Archive for June, 2010
VA Secretary Tours VA Facility Where Vets Were Exposed To HIV
On Wednesday, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki visited the Mursfreesboro VA hospital in Tennessee where nearly 6,500 veterans could have been infected with Hepatitis or HIV. The hospital used dirty colonoscopy equipment which was reported to the VA a few years ago by a doctor and nurse.
Says Shinseki, “This is a systemic issue, not a [...]
News Release From HHS
SOURCE: www.hhs.gov
Statement From HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius On News That Second California Insurer, Aetna, Withdraws Rate Hike After Major Math Errors Discovered
“I applaud California for its decision to shine more light on skyrocketing insurance rates and demand more accountability after uncovering that a second insurer used faulty math to try to justify exorbitant health insurance premium [...]
News Release From Dept. Of Labor
SOURCE: www.dol.gov
U.S. Department Of Labor Clarifies FMLA Definition Of ‘Son & Daughter’ – Interpretation Is A Win For All Families No Matter What They Look Like
Washington, D.C. . . . The U.S. Department of Labor today clarified the definition of ”son and daughter” under the Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure that an employee [...]
VA Reaching Out To Stressed Out Personnel Through Increased Technology
The VA is using technology more and more to reach out to military personnel who have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as traumatic brain injuries.
Says General Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, “This generation sometimes opens up much better through ‘Skype’ and other digital technology rather than by sitting across the [...]
The Affordable Care Act – Benefits And Weights Being Lifted
From: The White House Blog – President Obama’s remarks on the Patient’s Bill of Rights
On July 1st, uninsured American who’ve been locked out of the insurance market because of a pre-existing condition will now be able to enroll in a new national insurance pool where they’ll finally be able to purchase quality, affordable health care [...]
NY Insurance Dept. Holds Hearings On Reform Of Rate, Form, Regulatory Filings & Licensing Applications
SOURCE: www.ins.state.ny.us
New York, NY, June 18, 2010 . . . The New York State Insurance Department will hold a hearing on June 28 to hear from the public on how to enhance Department procedures. Comments are invited on the processing of rate and form filings, regulatory filings, and company and producer licensing and renewal applications. [...]
News Release From NYS Insurance Dept.
SOURCE: www.ins.state.ny.us
Department Fines AXA Equitable $1.9 Million
New York State Insurance Superintendent james J. Wrynn today (3/26/10) announced that AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company has paid a $1.9 million fine for violations including making inaccurate or incomplete disclosures to consumers buying replacement annuity contracts and life insurance policies. The violations typically occurred when consumers surrendered existing [...]
ONC Issues Final Rule To Establish The Temporary Certification Program For Electronic Health Record Technology
SOURCE: www.hhs.gov
News Release From Department of Health and Human Services . . .
The Office of the National Coordinator for health Information Technology (ONC) today issued a final rule to establish a temporary certification program for electronic health record (EHR) technology. The temporary certification program establishes processes that organizations will need to follow in order to [...]
The State Of The Veterans Benefits Administration
SOURCE: www.veterans.house.gov
Opening Statement of Hon. John J. Hall, Chairman, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs:
Hearings, June 15, 2010 . . . I welcome everyone here for today’s hearing entitled, “The State of the Veterans Benefits Administration.” This hearing represents the 7th hearing this year and the 15th for the 111 Congress that this Committee [...]
Camp Lejeune And Contaminated Drinking Water
Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune has been in operation since 1942. Forty years after its establishment, in 1982, volatile organic compounds, commonly referred to as VOC’s, were discovered in Camp Lejeune’s drinking water. In fact, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reported that between November 1957 and February 1987 former Marines and [...]
