CEO prescription for health care

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The government has implemented reimbursement reforms under the Affordable Care Act that aim to cut costs, but with private employers and their workers footing the bill for nearly half of the nation's $2.7 trillion in health-care spending, the council CEOs think that by working together companies can leverage their market power to do more.

"We can all make these incremental changes that we've all made, we can continue the wellness plan, but the question is really with long-term thinkinghow do we drive to a long-term change?" said council member Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America.

The CEOs are challenging business leaders not just to improve care for their companies, but their communities and the nation's health system.

Telecom provider Verizon, which spends $3.5 billion a year to provide coverage for 740,000 workers, retirees and dependents, is focused on leveraging mobile and interactive technology to widen access to lower-cost care both for its employees and for community health programs.

Read MoreWhy your boss wants you to see online doctors

"We need to use the power of that technology to transform health care. Things like telemedicine, electronic health records," said Verizon Co-Chair and CEO Lowell McAdam. "All of these innovations can help people take charge of their health and improve their quality of health and their lives."

Not coincidentally, health IT is in an increasing part of the telecom giant's business. Verizon was one of the contractors that worked on the federal HealthCare.gov insurance exchange last year.

For Walgreen President and CEO Greg Wasson being a health-care provider means having a better perspective about what really works to improve the health of both the company's employees and its customers. His strategy starts with an incentive to change.

"Proactive benefit designs that encourage healthy behaviortrying to mitigate cigarette smoking, help people with weight losswhich are the top two causes of disease in this country," said the drugstore chain chief.

While Walgreen promotes smoking cessation, Wasson and the company's board have so far resisted calls from health advocates to stop selling tobacco products in its drug stores. Rival CVS Health stopped selling tobacco earlier this month.

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CEO prescription for health care

Jim Landers: Health care overhead is costing us big bucks

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WASHINGTON Americans spend more than $9,000 apiece on health care every year. Ouch, you say. But how does it feel to know that more than $1,000 of that sum goes to administrative costs? Or that Americans spend more than $210 billion a year on the health insurance claims system?

Needless back-office spending is one of the biggest sources of waste in health care, according to health insurers, providers and academics alike.

In a recent Health Affairs article, the authors estimated that administrative expenditures account for 25.3 percent of the average American hospitals annual spending. No other developed nation comes close. The next highest, the Netherlands, spends 19.8 percent on administration.

Its getting worse, said Dr. David Himmelstein, an internist who teaches at Hunter College in New York and Harvard Medical School. Himmelstein was the lead author of the article.

Its because were running health care more and more like a business. What that means is, if you think you can make $101, its worth spending $100 to do it. Hospitals are saying, gee, if we hired another financial person here they might help us bring in just a little more than their salary. Theres a whole variety of games you can play.

Any business with 25 percent of its spending going to administration should be trying to cut, not add, to that burden. Hospitals, physicians and insurers all say thats what theyre doing.

Were continuously looking at administrative costs and looking for ways to reduce the costs, Wendell Watson, director of public relations with Texas Health Resources, wrote in an email.

Over the last 10 years, weve consolidated many administrative functions to gain efficiencies and economies of scale and improved our processes to reduce costs where we can.

Texas Health Resources owns 25 hospitals in North Texas. In the 12 months ending May 31, 2013, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas spent $119.8 million on administrative costs, or 20.3 percent of its expenditures that year. The figures come from Medicare reports sifted by American Hospital Directory, which compiles statistics on more than 6,000 hospitals.

Much of the administrative expense in American health care is due to the complexity of billing. There are many insurance companies and hundreds of thousands more companies that self-insure their employees with their own nuanced health plans. A hospital or physicians office has to find the policy that matches the patient and send in a bill.

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Jim Landers: Health care overhead is costing us big bucks

Genetic Study Contributes To Greater Understanding Of Prostate Cancer

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September 16, 2014

John Hopton for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

A study of more than 87,000 individuals of European, African, Japanese and Latino ancestry has revealed 23 new genetic susceptibility locations indicating risk of prostate cancer, contributing to greater knowledge and hope for future prevention of the disease.

The study, co-led by Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), and scientists and researchers in the United Kingdom, is the largest of its kind and the first to combine multiple studies across different ethnic populations. It adds to previous research on prostate cancer which is, according to the American Cancer Society, the second most common cancer among American men behind skin cancer. It is estimated that in 2014 almost 30,000 men will die of prostate cancer and more than 233,000 new cases will be diagnosed.

The goal of this research is to identify regions of the genome that contribute susceptibility to prostate cancer that could be used for understanding a mans future risk of developing this disease, said principal investigator Christopher Haiman, Sc.D., professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine.

The 23 new common genetic variants are added to those previously identified to bring the total to 100, which in combination can increase a mans risk of prostate cancer six-fold. Such a risk applies to one percent of men who carry a certain combination of the genes, while ten percent of men face a three-fold risk through carrying a lower combination. The research may lead to targeted genetic testing of men to identify those at higher risk in order to monitor them more closely, and further research will establish the feasibility of routine genetic screening in the general population.

Ros Eeles, Professor of Oncogenetics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, explained that, Our study tells us more about the effect of the genetic hand that men are dealt on their risk of prostate cancer, adding that, We will shortly be conducting a clinical trial to find out whether testing for genetic variants in men can successfully pick up the disease early, and help direct targeted interventions for patients.

The people involved in the combined genetic population studies were made up of 43,303 men with prostate cancer and 43,737 controls from European, African, Japanese or Latino heritage. Their genetic profiles were mapped in order to identify variants that were more common among the prostate cancer patients.

From this combined population, 16 new genetic markers linked to prostate cancer risk in European men were identified, with one of them being associated with increased risk of early-onset disease. Seven markers were identified in men of mixed heritage. A new clinical trial called BARCODE aims to genetically screen 5,000 men for prostate cancer and will investigate if these genetic markers can improve on other tests for the disease.

Professor Malcolm Mason, prostate cancer expert for Cancer Research UK, said that, This important research continues a quest to unravel the complex picture of the genetic factors that increase a mans risk of prostate cancer. Building on previous research this study gives a more complete list of these factors, bringing us closer to knowing who may need screening for prostate cancer and which men may benefit from early treatment. More work needs to be done, but identifying these genetic factors will allow us to better understand the disease and maybe even develop new treatments.

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Genetic Study Contributes To Greater Understanding Of Prostate Cancer

Genetic Research Reveals Eight Distinct Types Of Schizophrenia

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Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Schizophrenia is not a single disease, but a group of eight genetically distinct disorders each with its own unique set of symptoms, according to new research published online Monday in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Dr. C. Robert Cloninger, one of the senior investigators of the study as well as a professor of psychiatry and genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and his colleagues believe their findings could be the first step towards improving how the condition is diagnosed and treated.

According to the researchers, approximately 80 percent of schizophrenia risk is inherited, but scientists have struggled to identify the exact genes responsible for the debilitating psychiatric illness. Now, after conducting detailed analysis of genetic influences on over 4,000 people with schizophrenia, the study authors have identified distinct gene clusters which they said contribute to eight different classes of the disorder.

Genes dont operate by themselves. They function in concert much like an orchestra, and to understand how theyre working, you have to know not just who the members of the orchestra are but how they interact, Dr. Cloninger, whose team matched precise DNA variations in people with and without schizophrenia to symptoms in individual patients, said in a statement.

The investigators looked at nearly 700,000 sites within the genome where a single DNA unit is changed, also known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), in 4,200 people with schizophrenia and 3,800 healthy controls. The goal was to discover how individual genetic variations interacted with one another in order to produce the illness.

For example, in some patients suffering from delusions or hallucinations, they matched distinct genetic features to the symptoms and demonstrated with 95 percent certainty the genetic variations that would have caused that type of schizophrenia. In a second group, they discovered a link between disorganized speech and behavior with a unique set of DNA variations that carried a 100 percent risk of schizophrenia.

What weve done here, after a decade of frustration in the field of psychiatric genetics, is identify the way genes interact with each other, how the orchestra is either harmonious and leads to health, or disorganized in ways that lead to distinct classes of schizophrenia, explained Dr. Cloninger.

While individual genes only have weak and somewhat inconsistent associations with the disease, groups of gene clusters that interact with each other can result in a 70 percent to 100 percent risk of developing schizophrenia. The study authors said that this makes it nearly impossible for people with those specific variations to avoid the condition. In all, they identified 42 clusters of genetic variations which dramatically increase schizophrenia risk.

In the past, scientists had been looking for associations between individual genes and schizophrenia, explained Dr. Dragan Svrakic, a study co-author and Washington University psychiatry professor. When one study would identify an association, no one else could replicate it. What was missing was the idea that these genes dont act independently. They work in concert to disrupt the brains structure and function, and that results in the illness.

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Genetic Research Reveals Eight Distinct Types Of Schizophrenia

EYVoice: Tweet It, Link It, 'Book It: Social Media And The Board

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The 21st century has already brought us some pretty amazing and powerful inventions and innovations: robotics, cloning and genetic engineering to name a few. But from the day-to-day perspective for most individuals and businesses, wed be remiss not to talk about the profound impact of social media.

Social media networks can add an awesome dimension to customer, employee and investor relations. Whether youre leveraging Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest or YouTube, social media can add and link customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders to your business every second of every day. This potential for accelerated access to your customers and investors is an impelling reason to make social media a priority for your Board. Here are some ways to make that happen.

Listen. Engage. Persuade.

As one former digital activist told us, Whether you like it or not, people out there on social media are talking about you, reading about you and making up their minds about you []. If you are not part of these conversations, guess whos in charge of public perception and brand reputation? The consumers you have angered, your competitors and the activists that hate you.

Tracking social media conversations allows a company to understand which topics are provoking discussions. It also allows them to intervene when needed to sway the discourse in their favor. The best way to mitigate reputational risk is by monitoring social media chatter and ensuring your company is well placed to respond rapidly. Organizations should listen, engage and persuade in that order and quickly.

Opportunities often remain underexploited

Companies active in social media conversations often lead the way with customers and employees. These companies dont only turn to social media when things go wrong but regularly engage with customers and use these outlets to build loyalty. Benefits of using social media may include generation of revenue growth through better targeting and reduction of costs by elimination of less-effective advertising.

Many audit committee chairs remain skeptical of the benefits of employee usage of social media. However, research indicates that employees trained on the proper use of social media channels actually become highly effective ambassadors for their companies.

In addition, with investors and analysts increasingly drawn to social media for both communication and research purposes, investor relations departments have found social media to be an effective communications channel. A 2012 survey revealed that 32% of western European companies use at least one form of social media to communicate with investment professionals.

Boards should take an active oversight role

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EYVoice: Tweet It, Link It, 'Book It: Social Media And The Board

Futurist Jack Uldrich to Address 10 Things We Should Be Thinking About with AgBank

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Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) September 16, 2014

On September 16th Jack Uldrich, Global Futurist and Best Selling Author, will be addressing AgBank's District CFO Meeting in Minneapolis, MN. Uldrich will be discussing the "10 Things We Should Be Thinking About."

When it comes to finance Uldrich says, "Banking executives need to become what I call 'Exponential Executives.' That is, leaders who understand that as impressive as past technological advances have beenthe ATM, online banking, and mobile banking, etc.,they are just the beginning.

Banking interactions will continue to evolve as customers physical and virtual worlds become intertwined, and social networks and mobile platforms will transform customers banking experiences and expectations. Still other advances will create an environment where a premium is placed on unconventional thinking and risk-taking."

A highly acclaimed futurist and trend expert, Uldrich has spoken all over the world to a variety of industries and organizations. Among the topics and trends Uldrich will discuss with AgBank audience members are precision agriculture, prescriptive planting, 3D manufacturing, wearable technology, robotics, the "Internet of Things," genomics, nanotechnology, peer-to-peer lending, collaborative consumption and "Big Data."

Uldrich has delivered presentations to such notable clients as Verizon Wireless, the AMA, PepsiCo, Bausch and Lomb, United Healthcare, as well as hundreds of Agricultural Groups all over the world including Novozymes, Land O'Lakes, Ag Gateway, FS Agronomy, Canada's Agricultural Adaptation Council, the California Ag Summit, and the 2014 PMA, among others. His writings include "The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business" and "Into the Unknown: Leadership Lessons from Lewis & Clarks Daring Westward Expedition."

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website. Media wishing to know more about the event or interviewing Jack can contact Amy Tomczyk at (651) 343.0660.

Jack Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, technology forecaster, best-selling author, and editor of the monthly newsletter, The Exponential Executive.

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Mind matrix

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Ever wondered how your mind works? Tune into Brain Games on National Geographic to get an informed view.

The Emmy-nominated host of Brain Games, Jason Silva, reveals the inner workings of the mind through interactive experiments. The executive producer of the show invited me to host Brain Games. It has been a wonderful opportunity, says Jason over phone.

In the show, various facets such as addiction, language, superstitions, patterns, compassion, anger, battle of the sexes and intuition are explored, from which startling facts emerge. Speaking of one of the episodes, Intuition, which is often dismissed as irrational, Jason says: What we call intuition is the sub-conscious knowledge that we have collected over years of experience. In the show, we ask a series of questions and try to prove that most people follow their intuition.

A futurist and filmmaker, Jason has generated huge interest on the internet with his short films, Shots of Awe. These short videos has been termed as philosophical espresso. Jason explores topics such as technology, science, the evolution of intelligence and even love. Shots of Awe is what I am truly thinking about, at any given moment. I am a cerebral ruminator. I work through my cerebral philosophical obsessions through a short video platform.

The videos are well executed and inspire one to think beyond. The videos arent just flights of fancy of the mind. They are anchored. There is a desire to reconcile the philosophical tangent with closure.

Jason has been variously termed, as a performance philosopher and an epiphany addict. Ask him how he describes himself and Jason says: I like the term Carl Sagan coined wonder junkie, says Jason who grew up in Venezuela and has a degree in philosophy and film.

Jason believes that technology is seeing a rapid and exponential change. He says that technology will amplify our human experience to a point that we cannot comprehend. The next level of technology is that we are going to put it in our brains.

Jason has been a television presenter on former US Vice President Al Gores Current TV and is a global speaker, and has spoken at TEDGlobal, Googles Zeitgeist Conference, among others.

Brain Games is aired from Monday to Friday on National Geographic at 9 pm.

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Mind matrix

Julian Assange Says "Apolitical Futurism of Star Trek" Fits Google

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Julian Assange is currently answering questions in a live chat over at Gawker, promoting his new book, When Google Met Wikileaks. One of the most interesting exchanges for readers of Paleofuture actually comes from a question by Matthew Phelan who writes the Gawker subdomain Black Bag.

Phelan asks about the culture of Google and whether its vision of the future aligns with more retro notions of technology, information and politics seen in cultural artifacts like Star Trek.

Question from Matthew Phelan of the Gawker subdomain Black Bag:

There was a piece in Slate last year about Google, that I kept thinking about with respect to this book, about how Google's internal culture and goals are bound up in Star Trek. For example: Amit Singhal, the head of Google's search rankings team, told the South by Southwest Interactive Festival that "The destiny of [Google's search engine] is to become that Star Trek computer, and that's what we are building."

It makes sense to me in that there's a real Camelot-era liberal pro-statist ideal underlying Star Trek's vision of the future, and I'm curious what your sense was as to whether or not Eric Schmidt really buys into that. AND/OR I am curious to know how your idealized vision of the future differs from that Google Star Trek model.

From Julian Assange:

I hadn't seen that piece. At a glance, it reminds me of the discovery that the NSA had had the bridge of the Enterprise recreated. In my experience it is more reliable and fairer to look at peoples interests and expenditure rather than try to diagnose their inner mental state, as the latter often lets people project their own biases. As I say in the book, I found Eric Schmidt to be, as you would expect, a very sharp operator. If you read "The New Digital Age", the apolitical futurism of Star Trek seems to fit what Schmidt writes quite well. I also quite liked this summary of Google's vision for the future: "Google's vision of the future is pure atom-age 1960s Jetsons fantasy, bubble-dwelling spiritless sexists above a ruined earth."

It's interesting to see Assange describe Star Trek futurism as apolitical, especially because from Phelan's question (and any critical reading of Star Trek's quasi-utopian, post-scarcity values) Star Trek is presented as far from apolitical. Even "atom-age 1960s Jetsons fantasy" doesn't seem to quite nail it.

If anything, this exchange shows that we're grasping at imperfect utopian analogies for the future dredged up from the past when what we really should be looking at are the dystopias.

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Julian Assange Says "Apolitical Futurism of Star Trek" Fits Google

Reports: Boeing To Beat Out SpaceX For NASA Contract – Thanks To Jeff Bezos

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Artist conception of Boeing CST-100 approaching the ISS. (Credit: Boeing)

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Boeing is likely to be the primary winner of NASAs Commercial Crew contract. This contract, which is worth billions, is being awarded for the final phase of development for a manned spacecraft that can take astronauts to the International Space Station and serve as a replacement for the Space Shuttle. That contract is expected to be awarded this month.

There are currently three contenders for the Commercial Crew contract: Boeing, which is developing a manned capsule currently named the CST-100; SpaceX, whose unmanned version of its Dragon capsule has made several trips to the space station, and Sierra Nevada Corporation, whose winged Dream Chaser spacecraft will be capable of landing on a runway.

According to the WSJ report, a growing consensus of experts in industry and government believe Boeing will win the primary award of the contract, due to a belief that the veteran aerospace company is the least risky option. The report also notes that there is likely to be a smaller award to develop an alternative to Boeings CST-100, and that award is likely to go to SpaceX.

One thing that may have clinched the deal for Boeing, according to Reuters, is an unexpected assist from Jeff Bezos. According to that report, Bezos commercial space venture, Blue Origin, will be working with the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance to develop a new rocket engine to replace the currently Russian-built RD-180 engine.

Blue Origin is currently developing what it calls the BE-3 rocket engine for flights of its planned New Shephard space capsule. This liquid hydrogen fueled engine had its first successful full-cycle test in December of last year.

Blue Origin tests its BE-3 rocket engine. (Credit: Blue Origin)

Boeings CST-100 is designed to be lifted into orbit on a ULA Atlas 5 rocket, which features the RD-180 engine. However, a number of government officials have expressed concerned about ULAs reliance on the Russian engines, particularly because ULA is currently the only launch provider for the military and other government agencies. Earlier this year, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister threatened that the country would halt the export of RD-180 engines to the U.S. However, engine deliveries since have so far continued uninterrupted.

ULA has stated that it currently has a two year supply of the engines, and last week the company announced that it was finalizing details related to the development of a replacement engine with a U.S. aerospace partner. If these reports are correct and the partner referred to is Blue Origin, this may be what tipped the decision in their favor.

For its part, a Boeing company spokesperson told me they werent aware of any decision having been made by NASA as of yet.

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Reports: Boeing To Beat Out SpaceX For NASA Contract - Thanks To Jeff Bezos

Sandy Hook – They Massacre Freedom, Don’t They? – Elderly Parents – Video

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