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Backroom deals, multiple lawsuits and $600 million dollars mark the Sisters of Charity attempt to force religious medical directives on non-sectarian medical centers in Colorado.A controversial move to transfer operational control of three secular Denver-area hospitals to a Catholic healthcare system expected to take place on December 31 appears to be on hold pending federal approval.The unexpected delay by the Federal Trade Commission to bless the transaction may provide local critics with a last gasp effort to continue fighting the deal. Community members and medical professionals contend the transfer would unfairly subject comprehensive reproductive health and end-of-life care to church doctrine over patients’ needs. The Catholic church considers abortion, contraception, elective sterilization and termination of invasive life support as “intrinsically evil” and refuses to provide these medical services or respect patients’ advance directives.The disputed takeover in Denver exemplifies the very serious implications for the 127 non-denominational hospitals that succumbed to merger fever with cash-flush Catholic health care systems in the 1990s. According to a study by Catholics for Choice, half of merged secular-Catholic hospitals suspended most or all of their reproductive health care services. Eighty-two percent denied emergency contraception to rape victims — and more than a third refused to provide a referral.But for some tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals co-owned by secular and church interests, there was little more than a wink and a nod to church mandates on care. Comprehensive reproductive healthcare services quietly remained available.These practices received higher scrutiny in 2001 when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops revised its Ethical and Religious Directives for medical care to address “misinterpretation and misapplication of the principle of cooperation with other-than-Catholic organizations.” In other words, the church would no longer turn a blind eye to reproductive health and end-of-life care at its secular partner facilities that did not meet strict Catholic orthodoxy.More importantly, the local hospital policymaking was a little noticed precursor to the bare knuckles strategy on recent display with the church’s relentless lobbying for the 2009 Stupak and Nelson amendments to further restrict access to abortion care via publicly-subsidized health insurance plans. At the same time, the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., threatened to end social service programs for tens of thousands of poor residents if the city council approved a same-sex marriage ordinance.Now, the Denver hospital takeover is offering a glimpse of the intense pressure being brought to bear by the church on its healthcare partners. The Vatican’s renewed insistence on complete doctrinal influence on patient care is bolstered by very real threats to hold desperately needed institutional capital funds hostage until its theological demands are met.And that once delicate balance between serving patient needs and adhering to strict Catholic medical directives is unraveling in plain sight.Another Example of Follow the MoneyExempla Lutheran in Wheat Ridge, Colo., and Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Centers in nearby Lafayette have been sponsored by the Community First Foundation, the former fundraising arm of Lutheran Medical Center, and the Kansas-based Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth in a complex joint partnership since 1997. The two organizations formed the non-sectarian Exempla Healthcare System to manage the hospital operations of the medical centers founded from the ashes of two former Lutheran facilities and St. Joseph Hospital, a 130-year-old institution in the city of Denver, which is wholly owned by the Sisters of Charity.With the three Denver hospitals in need of major infrastructure investments to keep pace in a highly competitive health care market, the Sisters of Charity began flexing their muscle by demanding complete say in day-to-day operations. The Catholic health system complained to the Kansas Business Journal that without administrative control it could not borrow money needed for capital improvements.Namely, that would mean the ouster of Exempla and its non-sectarian medical policies.Not surprisingly, the ultimatum raised the hackles of community members, patients and healthcare professionals at the Exempla-run hospitals. The initial offer sought to buyout Community First’s co-membership in Exempla for $311 million with the Sisters of Charity committing an additional $300 million in capital improvements to the hospitals – a deal the charitable foundation readily agreed to as a way to plump up its sagging recession-battered assets and its growing distaste for the healthcare business.The Community and Politicians Fight to Protect Women’s HealthcareThe Exempla board and a citizen group filed lawsuits in 2008 to block the sale citing, in part, concerns that non-sectarian medical policies would end under a Roman Catholic healthcare system. Community members formed Save Lutheran Medical Center and produced a petition signed by more than 9,000 local residents to reject the deal.But it was all for naught.Two years of lawsuits resulted in a June 5 binding arbitration agreement that nullified the cash payment to Community First as a violation of state law since the community, not the foundation, owns the assets of the tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals.But in a blow to reproductive health advocates, Arbitrator William Meyer determined that the takeover could still occur as long as nothing of value exchanged hands between the foundation and the Sisters of Charity. He also disregarded the religious medical directive argument claiming that the founding documents of the two Lutheran hospitals didn’t require them to remain secular.While the cases played out in court and behind closed doors in the private arbitration hearing, Colorado state lawmakers worked to minimize the damage of losing hospital-based reproductive healthcare services.Issues of religious doctrinal interference in physician-patient decision making came to a head in 2007 when Gov. Bill Ritter signed a law requiring hospitals and pharmacies to provide sexual assault victims information about emergency contraception. However, a conscience clause was added to the bill in order to get conservative Democrats on board after heavy lobbying by the Colorado Conference of Bishops.Likewise, during the 2009 legislative session, the state passed a landmark Birth Control Protection Act to legally define contraceptive treatments, procedures and devices to stem future challenges to health insurance benefits or from “personhood” laws devised to give fertilized eggs civil right protections.Though, again, the Catholic church forced a compromise to exclude mifespristone, or RU-486, and other federally approved pharmaceuticals that induce abortion.Yet, despite the efforts of pro-choice lawmakers there are no safeguards in place to mandate other hospital-based reproductive health services, like sterilization or abortion, or in end-of-life care procedures that require the removal of feeding tubes or ventilators at tax-exempt, nonprofit facilities.An 11th-Hour Reprieve Wrapped Up in Red TapeSince the summer arbitration ruling, Community First and the Sisters of Charity have forged a new deal that keeps the foundation on as a co-partner but exempts it from any fiscal responsibility for the mounting $2.1 billion in capital needs at the three hospitals. The duo will then transfer control of Exempla to the Sisters of Charity, putting it in complete charge of the hospitals’ administration.Critics of the latest deal pinned their hopes on a 2008 state law that requires the state attorney general to review nonprofit hospital transactions that could substantially change hospital services the public has come to expect. Despite that law, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, an anti-choice Republican, said in November there was no need to hold a hearing on the Sisters of Charity deal because it was now merely a change in bylaws and not a merger.Meanwhile, the two partners continue to finalize the phasing out of Exempla’s independence. A new board of directors, comprised of an equal number of appointees by Community First and the Sisters of Charity, was announced December 13.The last remaining obstacle to the church’s imposition of religious directives on care is the Federal Trade Commission which must approve the deal.A decision was expected by year-end but has not yet been made public. An FTC spokesperson could not be reached for comment about the delay.

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You do not buy any car. You buy a car, what surprises you & reflects your personality. Therefore, you must ensure the best security for your vehicle. One way to ensure your new car is getting a map of nice car insurance. Now you wonder where to look for the best insurance plan. Simple, look at auto insurance quotes online! Yes, the Internet has made it very easy to find & even compare auto insurance quotes. There are many insurance companies across the U.S. offering a variety of policies of automobile insurance for car owners. Each company provides insurance coverage & rates differ. Therefore, comparing insurance quotes auto insurance companies provides you different a clear understanding of rates & better policies. Although some insurance websites allow you to compare different quotes totally free, there are others that charge affordable fees for the same. Comparing online auto insurance quotes & policies can be extremely beneficial for you & saves you time & money. For starters, you do not need to call an insurance agent or go to his office to get the insurance quote. All you need do is open the Internet & compare different policies & quotes. This also helps you make the Commission that you need to pay to an insurance agent to check various quotes for you. Before you are able to check insurance quotes different, you must complete a registration form online that asks for personal information. Registration is compulsory if you need to request a chart comparing the different quotes Auto. Once you complete the online form & submit it, you can check auto insurance quotes for all plans that seem good to you & from different insurance companies. Do not fall prey to any insurance company that offers the lowest quotes & rates. It is imperative that you check for stability & history of this company & make sure the insurance company special offer exceptional customer service & is financially sound. If a company that offers unparalleled customer service & great financial stability, offers slightly higher rates & quotes from an insurance company unstable, it is suggested that you go first. In doing so, you ensure peace of mind with the thought that you purchased the best security cover for automotive appreciated. To get the best & lowest insurance quotes, you must also ensure that you have a good credit history. In case you have bad credit history, the insurance company offers you a high insurance quote. Also, true to a corporation for a period of time longer allows you to take lowest price Auto insurance? Comparing auto insurance quotes with the help of an insurance agent is pretty tedious. Therefore, verification of these quotes from the Internet is an excellent option & helps you get a deeper understanding of the insurance & the money you pay to ensure the safety of your automobile.

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California is the second most populous state of America, which also means that the number of people with a low income is one of the highest. The price auto insurance in the state of California is cannot be categorized as expensive but for the poor people in this state even this might not acceptable. However, instead of whining and moping about the increase in the prices of the insurance policies, the low income families should look at the discounts which the insurance companies have to offer to them.

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Burdened by the big amount you’re paying for your auto insurance? You don’t have to because there are lots of tips you can follow for you to get considerable auto insurance savings. There’s also a good chance that you could find better insurance rates from other insurer than what your existing insurance company is offering.  It is always wise to take time to review the auto insurance policy from various insurance companies. If you already have policy but you’re about to give up because of the high rates required by your insurer, better start looking for new insurance company. If you think shopping around for insurance company would be a hard task for you, better think again. With the advent of the Internet, it is now way easy for consumers like you to analyze and compare various policies as well as find insurance rate that’s easy on your pocket. Despite such convenience, it seems like customers do not spend as much time shopping around for auto insurance as they do when searching for a new vehicle.Among the ways to help you save on your auto insurance are:1. Maintain a clean and up-to-date driver’s record.2. If you qualify for a discount, be sure you get it.3. Get a sensible car that’s outfitted with security, safety, and anti-theft features.4. Choose an inexpensive yet good insurance policy.5. Presume more risk by adjusting your coverage. For you to find out the discounts you are eligible of, you must first know the different discount categories. These categories include:• Renewal Discounts and Combined CoverageOne big source of auto insurance savings is to get policy from the same company that provides you with your other coverage such as your home insurance. Before signing up, find out first if the company offers combined coverage. If it does, then that’s the insurance company for you since it can offer you lower premiums for your auto and other policy. Make sure also that you avail of the renewal discount that most insurance companies is offering. Such discount is offered to clients who have been insured with the same insurer for a long period of time. • Low-Risk OccupationsThere are occupations that insurance companies consider as low-risk. You are fortunate if you belong to the group of people who have low-risk occupations because there is a big chance that you might get discounts from most insurers. Since not all companies are the same, it is better to shop around first to find out if you will receive a discount on your auto insurance because of your occupation.  • Assume a higher riskThis is also one way to lower your insurance premium. You can do this is two ways: getting an older model and asking for a higher deductible. • Auto Clubs and Professional GroupsIf you are affiliated with AAA or a member of other professional associations, there’s a chance that you’ll receive lower insurance rates. Ask your employer if you can avail of any insurance rates for your group. You can also inquire with your company representative about the price of policies.                                       • Discounts for Auto Security and Safety FeaturesSafety and security devices installed in your vehicle definitely reduce your insurance premiums. Among such devices are antilock brakes, car alarms, and automatic seat belts.So if you are trapped in high insurance premiums, consider these categories the next time you buy an automobile. Insurance companies keep these things in mind when calculating the cost of your car insurance. Choose a low-profile vehicle and put into consideration the above-mentioned factors. Sure enough, you will love the auto insurance savings you’ll get.

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More people are enrolled in Oklahoma’s Medicaid program than ever before, but the health care services they receive will likely be cut as officials roll back costs due to a deepening statewide budget shortfall, the program’s chief executive said.During the past year, 825,000 Oklahomans — 22 percent of the state’s population — received medical help through one of the health care programs administered by the state’s Medicaid provider, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, CEO Mike Fogarty told members of a House budget subcommittee that appropriates health care dollars.”We are setting a record every day,” Fogarty said Wednesday.Enrollment in Medicaid — which serves the elderly, disabled, and children of low-income families with a combination of state revenue and federal matching funds — is at an all-time high as more and more people lose their jobs and their health insurance due to poor economic conditions.”Every month our rolls are going up faster than they’ve ever gone up before,” Fogarty said. “As the economy worsens, more people qualify for the program.”Medicaid enrollment will likely climb if President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul plan is passed by Congress, according to the budget committee’s chairman, Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove, an emergency medical physician at Integris Grove General Hospital.Among other things, the Obama plan would increase eligibility for Medicaid and allow more uninsured workers to qualify for public health care services, Cox said. But it is unclear whether the federal government or the state would cover the cost of rising Medicaid enrollment.”That would be a huge unfunded mandate,” Cox said. “Each year we pick up more and more because the federal match decreases every year.” OHCA’s budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 is about $4.4 billion, including $980 million in state dollars.The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 31 million uninsured individuals would receive insurance if Obama’s health care bill is enacted.Oklahoma lawmakers have ordered 5 percent budget cuts for OHCA and other state agencies through June because the economic slowdown and low energy prices have forced a revenue shortfall. The cuts will trim about $110 million off OHCA’s budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, including $27 million in state tax revenue, Fogarty said.Fogarty said he is recommending the reduction or elimination of several dental, pharmaceutical and medical services that serve thousands of Medicaid recipients. The recommendations must be approved by the OHCA board of directors.However, he said he will work to avoid an overall reduction in reimbursement rates paid to health care providers.The agency is seeking $240.5 million in additional state dollars for the fiscal year beginning July 1, largely to maintain its health care services at existing levels. But Cox said state agencies probably will not receive substantial budget increases next year because of the revenue shortfall.State revenue came in below expectations for the 10th straight month in October, declining $116.1 million, or 24 percent, below the previous year’s collections and $83.3 million, or 18 percent, below the state’s budget estimate.

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People with pre-existing medical conditions (such as Heart Disease, diabetes etc) usually find it very difficult to find health insurance policy. However, you still have many options to consider and if you try in the right direction, it is not going to be very difficult to find the right policy for you. Following is a brief rundown on how to go about it. Stay Away From False Assumptions The first thing that you have to do is to stop making false assumptions. The reason why most people with pre-existing conditions are never able to get good insurance coverage is the very fact that they simply assume no company will be ready to offer them a policy because of their specific conditions. This is not true. The insurance market is a huge one and there is very tough competition between various companies. Therefore, even if you are suffering from a specific disease, you can still find a company who will offer you a health insurance policy to cater to your specific needs and requirement. In order to get an idea about where exactly you stand, you may like to talk to a broker or an insurance agent. Alternatively, you can simply visit the official websites of a few companies and submit an online application form requesting a free quote from each of them. You can do this right from the comfort and convenience of your home, that too, without spending a dime. Get A New Job – Find A Large Employer Finding a new job with a bigger company is another option that option that you may like to consider. The best thing about a large employer is that they can directly provide you a health insurance policy without requiring you to do anything. If the employer is large enough, it can be done without even having to go through the process of underwriting. Since there is no underwriting process, it simply means that you can enjoy the coverage even if you already have certain medical conditions. The fact that you are suffering from certain diseases is not a point of consideration here. Nobody is going to ask question from you regarding that. In the Unites States of America, the state insurance departments offer special plans for those who are unable to find an insurance policy on their own because of one or another reason. So, it will be a nice idea to contact the concerned state authorities and find out if there is any plan that you can qualify for.  However, it is very important for you to keep in mind that this kind of special state approved health insurance policy is usually much more expensive than most of the other options that might be available to you. However, it can be an easy last option. In order to qualify for these special plans, you may be asked to prove your applications have already been rejected elsewhere.

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Affordable short term health insurance policies are ideal for people in-between jobs or people who are waiting for their insurance plans to begin. It is available for persons who are below the age of 65 years. These policies are also ideal for students who have recently graduated from college and are not covered under any scheme. They are popular because they have do not have very high premiums, provide reasonable coverage, and also because they are processed quickly. These policies provide coverage for periods ranging from a month to two years.These policies enable people to make provisions for emergencies like accidents or sudden illnesses that may take place during periods when they are uninsured for some reason. These provide coverage for the cost of emergency services, surgeries, and other expenses incurred during the patient’s stay at the hospital. They do not include immunizations, dental care, eye care, and preventive care. The existing medical conditions are also not included under these policies.These affordable short term health insurance schemes are quite popular. Although the premiums are not high, the actual amount of the premium also depends on whether the plan is meant for only an individual or a group of people. The premiums also depend on the company and place where the policy holder stays. Many of the companies allow you to pay the payments upfront or on a monthly basis for these policies. If you opt for single premium mode of payment then you may be offered discounts. For a short term health insurance quote you can visit the website of a company that provides affordable short term health insurance.How does this policy works and who benefits from it?Though there are subtle differences between the various short term health insurance policies regarding the benefits and restrictions, they primarily have the following features:* The policy can be canceled any time* The payments can be made on a monthly basis* The person using these schemes must have a social security number (SSN) or a passport* Any medical facility within the United States may be used * People not eligible for Medicare coverage can use this policy Affordable short term health insurance plans have become quite popular in the past few years. Therefore, do not take the risk of remaining uninsured even for a short period of time.

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A recent study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked developed nations based on life expectancies. Unfortunately, Americans don’t live the longest. Despite our technological advances in medicine and billions in health care spending, the average U.S. life expectancy is slightly over 78 years, one year under the OECD average. America ranks among the bottom half of the list. How could this be?One of the factors may be the lack of affordable health insurance available in this country. The U.S. is one of three countries within the index without some form of near-universal health care coverage; the others are Mexico and Turkey. While Democrats in Congress are attempting to pass healthcare reform to ameliorate the problem, their jettisoning of the public option in exchange for the votes needed to enact legislation. However, the rankings also point out that socialized healthcare is not a panacea: Great Britain’s spending on health care is above the OECD average, yet their rates of survival for heart disease and cancer are among the lowest. The American health care system did far better with cancer care, but single-payer systems in Canada and Japan were also successful in lowering the amount of cancer deaths. No one country was shown to be ideal in all areas.Still, America is tops in the amount of money spent on health care. In 2007, we spent 16% of our GDP–over $7,000–on health care per person, including both government and individual spending. However, our outcomes lagged behind other nations that spent closer to $3,000 per person. This spending grew 3.7% annually over the preceding decade, far higher than in other major countries in Western Europe. Other countries–such as formerly Soviet nations like Czech Republic and Poland–achieved similar results with far less cost per person. The results seem to give some credence to those accusing the American healthcare industry of wasting billions in funds that have little or no positive impact on health. Proponents of healthcare reform claim that those savings could instead be used for providing affordable health insurance that has been shown to improve health. People with affordable health insurance tend to utilize primary care services more often, avoiding otherwise necessary and expensive hospital treatment due to mismanaged chronic conditions. Nations such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany were praised for such care, while the United States was criticized for an increase in hospital stays for patients suffering from the complications of diabetes.The responsibility for declining life expectancies in the U.S. does not lie solely on health insurance providers. Over one-third of Americans are obese, a higher percentage than in other nations–that leads to more cases of diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and other conditions dealt with via increasingly costly prescription medication. The U.S. is the biggest consumer of pharmaceuticals, with insurance companies spending $878 for person and passing the cost onto policyholders. This helps drive up health care costs and makes affordable health insurance less attainable for any system, public or private. Income inequality that presents barriers to healthcare also has an impact on infant mortality rates, which results in the United States having 6.7 deaths per 1,000 births; the OECD average was 3.9.So, which countries are doing something right? Spain and Japan have longer life expectancies relative to their wealth and level of healthcare spending. Maybe those nations have some aspects we can emulate. On the other hand, Hungary and Denmark are in the same boat, with life expectancies under the average of 79.1 years.(Image: ONT Design under CC 2.0)

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Group auto insurance offers discounted rates over an individual auto insurance policy. Discounted group auto insurance is often given to a group of people in the same entity, such as organizations, people working for the same company, and even people who are living in the same household. While there may not be a great difference in the coverage of the policies, the difference in premiums could be substantial. It is possible for large families to acquire group auto insurance. People living in the same house with multiple cars can achieve significant discounts by getting a group auto insurance policy. For businesses, they can offer substantial savings to their employees and officers of their company by offering them group auto insurance. Any organization that has an official listing can also offer discounted group auto insurance to its members. This is especially important in volunteer organizations as an incentive to their volunteers, since they receive no pay for what they are doing to begin with. Much like discounts on health insurance, the more members that are in a group, the more the premium will be discounted. While there are some businesses that may not qualify for group auto insurance, it is likely that if a business is one that supplies company cars to their employees, they will likely be able to acquire a group auto insurance policy. It is just as important to compare online group auto insurance quotes as it is to look for an individual auto policy. Getting rates from various providers is important to find the best deal possible. To get multiple car insurance quotes from various insurers to get the best rate possible for you and your group, simply enter your zip code and get your free quotes today.

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The health care “reform” legislation that is moving through the Senate Finance Committee fails to offer the common sense reforms our system needs and instead decreases our health insurance choices and makes health care more expensive with higher taxes. TELL YOUR SENATORS: * Riddled with Taxes: This legislation is riddled with tax hikes.  They start by taxing those earning over $10,831 year who don’t buy health insurance $750—a tax that escalates to $3,800 as income rises.  Health insurance, health care devices and drugs are also taxed, adding to the cost of health care, and decreasing the competitiveness of these businesses. * Medicare Cuts: The bill cuts $500 billion in Medicare spending, including over $130 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage and nearly $120 billion in Medicare cuts for hospitals that care for seniors.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says they “expected the Medicare Advantage plans to lose 2.7 million enrollees over the next decade” as a result. * Raises Insurance Prices: CBO also finds “premiums in the new insurance exchanges would tend to be higher than the average premiums in the current-law individual market…” * Force, Not Choice: This legislation includes an “individual mandate” forcing all Americans to purchase health insurance, like the Massachusetts law.  Taxpayer subsidies will be given to those earning up to three times the federal poverty level.  Those not qualifying for subsides will be taxed up to $3,800 if they do not buy insurance.  The experience in Massachusetts has left those caught in between unable to afford insurance and having to pay the tax. * Big Insurance Boondoggle: Forcing all the uninsured into insurance could bring as much as $200 billion a year in new premiums to insurance companies, including $465 billion in subsidies over 10 years. * Privacy Violation: This legislation would allow law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the Department of Justice unprecedented unfettered access to medical records. * No Lawsuit Reform: This bill fails to curb junk lawsuits.  It doesn’t even implement the “demonstrations projects” on reform the President called for (despite the fact that states like Mississippi have already done so and seen medical malpractice insurance premiums drop 42 percent).  Instead, it will “express the Sense of the Senate that health care reform presents an opportunity to address issues related to medical malpractice and medical liability insurance.” * Bipartisan Opposition: The only thing bipartisan about this bill is the opposition to it. * A vote for cloture on this legislation is a vote in favor of government-run health care.  We will be watching your vote closely. VOTE NO!

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