Category Archives: Hospitals

Obama endangering US children with Central American illegal aliens, Enterovirus 68 found in polio like syndrome children, Obama ignored health professionals warnings, Other diseases brought by illegals?

Obama endangering US children with Central American illegal aliens, Enterovirus 68 found in polio like syndrome children, Obama ignored health professionals warnings, Other diseases brought by illegals?

“Barack Obama is endangering the children of the US. Where is the outrage?”…Citizen Wells

“Enterovirus 68 was first identified in a California lab in 1962 after four children came down with a severe respiratory illness. Between 1970 and 2005, only 26 cases of enterovirus 68 in the United States were reported to the CDC. Since 2000, the government agency has kept a closer watch and has seen 47 cases, Oberste said. Outbreaks have occurred over the years in Asia and Europe, but it’s still one of the rarest types of enterovirus.”…CNN February 25, 2014

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

These facts are indisputable.

Numerous health care professionals warned of not screening illegal aliens for diseases.

Obama ignored their warnings.

Enterovirus D68 was not widespread in the US before this year.

From Citizen Wells September 9, 2014.

From WebMD.

“The virus, enterovirus D68, or EV-D68, was first discovered in 1962 in California. But until now, it has only been tied to smaller clusters of disease around the U.S.

This is the first time it’s caused such widespread misery, and it seems to be particularly hard on the lungs.”
“What’s unusual about this one is that it’s a virus that hasn’t widely spread through the U.S. before.”

“From AliPac September 4, 2014.
“Three months ago, people like Dr. Jane Orient, myself and anonymous Border Patrol agents began to call for quarantine, for the purpose of health screening all immigrants. Many people laughed and said there was no real threat. The invasion of our country, the very invasion that people said was not real, has just endangered the entire country. We are sitting on the beginning of a series of pandemic outbreaks.

Prominent Health Officials Have Called for Quarantining All Illegal Immigrants for Health Reasons

In June, one of Arizona’s most prominent physicians, Dr. Jane Orient, called for proper health screening as she thought the unbridled and unconditioned entry of illegal immigrants into the country was problematic.

Dr. Austin King, head of the Texas Medical Association, is now calling out Texas Governor Rick Perry and President Barrack Obama to allow doctors to screen all of the unaccompanied children who have been coming across the border from Honduras and El Salvador. The President has remained silent with regard to the request.

Dr. King expressed the view that in order for more doctors to go down to the border, emergency funding would likely need to be approved, and ICE would have to change some policies in order to allow everyone coming across to be screened.

Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet, a prominent preventive medicine physician, who previously served as the former Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, stated that “Legal immigrants are required to pay for medical exams and screening tests conducted by approved physicians before they arrive here. They’re not arriving in the U.S. carrying diseases, and then being dispersed into cities across the nation.” The CDC acknowledges this very fact on their website. Vliet further stated that the CDC’s own guidelines are clearly being violated with regards to the illegal immigrants currently crossing the border.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/obama-responsible-for-spread-of-enterovirus-and-other-diseases-by-illegal-alien-children-from-central-america-obama-ignored-warnings-from-prominent-health-officials-obama-more-concerned-about-electi/

Enterovirus D68 is supposedly a non polio form of enterovirus.

However

From CNN February 25, 2014.

“‘About 20’ cases of polio-like illness found in California”

“About 20” cases of a polio-like syndrome have been identified in California children over the past 18 months, a Stanford University researcher says.
Dr. Keith Van Haren, a pediatric neurologist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, has written a report about five of the early cases.

In that report, which will be presented in April at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting, neurologists said they had identified five patients who developed paralysis in one or more of their limbs between August 2012 and July 2013. All five children had been vaccinated against the poliovirus. Treatment did not seem to help the children regain their motor function.

Samples from two of those children tested positive for enterovirus 68, a rare virus that has been linked to severe respiratory illness in the past. Samples from the other three children were not collected or tested soon enough to yield conclusive results, said Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant, a neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

“About 20 cases have been identified in the U.S. so far, all in California, and all occurring in the past 18 months,” Van Haren said in an online posting Monday on the hospital’s website.

Sofia Jarvis is one of the children affected. Her mother, Jessica Tomei, told reporters Monday night the family is speaking out to raise awareness of the condition.
Sofia experienced what doctors thought was asthma and spent four days in the hospital, her mother said. As the family was leaving a follow-up pediatrician visit, Sofia reached for a toy out of the doctor’s “treasure box.” “I saw her left hand, mid-grasp, stop working,” her mother said.

“We did not realize what we were in store for,” Tomei said. Sofia, who had received a polio vaccination, had spinal cord inflammation, and her left arm is permanently paralyzed.

The paralysis surfaced at age 2, according to Stanford. Sofia is now 4.”

“The department “is taking these reports very seriously,” Van Haren said.

The phenomenon, he added, is not entirely new, as similar outbreaks have been seen across the world.

The poliovirus has been eradicated in the United States for more than 30 years. Only three countries in the world are not yet free of the disease: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization.

Why polio hasn’t gone away yet

Poliovirus is part of the Picornaviridae family, which also includes enteroviruses and rhinoviruses (better known as the common cold). There are more than 100 types of enterovirus that cause 10 million to 15 million infections in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most people who become infected with an enterovirus do not get sick or experience only mild symptoms, said Dr. Steven Oberste, chief of the Polio and Picornavirus Laboratory Branch at the CDC. Common symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, skin rash and body aches.

Enterovirus is often the cause of “summer colds,” whose cases spike in July, August and September. Children and teens are more likely to fall ill because they have not yet built up immunity to these common viruses.

However, some types of enterovirus are more serious. These can cause hand, foot and mouth disease; viral meningitis; encephalitis (inflammation of the brain); an infection of the heart; and paralysis in some patients.

Enterovirus 68 was first identified in a California lab in 1962 after four children came down with a severe respiratory illness. Between 1970 and 2005, only 26 cases of enterovirus 68 in the United States were reported to the CDC. Since 2000, the government agency has kept a closer watch and has seen 47 cases, Oberste said. Outbreaks have occurred over the years in Asia and Europe, but it’s still one of the rarest types of enterovirus.”

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/25/health/california-mystery-disease/

Obama responsible for spread of Enterovirus and other diseases by illegal alien children from Central America, Obama ignored warnings from prominent health officials, Obama more concerned about election and golf

Obama responsible for spread of Enterovirus and other diseases by illegal alien children from Central America, Obama ignored warnings from prominent health officials, Obama more concerned about election and golf

“What’s unusual about this one is that it’s a virus that hasn’t widely spread through the U.S. before.”…WebMD

“Many UAC and family units require treatment for communicable diseases, including respiratory illnesses, tuberculosis, chicken pox, and scabies. DHS employees reported exposure to communicable diseases and becoming sick on duty”…DHS memo July 30, 2014

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

 

 

Rush Limbaugh hinted at a correlation between the influx and spread of illegal alien children from Central America and the spread of the Enterovirus in this country.

I will take it one step further.

Obama is responsible for the spread of the Enterovirus and other diseases by ignoring the warnings from  prominent health officials and others and spending his time focused on the upcoming election and golf.

From WebMD.

“The virus, enterovirus D68, or EV-D68, was first discovered in 1962 in California. But until now, it has only been tied to smaller clusters of disease around the U.S.

This is the first time it’s caused such widespread misery, and it seems to be particularly hard on the lungs.”
“What’s unusual about this one is that it’s a virus that hasn’t widely spread through the U.S. before.

“If you have a new virus that has not widely circulated, most people are going to be susceptible,” Jackson says.

The spreading of the virus coincided with the start of the new school year. Many hospitals noticed a big uptick in cases when kids went back to their classrooms.

Unfortunately, Jackson says, the outbreak may get worse before it gets better.

“In order for this virus to stop, it’s going to have to infect enough of the population to provide immunity and essentially burn itself out,” she says.”

Read more:

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20140909/enterovirus-d68-parents

The Virus has not been widely spread in the US before.

It also coincided with the influx of illegal alien children from Central America.

Obama was warned by prominent health officials.

From AliPac September 4, 2014.
“Three months ago, people like Dr. Jane Orient, myself and anonymous Border Patrol agents began to call for quarantine, for the purpose of health screening all immigrants. Many people laughed and said there was no real threat. The invasion of our country, the very invasion that people said was not real, has just endangered the entire country. We are sitting on the beginning of a series of pandemic outbreaks.

Prominent Health Officials Have Called for Quarantining All Illegal Immigrants for Health Reasons

In June, one of Arizona’s most prominent physicians, Dr. Jane Orient, called for proper health screening as she thought the unbridled and unconditioned entry of illegal immigrants into the country was problematic.

Dr. Austin King, head of the Texas Medical Association, is now calling out Texas Governor Rick Perry and President Barrack Obama to allow doctors to screen all of the unaccompanied children who have been coming across the border from Honduras and El Salvador. The President has remained silent with regard to the request.

Dr. King expressed the view that in order for more doctors to go down to the border, emergency funding would likely need to be approved, and ICE would have to change some policies in order to allow everyone coming across to be screened.

Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet, a prominent preventive medicine physician, who previously served as the former Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, stated that “Legal immigrants are required to pay for medical exams and screening tests conducted by approved physicians before they arrive here. They’re not arriving in the U.S. carrying diseases, and then being dispersed into cities across the nation.” The CDC acknowledges this very fact on their website. Vliet further stated that the CDC’s own guidelines are clearly being violated with regards to the illegal immigrants currently crossing the border.

Back in July of 2014, I was told by two confidential Border Patrol informants that some of their agents were coming down with immigrant-related diseases such as drug resistant TB and scabies and that they had resorted to laundering their clothes at their work site so they did not carry the illnesses home to their families. Now we have official confirmation as it has been announced that Border Patrol agents and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff have contracted diseases from infected migrants, some of whom are unaccompanied children (UAC).
The government, through a DHS report, finally admitted that, “Many UAC and family units require treatment for communicable diseases, including respiratory illnesses, tuberculosis, chicken pox, and scabies. DHS employees reported exposure to communicable diseases and becoming sick on duty. … Two CBP Officers reported that their children were diagnosed with chicken pox within days of the CBP Officers’ contact with a UAC who had chicken pox.”
Our Children Are At Risk

In one of the articles that I wrote at the height of the illegal immigration crisis, I stated that within a few months, these illegal immigrant children would be sitting in classrooms next to American children and could possibly expose our children to illnesses for which Americans have no immunity. Well, that day has arrived.”

Read more:

http://www.alipac.us/f9/illegal-immigrant-related-pandemic-diseases-appearing-united-states-310462/

DHS memo.

Click to access Over_Un_Ali_Chil.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

Rush Limbaugh speculates illegal alien children from Central America may have spread Enterovirus D68 or EV-D68, Citizen Wells experience in Honduras, Obama won’t tell anybody where he put them

Rush Limbaugh speculates illegal alien children from Central America may have spread Enterovirus D68 or EV-D68, Citizen Wells experience in Honduras, Obama won’t tell anybody where he put them

“On August 19, 2014, CDC was notified by Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, of an increase (relative to the same period in previous years) in patients examined and hospitalized with severe respiratory illness, including some admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. An increase also was noted in detections of rhinovirus/enterovirus by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay in nasopharyngeal specimens obtained during August 5–19. On August 23, CDC was notified by the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital in Illinois of an increase in patients similar to those seen in Kansas City. To further characterize these two geographically distinct observations, nasopharyngeal specimens from most of the patients with recent onset of severe symptoms from both facilities were sequenced by the CDC Picornavirus Laboratory. Enterovirus D68* (EV-D68) was identified in 19 of 22 specimens from Kansas City and in 11 of 14 specimens from Chicago. Since these initial reports, admissions for severe respiratory illness have continued at both facilities at rates higher than expected for this time of year. Investigations into suspected clusters in other jurisdictions are ongoing.”…CDC September 8, 2014

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

 

 

A few weeks after 9/11, I traveled with a group of Baptists and helped build a church in Honduras.

Since I speak Spanish, I mingled and conversed with many children.

Midway through the 9 day visit I got sick. It started like a cold and progressed to feeling like the flu.

I was told that Americans often caught this disease that we were not accustomed to being exposed to.

By the time I got back, I had the initial stage of pneumonia.

What Rush Limbaugh is proposing is plausible.

From Rush Limbaugh September 8, 2014.

“Mysterious Virus Hits Kids in Midwest; Obama Won’t Tell Us Where Illegal Alien Kids Were Sent

RUSH: Now, moving on to this “Bizarre lung virus hospitalizing hundreds of kids across the Midwest. About 450 children have been treated at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Virus comes on as a cold before developing into respiratory distress. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing whether it is an Enterovirus D68 or EV-D68, a respiratory infection with varying symptoms and levels of intensity. There is no proper treatment or vaccine for EV-D68. Doctors have been treating severe cases with ventilation. Outbreaks also reported in Colorado, Illinois and Ohio.

In other words, “Hospitals across the Midwest are being inundated with children infected by a bizarre virus, which first comes on as a common cold before developing into severe respiratory distress.” They have no clue.”

“A bunch of people want to know, okay, we had these kids cross the border from El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, wherever they came from, Central America. They were processed real quickly. Gotten in, gotten out and they’ve been distributed all over the country. And Obama won’t tell anybody where he put them.”

Read more:

Mysterious Virus Hits Kids in Midwest; Obama Won’t Tell Us Where Illegal Alien Kids Were Sent

 

 

NC Senator Richard Burr VA VHA update May 23, 2014, S 2362 prohibits bonuses through 2015, Inspector General report VHA accurately processed only 69% of Quick Start claims

NC Senator Richard Burr VA VHA update May 23, 2014, S 2362 prohibits bonuses through 2015, Inspector General report VHA accurately processed only 69% of Quick Start claims

“Veterans are tired of waiting for the next report, the next investigation, the next media “Breaking News Alert.” VA is broken, Mr. President.  Veterans don’t want the appearance of leadership on this issue.  They want action.”…NC Senator Richard Burr, May 23, 2014

“If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin”…Samuel Adams, 1776

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

 

 

From NC Senator Richard Burr May 23, 2014.

“This week, I continued to work along with some of my colleagues on addressing the serious problems facing the VA and the Veterans Health Administration. On Tuesday, Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and I introduced S. 2362, legislation that would prohibit the payment of bonuses to employees at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) through Fiscal Year 2015.

It is appalling and totally unacceptable that the VHA, which is being scrutinized by Congress and the media for a string of national scandals, is giving out bonuses. It is totally inconceivable that the Veterans Health Administration can justify rewarding themselves while they fail our veterans. It is my hope that the Senate will swiftly adopt this legislation so that such gross misconduct is no longer rewarded at taxpayer expense. To read the full statement on S. 2362, click here.

Also on Tuesday, the Office of Inspector General (IG) released a report on the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Quick Start Program. The Quick Start program was designed to help service members smoothly transition to civilian life by beginning the disability claims process for veterans prior to their separating from the Armed Forces. However, this new IG report shows that numerous factors — such as ineffective use of resources, inadequate training, and insufficient program controls — led to problems with the timeliness and quality of VA’s decisions on these claims. The IG found that the VBA accurately processed only 69% of Quick Start claims during 2013.  That is 29% lower than VA’s 98% goal and well below VA’s reported quality measures.  In light of last week’s hearing regarding the accuracy and trustworthiness of Veterans Health Administration’s wait time data, I question the Administration’s claim that the VA disability claims backlog is improving. The findings in this report are symptomatic of the ongoing, pervasive problems at the VA. Congress must conduct aggressive oversight to make sure that the VA is treating our veterans with the respect that they deserve. To read IG’s full report, click here.

On the topic of oversight, this week minority members of the Senate VA Committee and myself signed a letter calling on Chairman Sanders of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to hold several oversight hearings on numerous topics including, but not limited to, the Veterans Health Administration, the quality of VA healthcare, and the integrity of the VA’s data and performance metrics. It is obvious from the ongoing VA scandals and the report above that the Department desperately needs vigorous oversight. It is our mission as a committee to provide oversight; yet the Chairman has chosen to ignore reasonable requests for hearings. My fellow minority members and I hope that this letter will be heard and oversight hearings will be scheduled immediately. To read the full text of the letter sent to Chairman Sanders, click here.

This week, President Obama held a press conference addressing the issues within the Veterans Administration. I listened with great interest to the President’s remarks on the unfolding VA scandals. Quite frankly, I am shocked that the President feels he needs to wait for the results of yet another investigation before he takes action. As we discussed in our committee hearing with the Secretary last week, there are at least four years’ worth of reports from the Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office, the Office of Special Counsel, and Office of the Medical Investigator highlighting the problems within the Veterans Health Administration.  Yet, we still can’t connect the dots without a report on Phoenix?  Veterans are tired of waiting for the next report, the next investigation, the next media “Breaking News Alert.” VA is broken, Mr. President.  Veterans don’t want the appearance of leadership on this issue.  They want action. To watch the President’s full press conference, click here. For the transcript of this video, click here.

On Wednesday, I introduced legislation to correct a mistake by the Census Bureau and the Office of Management of Budget (OMB) that is hurting eastern North Carolina. A year ago, OMB issued new rules that arbitrarily separated Brunswick County from the Wilmington metropolitan area. This separation has not only led to an understatement of the size of North Carolina’s economy, but hurt economic development in the area. Everybody in North Carolina knows that Brunswick County is part of the greater Wilmington area. Instead of mindlessly applying bureaucratic rules, the Administration needs to address what reality looks like for people in North Carolina. If passed, this legislation would settle the issue by requiring the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to consider Brunswick County to be part of the same metropolitan statistical area as Wilmington, North Carolina– just like it always has been. To read the bill text, click here.

Be sure to keep an eye out for a special edition of my weekly newsletter, and spend time this weekend reflecting on the real meaning of Memorial Day. As we gather with our families, give thanks and honor to those who gave their lives for our freedom. I wish you all a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.

        Sincerely,

Richard Burr”

High Point regional hospital cuts 115 jobs, 1900 hospital jobs eliminated in the Triad in past 3 years, Obamacare aka Affordable Care Act impact

High Point regional hospital cuts 115 jobs, 1900 hospital jobs eliminated in the Triad in past 3 years, Obamacare aka Affordable Care Act impact

“About two-thirds of the hospitals serving Medicare patients, or some 2,200 facilities, will be hit with penalties averaging around $125,000 per facility this coming year, according to government estimates.”…NE News Now

 

“Nearly half of U.S. companies are reluctant to hire full-time employees because of the ACA. One in five firms indicates they are likely to hire fewer employees, and another one in 10 may lay off current employees in response to the law.

Other firms will shift toward part-time workers. More than 40 percent of CFOs say their companies will consider switching some jobs to less than 30 hours per week or targeting part-time workers for future employment.”…Duke University Fuqua School of Business December 11, 2013

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

 

From the Winston Salem Journal May 22, 2014.

“High Point Regional joins other hospitals in making job cuts”

“High Point Regional Health became on Thursday the latest Triad hospital to make job cuts related to lower federal reimbursement levels and declining revenue from performing fewer inpatient services.

The hospital said it was eliminating 115 clinical and nonclinical job positions – about 5 percent of its workforce of nearly 2,000.

Counting the High Point Regional job cuts, there has been nearly 1,900 hospital jobs eliminated in the Triad in the past three years.”

“In November 2012, Wake Forest Baptist announced the elimination of 950 positions: 420 were current employees and 530 were closed, unfilled positions, or employees who left through attrition or retirement.

Other Triad health care systems that have eliminated jobs since 2011 include: Cone Health (at least 300), Novant Health Inc. (at least 289, including 150 in the Triad) and Randolph Hospital in Asheboro (66).

Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden said May 12 it is reducing its staff by 22 positions and cutting the hours of 25 other employees.
Hugh Chatham Hospital in Elkin eliminated 31 jobs in

Also in October, Northern Hospital of Surry County said it eliminated between 12 and 15 full-time jobs. Another 15 to 18 employees had their work weeks reduced to 35 to 36 hours, while another group of employees was shifted into a different job.”

Read more:

http://www.journalnow.com/business/business_news/local/high-point-regional-joins-other-hospitals-in-making-job-cuts/article_eb6c57e8-c4a8-5167-b00b-17cf2937dd4a.html

 

Obamacare and Obama economy kill NC medical jobs, Wake Forest Baptist Hospital likely will cut more than 1000 jobs, 950 jobs already cut, Small and medium sized hospitals hit hardest

Obamacare and Obama economy kill NC medical jobs, Wake Forest Baptist Hospital likely will cut more than 1000 jobs, 950 jobs already cut, Small and medium sized hospitals hit hardest

“If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”…Barack Obama

“If you’ve got health insurance we’re going to work with you to lower your premiums by $2,500 per family per year. We will not wait 20 years from now to do it, or 10 years from now to do it. We will do it by the end of my first term as president.”…Barack Obama

“About two-thirds of the hospitals serving Medicare patients, or some 2,200 facilities, will be hit with penalties averaging around $125,000 per facility this coming year, according to government estimates.”…NE News Now

 

 

We warned you.

From the Greensboro News Record April 13, 2014.

“Another round of major expense reductions — including job cuts — are coming at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, with management’s plans being announced potentially as early as this week, according to sources.

Multiple employees, who are not being identified because they fear losing their jobs, have told the Winston-Salem Journal they understand that several hundred to more than 1,000 job positions could be eliminated, with the process already started in some departments.

People with knowledge of the situation say Wake Forest Baptist’s board of directors could be projecting up to an 8 percent reduction in operating expenses in fiscal 2014-15, which begins July 1. The sources say the board is contemplating a similar step in expense reduction for fiscal 2015-16.

The center reported to bond holders and rating agencies on Feb. 28 that it had $983.9 million in operating expenses through the first half of fiscal 2013-14. If it were to have $2 billion in operating expenses for the full fiscal year, an 8 percent reduction could represent about $160 million.

Operating revenue for the first half was up 4.5 percent to $960.4 million.

The center has about 13,000 full- and part-time employees, making it Forsyth County’s largest workforce. At least 950 job positions have been eliminated since a “re-engineering” initiative began in April 2012 that was projected to reduce expenses by several hundred million dollars.

When asked about another round of cost cutting, the center issued a statement Friday that said “the medical center is deeply engaged in its annual budgeting process and is continuing to proactively address the challenge of declining reimbursement for health care services. Since we are still in the planning cycle, it would be premature to comment further at this time.”

One source said that the board and Dr. John McCon nell, the center’s chief executive, are “rethinking the size of the expense base” and that the cuts “are not a one-time measure, although the hope is that through the reductions, the expense situation will improve. There is a need to expand the overall clinical platform to raise revenue.””

“The enhancements are similar to those of other academic medical centers and health systems in response to changes in federal health reimbursement formulas, higher mandated requirements for quality and infrastructure, new models of care delivery that are focused on value, and declines in federal funding for research and discovery.”

Read more:

http://m.news-record.com/news/article_fb40f586-c2c2-11e3-8af3-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

Also from above:

“Other industrywide challenges include more people without health insurance seeking medical help in its emergency department, which tends to increase the amount that hospitals are writing off as bad debt.”

More people without health insurance ???

From Citizen Wells November 15, 2012.

“Update: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to cut 950 job”

“Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center will lay off 76 employees this week and cut a total of 950 jobs by the end of next June, the center’s chief executive said today.

Dr. John McConnell said most of the cuts are administrative positions, but some faculty members could lose their jobs due to cuts in federal research funding. He also said 2012-13 revenue is being affected by “deep cuts in Medicare and Medicaid payments, which constitute nearly half of our health-care reimbursements.”

In a statement, the center said the cuts were being made “after a long and careful review of current staffing levels across the organization.”

The center said its restructuring is “designed to position the institution for success aligned with the challenges of health-care reform, federal budget deficits and a decline in research funding from The National Institutes of Health and private industry.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/tag/nc-wake-forest-baptist-medical-center-to-cut-950-jobs/

From Citizen Wells November 25, 2012.

“That’s a delicate balance, said Mark Graban, a national expert and consultant on health care management who lives in San Antonio, Texas.

“It’s easy to add up the cost savings of reduced payroll,” he said. “But it’s hard to add up the side effect of those layoffs.”

He said layoffs are sweeping the industry. Graban referred to a report from the American Hospital Association that says hospitals will cut 93,000 jobs during 2013.

Wake Forest and other major hospitals across the nation pledge that nurse-to-patient ratios won’t change despite the job cuts. Graban said that simple pledge may only mask lingering problems that hurt the quality of patient care.

Nurses and other professional staff, for example, see the headlines, see friends who may be laid off and work in fear, he said.

“A lot of times, quality and good patient outcomes are a result of nurses and other staff going above and beyond,” Graban said. “My concern would be not that the professionals are going to get lazy, but are they going to continue to be motivated to go above and beyond?””

“The coming changes could cost North Carolina’s hospitals up to $7.5 billion over the next 10 years , Dalton said.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/obamacare-forces-93000-hospital-job-cuts-in-2013-nc-hospitals-costs-up-7-5-billion-the-next-10-years-medicare-and-medicaid-reimbursements-mass-layoffs/

 

 

Obama blamed for rising health costs, AP poll, 69 percent say premiums rising, 59 percent deductibles or copayments increasing, Spouse coverage restricted or eliminated, Millions received cancellation notices

Obama blamed for rising health costs, AP poll, 69 percent say premiums rising, 59 percent deductibles or copayments increasing, Spouse coverage restricted or eliminated, Millions received cancellation notices

“If you like your plan, you can keep it.”…Barack Obama

“If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period.”…Barack Obama

“millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years.”…NBC News October 29, 2013

 

 

From Page A7 of the Greensboro News Record.

“Obama blamed for rising health costs”

From the Washington Times December 16, 2013.

“POLL: Obamacare to drive up health care cost for everyone”

“Just when the government’s insurance websiteis starting to run more smoothly, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds a potentially bigger problem for President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

Americans who already have coverage and aren’t looking for any more government help are blaming the law for their rising premiums and deductibles.

Those are the 85 percent of Americans that the White House says don’t have to be worried about the president’s historic push to expand coverage for the uninsured. Overall 3 in 4 say the rollout of coverage for the uninsured has gone poorly as health care remains a politically charged issue going into next year’s midterm congressional elections.

In the survey, nearly half of those with job-based or other private coverage say their policies will be changing next year — mostly for the worse. Nearly 4 in 5 (77 percent) blame the changes on the Affordable Care Act, even though the trend toward leaner coverage predates the law’s passage.

Sixty-nine percent say their premiums will be going up, while 59 percent say annual deductibles or copayments are increasing.

Only 21 percent of those with private coverage said their plan is expanding to cover more types of medical care, though coverage of preventive care at no charge to the patient has been required by the law for the past couple of years.

Fourteen percent said coverage for spouses is being restricted or eliminated, and 11 percent said their plan is being discontinued.

“Rightly or wrongly, people with private insurance looking at next year are really worried about what is going to happen,” said Robert Blendon, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who tracks public opinion on health care issues. “The website is not the whole story.”

Employers trying to control their health insurance bills have been shifting costs to workers for years, but now those changes are blamed increasingly on “Obamacare” instead of the economy or insurance companies.

Political leanings seemed to affect perceptions of eroding coverage, with larger majorities of Republicans and independents saying their coverage will be affected.

The White House had hoped that the Oct. 1 launch of open enrollment season for the uninsured would become a teaching moment, a showcase of the president’s philosophy that government can help smooth out the rough edges of life in the modern economy for working people.

Instead, the dysfunctional website became a parable for Republicans and others skeptical of government.

At the same time, a cresting wave of cancellation notices hit millions who buy their policy directly from an insurer. That undercut one of Obama’s central promises — that you can keep the coverage you have if you like it. The White House never clearly communicated the many caveats to that promise.

Disapproval of Obama’s handling of health care topped 60 percent in the poll.”

Read more:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/16/another-worry-about-new-health-law-ap-gfk-poll/?page=all#pagebreak

 

 

UnitedHealth largest provider of privately managed Medicare Advantage plans drops thousands of doctors, Obamacare impact, WSJ report, Substantial funding pressure from federal government

UnitedHealth largest provider of privately managed Medicare Advantage plans drops thousands of doctors, Obamacare impact, WSJ report, Substantial funding pressure from federal government

“If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan.”…Barack Obama

“millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years.”…NBC News October 29, 2013

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it”…Joseph Goebbels

 

 

From Zero Hedge November 16, 2013.
“Nation’s Largest Healthcare Provider Cuts Thousands Of Doctors; Blames Government”

“UnitedHealth, the nation’s largest provider of privately managed Medicare Advantage plans, has dropped thousands of doctors from its networks in recent weeks citing “substantial funding pressure from the federal government.” The WSJ reports that physician groups are protesting as many elderly patients are now unsure about whether they need to switch plans to keep seeing their doctors. Doctors in at least 10 states have received termination letters, some citing “significant changes and pressures in the health-care environment.” UnitedHealth said its provider networks are always changing and that it expects its Medicare Advantage network “to be 85% to 90% of its current size by the end of 2014,” due to the new health law (Obamacare). More job creation?”

“Via WSJ,”
“Medicare Advantage, an alternative to traditional Medicare, combines hospital and doctor coverage and often includes prescription drugs and perks like gym memberships. Enrollment has more than doubled since 2004 to 13 million in 2012, which represents about 27% of Americans on Medicare.

The federal government pays private insurers a per-capita fee to manage the benefits. The rate is currently about 12% more than the average Medicare patient spends annually. The Obama administration plans to cut those extra payments to insurers by about $150 billion over the next 10 years to help pay for the health law. Some experts expect enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to decline sharply if that occurs.”
“”Instead of a scalpel, United is using a chain saw,” said Michael Saffir, a rehabilitation specialist and president of the Connecticut State Medical Society, which estimates the insurer has cut 2,200 doctors across the state.”

Read more:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-16/nations-largest-healthcare-provider-cuts-thousands-doctors-blames-government

 

Hospitals Opt Out of Obamacare, Watchdog.org study, Chances better with non Obamacare individual plans, Doctors and hospital names often not listed on exchanges

Hospitals Opt Out of Obamacare, Watchdog.org study, Chances better with non Obamacare individual plans, Doctors and hospital names often not listed on exchanges

“If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan.”…Barack Obama

“millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years.”…NBC News October 29, 2013

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

 

 

From US News October 30, 2013.

“Top Hospitals Opt Out of Obamacare”
“The Obama Administration has been claiming that insurance companies will be competing for your dollars under the Affordable Care Act, but apparently they haven’t surveyed the nation’s top hospitals.

Americans who sign up for Obamacare will be getting a big surprise if they expect to access premium health care that may have been previously covered under their personal policies. Most of the top hospitals will accept insurance from just one or two companies operating under Obamacare.

“This doesn’t surprise me,” said Gail Wilensky, Medicare advisor for the second Bush Administration and senior fellow for Project HOPE. “There has been an incredible amount of focus on the premium cost and subsidy, and precious little focus on what you get for your money.”

Regulations driven by the Obama White House have indeed made insurance more affordable – if, like Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, you’re looking only at price. But responding to Obamacare caps on premiums, many insurers will, in turn, simply offer top-tier doctors and hospitals far less cash for services rendered.

Watchdog.org looked at the top 18 hospitals nationwide as ranked by U.S. News and World Report for 2013-2014. We contacted each hospital to determine their contracts and talked to several insurance companies, as well.

The result of our investigation: Many top hospitals are simply opting out of Obamacare.

Chances are the individual plan you purchased outside Obamacare would allow you to go to these facilities. For example, fourth-ranked Cleveland Clinic accepts dozens of insurance plans if you buy one on your own. But go through Obamacare and you have just one choice: Medical Mutual of Ohio.

And that’s not because their exchanges don’t offer options. Both Ohio and California have a dozen insurance companies on their exchanges, yet two of the states’ premier hospitals – Cleveland Clinic and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center – have only one company in their respective networks.”

“Though top-ranked hospitals like Case Medical Center accept plans from dozens of private insurers, if you buy your insurance on the Obamacare exchanges your options for treatment may be limited.

Wellpoint and Aetna’s decision to not educate the public on its choices doesn’t sit well with two experts.

“There is no reason to keep that quiet. It’s not going to be a good secret for very long when people want to use the plans,” Wilensky said.

“In many cases, consumers are shopping blind when it comes to what doctors and hospitals are included in their Obamacare exchange plans,” said Josh Archambault, senior fellow with the think tank Foundation for Government Accountability. “These patients will be in for a rude awakening once they need care, and get stuck with a big bill for going out-of-network without realizing it.”

All of this represents a larger problem with the Affordable Care Act, said Archambault, who has extensively studied the law.

“It reflects deeper issues in implementation,” he said. “Some hospitals and doctors don’t even know if they are in the network.””

Read more:

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/hospital-of-tomorrow/articles/2013/10/30/top-hospitals-opt-out-of-obamacare