Tuesday, July 17, 2012

U.S. Doctors Embracing Electronic Health Records: Survey

TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- A majority of U.S. physicians have now adopted an electronic health record system as part of their routine practice, a new national survey reveals.

The finding is based on responses provided by nearly 3,200 doctors across the country who completed a mail-in survey in 2011. The survey was conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics as part of an ongoing three-year effort (continuing through 2013) designed to assess perceptions and practices regarding electronic health record systems.

Specifically, the poll found that 55 percent of U.S. doctors have embraced some type of electronic health record system. And roughly 75 percent of those who have done so reported that the type of system they took on meets the criteria of playing a "meaningful" role in their practice, according to the terms of 2009 federal legislation (entitled the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) designed to promote the use of electronic health records.

What's more, 85 percent of those doctors who now have an electronic health record system in place said they are either "somewhat" or "very" satisfied with its day-to-day operations (47 percent and 38 percent, respectively). And three in four said patient care has improved as a result of electronic health record adoption.

The poll also indicated that among those who have yet to embrace an electronic health record system, almost half said they plan to do so in the coming year.

Physician age seems to have played a role in how likely a doctor was to have already brought an electronic health record system into their practice, the findings showed. While 64 percent of those under the age of 50 have done so, the poll revealed that the same was true of only 49 percent among those aged 50 and older.

Office size also seems to matter, with larger physician practices being more likely to have incorporated an electronic health record system into their administrative infrastructure. Specifically, 86 percent of offices with 11 or more physicians on site had taken on such a system, compared with roughly 60 percent to 62 percent of those with two to 10 physicians and just under 30 percent of single-doctor practices.

But although some kinds of specialists (such as surgeons) were somewhat less likely to have implemented an electronic health record system, race, gender and physician location did not seem to play a role in the likelihood that a doctor's office would or would not bring the technology into their workplace.

Eric Jamoom, of the health care statistics division of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, and colleagues published their findings July 17 in the NCHS Data Brief.

More information

For more on electronic health records, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.


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Humana Sponsors Blueprint Health Accelerator Program

Tue, Jul 17, 2012, 2:43 PM EDT - U.S. Markets close in 1 hr 17 mins

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Health Matters


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Health Highlights: July 17, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Annual Report Ranks Mass. General as Top Hospital in U.S.

Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston knocked off long-time champion Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to take this year's title as top hospital in the United States.

Hopkins was first for 21 consecutive years in the annual rankings by U.S. News and World Report, the Associated Press said.

The first-place ranking is a "tribute to the more than 23,000" staff at MGH, hospital president Dr. Peter Slavin said. The competition was not with other hospitals, but rather with "disease, health care costs, accessibility of services, and social issues," Dr. David Torchiana, chairman of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, said.

MGH is a 950-bed facility that admits about 48,000 patients a year and delivers about 3,600 babies annually. The hospital was founded in 1811, the AP reported.

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U.S. Produce Testing Program Faces Uncertain Future

A produce-safety testing program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will continue for the rest of the year but then may shut down due to lack of funding.

The Microbiology Data Program screens thousands of produce samples a year and is the nation's largest produce-safety testing program. It has detected more than two dozen bacteria-contaminated samples that led to recalls of produce such as lettuce and tomatoes, the Associated Press reported.

Funding for the program -- which cost $4.3 million to run last year -- was slashed in President Barack Obama's proposed budget earlier this year and the House and Senate have not included money for it in their agriculture spending bills.

In order to keep the program operating until the end of the year, the USDA will use existing agreements with states.

Ending the program would leave the nation without a vital way to investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness, food safety advocated and public health officials say. The program could not easily be replaced by more modest federal sampling programs or by companies' internal tests, according to Dr. Robert Tauxe, the top food-germ investigator at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the AP reported.

Last year, contaminated fruits and vegetables caused nearly one-third of major multistate foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S., the CDC says.

"It is unacceptable for this crucial, cost-effective program to be eliminated," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., a longtime food safety advocate, the AP reported. She said she would continue to push for the program to keep operating beyond December.

In recent years, produce industry leaders have urged the federal government to eliminate the USDA program and have said they want the private sector to do more testing.

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California Sues Companies Over High Lead Levels in Costume Jewelry

California is expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday against 16 companies accused of selling and distributing costume jewelry containing dangerous levels of lead.

State investigators found that some of the items from the retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and distributors had lead levels more than 1,000 times the legal state limit, the Associated Press reported.

Along with being accused of violating lead safety standards, the state alleges that the companies engaged in deceptive practices by falsely advertising contaminated jewelry as lead-free.

The three-year investigation involved spot checks at stores and factories in which inspectors used hand-held X-ray devices to check for lead in items such as earrings, necklaces, tiaras and hair clips. Items with a high lead content were then sent to a laboratory for detailed analysis, the APreported.

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WHO gives Chinese health minister award for battling smoking in country addicted to tobacco

BEIJING, China - The World Health Organization is giving China's health minister an award for battling smoking in a country whose people and government remain prodigiously addicted to tobacco.

China has stepped up efforts to curb tobacco use in recent years. The Health Ministry released the country's first official report on the harms of smoking in May, banned smoking in its office building and hospitals, and is lobbying for airports and other indoor public facilities to do the same.

WHO said Health Minister Chen Zhu will be presented a certificate of recognition at a ceremony on Wednesday attended by WHO chief Margaret Chan.

Tobacco control is a difficult task in a nation where huge revenues from the state-owned tobacco monopoly hinder anti-smoking measures. Nearly 30 per cent of adults in China smoke — about 300 million people, roughly equal to the entire U.S. population — a percentage that has not changed significantly.

The tobacco monopoly's influence is pervasive, with cigarette companies sponsoring schools, sports events and fostering close ties with the academic community.

In December, a tobacco scientist who specializes in adding traditional Chinese herbs to cigarettes in an attempt to reduce their harmful effects was appointed to the prestigious Chinese Academy of Engineering in a move that was criticized by other academics, several of whom sent letters to the academy in protest.

Despite the many challenges that remain in stamping out tobacco use, anti-smoking activists welcomed the WHO award.

"Among the government departments, the Health Ministry is the one that has made the biggest efforts in promoting tobacco control," said Xu Guihua, vice-president of the government-affiliated Chinese Association on Tobacco Control. "On many occasions, Minister Chen Zhu has told the public that tobacco is harmful and asked people to give up smoking. He also called on the government to step up tobacco control legislation."

Xu said China still needs to issue a national tobacco control plan, raise prices of cigarettes and better educate the public on the health risks of smoking.

She criticized the apparent conflict of interest in the dual role that China's State Tobacco Monopoly Administration plays as both tobacco policymaker and overseer of the China National Tobacco Corp. — the world's largest cigarette maker.

Health officials have warned that smoking-related deaths could hit 3 million per year by 2030 without greater efforts.

Last year's certificate for anti-smoking efforts was awarded to Australian Attorney General Nicola Roxon, who as health minister led a campaign to make Australia the first country in the world to require cigarettes to be sold in plain packages with large, graphic warnings.

___

Associated Press researcher Yu Bing contributed to this report.


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Fast weight loss 3D workout

Working aerobically on your abdominal muscles for over 7 minutes stimulates the capillaries in this area. These in turn increase the blood flow. A greater blood flow means a greater flow of oxygen - and fat only burns in the presence of oxygen. Toned muscles need more calories (kcal) to stay active. Our organism tends to release these calories from the area nearest the muscle, in this case the waist area.


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Lovelace Health Plan Selects ikaSystems to Transform Critical Business Processes

Tue, Jul 17, 2012, 9:19 AM EDT - U.S. Markets open in 11 mins.

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Kansas Health Information Network Launches Direct Capabilities with More Than 2,000 Users

Tue, Jul 17, 2012, 9:19 AM EDT - U.S. Markets open in 11 mins.

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Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid Weight Loss =? http://tinyurl.com/YourDietSolutionNow

Rapid weight loss is easier to attain than you'd think. Losing weight quickly and rapidly lies in your ability to diet and exercise in a way that maximizes the potential of your body to burn calories. Let's discuss how you do this.

The essence of rapid weight loss is dieting and exercising. Now don't hit the back button because that turns you off. If you diet correctly you will lose weight very quickly. Add in some daily exercise and you've achieved weight loss that you'll notice in just weeks.

Right so what's the secret to dieting? The bottom line is that low carb, low fat and starvation diets just aren't going to cut it. They make your life miserable and ultimately lead to weight gain, not rapid weight loss. You WON'T lose weight quickly using these techniques. The only way to diet is to create meals you actually like. This way you create a dieting plan that you can stick to without even trying.

There are hundreds of recipes out there that you can use to cook yourself a nice healthy meal that doesn't taste like sandpaper. Rapid weight loss is all about using these diets to help you lose weight fast. Veges, fruits and lean meats are the answer. How you cook them is of course the key. You also want to aim for 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism burning nice and fast.

The next step is adding in some cardio every second day or so. At a bare minimum you should aim for at least 20 minutes a day. Running, walking, rowing and skipping will all work. Slowly increase the duration to however long you have time for. When it comes to weight loss, the more you do the better because the more you do, the faster you'll achieve rapid weight loss.

Like dieting, cardio should not be hated. This can be difficult because it's so painfully boring. My number 1 tip is mix it up. Don't just run all the time for rapid weight loss. Trying running one day, then riding the next. Swimming is another option that you could throw in. Keep it exciting and fresh to avoid boredom and ultimately failure. A small MP3 player for those running sessions will also pay off. Just let the music play and let your daydreams take over. Before you know it you would have finished your cardio session.

So there you have it. This is a very general overview of exactly how to attain rapid weight loss to look fantastic in no time. Diet and exercise do work and they will make you lose quickly if you do it right. Don't for a second think that magic pills and machines are going to give you rock hard abs in a week.

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Fast Weight Loss workout exercises to lose 5 lbs. a week

From http://www.nowloss.com/

This fast weight loss workout has 5 different exercises you do that'll help you lose up to 5 pounds a week and once you get to a point where you are not satisfied with how fast you're losing weight on this fast weight loss workout plan then...

You can do my other YouTube video called "Quick weight loss workout to help YOU Lose 15 pounds fast" to shock your body so you'll break out of any weight loss plateau you're in so you can lose weight fast again and...
Remember - The KEY THING is that you at least try to finish this fast weight loss workout and work your way up to taking less rest time between exercises - for example...

Let's say that during this fast weight loss workout -- you have a hard time doing all 15 power cleans in a row -- just do about 2 or 3 at a time -- catch your breath -- and then finish.

Eventually -- you'll be able to finish most of the workout by only stopping in between exercises for your mandatory rest periods and...

You can go here to print out this fast weight loss workout routine for losing 5 pounds a week: http://www.nowloss.com/best-workout-video-to-lose-weight-fast-get-ripped-at-home.htm and...

Guys: you can use heavier weights and do only 8-to-12 reps for each exercise with this fast weight loss workout to burn fat and build muscle at the same time and...

Ladies: you can use lighter weights and do 15-to-25 reps to lose weight fast while toning and firming up your body and...

How fast you lose 5 pounds a week all depends on...

*How much you weigh -- the more overweight you are --the more weight you'll lose each week and..
*Your diet -- If you eat right and avoid bad foods like sugar, sodas, and processed & fried foods -- then you'll lose up to 5 pounds a week faster.


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How To Lose Weight Fast - Like 30 lbs In 4 week!

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When you're trying to lose weight fast - Only do it in a weight loss emergency when fast weight loss is necessary like for example...

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National Health Partners Successfully Launches New Marketing Initiative

HORSHAM, Pa., July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- National Health Partners, Inc. (National Health) (OTCBB: NHPR), a leading provider of discount healthcare membership programs, announced today that it has successfully launched a new marketing initiative during the 2nd quarter. As a result of this new marketing approach the Company has seen strong monthly growth in both sales and cash flow. The Company also expects to continue adding more partners under this new program.

"The Company embarked on a bold new initiative at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and the results have been extremely positive," stated David M. Daniels, National Health Partners' President and CEO. "It's important to understand this new approach is a radical departure from how we previously compensated our partners. Historically we have paid residual commissions for the life of each membership; however, under the new program, the Company pays a one-time fee for each sale generated by a partner. The net effect is we own the memberships outright and therefore have no further obligations for the life of that member. As a result, the profit margin for retained memberships is almost triple what we would make under our previous residual payout structure."

Mr. Daniels further states, "This new program is having a profound impact on both revenues and cash flow. The Company expects to deliver positive cash flow from operations and we anticipate substantial gains in our overall cash flow for the remainder of the year. Another benefit from this payout program is the number of new partners who have signed up with us which will further drive sales going forward. As we continue to gain more traction under this new program we will be able to provide a more detailed forecast for both the 3rd quarter and 4th quarter. One thing is for certain, we are very excited about where we are now and where we expect to be by year-end."

National Health Partners, Inc.

National Health Partners, Inc. is a national healthcare savings organization that provides discount healthcare membership programs to uninsured and underinsured people through a national healthcare savings network called "CARExpress."  CARExpress is one of the largest networks of hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the country and is comprised of over 1,000,000 medical professionals that belong to such PPOs as CareMark and Aetna.  The company's primary target customer group is the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance of any kind.  The company's secondary target customer group includes the millions of Americans who lack complete health insurance coverage.  The company is headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania.  For more information on the company, please visit its website at www.nationalhealthpartners.com.

Safe Harbor Provision

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  All statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding the company's future financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected revenues and costs, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "estimates," "anticipates," or "believes" or the negative thereof or any variation thereon or similar terminology or expressions.  Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results proposed in such statements.  Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct.  Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's expectations include, but are not limited to, its ability to fund future growth and implement its business strategy, its ability to develop and expand the market for its CARExpress membership programs, demand for and acceptance of its CARExpress membership programs, its dependence on a limited number of preferred provider organizations and other provider networks for healthcare providers, as well as those factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and its other filings and submissions with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.  Except as required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update or revise any of the information contained in this press release.

Contact

National Health Partners, Inc.
David Daniels
President/CEO
(941) 729-1766
info@nationalhealthpartners.com


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Health Dangers in Your Home

Health-related problems in your home aren't always easy to spot (unless, alas, you have critters). Consult this guide to uncovering hidden hazards.

1. Vermin
Why they can be dangerous: Flies transport bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, as they feed, and can also spread conjunctivitis and cholera, says entomologist Ron Harrison. Roaches can contaminate food and trigger asthma, while mice can transmit parasites and germs that cause food poisoning through their droppings.

How to protect yourself: For the occasional housefly or two, flypaper works. So does a swatter with a thin wire stem and a tight mesh head. For an infestation, try the chemical-free Insectalite light trap, which lures flies onto a concealed glue board. To keep roaches at bay, don't leave unwashed dishes in the sink, uncovered food on counters, or pet food out overnight. And instead of using those little black disks that contain chemicals, try disposable, nontoxic glue traps. For mice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend a simple snap trap baited with peanut butter. Mice can squeeze through areas the size of a dime (eek!), so you'll need to plug any gaps in your walls, molding, and floorboards with steel wool.

________________________________________________

More From Real Simple:
18 Clever Organizing Tricks and Storage Ideas 

Bug-Repelling Basics

23 Ways to Beat the Heat
_______________________________________________

2. Asbestos
Why it can be dangerous: Asbestos is a durable, fibrous mineral that strengthens products and provides insulation and fire resistance. It was used in various residential applications before the late 1970s, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the inclusion of the material in certain items. (The Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] banned all new uses of asbestos in 1989, but products that were on the market may still contain it.) Asbestos fibers, when airborne, can become trapped in the lungs, increasing the risk of cancer, says lung-disease specialist Norman Edelman. Prolonged exposure is even more harmful.

How to protect yourself: Your home may have been inspected in the past, but deterioration over time or a remodeling project could have caused previously encapsulated asbestos to become a danger. Be suspicious if you notice crumbling fibers around roofing or siding materials, acoustical ceiling or vinyl floor tiles, or cement water pipes. Also check your home's original building plan; some builders used the abbreviation ASB to note where asbestos was applied. If you think you might have asbestos (don't touch it), contact a licensed asbestos inspector, who will take samples and send them to a lab to be analyzed. Costs for analysis vary, but plan to spend several hundred dollars. Asbestos removal requires a call to a certified or licensed asbestos contractor and can run you several hundred to thousands of dollars, says asbestos-board executive director David E. Dick. For a list of state asbestos contacts, log on to epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/regioncontact.html.

3. Carbon Monoxide
Why it can be dangerous: When emitted in a small or poorly ventilated area, this invisible odorless gas "can quickly poison you by preventing oxygen in your lungs from reaching your tissues. It can cause damage to the brain immediately or several days after an apparent recovery," says physician Richard Moon.

How to protect yourself: "Install carbon monoxide alarms on each floor of your home and near each sleeping area," says Patty Davis of the CPSC. Have your heating system and fuel-burning appliances inspected annually. If you use an unvented space heather, get one equipped with an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS), which will shut off the appliance when it detects dangerously low levels of oxygen. "And leave doors open to rooms with actively used gas- and wood-burning appliances," such as a furnace, a woodstove, or a fireplace, says Kurt Kneen of the National Safety Foundation.

4. Radon
Why it can be dangerous: More than 20,000 radon-related lung-cancer deaths occur in the United States each year, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking, according to the EPA. Radon, a colorless, odorless radioactive gas, forms when uranium breaks down in soil, rock, or water. It is usually found in a home's lower levels, where it enters via foundational cracks or groundwater.

How to protect yourself: Radon has no visible signs, and it can build up over time. So even if you've had a radon test in the past, perhaps during a home inspection, you should still test for it every few years or after any major home renovation, says epidemiologist R. William Field. A long-term kit (about $30 at hardware stores) will measure radon levels in your home for 90 days or longer to ensure an accurate reading. (Short-term kits are sold, but stick to long-term kits because they better reflect the average radon concentration.) After sending the test to a lab, you should receive results in a few weeks. If your radon level measure four picocuries per liter or higher, contact a state-certified or licensed radon contractor to install a radon-reduction system, which will filter and vent radon outside your home. Prices range from $1,000 to $1,500, including the contractor's fee; to find a contractor, call the National Safety Council Radon Helpline at 800-557-2366.


5. Mold
Why it can be dangerous: Most molds, including the dreaded black mold, are harmless unless they're disturbed, which causes spores to go airborne. And though thousands of mold strains exist, only a handful generate dangerous mycotoxins. Touching or inhaling spores can trigger an allergic response; exposure can result in hay fever-like symptoms, a skin rash, or an asthma attack.

How to protect yourself: "Mold is easy to control," says biologist George Bean. "You can usually handle it on your own by regulating humidity." You can tell if your home's humidity is too high if you noticed condensation on windows. To maintain an ideal 60 percent relative humidity, use a dehumidifier. If you machine comes with a gauge, great; if not, humidity can be measured with a hygrometer. To clean mold-infested surfaces, "use a product that leaves an antimicrobial residue behind, " says Bean. During cleanup, wear rubber gloves, goggles and a disposable N-95 respirator (a mask that fits over you nose and mouth to filter out airborne hazards). Other things you can do to prevent mold: Replace rubber gaskets on leaky faucets, reinforce pipes with silicone caulking (do this yourself or call a plumber), and buy a freestanding HEPA air purifier to lessen spore counts.

Click here for more health dangers lurking in your home from Real Simple. 


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Streamline Health Announces Joint Marketing Agreement With nTelagent

CINCINNATI, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Streamline Health Solutions, Inc. (STRM), a leading provider of enterprise content management and business analytics solutions for healthcare organizations, today announced that it has entered into a joint marketing agreement with nTelagent, Inc., a leading provider of point-of-service solutions to support revenue cycle improvements within healthcare organizations' patient access departments. As part of the agreement, nTelagent will market the benefits of the Streamline Health business intelligence solutions and patient financial services workflows, and Streamline Health will promote the benefits of nTelagent's point-of-service solution to clients and prospects.

nTelagent's automated point-of-service solution provides patient access specialists with the information they need to maximize cash collections and handle the various situations that occur at point of registration. The nTelagent system enables providers to settle all accounts on the front end by guiding patient access staff through each patient encounter via real-time, customized scripts.

Streamline Health's business intelligence solution, OpportunityAnyWare, along with the company's ARWare and AuditWare workflows, help healthcare providers to achieve optimal financial performance while providing exceptional patient service and satisfaction. These solutions help healthcare organizations understand complex financial information that is often stored in disparate data repositories and structures data in a way that helps users make informed and actionable business decisions. Combined with nTelagent's retail point-of-service solutions, hospitals are able to create a complete process from point of service to patient billing that helps maximize overall cash collections and minimizes the cost to collect.

"We believe that combining OpportunityAnyWare and our patient financial services solutions with nTelagent's solutions will provide our mutual clients a broader capability to increase cash collections while using analytics to identify and address areas for improvement," said Robert E. Watson, president and chief executive officer of Streamline Health. "We are pleased to be adding another distribution channel partner who can strategically offer our solutions to their clients, while we have gained the opportunity to offer a new set of solutions to our clients."

"In the current healthcare market, having effective systems in place is critical for providers to maintain financial viability, and to continue giving patients exceptional care and service," explained Earl Winter, nTelagent CEO. "Partnering with Streamline Health, a proven leader in revenue cycle technology, allows nTelagent to strengthen our existing offerings to clients. In addition, our own expertise in helping hospitals increase upfront and overall collections will now be marketed to a larger number of companies, thanks to Streamline's network of clients."

About Streamline Health
Streamline Health provides solutions that help hospitals and physician groups improve efficiencies and business processes across the enterprise to enhance and protect revenues. Our enterprise content management solutions transform unstructured data into digital assets that seamlessly integrate with disparate clinical, administrative, and financial information systems. Our business analytics solutions provide real-time access to key performance metrics that enable healthcare organizations to identify and manage opportunities to maximize financial performance. Our integrated workflow systems automate and manage critical business activities to improve organizational accountability to drive both operational and financial performance. Across the revenue cycle, our solutions offer a flexible, customizable way to optimize the clinical and financial performance of any healthcare organization. Visit www.streamlinehealth.net for more information.

About nTelagent
nTelagent's fully integrated point-of-service solution for managing accounts receivable revolutionizes how healthcare providers interact with patients. The system enables providers to settle all accounts on the front end by guiding patient access staff through each patient encounter via real-time, customized scripts. From insurance verification to payment processing, registration is fast, simple and accurate for all patients: insured, uninsured and those qualifying for financial assistance. In addition to increasing upfront cash and cash on hand, nTelagent clients reduce AR days and bad debt, follow consistent practices on all registrations, identify accounts needing financial assistance, and provide dynamic reports for real-time end-user monitoring. Visit www.ntelagent.com for more information. For a video overview of nTelagent, visit  www.ntelagent.com/Video_and_Demo.html.

Safe Harbor statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Statements made by Streamline Health Solutions, Inc. that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are no guarantee of future performance. The forward looking statements contained herein are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, included herein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the timing of contract negotiations and execution of contracts and the related timing of the revenue recognition related thereto, the potential cancellation of existing contracts or clients not completing projects included in the backlog, the impact of competitive products and pricing, product demand and market acceptance, new product development, key strategic alliances with vendors that resell the Company's products, the ability of the Company to control costs, availability of products obtained from third party vendors, the healthcare regulatory environment, potential changes in legislation, regulation and government funding affecting the healthcare industry, healthcare information systems budgets, availability of healthcare information systems trained personnel for implementation of new systems, as well as maintenance of legacy systems, fluctuations in operating results, effects of critical accounting policies and judgments, changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accountings Standards Board or other similar entities, changes in economic, business and market conditions impacting the healthcare industry, the markets in which the Company operates and nationally, and the Company's ability to maintain compliance with the terms of its credit facilities, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Streamline Health Solutions, Inc. filings with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.


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Q&A on changing health insurance

Are the health insurance rebates that some insurers must pay their members under the health law owed only to those currently covered by a policy, or are they retroactive? My son was covered until March 2012 by a policy he purchased himself.

Under the health law, insurers must spend at least 80 percent of the premiums they collect on medical care and on measures related to health-care quality. Otherwise, they must pay rebates to consumers and employers for the portion of the premiums collected that were over the limit. (For large-group plans, the threshold is 85 percent.) The first rebates, for 2011, are due by Aug. 1.

Even if your son has left his plan, he would qualify for a 2011 rebate if his insurer didn’t meet the threshold, according to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS estimates that 12.8 million Americans will receive more than $1.1 billion in rebates this year.

Insurers may issue rebate checks directly to policyholders or use the rebate amounts to reduce future premiums, according to HHS. Since your son is no longer covered by the plan and his future premiums therefore can’t be reduced, he would probably receive a check in the mail if the plan is required to pay rebates, say experts.

Whatever form the rebate takes, it’s important to keep in mind that it may be taxable. According to the Internal Revenue Service, if people deduct their health insurance premiums on their tax returns, they may owe some taxes on any rebate they receive.

I was married in the District to a same-sex spouse. I work for the federal government. What information do you have regarding health coverage for same-sex spouses?

More than half of Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits to their employees, says Brian Moulton, legal director at the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy organization.

More than a dozen states and the District recognize same-sex partnerships and generally accord them the same legal rights for health insurance and other benefits as opposite-sex partnerships, according to a report by Mercer, a human resources consulting firm. (Maryland’s law becomes effective Jan. 1, 2013, if it survives a referendum in November. Virginia bans same-sex marriage.)

The situation is different for federal employees, however. The federal Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman, and a spouse as someone of the opposite sex. Federal agencies follow DOMA; according to the Web site of the Office of Personnel Management, that means that same-sex partners are ineligible for health coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

There have been several legal challenges to the law, including a Massachusetts case in which same-sex couples who were legally married in that state claimed the law violated their constitutional rights to equal protection. In May, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found in their favor, the first appeals court to rule on the constitutionality of DOMA, says Moulton. Experts say the case will likely go to the Supreme Court.

Unless and until that happens, however, “there’s not a good answer for this particular individual,” says Cathy Stamm, a senior associate at human resources consultant Mercer.

My granddaughter is looking for an individual health policy in Florida. She was told that she will not find an individual policy there that will cover pregnancy. She is not planning a pregnancy but wants coverage if that should happen. Under the health law, will insurance companies have to offer this coverage?

Nine states require all insurers in the individual market to cover maternity care, according to a recent report by the National Women’s Law Center. But Florida is not one of them.

“Insurers figure some people will wait until they know they’re trying to get pregnant before they try to buy insurance,” says Adam Sonfield, a senior public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, a research and advocacy organization.

Group coverage is different. Employers with 15 or more employees are generally required to provide maternity coverage under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

In states where maternity coverage in the individual market isn’t mandated, only 6 percent of plans offered it, according to the NWLC report.

Some plans offer supplemental maternity riders, but they’re often extremely pricey, provide limited coverage and require waiting periods of a year or more before they become effective, says Judy Waxman, vice president for health and reproductive rights at NWLC.

Starting in 2014, maternity coverage will improve considerably for people who buy their own insurance. Under the health law, maternity care is one of a number of services considered to be an “essential health benefit.” All plans that are sold on the state-based health insurance exchanges must cover those services. In addition, new health plans sold outside the exchanges must also cover maternity and newborn care.

This column is produced through a collaboration between The Post and Kaiser Health News. KHN, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health-care-policy organization that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. E-mail: questions@kaiserhealthnews.org.


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Families, health advocates urge Obama to act on food safety

(Reuters) - Families, public health advocates and consumer groups called on the White House on Tuesday to implement delayed provisions in a food safety law they say would help prevent some of the nearly 3,000 deaths caused by food-borne illnesses each year.

Families of victims who have died from food-borne illnesses and consumer and health organizations wrote a letter to President Barack Obama calling on him push forward provisions of a food safety law signed last year that would regulate food imports, produce and packaged food against possible contamination.

The Food Safety Modernization Act was the first food safety overhaul in over 70 years, and without the implementation of these provisions most of the U.S. food system continues to operate under what public health advocates say are outdated laws.

These rules would help prevent food-borne outbreaks such as one last year when listeria-contaminated cantaloupe killed over 30 people, said Erik Olson, director for food programs at the Pew Health Group.

"With our current food system it only takes one part of that food system to contaminate a huge amount of food," Olson said. "We're concerned that the longer these rules take to get out we're just going to continue having these kinds of outbreaks."

The rules have remained at the White House's Office of Management and Budget since late 2011 when the Food and Drug Administration submitted proposed versions of the rules. The OMB is tasked with reviewing and releasing the rules to continue the rule-making process.

Over the past year the United States has had 10 cases of food-borne diseases where multiple states were affected and as many as 390 cases were reported in one outbreak, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aggregated by the Pew Health Group.

These outbreaks were from salmonella, E. coli and listeria in food like ground tuna, imported papaya and pine nuts.

The CDC estimates that about 3,000 deaths are caused by food-borne illnesses and about 48 million people, or one in six Americans, gets sick from food contamination every year. Because of underreporting, the number of sicknesses caused by contaminated food is greatly understated, Olson said.

The rules would establish standards for possible sources of contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables, and make importers responsible for the safety of food they import.

It would also force food companies to identify possible causes of contamination and specify actions to prevent them.

(This story is corrected in first paragraph to say the law is said to help prevent some of the deaths from food-borne illnesses, not all)

(Reporting by Lily Kuo; Editing by Eric Beech)


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Repealing Health Law Would Mean More Benefits for Members of Congress

Watch our new video featuring Republican Members of Congress denying that they voted to protect taxpayer funded health care benefits for themselves, while repealing critical patient protections for the middle class and doing nothing to create jobs.

Before last week's repeal vote, The Hill newspaper found that repealing the Affordable Care Act would "let members of Congress keep their government-subsidized insurance coverage after they retire -- a benefit they lost under the health law."
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/politics-elections/236823-repealing-health-law-would-mean-more-benefits-for-members-of-congress

The Hill found that "a Republican amendment to the Affordable Care Act -- kicked members of Congress and their aides out of the healthcare program for federal employees. Instead, lawmakers and staff have to get coverage through the insurance exchanges created by the healthcare law. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who championed that provision, said it ensures that lawmakers live under the same rules as their constituents."


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Ashley's Extreme Weight-Loss Makeover

Trainer Chris Powell discusses challenges of this dramatic transformation.

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Health Business Intelligence Corp Appoints Jacob Nguyen Executive VP of Business Development.

Health Business Intelligence Corp (Health BI), a Healthcare Software Technology solution provider, specializing in Patient Centered Care Technology Solutions and Services, today announced that it has named Jacob Nguyen as the company’s Executive VP of Business Development.

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) July 17, 2012

Health Business Intelligence Corp(Health BI), a Healthcare Software Technology solution provider, specializing in Patient Centered Medical Home Technology Solutions and Services today announced that it has named Jacob Nguyen as the company’s Executive VP of Business Development. In his new role, Mr. Nguyen will be responsible for leading, developing and executing Health BI’s Sales and Marketing strategy.

Jacob Nguyen was previously the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Craneware Incorporated with over 1500 provider clients. Jacob brings over 15 years of healthcare information technology experience in the areas of supply-chain and revenue cycle management. Since 2002, Jacob Nguyen built Craneware into an important provider of Revenue Integrity software solutions for many of the leading health systems across the country. Jacob has been instrumental in helping hospitals transform managing their revenue integrity systems that positively affected the hospital’s economic strength and financial position. Jacob also served as Craneware’s Western Region Vice President.

Prior to Craneware, Jacob was the Director of Supplier Relations and the Director of Integration Services at Neoforma. In his role as Director of Supplier Relations, Jacob collaborated with the leading supply chain companies to form Neoforma’s Online Marketplace. As Director of Integration Services, he led development and implementation projects for material management systems to Web-based solutions.

“We are extremely excited to have Jacob joining our Executive team. Jacob’s vast knowledge of the healthcare market, his exceptional work ethic and strategic thinking puts Health BI on the path to dominate the care coordination, patient engagement, BI and PCMH technology space,” said Mack Baniameri the CEO of Health Business Intelligence Corp.

Jacob is an active member of Healthcare Financial Management Association and he was a former diplomat for the American College of Healthcare Executives. Jacob earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Biology from San Jose State University and he has completed Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management – Executive International Management Program for Global Management and Leadership.

About Health BI

Health Business Intelligence Corp is the leading developer of secure online and mobile messaging, care coordination, patient engagement, Business Intelligence, readmission reduction and Patient Centered Medical Home technology solutions. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Health BI was created by a group of industry leaders and physicians to fill the need for tools that facilitate secure online and mobile communication, collaboration, care transition and information sharing among healthcare providers, vendors and patients. The success of Health BI’s secure messaging technology prompted the company to introduce a modified version of its secure email solution to business and financial sectors.

Mack Baniameri
Health Business Intelligence Corp
1(866) 417-2959 101
Email Information


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Day 45 - Fasting For Weight Loss - Still Going Strong!

Another daily update, just 11 days to go until the juice fast is complete.

Today's video is next to some busy traffic and probably the drivers in the cars going past thought I was crazy. Still some interesting information I feel in todays video, so please take a look.


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Fast weight loss 3D workout

Working aerobically on your abdominal muscles for over 7 minutes stimulates the capillaries in this area. These in turn increase the blood flow. A greater blood flow means a greater flow of oxygen - and fat only burns in the presence of oxygen. Toned muscles need more calories (kcal) to stay active. Our organism tends to release these calories from the area nearest the muscle, in this case the waist area.


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Patrick Kennedy on mental health

Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy discusses the stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness


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Health care law can help many small businesses

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Day 22 - Juice Fast/Weight Loss

This weekend was a blast! Complete with some swimming and some fire. Who could ask for more!? The results for our 3rd week is included as well as a new challenge for our friends out there, YOU... so listen in to the end for the details.

Don't forget to check out our blogs, subscribe, like our Facebook page, share, and all that cool internets stuff.

Hope you enjoy and MAY THE JUICE BE WITH YOU!


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China Health Resource Develops Revolutionary Migraine Medication

SICHUAN, China, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- China Health Resource, Inc. (CHRI) announced today the successful development of a revolutionary TCM migraine medication called Toufeng Migraine tablet.  The medication has demonstrated an effective rate of 96.5% in clinical observations.  The new product was developed utilizing the company's Dahurian Angelica (DAR) as one it's key ingredients.

According to the company's forecast, the world's major pharmaceutical markets (USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain and Japan) for anti-migraine drug sales will grow from $2.86 billion in 2002 to over $5.6 billion by 2013.  Unlike Toufeng Migraine tables, most available medications are pain killers and many have serious side effects or carry a risk of dependency and addiction.

"Toufeng Migraine tablets have proven effective in our tests.  It is naturally derived from our trademarked Sichuan DAR.  This new product has a strong export market demand with a potential for immeasurable health benefits.  We expect this to provide tremendous economic growth for CHRI," says Jiayin Wang, Chairman and CEO of CHRI.

The company is now moving forward with the approval process world-wide and is working to develop and expand commercialization through strategic partnerships.

The American Headache Foundation statistics show that one in every ten people in the United States suffers from migraine headaches, but more than half the patients fail to report it.  According to international epidemiological surveys, the incidence of migraines world-wide is 8.4% to 28%. Data from the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Obstruction shows that lost productivity by migraine patients in the United States has reached 157 million working days a year.   In China, prevalence rate for migraine is 9.85% and the annual incidence rate is 7.97%.  With China's population of 1.3 billion, this percentage translates to 103.6 million people.  Migraine headaches have become a major international problem.

"The company is committed to the development and commercialization of effective, innovative and natural health solutions. We are very pleased with this new development of Toufeng tablets," adds Mr. Wang.

Press Contact:

Ms. Cynthia Bitting
Contact Tel. (USA) +1 314-442-0368
USA Rep for China Health Resource INC.
Email: info@chinahealthresource.com
www.chinahealthresource.com

About CHRI

China Health Resource, Inc. engages in the development, manufacturing, processing, marketing and sale of raw and pharmaceutical TCM products including Dahurian Angelica Root (DAR) and Rhizoma Gastrodiae and is only the provider of GAP quality DAR in the People's Republic of China under the registered Trademark Chuan Baizhi™. DAR, which is also known as "Bai Zhi" in Mandarin Chinese, is an herb that is employed as an ingredient in medicine, cosmetics and food, as well as used in TCM for the treatment of pain, swelling and pustule. The Company's DAR-related products include the Bailing Capsule and Yishen Capsule, all of which are sold through regional distributors. The Company was founded in 2001.

Certain statements in this document regarding financial matters, other than historical facts, and statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are subject to certain events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside our control. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "optimistic", "intend", "will", and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The company intends that such proclamations about future expectations, including future revenues and earnings, future business expansion plans, and all other forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Since these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from expected results. These and other risks and uncertainties related to our business are described in greater detail in our filings with the Commission. The foregoing information should be read in conjunction with these filings. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made.


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EngagePoint™ (formerly Consumer Health Technologies, Inc.) Named as Systems Integrator for Minnesota Health Insurance ...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

EngagePoint™, formerly known as Consumer Health Technologies, Inc., today announced that it will support the design and development of a statewide health insurance exchange in the State of Minnesota. As a subcontractor to MAXIMUS (MMS), who was selected as the prime contractor to design, implement, and maintain the State’s health insurance exchange, EngagePoint will act as the systems integrator, and will also deploy its financial management module for billing, aggregation and reconciliation of payments.

Following a competitive bid process, the State of Minnesota selected MAXIMUS as the prime contractor to design and develop the Minnesota health insurance exchange. MAXIMUS named EngagePoint, Connecture and Curam as subcontractors on the project. The contract is valued at $41 million.

“We are pleased to be part of the MAXIMUS team to design and develop the Minnesota health insurance exchange, and look forward to applying our unique experience and expertise with HIX solutions design to the best advantage of the State of Minnesota and its citizens,” said Pradeep Goel, CEO of EngagePoint.

The Minnesota health insurance exchange system will establish an online insurance marketplace for the State’s population, enabling users to determine their eligibility for subsidized health insurance benefits online, as well as to shop, compare and enroll in health insurance plans, with access to dedicated customer support.

About EngagePoint

EngagePoint is a payer-centric Healthcare software and IT Services company that enables Government, Commercial, and Administrative Payers to engage their key stakeholders in bending the cost of care curve while improving the health and wellbeing of the people they serve. Currently implementing two Health Insurance Exchanges, EngagePoint delivers sustainable solutions that incorporate service-oriented-architecture (SOA), MITA adherence and reusable infrastructure. This allows EngagePoint clients to meet the requirements of Affordable Care Act mandates, to implement member engagement and retention strategies, and to match customized benefit packages to the needs of groups and individuals. Founded in 2007, EngagePoint is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, with offices in Maryland and North Dakota. For more information, visit www.EngagePoint.com.


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Monday, July 16, 2012

Health Care Reform Rebates For Health Insurance Costs Rolling In

Health Care Reform Health Insurance Rebate Health insurance companies will pay out an estimated $1.1 billion in rebates to customers this month because of new rules from the health care reform law.

When Laird Le found a check for $70.02 in the mail, he wasn't quite sure why. Turns out, he's one of the estimated 13 million Americans that will receive a rebate on their health insurance premiums as a result of the health care reform law recently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Look inside your mailbox: By the end of the month, you could be getting one of these refunds, which are are expected to total $1.1 billion this year. Health insurance companies have begun sending letters to customers informing them of a new rule requiring them to spend at least 80 percent of the premiums they receive on actual medical care, not on overhead, advertising, profits or other costs. Health insurers must cite the health care reform law, known as the Affordable Care Act, in the letter.

Le, a 35-year-old self-employed information technology consultant in Chicago, didn't know about the new rules until he got the check from UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Golden Rule Insurance Company. "I was pretty surprised," Le said. At first, he was afraid the company was canceling his plan, which costs about $160 a month. Once he realized what it was, getting a check like that was "powerful," he said. "I wouldn't have gotten a penny if it wasn't for the law."

The authors of President Barack Obama's health care reform law aim to pressure health insurance companies to cut down on administrative costs and other expenses and to prevent them from raising premiums to maximize profits. The idea is to eliminate waste by health plans so they charge lower premiums in the future, said Blake Hutson, a health care advocate with Consumers Union in Austin, Texas.

"It's a way to increase value in health insurance," Hutson said. "What the rule does is encourage insurance companies to operate more efficiently."

"Insurance companies that are paying rebates now, they either charged you too much or they didn't spend enough of your money on things that benefit customers," he said, noting that health insurance companies are already reducing expenses or lowering premiums to comply with the rule. In the future, he predicted, more plans will do these things to avoid paying rebates. "We're starting to see some of the tangible benefits of the law," he said.

Health insurance companies selling plans to small-business workers and individuals who buy coverage on their own have to spend at least 80 percent of the premiums they collect on medical care. For health insurance from a larger employer, the standard is 85 percent. Since last year, health insurance companies have been required to publicly disclose what share of premiums actually goes to medical treatments for customers and from now on must refund the difference to individual customers or their employers.

More than 30 percent of people who buy health insurance on their own will be owed rebates this year, according to an analysis conducted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation of Menlo Park, Calif., in April. The foundation isn't affiliated with the health insurance company Kaiser Permanente.

The health insurance industry protests that capping their profits does nothing to address rising prices for medical services and products. Health insurance companies refer to the difference between premiums collected and claims paid as the "medical loss ratio" and the Obama administration describes its new standard as the "80/20 rule."

Employers and workers who get health benefits from their jobs will see most of money from the rebates, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported. So-called "self-insured" employers that directly pay for workers' medical expenses and contract with a health plan solely for administrative work won't get rebates.

Workers are entitled to the same share of the rebate as they pay for their health insurance, said Paul Fronstin, the director of Health Research and Education Program at the Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington. "If an employer pays 80 percent and the worker pays 20 percent, then the rebate should be split 80/20," he wrote in an email. Workers would have to pay income taxes on any rebates and may not receive any money if the employer decides to use it to lower future premiums or add benefits, according to Fronstin.

The rebates, which the Kaiser Family Foundation projects will range from $1 to $517, can come in the form of checks, refunds to credit cards used to pay health insurance premiums, a discount on future premiums or payments to an employer providing health benefits. If you live in Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, or New Hampshire, you may be out of luck, however. The federal government allowed those states to set lower standards for health insurance companies this year. The administration denied 10 other states' requests for a waiver.

Amanda Terkel contributed reporting to this story.

Related on HuffPost:


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Day 6 - Weight Loss Is Getting Serious

Here I am again feeling happy energized and grateful for everything that is happening.

Today's videos gives you an update on my weight loss, and I look at the lemon cleanse diet and how this juice fast plan might be able to kill two birds with the one stone.

I then discuss some amazing Wheatgrass benefits which are cool (even if it tastes nasty). Not content to end it there I even bring to the table some information about coconut oil weight loss (who would have figured) and then a mini rant of how low fat in packaging does not mean it's good for you.


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TriStar Health and CareSpot to Establish Urgent Care Centers in Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 16, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- HCA's TriStar Health and CareSpot have established a joint venture to bring as many as 15 urgent care centers to Middle Tennessee opening throughout 2013. The new partnership would make CareSpot and TriStar Health the leading urgent care provider in Middle Tennessee.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120716/AT40849LOGO )

Convenient, high-quality healthcare

"Urgent care is an important aspect of TriStar's vision to provide our community with a quality, comprehensive health system," said Steve Corbeil, president of TriStar Health. "The new urgent care centers will enhance healthcare services provided by our primary care physicians and deliver a more rapid, less expensive alternative to emergency room visits for non-emergency injuries and illnesses. Our partnership represents a significant step forward in bringing increased access to extraordinary and affordable healthcare in the communities that we serve."

"Our joint venture with TriStar Health is an exciting opportunity to partner with a well-known, high-quality healthcare provider in Middle Tennessee, expand our base beyond Florida and move into other markets where there is strong demand for urgent care centers," said CareSpot CEO Michael Klein. "Customers want more convenient, high-quality healthcare, and that's what we'll deliver. In fact, customers will be able to book their appointments on the CareSpot website or their smartphones and get in and get out faster so they can start feeling better quickly."

The new urgent care centers will offer healthcare services to treat non-emergent medical problems that can develop unexpectedly and require immediate attention, filling the gap between primary care physicians and hospital emergency rooms.   This partnership offers patients the staffing benefits and expertise of a proven network of urgent care centers combined with the broader resources of a large hospital system if a higher level of care is required.   The new centers will operate as CareSpot in partnership with TriStar Health. CareSpot will manage daily operations.

CareSpot is the largest urgent care provider in Florida

CareSpot is the new name for Solantic walk-in urgent care centers that are popular in Florida. The company, which has headquarters in the Brentwood suburb of Nashville, is the largest urgent care provider in Florida with 29 centers in major metropolitan areas throughout that state. Those centers in Florida — which average more than 400,000 patient visits a year — will change their name from Solantic to CareSpot by early September. The urgent care company currently employs more than 500 people. CareSpot plans to hire as many as 100 new employees for its new centers in Middle Tennessee.

About TriStar Health

TriStar Health is the region's largest, most comprehensive healthcare provider with 18 hospitals and 10 ambulatory surgery centers in Tennessee, South Central Kentucky and North Georgia. Approximately 5,300 physicians and nearly 13,000 employees support the hospital system. TriStar Health facilities feature state-of-the-art technology and pioneer new medical procedures every day to accommodate the needs of the more than 110,000 patient admissions and nearly 515,000 emergency department visits annually. For more information about TriStar Health, or for a physician referral, call TriStar MedLine(SM) at 615-342-1919 or toll-free outside of Nashville at 1-800-242-5662, or visit TriStarHealth.com.

About Solantic/CareSpot

Solantic/CareSpot-operated centers provide a wide range of healthcare services such as urgent care, wellness testing and occupational health services. The 3,500 sq. ft. centers feature multiple exam rooms, on-site lab testing and X-rays capabilities. Michael Klein, former CEO of Franklin, Tenn.-based Renal Advantage — the third-largest for-profit provider of dialysis services in the U.S. — took over as CEO of Solantic in May 2011. He and his management team are building a more innovative, consumer-focused urgent care company. Visit Solantic.com to learn more.


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Health Highlights: July 16, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

FDA Conducted Surveillance Operation Against Scientists

A surveillance operation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration collected thousands of e-mails that agency scientists sent privately to members of Congress, journalists, labor officials, lawyers and even President Barack Obama, previously undisclosed government records reveal.

The scientists claimed that flawed review procedures at the FDA had led to the approval of medical imaging devices for mammograms and colonoscopies that exposed patients to dangerous levels of radiation, The New York Times reported.

The documents show that the operation identified 21 FDA employees, Congressional officials, journalists and outside medical researchers who were believed to be collaborating to release negative and "defamatory" information about the FDA.

In defense of the surveillance operation, FDA officials said the computer monitoring targeted five agency scientists suspected of leaking confidential details about the design and safety of medical devices, The Times reported.

In May, the federal government's Office of Special Counsel concluded that the scientists' concerns were valid enough to warrant a full investigation into "a substantial and specific danger to public safety."

-----

Consumers Should Avoid Mexicali Cheese Corp. Products: FDA

Consumers should not buy or eat any products from the Mexicali Cheese Corp. due to the threat of listeria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

The agency issued the warning after the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes was found in the Woodville, N.Y. company's finished products, which were distributed in the New York City area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Retailers are being asked to remove any Mexicali cheese products from their shelves. The products are packaged in a rigid 14 oz. plastic tub with the plant number 36-0128 and a code of 071512. The containers have the following product names:

Mexicali Queso Fresco Mexicano, Mexican Style Fresh CheeseAcatlan Queso Fresco, Fresh CheeseMi Quesito Mexicano, Mexican CheeseQuesillo Ecuatoriano, Ecuadorian Style Cheese

Listeria contamination can cause listeriosis, a disease that primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women, the FDA said.

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Ask Wolf: Repealing health care law

Wolf Blitzer responds to a twitter question asking how difficult it would be to repeal health care if Romney is elected.

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Repealing Health Law Would Mean More Benefits for Members of Congress

Watch our new video featuring Republican Members of Congress denying that they voted to protect taxpayer funded health care benefits for themselves, while repealing critical patient protections for the middle class and doing nothing to create jobs.

Before last week's repeal vote, The Hill newspaper found that repealing the Affordable Care Act would "let members of Congress keep their government-subsidized insurance coverage after they retire -- a benefit they lost under the health law."
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/politics-elections/236823-repealing-health-law-would-mean-more-benefits-for-members-of-congress

The Hill found that "a Republican amendment to the Affordable Care Act -- kicked members of Congress and their aides out of the healthcare program for federal employees. Instead, lawmakers and staff have to get coverage through the insurance exchanges created by the healthcare law. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who championed that provision, said it ensures that lawmakers live under the same rules as their constituents."


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Judge: Health Care is Power on a Platter

Judge Andrew Napolitano sounds off on the Supreme Courts ruling on the presidents health-care law.

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Core Weight Loss Yoga

Do this routine every day to build strength in your core and help shed excess weight around the middle too!

Go back to Week 1! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euh-pkdBM6E&feature=relmfu

Make sure to subscribe and never miss a video! http://bit.ly/N9y3f4

Get recipes and healthy things to eat here. http://www.tarastileseats.com/

More goodies and inspirational stuff here. http://www.tarastiles.com/

Yoga classes, workshops, trainings &more. http://www.stralayoga.com/


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Health care law's costs complicated

CHICAGO (AP) — As the dust settles from the U.S. Supreme Court's momentous decision on health care, top state leaders have faced off with conflicting figures about the cost to Illinois of expanded Medicaid coverage. President Barack Obama's health care overhaul expands Medicaid to more Americans, but the court's ruling, in effect, makes the expansion optional for states.

The day of the court's decision, Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, a Republican, warned that the state would pay "an additional $2.4 billion" over six years. She urged lawmakers "to start saving now for those added costs."

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, countered that the federal government would pay "the entire cost" of the expansion. "I want to send to Miss Topinka, who is a friend of mine, a copy of the bill," Durbin told one TV news station, implying that Topinka would back down once she had read the law.

Who's right? As it turns out, they've both got facts on their side. But both fail to mention critical information.

Voters are likely to hear more sound bites from politicians about the cost of expanding Medicaid for states from now until November's presidential election. Governors in at least five states have said they'll reject the Medicaid expansion now that it's optional, citing costs.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has embraced the president's health care law, including the Medicaid expansion. Quinn's office says cost estimates have been incorrect and "unduly high."

Here's the reality: Most of the cost of expanding Medicaid program will be paid by the federal government, but states will pay some additional costs primarily because of a quirk called "the woodwork effect."

State and federal governments share the cost of Medicaid. In Illinois, the split is about 50-50. Health policy people talk about the "federal Medicaid match" because the federal dollars roughly match the state dollars. The formula varies from state to state.

Under the new health law, as Durbin suggests, the federal government will pay the entire cost — 100 percent — for people newly eligible for Medicaid for the first three years, starting in 2014. The federal share falls to 90 percent by 2020.

But as Topinka suggests, states will be on the hook for other costs. States continue to pay about half the cost for people who are already eligible for Medicaid but who've never enrolled before. Those people are predicted to come out of the woodwork to sign up because of new outreach campaigns and more attention to the benefits of health insurance coverage. Thus, the "woodwork effect."

Topinka's estimate of $2.4 billion for Illinois comes from a highly respected and nonpartisan source: a 2010 report from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

That report estimates Illinois Medicaid would add 600,000 to 900,000 enrollees by 2019 because of the health care law and spend an additional $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion. Topinka chose the higher estimate. An author of the report, John Holahan of the Urban Institute, said he would choose the higher estimate himself.

Most of that new state spending — $1.6 billion — would go toward the "woodwork effect," the states share of payments for those currently eligible for Medicaid who would be inspired to sign up because of Obama's law, Holahan said.

Here's what Topinka didn't mention: The federal government would spend $22 billion to expand Medicaid in Illinois through 2019, increasing the number of insured Illinois adults at a minimal cost to the state, according to the Kaiser report. For every $1 the state spends, the federal government spends $9.

Some health policy experts call that a bargain for Illinois.

Illinois would gain in important ways, said Alan Weil, executive director of the nonpartisan National Academy for State Health Policy. Fewer medical costs would be shifted onto people with good health insurance by hospitals and other providers that end up providing free care to the uninsured. State-funded mental health services would reap savings, he said.

"If you leave out the positive economic effects that (covering the uninsured) would have on providers and business in general, then it is out of context if you only mention the increase in state spending," said Holahan of the Urban Institute.

As for Durbins comments, a spokeswoman for the senator said he may have heard a TV producers paraphrase of Topinka's comments rather than her actual remarks.

"The state of Illinois will incur some expense if people who are already eligible for Medicaid begin signing up — that would happen with or without the new health care law," said Durbin spokeswoman Christina Mulka.

"However, as Sen. Durbin said, the cost of expanding Medicaid to include those who are newly eligible is fully paid for by the federal government for the first few years (and then 90 percent on and after 2020). I would also point out there is substantial cost savings for the state of Illinois in having Medicaid-eligible people covered by insurance rather than having them not seeking care or being treated in emergency rooms."

___

AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/CarlaKJohnson


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Health care law's effect on Minnesota individuals: Hard to predict

People who want health insurance but don't get it from their job or the government must buy coverage on what's called the individual insurance market.

Unfortunately, it can be an unhappy place for consumers.

"A lot of people who have never tried to get their own insurance really have no idea how challenging it can be," said Kris Lang, 47, of Minneapolis.

In Minnesota and most states, insurance companies can deny policies to individuals because of an applicant's health status or risk factors. But that will change in 2014 when the federal health law requires insurers to offer policies to all comers, regardless of their health status.

The change excites consumers like Lang, who recently was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and expects to be buying an individual health insurance policy again in the future. But it's just one part of a complicated transition for the individual market that leaves insurers -- and even some patients -- apprehensive.

"The rates for individuals are going to skyrocket because health insurance plans are worried that all the sick people are going to flock to them," predicted Kay Malchow, a 52-year-old Minneapolis resident who has shopped on the individual market.

Traditionally, the individual insurance market has served as the place where people go for coverage during times of transition, said Karen Pollitz of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy group in Washington, D.C.

People need individual health insurance, she said,

when things like a divorce or a decision to become self-employed lead people away from job-based benefits. Young workers in jobs without health insurance turn to individual policies, Pollitz said, as do people who find their access to government or job-based coverage is lost with a change in income.

About two-thirds of those with individual policies hold them for less than two years. That's because people tend to prefer the subsidies and richer benefits that come with coverage through employers or the government, Pollitz said.

"The individual insurance market has been kind of the weak link in the system because it's lacked subsidies, and it discriminates against people with pre-existing conditions," Pollitz said. "With the health law, they're rewiring the individual insurance market. ... It is supposed to be more like the employer and government markets."

Nationally, about 15 million people buy individual insurance policies compared with about 49 million people who lack health insurance altogether, Pollitz said. One of the primary goals of the health law is to offer both incentives and tax penalties that will get more individuals to buy coverage through health exchanges -- new marketplaces that will start operating late next year.

On the incentive side, the law offers premium credits to people with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal policy level. In today's dollars, that would mean subsidies for individuals with incomes up to $44,680 and families of four with incomes up to $92,200.

Subsidies will be bigger for individuals and families that are closer to the poverty line.

People with incomes at 300 percent to 400 percent of the poverty level, for example, will be expected to contribute 9.5 percent of their income to the overall premium, with the government contributing the rest. Those with incomes at 133 percent to 150 percent of poverty, meanwhile, will get a bigger subsidy and be required to contribute only 2 percent to 3 percent of their income for premiums.

The subsidies make it complicated to explain exactly what will happen to an individual's out-of-pocket cost for health insurance in 2014.

On the one hand, individual insurance premiums in Minnesota are expected to increase by 26 percent to 42 percent, according to an analysis completed in April by MIT economist Jonathan Gruber for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. But most won't see an increase in out-of-pocket costs, Gruber predicted, because of subsidies.

"Approximately 70 percent of the individual market will experience either no change or premium decreases," his report stated. "The tax credits available to low income families through the (federal health law) and the exchange will offset overall premium increases."

Even so, health insurers remain concerned that healthy people who currently don't have coverage still won't be drawn by the subsidies to buy insurance. That's where the federal health law's controversial mandate for individuals to buy coverage or pay a tax comes into play.

In 2014, those who lack coverage must pay a tax penalty that's the greater of 1 percent of income or $95 per year, up to a maximum of three times that amount per family. The size of the penalty increases by 2016 to the greater of 2.5 percent of income or $695 per year (with the flat fee reaching up to $2,085 for families).

Will the stick be big enough?

"Even when the health law was initially passed, there was a general sense in the industry that the amount of the penalty wouldn't be a large enough stick to get everyone in the market," said Geoff Bartsh, vice president for public policy at Medica, a Minnetonka-based health insurance company.

Insurers assume that people with health problems will jump at the chance to buy coverage more easily in the individual market once pre-existing condition exclusions go away. For the new individual market to work, however, it also must attract people who don't have health problems, Bartsh said.

"If the people who are buying individual insurance are only sick people, it's going to be really expensive," he said. "You always need people paying into the risk pool who aren't taking as much out in order to spread the costs of those who need more health services."

Premiums in the individual market will go up for a number of reasons, predicted Andrea Walsh, executive vice president of Bloomington-based HealthPartners.

First, the federal health law imposes new taxes on insurance policies. Second, most individual insurance policies currently come with leaner benefits than will be required under the health law, so richer benefits will drive higher costs.

Third, the individual market is expected to absorb the bulk of patients currently covered through the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association (MCHA), a nonprofit group that operates a high-risk pool for some 26,400 state residents. Patients covered through MCHA have higher average medical costs, so the nonprofit group hopes to transfer patients into the individual market over several years.

If MCHA patients were to move into the individual market all at once "that would create a significant amount of marketplace disruption and greater challenges to affordability," Walsh said.

Another unknown for the individual market, Walsh said, is how many employers will continue offering health insurance coverage once the federal law kicks in. If firms drop their health plans, those employees will move to the individual market or the state-federal Medicaid health insurance program, depending on their income level.

"You can't say the individual market gets bigger by 'x' percent because there are so many pieces that come into play," Walsh said.

Currently, about 250,000 people in Minnesota purchase coverage through the individual insurance market. By 2016, the number of people buying individual policies through the state's health exchange is expected to reach 340,000 people, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

State officials who are planning a health exchange for Minnesota have likened it to Expedia, Travelocity or other websites where individuals can purchase airplane tickets. The exchange will include a phone-based system for people to shop for coverage, but the new website is what intrigues Roger Feldman, a health insurance expert at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health.

"Let's hope the experience of shopping will basically be: One click and you've bought your policy," Feldman said.

The exchange itself offers another set of unknown changes for the individual market, Feldman said, since the marketplace could boost efficiency by letting consumers do a better job with comparison shopping. Currently, administrative costs for individual insurance policies are quite high, he said.

Pollitz of the Kaiser Family Foundation said it's understandable that insurance companies have fears about whether healthy uninsured consumers will resist the call to buy coverage on exchanges. But the concerns might not materialize, she said.

In Massachusetts, a similar law with relatively modest penalties in the early years nonetheless drove most people to get coverage, Pollitz said.

"People have life changes, and that's when they need the individual market," she said. "Now, people can kind of flow -- your life can change and there will always be a place for you."

Christopher Snowbeck can be reached at 651-228-5479. Follow him at twitter.com/chrissnowbeck.

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

This is the second of two reports on the impact of the new federal health law.

Today: A look at the issues individuals face in buying health coverage under the law.

Sunday: A look at the issues employers face with the law. Story can be found at TwinCities.com


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Less Than 3% Seen Paying U.S. Health Law Penalty: BGOV Barometer

The U.S. health-care overhaul’s penalty for not carrying health insurance, which the Supreme Court ruled is a tax, will fall on fewer than 3 percent of taxpayers, mostly in middle- and lower-income categories.

The BGOV Barometer shows that about 3.9 million people will pay a penalty in 2016 for not carrying health insurance under the Affordable Care Act’s so-called individual mandate, according to projections by the Congressional Budget Office. The total, equal to about 2.8 percent of the individual income tax returns Americans filed in 2010, includes 3 million families earning less than $120,000 a year.

Most Americans consider the penalty under the individual mandate to be a tax, according to a Quinnipiac University poll published last week. That leaves President Barack Obama, who made passage of the law one of his presidency’s earliest priorities, to defend his promise not to raise taxes on the middle class.

The Supreme Court ruling “changed that calculus 100 percent,” said Doug Holtz-Eakin, who was an adviser to Republican Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign and now runs the American Action Forum, a Washington-based group that opposes the health law. The decision “says it’s a tax, and it’s on those people.”

In practice, the number of people who will have to worry about the penalty is so small that opposition to the mandate is “purely political,” said Linda Blumberg, a researcher at the nonprofit Urban Institute who assisted health reform efforts by President Bill Clinton in the 1990s and in Massachusetts in 2005.

Illegal immigrants, people who don’t make enough money to file taxes and people for whom insurance would cost more than 8 percent of their income are all exempt from the penalty -- about 87 million people in 2011, Blumberg calculated in a March paper. In addition, the government has broad authority to extend waivers to anyone who suffers an undefined hardship.

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has said she may extend hardship waivers to low-income people in states such as Florida and Texas whose governors refuse to participate in the law’s expansion of Medicaid, the health plan for the poor.

About 26 million people would have found themselves both without insurance and facing the penalty, based on 2011 data, Blumberg calculated.

Of those, 8.1 million would be eligible for Medicaid if all states participate in the expansion. An additional 10.9 million could buy private insurance subsidized by the government.

That leaves 7.3 million people -- 2 percent of the U.S. population -- who will have to choose between paying the penalty or buying unsubsidized insurance, she said.

The court decision may increase the number of people who pay the penalty because it changed the perception of the law, Holtz-Eakin said. Before the ruling, the Congressional Budget Office said it assumed many people would buy insurance rather than pay the penalty because “people basically want to be law- abiding,” Holtz-Eakin said.

The Supreme Court, in its June 28 decision, said that refusing to buy insurance doesn’t break the law.

“It’s now just a calculation between the tax or buying insurance, and more people are going to pay the tax because it’s cheaper,” Holtz-Eakin said. The penalty starts at a minimum of $95 in 2014, rising to $695 in 2016 and increasing at the rate of inflation thereafter.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Wayne in Washington at awayne3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net

Enlarge image Graphic: David Ingold/Bloomberg Graphic: David Ingold/Bloomberg Graphic: David Ingold/Bloomberg The BGOV Barometer shows CBO estimates for individual mandate penalties. The estimates show the number of penalty payers and total penalties for every income level.

Graphic: David Ingold/Bloomberg The BGOV Barometer shows CBO estimates for individual mandate penalties. The estimates show the number of penalty payers and total penalties for every income level.


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Cardinal Health Highlights Independent Pharmacy Best Practices At Retail Business Conference 2012

ORLANDO, Fla., July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual Retail Business Conference (RBC) for independent pharmacies, Cardinal Health this week introduced Independent Pharmacy Best Practices 2012, Ideas as Original As You Are, a special publication that showcases 16 unique programs, implemented by independent pharmacists from across the United States, that improve patient care and drive business results.

Cardinal Health provides pharmaceutical distribution and a vast array of business support services to nearly 7,000 independent pharmacies from across the United States. The company invited its independent pharmacy sales force to nominate successful best practices from their customers. Retail pharmacy experts from Cardinal Health then selected 16 stories to be highlighted in the inaugural issue of Independent Pharmacy Best Practices; and invited members of its National Retail Advisory Board, which is comprised of leading independent pharmacists from across the country, to select three finalists.

Live, at RBC 2012's Customer General Session, event attendees viewed videos highlighting the three finalists, and were invited to 'text to vote' for the most innovative best practice. The winner of the text-to-vote competition was Marty Bigner of Thrift Drugs, McComb, Miss. Cardinal Health will donate $10,000 to the organization of Bigner's choice, in his honor.

The three independent pharmacies that were recognized as finalists at Cardinal Health's Best Practices Text-to-Vote competition at RBC 2012 are:

Free Vitamin ClubMarty Bigner of Thrift Drugs, McComb, Miss. –Thrift Drugs implemented a Free Vitamin Club for children, with the goal of improving patient health, demonstrating its commitment to the community and building new – and stronger – relationships with patients. Marty Bigner, owner of Thrift Drugs, orders children's chewable vitamins with a Thrift Drugs private label, at a cost of less than 90 cents each. He invites members of his community to sign up children, ages 2-12, to participate in the Free Vitamin Club, and promotes the program through local radio and print ads, his storefront signs, flyers and at local health fairs. In the program's first year, nearly 290 children were enrolled in the program, representing more than 100 families – half of which had not visited Thrift Drugs before. Bigner views the program as a great, low-cost way to develop patient relationships and patient loyalty.Synchronizing Refills: Meds Made Easy – Mark Hobbs & Jessica Beal of Hobbs Pharmacy, Merritt Island, Fla. – Hobbs Pharmacy services a large number of 'high prescription volume' patients – who take 15-20 different prescription medications. These patients needed to call or visit Hobbs Pharmacy almost daily – which was time consuming for patients and pharmacy staff alike. To address this issue, Hobbs Pharmacy implemented a synchronized refill program in 2011. Pharmacy staff synchronize each patient's prescriptions and their corresponding refill timelines; and then work with prescribing physicians to get all medications on a synchronized refill schedule, so patients only need to visit the pharmacy once or twice per month.

This Meds Made Easy program enables Hobbs Pharmacy to better identify adherence issues and to improve its collaboration with doctors.  Hobbs Pharmacy now receives fewer patient phone calls, makes fewer patient deliveries and has a much more predictable inventory. The program has freed up staff time to focus on other patient care initiatives, and has generated at least 25 new patients, each of whom utilize 12-15 prescriptions per month. Jessica Beal, pharmacist at Hobbs Pharmacy, says that the program is particularly appreciated by the 'sandwich generation,' comprised of middle-aged adults who serve as caretakers for their parents and their children. This program helps these customers manage their parents' medications much more time efficiently.

Teacher Immunization ProgramKevin Reddish, of Reddish Pharmacy, Nampa, Idaho –  After Kevin Reddish, owner of Reddish Pharmacy in Nampa, Idaho, became certified at RBC 2012 to offer immunizations, he started marketing his new flu vaccine services to local senior centers. But these new services really took off when Reddish worked with the leaders of his local school system to begin offering teacher flu clinics at local schools. In just the first month and a half, Reddish had booked 25 flu vaccine clinics at local schools, and in just the first year of the program, he increased his vaccine business from 200 to more than 850 immunizations. Reddish also leveraged the Teacher Immunization Program to earn teachers' prescription business. He encouraged teachers to sign up for his auto-refill program, and offered to deliver teachers' prescriptions directly to them at school, at no additional fee. His auto-refill program now has 250 patients enrolled; many of whom are teachers. Reddish now plans to market his other pharmacy services to teachers at future flu clinics, and plans to expand the Teacher Immunization Program to smaller outlying schools. Reddish says this program is a great example of a way pharmacists can improve community health while building their business.

"We work every day with forward-thinking pharmacists who are constantly finding new ways to build stronger, more resilient businesses and improve the quality of care they deliver to patients," said Steve Lawrence, senior vice president of Independent Sales for Cardinal Health. "We're thrilled to share some of these best practices at RBC 2012, and we congratulate this year's honorees and finalists for their commitment to community pharmacy excellence."

Hard copies of Independent Pharmacy Best Practices 2012, Ideas as Original As You Are were made available to all attendees of RBC 2012. Following the event, Cardinal Health customers can access an electronic version of the publication via the company's secure customer portal. Electronic versions of the publication are also available on Cardinal Health's public web site.

About the Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference (RBC)
The Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference (RBC), held July 11-14 in Orlando, Fla., provides independent pharmacies and pharmacy franchise owners with the opportunity to network with and learn from thousands of their peers from across the nation while gaining new insights to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their businesses. The annual event provides nearly 7,000 attendees – including independent pharmacy owners, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical manufacturers and other pharmacy industry professionals across the United States – with buying opportunities, continuing education sessions and programs to help pharmacists improve patient care, efficiency and profitability. For more information, visit www.CardinalHealth.com/RBC.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) is a $103 billion health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 60,000 locations each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #21 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.


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