IBM Viewpoint: Reforming Healthcare: A Key Emerging Market For The 21st Century: "

[March 25, 2006] By even the most cursory analysis, America is obviously in the throes of a real healthcare crisis; a health care infra-structure that is in need of a whole new model . According tho this WebWire®release, IBM has positioned itself to provide significant impetus toward the transformation of America’s healthcare industry by spearheading a groundbreaking consortium of healthcare and health information technology organizations focused to develop a 21st century healthcare network. These efforts intend to address a dramatic flaw in a healthcare system plagued by underperformance according to worldwide comparison. More than 100,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors,adding up to up to more fatalities than from AIDS, homicides, and traffic accidents combined, according to this WebWire® release. "Lifesaving medical advances have not come accompanied by improvements in the way members of the healthcare ecosystem (from public and private payers, to providers, researchers and consumers) use IT to work with one another. As a result, the "system," such as it is, functions much like a fragmented cottage industry". A well documented recent study by the Rand Corporation supports this and reports, as well, that a modern healthcare IT infrastructure could save the industry and consumers up to $165 billion per year. Saving lives and saving money could be an "infectious" idea whose time has very much come to an ailing American health care system. Read on..... [globalEyeNews.brief.health insurance]

Press Release: WebWire®

IBM Viewpoint: Reforming Healthcare: A Key Emerging Market For The 21st Century



Armonk, NY - 07 Feb 2006: Healthcare is becoming as important to the vitality of businesses, governments and nations as it is to the well being of individuals. Soaring healthcare bills add $1,500 to the cost of every car made by General Motors, for example, compared to $200 per car for the company’s nearest foreign competitorIn fact, higher healthcare spending does not guarantee better delivery or outcomes. America spends 16 percent of its GDP on healthcare - the highest in the world - but ranks only 37th in the overall
performance of its healthcare system by the World Health Organization. Moreover, more than 100,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors. This adds up to more fatalities than from AIDS, homicides, and traffic accidents combined. Meanwhile, 45 million Americans have no healthcare insurance and 15 million are under-insured.

Many factors contribute to this healthcare crisis, from changing demographics to the spread of "diseases of affluence" and chronic illnesses. But perhaps the most treatable disorder is underinvestment in healthcare information technology. Lifesaving medical advances have not come accompanied by improvements in the way members of the healthcare ecosystem (from public and private payers, to providers, researchers and consumers) use IT to work with one another. As a result, the "system," such as it is, functions much like a fragmented cottage industry. This IT failure has been well documented in a recent study by the Rand Corporation, which concludes that a modern healthcare IT infrastructure could save up to$165 billion per year by reducing hospital stays, encouraging tests and early treatment, and cutting administrative costs.(1)

GROWTH AHEAD

The Rand study is part of a growing consensus that the healthcare crisis has reached a tipping point. Governments, businesses and patients can no longer tolerate the system’s spiraling costs. There is broad agreement that building a modern information infrastructure that ties together the healthcare ecosystem is the most readily available means to control healthcare inflation and improve delivery.

At the moment, healthcare IT spending averages just two-to-three percent of overall healthcare spending. This compares with as much as 12-15 percent in other information-intensive industries, such as financial services. Analysts forecast that, as countries address this massive underinvestment, healthcare IT spending will grow at a faster pace than overall IT spending. Gartner estimates.....Full Story>>>

More Middle-Class Families Enrolling Children in Public Health Insurance Programs: "

[March 11, 2006] It's not surprising that more and more 'middle-class' families are escaping to the financial refuge of publicly funded health insurance programs. With spiraling health insurance costs outpacing wages nearly four to one over the last few years, its no wonder. Every year household income levels that define the term 'poverty level' climb, narrowing the middle-class envelope, as many families poised on the brink plunge below the poverty line. Just a thought. [globalEyeNews.tip.child health insurance]



Kaisernetwork.org: - Daily Health Policy Report: Coverage & Access

More Middle-Class Families Enrolling Children in Public Health Insurance Programs



[Feb 15, 2005] An increasing number of middle-class families are declining employer-sponsored health coverage for their children and enrolling them in public health insurance programs, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the Journal, SCHIP is the program most affected by the trend. In fiscal year 2003, SCHIP program enrollment increased by 9%, bringingthe national enrollment total to 5.8 million. The Journal reports that there is no one national figure that illustrates families' forgoing employer-sponsored coverage and their 'increasing reliance' on public insurance programs. However, a December 2004 study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that the proportion of U.S. workers with employer-sponsored health insurance fell from 74.4% in 2000 to 71.5% in 2003. In addition, over the last four years, the percentage of children covered through a parent's employer fell from 62.3% to 58.3% and at the same time, the percentage of children enrolled in a public insurance program grew from 20.9% to 26.4%. Many SCHIP beneficiaries could be covered through a parent's employer-sponsored health plan, the Journal reports. For instance.....Full Story>>> "

Coverage & Access | Washington Post Examines Cross-Border Health Plans Offered by California Health Insurers
globalEyeNews.health insurance.feature article


[March 9, 2006] In case you haven't heard......or, thought you had heard everything.......in an effort to curb health insurance costs, some residents of Southern California are being offered "across the border" health care options, that in some cases reduces cost by some 50% or more, according to the Washington Post via the Kaisernetwork.org Daily Health Policy Report. Spokesmen for Blue Shield of California and Health Net, both of which offer cross-border HMO plans contend the quality of care is comparable in both countries. The Blue Shield of California plan called "Access Baja" offers doctor visits that are covered in the United States, but familiy members are covered only in Mexico. A similar approach was under review in Texas, but, was rejected. Next up, Maine residents offered cross-border health care in.....Iceland?
[globalEyeNews.tip.health insurance]


Kaisernetwork.org: Daily Health Policy Report


Coverage & Access | Washington Post Examines Cross-Border Health Plans Offered by California Health Insurers


[Nov 07, 2005] The Washington Post on Sunday examined the more than 20,000 California employees and their dependents enrolled in lower-cost health plans that send members to Mexico for nonemergency care. According to the Post, membership in such health plans has increased by about 3,000 annually. Blue Shield of California and Health Net both offer cross-border health plans, which cost 40% to 50% less than plans that provide comparable care in the U.S. because of lower-priced labor, medical malpractice insurance and overhead in Mexico. Under cross-border health plans, members receive nonemergency care from physicians licensed in Mexico, and California officials regulate the operations of the plans. Health insurers.....



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Coverage & Access | Dallas Morning News Series Examines Health Insurance Coverage in Texas
globalEyeNews.health insurance.feature article


[March 8, 2006] While many states over the last few years have been ramping up health insurance programs for children there are a select few that have gone the opposite direction. Admittedly, there are many complex funding issues that confront Medicaid health care programs at the state level, yet, most states have wholeheartedly endeavored to work through them. Also, as indicated in the Dallas Morning News article referenced in the Kaiser Health Policy Report below, failure of health care providers to view these low income producing programs in the spirit of partnership with the community results in disastrously heartbreaking consequences for children in these states. Should health care be all about money? Read on.
[globalEyeNews.tip.health insurance]


Kaisernetwork.org: Daily Health Policy Report


Coverage & Access | Dallas Morning News Series Examines Health Insurance Coverage in Texas


[Jan 23, 2006] The Dallas Morning News is publishing a three-part series examining the absence of health insurance coverage for one in four Texans -- the highest percentage of people without coverage compared with other states. Summaries of the first two articles appear below.

Children's dental care: When Texas cut dental benefits from its SCHIP program in 2003, thousands of low-income parents could not find affordable dental care for their children, the Dallas Morning News reports. Although legislation restoring the benefits passed in the spring of 2005, coverage has not been made available because negotiations with a dental provider have been extended. Children are not expected to receive SCHIP dental care benefits until at least April 1. There are an estimated 395,000 children in Dallas County who lack dental coverage. In addition, half of the 2.26 million Texas children who qualify for Medicaid do not receive dental care because not many dentists accept Medicaid beneficiaries because of the high amount of paperwork and low reimbursement rates. For children, cavities that go untreated and dental infections can create chronic low-grade pain and occasional high-grade pain, causing them to be inattentive, less likely to sleep soundly or eat fully, and unable to learn well. If the conditions continue throughout adulthood, heart disease and heart conditions are known to be linked to dental infections (Thomas, Dallas Morning News, 1/15).


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Administration News | Bush Rejects Caps on Worker Health Insurance Deductions Recommended by Tax Panel, To Make Health Care 'Centerpiece' of 2006 Domestic Agenda
globalEyeNews.health insurance.feature article


[March 7, 2006] The employer-sponsored health insurance system America has embraced for decades continues its decline. Although the current Bush Administration trend towards Health Saving's Accounts may be flawed in approach, it does rightly address health care inequities and the balance of power in the health insurance structure. Certainly a whole new health care model needs to be constructed. This will not happen, however, until health insurance companies are allowed to compete over state lines and the market truly opens up. Kudos to President Bush for having the guts to oppose his own Advisory Panel on Tax Reform.
[globalEyeNews.tip.health insurance]


Kaisernetwork.org: Daily Health Policy Report


Administration News | Bush Rejects Caps on Worker Health Insurance Deductions Recommended by Tax Panel, To Make Health Care 'Centerpiece' of 2006 Domestic Agenda


[Jan 13, 2006] President Bush has decided not to support a plan recommended by the nine-member President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform that would cap income tax deductions for workers receiving employer-sponsored health insurance, according to Al Hubbard, director of the White House's National Economic Council, Bloomberg reports (Murray/Donmoyer, Bloomberg, 1/12). Under the current tax code, employers can take a deduction for health insurance provided to employees, and workers pay no tax on the value of the coverage.

Under the panel's recommendations, employees would have to pay income tax on employer-sponsored health insurance premiums higher than specified amounts Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, (10/19/05). Hubbard said, "I know the president's not interested in pursuing that," adding that Bush would instead focus on expanding untaxed health savings accounts and greater deductibility of medical expenses. Proponents of the deduction say that failure to implement it would cost the federal government $6 billion to $28 billion in lost revenue. Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, said of the proposal's rejection, "That is very good news because the discussion in '06 should be about ways to expand, not contract coverage." Kaiser Family Foundation Vice President Larry Levitt said, "In the last few years, we have seen fewer employers offering coverage and fewer workers getting coverage through employment. Removing deductibility would have only exacerbated that trend" (Bloomberg, 1/12).


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Health Care Marketplace | Wal-Mart Revises Employee Health Benefits, Will Offer Lower-Cost Plan, HSA's:
globalEyeNews.health insurance.feature article


[March 7, 2006] It seems that media appetite for Walmart is insatiable when it comes to the subject of employee health insurance. Probably, for good reason. However, could it be that Walmart has become the scapegoat for health insurance "ills" of America? Just who can afford proper health care coverage? For years, state labor laws have refused to address issues involving those big companies that have flown under the health insurance radar using questionable hiring/staffing loopholes. We guess, federal and state legistlatures will now be prompted to address the health care crisis in America because career politians now have a major name brand coattail to ride into the media spotlight. Thanks, Walmart.
[globalEyeNews.tip.health insurance]


Kaisernetwork.org: Daily Health Policy Report


Health Care Marketplace | Wal-Mart Revises Employee Health Benefits, Will Offer Lower-Cost Plan, HSAs


[Oct 24, 2005] Wal-Mart is introducing a new employee health plan, called Value Plan, that will have lower premiums and health savings accounts, the New York Times reports (Barbaro, New York Times, 10/24). The company has been "frequently criticized" for offering low wages and "inadequate" benefits, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fewer than half of its 1.2 million U.S. employees are enrolled in its health plan, and some workers have public health insurance.

Fewer than half of its 1.2 million U.S. employees are enrolled in its health plan, and some workers have public health insurance. Wal-Mart currently offers 18 health plans to employees, with the lowest premium for a single individual costing $37 monthly (Wall Street Journal, 10/24). Under the new plan, which has not yet been formally announced, monthly premiums would cost 40% to 60% less than those of current plans. On average, premiums would be lower than $25 for an individual, $37 for a single parent and $65 for a family. For employees in select areas, the premium will be as low as $11, according to Wal-Mart spokesperson Dan Fogleman (New York Times, 10/24).


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Buying Health Insurance Online: How to Protect Yourself
globalEyeNews.health insurance online.feature article


Shopping for most anything on the internet can be a daunting adventure. Between the sensory/information overload that can overwhelm even the most experienced searcher,the rampant scams and slick misrepresentations, it is easy to become fatigued and frustrated through the whole process. Doing business with "household brands" doesn't necessarily get it. Being obsessive to an extreme about personal information is a must. The cutting-edge new trend in online advertising is "behavioral targeting", a methodology which attempts to garner, classify and store consumer profiles in a supposedly benefical manner to the online searcher......The point is, it comes at us from every direction, non-stop, when we are online. Always know how and to what end any personal information you provide is going to be used. No one ever has the right to your personal information without soliciting your informed permission first.
[globalEyeNews.tip.health insurance]


March 7, 2006

Buying Health Insurance Online: How to Protect Yourself

by Penny Hagerman

The accessibility and ease the Internet affords has virtually revolutionized the world of shopping. Anyone can go online at any time and buy anything from groceries and clothing to electronics and furniture.

Health insurance is no different. It's becoming easier almost by the minute to connect with local insurers online, then get quotes, compare service, and get a great deal on an individual or family health insurance plan.

But as we all know, shopping online can be a scary thing. How can you know you really will get the best deal…or that your personal information will stay safe out in "cyberland"? To ensure you have a safe and enjoyable shopping experience online--and protect yourself and your personal information--follow these guidelines for health insurance shopping success:

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Being Uninsured Remains a "Crisis" of Income:
globalEyeNews.health insurance.feature article

March 7, 2006

In an astounding statistical analysis, the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) reported that the greatest and growing problem of the uninsured is among those families who can afford to purchase health insurance. According to latest census figures almost 90% of the increase in the uninsured has taken hold among higher-income households of $50,000 or more. Amazingly, the number of uninsured Americans in families earning more than $75,000 has increased by 153%..... Could these income representations reflect the spiralling irrelevance of current annual household income figures that attempt to define contemporary demographic segments? Could this be the 'real' crisis of income?
[globalEyeNews.tip.health insurance]

National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA):

Being Uninsured Remains a "Crisis" of Income -
10-Year Census Figures Show Health Insurance Often Is a Matter of Choice

DALLAS (August 30, 2005)– The number of Americans with health insurance grew by more than 2 million people last year, but the percentage of Americans without health insurance continues to grow among higher-income households, according to the latest report released today by the Census Bureau.

"Being uninsured in America is largely a matter of choice," said NCPA Senior Fellow Devon Herrick, who also compiled a 10-year analysis of Census Bureau figures. "The greatest and growing problem of the uninsured is among those families who can afford health insurance."

The number of uninsured among higher-income households continued to grow last year, even though the percentage of uninsured has remained stable, according to


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