Featured Report:Most individual plans missing reform's essential benefits

This Week's Healthcare Online News
The Washington Post
Tens of thousands could be kicked off Medicaid in historically generous states
Apr,06,2013
by+ N.C. Aizenman
At a time when most states are preparing to expand their Medicaid programs in line with the new health-care law, tens of thousands of people in states with historically generous Medicaid coverage could soon be kicked off the rolls.
In Wisconsin, officials want to to take advantage of the law to shift nearly 100,000 low-income people from the health insurance program for the poor into subsidized private plans.
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Med City News
Advocates say feds not spending enough on promoting federal insurance exchanges
Apr,07,2013
by:+Jenny Gold
When President Lyndon B. Johnson wanted to enroll seniors for the new Medicare program he had just signed into law, the story goes that his administration sent out workers on dog sleds to reach people in the remote Alaskan tundra.
"The Forest Service even had rangers looking for hermits in the woods," recalled the late Robert Ball, Johnson’s Social Security commissioner, in a documentary on Medicare’s 40th anniversary.
The plan to insure as many as 27 million Americans under the federal health law beginning this fall will be the biggest expansion of health coverage since that launch. Millions will be eligible to shop for insurance in the new online marketplaces, which open for enrollment Oct. 1 with the coverage taking effect Jan. 1.
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Fierce Health Payer
Most individual plans missing reform's essential benefits
Apr,5,2013
By:+Dina Overland
Most of the individual health plans that insurers sell don't meet reform law standards that go into effect next year, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs. The gap in coverage comes from essential health benefits, including maternity care, and mental health and substance abuse services, that insurers must provide starting next year. The new individual plans "will offer a lot more financial protection," lead author Jon Gabel told CNN Money. "Combined with a ban on medical underwriting, the individual insurance market in a post-health reform world will sharply contrast with the market of past decades," the study states.
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Fierce EMR
Barriers impede provider use, endorsement of PHRs
Apr,05,2013
by:+Marla Durben Hirsch
The low adoption rate of personal health records by consumers may be caused in part by problems that providers are having with the systems, according to a new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
PHRs provide a benefit to providers, as well as to patients, in the "ecosystem," and provider endorsement of PHRs may be an important factor in patients' use of PHRs and of positive patient outcomes. The researchers, from the Veteran's Administration, sought to determine how providers' experiences with PHRs related to patient use. They conducted extensive interviews with 30 providers using the My HealtheVet PHR and secure messaging system.
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WebDocsNetwork

We provide unlimited access to U.S. licensed physicians via web-cam, phone, or secure e-mail. Immediate access available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Being healthy should be a natural right that everyone is entitled to. Lack of access and information or financial limitations should never be allowed to further fuel the fear and uncertainty that prevents one from achieving their highest levels of health.
WebDocsNetwork was created to make life easier, better, and most importantly, healthier. To re-distribute healthcare and improve quality and access for everyone. Our vision and mission is to provide people from all over the globe, access to U.S.
licensed, board-certified physicians. Healthcare when you need it, where you need it. We provide individuals unlimited real-time, immediate interaction with a national network of physicians via web-cam. phone or secure e-mail. Access 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

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Tel: 773-758-0007
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Featured Report: Marketing You-- The key to building a great business!

This Week's Home/Small Business News
Social Media Today
A Google+ Overview: Breaking Through Misconceptions
Apr,2,2013
by+Stephanie Frasco
If you only take one thing away from my engagement series, it should be this: each social network is unique in its own way, with its own personality and set of best practices. Knowing how each social network operates is going to give you a head start in your social media marketing by allowing you to connect to your past, present, and future audience in an acceptable manner.
As I continue my engagement series, in the next two posts we will switch focus to Google Plus. Google Plus is the newest of the group, and like it or not, it is Google, and thus should not be ignored. There are tons of rumors floating around about how Google Plus will help you with your SEO rankings. While this may or may not true, it shouldn't be the sole reason to use G+. The reason to use G+ is to connect and converse with your audience
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Small Business Newz
Marketing You: The key to building a great business!
Apr,o4,2013
by:+Jim Connolly
It has never been easier to locate people or suppliers in your industry, who are capable. Search engines and social networks allow us to find capable people and check them out, without even picking up a phone.
Your capabilities
So, if you are relying on being capable, as a way to build your business, you are going to find yourself consistently fighting to get noticed. You will find yourself consistently having to justify your fees. You will find yourself consistently having to compete against all those other capable people and businesses. You will find yourself unable to look to the future with confidence.
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Social Media Examiner
Facebook Marketing for Small Business: What You Need to Know
Apr,05,2013
By:+Michael Stelzner
Is your business on Facebook? Are you wondering how a small business can benefit from Facebook marketing? To learn about the opportunities for small businesses, I interview Ramon Ray for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast.
Listen to Podcast

Duct Tape Marketing
5 Lessons from a Failed Business
Apr,04,2013
by:+Vitra Singh
I started a small business. And I failed. Not exactly the ideal outcome for an aspiring entrepreneur.
Looking back, there are things I should have done differently. Here are 5 pitfalls to avoid, based on my own experiences:
1. Avoid jumping in too quickly: I came up with my business idea while in grad school for my MBA. The inspirational case studies of individuals who took their companies from zero to millions motivated me – and that’s a great thing. I was so enthusiastic about the idea and eager to serve a demographic I could closely relate to, so I invested my savings into the idea without much structure or detailed knowledge of the industry. Before putting many eggs in one basket, be sure to actually know about the industry inside and out (back, front, and sideways too.) Start by asking yourself these questions: Is there room in the market for one more business and if so, does the market want specifically what you are offering? Is there competition and how are they doing it? How do reach your target audience?
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Featured Healthcare Program: Web Docs NetWork.com



WebDocsNetwork

We provide unlimited access to U.S. licensed physicians via web-cam, phone, or secure e-mail. Immediate access available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Being healthy should be a natural right that everyone is entitled to. Lack of access and information or financial limitations should never be allowed to further fuel the fear and uncertainty that prevents one from achieving their highest levels of health.
WebDocsNetwork was created to make life easier, better, and most importantly, healthier. To re-distribute healthcare and improve quality and access for everyone. Our vision and mission is to provide people from all over the globe, access to U.S.
licensed, board-certified physicians. Healthcare when you need it, where you need it. We provide individuals unlimited real-time, immediate interaction with a national network of physicians via web-cam. phone or secure e-mail. Access 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Affiliate Program
How would you like to save money on you and your family's Doctor's visit while helping other and make extra income. Then become a Web Docs Network Affiliate.
As an affiliate once you sign up three people your services are FREE
Contact:
Keith Berggren
Tel: 773-758-0007
http://www.webdocsnetwork.com/chicago

Featured Report: Loophole could let insurers delay reform compliance

This Week's Healthcare Online News
iHealthbeat
Patients Benefit From Online Access to EHR Data, Study Finds
Apr,04,2013
by+Staff
Patients "overwhelmingly" experience positive benefits when they have online access to their electronic health records, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, FierceEMR reports (Durben Hirsch, FierceEMR, 4/1).

Study Details
The study involved 30 veterans and six family members who participated in the My HealtheVet pilot program, which ran from 2000 to 2010 (Terry, InformationWeek, 4/3). My HealtheVet was a personal health record portal that allowed veterans to view and download content from their electronic health record (Woods et al., Journal of Medical Internet Research, 3/27).
Researchers interviewed the patients in focus groups at the Portland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oregon (FierceEMR, 4/1).
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Med City News
Tax preparers + enrolling in a health insurance exchange = Match made in heaven?
Apr,03,2013
by:+Veronica Combs
Who says the Affordable Care Act doesn’t create jobs? The new insurance exchanges may create new revenue streams for tax preparers and year-round employment for their tax experts.
Jackson Hewitt is lobbying the government for an active role in helping boost enrollment in the insurance exchanges. H&R Block and Intuit won’t say what their plans are for new health insurance services, but it’s clear they see an opportunity.
Jackson Hewitt’s first vice president for health policy says that tax preparers are the ideal partner to help the federal government enroll people in health insurance exchanges.
“Federal policy makers talk about enrolling people at healthcare centers, but if you enroll people as they are seeking services, you get sick people,” Brian Haile said. “At tax preparer sites, you’ll get everyone.”
“Also people are already coming to our brick and mortar locations, so you’re not asking them to change behavior.”
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Fierce Health Payer
Loophole could let insurers delay reform compliance
Apr,03,2013
By:+Dina Overland
An obscure loophole in the health reform law, which lets consumers renew their current policies for an extra year, may help insurers avoid covering additional benefits mandated under the legislation. If insurers let members keep their current coverage until 2014, they won't have to comply with the reform law's provisions, most of which take effect in January, for an additional year, reported the Los Angeles Times. This generally overlooked aspect of the reform law could be welcome news to insurers, particularly since only 2 percent of them already offer all the reform-mandated benefits. Extending their policies would provide a grace period for most insurers to bridge that significant gap, FierceHealthPayer previously reported
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Modern Healthcare.com
Walgreen clinics expand care into chronic illness
Apr,04,2013
by:+Associated Press
Walgreen Co. has expanded the reach of its drugstore clinics beyond treating ankle sprains and sinus infections to handling chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure.
The company, based in Deerfield, Ill., said Thursday that most of its 370 in-store Take Care Clinics now will diagnosis, treat and monitor patients with some chronic conditions that are typically handled by doctors.
Drugstore clinics, which are run by nurse practitioners or physician assistants, have grown popular in recent years as a convenient way for patients to get immunizations, physicals and treatment for relatively minor illnesses when their regular doctor is unavailable. But the clinics have been broadening their scope of care: Walgreen's decision follows a move by CVS Caremark Corp. a few years ago to handle chronic conditions at most of its 640 MinuteClinics.

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WebDocsNetwork

We provide unlimited access to U.S. licensed physicians via web-cam, phone, or secure e-mail. Immediate access available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Being healthy should be a natural right that everyone is entitled to. Lack of access and information or financial limitations should never be allowed to further fuel the fear and uncertainty that prevents one from achieving their highest levels of health.
WebDocsNetwork was created to make life easier, better, and most importantly, healthier. To re-distribute healthcare and improve quality and access for everyone. Our vision and mission is to provide people from all over the globe, access to U.S.
licensed, board-certified physicians. Healthcare when you need it, where you need it. We provide individuals unlimited real-time, immediate interaction with a national network of physicians via web-cam. phone or secure e-mail. Access 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Affiliate Program
How would you like to save money on you and your family's Doctor's visit while helping other and make extra income. Then become a Web Docs Network Affiliate.
As an affiliate once you sign up three people your services are FREE
Contact:
Keith Berggren
Tel: 773-758-0007
http://www.webdocsnetwork.com/chicago

Although patients may not know it, ACOs are increasingly on their team, aiming to provide better care at lower costs

This Week's Healthcare Online News
Healthcare Info Security
Data Registry Gives Patients Control
Apr,01,2013
by+Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
The health advocacy group Genetic Alliance on April 5 will unveil a registry designed to enable patients to control how health information is shared with researchers. Spokesman Greg Biggers discusses privacy measures.

"The idea is to provide a place for the individual to control everything about [their health] data," Biggers explains about the worldwide health and disease registry, known as Reg4All.

In managing the privacy of their health information, patients choose the settings for what researchers and others can and can't do with their data. Participants also can designate whether researchers can contact them to participate in clinical studies.
listen to Podcast

Modern Healthcare.com
Although patients may not know it, ACOs are increasingly on their team, aiming to provide better care at lower costs
Mar,29,2013
by:+Joe Carlson
It was the pain that woke him. Jack Fisher, 60, recently moved into his night-darkened living room to play a hand-held video game, using the animated characters to distract him from the throbbing in his toes and legs. But unlike in years past, he knew that in a few hours he would be able to call his case manager, who would then arrange an immediate visit to one of the half-dozen doctors who treat his diabetes, emphysema, heart disease and complex regional pain syndrome.
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Modern Healthcare A.M.
Some states can steer Medicaid funds to exchanges
Mar,31,2013
By:+Gregg Blesch
The Obama administration is showing willingness to let some states steer new Medicaid funding to private coverage in the new individual insurance marketplaces in order meet the coverage goals of the healthcare reform law.

The CMS will consider granting a “limited number” of state waivers for demonstration that test what happens when states give Medicaid enrollees the option of taking a subsidy to buy a private plan, according to new guidance issued Friday.
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Med City News
One word, two meanings: Public health researchers push for clarity in talking about "population health" and ACOs
Mar,22,2013
by:+Deanna Pogorelc
Are accountable care organizations truly improving population health? According to two public health and policy researchers in the March 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, that depends on whose definition of “population health” you use.

The well-known goals for ACOs are to control healthcare costs, improve quality in healthcare and improve population health, Dr. Lawrence Casalino and Dr. Douglas Noble from the Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College write in the article.
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Featured Healthcare Program: Web Docs NetWork.com



WebDocsNetwork

We provide unlimited access to U.S. licensed physicians via web-cam, phone, or secure e-mail. Immediate access available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Being healthy should be a natural right that everyone is entitled to. Lack of access and information or financial limitations should never be allowed to further fuel the fear and uncertainty that prevents one from achieving their highest levels of health.
WebDocsNetwork was created to make life easier, better, and most importantly, healthier. To re-distribute healthcare and improve quality and access for everyone. Our vision and mission is to provide people from all over the globe, access to U.S.
licensed, board-certified physicians. Healthcare when you need it, where you need it. We provide individuals unlimited real-time, immediate interaction with a national network of physicians via web-cam. phone or secure e-mail. Access 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Affiliate Program
How would you like to save money on you and your family's Doctor's visit while helping other and make extra income. Then become a Web Docs Network Affiliate.
As an affiliate once you sign up three people your services are FREE
Contact:
Keith Berggren
Tel: 773-758-0007
http://www.webdocsnetwork.com/chicago