VIDEO: How nanotechnology helps after flooding

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Millions of dollars have been invested in nanotechnology since Thailand was hit by devastating flooding in 2011.

The Nanotec labs specialise in home-grown solutions suitable for the Thai market but its creations could help save lives further afield.

Dan Simmons takes a look at the raft of innovations to help in the aftermath of any future flooding and discovers that part of the answer may also be to redesign homes and even whole cities.

Follow the Click team on Twitter @BBCClick. And join the conversation on Google+ or Facebook.

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VIDEO: How nanotechnology helps after flooding

Dr. Rashid A. Buttar Announces Advanced Medicine Seminars

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In what could be a defining moment for the practice of integrative medicine across the country, Dr. Rashid A. Buttar announces the launch of the Advanced Medicine Seminars beginning September 21st - 22nd in Philadelphia, PA.Cornelius, NC (PRWEB) September 07, 2012 In what could be a defining moment for the practice of integrative medicine across the country, Dr. Rashid A. Buttar announces the ...

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Dr. Rashid A. Buttar Announces Advanced Medicine Seminars

Gold, Copper Explorer Liberty Star Updates Scout Drilling Program at Big Chunk, Alaska

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TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp. (Liberty Star or the Company)(LBSR: OTCQB) is pleased to announce that scout drilling on Target 1 (of 12), Hole #1 reached and exceeded its planned depth of 1650 feet (August 28th, NR 137). The drill hole bottomed at 1696 feet and was capped so that it could undergo further drilling next spring. 166 core boxes containing 5 core samples each (10 feet) were collected and samples from the split core are being prepared for shipment to the MEG sample prep lab near Reno, NV, and then on to the ALS Group certified assay facility in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Readings from an XRF analyzer and high definition photographs as well as other technical measurement data gatherers are being transmitted to the Companys Tucson headquarters where they will be analyzed.

Further drilling this season was ended due to oncoming winter conditions including very high winds (gusting to 131 MPH) and heavy rain combined with low to zero visibility occurring in both the Lake Iliamna region and Port Alsworth, making fixed wing aircraft or helicopter transportation impossible. Scout drilling will begin again on additional targets in May 2013.

Comments James A. Briscoe, Liberty Stars CEO and Chief Geologist: This initial drilling program fulfilled several of our goals: First, to establish a camp we can continue to work from for many years, second, to re-establish our prominence in the local community, third, to fulfill Alaska State Mining Claim assessment work requirements, and lastly, to start scout drilling that I believe will lead to the eventual discovery of a porphyry copper and gold mineral body.

James A. Briscoe James A. Briscoe, Professional Geologist, AZ CA CEO/Chief Geologist Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp.

About Liberty Stars Big Chunk Super Project:

Liberty Star, through its wholly owned Alaska subsidiary, Big Chunk Corp., holds exclusive mineral exploration rights to 612 state mining claims in two blocks covering approximately 177 square miles in southwestern Alaska. The Big Chunk claims were initially staked in 2003 along the Big Chunk caldera, which is believed to host Northern Dynasty Minerals/Anglo Americans Pebble Project. Liberty Star has recently conducted exploratory drilling on specific targets for porphyry copper, gold, molybdenum (moly), silver and zinc. SRK Consulting submitted a NI 43-101 compliant technical report on the Big Chunk Super Project in 2010: available on Liberty Stars web site http://www.libertystaruranium.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include our drilling plans, that drilling will recommence in May 2013; that we can work from our camp for many years; that analysis will be completed and may lead to a copper and gold body discovery. Factors which may delay or prevent these forward-looking statements from being realized include: the failure of our exploration program to identify targets; we may not be able to raise sufficient funds to complete our intended exploration, keep our properties or carry on operations; we may be unable to continue exploration due to weather, logistical problems, labor or equipment problems or hazards even if funds are available. Despite encouraging data there may be no commercially exploitable mineralization on our properties. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures in the Companys recent 10-K and the Companys other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Gold, Copper Explorer Liberty Star Updates Scout Drilling Program at Big Chunk, Alaska

Liberty Global Unveils Horizon TV

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Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA), a leading cable MSO of Europe and Latin America, launches an innovative digital TV network, called Horizon TV. This digital TV platform will enable customers to view and share all of their favorite content across the TV, laptop, tablet and smartphone. Initially this service will be available in the Netherlands and then in Switzerland, Germany, and Ireland within the next 3-6 months.

With Horizon TV, customers can share TV showing in multiple screens such as computers, and Apple Inc. (AAPL) developed iPhones and iPads. Horizon TV also features an in-build application store for YouTube, Wikipedia and Facebook. In the second quarter, the company added 244,000 digital video subscribers. At the end of the reported quarter of 2012, Liberty Global had 8.6 million digital cable subscribers with a penetration rate of 49%.

Horizon TV gateway also offers triple-play services of video, Internet, and wireless voice. It uses Intel Corp.s (INTC) Atom chipset as processor. At the end of the previous quarter, Liberty Global had 5.6269 million triple-play clients, up 3.5% year over year. In the coming years, we believe Liberty Globals revenue will continue to benefit from a triple play of video, broadband, and telephone, as it signs up more bundled customers in Europe and Latin America.

Deployment of high-speed DOCSIS 3.0 network has significantly helped Liberty Global to differentiate its offerings in the industry. Management has devised a plan to deploy EuroDOCSIS 3.0 in the range of 80%-90% of all UPC broadband divisions in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe.

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Liberty Global Unveils Horizon TV

Liberty Global Launches Horizon TV

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Global, Inc. (Liberty Global) (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) today announces the launch of Horizon TV, a new family of media products that allow customers to view and share all of their favorite content across the TV, computer, tablet and smartphone. The Horizon TV platform is powered by a beautiful and engaging user interface that seamlessly navigates and recommends digital content from your cable, on demand libraries, personal devices, selected apps and online sources. The Horizon TV gateway also serves as a full triple-play box delivering not only video, but also the fastest internet and voice connections along with a wireless network for the home.

Horizon TV is now available from our Dutch cable operation, UPC Netherlands, and will be rolled out in Switzerland, Germany and Ireland over the next 3-6 months.

Mike Fries, Liberty Globals President and CEO said: This is what our customers have been waiting for. Finally, you can enjoy the best cable TV programming on all of your devices whenever and wherever you choose. Horizon TV brings the power of the internet and the most popular apps to your TV screen and allows you to connect, discover and be free.

Multiscreen and Home network

Horizon TV changes your tablet, smartphone or laptop into a television. An iPad can be used as a remote control or as an additional TV screen in the home. At the same time, customers can wirelessly stream personal content from their computers, tablets and smartphones onto their TV screens.

Personal Recommendations

Horizon TV makes personal recommendations and allows customers to search from a wide selection of programs currently being broadcast, previously broadcast or available via UPC on Demand.

Bring the Web to the TV

Whats more, Horizon TV features an app store where services like YouTube, Wikipedia and Facebook are contextually integrated into your TV viewing experience.

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Little Islands Are Big Trouble In The South China Sea

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A storm has been brewing for decades in the South China Sea, and it has nothing to do with the weather.

Instead, it's a virtual typhoon of competing claims over tiny, uninhabited island chains that ring the South China Sea and reach even farther north. They all have one thing in common: China has claimed control of them.

During a trip to Asia this week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped into the middle of the latest row this one between China and the Philippines over a small archipelago of wind- and wave-swept rocks and coral called the Scarborough Shoal (or the Huangyan Islands, as China prefers to call them).

In the past month or so, China has literally roped off access to Scarborough by stretching a line across the horseshoe-shaped lagoon to prevent fishermen from the Philippines, located just 120 miles to the east, from entering.

And this week, Japan announced it had struck a deal with private owners to buy the five Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, whose sovereignty China has never recognized. Beijing was quick to blast the move as "illegal and invalid."

Protesters in Manila, Philippines, marched toward the Chinese consulate during a May rally decrying the standoff between the two nations over the Scarborough Shoal.

Protesters in Manila, Philippines, marched toward the Chinese consulate during a May rally decrying the standoff between the two nations over the Scarborough Shoal.

Robert Kaplan, chief geopolitical analyst for Stratfor and author of the upcoming book The Revenge of Geography, says China's claims are rooted in economic and national prestige.

"It's a historic belief that is very similar to that which motivated the United States in the Caribbean basin throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries," he adds.

Claims, Counterclaims And The 'Cow's Tongue'

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Japan in final stages of talks to buy disputed islands, prime minister says

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Japan PM Yoshihiko Noda says his government is in final negotiations to bring the Senkaku islands under public ownership.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tokyo (CNN) -- The Japanese government is in the final stages of negotiations to bring a hotly disputed set of small islands in the East China Sea under public ownership, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday, stressing his country's claims of sovereignty.

The islands are at the heart of a bitter diplomatic argument between Japan and China that has resulted in occasionally violent acts of public protest. The uninhabited islands, known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu, are privately owned by a Japanese family.

A public initiative begun in April by the outspoken governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, to raise money to acquire the islands for the city authorities has set off a new cycle of tensions between Japan and China over which country has sovereignty over them.

China talks tough in Japan island dispute

Reports in the Japanese news media this week suggested the Japanese authorities had agreed a 2.05-billion-yen ($26.1-million) deal to buy the islands from the private owners.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Noda declined to discuss the size of the sum likely to be paid for the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan, because of the sensitivity of the matter.

But he said the talks were in their "final stages," and he remained unequivocal about which country the islands belong to.

"The Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japanese territory, historically as well as under international law, so there's no territorial claim issue between the two countries," he said. "Right now, it is the ownership issue -- whether the individual owns these islands, or the Tokyo metropolitan government or the state. And I think we have to clearly and solidly explain these stances to the Chinese side."

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UPDATE 1-Soccer-Germany 3 Faroe Islands 0 – W.Cup qualifier rslt

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Germany 3 Faroe Islands 0 - World Cup qualifier Group C result In Hanover Scorers: Mario Goetze 28, Mesut Ozil 54, 71 Halftime: 1-0 Referee: Bobby Madden (Scotland) Teams: Germany: 1-Manuel Neuer; 16-Philipp Lahm, 17-PerMertesacker, 5-Mats Hummels, 14-Holger Badstuber; 6-SamiKhedira, 8-Mesut Ozil; 13-Thomas Mueller (9-Andreas Schuerrle68), 19-Mario Goetze (23-Julian Draxler 87), 21-Marco Reus;11 ...

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UPDATE 1-Soccer-Germany 3 Faroe Islands 0 - W.Cup qualifier rslt

Japan says it's in final talks to buy disputed islands

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Japan PM Yoshihiko Noda says his government is in final negotiations to bring the Senkaku islands under public ownership.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tokyo (CNN) -- The Japanese government is in the final stages of negotiations to bring a hotly disputed set of small islands in the East China Sea under public ownership, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday, stressing his country's claims of sovereignty.

The islands are at the heart of a bitter diplomatic argument between Japan and China that has resulted in occasionally violent acts of public protest. The uninhabited islands, known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu, are privately owned by a Japanese family.

A public initiative begun in April by the outspoken governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, to raise money to acquire the islands for the city authorities has set off a new cycle of tensions between Japan and China over which country has sovereignty over them.

China talks tough in Japan island dispute

Reports in the Japanese news media this week suggested the Japanese authorities had agreed a 2.05-billion-yen ($26.1-million) deal to buy the islands from the private owners.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Noda declined to discuss the size of the sum likely to be paid for the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan, because of the sensitivity of the matter.

But he said the talks were in their "final stages," and he remained unequivocal about which country the islands belong to.

"The Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japanese territory, historically as well as under international law, so there's no territorial claim issue between the two countries," he said. "Right now, it is the ownership issue -- whether the individual owns these islands, or the Tokyo metropolitan government or the state. And I think we have to clearly and solidly explain these stances to the Chinese side."

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Japan says it's in final talks to buy disputed islands

President Obama’s Full Speech 2012 DNC – Video

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06-09-2012 22:42 President Barack Obama's complete speech from the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Join the conversation on Facebook Add TDC to your circles on Google+ Follow The Daily Conversation on Twitter Keywords: TDC TheDailyConversation The Daily Conversation President Barack Obama Democratic National Convention 2012 Speech DNC BO Pres Democrat Republican Politics News Talk "Barack Obama (US President)" Michelle First Lady POTUS Democrats Republicans GOP Election Inspiring Epic Amazing Great Good HD High Quality High Definition Complete Full White House Economy Elect Vote USA United States America American Bill Clinton Hillary Mitt Romney Campaign Debate TDC The Daily Conversation TheDailyConversation Paul Ryan Tax Vice Joe Biden Debt Deficit Spending Medicare Health Care Obamacare Taxes Win North Carolina Virginia Iowa Colorado New Mexico Swing State States Advertising Ads

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Health care too costly, complex

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A Brody School of Medicine professor has co-authored a report issued Thursday that calls Americas health care system too complex and costly, posing a threat to the nations economic stability and global competitiveness.

The report, Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America, comes from a committee of the Institute of Medicine and focuses on how the inefficiencies created by an overwhelming amount of data and other economic and quality barriers hinder progress in improving health. The good news is that tools exist to put the health system on the right course to achieve improvement and better quality care at lower cost, committee members said.

We Americans can all get much better results from the health care we receive and pay for, said Dr. T. Bruce Ferguson, professor of cardiovascular sciences at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and an IOM committee member. The IOM is the health-care arm of the National Academy of Sciences.

The report tries to construct a road map from where the health care system and its users are substantially constrained by unsustainable costs and quality shortfalls to a place where better health care is delivered and received. The vehicle is a system of continuous improvement driven by the commitment of all its participants.

Were trying to expand what weve learned within pocket areas of improvement and apply them to the entire health care system to produce better value and less costs for every person in the system who requires health care, Ferguson said.

The costs of the systems inefficiency underscore the urgent need for a systemwide transformation.

The committee calculated that about 30 percent of health spending in 2009 roughly $750 billion was wasted on unnecessary services, excessive administrative costs, fraud, and other problems. Moreover, inefficiencies cause needless suffering, they said. By one estimate, roughly 75,000 deaths might have been prevented in 2005 if every state had delivered care at the quality level of the best performing state.

The committee identified tools and assets in todays health care environment, some that did not exist as recently as five years ago, and areas where the tools must be applied.

One is an enormous computing power that now allows access to information with connectivity almost anywhere in real time.

When I was a medical student, I had to go to the library to look up articles in journals and photocopy them, Ferguson said. A medical student at Brody logs on to the Internet and accesses hundreds of times more information than I was able to gather.

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Health care too costly, complex

University General Health System Announces Agreement With Rice University Athletics

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HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - Sep 6, 2012) - University General Health System, Inc. ( OTCQB : UGHS ), a diversified, integrated multi-specialty health care delivery system, today announced the execution of an agreement between its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sybaris Group, Inc., and Rice University Athletics, whereby Sybaris has been selected as the official catering company for Rice Athletics.

"We are very pleased that our Support Services subsidiary, Sybaris Group, has been named the official caterer for the Athletics Department of such a respected and historic institution of higher learning as Rice University," stated Hassan Chahadeh, MD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of University General Health System, Inc. "Sybaris Group has been aggressively expanding its business model, and the outstanding food service provided by Sybaris is consistent with our commitment to the highest level of patient care throughout our expanding health care delivery system. Our relationship with Rice University will allow us to leverage the operating infrastructure that Sybaris has developed in the Houston metropolitan area."

About University General Health System, Inc.

University General Health System, Inc. is a diversified, integrated multi-specialty health care provider that delivers concierge physician and patient-oriented services by providing timely, innovative health solutions that are uniquely competitive, efficient, and adaptive in today's health care delivery environment. The Company currently operates one hospital, two ambulatory surgical centers, two diagnostic imaging centers, three physical therapy clinics, a sleep clinic, and a Hyperbaric Wound Care Center in the Houston area. Also, University General owns three senior living facilities, manages six senior living facilities, and owns a Support Services company that provides revenue cycle and luxury facilities management services.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements related to the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, successful execution of growth strategies, product development and acceptance, the impact of competitive services and pricing, general economic conditions, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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University General Health System Announces Agreement With Rice University Athletics

Roberta Herzberg Joins Aarches Community Health Care Board of Directors

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SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aarches Community Health Care today announced that Roberta Herzberg, Department Head, Political Science, Utah State University, was elected to Aarches Community Health Care's Board of Directors. Roberta also serves as Vice-chair and Member, Health Advisory Committee, Utah Health Department.

"Roberta is an expert on health policy and economics in Utah and we look forward to benefiting from her insights and experience as a member of Aarches Community Health Care Board," said Linn Baker, Aarches Community Health Care CEO. "Roberta will be our 11th board member, and I think she will add a new dimension to our already lively board discussions."

"Aarches is clearly on the forefront of aligning members and providers of care around coordination of care delivery and payment reform," said Roberta Herzberg, Department Head, Political Science, Utah State University. "I feel privileged to join this exciting and dynamic team and look forward to working closely with Linn and the board during the next phase of healthcare reform and the launch of Aarches Community Health Care.

At Utah State University, Roberta is responsible for managing a $1M budget, personnel, faculty development, curriculum and advising 400+ students across three majors. She has developed new programs, including one minor and an expansion of offerings in China. Roberta also represents the Utah State University in other units and in the broader community. She was formerly Member, Utah Medical Education Council, appointed by then Governor Leavitt and Commissioner, Utah Health Policy Commission, also appointed by then Governor Leavitt. Additionally Roberta was Chair, Utah SCHIP Benefits Committee.

Roberta is well published through the Journal of Economic Organization and Behavior, American Journal of Managed Care, Journal of Politics, Journal of Conflict Resolution and Western Political Quarterly.

About Aarches Community Health Care

Aarches Community Health Care is a Utah 501c non-profit corporation that received start-up and solvency funding under the Affordable Care Act's Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program (section 1322) to become a member-owned health plan covering all 29 counties of Utah. For more information, please visit http://www.AarchesHealth.org or call 866.207.8003.

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Roberta Herzberg Joins Aarches Community Health Care Board of Directors

Gov. Mead: Wyoming will miss health law deadline

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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Gov. Matt Mead announced Thursday that Wyoming won't meet a pending deadline under the federal health care reform law to specify whether the state intends to establish a health insurance exchange an online marketplace that would offer the public one-stop shopping for health insurance.

Mead told reporters at his regularly scheduled press conference that Wyoming can't decide the issue because he has yet to hear any response to a series of questions about the law he submitted to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in mid-July.

Among the questions Mead asked Sebelius was how long the federal government was committed to provide funding for the exchange. "If the federally facilitated exchange is not financially self-sustaining, what happens then?" he wrote.

"There are questions to be answered," Mead said Thursday. "And we haven't got answers to those questions. So if and until we get answers to those questions, I don't think it's reasonable for the federal government to say we've got to make very big decisions that can impact our state budget and impact the quality of our health delivery system in Wyoming."

The Affordable Care Act gives Wyoming and other states three possible choices on the insurance exchange issue: set up their own exchange, partner with other states, or let the federal government set up an exchange.

While the federal law gives states until January to specify how they will address the exchange issue, Mead said Wyoming likely won't make a decision until after the Legislature adjourns next year, likely in early March.

Mead, a longtime opponent of the Affordable Care Act, has said he's worried about the cost of increasing enrollment in the Medicaid program. Wyoming already has budgeted more than $500 million to cover its share of the Medicaid program in the two-year budget cycle that started in July. The federal government roughly matches that amount in the state to fund the program that provides health care for the poor.

There are now roughly 67,000 Wyoming residents on Medicaid. Mead has said he's concerned that the Affordable Care Act could expand the program to add as many as 30,000 more over coming years. He said he doesn't trust federal promises to pick up increased costs.

There are now roughly 67,000 Wyoming residents on Medicaid. Mead said the proposed federal expansion could add as many as 30,000 more over the next few years.

The Wyoming Department of Health on Thursday unveiled consultant reports estimating that the additional cost to Wyoming of expanding Medicaid to comply with the federal Affordable Care Act could range from $53 million to $310 million from 2014 to 2020.

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Non Profit CO-OP Seeks to Improve Health Insurance by Signing up Health Care Providers and Reducing Physician Stress

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SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aarches Community Health Care is seeking like minded physicians who want to partner in providing value based care to their patients. This outreach is in response to a new study by Dr. Tait Shanafelt of the Mayo Clinic which reported nearly half of physicians showing signs of significant "burnout" and evidence of "depersonalization" leading these doctors to look at their patients as objects more than people. A clear problem leading to much needed reform in the health care plans for Utah.

Aarches Health's Medical Officer, Douglas Smith, MD, comments, "Our front line doctors in Utah are feeling the heavy weight placed on them by the broken Fee For Service reimbursement model of health care. Until we engage physicians and patients in a mutually beneficial relationship based on shared responsibility and robust non-volume based financial incentives we will continue down this insane path which is fracturing our front line health provider safety net."

This is where Aarches Health's plan for providing a Value Based Care model for Utah will help make a positive change to the Insurance and Health Care models currently in place.

"It's about aligning incentives between patient and doctor in search of the now elusive health care Win-Win partnership", notes Doug. Last September the Physician Wellness Services and Cejka Search conducted a survey reporting over 86% of US physicians were moderately to severely stressed or burned out on an average day with about two-thirds stating their stress had increased moderately to dramatically in the preceding three years with little organizational response to their plight. "We look to be a new health care model in the Utah market which will align incentives of the patient and physician which can empower physicians to practice the way they thought they would when leaving medical school."

Aarches welcomes engagement from all physicians, but especially primary care providers looking for a new model to care for their patients providing higher quality care, robust value based reimbursement, and heightened professional satisfaction. Aarches is currently in the process of finalizing their first list of providers.

Interested physicians and providers can email Dr. Smith for more information at ProviderRelations@aarcheshealth.org.

About Aarches Community Health CareAarches Community Health Care is a Utah 501c non-profit corporation that received start-up and solvency funding under the Affordable Care Act's Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program (section 1322) to become a member-owned health plan covering all 29 counties of Utah. For more information, please visit http://www.AarchesHealth.org or call 866.207.8003.

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Non Profit CO-OP Seeks to Improve Health Insurance by Signing up Health Care Providers and Reducing Physician Stress

Largest Health Plan Survey Cites Key Trends for National and Massachusetts Employer Health Plans

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NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

In spite of the passage of health care reform legislation, health care costs will continue to increase for both plan sponsors and their employees, according to EBS Capstone, a Massachusetts based Member Firm of United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nation's largest independent benefits advisory organization. Preliminary results released by UBA from its 2012 UBA Health Plan Survey with 17,905 plans from 11,711 employers -- and the only one of its kind to offer local benefits benchmarking capabilities -- show some startling trends in employer health plans.

One trend that stands out in this years survey shows that employer sponsored health plans experienced an increase of 5% compared to 8.2% last year. In addition, more PPO, Consumer Directed Health Plans (CDHP) and HMO plans required and/or increased employee deductibles in 2012. This trend towards cost shifting to employees continues.

Other key National and Massachusetts statistics from this years survey results:

As health care plan offerings and the federal regulatory environment become more complex, benchmarking data such as the 2012 UBA Health Plan Survey have become increasingly critical for employers looking to manage their health care benefit programs effectively.

The intent of the survey is to provide employers of all sizes with the data they need to manage their health care benefit programs effectively, says Tom McCormick, Senior Partner, EBS Capstone. Large employers will find the UBA Health Plan Survey provides more participants and data in their category than other industry survey. And for employers with fewer than 1,000 employees (which represents more than 99% of the employers in the U.S.) and for employers who have operations in multiple locations, this survey is the only source of reliable regional and in many cases, state health plan benchmarks by size and industry.

EBS Capstone can provide employers with a benchmarking report for their region, industry and size, so businesses can determine which types of plans are most popular in their area, which plans are being phased out, average employee costs and participation, and highly relevant pieces of information that can help them negotiate their rates and communicate their plan advantages to employees.

With more Member Firms located in virtually all US markets, UBA uniquely provides employers of all sizes the data they need to remain competitive in their local markets. The 2012 UBA Health Plan Survey wont be available to the public until Nov. 1. Employers can get inside access to the hundreds of thousands of pages of granular state, regional and industry data through a benchmarking report offered by EBS Capstone.

ABOUT THE 2012 UBA HEALTH PLAN SURVEY With responses from 17,905 health plans sponsored by 11,711 employers nationwide, the 2012 UBA Health Plan Survey is the nations largest and most comprehensive survey of plan design and plan cost benchmarks. As the largest survey of its kind, the UBA Health Plan Survey defines benchmarks by a greater number of specific industries, regions and employer size categories than is available from any other resource. The 2011 UBA Benefit Opinions Survey (which delineates employers' positions and opinions on Health Care Strategy, Health Benefits Philosophy and Opinion, Health Plan Management, Personal Health Management, Employee Communication, and Scope of Benefits Offered) serves as a companion piece to the 2012 UBA Health Plan Survey.

ABOUT EBS CAPSTONE EBS Capstone is a full-service insurance advisor, providing employee benefits, property & casualty and retirement planning solutions. Whether your company is emerging or established, we are committed to providing you with superior customer service, innovative solutions and strategic advice to help you achieve your business goals. What makes us different is our partner-driven approach, dedicated team of experts who focus on critical disciplines and service areas and continuous investment in resources and technology.

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Largest Health Plan Survey Cites Key Trends for National and Massachusetts Employer Health Plans

The nose knows: Gene therapy restores sense of smell in mice

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Public release date: 7-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cathy Kolf ckolf@jhmi.edu 443-287-2251 Johns Hopkins Medicine

A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins and other institutions report that restoring tiny, hair-like structures to defective cells in the olfactory system of mice is enough to restore a lost sense of smell. The results of the experiments were published online this week in Nature Medicine, and are believed to represent the first successful application of gene therapy to restore this function in live mammals.

An expert in olfaction, Randall Reed, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology and genetics and co-director of the Center for Sensory Biology at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, cautions that researchers are still years away from applying the same therapy in people, and that if and when it comes, it will likely be most effective for those who suffer from anosmia (lack of smell) due to inherited genetic disorders. "But our work has already contributed to a better understanding of the cellular factors involved in anosmia, and that will give us insights into other neurological disorders, as well," he says.

The mice used in the current study carried a genetic mutation that destroyed the production of a protein critical for the functioning of cilia in the cells responsible for smell, called olfactory sensory neurons. These specialized cells each display several of the protruding, hair-like structures that contain receptors for odorants. Without functional cilia, the cells become a broken link in the chain of events necessary for proper odor detection in the environment, the researchers explained.

Beginning with a common cold virus, which readily infects the cells of the nasal cavity, researchers replaced some of the viral genes with a corrected version of the defective cilia gene. They then infected smelling-impaired mice with the altered virus, delivering the corrected gene to the olfactory neural cells that needed it.

At the cellular level, scientists saw a restoration of proper chemical signaling between nerve cells after the treated mice were stimulated with various odorants. Perhaps even more indicative of their success, Reed says, was the 60 percent increase in body weight that the mice experienced once they could smell their meals, leading to increased appetite. Many people with anosmia lose weight because aromas play a significant part in creating appetite and food enjoyment.

Researchers are optimistic about the broader implications of this work, Reed notes, because cilia are not only important to olfactory cells, but also to cells all over the body, from the kidney to the eye. The fact that they were able to treat live mice with a therapy that restored cilia function in one sensory system suggests that similar techniques could be used to treat cilia disorders elsewhere.

"We also hope this stimulates the olfactory research community to look at anosmia caused by other factors, such as head trauma and degenerative diseases," says senior author Jeffrey Martens, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Michigan. "We know a lot about how this system works now have to look at how to fix it when it malfunctions."

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The nose knows: Gene therapy restores sense of smell in mice