Sports Tracker Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor Connects to Smart Phones to Record Your Personal Data

<p>Here’s another one of “those devices” that records data for you if you want to keep <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_XKEzy_-4Uk/TqEjJgNUpeI/AAAAAAAA4DM/H3xkdQjj6Mg/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="144" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oDar0WNYkAs/TqEjJyRH8KI/AAAAAAAA4DU/vQPIzLA4DNE/image_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="121" /></a>track and use your cell phone as an easy way of recording your heart rate, and if you say ok, it will use the GPS tracking capabilities too.  I looked at their privacy statement and it’s long but here’s a couple of lines that stood out to me, 3rd parties will get some information but have to abide by the company privacy policies.  Your personal data might not get sold but how about profiles and you are open to receiving advertisements too.  </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:4959a0fd-4aa0-4fd6-a3d5-4c994e6fc3f8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="3c3b914f-c7fb-41d2-8f75-21e0350cb594" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVBFBAI88Pk" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('3c3b914f-c7fb-41d2-8f75-21e0350cb594'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"385\" height=\"216\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/gVBFBAI88Pk?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/gVBFBAI88Pk?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"385\" height=\"216\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MY49U8ma37U/TqEjKF5M5NI/AAAAAAAA4Dc/rmA6kcE9egU/videob696a088c3c7%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div><div style="width:385px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Sport Tracker</div></div> <p>When I look at all of these companies who collect on the web, I sure like HealthVault and having a direct place to store data with not having to use a 3rd party site on the web for the data.  I would load a desktop application to work with HealthVault in heartbeat faster than I would use the web based programs out there today, but I like privacy too.  The folks at WalMart who’s insurance just went up may not be able to afford one of these if it comes down to choosing between eating and rent and getting their hear rate though.  </p> <p>Again, I wonder how many faithfully use some of these products and when I say faithfully, I mean commit to it past the “novelty” stage and incorporate it into activities all the time?  If you have employer based insurance with wellness included you may get one of these devices but again who knows where the data goes and so many wellness companies are owned by insurers today so putting information out there that could be used against one is still a big issue.  BD </p> <p><em>“We may share your personal data if we have your consent to do so. Our Service may include sharing your personal data with other users of the service, for example where users publish their own content. </em></p> <p><em>We may provide your personal data to third parties who work on our behalf for the above purposes. Such parties are not permitted to use your personal data for other purposes, and we require them to act consistently with this Privacy Policy and to use appropriate security measures to protect your personal data.”</em></p> <blockquote> <p>Sports Tracker is now shipping its Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor, a chest-worn unit that pairs with a smartphone app for viewing stats in real-time as well as storing your data on the company website or sharing it with others through social media.</p> <p>The heart rate monitor works via a Bluetooth belt that you must first wet before wrapping around your chest (under your shirt). Wetting the back of the monitor ensures that the electrodes read your heart rate properly. Once connected, grab your smartphone and choose "settings" and then "heart rate belt" on the Sports Tracker app. Once it finds the heart rate belt, click "connect" and then enter the pin code "0000" to begin tracking data. Once you see your heart rate on your phone, you are ready to go.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.gizmag.com/sports-tracker-bluetooth-heart-rate-monitor/20142/">http://www.gizmag.com/sports-tracker-bluetooth-heart-rate-monitor/20142/</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6f5fdc6b-dac3-4e08-a835-f49c2a60e84e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sport+tracker" rel="tag">Sport tracker</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heart+rate" rel="tag">heart rate</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/smart+phone" rel="tag">smart phone</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mobile" rel="tag">mobile</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mhealth" rel="tag">mhealth</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/data" rel="tag">data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bluetooth" rel="tag">bluetooth</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/wireless" rel="tag">wireless</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/3rd+party" rel="tag">3rd party</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/privacy" rel="tag">privacy</a></div>

Sports Tracker Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor Connects to Smart Phones to Record Your Personal Data

Here’s another one of “those devices” that records data for you if you want to keep track and use your cell phone as an easy way of recordin...

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Wal-Mart Cutting Insurance Benefits and Raising Premiums for Employees–New Algorithms With New Parameters for Employees to Either Meet or be Disqualified

<p>For part time employees with under 33 hours a week, spouses will no longer be insured.  Those who work part time under 24 hours a week that are hired from here out, will no longer qualify for any of the company health insurance plans, so I guess <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-G-9qs-QEUaI/TqEbx26yZEI/AAAAAAAA4C8/Ru_9KE5QGg4/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="156" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-k4hj-bJIMlI/TqEbyeNzNUI/AAAAAAAA4DE/L-83Ngv9y64/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="158" /></a>those who are presently employed are ok, for now as far as not losing coverage.  Many companies do not offer part timers insurance at all and pretty much hire as many part time employees as they can, and that’s been going on for years.  </p> <p>Well so much for that clause in the Healthcare reform bill about mandating insurance unless the public option is created.  Not creating a public plan is what really made a big mess out of that provision and the law was made during a bit better economic times so digital laws that can adjust should be a consideration here soon in someone’s books.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/healthcare-laweconomic-times-outdate.html"><font size="2">Healthcare Law–Economic Times Outdate Original Provisions With Mandate to Buy Insurance and Lack of Public Options–Judicial Systems And Lawmakers With a “Screw Loose” Upstairs?</font></a></h4> <p><strong><em>See when the Supreme Court gets their hands on the law to rule upon, I was not kidding when I said rent some big data computing space from the DOE</em></strong> as they will need it to gather and sort all the information they need to rule on.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/supreme-court-likely-to-rule-on.html"><font size="2">Supreme Court Likely to Rule on Healthcare Law Early Next Year–This Gives The Justices Time to Rent Some Computing Space from the DOE As They Will Need It</font></a></h4> <p>With these new provisions of higher <img align="right" border="0" height="179" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TPiNx1YFfcI/AAAAAAAAkXM/5yljZDALt9k/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="246" />premiums and parameters in some cases, guess what, time for new algorithms in the IT infrastructure to run all of this.  That is what these folks and well in reality most of us are upset about is that the decision making process creates algorithms that “take away”.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupying-wall-streetits-all-about.html"><font size="2">Occupying Wall Street–It’s All About the “Attack of the Killer Algorithms”–The Unfair and Marketing Exploit of Ethics Using Math–This Could be a Subject for Michael Moore to Explore and Document In a Movie</font></a></h6> <p><u>For a $9.50 an hour employee who pays around $53.00 every two weeks the jump will go up to $128.00 every two weeks so do the math and see how long employees on those small wages can afford it.</u>  These are the “cost algorithms” that determine what the parameters will be along with associated premiums, the algorithms we don’t like.  BD    </p> <blockquote> <p>After trying to mollify its critics in recent years by offering better health care benefits to its employees, <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/wal_mart_stores_inc/index.html?inline=nyt-org">Wal-Mart</a> is substantially rolling back coverage for part-time workers and significantly raising premiums for many full-time staff.</p> <p>Citing rising costs, Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, told its employees this week that all future part-time employees who work less than 24 hours a week on average will no longer qualify for any of the company’s <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">health insurance</a> plans. </p> <p>In addition, any new employees who average 24 hours to 33 hours a week will no longer be able to include a spouse as part of their health care plan, although children can still be covered. </p> <p>In 2009, Wal-Mart said 52 percent of its employees obtained health coverage through it, but on Thursday it declined to give the percentage. </p> <p>Documents on Wal-Mart’s health and other benefit offerings were obtained by The New York Times from the Organization United for Respect at Walmart, a union-backed group of Wal-Mart employees that is seeking to pressure the company to improve wages and benefits. </p> <p>Tammy Yancey, a $9.50-an-hour gas attendant at a Sam’s Club in Pinellas Park , Fla., complained that she would no longer be able to afford health insurance from the company. Ms. Yancey, a smoker, said her premiums would jump to $127.90 every two weeks — or $3,325 a year — up from $53.80 at present, when she earns $12,000 a year from her job.</p> <p>Last year, the company put $1,000 into accounts for families but it will cut the amount by half for next year to just $500. Companies typically put more money into these accounts as a way of encouraging employees to choose these plans, which cost employers less than traditional policies. </p> </blockquote> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:f517f0fa-4fe3-43bc-b51d-ff266a609ed3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Wal-Mart" rel="tag">Wal-Mart</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/part+time" rel="tag">part time</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/premiums" rel="tag">premiums</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sam's+Club" rel="tag">Sam's Club</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/economy" rel="tag">economy</a></div>

Wal-Mart Cutting Insurance Benefits and Raising Premiums for Employees–New Algorithms With New Parameters for Employees to Either Meet or be Disqualified

For part time employees with under 33 hours a week, spouses will no longer be insured.  Those who work part time under 24 hours a week that ...

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Insights from the ER–USCD San Diego Working on Developing A New Care Model Revolving Around Patient Care With Remote Technology-Video

<p> “Insights from the ER” explores next-generation health information technology and how to reach out beyond for a better patient centric future.  If you missed the trailer, <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="165" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iUhpkeAhLFo/TqDqq277YiI/AAAAAAAA4CM/qYCi2eE5QK4/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" />use the link below as there’s additional information and another video to watch.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/08/insights-from-er-trailerucsd-trauma.html"><font size="2">Insights from the ER Trailer–UCSD Trauma Center–Emergency Medicine Can Transform Other Areas of Healthcare (Video Trailer)</font></a></h4> <p>This shows how collaborating and working together can work.  Long lasting relationships are focused, which we are lacking a bit of today in some areas.  The followed an emergency doctor at USCD to observe her shift, and the first patient you see is one who had too many Red Bulls.  </p> <p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ea8f7496-89b0-4418-87d9-83b40a3eb5d5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="3b99cca3-a055-455b-8977-228f37ae2af0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86i12Jk6DyI" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('3b99cca3-a055-455b-8977-228f37ae2af0'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"411\" height=\"230\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/86i12Jk6DyI?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/86i12Jk6DyI?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"411\" height=\"230\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ncYyr4eK7sM/TqDqre1OckI/AAAAAAAA4CU/Bg6Dm82b85w/videod2b4bf2d6a4c%25255B36%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div><div style="width:411px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Insights from the ER</div></div> </p> <p>This is very well done as you see the care coordination that occurs before the patient arrives.  It keeps things calmer and they can function better.  There are some interesting concepts shown here to include an emergency kit to keep at home.  In the future more care will be delivered to where the patient is located or where it is appropriate.  When I look at the screen the format being used looks so much like the Microsoft forerunner to the Common User Interface <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/03/electronic-medical-records-of-future.html">called the Contoso EMR.</a>  You can check out the video I did a few years back while I walked around HIMSS with it on my tablet:)  </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3lBDpXgdIoY/TqDqryGK_tI/AAAAAAAA4Cc/G1m9WdR0-gw/s1600-h/image%25255B7%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="247" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JpTCtcD982A/TqDqsadN3rI/AAAAAAAA4Ck/cNow_i_MGx8/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="415" /></a></p> <p>The home kit idea is interesting and who knows maybe each home will have one of those someday, as it combines the medical devices, a computer to connect and talk and a bunch more items for diagnosis and monitoring.  BD  </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DMpGVmr7_DY/TqDqsogjnsI/AAAAAAAA4Cs/5Nl6JHQ7GeA/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="276" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-S2eLnhZ49Ck/TqDqtH_llkI/AAAAAAAA4C0/UJuP_2cdG0M/image_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="409" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86i12Jk6DyI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86i12Jk6DyI</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:252d904a-1164-4554-aef3-a630da45dc34" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Worrell" rel="tag">Worrell</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ER" rel="tag">ER</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/emergency+medicine" rel="tag">emergency medicine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patient+care" rel="tag">patient care</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/UCSD" rel="tag">UCSD</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/trauma+centers" rel="tag">trauma centers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a></div>

Insights from the ER–USCD San Diego Working on Developing A New Care Model Revolving Around Patient Care With Remote Technology-Video

“Insights from the ER” explores next-generation health information technology and how to reach out beyond for a better patient centric futu...

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Prosthetic Arms That Feel and Connect to the Human Nervous System- Bionics TED Video

<p>This is one of the best videos I have seen in a long time and when the surgical <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-f1HHTn3N-iw/TqDfG13--vI/AAAAAAAA4B8/B6VjAgJrxaE/s1600-h/image%25255B4%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="180" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1DKYQJpzgss/TqDfIGEQG6I/AAAAAAAA4CE/HJhZZivFMgA/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a>procedure done adds real “feelings” it doesn’t get much better than that.  The video shows several patients working with different models of arms.  Immediately you have to think of soldiers who return from war that are injured having such a need.  </p> <p>This is where life meets the machine.  BD  </p> <object height="374" width="426"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><br /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><br /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><br /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><br /><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param><br /><param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011G/Blank/ToddKuiken_2011G-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ToddKuiken_2011G-embed.jpg&vw=412&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1251⟨=eng&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=todd_kuiken_a_prosthetic_arm_that_feels;year=2011;theme=design_like_you_give_a_damn;theme=medicine_without_borders;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2011;event=TEDGlobal+2011;tag=Design;tag=Science;tag=Technology;tag=engineering;tag=invention;tag=medicine;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=412x288;" /><br /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="426" height="374" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011G/Blank/ToddKuiken_2011G-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ToddKuiken_2011G-embed.jpg&vw=412&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1251&lang=eng&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=todd_kuiken_a_prosthetic_arm_that_feels;year=2011;theme=design_like_you_give_a_damn;theme=medicine_without_borders;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2011;event=TEDGlobal+2011;tag=Design;tag=Science;tag=Technology;tag=engineering;tag=invention;tag=medicine;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=412x288;"></embed><br /></object> <p><a href="http://blog.ted.com/2011/10/20/a-prosthetic-arm-that-feels-todd-kuiken-on-ted-com/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TEDBlog+%28TEDBlog%29">http://blog.ted.com/2011/10/20/a-prosthetic-arm-that-feels-todd-kuiken-on-ted-com/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TEDBlog+%28TEDBlog%29</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:08d51aad-fd56-4d4e-aa4e-74d6885d3167" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/prosthetics" rel="tag">prosthetics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/arms" rel="tag">arms</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/nerves" rel="tag">nerves</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/motion" rel="tag">motion</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/computers" rel="tag">computers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bionics" rel="tag">bionics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/devices" rel="tag">devices</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/injuries" rel="tag">injuries</a></div>

Prosthetic Arms That Feel and Connect to the Human Nervous System- Bionics TED Video

This is one of the best videos I have seen in a long time and when the surgical procedure done adds real “feelings” it doesn’t get much bett...

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Best Device I Have Seen In a Long Time–Caffeine Inhaler–No Coffee Breath

<p>This is pretty cool and there’ calories either, have to take your caffeine straight up.  I still like drinking my coffee though but in in a pinch?  If that is not enough, take a shower in it or get a lollipop, chap stick or soap.  BD  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2007/06/caffeine-shower-shock-caffeinated-body.html"><font size="2">Caffeine: Shower Shock Caffeinated Body Wash, Javapops</font></a></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2007/03/for-love-of-caffeine-but-maybe-not-for.html"><font size="2">For the Love of Caffeine but maybe not for your heart..</font></a></h4> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WkDk4v1Nk3k/TqDOqXigMdI/AAAAAAAA4Bs/Z5iWo5EQV0k/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="217" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LhSFxKHk3_0/TqDOrpBNUoI/AAAAAAAA4B0/aigAbXt1GCw/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="364" /></a></p> <blockquote> <p>Aeroshot Pure Energy is a slim, pocket-sized tube that works like an asthma inhaler. Puff gently, and the tube releases a light powder that dissolves instantly in your mouth. Each Aeroshot contains 100 milligrams of caffeine, roughly equivalent to a tall mocha at Starbucks. Unlike a Starbucks mocha, it’s calorie-free, and it won’t give you horrid coffee breath.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://chime.in/user/Bill/chime/64574074757029888">http://chime.in/user/Bill/chime/64574074757029888</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8d6423be-af7e-4bd6-a289-4c3030e9a2ea" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/caffeine" rel="tag">caffeine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/inhaler" rel="tag">inhaler</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Harvard" rel="tag">Harvard</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Aeroshot" rel="tag">Aeroshot</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/coffee" rel="tag">coffee</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/asthma" rel="tag">asthma</a></div>

Best Device I Have Seen In a Long Time–Caffeine Inhaler–No Coffee Breath

This is pretty cool and there’ calories either, have to take your caffeine straight up.  I still like drinking my coffee though but in in a ...

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Abbott Labs To Split Drugs and Devices Into Two Separate Companies

<p>Back in January with restructuring 1900 jobs were eliminated and again this is a profitable company.  The drug division had their issues with Meridia being pulled by the FDA and the recalls of the tons of glucose strips so maybe by having 2 companies they can focus better?<img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TUEm6JxHX0I/AAAAAAAApnQ/6WGMrcHqMmI/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/abbott-labs-cutting-1900-jobs-as.html"><font size="2">Abbott Labs Cutting 1900 Jobs As Restructuring the The Drug Division Takes Place</font></a></h4> <p>In addition one glucose monitor was discontinued, so again looking at what perhaps is profitable and where work is needed in both areas, this could be a good thing and it wouldn’t surprise me to see a biotech incubator come along here as well to help the small biotech companies, others such as J and J are already setting up for that as well.  BD  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/08/abbott-labs-to-discontinue-distributing.html"><font size="2">Abbott Labs to Discontinue Distributing FreeStyle Navigator Glucose Monitor in the US</font></a></h4> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://dealbook.on.nytimes.com/public/overview?symbol=ABT&inline=nyt-org">Abbott Laboratories</a> said on Wednesday that it would separate next year into <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbott-to-separate-into-two-leading-companies-in-diversified-medical-products-and-research-based-pharmaceuticals-132128378.html">two publicly traded companies</a>, one focused on diagnostics and medical devices like heart stents and the other on what it called “research-based pharmaceuticals,” like Humira, its blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug.</p> <p>After the split occurs, by the end of 2012, the medical device company is expected to have about $22 billion in annual sales, and Miles D. White, the current chairman and chief executive, will head up this company. It will retain the Abbott name. The pharmaceuticals company, which has yet to be named, will initially have about $18 billion in annual sales, and will be led by Richard A. Gonzalez, a longtime Abbott official.</p> <p>Abbott also announced Wednesday it was recording a $1.5 billion charge to cover a potential settlement stemming from a previously disclosed government investigation of accusations that it promoted its Depakote antiseizure drug for unauthorized uses.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/abbott-to-split-into-two/?src=dlbksb">http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/abbott-to-split-into-two/?src=dlbksb</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:0ed8832c-42d6-4fbb-9771-462aab646688" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Food+Safety+and+Recalls" rel="tag">Food Safety and Recalls</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Obesity" rel="tag">Obesity</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Recalls" rel="tag">Recalls</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Women's+Health" rel="tag">Women's Health</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drug+safety" rel="tag">drug safety</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Abbott" rel="tag">Abbott</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/weight+loss" rel="tag">weight loss</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/jobs" rel="tag">jobs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pharma" rel="tag">pharma</a></div>

Abbott Labs To Split Drugs and Devices Into Two Separate Companies

Back in January with restructuring 1900 jobs were eliminated and again this is a profitable company.  The drug division had their issues wit...

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UnitedHealthCare Throws in Free Hearing Aids for Those Who Enroll In AARP Medicare Advantage, HMO & POS Plans in Miami-Dade County From Their New Subsidiary

<p>This is marketing and if one needs a free hearing aid it could potentially have an impact on one’s decision.  <u>I wonder this is going to go over with the other insurance carriers and what will they think of to counter offer?</u>   In case you missed it, <u>United <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TXCfvYCDCBI/AAAAAAAAsv0/8biVjC7dBI0/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />has a new subsidiary that is distributing “cheap” hearing aids from IntriCon.</u>  I am guessing they are made in China but don’t quote me for sure.  Traditional Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids so again the option of getting one to sign up with the United plan is there.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/united-healthcare-gets-in-medical.html"><font size="2">United HealthCare Gets In the Medical Device Business–Distributing Cheap Hearing Aides Sold Via Hi HealthInnovations Division –Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h4> <p>The company has been buying up independent physician’s groups as well such as this example in Orange County, CA.  I try to tag most of my acquisition posts with “subsidiary watch” and you can use those search words to find more here at the Medical Quack.  BD  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/08/united-healthcare-to-buy-huge-chunk-of.html"><font size="2">United Healthcare To Buy Huge Chunk of Orange County, California Managed Care Business with the Purchase of Monarch Healthcare–Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h6> <blockquote> <p>MINNETONKA, Minn., Oct 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/UNH?link=MW_story_quote">UNH +2.45% </a>company,<strong> will offer its AARP MedicareComplete Medicare Advantage HMO and HMO-POS plan members in Miami-Dade County access to high-tech, custom-programmed hearing aids at no out-of-pocket cost.</strong> Because Original Medicare does not cover the substantial cost of hearing devices, this new feature could potentially save UnitedHealthcare members in the Miami area thousands of dollars in 2012. </p> <p>"We design our plans with the goal of helping our members live healthier, more secure lives, which is why we feel it's important to make a critically needed but underutilized product like hearing aids more readily available," said Lissette Garcia, executive director of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement in South Florida. "We have significantly lowered the price of the devices without sacrificing quality, offering our members improved hearing, which can help them stay engaged with their families, friends and communities." </p> <p>The nearly 379,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the county can enroll in UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage plans -- AARP MedicareComplete Plan 1 (HMO) and AARP MedicareComplete Plus (HMO-POS) -- during the Annual Election Period (Oct. 15-Dec. 7). </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/unitedhealthcare-makes-hearing-devices-available-at-no-out-of-pocket-cost-for-beneficiaries-in-miami-dade-county-2011-10-19">http://www.marketwatch.com/story/unitedhealthcare-makes-hearing-devices-available-at-no-out-of-pocket-cost-for-beneficiaries-in-miami-dade-county-2011-10-19</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:9e13b8a8-aff6-4589-a598-74b1d641a867" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/UnitedHealthcare" rel="tag">UnitedHealthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ingenix" rel="tag">Ingenix</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/I3" rel="tag">I3</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ChinaGate" rel="tag">ChinaGate</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/China" rel="tag">China</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+devices" rel="tag">medical devices</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heatlhcare" rel="tag">heatlhcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mergers+and+acquisitions" rel="tag">mergers and acquisitions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Optum" rel="tag">Optum</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/AARP" rel="tag">AARP</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Intricom" rel="tag">Intricom</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/software" rel="tag">software</a></div>

UnitedHealthCare Throws in Free Hearing Aids for Those Who Enroll In AARP Medicare Advantage, HMO & POS Plans in Miami-Dade County From Their New Subsidiary

This is marketing and if one needs a free hearing aid it could potentially have an impact on one’s decision.  I wonder this is going to go o...

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Johnson & Johnson Creates Innovation Center Incubator Center for Life Sciences in San Diego–No Strings Attached Janssen Labs

<p>The prospective tenant companies will range from self-funded, seed-stage startups <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dxcsJ5s-5Hk/Tp-CPVJwOPI/AAAAAAAA4BM/UhcnHmYhH6A/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="94" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_-OAM3dretw/Tp-CP8-CGbI/AAAAAAAA4BU/1Cc8ofT3MeI/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a>to venture capital-backed companies to live in the incubator.  Incubators are becoming much more popular and have existed in countries outside the US a bit longer with Israel being one prime example of using the incubator business model.  I heard a lot about their processes when I attended the Israel Convention this year.  The company featured at the post below came out of Microsoft’s center in Israel.  That was a very good conference and I spoke to a lot of people to include <strong>Ilan Spillinger</strong> who brought Kinect to <img align="right" border="0" height="125" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Y112AjyFbYo/TelXMG9_OaI/AAAAAAAAynk/Oi8vdmeSxwc/image%25255B24%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="166" />Microsoft.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/06/physical-virtue-solution-to-assess-and.html"><font size="2">Physical Virtue Solution To Assess and Train Neck Disorders, Microsoft Kinect And More As Shown This Week at the Israel Conference</font></a></h4> <p>Johnson and Johnson’s own R and D center is also to become part of the Janssen group.  There’s not a lot of money being invested in biotech companies when you compare it to those chasing the social algorithms out there, which is like totally over valued and over priced.<strong>  At least with a biotech company you get something more than social algorithms and a drug or device that may save lives or cure diseases.  I rant about that quite a bit as the US tries to base their economy on intangible over rates social algorithms, inflated by our “buddies” the banks</strong> as they want to create financial algorithms to market the social algorithms, a vicious circle.  <strong>All you have is algorithms with social networks and some big file servers somewhere, nothing one can hold in their hand or use to cure them from a deadly disease, although they create addictive diseases of their own:)</strong>  I don’t say they have a place but gee whiz this is way over rated in value and coders get super rich writing this aggregated stuff.  I use it and they deserve to make a profit but we are off balanced here.  <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-e-MmDSAExOg/Tp-CQNd96ZI/AAAAAAAA4Bc/l7J44KbXOco/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="138" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FkZ3ojLwpAM/Tp-CQebtA5I/AAAAAAAA4Bk/2_RbmMtBNEU/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a></p> <p>J&J has been already been hosting monthly meetings of the San Diego Entrepreneurs Exchange (SDEE), a group of biotech, health IT, and medical device entrepreneurs to build up interest.<strong>  One other competitor entering the field too is the insurance industry, think I am kidding then read the link below as they may be in contention to buy up small biotech and device companies, well kind of like the one distributorship/subsidiary they just created.</strong>  We have cheap hearing aids so what’s next, cheap……</p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/united-healthcare-gets-in-medical.html"><font size="2">United HealthCare Gets In the Medical Device Business–Distributing Cheap Hearing Aides Sold Via Hi HealthInnovations Division –Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h4> <p>They also have subsidiaries that can take a drug or device from start at the FDA all the way to finish to include MD reimbursement, so another good reason for J and J to be on the move in the incubator business.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/united-healthcare-optum-owns-consulting.html"><font size="2">United Healthcare (Optum) Owns A Consulting Firm for FDA Drug and Device Approvals, Clinical Trials–CanReg - Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h6> <p><strong>The Innovation center, Janssen Labs is due to open sometime in the first quarter of 2012 and I would guess they are opening taking applications at present.  BD</strong>  </p> <blockquote> <p>In a bid to foster life sciences startups, Johnson & Johnson is refurbishing part of its pharmaceutical research and development <a href="http://www.jnjpharmarnd.com/jnjpharmarnd/lajolla/lajolla_main.html">facility</a> in San Diego to create an “innovation center” for new biotech and health IT companies.</p> <p>The New Jersey pharmaceutical and healthcare giant anticipates housing from 18 to 20 life sciences startups in the new center, to be called “Janssen Labs at San Diego.” (The name anticipates an internal reorganization that has been consolidating Ortho-McNeil and other J&J pharmaceutical businesses for much of the past year under the <a href="http://www.janssenpharmaceuticalsinc.com/">Janssen brand</a>.) <strong>J&J’s pharmaceutical R&D center, which employs about 300 in San Diego, is slated  to officially become part of the Janssen group later this year.</strong></p> <p>“It’s a completely ‘no-strings attached’ business model,” says Miralles. He estimates the innovation center will occupy about 35,000 square feet, and consist of “modular and flexible” offices available for startups developing mostly biotech and health IT-related technologies. The companies would share a common space designated for high-end research equipment, such as mass spectrometers and flow cytometers, as well as copy machines, office supplies, and other tools. “There is no quid pro quo. None,” Miralles says. “Entrepreneurs like to be free.”</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2011/10/18/johnson-johnson-creates-innovation-center-for-life-sciences-startups-in-san-diego/">http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2011/10/18/johnson-johnson-creates-innovation-center-for-life-sciences-startups-in-san-diego/</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b9cd1049-00f4-4bed-9ddc-6b4a64f4c666" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Johnson+and+Johnson" rel="tag">Johnson and Johnson</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/inculabor" rel="tag">inculabor</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/San+Deigo" rel="tag">San Deigo</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/biotech" rel="tag">biotech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/offices" rel="tag">offices</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Heatlh+IT" rel="tag">Heatlh IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/research+and+development" rel="tag">research and development</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/collaboration" rel="tag">collaboration</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Jannsen+Center" rel="tag">Jannsen Center</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pharma" rel="tag">pharma</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/R+and+D" rel="tag">R and D</a></div>

Johnson & Johnson Creates Innovation Center Incubator Center for Life Sciences in San Diego–No Strings Attached Janssen Labs

The prospective tenant companies will range from self-funded, seed-stage startups to venture capital-backed companies to live in the incubat...

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Amgen Lays Off 300 Employees–Company Profits Average a Little over $5 Billion a Year

<p>Here’s part of that big job question once again.  Do 300 employees really affect the bottom line?  The company says it’s part of a restructuring process, we hear that all the time.  Where are the jobs going to come from?  <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TT6POpCax1I/AAAAAAAApac/2MtPSKeXOh0/image%5B10%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <p>Overall the company has reduced it’s size from 20k to around 17k employees over the last couple of years. <strong><em>In January of this year they did acquire a biotech company in Massachusetts and was cited to pay around $1billion for the company who is in phase 3 clinical trials</em></strong>, so sorry employees acquisitions take priority this time it appears, and again where are new jobs going to come from?  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/amgen-to-acquire-biovex-privately-held.html"><font size="2">Amgen to Acquire BioVex, a Privately Held Biotechnology Company in Massachusetts</font></a></h4> <p>In addition, Boehringer Ingelheim took over their Fremont, California location so all employees will now report to Boehringer Ingelheim, which has it headquarters in Germany at the beginning of this year too.  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Word came out of Amgen last week that it <a href="http://www.xconomy.com/national/2011/10/12/amgen-looking-to-improve-focus-and-re-allocate-resources-for-rd-say-more-oct-24/">was looking to overhaul its R&D operations</a>, and today the biotech giant confirmed the overhaul is translating into job cuts for 380 people across the company.</p> <p>Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AMGN">AMGN</a>) notified 380 employees internally today that their jobs are being eliminated as part of the company’s effort to improve focus and re-allocate R&D resources, according to company spokeswoman Mary Klem. Amgen isn’t closing any of its research sites around the world, but people are being laid off at its major U.S. R&D sites in Thousand Oaks, Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston, Klem says.</p> <p>Here’s the breakdown of job losses at each major Amgen site, according to Klem.</p> <p>—Thousand Oaks, CA (226)</p> <p>—Seattle/Bothell, WA (69)</p> <p>—South San Francisco (37)</p> <p>—Cambridge, and Woburn, MA (32)</p> <p>—United Kingdom (the remainder, about 15)</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.xconomy.com/national/2011/10/19/amgen-confirms-380-layoffs-in-r-cuts-coming-to-seattle-sf-boston/">http://www.xconomy.com/national/2011/10/19/amgen-confirms-380-layoffs-in-r-cuts-coming-to-seattle-sf-boston/</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e09cae45-6a33-4439-a428-e34e8d74d310" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Amgen" rel="tag">Amgen</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/BioVex" rel="tag">BioVex</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/melinoma" rel="tag">melinoma</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/biotech" rel="tag">biotech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/vaccine" rel="tag">vaccine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/clinical+trials" rel="tag">clinical trials</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mergers+and+acquisitions" rel="tag">mergers and acquisitions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pharma" rel="tag">pharma</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/biotechnology" rel="tag">biotechnology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/layoffs" rel="tag">layoffs</a></div>

Amgen Lays Off 300 Employees–Company Profits Average a Little over $5 Billion a Year

Here’s part of that big job question once again.  Do 300 employees really affect the bottom line?  The company says it’s part of a restructu...

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Bad Algorithms in Healthcare Payment Systems and Risk Assessments–Did the Hospital Bill Fraudulently or Were They Sold Formulas That Did Not Conform

<p>We see so many of these stories in the news today to where hospital, doctors and so on get caught in some type of an audit and there are those who do commit fraud with billing and “gaming” the system, and this is not about those folks, but rather how many are using 3rd parties who “sell” the fact that “we can save you money”.  Earlier this year one case made the news with Blue Cross and the 3rd party they used for stress tests.  Numbers don’t lie but people do.  This company promised 25 to 30% savings….so where’s the line between finding legit errors that could be saving money and potentially “gaming” the system?  <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Taj6K9im7fI/AAAAAAAAvXc/ZtID5S6RAC0/image_thumb6.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <p><em><strong>It was the algorithm that denied stress tests, not a human touching this, all analytical.   See how the algorithms can deny care?</strong></em>  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/04/med-solutions-and-blue-cross-caught-on.html">Med Solutions and Blue Cross Caught On the Stress Test Denial Algorithm (video)</a></h4> <p>In this case a nuclear stress test was ordered by his doctor and it was denied by Blue Cross 3 times and the doctors had to go to work and interesting how this video shows a web conversation with him and his doctor too.  After 3 times the doctor sent the patient to the hospital where a big blockage was found and if he had not received treatment he would dead said the doctor at the hospital.  He had an emergency quadruple bypass. <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LmIpGQ2kg5U/TmlxyAJ55hI/AAAAAAAA3vM/5Cv1gr29bDY/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <p>Another story in the news of late, another 3rd party who made one big mistake and now Stanford is on the hook for this.  What are these 3rd parties really doing one might ask?  The competition is fierce today out there with saving money for sure and marketing is coming out everyone’s ears.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/security-breach-at-stanford-hospital.html">Security Breach at Stanford Hospital - Patient Found it - Not the Fault of the Medical Records System but Rather a Careless 3rd Party Analytics/Billing Company</a></h4> <p>As we have automated coding and billing input, it’s not always a doctor doing the input but rather the software doing the work and that is set up by a programmer with software and algorithms.  We have seen big hospitals such as Mayo, and others get hit with this and we all know that big institutions and all their hard word for good clinical care does not match with “gaming” a system but there’s a lot of data systems that need to come together for all of this.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-is-almost-everyone-in-healthcare.html"><font size="2">Why Is Almost Everyone In Healthcare Marketing Their “Ass” Off</font></a></h6> <p>So what are some of these consultants selling?  We have some very mis-matched analytics creeping around out there and the FICO is one of the over marketed and frankly put out there to make money as credit scores and medication adherence  are not related when you bring it down to an individual basis.  If you want to crunch numbers and put those out for stats, different story, but this is where the marketing comes in a skews analytics with over selling and mis matching data to make a <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-C3toQErKE6I/Tp8c-xZoSfI/AAAAAAAA4As/R2LinCIHe6M/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="240" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PZ-07GTkZNo/Tp8c_Yol34I/AAAAAAAA4A0/6GsiZBbwM-U/image_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="216" /></a>buck.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/06/fico-analytics-press-release-marketing.html"><font size="2">FICO Analytics Press Release Marketing Credit Scoring Algorithms to Predict Medication Adherence–Update (Opinion)</font></a></h6> <p>So in summary when you look at all these news stories today, is it really the hospitals and doctors making the errors or is there a lot of misguidance offered by “consultants” who are marketing to sell their algorithms?  Wait until ICD10 kicks in, as there are analytics folks just waiting in the reigns to sell new algorithms to help advise on that level, as more codes and specifics mean more room to sell more software to help doctors and hospitals.  That’s the way the software game works with aggregation and selling value to add another layer on top of what has already been purchased and it just keeps rolling.  The more complicated the system gets, the more code it requires to sort it out.  We have a pretty public case here in California…was this be design or was it done via software?  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/02/prime-healthcare-billing-processes.html"><font size="2">Prime Healthcare Billing Processes Under Question as 25% of Medicare Patients are Showing Malnutrition- Profit Algorithms?</font></a></h4> <p>Someone had to do it so was it manually instructed to follow these guidelines on billing or did the algorithm do it?  Here’s a case where the City of Buffalo was sleeping while their algorithm continued to pay insurance premiums on dead employees.<img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJcGp1oHKzI/AAAAAAAAhfM/jyY8xKNrAKY/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/08/city-of-buffalo-has-paid-over-2-million.html"><font size="2">City of Buffalo Has Paid Over $2 Million to Provide Health Insurance for Hundreds of Dead People-Some as Many as 4 Years</font></a></h6> <p>I found the online doctor referral services didn’t do much on updating their algorithms or data base references a couple years ago, result, flawed data.</p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/healthgrades-and-other-md-rating-and.html"><font size="2">HealthGrades And Other MD Rating and Referral Sites List “Dead Doctors” on Their MD Information Pages And Even Include the Insurance Plans the “Dead Doctors” Honor</font></a></h6> <p>We do a lot of work to make sure that medical record software is certified and works as it should but when it comes to the payer analytics and the 3rd parties with their marketing on steroids, nobody pays attention except for when some bad algorithms are caught in an audit.  </p> <p><strong><em>Yet in the news, the poor consumer is always depicted as the “bad guy” who doesn’t keep up, well who can keep up with all of this?</em></strong>  I think we might be getting around to the fact that some certification processes like we do for medical records for the financial side just might be in order soon as I hear that from the geeks on the financial side saying the same thing with asking for ISO certification.  Straight math doesn’t cut it anymore for being 100% proof with finding accuracy, its what it is sadly.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/numbers-dont-lie-but-people-do.html"><font size="2">“Numbers Don’t Lie, But People Do”–Radio Interview from Charles Siefe–Journalists Take Note, He Addresses How Marketing And Bogus Statistics Are Sources of Problems That Mislead the Public & Government</font></a></h6> <p>Furthermore, this is a big underlying factor as to why the protesters are out in force today.  If you have not read about “<strong><u><font color="#ff0000">The Attack of the Killer Algorithms”</font></u></strong> and <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-omvyi1r9U0E/Tp8c_8gYgHI/AAAAAAAA4A8/rBIpCIkiXC0/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="158" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RbWxEVi8p5c/Tp8dAPRPZ0I/AAAAAAAA4BE/_j28Lvzqx8E/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="293" /></a>Bad Science, read up and listen to the audios and videos included at the posts below and see what you think after hearing some terminology and explanations you maybe have not heard before from some real experts at a higher level than myself.    </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupying-wall-streetits-all-about.html"><font size="2">Occupying Wall Street–It’s All About the “Attack of the Killer Algorithms”–The Unfair and Marketing Exploit of Ethics Using Math–This Could be a Subject for Michael Moore to Explore and Document In a Movie</font></a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/bad-science-and-bad-analytics-that.html"><font size="2">Bad Science and Bad Analytics That Misleads–TED Video Takes on Advertising on Steroids and Danger of Mis-Matched Analytics And Distortion of Clinical Trials (Video)</font></a></h6> <p>It’s time to find out what’s behind the math as it is getting more complex every day and if we don’t start somewhere, well, a path of insanity will follow as marketing and the chase for the dollars continues.  BD  </p> <p><u></u></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:df6f15dc-3d6a-4d87-8ab8-fbf5481c4b9f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Stanford" rel="tag">Stanford</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Blue+Cross" rel="tag">Blue Cross</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+Insurance" rel="tag">Health Insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospitals" rel="tag">hospitals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Heatlh+IT" rel="tag">Heatlh IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patients" rel="tag">patients</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/in+network" rel="tag">in network</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/disruptions" rel="tag">disruptions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/co-pay" rel="tag">co-pay</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/contracts" rel="tag">contracts</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/security+breach" rel="tag">security breach</a></div>

Bad Algorithms in Healthcare Payment Systems and Risk Assessments–Did the Hospital Bill Fraudulently or Were They Sold Formulas That Did Not Conform

We see so many of these stories in the news today to where hospital, doctors and so on get caught in some type of an audit and there are tho...

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United Healthcare Posts Net Earnings of $1.27 Billion for 3rd Quarter of 2011 Projecting $6 Billion at Year End

<p>Revenue was down a touch from the same time last year but not enough to say anything is in a down mode here.  In addition the company now has a medical device division that sells hearing aids.  These are due to be in retail stores at some point in time.<img align="right" border="0" height="149" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TXCfvYCDCBI/AAAAAAAAsv0/8biVjC7dBI0/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="143" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/united-healthcare-gets-in-medical.html"><font size="2">United HealthCare Gets In the Medical Device Business–Distributing Cheap Hearing Aides Sold Via Hi HealthInnovations Division –Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h4> <p>In addition, they don’t miss much with acquisitions and their subsidiaries as if you read about the Optum sub below, it does the consulting and introduced a drug to the FDA and can carry the ball through most of the processes and with the insurance end they get to control the final reimbursement to MDs via contracts.  Speaking of contracts, a <a href="http://www.courant.com/business/connecticut-insurance/hc-eastern-connecticut-united-health-20111018,0,4055762.story">couple hospitals today in Connecticut</a> severed their relationship with United.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/united-healthcare-optum-owns-consulting.html"><font size="2">United Healthcare (Optum) Owns A Consulting Firm for FDA Drug and Device Approvals, Clinical Trials–CanReg - Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h4> <p>In addition the company is also buying physicians groups so there’s more contract negotiating there with 2 very large physicians groups now under their ownership.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/08/united-healthcare-to-buy-huge-chunk-of.html"><font size="2">United Healthcare To Buy Huge Chunk of Orange County, California Managed Care Business with the Purchase of Monarch Healthcare–Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h4> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/03/optumhealth-subsidiary-of-united.html"><font size="2">OptumHealth (Subsidiary of United Healthcare) Takes Over Memorial IPA in California-Subsidiary Watch<a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/08/subsidiary-watch-corporate-conglomerate.html"><img align="right" border="0" height="72" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJcGp1oHKzI/AAAAAAAAhfM/jyY8xKNrAKY/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="176" /></a></font></a></h6> <p>With all the Health IT investments too sometimes it’s maybe a good idea to see where the dollar goes as sometimes you end up being cut on rates and contracts from one subsidiary and then you get sold analytics from their other subsidiary to help you keep what just was cut.  </p> <p><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/08/subsidiary-watch-corporate-conglomerate.html"><strong><font size="2">Subsidiary Watch-Corporate Conglomerate Insurers Reduce Compensation Contracts Using One Subsidiary Then Market Same MDs With Another Subsidiary in Health IT</font></strong></a></p> <p>Last but not least they have a bank with over a billion on deposit from HSA accounts and I would guess this is also where loans are given to healthcare entities as well.  <img align="right" border="0" height="101" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TD65vGVwerI/AAAAAAAAfqE/zp5DvN-k928/image_thumb%5B9%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="160" />The Optum side of the business was their biggest area of growth this quarter.  BD</p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/07/unitedhealth-group-owns-bank-with.html"><font size="2">UnitedHealth Group Owns a Bank With Deposits Surpassing a Billion – OptumHealth Bank FDIC Insured</font></a></h6> <p><em>“OptumHealth offers three types of HSAs, as well as tax-advantaged health care savings and spending accounts, debit-card services, benefits administration services, and payment products. About three-quarters of the bank’s 1.6 million accounts are employer-generated, while the other quarter are individual accounts.”</em></p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/topics/business/companies/unitedhealth-group.htm">UnitedHealth</a> (<a href="http://quote.foxbusiness.com/symbol/UNH/snapshot">UNH</a>), the largest health insurer by market value, revealed on Tuesday flat third-quarter earnings that were ahead of <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/topics/business/wall-street-dow.htm">Wall Street</a> expectations on stronger enrollment, leading the company to lift its fiscal forecast.</p> <p>UnitedHealth increased its fiscal 2011 revenue outlook to above $101 billion and upped net earnings to a range of $4.40 to $4.45 a share. Wall Street is predicting earnings of $4.37 a share on sales of $101.51 billion.</p> <p>The Minnetonka, Minn.-based giant posted net earnings of $1.27 billion, or $1.17 a share, compared with $1.27 billion, or $1.14 a share, in the same quarter last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting a profit of $1.12 a share.</p> <p>In a statement, UnitedHealth’s chief executive Stephen Hemsley said the company was generating consistent growth through “practical innovation, useful technologies and responsive and compassionate service.”</p> <p>However, the health insurance provider said its results were held back by rebates under the new U.S. healthcare reform law that requires insurers to pay fees if their claim costs fail to reach a certain percentage of premium revenue.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2011/10/18/unitedhealths-quarterly-profit-trumps-street-forecast-raised/">http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2011/10/18/unitedhealths-quarterly-profit-trumps-street-forecast-raised/</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:4329e345-9c23-4f75-ad8c-85b1cdbfc041" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CanReg" rel="tag">CanReg</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/UnitedHealthcare" rel="tag">UnitedHealthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ingenix" rel="tag">Ingenix</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/I3" rel="tag">I3</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ChinaGate" rel="tag">ChinaGate</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/China" rel="tag">China</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+devices" rel="tag">medical devices</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heatlhcare" rel="tag">heatlhcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mergers+and+acquisitions" rel="tag">mergers and acquisitions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Optum" rel="tag">Optum</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Intricom" rel="tag">Intricom</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/software" rel="tag">software</a></div>

United Healthcare Posts Net Earnings of $1.27 Billion for 3rd Quarter of 2011 Projecting $6 Billion at Year End

Revenue was down a touch from the same time last year but not enough to say anything is in a down mode here.  In addition the company now ha...

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Social Security Master Death Index Data Flawed–Over 31,000 Living Found in the Index

<p>For those who are erroneously listed, this can be a real problem but still let’s keep this in its proper perspective and the error factor is small by comparison of the data that is included and the <a href="http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/">DMF files are still worth checking by all means.</a>  People were denied bank accounts, jobs and benefits as someone told them “they were dead” <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TdalmYP75PI/AAAAAAAAxmg/DG4Qtifj89U/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />data says so.  Now by comparison, look what happened in 2010 with the City of Buffalo paying out over $ 2 million on health insurance premiums for “dead” people.  It certainly would have been worth their time to check.  You can do this online too.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/08/city-of-buffalo-has-paid-over-2-million.html">City of Buffalo Has Paid Over $2 Million to Provide Health Insurance for Hundreds of Dead People-Some as Many as 4 Years</a></h4> <p>If you find yourself on the list by mistake, then you have to go through the pain staking efforts to correct all of this, and gee they wonder why consumers don’t jump on to analytical software much faster:)  Last I heard the City had to file a lawsuit to try to recover some of the money as the insurers may not have been to anxious to return the money as hey that’s easy money, deal folks don’t file claims.</p> <p>I ran across my own stuff here too with finding HealthGrades and a number of other online MD directories and rating services including a ton of dead doctors, MDs listed at hospitals they never worked at and so forth.  In one case there was a business agent for one of the HMO carriers listed as a doctor, so same old garbage <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TGXoC6oU-oI/AAAAAAAAghY/8yrzko9Ey48/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />in and garbage out applies.  Next time someone asks you to verify what’s on the screen, give the consumer the benefit of the doubt as you never know.  In addition we have folks that practice some not so accurate methodologies in creating algorithms for profit and those are usually heavily marketed too, so again, ask questions. “We can’t do your surgery, you are already dead”…could you imagine that statement coming up?  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/healthgrades-and-other-md-rating-and.html"><font size="2">HealthGrades And Other MD Rating and Referral Sites List “Dead Doctors” on Their MD Information Pages And Even Include the Insurance Plans the “Dead Doctors” Honor</font></a></h4> <p>Use this link below and listen to what Professor Siefe from NYU has to say about the dark side of mathematical deception, and how math is not a 100% methodology of finding the truth any more.</p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/numbers-dont-lie-but-people-do.html"><font size="2">“Numbers Don’t Lie, But People Do”–Radio Interview from Charles Siefe–Journalists Take Note, He Addresses How Marketing And Bogus Statistics Are Sources of Problems That Mislead the Public & Government</font></a></h4> <p>In August of 2009, I made the post below so algorithmic formulas could be audited and validated for accuracy.</p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/08/department-of-algorithms-do-we-need-one.html"><font size="2">“Department of Algorithms – Do We Need One of These to Regulate Upcoming Laws?</font></a></h6> <p><strong>Scientists too are making big mistakes too</strong>.  The alcohol benefits discussion too is discussed well and how the crunching of numbers is impossible.  Below is one huge mis match that is nothing but full out marketing with relating a credit score to prescription adherence and I hope they are called on this one soon.  What this all says is to question numbers and items given to you if you do not think they are correct and you just might be right when we all face the brain washing marketing efforts we see exploited all over the web today.  </p> <p><strong>As for the Social Security Death Index, still a great tool by all means but question if you think there is a chance that the person may still be alive or especially if you find yourself listed:)  BD  </strong></p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/06/fico-analytics-press-release-marketing.html"><font size="2">FICO Analytics Press Release Marketing Credit Scoring Algorithms to Predict Medication Adherence–Update (Opinion)</font></a></h6> <p><strong><a href="http://www.ntis.gov/products/ssa-dmf.aspx"><u>From the website:</u></a></strong></p> <p><em>“The Death Master File, available as an online search application or as raw data files, is important for death verification.   Medical researchers, hospitals, oncology programs all need to track former patients and study subjects. Investigative firms <a href="http://www.ntis.gov/products/ssa-dmf.aspx"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="95" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Tdalmkxhu2I/AAAAAAAAxmk/c6P6STv5NgA/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="200" /></a>use the data to verify the death of persons, in the course of their investigations. Pension funds, insurance organizations, Federal, State and Local governments and others responsible for payments to recipients/retirees all need to know if they might be sending checks to deceased persons. Individuals may search for loved ones, or work toward growing their family trees. Professional and amateur genealogists can search for missing links. </em></p> <p><em><strong>The Death Master File (DMF) from the Social Security Administration (SSA) contains over 89 million records of deaths that have been reported to SSA</strong>. This file includes the following information on each decedent, if the data are available to the SSA: social security number, name, date of birth, date of death, state or country of residence (2/88 and prior), ZIP code of last residence, and ZIP code of lump sum payment. The SSA does not have a death record for all persons; therefore, SSA does not guarantee the veracity of the file. Thus, the absence of a particular person is not proof this person is alive</em>.”</p> <blockquote> <p>Tens of thousands of people's identities are exposed to identity theft each year due to an unlikely source: the Social Security Administration (SSA). That's owing to the agency's data entry personnel sometimes misclassifying a person, still living, as having died. </p> <p>The errors appear to affect fewer than 1% of the 2 million deaths that are reported annually and logged in the SSA's Death Master File (DMF). The file is sold to more than 300 clients by the National Technical Information Service--part of the Department of Commerce--and is meant to help block <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/attacks/231900438">identity theft</a> and fraud. </p> <p>But in the past three years, 31,931 living people have had their information included in the DMF, reported Columbus, Ind. newspaper <a href="http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/gravemistakes101311/gravemistakes101311/"><em>The Republic</em></a>. As a result, those people have faced everything from frozen bank accounts and rescinded job interview offers to cellphone contract cancellations and loan rejections. </p> <p>Notably, in August Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) wrote to the SSA's commissioner, Michael Astrue, inquiring about the agency's approach to handling incorrectly reported death errors, after reports surfaced about the impact that those errors were having on people's lives. "As you know, if a person is mistakenly placed on this list, it can result in problems with credit agencies, applying for a loan, or even getting a job," he wrote. "In addition, individuals who have been in this situation report that the problem can be difficult to resolve." He also questioned why the number of errors involving Illinois residents had seemed to almost quadruple between 2007 and 2008. </p> </blockquote> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:60862e62-d25b-471d-90e6-68ad6b5af56d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Social+Security" rel="tag">Social Security</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/death+index" rel="tag">death index</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SSA+Death+Master+File" rel="tag">SSA Death Master File</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/security" rel="tag">security</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/identity+theft" rel="tag">identity theft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/benefits" rel="tag">benefits</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/data" rel="tag">data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algorithms" rel="tag">algorithms</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bank+accounts" rel="tag">bank accounts</a></div>

Social Security Master Death Index Data Flawed–Over 31,000 Living Found in the Index

For those who are erroneously listed, this can be a real problem but still let’s keep this in its proper perspective and the error factor is...

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Orion Health to Acquire Microsoft HIS and RIS/PACS Assets–Focus on Asia Pacific Hospital Market For Medical Records and Collaboration with Amalga UIS

<p>Back in July of 2010 Microsoft announced that the HIS System would no longer be sold in the US but rather would be sold outside of the US.  Microsoft’s Amalga Business Intelligence aggregation though is still well and alive and in use in many hospitals in the US.  As I understand here as well is that Microsoft and Orion will together market that portion of the product and thus it would be available both inside and outside the US.  Officially it is called the Amalga United Intelligence system that can rid on top of an existing medical record system.  <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SuOTrrv9Z2I/AAAAAAAAaqI/iLPApBoRTy0/image%5B39%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/07/microsoft-to-halt-sales-of-amalga-his.html"><font size="2">Microsoft to Halt Sales of Amalga HIS Systems – Full Speed Ahead With Amalga UIS and HealthVault</font></a></h4> <p>If you want to go back in time you can see where <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/p/qik-videos-image-search.html"><u>I did a video</u></a><u>,</u> actually a nice phone video in person with the CEO of Bumrungrad and Nate LeMore from Microsoft who are both mentioned here.  I was at the first Medical Tourism conference here in Los Angeles. At that point in time we were talking about using HealthVault and taking your records should one decide or need medical services over seas.  <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="183" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kDfFSvL1PdE/TptTo7F7BdI/AAAAAAAA4Ac/GWXV7HKZGcU/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="281" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/interview-with-curtis-schroeder-ceo.html"><font size="2">Interview with Curtis Schroeder, CEO Bumrungrad International Hospital and Nate McLemore, Health Solutions at Microsoft – International Personal Health Records with HealthVault</font></a></h4> <p>You can read the <a href="http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20111016005045/en/Orion-Health-Announces-Significant-Asia-Pacific-Acquisition?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">full press release here.</a>  Amalga was actually born in the US and was developed on the east coast in the US and you can read more about Dr. Craig Freied below and see what the <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/08/freakonomics-movie-trailerincentive.html">Freakonomics guys</a> had to say too, very entertaining and interesting.  BD<a href="http://www.orionhealth.com/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="88" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mnU1ccaazBg/TptTpCCRZRI/AAAAAAAA4Ak/obwUYFZ1nqU/image%25255B11%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="191" /></a></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/staying-alive-dr-fred-feied-co-founder.html"><font size="2">Staying Alive – Dr. Craig Freied Co-Founder of (Azyxxi) Microsoft Amalga And Hospital Safety (ABC 20/20)</font></a></h4> <p><em>From the website:  “Orion Health has offices in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, and our growing network of partners includes leaders in technology and services such as Accenture, Cisco, IBM, Initiate and Oracle Corporation.”</em></p> <blockquote> <p>Orion Health, an independently owned software company that offers HIE, integration, and clinical portal products, will announce later today that its subsidiary, Orion Health Asia Pacific, has signed an agreement to acquire the Microsoft software suite formerly known as Amalga HIS and Amalga RIS/PACS. The companies will also announce that they will co-market Orion Health HIE and Microsoft Amalga Unified Intelligence System (Amalga UIS) to health information exchanges and integrated delivery networks. </p> <p>Amalga HIS was developed at Thailand’s Bumrungrad International hospital by Global Care Solutions and was acquired by Microsoft in October 2007. It  offered 50 clinical and administrative applications (including lab, medication management, RIS/PACS, electronic medical records, CPOE, clinical documentation, financial management, and HR management) that were used by seven Asia-Pacific hospitals. Microsoft announced that it was ceasing ongoing development of the product in July 2010, but would support existing customers for five years. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://histalk2.com/2011/10/16/orion-health-acquires-microsofts-former-his-product-companies-will-co-market-offerings/comment-page-1/#comment-17371">http://histalk2.com/2011/10/16/orion-health-acquires-microsofts-former-his-product-companies-will-co-market-offerings/comment-page-1/#comment-17371</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:dd5c30cf-4076-49a3-a3b0-e98d9f636818" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Amalga" rel="tag">Amalga</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Microsoft" rel="tag">Microsoft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heatlhcare" rel="tag">heatlhcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Aggregated+hospital+data" rel="tag">Aggregated hospital data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HealthVault" rel="tag">HealthVault</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Bumrungrad+International+Hospital" rel="tag">Bumrungrad International Hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Tourism" rel="tag">Medical Tourism</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Orion" rel="tag">Orion</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a></div>

Orion Health to Acquire Microsoft HIS and RIS/PACS Assets–Focus on Asia Pacific Hospital Market For Medical Records and Collaboration with Amalga UIS

Back in July of 2010 Microsoft announced that the HIS System would no longer be sold in the US but rather would be sold outside of the US.  ...

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California Medical Association Recommends Legalization of Marijuana

<p>This is good as with recent activities, how hard is it for a patient to get a prescription filled.  The doctors have probably had it like the rest of us that watch this circus between state and federal laws on the legality.  If you read in the news about all the dispensaries being closed, what a headache, either rule one way or the other and sure quantities of the drug are for consideration too.<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pvNAz19hmVg/TpsnI6gyN5I/AAAAAAAA4AM/ylWEse7vG7Y/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="186" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-w118NC3rSTw/TpsnJkHWL7I/AAAAAAAA4AU/SfAc4ZdcVxs/image_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="226" /></a></p> <p>Last week a farmer in Fresno who grows medical marijuana was killed at gun point when he was robbed for the plants, give me a break.  Would this be happening with a good solid law that spells out some provisions?  Nobody can even seem to at least meet half way on this and I wonder if outside countries looking in think we might not be very smart. </p> <p><u>By comparison, the “non participants” in consumer IT or also known as the digital illiterates sure find plenty of time for their “DEFAULT’ topic</u> which just drive everyone nuts as a total waste of time when more pressing item are on the agenda.  That’s why Congress looks so bad, they can’t make laws relative to technologies they don’t even participate in, staff can only do so much for you.  BD  </p> <p><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/05/digital-illiteracy-still-plagues-law.html"><strong><font size="2">Digital Illiteracy Still Plagues Law Makers–Severe Focus on Abortion Rights Proves It–Is This Where Our Lawmaking Knowledge Leaves Off or Even Begins? Scary…</font></strong></a></p> <blockquote> <p>The state's largest doctor group is calling for legalization of marijuana, even as it pronounces cannabis to be of questionable medical value. <br />Trustees of the California Medical Assn., which represents more than 35,000 physicians statewide, adopted the position at their annual meeting in Anaheim late Friday. It is the first major medical association in the nation to urge legalization of the drug, according to a group spokeswoman, who said the larger membership was notified Saturday. <br />Dr. Donald Lyman, the Sacramento physician who wrote the group's new policy, attributed the shift to growing frustration over California's <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/health-treatments/medical-marijuana-therapy-HETHT000012.topic">medical marijuana</a> law, which permits cannabis use with a doctor's recommendation. That, he said, has created an untenable situation for physicians: deciding whether to give patients a substance that is illegal under federal law.</p> <p>The group acknowledges some health risk associated with marijuana use and proposes that it be regulated along the lines of alcohol and tobacco. But it says the consequences of criminalization outweigh the hazards.</p> <p>Across the country, physicians have called for more cannabis-related research. The CMA's parent organization, the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/drugs-medicines/american-medical-association-ORCIG000016.topic">American Medical Assn.</a>, has said the federal government should consider easing research restrictions.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/la-me-doctors-marijuana-20111016,0,179189.story">http://www.latimes.com/la-me-doctors-marijuana-20111016,0,179189.story</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:9ac094ae-fdd5-4a9c-9edd-108efff22ae7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CMA" rel="tag">CMA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/prescriptions" rel="tag">prescriptions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+marijuana" rel="tag">medical marijuana</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/weed" rel="tag">weed</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/laws" rel="tag">laws</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pain" rel="tag">pain</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/treatment" rel="tag">treatment</a></div>

California Medical Association Recommends Legalization of Marijuana

This is good as with recent activities, how hard is it for a patient to get a prescription filled.  The doctors have probably had it like th...

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Verizon Must Be Jumping into the Data Profile Selling Business–Got a Notice Today to “Opt Out” Otherwise They “Opt Me In” For “Advertising by Geography”

<p>You can read the message below as to what was included and do I care about advertisers being able to reach me according to where I live, no.  Along with all this<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-e5yjQcqbNx4/Tpjd4QejLII/AAAAAAAA3_k/8VQGcCVysRg/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="67" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eBphuQMPMFg/Tpjd5NgQI9I/AAAAAAAA3_s/8BvIMVMarAg/image_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="143" /></a> comes those data intense coupons that collect information too.  Is there any business around today that can exist without selling data?   They also have a new Google Toolbar so I am guessing this is marketing in coordination with Google?  When you use the coupons though that’s where it can get sticky for sure.  We all know that coupons do all kinds of things today.  Walgreens said their data selling business is valued just under $800 million.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kuYaUXqUH_M/Tpjd5aROZgI/AAAAAAAA3_0/_F-EMsGL8G4/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="103" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1ZAwl2xewts/Tpjd6FARkuI/AAAAAAAA3_8/BS4dYDY9QBw/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="386" /></a></p> <p><em><strong>This looks like a good place to put the Stanford video once more that talks about privacy.  There’s millions made here so <u>let’s tax it to</u> help out healthcare by all means.  I would not die due to lacking a social network to connect to but I could die not having the medication I need to fight an infection or a hospital to go to.  BD</strong></em>  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/06/privacy-wantedso-lets-require-those-who.html"><font size="2">Privacy Wanted–So Let’s Require Those Who Sell Web Data to Register and Tax the Transactions and Publicly Disclose Who They Sell To With a Federal Registry</font></a></h4> <hr /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/04/you-are-productprivacy-anonymity-and.html"><font size="2">You Are the Product–Privacy Anonymity and Net Neutrality On the Internet - Excellent Stanford University Lecture (Video)</font></a></h4> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 401px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:9ad5f73c-2237-461d-a2b0-5af0cc72b383" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="a2278f19-c6ef-42c6-a281-3650caeadeb7" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJy223etCv8" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('a2278f19-c6ef-42c6-a281-3650caeadeb7'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"401\" height=\"225\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/xJy223etCv8?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/xJy223etCv8?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"401\" height=\"225\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1cBEoWTuglM/Tpjd6oftQHI/AAAAAAAA4AE/7VgTCXHoHwg/videof50798146ea9%25255B19%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div><div style="width:401px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">You Are the Product</div></div> <blockquote> <p>Dear Valued Customer,                                                                                                    <br />Your privacy is an important priority at Verizon.  We want to let you know that Verizon will soon participate in a program that will improve the ability of advertisers to reach our Verizon Online customers based on your physical address.  The goal is to provide online ads that may be more relevant to you. <br /><strong><font color="#ff0000">This program uses your address to determine whether you reside in a local area an advertiser is trying to reach.</font></strong>  However, Verizon won’t share your address with advertisers as part of this process.  <font color="#ff0000">Advertisers won’t know it’s you specifically or where you actually live.  If you do not want us to allow advertisers to send you ads based on your geographic area you can let us know by selecting <strong><a href="https://econtact.verizon.com/ecrm/includes/html/vzfwd.html?destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww22.verizon.com%2Fforyourhome%2Fmyaccount%2Fprotected%2Faccount%2FMyAccountGeography.aspx&txid=B20111011_273389144&lid=3098&tid=7547&vno=20&ltid=0">here</a>.</strong> <br /><strong>What does this mean for you?</strong></font> <br />Certain ads you’ll see while browsing the Internet may be directed to you and other Verizon Online customers in your area, so these ads may be of more interest to you.  For example, a pizza chain may want to deliver their ad to give a special offer to people living in a particular area.  Using this program, national brands and local businesses can tailor their offers, coupons, and incentives to your local area. <br /><strong>Protection of Your Personal Information</strong> <br />Verizon protects your personal information as described in our <strong><a href="https://econtact.verizon.com/ecrm/includes/html/vzfwd.html?destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.verizon.com%2Fprivacy&txid=B20111011_273389144&lid=2760&tid=7547&vno=20&ltid=3076">privacy policy</a></strong>.  You can learn about Verizon’s ad practices or let us know that you do not want to participate by selecting <a href="https://econtact.verizon.com/ecrm/includes/html/vzfwd.html?destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww22.verizon.com%2Fforyourhome%2Fmyaccount%2Fprotected%2Faccount%2FMyAccountGeography.aspx&txid=B20111011_273389144&lid=3098&tid=7547&vno=20&ltid=0"><strong>here</strong></a>.  If you don’t want to participate, you will need your User ID and Password to access the opt-out page.  Please note that declining to participate won’t impact the number of ads you see, just their potential relevance to you. <br />For answers to your frequently asked questions, select <strong><a href="https://econtact.verizon.com/ecrm/includes/html/vzfwd.html?destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww22.verizon.com%2FResidentialHelp%2FFiOSInternet%2FGeneral%2BSupport%2FTop%2BQuestions%2FQuestionsOne%2F130032.htm&txid=B20111011_273389144&lid=2761&tid=7547&vno=20&ltid=0">here</a></strong>. <br />Sincerely, <br />Verizon</p> </blockquote> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e81cb06f-cb7c-4f1e-860d-80190b1104b9" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Stanford" rel="tag">Stanford</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google" rel="tag">Google</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Facebook+marketing" rel="tag">Facebook marketing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sales" rel="tag">sales</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/search+history" rel="tag">search history</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/online" rel="tag">online</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/education" rel="tag">education</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/consumers" rel="tag">consumers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/computers" rel="tag">computers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Internet" rel="tag">Internet</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/web" rel="tag">web</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Wikileaks" rel="tag">Wikileaks</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Verizon" rel="tag">Verizon</a></div>

Verizon Must Be Jumping into the Data Profile Selling Business–Got a Notice Today to “Opt Out” Otherwise They “Opt Me In” For “Advertising by Geography”

You can read the message below as to what was included and do I care about advertisers being able to reach me according to where I live, no....

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Healthcare Law–Economic Times Outdate Original Provisions With Mandate to Buy Insurance and Lack of Public Options–Judicial Systems And Lawmakers With a “Screw Loose” Upstairs?

<p>As we all are probably aware the Supreme Court has been handed the law for their rulings and decisions.  The healthcare reform law was not all bad, as a matter of fact there’s much good than what some may consider bad in the law today.  As times have changed though, portions of the law are out of date.  I don’t know why we have this issue with reviewing laws and see if they fit current economic times.  Granted some laws are “timeless” but not all of them as some seem to think. <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AVpV3M2guXw/Tpheu4D2mYI/AAAAAAAA3_U/kq_BzwcGYyE/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="174" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-55Z0vpL1QRc/TphevYhEbjI/AAAAAAAA3_c/-dz2BMDcRY8/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a></p> <p><strong>The first issue of mandating all to carry insurance is one and how do you expect to enforce this?</strong>  There’s a bit of insanity here with the high unemployment in the US and current economic times and right now this would be insane to think that this portion of the law could be carried out.  <u>Only those who live in the 70s, and we have a ton of those folks would even think this has any teeth today</u>.  What would one do fine those who don’t have the money?  You can’t put citizens in jail over this either as they are already over crowded.  Here in California where inmates are being turned out early is one big example.  So this provision is outdated and no longer applies at all.  Its’ not like a car where you have an option of whether or not to own one, it’s health insurance and we all have bodies that need care at some point so not an option.</p> <p><u>The second item of the public option now certainly makes more sense than ever and would allow many to have insurance and sadly when the law was created during better economic times many didn’t see this as a need</u>, well it’s time has arrived today.  It is also necessary to look at how the entire healthcare business has evolved.  When the law was passed we didn’t have the massive amount of insurance companies that owned subsidiaries to provide Health IT services.  That fact if nothing else with the way the business of health insurance has changed the face of time.  Again, do we come back those living in the 70s again being oblivious to this fact?</p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/more-congressional-testimonies-about.html"><font size="2">More Congressional Testimonies About Health IT–Members of Congress Could Entertain Getting an “Algo Man” on Staff As Wall Street and Health Insurers Have Them–Don’t Leave Home Without One</font></a></h6> <p><strong></strong></p> <p>Actually at this point Universal Healthcare makes more sense than just enacting a public plan.  We live in a very complex society of mathematical formulas and even the abuse of math for marketing purposes in healthcare that flaws and skews statistics in so many areas.  They are not all bad by any means but there’s enough out there that makes the law almost impossible in these 2 areas to even have any substance.  As a good example, let’s take a look at what happens to judges today trying to rule on the law, they can’t even keep track of their investments with the huge amount of mergers and acquisitions out there and get themselves in positions of conflict of interest.  So what do we do jail them too, like the folks that can’t afford health insurance?  If you going to do one, might as well do the other as they are breaking the law too:)  Do they get the benefit of the doubt on something like this because they don’t keep up and read?  Some of these folks don’t do their math very well either, as reflected in the news.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/12/judge-in-health-care-lawsuit-has.html"><font size="2">Judge In Health Care Lawsuit, Has <img align="right" border="0" height="74" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ReYHUCVyg1w/ToS_3GCS3lI/AAAAAAAA338/tAoE7FtiKqM/image_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="133" />Financial Ties To GOP Marketing Firm-Judges Need Some “Algo Men” on Board As Advisers to Sort Out Their Connected Interests</font></a></h4> <p>As citizens, we are told this all the time with being scrutinized for every action we create and are held accountable from information that is mined and sold about our medications and more.  Let’s quit talking in circles.  My opinion here is “sorry Judge educate yourself and see where your dollars are going and do some soul searching” as you are in a position to make huge decisions that impact all citizens,  so take control of your own decisions too, this is the age of transparency and people want to know what kind of role models exist and who’s at the helm making these decisions, take responsibility for your actions. <strong>If the first item of requiring all in current economic times is not changed, well everyone is going to look at the judicial system as “having a screw loose” as common sense needs to enter the picture here.</strong>  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/florida-judge-rules-against-health-law.html"><font size="2">Florida Judge Rules Against Health Law– Need Some Judicial “Algo Men” to Influence Decisions on Costs With Methodology Entailment and IT Systems Functionality</font></a></h4> <p>If you want to look at things in another way you can also see how similar provisions that are used in financial trading are crossing over into healthcare as the insurers are all bough and sold on the stock market so why should a citizen be required to buy from a company listed on a “stock exchange” without another option?  All the subsidiaries of the insurers also run Medicare with their subsidiary contractors processing claims so they are well embedded there for addition revenue too.  <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TSKAxGxckbI/AAAAAAAAnYI/vZFR_lUK8LA/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/high-frequency-electronic-trading.html"><font size="2">High Frequency Electronic Trading Methodologies And Algorithms Work Their Way Into Healthcare With Human Bodies Losing Liquidity With the “Data Game”</font></a></h6> <p>Here’s something else to ponder with mergers and acquisitions too…take at look at the link below and it’s almost kind of scary that one company theoretically has a subsidiary to handle the process of introducing a drug/device to the FDA and through other owns subsidiaries could handle the entire process, right down to doctor reimbursement.  In the past maybe this was not such a big concern as subsidiaries operated as separate companies and they may still do that today to a degree but what happens today that didn’t happen even just a few years ago is the fact that <u>they can and do SHARE DATA and SELL DATA for profit.  Wake up folks.  All of it is not bad, but a lot is when it comes to this type of action simply for profit only, it’s out there every day.</u>  </p> <p><strong><em>Today we have a large “black hole” of insurance company subsidiaries that nobody pays a lick of attention to.</em></strong>  I was discussing this fact with someone in the financial area who of course is a human too with a need for care and <u>he said shoot, next the insurers will be buying up the biotech and device companies</u>. Keep an eye open Pharma and Device companies.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/united-healthcare-optum-owns-consulting.html"><font size="2">United Healthcare (Optum) Owns A Consulting Firm for FDA Drug and Device Approvals, Clinical Trials–CanReg - Subsidiary Watch</font></a><img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0Pb81-QXU_E/TooBchZ0e8I/AAAAAAAA350/9teKr1wyNxU/image%25255B22%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></h4> <p>It wasn’t but a few weeks later that we have something like that going on, read the link below with a new “subsidiary” of United with what they are doing.  They don’t own the device company but are set up to distribute and must have some dandy well paid anti-trust lawyers on board is about all I can figure. Sure we get cheaper hearing aids I believe from China, but for those American companies who make hearing aids here, this is not something welcome at a time when we need to bring tangible products being made back to the US. </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/united-healthcare-gets-in-medical.html"><font size="2">United HealthCare Gets In the Medical Device Business–Distributing Cheap Hearing Aides Sold Via Hi HealthInnovations Division –Subsidiary Watch</font></a></h4> <p>Here’s one subsidiary they quietly bought while everyone is sleeping out there with again not looking at the subsidiary action going on with mergers and acquisitions.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/05/unitedhealth-subsidiary-ingenix.html"><font size="2">UnitedHealth subsidiary (Ingenix Subsidiary I3) Acquires ChinaGate – Working to Sell Chinese Products Globally</font></a></h6> <p>We also have marketing that just skews items and stats like you can’t believe.  Here’s a doctor from the UK that is addressing this and he deserves an ear by all means at this affects all of us.  So again, how can one rule on the healthcare law without looking at how all is connected today and how data is being used?  </p> <object height="374" width="426"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><br /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><br /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><br /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><br /><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param><br /><param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011G/Blank/BenGoldacre_2011G-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/BenGoldacre_2011-embed.jpg&vw=412&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1234⟨=&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science;year=2011;theme=food_matters;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2011;theme=bold_predictions_stern_warnings;theme=medicine_without_borders;theme=new_on_ted_com;event=TEDGlobal+2011;tag=Science;tag=data;tag=health+care;tag=illness;tag=illusion;tag=medicine;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=412x288;" /><br /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="426" height="374" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011G/Blank/BenGoldacre_2011G-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/BenGoldacre_2011-embed.jpg&vw=412&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1234&lang=&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science;year=2011;theme=food_matters;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2011;theme=bold_predictions_stern_warnings;theme=medicine_without_borders;theme=new_on_ted_com;event=TEDGlobal+2011;tag=Science;tag=data;tag=health+care;tag=illness;tag=illusion;tag=medicine;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=412x288;"></embed><br /></object> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/bad-science-and-bad-analytics-that.html"><font size="2">Bad Science and Bad Analytics That Misleads–TED Video Takes on Advertising on Steroids and Danger of Mis-Matched Analytics And Distortion of Clinical Trials (Video)</font></a></h4> <p><strong>In reality I don’t think anyone wants this job and responsibility to rule and it’s not an all or nothing decision by all means and only the digital illiterates that waste everyone’s time talking abortions in Congress still believe this I think.</strong>  You know I just watched Rachel Maddow this week and <u>again the “illiterates” who live in the 70s have this back on the agenda today.</u>  What a waste and it really makes those wasting time on this subject look so 70s and out of touch.  I guess this is where real lawmaking leaves off and what we sadly elected with this showing.  I just wonder if they don’t at some time wonder what other think, especially geeks like me that see that it is digital illiteracy staring us in the face.  </p> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000" size="4"><em>Abortion discussion is the “default topic” for digital Illiterate lawmakers in today’s world.</em></font></strong></p> <p><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/05/digital-illiteracy-still-plagues-law.html"><strong><font size="2">Digital Illiteracy Still Plagues Law Makers–Severe Focus on Abortion Rights Proves It–Is This Where Our Lawmaking Knowledge Leaves Off or Even Begins? Scary…</font></strong></a></p> <p>This type of Congressional activity just makes some folks even look more digital illiterates and out of touch but for some reason they just don’t get it and stifle <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ROQ09n8bxEs/Td8618FLx4I/AAAAAAAAyII/2pjZoyIV7XU/image_thumb%25255B10%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />progress and good things happening all the way around.  It’s all they know with being “non participants” in general consumer IT.<strong>  We are basically screwed with “digital illiterates” making laws and the scary potential of “digital illiterates” ruling on them, how do we win or make sense here?  In the meantime the algorithms of progress that big business uses just keep on rolling</strong>.  This is the bottom line of why we have “Occupy Wall Street” in action today and all of those who are there may not even fully understand all of this but they know something is wrong and it’s doesn’t feel good, so they are doing their best to bring around the awareness the best they can. <strong>I call it the Attack of the <img align="right" border="0" height="75" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJcGp1oHKzI/AAAAAAAAhfM/jyY8xKNrAKY/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="192" />Killer Algorithms, as it’s all IT infrastructure that runs everything today and put in place by those who design the systems.</strong>  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupying-wall-streetits-all-about.html"><font size="2">Occupying Wall Street–It’s All About the “Attack of the Killer Algorithms”–The Unfair and Marketing Exploit of Ethics Using Math–This Could be a Subject for Michael Moore to Explore and Document In a Movie</font></a></h4> <p>So in summary, let’s hope we do not have a judicial branch that is going to hang on to the 70s and rule on a topic that must take in current economic conditions so they can create an adjustment that makes sense here as it’s not all or nothing, the IT infrastructure if nothing else can’t be taken down from what has already been implemented but it can be adjusted. </p> <p>This will be a tough decision and when it all shakes out I guess we will see who is really still living in Bedrock as the Fred Flintstones of the US.  If some kind of <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TQkghcNuZ_I/AAAAAAAAlb8/fx2f_JsHfAU/image_thumb%5B12%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />intelligence is not used and they believe that all stats and analytics are gospel as math is created with algorithmic formulas today, we are in for a long haul of absolute stupidity and and a world of hurt as the digital illiterates will end up shutting everything down in the US that have have prided ourselves on as a democracy with the ignorance of being able to interpret technology and the impact of big business today in how things are run in the US.  </p> <p>It’s time to take a look at what’s really happening and the impact of technology and I made this post back in August of 2009 about needing a Department of Algorithms, based on what was happening then and it’s hasn’t changed a bit and I might even say here the need has accelerated.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/08/department-of-algorithms-do-we-need-one.html"><font size="2">“Department of Algorithms – Do We Need One of These to Regulate Upcoming Laws?</font></a></h6> <p><em><strong><font color="#ff0000" size="2">If we get an overall “repeal” vote come out of the Supreme Court it will be one for the record books and straight out of the world of digital illiteracy and if it was not such a dire and sad situation affecting so many in the US, we would be laughing our asses off.  </font></strong></em></p> <p><strong><em><font color="#ff0000" size="2">We need laws and interpretations that fit the digital world we live in today.  BD  </font></em></strong></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:99fb3fa7-5fe1-48d3-9cd7-44d04888a217" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Judge" rel="tag">Judge</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Florida" rel="tag">Florida</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare+repeal" rel="tag">Healthcare repeal</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/IT+systems" rel="tag">IT systems</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Algo+Men" rel="tag">Algo Men</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/legal+decisions" rel="tag">legal decisions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/court+cares" rel="tag">court cares</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare+reform" rel="tag">healthcare reform</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algorithms" rel="tag">algorithms</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Supreme+Court" rel="tag">Supreme Court</a></div>

Healthcare Law–Economic Times Outdate Original Provisions With Mandate to Buy Insurance and Lack of Public Options–Judicial Systems And Lawmakers With a “Screw Loose” Upstairs?

As we all are probably aware the Supreme Court has been handed the law for their rulings and decisions.  The healthcare reform law was not a...

Read more »