health care reform

Washington, D.C. (Press Release – October 7, 2011) – With the U.S. Department of Labor today announcing employment figures remained static at 9.1 percent, small business advocates intensified their push for Congress to take action to protect employers from tax and regulatory policies that are leading to rising costs for small businesses and subsequently hurting their ability to hire more workers.

(American College of Radiology) The latest American College of Radiology white paper, "Strategies for Radiologists in the Era of Health Care Reform and Accountable Care Organizations," published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, offers strategies for successful radiologist participation in accountable care organizations (ACOs).

ACOs are intended to create incentives for health care providers to work together to treat an individual patient across care settings -- including doctor's offices, hospitals and long-term care facilities.

(Columbia Business School) The Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School will host a Leadership Forum that features speakers and discussants with an insider's perspective on health-care reform and the current dynamics of health care in New York.

Washington, D.C. (PRESS RELEASE – March 26, 2011) - The Administration is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the “Affordable Care Act,” the massive health care reform initiative signed by President Barack Obama one year ago.

Small business owners, however, are still waiting for the “affordable” part as promised by supporters of the new law.  Health coverage costs for small business owners continue to increase, and their choices in the marketplace remain limited or are shrinking.

(University of California - Los Angeles) The California Health Interview Survey released its latest data today on more than 100 topics affecting the health and well-being of Californians.

The 2009 data, collected in the midst of a severe economic downturn, may provide a snapshot of California under duress.

The various cycles of the survey may also provide a baseline from which to implement health care reform in 2014.

(University of California - Los Angeles) Up to two-thirds of California's 7 million uninsured residents will become eligible for health care coverage when health reform is implemented in 2014, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

The policy brief, "Two-thirds of California's 7 Million Uninsured May Obtain Coverage Under Health Care Reform," finds that 4.7 million Californians,will likely be eligible in 2014 for new coverage options, either the health insurance exchange or Medi-Cal expansion.

(Welch's) The newly released 2011 Thomson Reuters - HCPlexus National Physicians Survey (NPS) links doctors' fears that their pay will go down under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called Healthcare Reform Act (HCRA), with their concerns that the quality of care will also deteriorate.

The study includes responses from 2,958 doctors of varying specialties and practice types, from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.

A federal judge in Virginia has declared the Obama administration's health care reform law unconstitutional.

The Republican Party is strongly expressing its intention to revisit issues like health care reform, financial regulation and tax cuts.

Insurance agents, divisional managers and small insurance companies are among those who are scrambling to keep a job.

This is partly by design and partly an unintended consequence of a new law that was forced down the throat of America, it will affect nearly every corner of an industry that accounts for 1/6 of the U.S. economy.

ISMA provides real hope and opportunity for agents and managers to thrive.