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A New Era Begins at Australia’s Bond University

Professor Tim Brailsford is Bond University’s new Vice-Chancellor

Gold Coast, Australia (PRWEB) January 19, 2012

Whilst most Australian universities are still in holiday hiatus, Bond University has embarked on a new era with the commencement of its seventh Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Tim Brailsford.

Wasting no time in getting down to business, Professor Brailsford, who officially took the reins on January 9, has welcomed 4,500 students to Semester One, 2012, which started yesterday.

A highly experienced leader in the tertiary sector, Professor Brailsford has joined Bond from the University of Queensland, having previously held deanship and other senior academic leadership roles at the Australian National University, Monash and the University of Melbourne.

With a number of changes facing the industry globally Professor Brailsford said it was a challenging and exciting time to be in higher education.

“Universities worldwide are at an interesting juncture of rapidly changing government policy, increasing global competition, and they are dealing with a raft of new factors with international students,” said Professor Brailsford.

“Our business is truly global and mobile in a way that knows no boundaries. It is challenging the way we teach, research, and market,” he said.

Widely experienced in international education Professor Brailsford believes the current environment coupled with Bond’s commitment to teaching excellence presents significant opportunities for the University.

“In reality Australia has a narrow experience in higher education. I have worked with a number of operating models globally and there is potential for institutions like Bond to play a significant and successful role on the world stage,” said Professor Brailsford.

“Bond has for the past 23 years offered a personalised and unique student experience providing small class sizes – the lowest student to staff ratio in the country; state-of-the-art facilities; cutting-edge technology; curriculum focused on preparing work-ready graduates; and fast-tracked degrees that give our graduates up to a 12 month head start.

“We are committed to providing Australia’s greatest student experience that produces graduates who are leaders in their field driven by ambition and desired by top-tier employers,” he said.

A distinguished researcher in finance and investments, he says he is looking forward to enhancing the University’s strong position and reputation, particularly internationally and in the area of research.

“I plan to build on the work that has been done in recent years that has seen research become a key area of focus for Bond, translating into a very high rate of growth in research income and a strengthening of research culture,” said Professor Brailsford.

“Along with maintaining the momentum of our growing research portfolio, we will remain equally committed to ensuring our programs remain cutting-edge and industry relevant. This Semester we will introduce new programs that have been created in direct response to industry demand,” he said.

These programs include the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, responding to perceived deficiencies in the current training of mid-level laboratory scientists in Australia and a new infrastructure program in the School of Information Technology that will offer a specialisation in the emerging area of cloud computing.

Students across all degrees will also be able to undertake a new subject being run by the University’s Career Development Centre, called the Bond University Professional Practice Program (BUPPP).

Described as the most comprehensive subject of its type at any university in Australia, BUPPP spans the duration of a degree, providing a learning framework around employability experiences and recognition to students undertaking such activities.

“Bond University has a stellar reputation for providing exceptional graduate outcomes for its students and this program is designed to help maximise our graduates’ employability,” said Professor Brailsford.

The Chancellor, Dr Helen Nugent AO stated; “On behalf of Bond University Council, I welcome Prof. Brailsford to this new era in the history of Bond University”.

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PCMA Launches New Ad Campaign: ‘That’s What PBMs Do’

Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 17, 2012

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) today launched a new ad campaign – “That’s What PBMs Do” – that highlights the core value proposition of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The ad campaign focuses on key themes including:

    PBMs reduce pharmacy costs for employers, unions, and consumers
    PBMs play a key role in the Medicare Part D success story
    PBM mail-service pharmacy improves safety, savings, and convenience

“This ad campaign will educate policymakers and opinion leaders about the important savings and safety benefits PBMs provide to more than 216 million Americans,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt.

Click here to view the new ads.

In addition to the ad campaign, a new PCMA video highlights the innovative tools and programs PBMs use to make prescription medications safer and more affordable for more than 216 million Americans with health coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurance plans, labor unions, and Medicare Part D.

View the new video here.

PBMs will save consumers and payers almost $ 2 trillion in prescription drug costs – a 35 percent savings – over the next decade, according to new research from Visante. The research also found that another $ 550 billion could be saved if payers used the full array of savings-tools that PBMs offer.

Click here to read the new report.

PBMs improve safety and savings in several ways:

    Negotiating Discounts from Drugstores and Drug Manufacturers: Retail pharmacies provide discounts to be included in a plan’s pharmacy network. The more selective the network, the greater the discount, since each pharmacy will gain business. PBMs negotiate rebates from manufacturers of brand drugs that compete with therapeutically similar brands and generics. Manufacturers typically provide a rebate if their product is “preferred,” which means it is assigned a copay lower than competing products.

    Offering Home Delivery of Medicines: Mail-service and specialty pharmacy channels typically give plan sponsors deeper discounts than do retail pharmacies. These channels also help encourage the use of preferred products for additional savings.

    Encouraging Use of Generics and Less Expensive Brands: PBMs use several tools to encourage the use of generic drugs and preferred brands. These include: formularies and tiered cost sharing, prior authorization and step therapy protocols, generic incentives, consumer education, and physician outreach. As PBMs and plan sponsors strive for greater savings, drug mix becomes even more important.

    Using Cutting-Edge Tools to Improve Adherence: PBMs use Drug Utilization Review (DUR) to reduce waste such as polypharmacy and implement patient adherence programs to help patients stick to their prescription regimens. Both programs improve clinical outcomes and influence prescription volume and expenditures.

    Improving Quality and Safety: PBMs promote the use of technology like e-prescribing to improve quality and safety by preventing drug duplication and dangerous drug-to-drug interactions.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Rising Significance of Environmental and Waste Management Fuels Market Growth, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

San Jose, California (PRWEB) January 17, 2012

Follow us on LinkedIn – Waste reduction and recycling are important components of the waste management framework of any country. Waste management helps in conserving natural resources and in reducing the amount of valuable space that is utilized by landfills. Increasing urbanization and technological know-how in emerging nations, rising government expenditures for waste disposal, increasing interest as well as investments in waste-to energy technology and private equity investments are the major growth drivers in the environmental and waste management market. The global waste management industry remained immune during the economic recession. Consequently, waste management companies continued to carry out operations with minimal negative impact on their business model, as compared to companies in other sectors. Factors affecting the growth of waste management industry include economic conditions, and increasing generation of waste in cities.

Developed countries are expected to record the highest growth largely due to the availability of advanced waste management technologies, instruments, and information systems. The market for environmental goods and services is growing in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. In Asia, most of the investment is into development of water and wastewater treatment systems, air pollution control systems, and waste management infrastructure. Demand for air pollution control technologies is the largest in China. In Eastern Europe, there is a strong demand for environmental products and services such as process control, end-of-pipe technology, site remediation and restoration services and technologies. In these countries, environmental infrastructure is used for proving energy efficiency. In Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Brazil, demand is primarily for air pollution control and water/wastewater management systems.

Major concerns faced by the industry include scarcity of land for dumping, lack of awareness regarding dumping of medical and e-wastes, and lack of proper systems for collection and segregation of wastes at source. Poor management of urban solid waste is a major concern in developing countries, primarily due to the lower emphasis placed on solid waste management. Urban solid waste management is a priority only in large urban areas and capital cities. Further, financial constraints and lack of institutional support at the local government level contribute to poor management of urban solid waste. The waste to energy (WTE) technology that can convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into energy is gaining importance for waste management. Globally, about 20% of the solid waste produced each year is processed in WTE plants, which can extract the energy content present in waste and store it in the form of heat or electricity.

The research report titled “Environmental and Waste Management: A Global Outlook” announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a collection of statistical anecdotes, market briefs, and concise summaries of research findings. The report offers an aerial view of the industry, identifies major short to medium term market challenges, and growth drivers. Market discussions in the report are punctuated with fact-rich market data tables. Regional markets elaborated upon include United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, India, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, among others. Also included is an indexed, easy-to-refer, fact-finder directory listing the addresses, and contact details of companies worldwide.

For more details about this comprehensive industry report, please visit –

http://www.strategyr.com/Environmental_and_Waste_Management_Industry_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world’s largest and reputed market research firms.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Telephone: 408-528-9966

Fax: 408-528-9977

Email: press(at)StrategyR(dot)com

Web Site: http://www.StrategyR.com/

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

The UK’s first ABS – Alternative Business Structures – Case Management Software

Bradford, West Yorkshire (PRWEB UK) 16 January 2012

The legal services industry will soon see new players – in the form of ‘Alternative Business Structures’ (ABS) – enter the marketplace. The SRA is currently processing applications from organisations all vying to be among the first to announce official ABS status – market commentators expect to see the first tranche of live ABSs in the first quarter of this year.

Eclipse Legal Systems has made available two new Proclaim Case Management Software systems, taking into account the unique requirements of ABS organisations.

1) Proclaim ABS

Suitable for ABS organisations providing a wide range of consumer-based legal services, Proclaim ABS combines core Proclaim Case Management functionality with a choice of pre-prepared (and user-configurable) workflows. Initial workflows available include conveyancing, personal injury claims, employment claims, matrimonial (family) disputes, probate and financial misselling. Firms have the option to include any combination of these matter types within one fully integrated Case Management solution, providing centralised and instant access to client data across all service areas.

2) Proclaim ABS PI

Designed specifically for organisations operating within the personal injury (PI) sector, Proclaim ABS PI integrates initial claim handling, personal injury litigation and links to medical reporting agencies in one centralised solution. The personal injury sector is expected to see heavy ABS involvement, as existing claims management, personal injury and medical reporting firms join forces and consolidate as single entities to avoid falling foul of proposed referral fee bans.

Russell Thomson, Chief Business Executive at Eclipse, comments on the new products:

“The introduction of Alternative Business Structures brings a huge level of opportunity for both existing law firms and new market entrants. Our experience with a wide range of organisations in law, insurance and consumer services (including many forthcoming ABS entrants) has shown that these organisations demand software solutions specific to their needs.

They will not make do with legacy legal management systems, nor will they wish to waste time with long and fruitless implementations of vanilla and toolkit systems.

Our new Proclaim ABS and Proclaim ABS PI systems break the mould as far as legal services software is concerned, providing the perfect fit for firms that need fast implementation of a 100% integrated, firm-wide case management solution.”

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

B2BeTrader Committed To Provide a Free Re-Marketing Tool to Help Businesses

www.b2betrader.com

(PRWEB) January 12, 2012

B2BeTrader is excited to announce new features that will bring some fantastic deals on used equipment to the end user. These software features enable small businessmen and established businesses to list their equipment more efficiently oftentimes with the tap of a few buttons on their computer or smart-phone. This is opening up a whole new world of used IT equipment, restaurant equipment, medical equipment, farm equipment, heavy equipment to those who previously had no access to it.

By launching its Free service, and providing ingenious solutions in the form of free E-trading tools, B2BeTrader, has facilitated the businesses across a wide spectrum. In its free directory, businesses can list a range of their used machineries/equipment, from heavy to light, as bulldozer, truck to phone system, and IT equipments and many more which they are looking to sell and recover their assets in a profitable manner. B2BeTrader is one stop website for placing your classifieds, auction items, directory listing, networking through forums, all for free, which an industry can buy, sell, trade and in short optimally conserve and reduce resources.

End users are starting to love B2BeTrader because:

    The B2BeTrader mobile app helps them find dealers in their area. B2BeTrader’s end user loves how easy it is to find used equipment nearby. He or she simply opens up the B2BeTrader mobile app (coming soon), searches for the used equipment, and navigate to the destination. The end user can meet the dealer and determine if the equipment works before making a purchase.

    There are a lot of listings on B2BeTrader. And it keeps growing every day! More and more dealers are using B2BeTrader because it posts every listing to all of the major social media outlets. Dealers take a few photos, describe their used equipment, and suddenly it’s visible to everyone. This always brings in the end user of the equipment, usually someone who is interested in making a purchase.

    They can find the best deals. When dealers or liquidators compete with one another for price, the end user always gets a great deal on used equipment. The number of listings keeps growing every day, and more and more users walk away with high quality used equipment that keeps their businesses running for years to come.

    End users are dealers too! B2BeTrader makes it easy for its end users to become do-it-yourself re-marketers. What is that? It’s someone who finds a product, cleans it up, and sells it back to the public at a slightly higher price. DIY re-marketers take the risk the public isn’t willing to take, and if they find a great deal, they can profit from it.

    The end user loves to help the environment. There’s nothing more green than cutting down on landfill waste. When B2BeTrader’s end users purchase their used equipment from dealers on the site, they prevent that equipment from going to the landfills. This not only saves money, it helps to cut down on our carbon footprint -something we can all agree with.

    It’s a great way to bootstrap a business in a rough economy. Every penny counts these days. B2BeTrader’s end user understands this, and that’s why so many of them are happy to purchase high quality used equipment through the site. These new features are helping them save money and operate their businesses with lower costs.

The B2BeTrader mobile app (coming soon) and social media features are generating so much buzz because they’re making it incredibly easy for businesses to list their equipment and sell it shortly. This makes life easier for the site’s end user because it eliminates a lot of the common frictions that can occur in this sort of business transaction. These days, people want to find the right equipment, and they want to do it fast. With so many options to choose from, this is now the reality for most end users of the site. Click here to post free ads.

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Trupanion Announces Additions to Its Pet Insurance Coverage

Trupanion expands coverage to include nutritional supplements and more.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) January 10, 2012

Due to customer demand, Trupanion, the nation’s second-largest and fastest-growing pet insurance provider, has expanded its core coverage to include therapeutic pet food, supplements and mobility devices, and added optional benefits for alternative therapies, feline kidney transplants, and special disorders associated with working pets. These treatment options, which were once considered unconventional, have become common after years of veterinary advancements, prompting Trupanion to reconsider their exclusion from coverage.

“We always want to give the pet owner the freedom to pursue the best course of treatment for their pet,” said Darryl Rawlings, chief executive officer at Trupanion, “so we are happy to be able to expand our scope of coverage to include these new options that are becoming more commonplace.”

Pets covered by a Trupanion policy are now eligible for the following treatments:

Therapeutic Pet Food and Supplements

Core Trupanion coverage now includes half the cost of therapeutic pet food purchased through a veterinarian to assist in the care of a pet for two months, as well as nutritional supplements purchased through a veterinarian for the treatment of an illness or injury. Therapeutic pet food and nutritional supplements can help improve the health of pets with a variety of conditions, from joint heath to skin health and are often recommended by veterinarians. Until now, the cost of these foods and supplements was always an out-of-pocket expense for pet owners, but Trupanion policyholders will now be able to recover these costs in their core coverage(1).

Orthotic Devices, Prosthetic Devices, and Carts

Core coverage has also been expanded to include orthotic devices, prosthetic devices, and carts. These devices are used to either correct or accommodate the limb of a pet that has been disabled through trauma, illness, or old age. They are most often used to stabilize a neurologically deficient limb, provide support for weak joints, protect the limb from self-mutilation, or to prevent the shortening of muscles. Mobility devices are a great alternative to amputation and will help the pet regain its quality of life.

Alternative Therapies

Trupanion now covers alternative therapies including acupuncture, physical therapy, and hydrotherapy at the policyholder’s option with an additional premium. These treatments often complement traditional medical treatments to assist in alleviating pain and focus on individualizing treatments, treating the whole pet, and promoting self-care and self-healing. Behavioral modification, including medications, training and therapy also falls under this category.

Feline Kidney Transplants

Feline kidney transplants will also now be covered as an optional benefit available with an additional premium. Kidney failure is very common in cats and results in the cat being unable to eliminate dangerous wastes from its body. Kidney failure can be caused by poisoning or disease, and the best candidates for kidney transplants are those with an acute case of kidney failure (such as poisoning), or cats who do not respond well to the usual medical management of the disease. The cost of kidney transplants is not restricted to the transplant itself. The recipient will need immune-suppressive medications to prevent rejection of the new organ, which is maintained through expensive oral medications for the rest of the cat’s life. The cat will also need to be monitored for infection and have their blood level periodically tested to ensure the treatment is effective.

Trupanion’s expanded coverage also includes treatment for special conditions associated with working pets. Pets categorized as working pets under the Trupanion policy are: service and therapy dogs; law enforcement dogs; search and rescue dogs; herding, hunting, and sled dogs; guard dogs; and breeding cats and dogs. Previously, accidents and illnesses related to activities performed by working pets were excluded from coverage because of their higher probability to occur. For example, gunshot wounds can occur in dogs used in law enforcement and treatment, including X-rays, surgery, and post-surgical care, can cost thousands of dollars. Formerly excluded from coverage, this treatment is now covered under the expanded policy. An additional premium factor will apply for these pets and pet owners must specify at the time of enrollment which working activities their pet is involved in.

“Working pets often provide a great service to their owners and these owners want to protect them as best they can,” said Rawlings. “We are happy to now be able to offer these pet owners the peace of mind that if their pet becomes sick or injured, their treatment is covered.”

(1) Approved in Canada and in the US except for Washington, New York and Puerto Rico.

About Trupanion™

Trupanion™ pet insurance offers cat insurance and dog insurance in the United States and Canada with the mission of delivering fast, simple, and user-friendly financial support to pet owners. Trupanion™ offers a simple, customizable pet insurance policy with 90% coverage for diagnostic tests, surgeries, medications, hospital stays, and alternative therapies for the treatment of accidents or illnesses. Trupanion’s policy includes coverage of hereditary and congenital conditions with no payout limits per incident, per year, or over the lifetime of the pet. Trupanion™ is self-underwritten by the American Pet Insurance Company. American Pet Insurance Company has earned a Financial Stability Rating(R) of A, Exceptional, from Demotech, Inc. For more information call 800-569-7913 or visit Trupanion pet insurance.

About the North American Pet Health Insurance Association

Trupanion™ is a founding member of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA). Founded in 2007, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association is committed to educating and promoting the values and benefits of quality pet health insurance to North American pet owners, the general public, and the veterinary community. As an association, we are committed to high standards and transparency in all of our actions and products. To learn more, visit the North American Pet Health Insurance Association website at http://www.naphia.org.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

2012 US Healthcare UCR: Supreme Court & PPACA for UCR Claims Denials for Out-of-Network Providers

Hanover Park, IL (PRWEB) January 08, 2012

In response to the new demands, ERISAclaim.com offers 2012 Advanced PPACA & ERISA Claim Specialist Programs on “UCR Claims Denials & Appeals” for all out-of-network providers, doctors, surgical centers, DME’s and hospitals, in compliance with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on ERISA and the full enforcement of PPACA claims regulations in 2012. The recent Supreme Court decision, in Cigna Corp. v. Amara (No. 09-804) on May 16, 2011, has corrected the errors in remedial law under ERISA for 36 years, and has dramatically changed the ERISA legal landscape, especially for out-of-network UCR (Usual, Customary and Reasonable) denials, with “appropriate equitable relief” to remedy the “UCR violation” under ERISA section 502(a)(3). New federal heath reform law, PPACA Claims Regulation, provides new protections for wrongful UCR denials. About 77% insured Americans in private health programs paid for out of network coverage. ERISAclaim.com offers the most compliant and simplest solutions to the most common healthcare claim denials.

ERISAclaim.com 2012 “ERISA – PPACA – UCR” Programs will mainly cover (1) specific ERISA & PPACA regulations on UCR claims appeals, (2) Supreme Court decisions on the governing plan documents, applicable to UCR fee determination, and unprecedented ERISA remedies for UCR denials, (3) How to set up and rely upon the first National “UCR” Data Center from the FAIR Health, developed from the billions of de-identified healthcare claims from healthcare providers and insurers nationwide, as part of a settlement agreement reached between the New York State Attorney General’s Office and Ingenix, Inc. as well as numerous large health insurers nationwide. (4) How to file compliant ERISA & PPACA Appeals for UCR denials, (5) How to file ERISA & PPACA Complaints with DOL (“Federal Department of Insurance”) for ERISA & PPACA violations and (6) Litigation support for new PPACA Claims for new “PPACA attorneys”.

“The Supreme Court, Congress and Federal Agencies have offered the new UCR protections for doctors, hospitals and patients,” says Dr. Jin Zhou, president of ERISAclaim.com, a national expert on PPACA and ERISA appeals and compliance.

“Failure in ERISA compliance by all parties, providers, patients, insurers and employers, and lack of ERISA enforcement are the one of the main causes for skyrocketing U.S. healthcare expenditure in $ 2.6 trillions each year, in cultivating and systematically leading up to the most of the 10% of healthcare fraud, abuse and waste. The simple anti-fraud initiatives alone without the compliant appeals to protect the vast majority of the honest healthcare providers will never save our healthcare system, when more and more doctors are going broke everyday,” explained Dr. Zhou, on why this new program was developed and promoted.

ERISAclaim.com 2012 Advanced PPACA & ERISA Claim Specialist Programs on “UCR Claims Denials & Appeals” are immediately available and will mainly cover the following topics:

1.    The Supreme Court decision in Cigna Corp. v. Amara (No. 09-804) on May 16, 2011 on what document really governs benefits determination, and what new remedies available under ERISA. http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-804.pdf

2.    DOL Kenseth Amicus Brief, in support of patient. http://www.dol.gov/sol/media/briefs/kenseth(A)-6-13-2011.htm

3.    Why Medicare Fee Schedules used for the most UCR denials are not enforceable if without ERISA compliance, even with SPD Medicare fee provisions.

4.    Why most denials (39% – 59%), including UCR denials, made without ERISA compliance are appealable and reversible. – the Congressional Report, U.S. GAO, (GAO-11-268 March 16, 2011): Private Health Insurance: Data on Application and Coverage Denials (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-268)

5.    DOL, ERISA FAQ, B1, B2, B3, B4 & B5: The plan must disclose to OON provider claimants the UCR schedules, “appropriate protocols, guidelines, criteria, rate tables, fee schedules, etc”. (http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_claims_proc_reg.html)

6.     The new PPACA claims regulations to define the OON providers with a valid Designation of Authorized Representative as a Claimant, regardless of network participation, to receive direct reimbursement checks and appeal rights as well as access to the plan’s entire claim file, including UCR data base. (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=5a02ffcbdc3b299526312c6fe4f889f8&rgn=div8&view=text&node=29:9.1.3.12.14.3.20.9&idno=29)

7.    DOL Website – PPACA Claim Regulation and Guidance: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/

8.    EBSA News Release: US Department of Labor’s EBSA creates new consumer assistance Web page [11/10/2011] http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/ebsa/EBSA20111627.htm

9.    ”Federal Department Of Insurance Complaints Website” for Doctors and Patients: https://www.askebsa.dol.gov/WebIntake/Home.aspx?submit=Submit+a+Complaint

10.    How to set up a defendable and reasonable UCR fee schedule in a simplest way, by using FAIR Health’s “FH Medical Cost Lookup”, simply replacing the zip code 60133 and CPT code 99203 with yours in this link: (http://fairhealthconsumer.org/medicalcostlookup/cost.aspx?loc=60133&term=99203&zip=60133)

11.    Why “UCR” from FAIR Health in 2012? http://fairhealthconsumer.org/faq.aspx

12.    DOL: About 77% of Insured Americans Purchased Out-Of-Network Coverage under Private Industry (DOL, BLS, NBS 2010, page 11 of 167): http://stats.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/detailedprovisions/2010/ebbl0047.pdf

To find out more about the Total PPACA Claims and Appeals Compliance Services from ERISAclaim.com:

http://www.erisaclaim.com/products.htm

Located in a Chicago suburb in Illinois, for over 11 years, ERISAclaim.com is the only ERISA & PPACA consulting, publishing and website resource for healthcare providers in the country. ERISAclaim.com offers free webinars, basic and advanced educational seminars and on-site claims specialist certification programs for doctors, hospitals and commercial companies, as well as numerous pending national ERISA class action litigation support. Dr. Jin Zhou is regarded as the industry “Godfather of ERISA claims” for healthcare providers.

For any questions, please contact Dr. Jin Zhou, president of ERISAclaim.com, at 630-808-7237.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Sarcoma Alliance Raises Money So Patients Can Get Second Opinions

Dr. Robert Benjamin, chair of sarcoma medical oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston

Los Angeles, Calif. (PRWEB) December 29, 2011

A woman lying in a hospital in Pennsylvania. A Montana cowboy. A young man in college in Southern California. They have two things in common: All were diagnosed with sarcoma, and all received grants from the Sarcoma Alliance to help pay for second opinions from experts in this rare cancer.

So that more people can get grants, the Alliance will hold a fundraiser 5-9 p.m. Jan. 21 at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, in the Orange County-Los Angeles area. Executive Director Arthur Beckert said the event will feature food, live rock and reggae, dancing and a silent auction. People also can donate directly to the Alliance’s Hand in Hand: The Suzanne R. Leider Memorial Assistance Fund, and 100 percent of their money will go to patients, he said. The fund was named after the nurse who founded the national nonprofit organization in Mill Valley, Calif. Leider believed strongly that patients should have the opportunity to consult a doctor who specialized in sarcoma, Beckert said.

At a sarcoma conference this fall, Dr. Robert Benjamin, chair of sarcoma medical oncology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said: “Given that the state of the art is clearly inadequate, if everyone was treated at a multidisciplinary sarcoma center, the survival rate might go up 15 percent. Patients aren’t going to do as well if treated by someone who thinks sarcoma is just the flavor of the day.”

“Taking a plane is one of the best ways people can improve their survival,” said Dr. Samuel Singer, leader of the multidisciplinary soft-tissue sarcoma team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

That’s what Drake Brada-Pitts did in 2008. He had synovial sarcoma, and one doctor recommended chemotherapy and another didn’t, said his mother, Deborah Brada of San Diego. They sought an opinion from a doctor who specialized in sarcoma in adolescents at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and the recommendation was: no chemo. Drake is now 21 and cancer-free.

“He no longer needs to go for scans and can focus on college and his future,” Brada said. “I am so thankful that the Sarcoma Alliance enabled us to get that second opinion at Dana-Farber. Otherwise, Drake would have undergone unnecessary chemo that would have harmed both his body and his spirit. As his mom, I was terrified to have him do chemo and even more terrified not to, so seeing a specialist in teen sarcoma was exactly what we needed to move forward with confidence. Now, looking back, it feels great to know we made the right decision.”

Jenny Miller of Athens, Penn., had surgery last year for malignant fibrous histiosarcoma at a local hospital. Although she wondered if she was wasting her time, she went for a second opinion at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. The Alliance reimbursed her for expenses, including insurance co-pays. She said she got important information, such as the need for regular scans, which showed a tumor in her lung. Chemo shrunk it, and a tumor in her leg was removed.

“My insurance won’t pay for hardly anything,” she said from her hospital bed, where she was being treated for an infection in her leg. “I would never have gotten through all of this without everyone’s help.”

Troy Foss of Billings, Mont., was diagnosed last year with myxoid liposarcoma. “I’m a dumb Montana cowboy. I turned to my wife, who’s a nurse, and she said, ‘It’s a fancy word for cancer.’ ” His doctor recommended specialists in New York or Boston.

“I used to be a truck driver. I hate big cities. You’re broke before you get there,” he said. His wife suggested the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., instead. They sought financial help from a local nonprofit, without any luck, he said. But the Alliance reimbursed them for gas and hotel rooms.

“As far as I’m concerned, the Sarcoma Alliance takes care of people.”

Foss is in remission after radiation, chemotherapy and the amputation of his right leg. Doctors offered him time to consider the amputation, but he told them: “I’ve already decided. Let’s git ‘er done. Just get to cuttin’.

“It was scary to me, but it was either that or die.”

Since the Assistance Fund was created in 2003, Beckert said, more than 375 grants totaling nearly $ 190,000 have been given to people in every age group in almost every state with almost every type of sarcoma. There are more than 50 subtypes of sarcoma, a cancer of connective tissue, including muscle, bone, fat, nerves, cartilage and blood vessels.

“The number of people asking for assistance has gone through the roof in the past few years.” He attributes the increase to greater outreach, coupled with the economic downturn. As a result, the Alliance has had to reduce its grants to a maximum of $ 350. Even then, he said, the fund didn’t have enough to pay for the 70+ grants given this year; for the first time, the Alliance had to dip into its general operating funds so that no one who qualified would go without.

People have to fill out a form to get reimbursed, and two board members double check the travel expenses of applicants. “Their willingness to do the paperwork shows you how important every penny is to these folks,” said Beckert, noting that cancer can bankrupt people.

In addition to the Assistance Fund, the Sarcoma Alliance provides guidance, education and support to people affected by sarcoma. Beckert said its biggest fundraiser is the Ocean of Hope (O2H) campaign, which consists of paddleboard and outrigger-canoe races throughout the year.

The Alliance will honor the athletes at the Power of the Ocean event Jan. 21, said O2H co-captain Aimee Spector of Redondo Beach. The proceeds will be split between the Assistance Fund and the P.S. I Love You Foundation’s Day at the Beach program for at-risk children.

Nearly 300 people are expected to attend the fundraiser, Spector said. Sponsoring companies include Zinka, Patagonia, Skechers and Stantec. In addition to many sports items, she said, the silent auction will have everything from gift certificates to Murad Inclusive Health Spa in El Segundo, Calif., to an afghan knitted by a sarcoma patient.

For tickets or more information, click here.

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Baxa Announces 2010 Course Dates and Discounted Pricing for its STAR Center® Training Facility

Englewood, Colo. (PRWEB) November 16, 2009

Baxa Corporation has published the 2010 course dates for training at its STAR (Skills Training, Academics and Resources) Center®. The STAR Center, the world’s first purpose-built premier facility designed for cleanroom and pharmacy practice demonstration, is located at the company’s headquarters south of Denver, Colorado. Together, Baxa and the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) will host a series of courses in 2010 to be taught by industry experts and members of the USP 797 Sterile Compounding Committee.

The first ACPE-accredited USP compliance class will be held February 23 – 25, 2010 with subsequent program dates running through October, 2010. Attendance in STAR Center classes is limited to 24 participants to ensure resource availability, student teacher ratios and the opportunity for hands-on experience in the ISO 7 cleanroom.

Baxa, in association with USP, recommends the Aseptic Processing and Compliance Tools for USP 797 course to equip compounding professionals with core knowledge and skills toward USP 797 compliance and industry best practice. Course topics include cleanroom physical design and layout, engineering controls and airflow science, media fill testing and principles associated with workflow, staff training, cleaning, monitoring, validation and documentation.

Throughout 2010, participants will be able to register for the Aseptic Processing and Compliance Tools for USP 797 course at a newly discounted price of $ 1,875; a 10% discount to standard pricing.

The Safe Handling and Preparation of Hazardous Drugs course educates pharmacists, technicians, nurses and physicians on how to handle hazardous drugs safely, while complying with regulatory requirements and industry best practice. This ten-hour course covers critical topics including engineering controls required when compounding hazardous drugs, proper use of closed-system drug transfer devices (CSDTDs), procedures for handling hazardous drug spills, hazardous waste containment and disposal and regulatory compliance.

Baxa Corporation sponsors the STAR Center to further best practices in health-system pharmacy operations and facility design. The STAR Center brings together professional and industry partners to provide participants with a range of experiences in equipment, technology and processes. The STAR Center launched in fall 2006. Contact Baxa Corporation at http://www.baxa.com/starcenter for more information, including the complete schedule of 2010 course dates.

About the STAR Center

The STAR Center is a state-of-the-art cleanroom, pharmacy and training facility located at the Baxa world headquarters in Englewood, Colorado. The center was purpose-built to support training in aseptic technique, pharmacy workflow and practice, cleanroom design and maintenance and USP 797 compliance among other topics. Classes are taught by industry-recognized subject matter experts. Further information is available at http://www.baxa.com/starcenter

About USP — Advancing Public Health Since 1820

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is a scientific, nonprofit, standards-setting organization that advances public health through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety, and benefit of medicines and foods. USP’s standards are recognized and used worldwide. For more information about USP visit http://www.usp.org

About Baxa Corporation

Baxa, a customer-focused medical device company, provides innovative, solution-based technologies for medication handling and delivery. Its systems and devices promote the safe and efficient preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of medications. Key products include the PadLock® Set Saver, Rapid-Fill™ Automated Syringe Fillers, Exacta-Med® Oral Dispensers, MicroFuse® Syringe Infusers, Repeater™ Pharmacy Pumps, and Exacta-Mix™ and MicroMacro™ Multi-Source Automated Compounders; used worldwide in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Privately held, Baxa Corporation has subsidiaries and sales offices in Canada and the United Kingdom; direct representation in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland; and distribution partners worldwide. Further information is available at http://www.baxa.com

Contacts:

Marian Robinson, Vice President, Marketing

Baxa Corporation: 800.567.2292 ext. 2157 or 303.617.2157

Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR

Absolutely Public Relations – http://www.absolutelypr.com – 303.984.9801 or 303.669.3558

Sandra Kim, Manager, Media Relations USP

USP: 301.816.8241

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