NEW YORK, N.Y., Aug. 9, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Willis North America's Human Capital Practice, a unit of Willis Group Holdings (WSH), the global insurance broker, today announced enhancements to its Health Care Reform Impact Analysis Calculator. Available as a standard deliverable to all Willis Human Capital Practice clients, the calculator provides assessment and plan modeling capabilities to help firms address the financial impact of key health care reform provisions.

Building upon the initial offering, released in 2010, the Willis team of actuaries, lawyers, and benefit consultants identified and designed additional functionality to help clients assess the potential cost impact and develop a clear strategy for managing their current plan to best address the Play or Pay provision and the Cadillac Plan Excise Tax.

The proprietary tool allows organizations to evaluate plan offerings within the context of health care reform. For example, clients can easily perform "what-if" scenarios on current plan offerings to determine the average annual increase that can be absorbed and stay $1 short of the Cadillac Plan Excise Tax effective in 2018. The tool also expanded its capabilities around the Pay or Play provision to help employers understand an organizations' exposure to employee eligibility related to the state exchanges.

"Given the recent Supreme Court decision related to Health Care Reform, we know clients need to refocus on their action plan," said Jim Blaney, CEO, Willis Human Capital Practice. "We redesigned the financial modeling capabilities of our original Health Care Reform Impact Analysis Calculator to provide our clients real time, actionable data based on plan design criteria, and to indicate how certain decisions would affect Pay or Play or Cadillac Plan Excise tax liabilities," he said.

"What makes this a unique and powerful offering is that we can very quickly work with clients to evaluate different scenarios around how their current plan design may require modifications. Knowing in advance what changes are needed over the next several years helps clients plan and implement in a way that addresses financial concerns, and provides a sufficient window to communicate effectively to management and employees," Mr. Blaney added.

The Willis HCR Impact Analysis Calculator supports client planning through the following analyses:

The Willis Human Capital Practice is dedicated to supporting organizations around all aspects of health care reform. The practice has assembled a multi-disciplinary team to address employer concerns around financial forecasting, legal responsibilities, plan design changes and strategies, as well as the role of Human Resources in developing effective employee communications. The company will continue to offer a variety of informational resources including publications, webcasts and seminars to provide further guidance to clients.

About Willis

Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global insurance broker. Through its subsidiaries, Willis develops and delivers professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting and actuarial services to corporations, public entities and institutions around the world. Willis has more than 400 offices in nearly 120 countries, with a global team of approximately 17,000 employees serving clients in virtually every part of the world. Additional information on Willis may be found at http://www.willis.com.

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Willis Releases Advanced Health Care Reform Impact Analysis Calculator

Romney Campaign Seems to Warm Up to Health Care Overhaul

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Romney Pivots, Embraces Romneycare Again

WASHINGTON - Who gets thumped by higher taxes in President Barack Obama's health care law? The wealthiest 2 percent of Americans will take the biggest hit, starting next year.

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Health care law's big tax hikes hit the wealthiest 2 percent — others also caught in the net

ANN ARBOR An article just published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that a downward bend in the health care cost curve is not simply the result of the recession which began in December 2007, and the subsequent weak recovery.

The study came from Ann Arbors Altarum Institute, which also announced that national health expenditures in June 2012 grew by 3.9 percent relative to June 2011, down from the 4.2 percent growth rate observed in May, after incorporating the effects of major government updates.

The longer-term analysis, conducted by Altarums Center for Sustainable Health Spending, shows that excess growth in health spending, defined relative to growth in potential gross domestic product, began moderating in 2005, more than two years prior to the start of the Great Recession.

The full article is available at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1205958.

Charles Roehrig, director of the center and the studys lead author, suggestedthis finding should be of interest to policymakers looking for viable approaches to controlling the nations spending anddebt.

Excess growth in personal health care spending averaged only 0.5 percent during the two and a half years leading up to the recession, compared to 1.9 percent excess spending growth in the prior period, Roehrig said. Understanding the causal factors behind this downward trend in 2005 which we know cannot be attributed to the recession is critical to crafting sustainable fiscal policies for the future.

Altarums Center for Sustainable Health Spending tracks and analyzes health spending growth in the United States and issues three monthly Health Sector Economic Indicators briefs that assess data on health sector employment, spending and prices/utilization.

The center is currently working on a more thorough analysis of the factors that lie behind the 2005 bend. Roehrig noted that examining what happened leading up to 2005 will enable improved projections of future growth trends, and suggest better cost containment strategies.

In the more immediate past, health care prices in June 2012 were up 1.9 percent from June 2011, down a tenth from May. On a 12-month moving average basis, price growth is lower now than at any time since January 1999.

These data come from the August Health Sector Economic Indicators briefs released by Altarum. The briefs, covering health care spending, utilization, prices, and employment, are at http://www.altarum.org/healthindicators.

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Health Care Cost Slowdowns Continue, Predated 2007 Recession

Who gets thumped by higher taxes in President Barack Obama's health care law? The wealthiest 2 percent of Americans will take the biggest hit, starting next year. And the pain will be shared by some who aren't so well off people swept up in a hodgepodge of smaller tax changes that will help finance health coverage for millions in need.

For the vast majority of people, however, the health care law won't mean sending more money to the IRS.

And roughly 20 million people eventually will benefit from tax credits that start in 2014 to help them pay insurance premiums.

The tax increases plus a mandate that nearly everyone have health coverage are helping make the law an election-year scorcher. Obama is campaigning on the benefits for the uninsured, women and young adults. His rival, Mitt Romney, and Republican lawmakers are vowing to repeal "Obamacare," saying some health care reforms are needed but not at this cost.

Lots of the noise is about the financial consequences for people who decline to get coverage and businesses that don't offer their workers an adequate health plan. Some 4 million individuals without insurance are expected to pay about $55 billion over eight years, according to the Congressional Budget Office's estimates. Employers could be dinged an estimated $106 billion for failing to meet the mandate, which starts in 2014.

But that mandate money, whether it's called taxes or penalties, is overwhelmed by other taxes, fees and shrunken tax breaks in the law. These other levies could top $675 billion over the next 10 years, under the CBO's projections of how much revenue the government would lose if the law were repealed.

The biggest chunk is in new taxes on the nation's top 2 percent of earners some $318 billion over a decade.

Other major taxes are aimed at the health care industry, and some of that cost is sure to be passed along to consumers as higher prices.

A rundown of the most significant tax changes and who pays:

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Health Care Law's Tax Hikes Are Coming: Who Pays?

08-08-2012 16:38 Along the Grand Strand, mental health clinics provide short-term and outpatient care, but for evaluations and psychoses, the closest mental health center that provides bed space to psychiatric patients is in Columbia.

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Mental health care can strain the system - Video

The 2010 health care law gives Medicare and Medicaid more authority to track and reject payments for medical procedures believed to be overused, such as those involving hospital giant HCA and its alleged overuse of stents in cardiac patients, records and interviews with health care experts show.

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Health care law may cut down on excessive procedures

The CEO and founder of Papa John's pizza wants investors to know that when the president's health care law takes effect, the price of pizza is going up with it.

According to "Papa" John Schnatter, the cost of providing health insurance for all of his pizza chain's uninsured, full-time employees comes out to about 14 cents on a large pizza. That's less than adding an extra topping and a third the price of an extra pepperoncini. If you want that piping hot pie delivered, the $2 delivery fee will cost you 14 times as much as that health insurance price hike.

"We're not supportive of Obamacare, like most businesses in our industry," Schnatter said on a conference call with shareholders last week, as reported by Politico. "If Obamacare is in fact not repealed, we will find tactics to shallow out any Obamacare costs and core strategies to pass that cost onto consumers in order to protect our shareholders' best interests."

The pizza place's Facebook page was soon littered with outraged pizza lovers proclaiming they would be "happy" to pay an extra 11 to 14 cents so Papa John's employees could have health insurance.

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

"I lose more than that in a week under my sofa cushion," one Facebook commenter wrote. "I'd gladly pay 20 cents for a child to go to a doctor when they've got a cold, rather than have them show up at the ER."

Another said she's taking her money to another pizza restaurant, "one that doesn't begrudge their employees the ability to seek a doctor when they're ill."

The company sought to clarify Schattner's comments on Wednesday, telling ABC News in a statement that Schnatter's remarks were in direct response to a question about the costs of complying with President Obama's health care law.

"We certainly understand the importance of healthcare to our customers, our employees, small business owners and their employees," the company said.

But despite the pizza price increase, many of Papa John's employees may still go without employer-provided health insurance after the law takes effect in 2014. The company would not say how many of its employees are uninsured, but in 2010 the service industry had one of the lowest rates of insured employees, with 33 percent of the workforce uninsured, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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Cost of Health Care Bumping Pizza Price

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ftj88k/health_care_equipm) has announced the addition of the "Health Care Equipment & Supplies in Spain" report to their offering.

Health Care Equipment & Supplies in Spain industry profile provides top-line qualitative and quantitative summary information including: market size (value 2007-11, and forecast to 2016). The profile also contains descriptions of the leading players including key financial metrics and analysis of competitive pressures within the market. Essential resource for top-line data and analysis covering the Spain health care equipment & supplies market. Includes market size data, textual and graphical analysis of market growth trends, leading companies and macroeconomic information.

Highlights:

- The health care equipment & supplies market analyzes manufacturers of health care equipment and supplies. Market value refers to the revenues generated through the sale of health care equipment and supplies. The market profile covers disposable equipment and supplies such as syringes, catheters, electrodes, sutures, bandages, implantable prostheses, orthotics and prosthetics; otologic & technical aids such as hearing aids and wheelchairs; ophthalmic equipment such as eye glasses, contact lenses and ophthalmoscopes; in vitro diagnostics such as devices for clinical chemistry, microbiology, immunology and genetic tests; and other equipment such as imaging equipment and films and equipment for radiotherapy, dialysis, endoscopy, anesthetics, etc. The market is valued at manufacturers' selling price with any currency conversions calculated using constant 2011 annual average exchange rates

- The Spanish health care equipment & supplies market had total revenues of $7.9 billion in 2011, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% between 2007 and 2011.

- The disposable equipment & supplies segment was the market's most lucrative in 2011, with total revenues of $2.6 billion, equivalent to 33.5% of the market's overall value.

- The performance of the market is forecast to decelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 5.2% for the five-year period 2011 - 2016, which is expected to drive the market to a value of $10.2 billion by the end of 2016.

Features:

Save time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the size, growth, and leading players in the health care equipment & supplies market in Spain

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Research and Markets: Health Care Equipment & Supplies in Spain

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

An article just published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that a downward bend in the health care cost curve is not simply the result of the recession which began in December 2007, and the subsequent weak recovery.

The analysis, conducted by Altarum Institutes Center for Sustainable Health Spending, shows that excess growth in health spending, defined relative to growth in potential gross domestic product (GDP), moderated in 2005, more than two years prior to the start of the Great Recession.

The full article is available at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1205958

Charles Roehrig, director of the Center and the studys lead author, suggested that this finding should be of considerable interest to policymakers looking for viable approaches to controlling the nations spending and resultant debt. Excess growth in personal health care spending averaged only 0.5 percent during the two and a half years leading up to the recession, compared to 1.9 percent excess spending growth in the prior period. Understanding the causal factors behind this downward trend in 2005 which we know cannot be attributed to the recession is critical to crafting sustainable fiscal policies for the future, Roehrig said.

Altarums Center for Sustainable Health Spending tracks and analyzes health spending growth in the United States and issues three monthly Health Sector Economic Indicators briefs that assess data on health sector employment, spending and prices/utilization.

The Center is currently working on a more thorough analysis of the factors that lie behind the 2005 bend. Roehrig noted that examining what happened leading up to 2005 will enable improved projections of future growth trends, and suggest better cost containment strategies.

Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org) integrates objective research and client-centered consulting skills to deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care. Altarum employs more than 400 individuals and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., with additional offices in the Washington, D.C., area; Sacramento, Calif.; Atlanta, Ga.; Portland, Maine; and San Antonio, Texas.

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Downward Bend in Health Care Cost Curve Pre-Dates 2007 Recession

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. (NYSE: MDF) (the Company), a leading provider of health care services in Florida, today announced its financial results for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2012. In addition, the Company announced expansion of its core business outside of Florida. Highlights include:

Second Quarter Financial Highlights:

Revenue for the second quarter of 2012 was $193.4 million compared to $97.3 million for the second quarter of 2011, an increase of $96.1 million or 98.8%. The growth was driven primarily by the acquisition of Continucare in October 2011, the net addition of customers under risk arrangements, and the increased risk scores of the Companys customers.

The increase in the Companys customer base also resulted in an increase in total medical expense from $80.7 million in the second quarter of 2011 to $165.0 million in the second quarter of 2012, providing for a medical expense ratio (MER) of 85.3% compared to 83.0% for the second quarter of 2011. The increase in MER was driven primarily by lower than average risk scores resulting in lower than average revenue and higher claims expense associated with a new Medicare Advantage payor contract (the New Payor Contract) added during the first quarter of 2012. This New Payor Contract represents approximately 6,600 customers and resulted in a pre-tax loss of $3.6 million in the second quarter of 2012 for this customer group. Excluding the revenue and medical costs associated with the New Payor Contract, MER for the second quarter would have been 82.1%, a lower MER than for the same period in 2011. While no amendment to the New Payor Contract is in place, the Medicare Advantage payor has indicated a willingness to amend the agreement. The Company is currently negotiating certain modifications to this New Payor Contract and remains optimistic that the contract modifications will offset these unanticipated financial results. The Company does have the option to terminate the New Payor Contract upon 120 days notice.

Gross profit was $28.4 million for the second quarter of 2012 compared to $16.6 million for the same quarter in 2011, an increase of $11.8 million or 71.1%. Excluding losses from the New Payor Contract, gross profit would have been $32.0 million for the second quarter of 2012, an increase of $15.4 million or 92.8% over the same period of 2011.

Operating expenses increased to $16.0 million for the second quarter of 2012 as compared to $6.2 million for the same period in 2011, an increase of $9.8 million or 158.1%. The increase in operating expenses is primarily due to the additional expenses of Continucare, an increase in amortization expense of $3.1 million related to the amortizable intangible assets recorded with the Continucare acquisition, and $0.9 million of non-recurring legal and accounting fees related to the filing of a shelf registration and other projects.

Other expense increased by $7.4 million due primarily to an increase in interest expense of $8.1 million for the second quarter of 2012 related to the debt used to finance the Continucare acquisition.

Net income was $2.9 million compared to $5.9 million in the second quarter of 2011 resulting in basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.07 for the second quarter of 2012 as compared to $0.15, basic, and $0.14, diluted, for the same period in 2011. The after tax loss on the New Payor Contract and the non-recurring legal, accounting, and other project fees mentioned above, reduced both basic and diluted earnings per share by $0.06. Weighted average common shares outstanding used to compute diluted earnings per share for the second quarters of 2012 and 2011 were 45.6 million and 42.0 million, respectively.

Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations amounted to $17.6 million for the 2012 second quarter compared to $10.3 million in the 2011 period. Excluding the negative effects of the New Payor Contract, Adjusted EBITDA would have been $21.2 million for the second quarter of 2012. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations is not defined under U.S. GAAP and it may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

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Metropolitan Health Networks Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

With President Barack Obama set to emphasize women's health care on a swing through Colorado, Hollywood star Elizabeth Banks warns in a new campaign ad that Mitt Romney's opposition to Planned Parenthood would take away cancer screenings. Banks also describes her reliance on Planned Parenthood in unusually personal terms, describing how she got birth control [...]

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Hollywood’s Elizabeth Banks: I’m for Obama. Period.

August 8, 2012 in Opinion

Kevin Horrigan

Perhaps not surprisingly in a country where health care reform is so controversial, it was the high-profile presence of the NHS that stunned many American writers. Certainly the U.S. equivalent, which would be dancing health insurance corporate executives, was hard to imagine. Paul Harris, in the Guardian, July28

Hah, hah, hah. Very funny. Its not hard at all to imagine what the U.S. equivalent to your Olympic Opening Ceremonys salute to Britains National Health Service would look like. Im already working onit.

Sure, dancing health insurance corporate executives will be part of it. If youd made that much money last year, youd want to dance,too.

Executives in the top spots at the countrys seven largest publicly traded health plans were paid a collective $87 million for their services in 2011, American Medical News reported inMay.

Picture this: Its night in Florida. Were in a darkened Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, jammed with 66,000 delegates to the Republican National Convention and their guests. A spotlight illuminates the stage. The seven top health care CEOs, carrying canes and dressed in white top hats and tails, prance on stage as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings Puttin on theRitz.

Pretty nice, huh? And thats just thestart.

The spotlight widens to show 94 primary care doctors, in multicolored scrub suits, forming a ring around David Cordani, the CEO of Cigna Health Care, bowing and scraping to honor the fact that at $19.1 million, Cordani made more in 2011 than all 94 of themcombined.

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A health care extravaganza - Wed, 08 Aug 2012 PST

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Pitney Bowes Inc. (PBI) was recognized yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in conjunction with the White House Business Council and the National Business Group on Health, for the Companys collaboration with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) to reduce health care disparities in the workplace and support a diverse workforce. The Company, along with UHC and seven other U.S. organizations, was honored at a White House roundtable event organized by HHS.

Pitney Bowes worked with UnitedHealthcare to improve the health status of Pitney Bowes employees and engage the Companys Spanish-preference employees. UHC brought in a dedicated team of Hispanic professionals - Latino Health Solutions (LHS) to improve the health and well-being of its Hispanic/Latino members. Since its inception, UHC LHS has provided a robust array of culturally-relevant, bilingual health and wellness information, tools, services and resources especially tailored to meet the unique healthcare needs of its Hispanic/Latino members.

Pitney Bowes chairman, president and CEO Murray Martin met with President Barack Obama in 2009 to share with the President how the companys total value approach to employee well-being has boosted productivity, enhanced employee well-being and saved money. Pitney Bowes was also honored by the National Business Group on Health as recipient of its annual Award for Innovation in Reducing Health Care Disparities in 2012.

Nationally recognized as a leader and innovator in the programming and measurement of employee health and wellness initiatives, Pitney Bowes pursues an integrated approach to providing value-based health care focusing on preventive care, removing barriers to receiving care and providing resources which empower employees to take control of their own health.

About Pitney Bowes

Delivering more than 90 years of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business through advanced customer communications management. Pitney Bowes is a $5.3 billion company with 29,000 employees worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity.

Supporting Quotes

U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin: We applaud Pitney Bowes and the other honorees as forward-thinking organizations for their commitment and ongoing efforts to address and lower health care disparities. They are among a select group of organizations who understand that reducing health disparities in the workplace will lead to improved health, productivity and quality of life of their employees and families. It is our hope that employers all around the country will follow their lead to improve health, productivity and quality of life of their employees and dependents.

Helen Darling, President and CEO of the National Business Group on Health: We are thrilled that Pitney Bowes has been recognized by us this year for their innovative programs to reduce health disparities and are being honored by the U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MPH. Dr. Benjamin, the White House Business Council and the National Business Group on Health know that good health for the entire population is crucial to quality of life, our standard of living, productivity and the nations overall success. Because minorities suffer from more health problems than others and also have access to fewer, high quality, effective services, Pitney Bowes recognizes that they must do much more in a focused way to ensure health equity for all employees and their families.

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Pitney Bowes Recognized for Reducing Health Care Disparities in Workplace

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Humana Inc. (HUM), a leading health care company, and HumanaVitality, a comprehensive wellness and loyalty solution, today announced their sponsorship of the first annual Illinois Healthiest Employers awards, presented by Crains Custom Media, which recognize organizations that have a proven commitment to workplace wellness. Submissions for the awards are currently being accepted at http://www.healthiestemployers.com/illinois and companies ranging in size from two to 5,000+ employees are encouraged to apply.

The awards are designed to reward companies that demonstrate innovation and leadership within their wellness programs. The deadline for submissions is August 24, 2012.

Were thrilled to support an initiative that recognizes best practices in workplace wellness and gives credit to employers who are taking innovative steps to help their employees live healthier lives, said Dave Reynolds, Illinois Commercial Market President at Humana. This sponsorship is a perfect way for Humana to execute on its mission of helping people achieve lifelong well-being.

While 2012 marks the first year of the award in Illinois, similar models have proven successful in other states including Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. The award utilizes an online assessment tool and measures wellness programming in six key categories:

Despite research that shows preventable diseases are among the most costly health problems in the U.S., finding the motivation for sustained behavior change is often difficult, said Joe Woods, CEO of HumanaVitality. Companies that implement effective wellness solutions will see significant benefits including lower health care costs, increased productivity and higher employee morale. These organizations should be recognized as an example for others to emulate.

All submissions for the award are reviewed independently by Healthiest Employer LLC, a company dedicated to measuring wellness programming among todays employers. Winners of the Illinois Healthiest Employers awards will be recognized at a special awards luncheon on Nov. 7, 2012 at the Westin River North in Chicago.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a leading health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services that incorporate an integrated approach to lifelong well-being. By leveraging the strengths of its core businesses, Humana believes it can better explore opportunities for existing and emerging adjacencies in health care that can further enhance wellness opportunities for the millions of people across the nation with whom the company has relationships.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the companys web site at http://www.humana.com, including copies of:

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Humana and HumanaVitality Sponsor First Annual Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards

MELVILLE, N.Y., Aug. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, hosted a two-day leadership event for the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders, an organization aimed at promoting and facilitating collaboration among oral health academic organizations, industry partners, and other organizations with the goal of using the power of oral health care to promote peace. Henry Schein Cares, the Company's global corporate social responsibility program, sponsored the event together with Septodont, DMG America, Premier Dental and Bedford Healthcare Solutions. Henry Schein served as a founding sponsor of the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders at the organization's inception last year.

"Our Alliance truly represents the future of public-private partnership, representing collaboration across borders, cultures, and health care professions," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Schein, Inc. "Henry Schein is deeply committed to the mission of the Alliance to provide a forum for oral health leaders to rise above any political or cultural differences of the past with the shared purpose of improving oral health around the world. There has been tremendous progress of this organization since the signing of the Charter a year ago in Philadelphia, and we are looking forward to close collaboration as we work to accomplish great things together in the future."

The Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders event, entitled "Integrating Dialogue, Leadership and Advocacy: Towards the Alliance Ethic and Developmental Agenda," brought together more than forty oral health leaders from around the world, including from Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Palestine, Turkey and the USA. The event provided a forum to explore the role that leaders at all levels from students to dental academics to business leaders and dental professionals can play in fostering peace through oral health. A series of workshops were facilitated by Rachelle Weiman, Ph.D., Senior Director for Global Education and Program Development for the Dialogue Institute; Ziad Fahed, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Students and Associate Professor of Humanities at Notre Dame University in Beirut, Lebanon; and Tom Kennie, BSc, Ph.D., MBA, FRICS, CMIPD, CMC, Founding Director, Ranmore Consulting Group and the Innovation Laboratory for Higher Education. Stanley Bergman and Marion Bergman hosted a dinner for participants at E&E Grill House in New York City.

"The gathering in New York City of the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders will plant the seeds for tolerance, understanding, and respect among representatives from diverse geographic, political, religious and other groups," said Dr. Amid Ismail, Dean and Professor at the Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University and one of the Founding Board Members of the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders. "The workshop will prepare ambassadors and identify oral-health focused projects where the seeds of tolerance and respect will flourish for the goodness of humanity."

The goals for the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders include: the promotion of peace through oral health as part of total health and the reduction of disparities; the improvement of oral health through an enhanced understanding of the social, political, and other causes of conflicts; the development of leadership and advocacy programs to promote peace through oral health; the promotion of opportunities for dental students and educators for exchange to familiarize them with state-of-the-art technology and science in all disciplines of dentistry throughout different parts of the world; and the facilitation of international collaborative research among participants of the Alliance.

The Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders was born out of Bridges to Peace, a joint effort between Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dentistry founded by Alpha Omega Fraternity and Al Quds University School of Dentistry, under the auspices of the D. Walter Cohen, DDS Middle East Center for Dental Education, to facilitate opportunities for dental professionals, educators, and students to reach beyond political or religious divides and use oral health as a means to improve the quality of life for people of all nationalities.

The Founders of the Bridges to Peace program Dr. Adam Stabholz, Dean of Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Musa Bajali, Dean of the Al Quds University School of Dentistry serve on the Founding Board for the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders. The other Founding Board Members are Steve Kess, Vice President of Global Professional Relations, Henry Schein, Inc.; Dr. Amid Ismail, Dean and Professor at the Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University; Dr. Bruce Donoff, Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Dr. Jerold Goldberg, Dean of the CASE School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; and Dr. Ferda Tasar, Former Dean of the Hacettepe University Faculty of Dentistry.

Please visit http://youtu.be/rC8iBII6Xjo to view a video about the program.

About Henry Schein Cares

Henry Schein Cares, Henry Schein's global corporate social responsibility program, enhances access to health care for underserved and at-risk communities around the world. Activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on three main areas: advancing wellness, building capacity in the delivery of health care services, and assisting in emergency preparedness and relief. Firmly rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the concept of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the philosophy behind Henry Schein Cares is a vision of "doing well by doing good." Through the work of Henry Schein Cares to enhance access to care for those in need, the Company believes that it is furthering its long-term success.

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Henry Schein Cares Supports Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders Leadership Event

Community Health Centers stand ready to provide high-quality primary health care to thousands more Tennesseans under the new health-care reform law - the Affordable Care Act.

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Community Health Centers fill crucial role

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cigna (CI) was one of nine organizations that U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, recognized today for efforts to reduce health care disparities. The recognition came at a special roundtable at the White House hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Business Council and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH).

Dr. Christina Stasiuk, Cigna's national medical director for health disparities, accepted the Surgeon Generals Medallion on behalf of Cigna and its Health Disparities Council, including council co-chair Peggy Payne, M.A., and council lead Brooke Tomblin, MPH. The medallion is awarded in recognition of exceptional achievements that advance the cause of public health and medicine.

Health disparities are differences in rates of disease, health outcomes or access to health care that are related to many factors, such as gender, age, geography, race/ethnicity, education, income, language, culture, literacy, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. For example, Mexican Americans have nearly twice the rate of diabetes compared to the general population, while African American men have 1.5 times the rate of high blood pressure. More women will die within one year of their first heart attack than men. Health disparities have many causes, including communications barriers, cultural beliefs and practices, medical bias, variations in access to and quality of care, low health literacy and social causes.

We are honored to accept this award and recognition from the Surgeon General of the United States, and Cigna will continue to advance this important work in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Business Council and the National Business Group on Health, said David Cordani, Cigna's president and chief executive officer. We believe that all of the people Cigna serves should have access to high quality care and an equal opportunity to enjoy good health. Thats why were working to remove cultural, linguistic and other barriers, connecting people to meaningful health information and studying new ways to engage people in health improvement. This work reflects Cignas commitment to diversity and inclusion, and is core to our belief that we must treat each customer as a unique individual.

We are thrilled and grateful that the Surgeon General has honored Cigna and the other organizations that we have recognized over the past two years for their innovative programs to reduce health disparities, said Helen Darling, president and CEO of the National Business Group on Health. Good health for the entire population is crucial to quality of life, our standard of living, productivity and the nations overall success. Its especially important that health service companies take an active role in working to reduce health disparities and Cigna's leadership in this area is commendable.

In March, NBGH honored Cigna with its Award for Innovation in Reducing Health Care Disparities. Todays event was an opportunity to further recognize Cigna and other organizations that NBGH has honored during the past two years, and it provided an opportunity for these organizations to share their experiences and successes with one another, and discuss ideas for continuing the work to reduce health care disparities.

Cigna launched its Health Disparities Council in 2008. It comprises more than 200 employee volunteers from across the companys departments who facilitate the exchange of ideas, share knowledge, and identify internal and external opportunities to address health care disparities in culturally sensitive and medically appropriate ways.

A key part of Cigna's work has been improving the cultural competency and linguistic sensitivity of its staff. More than 20,000 employees have completed cultural competency training and all bilingual employees are tested for proficiency. The company has also adapted into Spanish and traditional Chinese its Words We Use guide for simpler communications.

The company has collaborated with organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations Finding Answers program and RAND Corporation to conduct health disparities research. The Finding Answers study, which focused on high blood pressure, showed that people respond to health communications that are tailored to them. People enrolled in the study who had slightly elevated blood pressure were far more receptive to the health message than were people with higher blood pressure.

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Cigna Honored at White House for Efforts to Reduce Health Care Disparities

More employers are offering financial incentives to get workers into wellness programs, fitness classes or gyms and demanding to see improvement before they reward the workers with cash. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Though most U.S. employers regularly greet their workers with a bigger and bigger tab for health care, they are also [...]

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More Companies Offer Perks To Lose Pounds As Incentives To Stay Healthy Increase

What's the right medical choice for you? Going to the best place for your problem

We all know that health care is important, but it is also confusing.

When you have an ailment, where do you go? Where is the best place to get help as quickly as you need it and care that matches the severity of your problem?

As an emergency medicine specialist, I know that patients need help to know where they need to go to receive the care they need.

When patients are educated and empowered, they can assume responsibility to make the right decision about cost, location and medical need. Everyone agrees that health care needs more efficiency, and empowering patients with knowledge is where it starts.

Bravo to many businesses, both large and small, that are now taking measures to ensure that their employees better understand their insurance offerings. The rising cost of health care is related to ill-informed provider choices that are contributing to higher premiums and a higher cost of care.

Bravo to insurance companies for offering patients more tools to help them make the right decision. Many companies now have tools available that help patients get an idea of the price of a procedure before they go for care. This is progress, and more transparency in pricing is coming.

Bravo to doctors for educating their patients about the different levels of care available. From a patients perspective, understanding where to go is an important first step.

Barring a 911-type emergency, patients need to see their primary care physician as a first choice. You can think of your primary care doctors office as your front door into the health care system.

But what can patients do if their primary care doctor is not available, or they need emergency care? If you have a choice (and, again it isnt a life-threatening emergency), you have three options.

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What's the right medical choice for you? Going to the best place for your problem