care accounts for 18 percent of the economy and about one-fourth of the federal budget, and many experts believe it cant grow unchecked without harming other priorities. Because the United States spends much more than other advanced countries, theres a consensus that savings from cutting waste and duplication wont harm quality.

We think of these as the next generation of ideas, said Neera Tanden, who was a senior member of the White House team that helped pass the health law. Tanden is now president of the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank close to the administration.

Under the proposal, the major public and private players in each state would negotiate payment rates with service providers such as hospitals. The idea is to get away from paying for each individual test and procedure. Negotiated rates could be based on an entire course of treatment. Payments would have to fit within an overall budget that could grow no faster than the average rise in wages.

The spending limits would be enforced by an independent council, but crucial details need to be spelled out. In Massachusetts, for example, budget-busting providers will be required to file plans with the state laying out how theyll amend their spendthrift ways.

The federal government would provide grants to states interested in developing their plans.

Tanden joined a brain trust of former administration officials floating the proposal recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The group included Peter Orszag (former budget director), John Podesta (transition director), Donald Berwick (first Medicare chief), Ezekiel Emanuel (Orszags health policy guru), and Joshua Sharfstein (former No. 2 at the Food and Drug Administration). Also on board was former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., Obamas first pick to shepherd his health care overhaul.

Their proposal includes other ideas, such as a malpractice liability shield for doctors who follow best clinical practices, and competitive bidding for all Medicare supplies and lab tests, not just home health equipment. All of the signers support Obamas health care law, but see cost control as unfinished business.

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National Democrats Eye Mass. Health Care Cost Containment Law

Some of President Barack Obama's former advisers are proposing major changes aimed at controlling health care costs as political uncertainty hovers over his health law.

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Ex-Obama advisers seek health care cost control

More than a year after the passage of historic legislation meant to empower local governments in taming their health care spending, the region's cities and towns have joined municipalities across the state in savings millions of dollars, but many could still do more - assuming they want to shift more costs to employees, a delicate prospect.

State-mandated reports, required of those cities and towns that didn't adopt the new law and obtained by the Daily News from the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, show that a number of local cities and towns could save hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional taxpayer money by lowering the portion they contribute to insurance premiums or by implementing the deductibles and higher co-pays of the coverage pool for state workers - the Group Insurance Commission, or GIC.

An extensive survey by the paper also shows many cities and towns still offer plans that don't carry a deductible; don't charge a co-pay for high-tech, costly scans like MRIs; and don't offer tiered out-of-pocket costs to encourage workers to use cheaper hospitals and doctors offering quality care. All state plans include a $250 deductible for individuals and a $750 deductible for families, and 10 of the 11 offerings feature tiering.

"My impression is that communities are going to do this in steps and not go all the way to the GIC level in one bite," said Michael Widmer, president of the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which pushed for the legislation after years of research and advocacy.

Also, if cities and towns have not cut services or laid off staff, the need for even further health savings might not be as pressing, Widmer said. There's also the need to weigh budget paring with the desire to treat employees fairly and attract quality talent - though higher-out-of-pocket expenses can lower premium costs for both employer and employee.

"I think the circumstances vary," Widmer said. "I think all of this is kind of a balancing act."

Signed by Gov. Deval Patrick in July 2011, the municipal health care act requires governing bodies like selectmen and city councils to take a vote if they want to change the design of health plans outside normal bargaining. They then have 30 days to negotiate with a committee of union representatives to decide whether to enter the GIC and use state health plans or make changes on their own. Special panels resolve gridlock but have been rarely required.

Locally, Weston and Hopedale had already struck deals with unions to join the GIC. Sudbury adopted the new law and followed suit. Of the remaining 18 cities and towns, just Framingham, Holliston, Milford and Southborough opted for the legislation, though many others have made changes in recent years or saw unions agree to concessions because of the move afoot statewide.

Milford lowered health spending by nearly $1.5 million through the new law. Framingham had already trimmed $1.4 million annually when it followed suit, leading to an additional $2.4 million in savings. The law requires a quarter of first-year municipal savings to go to worker relief, and Framingham has set up a $640,000 pool for employees to draw from for co-pays in times of hardship.

Health care spending has gone from a 16 percent share of the budget to 14.5 percent in Framingham, with the town watching the GIC before potentially seeking further changes.

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Not all communities find ways to save on health insurance costs

SACRAMENTO -- Californians now have a clearer picture of what health insurance will look like when major provisions of the federal health care law debut in 2014.

Acupuncture to treat pain and nausea will be covered, for example, as will tobacco cessation and vision screening.

But the jury's still out on chiropractic care.

State lawmakers this week sent two bills to Gov. Jerry Brown that identify the services health insurance plans must cover starting in 2014 for individuals and small businesses.

The measures -- Senate Bill 951 by Sen. Ed Hernandez, and Assembly Bill 1453 by Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel -- define what are called "essential health benefits" under the federal health care overhaul and will fundamentally transform the kind of insurance Californians will buy.

"It's historic," Monning said.

The bills, he said, will affect "the millions of Californians who have had limited coverage or no coverage who now will have access to coverage, and it will be comprehensive in nature. It will include preventive services, immunizations, hospitalization. The list goes on and on."

The benefits will apply to insurance plans sold through the state's new health insurance exchange, which will offer federally subsidized plans for individuals and families making between 138 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

Unsubsidized plans sold outside of the exchange also must meet these requirements.

Insurance offered by large employers --

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Federal health law clearer for California