Healthcare Decision Support Systems

IT Efficiency: Ontology Programming Holds the Key

The seamless integration of knowledge and data is indispensible to today's modern healthcare decision support systems (DSS). A healthcare organization that thoroughly understands its patients and is able to respond quickly to their needs, scores highly with them-and this has become an extremely important competitive component in today's ever-more interconnected world where patient feedback can positively or negatively affect an organization's reputation and bottom line.

Healthcare

The patient care world is complex, with various information systems being utilized to streamline and automate patient care processes.Fortunately, there is a new approach to IT efficiency vis-a-vis ontological engineering-or ontology programming-that is possibly the most significant benefit to ensuring accurate data integration, which fosters a better understanding of patient needs, thus resulting in better patient care and excellent patient outcomes.

Healthcare Decision Support Systems

Ontological engineering excels at extracting knowledge and critical information from the various information systems within a healthcare decision support system (or its organizational databases). Ontology programming reduces often difficult data integration issues and promotes data reuse, data sharing, and common vocabularies between the information systems, from patient intake to patient discharge.

For healthcare organizations to understand their patients better, data across the entire organization or spectrum of information systems involved in patient care must to be analyzed. Knowledge from different areas or "domains" (e.g., the patient-entry process domain, hospitalization and treatment domains, and billing and insurance domains) must to be extracted in order to accurately interpret quality of care.

Detailed knowledge is also required to interpret patient responses to the various care options exercised from the time of entry into the healthcare facility through final discharge. In addition, quality healthcare organizations strive to improve their existing processes and analyze post-care data in order to determine areas of improvement and initiate appropriate programs. Therefore, the accurate compilation and correlation of patient data is essential during the care process-both individually and in aggregate with other patient data-to determine potential process improvement steps.

As mentioned previously, healthcare organizations also benefit from their patients' recovering better and more quickly as a result of higher quality care. This is, in no small part, driven by efficient information systems. Patient care results are reflected in quality reports issued by premier organizations such as JCAHO (Joint Commission for Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations). As of 2009, JCAHO reports include patient satisfaction data, as well, thus making it even more important to understand patient information effectively and utilize to it to render care that leads to better patient satisfaction.

Accurate knowledge across intra-organizational domains can only be extracted when healthcare decision support systems are able to exchange relevant data with each other-which is not always possible with current configurations.Even if the numerous systems within an organization can connect to each other through common computer interfaces, they may have stored patient data differently,rendering information exchange virtually impossible and creating a silo effect. Additionally, the context in which the information is used may vary from system to system,making it even more difficult to correlate data across various platforms and systems within the organization. Finally, data consistency and data integrity issues arise as each silo information system is further customized to optimize the information system's performance.

Therefore, to achieve a comprehensive and accurate individual patient view across the entire patient care spectrum of an organization, different information systems-based reports may have to be compiled separately with data correlated between them. The results will then need to be represented in a single, coherent report. This type of data correlation may include the mapping of various customer names for a single patient, as an example. Obviously, this type of system is not only vulnerable to error and to data integrity and consistency issues, but it is also quite inefficient and, therefore, needlessly costly.

Data correlation, integrity, and integration issues are not confined within an organization's systems only. Health care organizations rely on HIE (Healthcare Information Exchange) to communicate with external entities. HIE is used to move clinical information between different information systems from various providers (i.e. test labs, insurance companies, and other healthcare facilities) without losing the meaning of the information exchanged. These systems typically use established standards for data exchange, such as SNOMED CT, ICD-9 and -10, and other HIE standards.

Periodic updates are required, and organizations must ensure that they are in compliance in order to participate in data exchanges with other providers. Naturally, whenever any data changes occur, the cost and time required to modify multiple systems within an organization can be staggering, but without the use of ontological engineering, the higher costs must be borne, as system modifications are mandatory.

Whether the data reside internally or external sources are employed for HIE, a healthcare organization faces the common issues of data mapping, data integration, reuse, and data sharing.  Whenever data change, or new relationships between data are discovered, organizations expend valuable resources in time and money adjusting databases across various systems in an attempt to keep them aligned with each other. This absorbs important resources, taking them away from the core focus and value proposition of the organization-that of providing quality patient care.

When data change, especially internal organizational data, conventional technologies (as in "relational" databases) require changes to their database structures and schemas, potentially leading to major regression testing of the systems after the changes have been completed.  This must be accomplished in order to ensure that nothing is deleted or corrupted after the changes are made, and is quite naturally, another costly step-both in terms of time and resources. 

Information Technology departments have tried to respond to data integrity and data integration issues across various systems within an organization by building a data warehouse that acts as a central repository for most, or all, of the inter-related systems. However, the solution is only partially successful. Often times, competing interests from various internal "stakeholders" in different information systems can lead to data that is stored in a manner is favorable to some information systems, but not others. This, of course, potentially compromises data access and reuse by other systems.

In addition, since the entire organization's data cannot be migrated to a data warehouse simultaneously, some systems are migrated before others, and the entire migration process may take as long as a year or more to complete in a large health care organization. In the interim, data across the enterprise changes, and the whole cycle of re-aligning data must start anew. There have been proposed solutions to address this and other related problems, but they each leave something to be desired.

Ontology programming can help reduce data integration, sharing, and reuse pains to quite an extent. By definition, ontologies are a formal representation of knowledge by a set of concepts within a domain. They not only store data in a database, but also store relationships, including hierarchical relationships, between data. 

This ability distinguishes ontological engineering from standard relational databases and provides the flexibility of updating data and relationships between them. Ontologies are also able to add newly discovered relationships without the necessity of significantly changing the core database or requiring extensive programming efforts-unlike typical databases currently in use.  They also excel at removing term confusion and providing data mapping capabilities, which vastly promotes improved data share and data reuse across an organization's information systems.

For healthcare organizations, as well as other large business enterprises, the practical, time-saving applications of a system built on ontology programming are quite extensive. We know that ontological engineering provides the ability to extract knowledge contained within applications and information systems across the various domains within an organization, but it is also very useful for capturing "real world decisions" made by humans and converting it into computer format. The result of this capturing of knowledge across domains by SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) and healthcare providers leads to much more consistent query results whenever similar conditions are encountered in the future.

Such information system architecture can significantly reduce medical errors and enhance patient care. This can be accomplished, for instance, by the capturing of a healthcare professional's diagnosis of a particular medical condition and other relevant data. Once the data are entered into the ontological system, it will consistently provide the same results for similar conditions in the future and offer the diagnostics and conclusions as an aid to other healthcare professionals.

Subsequently, a healthcare professional may choose to exercise the same diagnostics (or treat the patient differently according to differences in patient circumstances), but the healthcare decision support system's information can now provide an important, relevant checkpoint based upon the previous diagnostic information.

In conclusion, the use of ontology programming in the healthcare field provides a significant reduction in data integration issues and-because these technologies are superior extractors of knowledge across multiple information systems and can add new relationships between such systems with relative ease-they provide the flexibility to change data with far less effort and cost than standard systems now require.

Consequently, ontological engineering is able to provide an invaluable component to improved patient care and outcomes by supporting critical healthcare processes and decision-making. The superior integration of knowledge and data within healthcare organizations may at first appear prosaic, but it is nothing short of revolutionary in its potential to affect organizational performance and quality care.

Healthcare Decision Support Systems

For more information, please contact TerraFrame ( www.terraframe.com ), a leading ontological engineering software development company in Denver, CO or call 877-444-3074 or email Ray Hutchins at rh@terraframe.com or JP Batra at jp.batra@blueriverintnl.com.

California Job Outlook - Healthcare Workers in Huge Demand

Temperature is right for Healthcare Opportunities

A healthcare career might be just the cure for your occupational woes. Whether it's working with patients, being a key contributor in a medical office team, or opening up your own business, healthcare is a satisfying, challenging and exciting career choice. And there's never been a better time to train for a healthcare position. With the aging of the baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), a shift from inpatient to outpatient care, and the expansion of healthcare centers, the demand for healthcare workers is expected to increase in the years to come, especially in California.

Healthcare

Below are the fastest growing Healthcare Careers in California:

California Job Outlook - Healthcare Workers in Huge Demand

*Dental Assisting*

Average Annual Wage: ,985

2002-2012 Job Growth: 57%

Future Career Paths: Dental Hygienist, Licensed Vocational Nurse

*Health Claims Examiner/Medical Biller*

Average Annual Wage: ,772

2002-2012 Job Growth: 41%

Future Career Paths: Medical Coder, Insurance Adjuster

*Massage Therapy*

Average Annual Wage: ,340

2002-2012 Job Growth: 21%

Future Career Paths: Physical Therapist, Day Spa Manager

*Medical Assistant*

Average Annual Wage: ,890

2002-2012 Job Growth: 46%

Future Career Paths: Licensed Vocational Nurse, Medical Coder

*Optical Dispensing*

Average Annual Wage: ,441

2002-2012 Job Growth: 23%

Future Career Paths: Store Owner, Manufacturers Sales Rep

*Pharmacy Technician*

Average Annual Wage: ,632

2002-2012 Job Growth: 31%

Future Career Paths: Occupational Therapy Assistant, Dietetic Technician

*Surgical Technology*

Average Annual Wage: ,178

2002-2012 Job Growth: 36%

Future Career Paths: Central Supply Mgr, Asst. Operating Room Admin.

*Diagnostic Medical Sonagraphy*

Average Annual Wage: ,908

2002-2012 Job Growth: 21%

Future Career Paths: Physician's Assistant, Medical Technologist

** Salaries listed above are average annual wages reported by the Employment Development Department of the State of California and do not reflect entry level salaries for the healthcare positions listed.

Key Success Factors

Do you have a genuine desire to help people? Then chances are you'll be successful as a healthcare professional. The four other critical skills you'll need to succeed in health care are:

o Team player. Healthcare is a group activity, so people skills and teamwork are essential.

o Compassionate and caring. Helping take care of people requires patience and a service-orientated attitude.

o Comfortable in any setting. You might be part of a huge organization or a small staff, working at the local, state, regional or national level. The possibilities are endless.

o Desire for lifelong learning. You'll need to keep studying and learning throughout your career to keep up with the latest developments in the field.

Healthcare provides a helping hand

Healthcare professionals are essential when it comes to caring for the physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing of individuals. Whether you're a health information specialist or a dental receptionist, all support staff play a vital role in patient care. As an important contributor to the healthcare system, you'll need to be able to establish trust and credibility with fellow workers and patients. Good communication skills, ability to follow directions, and strong listening ability are important, especially if you're working in a clinical environment.

Technical abilities are a must

Technology has altered the practice of healthcare. No matter what the healthcare field, an ability to work with computers and high-tech equipment is a powerful asset. As a medical biller, you will probably be asked to help process some claims electronically. Medical clinical assistants may need to deal with an Electronic Medical Record. Pharmacy technicians often operate automated pill dispensers. But if you're unfamiliar with such tools, don't worry--your all-important career college will help introduce you to these concepts.

Exciting environments

Is it any wonder that shows like NBC's "ER" and "Scrubs," and CBS' "Rescue 911," have been so popular? They show the drama of medicine and the reality of life-and-death situations. Healthcare is filled with stimulating and interesting interactions. Of course, big-city hospitals bustle with activity, but even a quiet suburban assisted living facility, chiropractic office, retail pharmacy, HMO, or medical clinic have everyday drama and fascinating daily interactions. If you like a variety of tasks, work well under stress, and take pride in doing a job well done, then you have what it takes to be a valuable member of the healthcare team.

Lifelong learning

Medical-related workplaces have always been settings that support and encourage professional growth and development. Opportunities for on-the-job training and continuing education abound, and often employers will subsidize your schooling. You'll also have lots of opportunities for advancement, so your ambition will serve you well in a healthcare profession. If you're interested in a career like massage therapy, be assured that complementary and alternative medicines are being integrated into conventional healthcare systems, offering you even greater opportunities. No matter what your area of interest, be sure you start out at a school that provides a positive learning environment and is prepared to help you launch your career in this exciting arena.

Reality check

Although not every healthcare professional works with patients, those who do will find that people are sicker, older, and living longer, often with chronic diseases. Keeping a positive attitude is key for maintaining a cheerful office or clinic. Are you up to the challenge? Being a paid caregiver requires confidence, commitment and compassion.
Summary

The clock never stops ticking in the healthcare profession. Perhaps it's time for you to join this financially rewarding, stable and gratifying occupation. One recent study showed that California led other states in the number of advertised healthcare job vacancies, with other regions also showing a strong demand across the nation.

One healthcare worker said it best: "Touching someone's life in a positive way is the most rewarding work that there is."

To request free information about the healthcare career training programs offered in southern California, visit http://www.americancareer.com.

To request free information about the healthcare career training programs offered in northern California's San Joaquin Valley, visit http://www.acicareercollege.com.

About American Career College

For over 25 years, American Career College (ACC) has been helping thousands of students get their start in the healthcare industry. ACC offers nine healthcare training programs at campuses in Los Angeles, Orange County and Norco, California:

Dental Assisting

Health Claims Examiner/Medical Biller

Massage Therapy

Optical Dispensing

Vocational Nursing

Pharmacy Technician

Surgical Technology

Diagnostic & Medical Sonography (Ultrasound)

Medical Assistant

About A.C.I. Career College

At its McHenry Avenue campus in Modesto, CA, the College offers six accredited healthcare training programs:

Health Information Specialist

Medical Clinical Assistant

Medical-Dental Administrative Assistant

Pharmacy Technician

Massage Therapist

Medical Dental Receptionist

California Job Outlook - Healthcare Workers in Huge Demand

Dotty Zukoff is a freelance writer who specializes in writing articles on career education opportunities. She contributes regularly to e-zines and works with strategic marketing companies that specialize in lead generation marketing for career schools, including Smart Prospector (www.smartprospector.com) and Effective Student Marketing (www.effectivestudentmarketing.com).

Healthcare Professionals

You may wonder who helps you when you are sick. Who takes good care of you when you are confined in the hospital or clinic? They can be found in every hospital, clinic or health care setting, and they are called healthcare professionals.

Healthcare professionals are people who devote their time in providing good care to people who are sick or to people who need attention with regards to health related matters. They are equipped with the knowledge and skills that are needed in order to help those who are in need. For example, in order to treat certain illnesses or diseases, a person will have a degree in medicine and will become a doctor. Doctors are the ones who assess you when you are sick and diagnose your illness. They are the ones who prescribe you your medication/s in order to aid you in recovering from illness. The doctors cannot perform all the tasks in dealing with patients alone, they need the help of other healthcare professionals.

Healthcare

One of them would be the nurse. The nurse assists the doctor in providing care for the patients. They are the ones who monitor the condition of the patient when they are confined in the hospital. They aid in the daily activities of patients who cannot perform on their own. The nurses are the ones who spend most of the time with patients in the hospital. Another healthcare professional would be the medical technologist. They are the ones who are responsible in obtaining blood samples of patients to help properly diagnose the condition of the patient. The medical technologist work hand in hand with the pathologist in studying the blood of the patient, so as to determine whether the underlying cause of the illness can be found in the blood. Each of the healthcare professionals perform a specific task in order to help the patients recover and be able to get back to good health.

Healthcare Professionals

The healthcare professionals do not rely only on their knowledge and skills when providing good quality care to their patients. They also need the use of medical equipment in order to endow their patients with quality service that is needed to facilitate their fast recovery. For example, the nurse uses the nebulizer for the patient who has asthma. The nebulizer aids in administering the medication needed by the patient to alleviate his or her condition. Another example would be when the doctor coordinates with the physical therapist to assist the patient in conducting physical therapy.

The physical therapist in turn will use medical equipments such as an overhead trapeze, which is installed on the patient's bed, in order to help the patient use his or her own muscles when turning from side to side in order to facilitate range of motion exercises. All of the medical equipment being used has its purpose to assist in the improvement of the condition of a patient and the healthcare professional. The healthcare professional in turn must be knowledgeable enough on how to use the medical equipment in order to provide the most excellent care that will aid the patient in gaining good health.

Healthcare Professionals

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Comparing the Pros and Cons of Outsourced Healthcare Coding

Deciding on whether to outsource any portion of your healthcare facility's revenue cycle department is something that cannot be taken lightly. And facilities have different options when outsourcing the coding function. Some facilities have chosen to keep the coding in-house and only outsource the processes involved with electronic claims submissions, collections and financial reporting. However, with the increased number of audits, health care facilities are deciding to outsource all revenue cycle functions including the coding of claims.

The implication of inaccurate coding is significant. A healthcare facility should look at their available resources when determining if the coding should be outsourced. One only has to look at the two types of coding errors: "overcoding" and "undercoding." The obvious ramification of overcoding is potential for an extended audit; repayment and possible penalties and fines. Undercoding or what providers call "defensive coding" results in millions of dollars of lost revenue.

Healthcare

Pros of Outsourced Coding

Comparing the Pros and Cons of Outsourced Healthcare Coding

As mentioned, healthcare providers are seeing audits from all areas. These claims audits include RAC, MIC, MAC, CERT, PERM, MFCU, ZPIC and others. With more claims audits, the healthcare industry is seeing a higher demand for qualified coders. One benefit of outsourcing the coding tasks is that the headache of hiring an individual with coding experience is no longer an issue.

Medical coding rules can be arduous. A coder must be privy to CPT rules, Correct Coding Initiative Edits (CCI), ICD-9-CM (and soon ICD-10-CM), Local Carrier Determination (LCDs) and National Carrier Determinations (NCDs). With small practices, those individuals who are granted the task of "coding" are also given other responsibilities which affect the amount of time they have on applying, learning and keeping abreast of all of the rules. Utilizing a company who only hires qualified individuals to conduct the coding tasks, provides confidence that the claims are being submitted based on the appropriate rules and policies.

The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) provide various ways of obtaining the required continuing education credits. Many ways are affordable and do not require leaving your desk. However, many of these ways are not as specialty specific as you would find at regional and national conferences. With attending offsite conferences, the expenses are increased. The budgets in many health care facilities cannot accommodate the expenses associated with continuing education classes. Outsourcing the coding to a company eliminates this extra expense.

With the above benefits of outsourcing the coding, comes due diligence on the health care facility's end. It is imperative that it is understood that these companies do provide specialty specific continuing education and that they provide their staff with the appropriate resources that spell out all of the coding rules and policies.

Cons of Outsourced Coding

So what are the cons involved in the outsourcing of the coding? For one, when mentioning the benefits of using a coding company, we are making the assumption that their employees are qualified and educated on the coding rules. Negative outcomes have been shown with physicians of certain specialties that have more difficult coding scenarios. This is often seen with Interventional Radiology and Neuro Surgery. Although the coding company may have qualified individuals, they may not be experts on these more difficult specialties. It is imperative that you find out if your designated coder is educated on your specialty. Ask for the bios and CVs of the coders who will be working on your claims. In addition, coders lose their credentials. It is easy to contact the AAPC and AHIMA to determine if the coder who is submitting your claims has allowed her credentials to lapse. Find out what type of continuing education they have received in the past; get specifics.

Unless you contract with a coding company that only deals with claims in one particular part of the country, you are taking the gamble that they are truly applying LCDs and other regional coding policies to your claims. If you are a provider in Louisiana and you are utilizing the services of a company out of Minnesota, you must get confirmation that the coding company is experienced with Medicare, Medicaid and other third-party payers in your state.

Beyond the coding tasks, there is the remainder of the revenue cycle process that can be outsourced. The process for outsourcing billing can be pretty straightforward. Typically superbills and other documents are scanned and electronically sent or mailed to the medical billing service. If the practice is using EHR software, the patient's superbill is stored and electronically transmitted to the billing service. The medical billing service takes care of the data entry and claim submission on behalf of the provider. The company will also follow up on denied claims, work unpaid accounts (A/R management) and send out-patient statements. The mere fact that they do not have to deal with any of this is the major reason that providers choose to outsource. In this outsourcing scenario, the fee for outsourcing these revenue cycle tasks is based on a percentage of gross collections. The industry average for these fees is approximately 7 percent of gross collections.

Compare hard costs: Calculate the expense of doing it in-house (salary and overhead of your billing staff, amount of time you are spending on billing, third-party fees for claims clearinghouses, billing related supplies such as claim forms) versus the billing company fees (which are typically a percentage of collections). Many organizations provide salary surveys that can assist you with average cost of billing staff.

Compare soft costs and intangibles: This comes down to the basic hassle of dealing with daily billing issues and all issues related to human resources. Is dealing with these issues worth it?

Compare effectiveness: You must take into account the quality of the resources that you would have in-house versus assessing the potential effectiveness of a third-party. If you have done billing in-house, you can measure your collection rates; turnaround times and other points of billing to practices of the same specialty and size. This could assist you in determining how well your billing staff is doing. Another question that you could ask yourself is how often do you get reports regarding A/R, charges, and collections?

Any business decision requires acknowledgment of cost benefit, good business practice and common sense for the company. When determining whether to outsource the billing, consider these facts and apply them to your daily practices. The ultimate decision comes down to one thing and that is how can we practice medicine and maintain a business in the most efficient way.

Comparing the Pros and Cons of Outsourced Healthcare Coding

HORNE LLP is one of the top 50 accounting and business advisory firms in the United States, as reported by the Public Accounting Report (PAR), and one of the top 10 accounting and business advisory firms in the Southeast. With offices in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Arizona, the firm has team members serving clients across the nation providing evaluations of health care compliance, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, cost report preparation, healthcare audit and assurance services, and other services for the health care industry, as well as services for the franchise, financial institution and construction industries. For more information on HORNE, visit http://www.horne-llp.com.

Income Tax Implications of The Healthcare Reform Act - Obama Care

On March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the Landmark Health Care Reform Act and was immediately challenged in court. The result was that many people were left confused about the law and its' effect your personal bottom line and taxes in particular.

The new law which incorporates a slew of new regulations and requirements for businesses and individuals is intended to increase the number of people covered by medical insurance and by doing so reduce the cost for everyone. The Health Care Reform Act commonly referred to as Obama Care is being phased in over the course of eight years with the vast majority of the law in place by the end of 2014.

Healthcare

One of the ways the law is intended reduce costs is through the creation of state-based exchanges. These exchanges allow lower income individuals and families to purchase coverage by taking advantage of cost sharing. Small businesses may also purchase insurance through the state exchanges and take advantage of similar cost benefits. The state exchanges will be available to individuals and families who are between 133-400% of the federal poverty level which is incomes from about ,050. to ,200 for a family of four.

Income Tax Implications of The Healthcare Reform Act - Obama Care

The Health Care Reform Act, Obama Care does require that individuals without employer provided health coverage purchase their own or be subject to a tax penalty. The penalty for not purchasing coverage is based on income and therefore varies. The tax penalty will be eased into effect and at its' maximum will run from 5 to ,085. per year. For a family of four with a household income of ,054. the average tax penalty will be about ,251. per year.

The majority of households, estimates range from 70-80%, who do not have some form of employer based health coverage will be eligible for premium support and as such will have access to state exchanges. The average family of four with a household income of ,000 a year will pay about ,400 a year for insurance.

The cost for an average family of four breaks down as follows:

Household Income: ,000.

Total Cost of Insurance: ,853.

Tax Credit: ,468.

Final Cost to Taxpayer: ,385.

The Henry Kaiser Family Foundation website provides a great tool to calculate your actual cost for health insurance beginning with the year 2014. The health reform subsidy calculator allows you to put in your family income, size and your age and calculates exactly what your costs will be.

Employers

In most cases businesses who employ more then 50 people, full-time, will be required to provide health insurance coverage under this law. The law states that if you have more then 50 full-time employees and at least one of them receives the premium support tax credit a fee (tax penalty) of ,000 per full-time employee (excluding the first 30) will be assessed. This applies only to employers who do not offer health coverage already.

For employers who do offer coverage but still have a full-time employee who receives a premium support tax credit the employer will have to pay a tax penalty of ,000. for each full-time employee receiving a credit or ,000. per employee, excluding the first 30, whichever is less.

It is important to note that all the tax penalties for employers pertain to full-time employees only. For example a business with 100 employees of which only 49 are full-time is exempt from providing coverage.

Income Tax Implications of The Healthcare Reform Act - Obama Care

I have been writing about taxes, tax preparation and accounting related topics for 10 years. Visit us online CPA Tax Center or Lorraine Palka, CPA

Reasons For Increasing Healthcare Costs

Healthcare in America has become unaffordable for an average individual due to the increase in the costs. These costs are straining burden on the individuals and have become a top issue in the country. Some reasons behind the increasing healthcare costs would be the latest medical technology that's coming up, lack of price controlling mechanism and rising costs of insurance. Let's look into these factors a little bit in detail.

As one can clearly see, day to day new medical devices, techniques and drugs are being introduced in the market and charges levied on such services are being high. This can be understood by a simple fact that the treatment of the most common dental ailments would cost you anything not less than 0 which is more than twice the amount of other countries. Government's policies to extend coverage for all the Americans could not fundamentally happen as expected due to the lack of health price control mechanisms. This failure made the health care costs soaring and pushed up the costs. Insurance companies are increasing the costs to make significant gains from the increasing health care costs. This increase in the premiums has reached a point where it has become unaffordable to the people.

Healthcare

Many survey reports clearly analyzes the conditions and present a detailed description of facts about the increasing health care costs and insurance premiums in America. The most common thing all these reports suggest is to control the health care costs but they don't come up with a solution of resolving it. Overall, it affects the consumers. The only solution, which is considered to be the best in the contemporary America, is discount plans that reduce your health care costs to a greater extent and provide a sigh of relief to the consumers.

Reasons For Increasing Healthcare Costs

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Reasons For Increasing Healthcare Costs

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Differences Between the Republican and Democratic Healthcare Reform Bills

The Republican Party has spent the past several months serving as vocal opposition to the healthcare reform bills supported by the Barack Obama administration and Democratic members of Congress. During that time, they have seen success in influencing public opinion. However, many were frustrated that Republicans hadn't offered their own plan. Surely they didn't believe that the health insurance system in the U.S. is perfect the way it is? Well, the wait is over. Senate Minority Leader John Boehner has acknowledged the public's demand for an alternative with the debut of the GOP's healthcare reform bill. Obviously, a party that has disagreements with most parts of the Democrats' bills in the House of Representatives and Senate has written a significantly different bill. How exactly are the proposals different?

• Length: The Democrats' bill is a whopping 1,990 pages long. Meanwhile, the Republican version clocks in at a more reasonable 230 pages. Most politicians should find the latter's length (akin to the average novel) more manageable than the entire encyclopedia that is the former.
• Mandate: Republicans have eliminated the mandate that would require virtually all individuals to buy health insurance plans, as well as one that would force employers to provide insurance. Those mandates are central to the Democratic bill; their intent is to make sure that the cost of health insurance is spread among a large pool, as opposed to only the sickest of our population.
• Pre-existing Conditions: Unlike the bills proposed by the Democrats, the Republican bill would not ban health insurance companies from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. This falls in line with the party's more anti-regulatory stance on business.
• Interstate Insurance Sales: People will be allowed to buy a health insurance plan across state lines under the Republican bill. Insurance is cheaper in some states, since there are fewer requirements or restrictions on what insurers do or do not cover.
• Abortion Coverage: The Republican bill includes stricter prohibitions on funding of abortions. Democrats have already included a provision that would prevent federal subsidies (given to low income individuals to buy insurance) from being used directly on abortion services. However, the Republicans go further by preventing people who receive the subsidies from buying any health insurance plan that covers abortion entirely--even if they never end up using that particular option. The Republican party has a stronger pro-life base, so this provision could help draw them in. On the other hand, this could also backfire against the Republicans, who have capitalized off the grassroots anger over the possibility of a government bureaucracy making your health care decisions for you.
• Medical Malpractice: Trial lawyers have been loyal contributors to Democratic politicians. That may be why there isn't significant legislation involving medical tort reform in their bill. Republicans would like to limit jury awards for things like pain and suffering. The most plaintiffs could be awarded would be 0,000 in medical malpractice cases (excluding actual, proven economic harm)
• Cost: The most recent estimates show the Democrats' plan as costing over trillion over the next decade, while Republicans haven't yet revealed how much their plan will cost. Given how much they complain about the Democratic proposals super-sizing the national debt, it can reasonably be expected that their bill will have a lower price tag.

Healthcare

As you can see, there are significant differences in the bills. Above all, Republicans acknowledge that their bill would insure less people than the Democratic bill. Although both parties care about lowering the percentage of uninsured individuals and families in addition to the budget deficit, there is a trade-off. The latter appears to be a higher priority for the GOP. It appears inevitable that healthcare reform will pass at some point, possibly before the end of this year. The details of the Democratic proposals have been discussed for weeks, while the solutions presented by the Republicans have just made their formal debut. Boehner plans to finalize his party's bill soon, in order for it to be presented when debate on the finalized Democratic bill begins on the House floor. So far, neither strategy for reforming our healthcare system seems ideal. Despite that, it is positive that more options are being presented to the American people. The greater number of minds put together, the faster we can fix the unavailability of affordable health insurance plans in this country.

Differences Between the Republican and Democratic Healthcare Reform Bills

Differences Between the Republican and Democratic Healthcare Reform Bills

Yamileth Medina is an up and coming expert on Health Insurance and Healthcare Reform. She aims to help people realize that they can get affordable health insurance plans right now while waiting for a public option, if it ever gets passed. Yamileth lives in Miami, FL.

Healthcare Bill and Its Impact on Medicare

The Senate Health Bill has been grabbing headlines for months as members of the Senate continue to debate spending, bill allotments, and the merits of improved or universal healthcare coverage. The latest iteration of this bill in late November and included a price tag of 9 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 0 billion alone would be set aside to help cover doctors' fees so that they would not suffer from a drastic cut back to reimbursement rates.

Much in keeping with the diversity of American opinion, this bill has come with more than its fair share of controversy, sparking heated debates on both sides of the political aisle.

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Bill controversy

Healthcare Bill and Its Impact on Medicare

Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided over the merits and allocations included in this healthcare bill. The final vote on the bill showcased this division; the voting results were nearly entirely along party lines. In the 243 to 183 win by the Democratic-controlled House, only 11 Democrats voted against the bill and only one Republican voted for the bill. That Republican is also an obstetrician - Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas.

Republicans called the 0 billion allocation to cover doctors' fees a political payoff and labeled it as the Democrats' way of thanking physicians for their support of President Obama's healthcare overhaul.

What's included in the bill and how will it affect Americans?

The new healthcare bill, which will go into effect in 2010, is said to provide coverage to 94 percent of Americans. The bill is also estimated to cut the federal deficit by 7 billion during its first ten years. In its second decade, the bill is estimated to cut the federal deficit by as much as 0 billion. Over a 20-year period, it is believed that the bill would cut the federal deficit by 7.

However, in order to cut this deficit, the bill will reduce payments for Medicare plans and cut spending in a wide variety of other areas. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that seniors on Medicare will have to pay billion in higher healthcare premiums over the next 10 years, passing along much of the healthcare expenses to Medicare beneficiaries.

Additionally, because of reduced payments and services covered by the bill, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that Americans will see a 5 billion price increase in doctors' fees for those doctors who treat Medicare patients. With only a percentage of those fees being covered by Medicare, patients themselves will have to make up the difference out of their pockets. TRICARE (the military healthcare program) beneficiaries would see an increase in fees by about billion for non-military physicians who see patients enrolled in the TRICARE program.

How can Americans protect themselves from these price increases?

While it may be impossible to predict exactly how this bill will impact Americans and their pocketbooks until the bill is fully approved and implemented, Americans would be wise to begin looking for alternative healthcare solutions. Many Americans on Medicare may want to investigate alternatives to Original Medicare plans, including Medicare Advantage Plans.

Also, as healthcare prices increase, so will the prices of prescription medications and other medical services. Therefore, many Medicare beneficiaries would benefit by enrolling in Medicare Supplement insurance plans to help cover the cost of price increases and of items that are not covered by Original Medicare plans.

Managing the national healthcare system has proved to be a challenge and a politically derisive topic - especially over the past year. While changes are inevitable and are sure to impact every American, Americans can help to protect their health and their pocketbooks by focusing on maintaining or improving their health in controllable ways. Enrolling in affordable healthcare programs, such as a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplemental insurance program, may also help to save Americans a significant amount of money at the doctor's office.

Healthcare Bill and Its Impact on Medicare

By Wiley Long - President, MedigapAdvisors.com - The nation's leading independent agency specializing in Medigap coverage. Our professional medigap advisors will help you choose the best Medigap plan for your needs.

Marketing To Healthcare Industry: Selling Pharma Products To Doctor

Marketing healthcare products to physicians requires tact and skill. Trust is very important, since physicians are always on the lookout for reliable sources of information on healthcare products. Marketing healthcare products also needs some basic knowledge of clinical evidence, as well as a good sales pitch.

Since many representatives of the pharmacy industry to endorse products approach doctors, you need to be able to convince them about the efficacy of your products. If the sales pitch is overdone, doctors may get annoyed and refuse to listen to you.

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Effective Tips for Marketing Healthcare Products:

Marketing To Healthcare Industry: Selling Pharma Products To Doctor

Here are some ways to convince doctors about the efficacy of your healthcare products.

1) Tone down the sales pitch and provide authentic information. Give as much scientific data and information on clinical trials as you can.

2) Apart from face to face interaction, offer information through the Internet, email, mobile phones, print media and television and radio broadcasts.

3) E-detailing is another method of selling healthcare products to physicians. It involves electronic communication between physicians and sales representatives.

4) Offering online information is another way to market to the healthcare industry. Many doctors use online resources to keep track of the latest developments in the field.

5) Some healthcare companies also organize "fairs" that let physicians meet patients. This is a good chance for the pharma industry to market itself.

6) The Epocrates mobile service provides doctors instant answers to their healthcare related queries. Alerts are sent to physicians when a response to the query is available.

How to Market Healthcare Industry Online:

Online marketing is the latest in the marketing strategies of the healthcare products related industry. Your website must provide the latest, authentic information when marketing to healthcare professionals. Here are some points to keep in mind when selling to physicians online.

1) Combine the sales pitch with facts when presenting your products online.

2) Team with vendors who are trusted by doctors.

3) Market your products on websites that are trusted by doctors.

4) The website should be well maintained and offer the latest information on clinical trials and anything else of interest to doctors.

Physicians are always on the lookout for credible information on the latest healthcare products. You should do your research well when presenting your products to doctors, since they are critical about overt sales pitch and little information. In order to market your products, you need to convince doctors about the quality of the products. Use the latest marketing tools like Internet, mobile devices and telephonic marketing in order to sell healthcare products to physicians. You can approach a business consultant for advice if you need to know more about marketing healthcare products to doctors, as well as to the public.

Marketing To Healthcare Industry: Selling Pharma Products To Doctor

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at .95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

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France Has the Best Healthcare System in the World

As the United States struggles toward a system of universal health care, many have looked at the Canadian health care system as a model. Only a few have looked toward France. That's a mistake for at least 2 reasons.

First, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), France has the best health care system in the world . It has been widely reported that the WHO found the French system to be number 1 while the Canadian system is number 30 and the U.S. number 37.

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It should be noted here that the WHO rankings actually contain multiple rankings and the numbers generally quoted are the ranking based on the measure that the WHO calls the OP ranking. OP is said to measure "overall performance" adjusted to reflect a country's performance based on how well it theoretically could have performed. When reporting the rankings of 1 for France, 30 for Canada and 37 for the United States, it is the OP ranking being used.

France Has the Best Healthcare System in the World

Why did the French system do so well in the WHO rankings? The French system excels in 4 areas:

• It provides universal coverage
• It has responsive health care providers
• Patients have freedom of choice
• The health and longevity of the population

Second, we should be looking more closely at the French system because it has more similarities with the U.S. system than either the Canadian or British system. Many Americans assume that the French system is like the system in Britain. Nothing could be further from the truth or more insulting to the French.

Exactly like the United States, the French system relies on both private insurance and government insurance. Also, just like in America, people generally get their insurance through their employer. What is different is that everyone in France has health insurance. Every legal resident of France has access to health care under the law of universal coverage called la Couverture maladie universelle.

Under the French system, health insurance is a branch of Social Security or the Sécurité Sociale. The system is funded primarily by taxing the salaries of workers. An employee in France will pay about 20% of their salary to fund the Sécurité Sociale. These taxes represent about 60% of the cost of the health insurance plan.

The balance of the funding comes from the self employed, who pay more than salaried workers, and by indirect taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Finally, additional taxes are levied against other income, both direct and indirect.

The French share the same distaste for restrictions on patient choice as American do. The French system relies on autonomous private practitioners rather than a British-style national health service. The French are very dismissive of the British system which they call "socialized medicine." Virtually all physicians in France participate in the nation's public health insurance, Sécurité Sociale.

Perhaps it's time for us to take a closer look at French ideas about health care reform.

France Has the Best Healthcare System in the World

Sheila Guilloton is the owner of Prestige Planners, a health specialty agency placing health and dental insurance for business and individuals. Licensed with all the major carriers, she counsels and advises clients on how to select the most appropriate coverage. Follow the series on health care systems around the world by visiting http://www.examiner.com/x-11804-Health-Care-Examiner

Quality Health Insurance - United Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield

Two of the giants in the health care industry are United Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield. For many years, the latter was the number one health insurance provider in the country. Today, however, other companies have surpassed it, although they are still considered to be a first rate carrier of group health insurance.

No Cut-Rates Here!

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In addition to group health policies, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) also offers individual based health coverage. You are not looking at HMO insurance or cut rate health insurance when you choose either United Healthcare Insurance or BCBS. Both of these carriers are considered to be tops when it comes to quality health plans.

Quality Health Insurance - United Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield

Most of the time, the person who is enrolled in BCBS or United Healthcare does not make a choice when it comes to getting health care coverage as the insurance is provided to them by their employer. In other cases, a person who seeks out health policies can do so by looking for an agent who will sell them the insurance that they want.

Universal Acceptance with United Healthcare and BCBS

Both group health insurance plans that are being offered by United Healthcare and BCBS are top notch plans and are accepted at most health facilities across the nation as well as in some other countries. Most doctors will accept United Healthcare and BCBS, although they do have their limitations. There are some doctors who will not accept United Healthcare and Blue Cross, although they are few and far between. This is the case with all health care carriers.

Before you get health care insurance, it is always a good idea to make sure that your health care provider accepts the type of policy that you are obtaining so that you can be covered. For the most part, however, both of these prime insurance companies are accepted by most medical care providers.

Weighing the Pros and Cons between United Healthcare and BCBS

When it comes to cost, you may spend a bit less when you get BCBS. The amount that you pay for a premium depends upon the coverage that you get and how many people are in your group. BCBS is still considered to be the top insurance company for those who need to buy individual health packages and who are not covered by group insurance policies as it is reasonable and covers a great deal.

United Healthcare is also a very well known company that is accepted at most of the places where you will see Blue Cross. United Healthcare is a little bit tougher when it comes to pre-existing conditions, although the cost of premiums for those without any pre-existing conditions and who have had a physical in the past 5 years is less than the cost of premiums for those who opt for BCBS.

The choice you make when it comes to health insurance coverage between United Healthcare and BCBS depends on whether you have pre-existing conditions, how much you want to spend for a premium and what type of coverage that you want. Both these companies offer quality coverage that you can purchase on your own or as part of a business group insurance.

Quality Health Insurance - United Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield

During these tough times, you need to find the health insurance provider that truly fits your needs. Go to HealthInsuranceReviewer.com and read up on user-provided United Healthcare reviews and Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance reviews to see if any of these providers answer your health care needs.

Fire Prevention in Healthcare Facilities

With a large amount of residents physically unable to move themselves, fires are a particular problem for the healthcare industry. Many facilities have been designed to be fireproof, however because burning materials often release toxic vapors fire prevention has and always will be a top priority. All employees can make a difference with fire prevention. With the proper training all healthcare facilities can become much safer institutions.

To help prevent fires employees need to know what starts them. All fires involve three elements: Heat, Fuel and Oxygen. Removing any of these elements will stop a fire. Fires are started with heat as the ignition and heat can be generated by anything that is hot - open flames, chemical reactions, Faulty electrical, overheated equipment and hot surfaces. Once a fire starts it will grow hotter and it will not stop until one of the three elements has been vanquished.

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Flames are created by vapors coming off of a flammable material. The temperature at which a material gives off flammable vapors is known as a flashpoint. The flashpoint can change depending on how much oxygen is in the air. For instance an ordinary cleanser that would have a high flashpoint in normal air might be flammable in an area where a patient is being given oxygen.

Fire Prevention in Healthcare Facilities

What fuels a fire determines what will be used to extinguish it. Anesthetic gases can be extinguished by shutting off the gas, however most fires are extinguished by applying a material that eliminates the oxygen or the fuel. Applying the wrong substance can be devastating though. For instance, using water can cause burning liquids to spread and water conducts electricity at electrical fires.

Fires are separated into four classes: A, B, C & D. Class A fires involve normal substances like wood, paper or cardboard. These fires can be extinguished with water. Class B fires are fueled by flammable liquids and gasses. Chemical foams are the best way to extinguish these types of fires. Class C Fires are electrical and involve electrical equipment. They are extinguished by non-conductive agents. Class D fires are fueled by combustible metals. These type of fires are extremely difficult to put out and must be left to professional to take extinguish.

When a fire starts healthcare workers need to act quickly. The best way to insure this is an emergency action plan. The plan will carefully define how to report a fire, who will fight the fire, who is responsible for patient safety, evacuation procedures and lastly care of patients during an emergency.

The R.A.C.E. acronym is an easy way to remember what to do.

The first thing you should do is RESCUE. If anyone is in immediate danger get them out of the room and shut the door. ALARM is next. Make sure the fire alarm is activated and 911 has been called. Thirdly CONFINE the fire. Make sure doors are shut and the flames or smoke won't spread to other parts of the facility. The last step is EXTINGUISH. If you have been trained to use a fire extinguisher this is the time to use it, but make sure you are not in danger first. Always, evaluate whether you will be safe during the extinguishing process. Never try to put out a fire if you are not trained, the fire has grown too large, or if you have to open the door to where the fire is.

In office and industrial settings all staff is advised to exit immediately during a fire situation, however in healthcare facilities this is not practical. All non-essential personal and visitors are advised to follow posted escape routes, but in most cases patients are "defended" from the fire and not moved. In many cases, moving patients is more dangerous than the fire. When evacuating make sure you NEVER use the elevator, make certain the all doors are cool to the touch and if smoke rises crawl on the floor if necessary.

The best way to fight a fire is to make sure it doesn't start in the first place. Cigarettes are by far the most common cause of fires in healthcare facilities. Laundry areas, kitchens, storage closets and nurses stations are some of the most common areas for fires to start. You need to be very careful around flammable liquids and in areas where oxygen is being administered.

In conclusion, everyone is an important part of your facilities fire prevention plan. Employee training on fire prevention is crucial and can save lives. Have an emergency plan with clear instructions and make sure all employees know their part in a fire emergency.

Fire Prevention in Healthcare Facilities

Charlie Bentson King is the VP of Creative Content for Workplace Safety Videos - a distributor of safety videos and safety DVDs including safety programs on fire prevention in healthcare facilities.

Capital Budgeting in the Healthcare Industry

Over the past few months, the proposed healthcare reform has been the subject of much discussion and the healthcare industry has come under intense scrutiny as a result of the administration's efforts to curtail the increasing cost of healthcare. As an offshoot of the increasing cost of healthcare now more than ever hospitals have been placed in a situation whereby capital budgeting has become a necessary tool; Not only for sustenance but mostly for survival. Absence of a sound capital budgeting policy might potentially spell disaster for hospitals because an increase in cost accompanied by a decrease in revenue negatively impacts the bottom line and when funds are limited, it is essential to have a game plan of how the funds are to be used otherwise the hospital might find itself in a precarious situation.

Capital budgeting refers to the analysis of investment alternatives involving cash flows received or paid over a certain period of time. More often than not, the best alternative is usually the one that yields the greatest cash flow over time. This point can be disputed because other hospitals might place much emphasis on non-monetary results. In such cases, the best alternative is usually the one that comes as close as possible to yielding results that catapults the hospital closer to its objectives. Capital budgeting is a complicated process in the sense that great care has to be taken in the selection process and competing forces makes it the more challenging. Where there is competition, the possibility of politics being a factor is heightened and politics often times has its drawbacks especially when the voice of the minority is drowned out by the majority or the louder voice.

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In order to better understand how capital budgeting works in the healthcare industry, we'll explore three different scenarios that do play out every once in a while in most hospitals throughout the country. For instance, Human Resources propose a day care facility for employees with children. Justification being: turnover rate of employees will be minimized and more nurses will potentially be attracted to the hospital because of the day care services offered. Turnover is costly to the hospital. Therefore, even though the project does not increase revenue, the project will get to benefit the hospital through reduced costs.

Capital Budgeting in the Healthcare Industry

The second scenario is the Imaging Services Department proposes the purchase of an additional CT scanner to ease the bottleneck and the backlog of work in the department. Purchase of a scanner is quite costly and therefore, if the present one is functional is there a need for a second one? One might argue that the high demand for usage creates tension between employees, wear and tear of the machine increases maintenance costs, overtime pay for the technicians' increases overhead costs and the hospital is left vulnerable in the event that the current scanner seizes to function. These are all valid considerations. However, one wonders; does the total benefit exceed the total cost?

The last scenario is a group of doctors working for the hospital propose the purchase of a special machine that eliminates the need for in house hospitalization of patients. With the new machine comes the benefit of reduced hospitalization. With reduced hospitalization of patients, the hospital might be better placed to reduce variable costs associated with the use of the facilities and safety might be enhanced because the possibility of the hospital exceeding capacity will be greatly reduced by having fewer patients in the facilities. The only drawback is the massive costs involved. The machine requires a large capital outlay upfront. Therefore, in as much as the purchase sounds good, the other alternatives sound equally as good if not better.

Faced with the three alternatives, a financial manager in the healthcare industry should determine the opportunity cost of capital. Opportunity cost of capital works on the fundamental law of finance that states that a dollar today is not the same as a dollar tomorrow. Therefore, when analyzing the three alternatives, the time value of money should not be ignored because one might come to a wrong conclusion if one doesn't consider the time value of money in the analysis. Future cash flows are discounted to the present value using a stated interest rate. Once the present value of all the alternatives is established, then the alternative that yields the highest present value is considered to be the best option. This method of analysis is known as the discounted cash flow method and from a personal standpoint; this method should be used widely in the healthcare industry because it is guided by the important law of finance stated above. I acknowledge the fact that each hospital is unique and estimating the future cash flow is difficult in other instances. In this case, other methods should be considered. However, discounted cash flow method though imperfect at times should be given first priority if all else is clear and all the variables are known.

Capital Budgeting in the Healthcare Industry

Muslim Exemption to Obamacare - Injurious Aspects of the Healthcare Reform Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the upcoming health insurance mandate (Obamacare) does not kick in until the year 2014 but it has already created controversy. One accusation in particular is that Muslims will be exempt from paying into the program. The act does not specifically exempt any particular religion from health insurance requirements. It does however include a general "religious conscious" clause which establishes a religious conscientious exemption. If your religion has an established history of spurning gambling then maybe you have a chance of skipping out of the tax. Let's just bypass for a moment the injustice of my government placing one group of Americans over another and examine the legalistic claim of gambling.

Is insurance really a form of gambling? Gambling involves a certain level of uncertainty but uncertainty does not equate to gambling. The purpose of insurance is to transfer risk elsewhere so that you are not burdened by catastrophic financial costs. In the event of property damage or loss for instance, the policy payout is not in the form of winnings but merely a "return of capital" to restore that asset to its pre-incident condition. In such an instance the settlement money received is not even taxed by the IRS. Contrast that with lottery and other gambling winnings which most certainly are taxed.

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Even religions that do not allow gambling allow exceptions for certain types of insurance which are required by law, such as automobile insurance, homeowner's insurance and social security. That's right; U.S. Muslims pay into the Social Security system and also accept Social Security payments.

Muslim Exemption to Obamacare - Injurious Aspects of the Healthcare Reform Act

OASDI, which stands for Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, is a comprehensive federal benefits program that was established by Congress in 1935. The program includes retirement benefits, disability income, veteran's pension, public housing, and even the food stamp program. The Social Security tax is used to pay for the program. By law, the program is administered by the Social Security Administration. Today we just commonly refer to this blessed program as "Social Security."

It is an insurance program. The government is prohibited from ordering you to pay insurance premiums and so therefore they designate the payroll contributions as a tax and use the IRS to collect the funds to pay for the whole thing. OASDI (Social Security) is an insurance program and American Muslims are required to participate in this program.

We are not perfect but Americans collectively believe in fairness. If government health care is required to provide benefits then all able recipients should be required to pay. What if you can opt out of PPACA? If certain groups collectively decide not to participate in government health care are we then to deny them medical attention? Are hospitals to potentially turn away injured and dying Muslims and their children because they refused to pay into the health system? Of course not. If the benefits apply to everyone then so should the cost.

Let us take another tack as we reconnoiter this gambling charge. As I sit here writing this article my personal Social Security Statement shows that I have been paying Social Security and Medicare taxes since the age of 16. The minimum legal gambling age in most states is either 18 or 21. If insurance is a form of gambling, then governments and even private companies are breaking the law by collecting both Social Security and Medicare taxes from minors. Since there is documented proof that my government forced me into sinful debauchery at such a young and impressionable age then America is guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If insurance equates to gambling then I demand a full refund plus interest, or at the very least some free therapy.

Muslim Exemption to Obamacare - Injurious Aspects of the Healthcare Reform Act

Todd Lester's career has spanned across many years and numerous industries. He has been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and licensed to sell investments and insurance, worked as a retail manager, turned wrenches as an automotive mechanic, served cubicle time as an office manager and even owned his own business for many years restoring car interiors. And that is just since graduating college with a Finance degree. During much of this time, he was also a citizen soldier, serving twenty one years in the Army National Guards of both Louisiana and Texas as an Army bandsman. He has even performed as a clown with the Shrine Circus.

The Importance of Healthcare Marketing

Modern healthcare services have improved a lot more than what they used to be just a few years back. Patients today are well educated and very much aware of every new development in the field of medicine, thanks to advanced technologies and the Internet.

In such a scenario, as a medical practitioner, it is important to market yourself and your practice in such a way that your patients feel positive about you. Only then can you ensure that your current patients will keep visiting and also attract newer ones. This is the reason why healthcare marketing is nowadays essential for all healthcare professionals.

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You need to identify the needs of your patients and the community in general to chalk out a marketing plan with a vision about what you want to achieve and what you need to do to accomplish those goals.

The Importance of Healthcare Marketing

Gone are the days when a patient would just go to the nearest doctor. The modern educated patients are willing to go that extra mile if the doctor is proven to be the expert in his field. They search and gather enough information and visit a physician only when they are convinced about his skills. And how do you let them know about your specialty and expertise? You need a proper healthcare marketing plan which uses strategic marketing tactics to achieve that.

Modern patients are not merely patients suffering from ailments who are in search of treatment options, but also consumers looking for good service related to their health and well being. And your practice is not just a practice; it is also a business which you need to market well to earn revenue and make profits.

Make the most of modern technology and use the internet and video conferencing facilities. Offer online consultations to expand your customer base. Build a website which your patients find useful and informative. Keep updating it with information about your latest additions, change in timings or add links to informative websites. Have your site customized to provide online scheduling of appointments, maintenance of patients' records or patients' testimonials.

In the present times, there are many organizations which work on all days of the week and even 24 hours a day. You also need to make sure that your care and service is available to your patients at all times, whenever they need it, without any compromise on quality. Good marketing will ensure that your patients know that your services are available at all times.

A good marketing plan will also assure your patients that it is their well being that you value the most. True, they bring you the much needed revenue, but their health is your priority and you have to make sure that they are informed about it.

Healthcare marketing is not just about money but also your reputation and goodwill which cannot be built overnight. There are a lot of intangible benefits which a patient gets from a physician and these are what will actually help you retain your patients. So you need an effective marketing plan which helps patients know the benefits of being associated with you. You will also be able to nurture your relationship with your patients, both existing and new.

The Importance of Healthcare Marketing

John White is a medical marketing expert who works full time with health care providers to increase their visibility on the web space to get people connected with the Medical Professionals.

The Future of Healthcare - The Impact of Technology

The advances in the technology and pharmaceutical products have resulted in a lot of innovations in the healthcare industry. New medicines are being developed in order to treat, manage and prevent many diseases and aging conditions of baby boomer population. Based on molecular and genetic tests new medical treatments and discoveries are being made. The future of healthcare seems to be bright as advances are being made in the health care technology and more individualized and targeted tests are being made, which reveal how people respond to different drugs.

Future of healthcare will also be impacted by the recently started electronic medical records. With the advancement of technology, the electronic medical records are sure to be affected and improved, thereby making the process of maintaining the patient related data in a more enhanced and sophisticated way. Eventually all the paper based patient related data will be converted to electronic medical records, thereby eliminating the need to maintain paper based records. At present thirty eight percent of the physicians have made a switch to the electronic medical record system and this percentage is expected to rise in the near future.

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Telemedicine is another interesting aspect that is bound to gain a lot of focus in the future of healthcare industry. Telemedicine is a process of connecting physicians and patients through modern day technology, such as the internet. Telemedicine allows the physicians to interact with the patients via internet in a real time situation, thereby eliminating the need of making an office visit. This not only saves a lot of time but also cuts down on the expenses. With the advancements in technology, telemedicine is sure to gain a lot of advantage. It is a growing trend that will maintain its progress even in the future.

The Future of Healthcare - The Impact of Technology

Robotic surgery is another important aspect of future of healthcare sector. In the recent years, more and more robots have been assisting the surgeons in the operation rooms and this is a trend that is bound to gain a lot of focus in the coming years. Be it a surgery related to a prostrate cancer or heart, robotic surgery is an efficient solution. Though highly expensive, the usage of a robot for a surgery results in a shorter recovery time, since the surgery procedure is less invasive. Another surgery that a robot can efficiently perform is the hysterectomy. The process of removing the uterus for a wide variety of reasons is known as hysterectomy and this is one of the surgeries that a robot can perform very efficiently. Since, most of the women do not like the scars, which surface after the surgery, robotic surgery is the solution for them. As the robots perform the surgery with very less invasion, there are very less scars and even the recovery time is very short.

The future of healthcare has a lot of potential in discovering alternative medicines, new treatments and prevention techniques, etc. The more common the technology becomes, the less expensive will it be.

The Future of Healthcare - The Impact of Technology

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Obamacare: Healthcare and Its Bill

It has now been just over 6 months since Obama's Healthcare Bill, also known as "Obamacare", passed Congress. The first of these Healthcare Bill benefits have just started. And Obama is spending his time reminding us to be grateful for his ingenious leadership.

But, especially as a senior citizen, what exactly are we supposed to be grateful for? Even if you're not a senior citizen now, you will be one someday (God willing), so in other words, every one, from every stage and walk of life should be asking themselves, and their Government, this question

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What he has been telling us about his Obamacare is this: insurance companies will not be allowed to compel yearly limits, lifetime restrictions on benefits, and all children will have the assurance of insurance (regardless of any pre-existing health conditions). And the President promises more of these good things in the future.

Obamacare: Healthcare and Its Bill

What is so odd about being grateful for these wonderful and good things, you ask? Nothing, absolutely nothing. But what is not a blessing, and the question our Leader refuses to answer is this: Who is going to be forced to pay for all these wonderful benefits? Even the extensive website that his administration has set up does not address who will bare the cost of this great bill. In fact, the wording lends more to the idea that no one will be responsible to pay, it will simply be "free".

One of the first things I remember hearing my father say is, "there's no such thing as a free lunch". You've heard that saying too. And it's still an accurate statement (and always will be), the money has to come from somewhere. And all this wonderful coverage The Healthcare Bill promises won't be cheap. While the individual beneficiary of Obamacare might not pay, someone, somewhere, sometime, will have to. And those persons, at that time, will pay dearly.

Our President has told us many times over that the rich and upper class should be shelling out more money, much more money, for their government than they already do. And in the case of Healthcare Reform, he says it's a great place for them to start. You know the people he's talking about - those who haven't been hit by the recession, those who have probably gained something from this economic hardship... the ones who had President Bush in their pockets.

According to a study done by Book and Capretts, that's not the correct answer. In actuality, those who will bare the brunt of the high cost of Healthcare Reform will be those with low-income, minorities; all the people who are currently struggling to pay their own medical bills will apparently, eventually, also be burdened with the bills for the rest of the country. And these are the people the President has promised the Healthcare Bill will help the most. Particularly since the current recession, those who are lower-income and elderly are struggling the most. The way to fix that isn't the Healthcare Bill.

Obamacare: Healthcare and Its Bill

For a better understand of what else is in President Obama's Healthcare Bill, visit [http://whatsinthehealthcarebill.com]

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Knowledge Management in Healthcare: Succeeding in Spite of Technology

Technology and healthcare always have had an uneasy relationship. On one hand, there is the promise of technology and the enhancements it offers healthcare. These include improved medical information access, streamlined reporting, automation, reduced errors and more efficient processes. On the other hand, technology has fallen short of its full potential in healthcare, as too many competing systems make integrated data difficult to obtain. Additionally, the burdens of data entry and analysis burdens overwhelm rather than streamline processes.

Healthcare faces these mistakes if it "applies" technology to organizational Knowledge Management (KM) without first identifying KM goals and understanding how a KM system will be used by administrators, physicians, managers, and staff. Technology facilitates knowledge exchange, but it is not the end-all to managing knowledge effectively. Technology designed to enhance the interaction among a community of similar-minded participants, such as healthcare employees, can greatly enhance the exchange of knowledge. But it is the process and culture of an organization rather than the level of applied technology that make a KM system a wealth or void of retrievable information.

Healthcare

An effective KM system is built on communication and education and thrives in organizations encouraging shared learning both within and outside of the hospital walls. These systems store historical knowledge and knowledge created during exchanges of information among people who are interested in learning. Knowledge management systems designed with goals in mind, versus just acquiring the most advanced technology, is what will support healthcare organizations in streamlining processes, reducing costs and improving care.

Knowledge Management in Healthcare: Succeeding in Spite of Technology

Why Knowledge Management in Healthcare?

Healthcare industry professionals are realizing that previous efforts, (e.g. searching for the elusive "best practice" and applying it as a commodity), bureaucratic and toothless performance improvement initiatives and poorly thought-out IT implementations, have not led to improved results and reduced costs. As a mindset, KM attaches importance to knowledge and identifies the value of knowledge at different levels. As a framework, KM facilitates knowledge access and transfer, which helps change behaviors and improve decisions. Knowledge management systems support healthcare workers in using available knowledge to develop organizational learning. This learning assists the employees in critiquing a compilation of practice ideas and successfully designing a customized "Best Practice" for the organization. A good KM system can help staff create and exploit new knowledge. It is capable of driving decisions, change and improvements to all levels of the organization. And, in this era of escalating costs and declining reimbursements, an effective KM system is virtually essential to a healthcare organization's process improvement and cost reduction strategies.

Hospitals can be isolated places, which make it tough to gather 'knowledge'. The clinical side has the measurable research and knows the outcomes, but the operational side of the hospital lacks this information. Consider this example. A hospital's operational staff may be well aware of the increased benefit to changing one of its products used for patient care management. Nevertheless, the staff struggles when it comes to demonstrating the cost/benefit to administration and to the physicians. A KM system offers a hospital staff access to strategies and contacts so they can learn how others have successfully carried out similar situations.

Can We Talk?

Hospital staff is willing to share their knowledge with others in the field, although it's often done informally, such as networking at a convention or conversations with internal and external peers. Effective KM systems capitalize on these opportunities.

How does a KM system change behaviors and improve decisions? One hospital department is concerned with retaining staff, especially in light of the current nursing shortage. Typically, the manager struggles with the staffing issues alone or relies on a few peers within the department. Yet, what if the manager could connect with a peer internally and solicit his or her advice, even though this employee works in an unrelated department? The insight and perspective from an "outsider" may be very useful. How about contacting peers at other facilities? An effective KM system would facilitate 'experience sharing' among people struggling with staffing issues. It also archives the solutions brainstormed from the interaction to use as a basis for growing the collective knowledge of the group. This information is then readily accessible the next time a hospital manager (within the hospital or from another facility) faces retention issues.

Another method hospitals typically use to gain knowledge is gathering ideas from a multitude of experts, as is done when attending a conference or a convention. Yet, how is that information disseminated throughout the hospital or healthcare organization if only two employees attended the convention? If it is difficult to share and build ideas within one department or even throughout one hospital, how can anyone expect cross-hospital exchanges to prove fruitful? Obviously, it is more difficult to share information when individuals are not physically together and even more complex when the individuals are employees of different healthcare organizations. The benefits of sharing such a huge reservoir of knowledge are colossal. Technology is a must in these cases.

Knowledge Management ≠ Information Technology

Effective KM cannot be thought of, nor treated, as simply another exercise in information technology. Unfortunately, due to the access and distribution enhancements technology provides, healthcare administrators often have a distorted view of a KM system as an information technology system or as a solution that needs to be applied. While technology enhances sharing and information exchange, even the most technologically advanced KM system will not solve every dilemma. The keys to a successful KM implementation are:

· Identify the knowledge to exchange and distribute

· Determine how knowledge will be managed

· Match technology and resources appropriately to the culture and needs of the organization

Another fallacy about KM is that "knowledge" can be reduced to documents and then warehoused in a computer database for people to access as needed. The improvement resulting from a KM system comes from personal interaction, the sharing of experiences, taking action and recording the results, growing collective knowledge of a group and building new knowledge from the experiences of others. Technology based solely on warehousing knowledge "documents" or best practices are not successful in driving change and improvement in the organization.

It takes resources beyond technology to manage knowledge effectively. Group interactions must be facilitated, results must be archived and reinvested in the knowledge pool and management actions and change must be supported by the organization. Effectively managing and leveraging knowledge in an organization cannot be abdicated to the IT system.

Apply Thoughtful Technology

Organizations have a habit of buying the latest, greatest KM system on the market, if for no other reason than because others have done the same. Yet, elaborate systems that aren't called for tend to breed reluctance. Does the hospital or healthcare organization really need the latest and greatest? When analyzing the implementation of a KM system, first determine what is really necessary to meet the hospital's needs. For instance, take the simple suggestion box. Are the employees making practical suggestions or snide comments? Is the suggestion box readily accessible? Does the hospital culture encourage suggestions and incorporate them into the organization's routines? If so, this is a working and useful KM system. This is when technology can really enhance the system by extending its reach and providing a historical warehouse of implementations. But, when the suggestion box isn't used appropriately, then having the latest, greatest, technologically advanced computer suggestion box won't improve anything. Once again, an organization requires a "learning" culture to value the collaborative learning obtained through KM systems.

Some organizations overcome these obstacles by using technology as a tool instead of as a solution. Technology can enhance knowledge exchange by providing multiple access models (interactive events and data warehouses) and widespread distribution of new and innovative ideas. Thoughtful abstracting and archiving of events and documents enable managers to actively apply lessons learned by others and applies knowledge to their daily work.

Managing Competing Expectations of Users and Administrators

Unless it fills some need and is easily accessible in one's daily routine, a KM system will probably be ignored. Healthcare runs at a hectic pace and staff needs to spend as little time as possible navigating a KM system to obtain useful information. Administrators will not support KM efforts unless they see demonstrated results. Consider the following criteria when weighing the pros and cons of a KM system:

· What is the organization's purpose for the KM system?

· Where is the existing knowledge?

· How is the knowledge transferred?

· Who will have access to the system?

· How will access privileges vary among staff members?

· How will each department use the system?

· How will ideas be exchanged, in-house exclusively or
with other organizations?

· What is the structure of the KM system? Will it just
create directories of experts or will it also create active learning communities (active learning)?

· What amount of support will be required at each level?

· How user-friendly is it?

It never serves an organization to design a system with all the fancy bells and whistles, just for the sake of having slick features. Create a KM system consistent with the way the hospital staff will use it. If the purpose is to inspire employees to think 'outside the box', systems can be designed to facilitate this. The best way to manage competing expectations is to understand it all upfront. The healthcare industry, especially, does not have the bankroll to pay for underutilized features.

Key Components for A Successful KM System:

1. Fulfills organizational goals. A KM system structured around an organization's goals will support the efforts of employees to reach these goals. John Ager, Team Coordinator of the Endoscopy Department for Sentara Healthcare Systems, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has participated in monthly teleconference calls with colleagues nationwide. "It is part of my hospital's goal to do benchmarking. This hospital is very strong on sharing information and the previous methods were not effective. Prior to the teleconference calls, we were doing phone communication, which was difficult at best. Now we have set scheduled times on a monthly basis and we just recently picked up using computer-based knowledge."

2. Addresses social networks. If employees feel like they belong to a particular group, then they are more likely to share successes and failures with that group. Sharing failures is especially beneficial to a knowledge management system since people tend to learn more effectively when they're told/shown what not to do. Develop knowledge communities or communities of practice (COP's) around functional and clinical topics. Orchestrate events where staff can share experiences (especially failures) without fear of censure.Collective history of a social network is important. The background information from all participants in a COP builds a shared, historical base, which solidifies commitment to the group process and increases exchanges. "I've really enjoyed the participation," says Ager. "It has really helped me get a better picture of the field I'm in because I'm actually having a one-on-one immediate interaction with somebody as opposed to the old process where you'd have a fixed set of questions you'd e-mail to them. Then, you'd try to call them to get answers or they would fax their answers back to you. It wasn't as clear and concise. This is ongoing and I like the immediate and personal response back," explains Ager.

3. Archives existing knowledge. Create historical records by categorizing and abstracting knowledge gleaned from interactions. Make it easy for users to locate relevant learning. Ager uses his KM system to share documentation prior to the actual teleconference with the other participants. They use spreadsheets and data management for references when talking on the telephone. "I've found this aspect beneficial because as we are talking, I'm able to look at the information firsthand and it spurs questions for me too," says Ager. Additionally, all participants receive e-mail summations of the teleconference (created by the KM system coordinator). Call topics are based on the suggestions and questions introduced in previous teleconferences. If one facility has a specific question, the coordinator will request examples related to this question from all participants, summarize the information and then forward it to all facilities.

4. Facilitates "new" knowledge. Knowledge comes from many sources including knowledge forums, conference calls, research articles, surveys, and opinion polls. Encourage participants to exchange ideas and share experiences, challenges and successes. Most people are not able to develop an action plan simply by reading or analyzing data. Rather, they are more inspired by talking and exchanging ideas. According to Ager, "Participating in the teleconference calls is one of the best ways of sharing information that I've been exposed to in the last nine years since I've been working for this facility. It's given me real time data and real people to talk to. Issues constantly change. At one point, staffing was a priority at several of the facilities and because we shared information, other facilities implemented the shared ideas when it was the right time for them. It's easier than looking at a piece of paper with raw data on it wondering what to do with it."

Moving Forward

The explosion of information technology and its instant accessibility have created powerful solutions for the healthcare business. Healthcare must invest its resources and technology wisely. A carefully considered and well-resourced KM implementation will enable organizations to leverage data, knowledge and experience to improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. Why 'reinvent these conversations' when they've already taken place countless times? KM systems designed to serve an organization's goals, and built to foster social interactions that encourage the exchange of knowledge, will assist organizations in revolutionizing healthcare.

Sidebar: Keys to Generating New Knowledge
Use these ideas when designing a KM system:

· Create Communities of Practice (COP)

· Moderate COP processes to extract learning

· Make continuous learning available

· Determine how successes are shared and how failures are communicated

· Analyze failure for future learning

· Generate, abstract and categorize historical knowledge records

· Provide multiple access paths for participants

Knowledge Management in Healthcare: Succeeding in Spite of Technology

Shelley Burns is director of knowledge management at The Healthcare Management Council Inc., a benchmarking and performance improvement firm in Needham, MA. For more information, call (781) 449-5287 or visit the company web site at http://www.HMC-benchmarks.com.