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Friday, October 25, 2013

Patience, Obamacare Will Work

(CNN) -- You know what's relatively easy? Fixing a website. You know what's really hard? Ensuring access to affordable, quality health insurance for every single American and improving our broken health care system in the process. In the back-and-forth about the Obamacare exchange websites, let's not lose sight of the ultimate goal of health care reform -- a goal that, even with the exchanges problems, we are steadily achieving.

Less than 17 days into the signup period, the State of Oregon had already enrolled 56,000 people under the Medicaid expansion in Obamacare -- and reduced the state's percentage of uninsured by 10%. In New York, over 150,000 people have signed up for a private insurance plan through the state's exchange website -- including, by the way, me. In Kentucky, a state that has more than 640,000 residents without health insurance, the state insurance exchange is signing up 1,000 people per day, "a great rate and a great success so far" says Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/10/25/patience_obamacare_will_work_318578.html
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LG introduces Fireweb phone that runs on Firefox OS

LG Electronics’ new smartphone based on Firefox OS, the Fireweb, offers slightly better hardware specs than competing products.

Firefox OS is built around applications written in HTML5. Mozilla Foundation is pitching it as a better option for low-end smartphones, and devices running it will compete head-to-head with cheap Android smartphones and with devices from other platforms such as Nokia’s Asha.

The smartphone has a 4-inch display with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution and is powered by a 1GHz chip from Qualcomm. It also has 2GB of storage and a 5-megapixel camera. That compares to the ZTE Open and to Alcatel One Touch’s Fire, both of which have 3.5-inch screens and 3.2-megapixel cameras.

The phone will come with version 1.1 of Firefox OS, which Mozilla launched earlier this month. The upgrade improves application load times and has smoother scrolling, Mozilla said at the time. It also includes new features such as MMS messaging and enhancements to email, contacts management and calendar.

Telefonica will also launch devices with Firefox OS in Peru, Uruguay and Mexico in the next couple of days, it said. The operator already sells smartphones with the OS in Spain, Colombia and Venezuela.

Telefonica doesn’t break out sales figures for the Firefox OS, but the launches in Spain, Venezuela and Colombia have exceeded expectations, a spokesman said via email.

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Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2057200/lg-introduces-fireweb-phone-that-runs-on-firefox-os.html#tk.rss_all
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Frustrated by Healthcare.gov, some consumers buy off exchange

By Caroline Humer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans hitting roadblocks on the new U.S. government-run healthcare website have been contacting insurers directly and enrolling in plans away from the federal marketplace, representing a lost opportunity for President Barack Obama's landmark reform.

Since its launch on October 1, technical problems have stalled Healthcare.gov, the website meant to help millions of uninsured Americans sign up for coverage as part of the biggest U.S. social program since Medicare plans for the elderly launched in the 1960s.

Nearly a dozen insurance companies offering plans on the exchange who were interviewed by Reuters say they have received at most a trickle of enrollments through the federal marketplace serving 36 states, some of them with errors that require the insurers to separately verify information about applicants.

At the same time, consumer inquiries at insurance company call centers and websites are up, in some case even double the amount of normal traffic. When they hear from potential customers who appear to qualify for government subsidized plans, they take phone numbers, create shopping baskets for the plans they like and send them to Healthcare.gov to verify eligibility.

But if the shoppers do not qualify for a subsidy, insurers say they sell them a plan directly. More often than not, those plans are individual policies that are not available on the government-run exchange.

PHONES RINGING 'OFF THE HOOK'

Health First Health Plans in Florida, one of nine insurers selling individual plans in the state through Healthcare.gov, has sold only a handful of exchange-based plans through the government marketplace.

But its phones have been ringing "off the hook" since October 1, said Jason Alford, director of individual and marketplace sales. Many of the sales are for plans that extend coverage from 2013 into 2014 and that do not include many of the government program's most significant benefit requirements.

"We have begun taking a number of off-exchange applications," Alford said.

A chain of five Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans, including BCBS of Texas and BCBS of Oklahoma, said it is also sending buyers who qualify for subsidies to the exchange, while those who do not qualify for subsidies have been buying off exchange plans more often.

"I'm very hopeful that individuals will come back and purchase the product," said Kurt Kossen, vice president of retail at parent company Health Care Service Corp, referring to customers who get information about a plan but do not buy it on the spot.

The move off exchanges is another way in which the Healthcare.gov problems may jeopardize the administration's efforts to sign up as many as 7 million Americans for coverage on the exchanges in their first year, including an estimated 2.7 million young and healthy members needed to make the system work financially.

The administration and the contractors it has hired say they are working around the clock to fix the problems. The government said on Thursday that about 700,000 applications have been submitted so far for coverage through Healthcare.gov and 14 insurance exchanges run by states.

The loss of potential customers could become more critical if the federal exchange is not fixed in time for an expected influx of enrollments by December 15, the last day to sign up and have benefits available on January 1.

Dan Mendelson, Chief Executive Officer at Avalere Health, which has been tracking the exchanges closely, said although he expects the Healthcare.gov problems to be solved, "There is a void right now and the void is being filled in many cases by insurers engaging directly with patients."

He said that "ultimately there will be a modest uptick in the off-exchange products as a result of this."

WHITE HOUSE PROMISES FIX

White House officials on Wednesday met with chief executives of 12 leading insurance companies, including Aetna Inc, Humana Inc and WellPoint Inc. The administration promised to fix problems with enrollment data sent to the health plans and address issues that have prevented insurers from directly enrolling consumers who are eligible for subsidies.

For some small insurers selling only on the exchange, the technology issues have affected all of their business. Community First Health Plans in San Antonio, Texas said that it was still experiencing technical problems and that the volume of sales was small. Community Health Choice in Houston, Texas said sales from the federal exchange had been slow.

"I see that every day the system is getting a little bit easier," said Daisy Morales, vice president of marketing and outreach.

Some insurers are selling 2013 plans that extend into 2014 and do not have all the benefits required by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly called "Obamacare," making them less costly.

As a result, a shift to off-exchange products could signal that more healthy consumers will not be part of the Obamacare exchanges.

In the first year of the exchanges, insurers are reimbursed by the Obamacare risk adjustment program if they enroll very sick people. The more people in the pool, the lower the risk, and in the health insurance market, lower risk has meant more competition and lower premium prices.

"I can't give you a magic number, but insurers need a big enough pool of risk," said Jay Angoff, a former official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services who now works as a lawyer at Mehri & Skalet in Washington DC.

Jefferies & Co analyst David Windley said that a weaker enrollment in Obamacare exchanges, with a final tally of a few million consumers, could mean the risk pool has a higher concentration of sick consumers.

It would mean "that the healthy ones tried and gave up (on enrollment) and the sick ones were the persistent ones that actually got through the process," Windley said.

In 2014, risk adjustment payments would help cover any hit that insurers take because of the sicker population. After that, it could mean higher premiums and therefore more government spending per person on subsidies.

WellPoint Chief Financial Officer Wayne DeVeydt said in an interview that the company, which has the largest presence on exchanges among health insurers, is selling both exchange-based products and off-exchange products from its websites. It sends people eligible for subsidies to Healthcare.gov.

"It messes the timing up a little, just because those off exchange can get in a little bit sooner," DeVeydt said. "It doesn't change the outlook. None of these policies start until January 1 anyway."

At the same time, WellPoint on Wednesday told investors it would not yet give a forecast for 2014 financial results due to uncertainty over how the Obamacare exchanges will work next year.

(Additional reporting by Lewis Krauskopf in New York; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Grant McCool)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/frustrated-healthcare-gov-consumers-buy-off-exchange-051628038--sector.html
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Children with brain injuries nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Oct-2013

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Contact: Debbie Jacobson
djacobson@aap.org
847-434-7084
American Academy of Pediatrics

Findings may help to identify, treat children at risk of depression

ORLANDO, Fla. Adults with head injuries are known to be at high risk for depression, and yet little research had been done on the topic related to children. In the abstract, "Depression in Children Diagnosed with Brain Injury or Concussion," presented Oct. 25 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, researchers sought to identify the prevalence of depression in children with brain injuries, including concussions, in the U.S.

Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, researchers identified more than 2,000 children with brain injuries, reflecting the national child brain injury rate of 1.9 percent in 2007; and 3,112 children with diagnosed depression, mirroring the 3.7 percent national child depression rate that year. Compared to other children, 15 percent of those with brain injuries or concussions were diagnosed as depresseda 4.9 fold increase in the odds of diagnosed depression.

"After adjustment for known predictors of depression in children like family structure, developmental delay and poor physical health, depression remained two times more likely in children with brain injury or concussion," said study author Matthew C. Wylie, MD, author of the abstract, "Depression in Children Diagnosed with Brain Injury or Concussion."

The study, the largest to look at an association between brain injury and depression in children and adolescents, "may enable better prognostication for brain-injured children and facilitate identification of those at high risk of depression," said Dr. Wylie.

###

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit http://www.aap.org.

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Children with brain injuries nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Oct-2013

[

| E-mail

]

Contact: Debbie Jacobson
djacobson@aap.org
847-434-7084
American Academy of Pediatrics

Findings may help to identify, treat children at risk of depression

###

[

| E-mail

Share

]

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/aaop-cwb101713.php
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FDA wants limits on most prescribed painkiller

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration is recommending new restrictions on prescription medicines containing hydrocodone, the highly addictive painkiller that has grown into the most widely prescribed drug in the U.S.

In a major policy shift, the agency said in an online notice Thursday that hydrocodone-containing drugs should be subject to the same restrictions as other narcotic drugs like oxycodone and morphine.

The move comes more than a decade after the Drug Enforcement Agency first asked the FDA to reclassify hydrocodone so that it would be subject to the same restrictions as other addictive painkilling drugs. The FDA did not issue a formal announcement about its decision, which has long been sought by many patient advocates, doctors and state and federal lawmakers.

For decades, hydrocodone has been easier to prescribe, in part because it is only sold in combination pills and formulas with other non-addictive ingredients like aspirin and acetaminophen.

That ease of access has made it many health care professionals' top choice for treating chronic pain, everything from back pain to arthritis to toothaches.

In 2011, U.S. doctors wrote more than 131 million prescriptions for hydrocodone, making it the most prescribed drug in the country, according to government figures. The ingredient is found in blockbusters drugs like Vicodin as well as dozens of other generic formulations.

It also consistently ranks as the first or second most-abused medicine in the U.S. each year, according to the DEA, alongside oxycodone. Both belong to a family of drugs known as opioids, which also includes heroin, codeine and methadone.

Earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that prescription painkiller overdose deaths among women increased about fivefold between 1999 and 2010. Among men, such deaths rose about 3.5-fold. The rise in both death rates is closely tied to a boom in the overall use of prescribed painkillers.

The FDA has long supported the more lax prescribing classification for hydrocodone, which is also backed by professional societies like the American Medical Association.

But the agency's top drug regulator, Dr. Janet Woodcock, said in a statement Thursday: "The FDA has become increasingly concerned about the abuse and misuse of opioid products, which have sadly reached epidemic proportions in certain parts of the United States."

The FDA says it will formally request in early December that hydrocodone be rescheduled as a Schedule II drug, limiting which kinds of medical professionals can write a prescription and how many times it can be refilled.

The Controlled Substances Act, passed in 1970, put hydrocodone drugs in the Schedule III class, which is subject to fewer controls. Under that classification, a prescription for Vicodin can be refilled five times before the patient has to see a physician again. If the drug is reclassified to Schedule II, patients will only be able to receive one 90-day prescription, similar to drugs like OxyContin. The drug could also not be prescribed by nurses and physician assistants.

The FDA's request for reclassification must be approved by officials in other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services.

News of the FDA decision was applauded by lawmakers from states that have been plagued by prescription drug abuse, many who have been prodding the agency to take action for months.

"Today was a tremendous step forward in fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic that has ravaged West Virginia and our country," said Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, in a statement. "Rescheduling hydrocodone from a Schedule III to a Schedule II drug will help prevent these highly addictive drugs from getting into the wrong hands and devastating families and communities

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York noted that the FDA's own expert panel recommended the reclassification more than nine months ago.

"Each day that passes means rising abuse, and even death, at the hands of hydrocodone-based drugs," Schumer said in a statement.

Still, Thursday's action immediately sparked criticism from some professional groups that said that the tighter restrictions could have unintended consequences, such as burdening health care workers and patients.

"The FDA's reported decision will likely pose significant hardships for many patients and delay relief for vulnerable patients with legitimate chronic pain, especially those in nursing home and long-term care," said Kevin Schweers, a spokesman for the National Community Pharmacists Association.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fda-wants-limits-most-prescribed-painkiller-214305336--finance.html
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Drones On Agenda In Pakistan PM-Obama White House Meeting

President Obama held talks at the White House Wednesday with Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. U.S. drone strikes on militants along the Pakistani-Afghan border were on the agenda.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

President Obama is trying to turn the page with Pakistan. It's been two years since tensions boiled over after the U.S. operation that killed Osama bin Laden. So, today, the president met with Pakistan's new prime minister and raised hopes that the countries can work together to fight terrorism.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: It's a challenge. It's not easy. And we committed to working together and making sure that rather than this being a source of tension between our two countries, that it could be a source of strength for us working together in a constructive and a respectful way.

BLOCK: Today's White House meeting was also meant to show support for Nawaz Sharif, who says he wants to help his country become modern and moderate.

NPR's Michele Kelemen joins us know. And Michele, first of all, what was Prime Minister Sharif looking for here?

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: He is making a big pitch here in Washington for more trade and investment in Pakistan. Trade not aid, as he likes to put it. He says he knows that Pakistan faces many challenges, both economic and security, and the U.S. is really key to that. And President Obama says he and Sharif did spend a lot of time today in their White House talks, talking about the economy and how the U.S. can be helpful, for instance, on energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.

And the Obama administration also seems eager to show that these relations are on the mend.

BLOCK: Well, the visit comes during a week in which human rights groups are challenging the use of drones by the Obama administration, including in Pakistan. There was a report from Amnesty International reporting high civilian casualties from drone strikes in recent years. So what did the Pakistani prime minister have to say about that?

KELEMEN: Sharif is calling for an end to these drone strikes. He said - he emphasized that in his White House meeting. He describes them as illegal and a breach of Pakistani sovereignty. Now, White House officials have really shown no sign that they're willing to stop these drone strikes. They argue they're legal and effective. They also say they believe they cause fewer casualties than the human rights groups report.

But while it doesn't look like Sharif is going to return to Pakistan with any deal on that, experts say it is possible that the U.S. could scale back the target list or make some other compromises. And you did hear President Obama kind of talking in a little bit of a different way. He said that he talked to Sharif about ways to partner together, ways that would, in his words, respect Pakistan's sovereignty and respect the concerns of both countries.

BLOCK: Now, you mentioned aid earlier, Michele. And we mentioned that relations between these two countries hit a real low few years back. The United States withheld aid at the time. Now that assistance is going to resume. What's the story there?

KELEMEN: That's right. We're hearing that the U.S. is resuming aid quietly and that it's more than a billion dollars. Much of that is security assistance to help the Pakistanis fight terrorism and fight militants, particularly in these tribal areas.

BLOCK: So in the end, do you think these countries have really turned a page?

KELEMEN: Well, the tone has certainly improved. But many of the same problems are there. You know, the U.S. is worried about militants finding safe haven in Pakistan and threatening NATO troops next door in Afghanistan. That concern is only going to rise as U.S. troops pull out of Afghanistan.

And the U.S. is also still concerned, as we heard the White House say again today, about the fate of Shakil Alfridi. He's a doctor who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden. And he's been in a Pakistani jail. White House spokesman Jay Carney says his treatment is unjust and unwarranted. And the U.S. has made that position clear, as he put it, in a sustained way.

BLOCK: OK, NPR diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen. Michele, thanks.

KELEMEN: Thank you.

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