Health Care Spending Growth Slowed in 2012, But Consumers Continued To Spend More Out-of-Pocket, Says New HCCI Report

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

For the third consecutive year, the growth rate of health care spending among privately insured people under age 65 remained low at 4.0 percent, says the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Health care spending averaged $4,701 per person with employer-sponsored coverage in 2012, up $181 from the year before. In addition, out-of-pocket spending rose more quickly than expenditures per person in 2012, increasing 4.8 percent to $768.

The 2012 Health Care Cost and Utilization Report provides a detailed picture of health care spending for the 156 million Americans younger than age 65 with employer-sponsored health insurance in 2012. This years report analyzes the actual dollars spent and services used by over 25 percent of the nations privately insured population.

Key trends:

Although average health care expenditures grew at nearly the same rate in 2012 as 2011, the causes of the 4 percent increase in spending each year were quite different, said HCCI Executive Director David Newman. In prior years, rising health care prices drove up spending. In 2012, we saw utilization start to change health care trends for prescription drugs and professional procedures.

The 2012 Health Care Cost and Utilization Report is available on the HCCI website at: http://www.healthcostinstitute.org/2012report.

Read the full press release here.

The Health Care Cost Institute was launched in September 2011 supported by Aetna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthcare to promote independent, nonpartisan research and analysis on the causes of the rise in U.S. health spending. HCCI believes an improved understanding of the forces driving health care cost growth will help policy makers, researchers, and the public make decisions that will lead to better and more accessible and affordable care. HCCI is governed by a board that includes distinguished economists, actuaries and health care experts. For more information, visit http://www.healthcostinstitute.org or follow us on Twitter @healthcostinst.

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Health Care Spending Growth Slowed in 2012, But Consumers Continued To Spend More Out-of-Pocket, Says New HCCI Report

Health care policy expert to speak at Misericordia

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DALLAS TWP. American health care is broadly moving in the right direction, Susan Dentzer believes, but the system as a whole fails to provide value for the vast amounts of money spent on medical treatment in this country.

As a country, we spend more per capita than any other on health care and we dont have very good health outcomes to show for it, said Dentzer, a journalist and Washington, D.C.-based health policy adviser who will speak Oct. 4 at Misericordia University.

Her speech, The Future of Health Care in the United States, is part of the Misericordia University Annual Health Care Lecture Series.

The big issue on the table now, Dentzer said, is the implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act sometimes dubbed Obamacare for which open enrollment is scheduled to begin Oct. 1.

But Dentzer, a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and health care analyst for PBS NewsHour, acknowledged in a recent interview with The Times Leader that it is just one consideration as the United States struggles to contain costs and improve the overall health of the American public.

In 2010, for example, Dentzer made headlines when she said America was guilty of child abuse for allowing childhood obesity rates to skyrocket.

Embracing more healthy lifestyle choices would go a long way toward making us healthier as a people and paring down mushrooming care costs, in her view.

Even if we get the best possible results from our health care system if we dont do something to stem the tide of obesity, chronic illnesses, of relatively poor health choices, then all bets are off, she said.

Even the smartest of us tend to make poor choices day-in and day-out, and those choices are conditioned by our environment, Dentzer said, adding that lives lived in cars, busy schedules and even which foods are given the best promotion in stores and restaurants can have a ripple effect on our health.

As well, Dentzer sees room for improvement in where, when and by whom health care services are delivered.

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Health care policy expert to speak at Misericordia

Intel's futurist introduces open source, 3D printed robot at Maker Faire

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Intel's Futurist and Director of Future Casting, Brian David Johnson, was at this week's Maker Faire in New York City to introduce an open source, 3D printed companion robot called Jimmie.

Johnson's job is to advise Intel as to what innovations may be expected in the active marketplace roughly a decade into the future. His use of science fiction writers as projective futurists in Intel's Tomorrow Project is well known.

With the 21st Century robot project, Johnson plans to introduce an easy to build, completely open source, human-like robot that can be built created from a kit and a home 3D printer, then stand back and see what a group of highly motivated makers do with it.

The open-source software, 3D printing files, and the kit are projected to be available next May. The vehicle for the project is a book called 21st Century robot, which combines science fiction with a how to guide for creating your own robot. A "work in progress" version of the book can be downloaded here [PDF].

Although there are no firm details at this stage, the kit will reportedly consist of processors, memory, servos, power packs, and other parts to enable easy construction of a robot. Jimmie (Johnson's name for his prototype, which is at this stage just a shell) is roughly humanoid, about 20 inches (0.5 m) tall and has a strong family resemblance to Aldebaran Robotics Nao robot (my personal all-time favorite robot). Interestingly, Intel was one of Aldebaran's major third round VC funders.

The target for such a kit is highly focused, as only rather accomplished makers will have the 3D printing capabilities at hand, and also the electromechanical and software chops to turn a kit into a working robot to be upgraded, modified, and taught new tricks. Johnson wants to make the kit available for US$500-1000. Comparing this to Nao's $17K price tag, it's clear why such a kit may be popular.

While we can only speculate about Jimmie's base capabilities at this stage, it is being described as a companion and helper. We expect that Jimmie will be able to understand and speak some subset of a spoken language. Also, it seems likely that it will be able to walk about and have some ability to grab and manipulate objects particularly as Jimmie appears to have inherited Nao's opposable thumb.

We'll bring you more details as they become official. In the meantime, you can watch Johnson talking about the project in this CBS News interview.

Source: 21st Century Robot via All Things D

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Intel's futurist introduces open source, 3D printed robot at Maker Faire

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite | Episode 36 | Stealing in the Old Swamp | Gypceros – Video

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Freedom Christian's young volleyball team on track for 2nd straight playoff run

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By Jaclyn Shambaugh Staff writer

The Freedom Christian volleyball team is at it again.

The Patriots are rolling over the competition during regular-season play this year, continuing a trend that's been in effect since before the young program was even eligible to make a postseason.

The Patriots are 20-1 overall this season and 3-1 in the Coastal Plain Independent 2-A/ 1-A Conference.

This season's success has the Patriots on track for their second consecutive playoff run in as many years of NCISAA playoff eligibility.

They ended their 2011 season, in which they weren't eligible for the postseason, at 20-1 and finished out last year 21-1 after a run to the semifinals in the postseason.

Seniors Hannah Joly and Taylar Stafford said the team's success comes from a no-drama mentality.

"We pretty much work together as a family," Stafford said. "We see each other as sisters, best friends. We've never really argued or had a conflict. And if there is something, it's little. We go to the person and figure it out. And we're good."

The seniors agree that any conflict that might crop up stops outside the court boundaries.

"It's never been about the drama," Joly said. "It's always been about the sport."

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Freedom Christian's young volleyball team on track for 2nd straight playoff run

South Africa: What Does 'Economic Freedom' Mean for the Youth?

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Twenty years after the end of formal apartheid, most South Africans are yet to reap the fruits of the struggle for freedom. The nation's wealth is in the hands of the white minority, while the black youth have no jobs. The ANC pursues a capitalist model of development, which the youth now want changed

ABSTRACT

This article does not seek to provide answers but rather to stimulate debate around the demand for economic freedom. The aim is to understand and unpack the economic freedom fighters' grievances and recommendations stated in the "Economic Freedom in our Lifetime" discussion document, which enjoys an overwhelming support from the majority of the youth within the alliance.

It assesses the youth's call and grievances by exploring their challenges and background. The article therefore evaluates the economic freedom's effect on the relationship and the bondage within the ruling African National Congress party and its youth alliance.

The concept of 'economic freedom' and its seven cardinal points made and continues to effect great impact on public policy discussions. This concept stimulated vibrancy and activeness among young people leading to increased productive and well informed youth needed for sustainable economic growth and development.

But can the alliance survive the contradictions and ideological differences for economic direction? What can be done to realise tangible economic transformation?

INTRODUCTION

The youth of South Africa have recently started to raise their opinions regarding the economy of their country and their role in it. They have come to question the system in place and submit that in the 19th year of our democracy the country has seen minimal or little change in the socio-economic relations.

The post-apartheid South Africa is dominated by the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment.

Statistics South Africa's Income and Expenditure Survey report that the inequalities among South Africans continues to deteriorate, further marginalizing the poor. South Africa is currently ranked as one of the most unequal countries in the whole world, overtaking the likes of Brazil and Mexico to mention few.

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South Africa: What Does 'Economic Freedom' Mean for the Youth?

Injustice: Gods Among Us Unique Clash Quotes – Stephen Amell "Arrow", Cyborg Superman, John Stewart – Video

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Injustice: Gods Among Us Unique Clash Quotes - Stephen Amell "Arrow", Cyborg Superman, John Stewart
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