ogarawo.wordpress.com
In prepared testimony before Congressional committees, Lewis said BofA contacted officialss atthe U.S. Treasur and Federal Reserve in mid-December to informk them that thebank “had serious concerns about closing the transaction.” he said, was considerinfg declaring a “material adverse change,” whicu can allow an acquirer to back out of a proposefd deal. “Treasury and Federal Reserve representatives asked us to delah anysuch action, and expressed significant concernds about the systemic consequences and risk to Bank of Americqa of pursuing such a course,” Lewis said.
“We commenced discussions to determinde whether governmental support could limit the risk of proceedingg withthe transaction. Both the government and Bank America were awarw that the global financial system was infragile condition, and that a collapsde of Merrill Lynch could hasten a Charlotte-based BofA (NYSE:BAC) bought Merrilpl on Jan. 1 for $29.1 billion. The deal resulted in BofA’s receivinfg an additional $20 billion in federal funds under the Troubled AssetRelief Program. BofA has received a totak of $45 billion in TARP funds.
Lewis has been under intense pressurse from BofA shareholders for not disclosing the depthof Merrill’sd financial difficulties before the merger. Merrilk lost $15.3 billion in the fourth quarter. In Lewis testified under oath before New York Attornety General Andrew Cuomo that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernankeand then-Treasurt Secretary Henry Paulson pressured the bank not to discuss its increasingly troubled plan to buy Merrill. Lewias said he believed Paulson and Bernank were instructing him to keep silentabout Merrill’s financial problems. His testimont was part of an investigation launched by Cuomo intothe $3.6 billio in bonuses Merrill paid out in December.
Click to follosw Lewis' testimony on Twitter.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Metro plans to build new bus facility - Denver Business Journal:
bakakinkorypon.blogspot.com
The facility will house 114 Metro but if the land is fully up to 250 buses will be able to live The newbus facility, expected to be readyh as early as 2012, will be built at a site known as D.C. Metro wants the facility to meet environmental standards that woulc enable it to receive a Silve rating underthe U.S. Green Building Council’zs program for Leadership in Energy andEnvironmentak Design. The new facility will replace the Southeasternbus garage, whic h was sold for $69.25 million and vacated last year becauss of its closeness to Nationals Park. The land at D.C. situated at Shepherd Parkwayg and BluePlains Drive, was appraised at $8.0r million. The sale's $6.
45 million price tag represents the appraisal value minua the additional operating costsof $1.6 million incurreds by Metro for moving the Buses that had been running out of the Southeastern bus garagre have been dispersed to other garageds in the region at an additional operating cost. Until the new facility is the additional operating costs for the buses will be fundedfrom Metro’e operating reserve account, which was createdd from the proceeds of the Southeaster bus garage sale. The final sale of propertty must first be approved bythe D.C. which will consider it at a June2 meeting.
The facility will house 114 Metro but if the land is fully up to 250 buses will be able to live The newbus facility, expected to be readyh as early as 2012, will be built at a site known as D.C. Metro wants the facility to meet environmental standards that woulc enable it to receive a Silve rating underthe U.S. Green Building Council’zs program for Leadership in Energy andEnvironmentak Design. The new facility will replace the Southeasternbus garage, whic h was sold for $69.25 million and vacated last year becauss of its closeness to Nationals Park. The land at D.C. situated at Shepherd Parkwayg and BluePlains Drive, was appraised at $8.0r million. The sale's $6.
45 million price tag represents the appraisal value minua the additional operating costsof $1.6 million incurreds by Metro for moving the Buses that had been running out of the Southeastern bus garagre have been dispersed to other garageds in the region at an additional operating cost. Until the new facility is the additional operating costs for the buses will be fundedfrom Metro’e operating reserve account, which was createdd from the proceeds of the Southeaster bus garage sale. The final sale of propertty must first be approved bythe D.C. which will consider it at a June2 meeting.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Business working behind scenes to shape health care reform - Business First of Columbus:
grigoriynirim.blogspot.com
President Obama has mobilized the grass-roots supporters that helped electy him to lobby for his vision of healtbcare reform, which includes offering Americans a government-run healthj plan as an alternative to privatre insurance. A coalition of labor union s and progressive organizations plans tospend $82 millio on organizing efforts, advertising, research and lobbyintg to support the Obama plan. Business meanwhile, mostly are working behind the scenes to shapwethe legislation.
Although they have serioux concerns about some of theproposalds — including the public plan optiomn and a mandate for employers to provid insurance — few are trying to block healtuh care reform at this The cost of health insurance has becomse so burdensome that something needs to be they agree. “Nobody supports the status saidJames Gelfand, the ’s senior manager of healthh policy. “We absolutely have to have reform.” For most business that means reining in health care costs and reforminfg insurance markets so that employers have more choices in the types ofplans available.
To achieve those goals, businesses might have to swallow some bitter An employer mandate tops the list of concernws for manybusiness groups, just as it did when Bill Clintojn pushed his health care reform plan in the The Senate bill might include a provisioj that would require employers to either providew health insurance to their employees or pay a fee to the federall government. Some small-business owners don’t have a problem with including members of the MainStreey Alliance, which is part of the coalition lobbyinfg for the Obama “The way our system workxs now, where responsible employers offefr coverage and others don’t, leaves us in a situation with an unlevelo playing field,” 11 alliance members said in a statemenr submitted to the Senat Finance Committee.
“If we’re contributin g but other employers that gives them a financial advantage over us,” the statement said. “We need to level the playingh field through a system where everyonse pitches in areasonable amount.” But most business lobbyistx contend that employers who can afford to provide healthy insurance do so already because it helps them attrac t and keep good Businesses that don’t provide health insurances tend to be “marginally profitable,” said Denny senior research fellow at the NFIB Research Foundation. Imposinfg a “play-or-pay” insurance requirement on these businesses would cost the economy morethan 1.
6 milliojn jobs, according to a study. Tax creditsw could offset some of the costs for providingvthis coverage, but Gelfand said the creditas that are under discussion are “extremely Congress also could exempt some smal businesses — such as firmz with less than $500,000 in annual payrolo — from the employer mandate. But many business groupes see this proposal as an attempt to split thebusiness community, not as meaningfu relief. “We oppose small-business carve-outs becaused they make it easier for Congress to apply mandates against larger saidNeil Trautwein, vice president and employee benefits policy counseol of the National Retail Federation.
“It’d also easy for Congress to come back and try to apply the mandatagainst ever-smaller employers. “No mattedr how good the surrounding healthcare reform, a bill containinf an employer mandate would be too high a pric e to pay for reform,” Trautweimn said. Public plan or marke t reforms?
President Obama has mobilized the grass-roots supporters that helped electy him to lobby for his vision of healtbcare reform, which includes offering Americans a government-run healthj plan as an alternative to privatre insurance. A coalition of labor union s and progressive organizations plans tospend $82 millio on organizing efforts, advertising, research and lobbyintg to support the Obama plan. Business meanwhile, mostly are working behind the scenes to shapwethe legislation.
Although they have serioux concerns about some of theproposalds — including the public plan optiomn and a mandate for employers to provid insurance — few are trying to block healtuh care reform at this The cost of health insurance has becomse so burdensome that something needs to be they agree. “Nobody supports the status saidJames Gelfand, the ’s senior manager of healthh policy. “We absolutely have to have reform.” For most business that means reining in health care costs and reforminfg insurance markets so that employers have more choices in the types ofplans available.
To achieve those goals, businesses might have to swallow some bitter An employer mandate tops the list of concernws for manybusiness groups, just as it did when Bill Clintojn pushed his health care reform plan in the The Senate bill might include a provisioj that would require employers to either providew health insurance to their employees or pay a fee to the federall government. Some small-business owners don’t have a problem with including members of the MainStreey Alliance, which is part of the coalition lobbyinfg for the Obama “The way our system workxs now, where responsible employers offefr coverage and others don’t, leaves us in a situation with an unlevelo playing field,” 11 alliance members said in a statemenr submitted to the Senat Finance Committee.
“If we’re contributin g but other employers that gives them a financial advantage over us,” the statement said. “We need to level the playingh field through a system where everyonse pitches in areasonable amount.” But most business lobbyistx contend that employers who can afford to provide healthy insurance do so already because it helps them attrac t and keep good Businesses that don’t provide health insurances tend to be “marginally profitable,” said Denny senior research fellow at the NFIB Research Foundation. Imposinfg a “play-or-pay” insurance requirement on these businesses would cost the economy morethan 1.
6 milliojn jobs, according to a study. Tax creditsw could offset some of the costs for providingvthis coverage, but Gelfand said the creditas that are under discussion are “extremely Congress also could exempt some smal businesses — such as firmz with less than $500,000 in annual payrolo — from the employer mandate. But many business groupes see this proposal as an attempt to split thebusiness community, not as meaningfu relief. “We oppose small-business carve-outs becaused they make it easier for Congress to apply mandates against larger saidNeil Trautwein, vice president and employee benefits policy counseol of the National Retail Federation.
“It’d also easy for Congress to come back and try to apply the mandatagainst ever-smaller employers. “No mattedr how good the surrounding healthcare reform, a bill containinf an employer mandate would be too high a pric e to pay for reform,” Trautweimn said. Public plan or marke t reforms?
Sunday, February 3, 2013
RealtyTrac: Fla. has third-highest foreclosure rate - South Florida Business Journal:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
Default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessionas in Florida were all down from thepreviouws month, but the statse still posted 58,931 foreclosure filings, up 50 percent from May 2008. Only with one in every 64 housing units in and California, with one in everu 144 housing units in foreclosure, had highef rates. In the tri-county area, Broward County saw the most foreclosureesin May, with 11,325, or one in everyu 71 housing units – a nearluy 10 percent increase over April. Miami-Dad e ranked second, with 7,773 filings, or one out of everh 125 units – down 31.2 percent from Palm Beach Countyhad 3,782 or one out of everu 169 units – up 32.8 percenyt over April.
Nationwide, there were 321,480 foreclosure filings, one out of every 398 units – down 6 percent from April, but up 18 percenyt from May 2008. “May foreclosure activituy was the third-highest month on and marked the third straight month where the totao number of properties with foreclosure filingasexceeded 300,000 – a first in the historgy of our report,” RealtyTrac CEO Jamesz J. Saccacio said in a news release. Othee states with foreclosure rates ranking amongthe nation’es 10 highest were Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Colorado, Idah o and Ohio.
Default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessionas in Florida were all down from thepreviouws month, but the statse still posted 58,931 foreclosure filings, up 50 percent from May 2008. Only with one in every 64 housing units in and California, with one in everu 144 housing units in foreclosure, had highef rates. In the tri-county area, Broward County saw the most foreclosureesin May, with 11,325, or one in everyu 71 housing units – a nearluy 10 percent increase over April. Miami-Dad e ranked second, with 7,773 filings, or one out of everh 125 units – down 31.2 percent from Palm Beach Countyhad 3,782 or one out of everu 169 units – up 32.8 percenyt over April.
Nationwide, there were 321,480 foreclosure filings, one out of every 398 units – down 6 percent from April, but up 18 percenyt from May 2008. “May foreclosure activituy was the third-highest month on and marked the third straight month where the totao number of properties with foreclosure filingasexceeded 300,000 – a first in the historgy of our report,” RealtyTrac CEO Jamesz J. Saccacio said in a news release. Othee states with foreclosure rates ranking amongthe nation’es 10 highest were Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Colorado, Idah o and Ohio.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Trucking company quickly builds customer base after adding key personnel - bizjournals:
ofycagvezi.blogspot.com
But rather than put the brakeson , whicuh he founded in 1996, Rice, 64, broughgt in longtime friend Gary Watsomn as an investor last July to help him expands the business. In early May, the pair movedd the company’s operations from an apartment complexz Rice owns to leased space at954 E. Kentucky St. in Germantown. They also hireds office manager Kim Barnett to handle accountinb andmarketing duties. Watson, through face-to-face visits, and through telephone marketing, have continued to add Now Rice envisions a day whenhe won’tt have to handle administratived duties or drive trucks to Ohio, or Washington, D.C.
Rice said he’ss at the point in his career where he’dx rather sit on his boat in the middles of a lake and think aboutExpedited Trucking’se success while casting another “Being in this business for 13 yeare is remarkable, but I couldn’g do it by myself anymore because it was just getting too said Rice, who left a 34-yea career with Fetter Printing Co. in 1997 to begi n the business. “Gary is youngerr than I am, and I know he and Kim can do a greatg job buildingthis business.” Expedited Trucking has found a niche in takin some of the smalpl business that the largef companies don’t have time for, Rice said.
The company got its start hauling pallets of materials primarilty for printing companies but has branchesd out to serveother industries. It will haul most typew of dry cargo, with the exception of hazardouws materials, Watson said. Ratherr than owning a fleet of vehicles, the company leases vans and straightg trucks on demand from Penske and EnterprisewCommercial Trucks. The approach removes the cost of preventativemaintenanc work, oil changes, license platew and other expenses that come with ownin g a truck fleet, Watson said.
“When I got here, I was amazerd at the rates (Rice) was getting for said Watson, 59, who has more than 30 years of sales experience in thetrucking “This is such a smarft way to go for a business our size.” Bein g a small business also allows Expeditedc Trucking to offer a personal Watson said. “The business has changed so much. Now the big companies do everythinby computer, and the persona level is gone,” Watsonb said. “Our customers know they can pick up the phone and talk to one ofus directly. That meansd a lot to them.
” Expediter Trucking has gone the route of many households by operating on a cash only basizs rather than putting expenses on acreditg card. It’s somewhat unusual for a trucking companyh to send a driver on the road with a pocket full of cash rathert than acredit card, but it’s an approach that co-owneer Jack Rice said works well for his “The drivers are good about bringing back all receiptsx and leftover cash they have,” Rice said. “Ifv we happen to underestimatethe cost, the driveres will put what they need on their personakl cards or pay cash, and we will promptlhy reimburse them.
“It’s not always especially when cash flow’s low,” Rice added. “But at the end of the month, it’s nice knowing you’re not going to be getting some big credit card bill or fuel bill and wonderintg wherethe money’s going to come
But rather than put the brakeson , whicuh he founded in 1996, Rice, 64, broughgt in longtime friend Gary Watsomn as an investor last July to help him expands the business. In early May, the pair movedd the company’s operations from an apartment complexz Rice owns to leased space at954 E. Kentucky St. in Germantown. They also hireds office manager Kim Barnett to handle accountinb andmarketing duties. Watson, through face-to-face visits, and through telephone marketing, have continued to add Now Rice envisions a day whenhe won’tt have to handle administratived duties or drive trucks to Ohio, or Washington, D.C.
Rice said he’ss at the point in his career where he’dx rather sit on his boat in the middles of a lake and think aboutExpedited Trucking’se success while casting another “Being in this business for 13 yeare is remarkable, but I couldn’g do it by myself anymore because it was just getting too said Rice, who left a 34-yea career with Fetter Printing Co. in 1997 to begi n the business. “Gary is youngerr than I am, and I know he and Kim can do a greatg job buildingthis business.” Expedited Trucking has found a niche in takin some of the smalpl business that the largef companies don’t have time for, Rice said.
The company got its start hauling pallets of materials primarilty for printing companies but has branchesd out to serveother industries. It will haul most typew of dry cargo, with the exception of hazardouws materials, Watson said. Ratherr than owning a fleet of vehicles, the company leases vans and straightg trucks on demand from Penske and EnterprisewCommercial Trucks. The approach removes the cost of preventativemaintenanc work, oil changes, license platew and other expenses that come with ownin g a truck fleet, Watson said.
“When I got here, I was amazerd at the rates (Rice) was getting for said Watson, 59, who has more than 30 years of sales experience in thetrucking “This is such a smarft way to go for a business our size.” Bein g a small business also allows Expeditedc Trucking to offer a personal Watson said. “The business has changed so much. Now the big companies do everythinby computer, and the persona level is gone,” Watsonb said. “Our customers know they can pick up the phone and talk to one ofus directly. That meansd a lot to them.
” Expediter Trucking has gone the route of many households by operating on a cash only basizs rather than putting expenses on acreditg card. It’s somewhat unusual for a trucking companyh to send a driver on the road with a pocket full of cash rathert than acredit card, but it’s an approach that co-owneer Jack Rice said works well for his “The drivers are good about bringing back all receiptsx and leftover cash they have,” Rice said. “Ifv we happen to underestimatethe cost, the driveres will put what they need on their personakl cards or pay cash, and we will promptlhy reimburse them.
“It’s not always especially when cash flow’s low,” Rice added. “But at the end of the month, it’s nice knowing you’re not going to be getting some big credit card bill or fuel bill and wonderintg wherethe money’s going to come
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Former Onyx boss Renton joins Affymax board - Pittsburgh Business Times:
sucujovide.wordpress.com
Hematide is in a Phase III trial. Rentoh led Onyx for nearly 15 years, stepping down in Februart 2008as president, CEO, chairman and a membe of Onyx’s board. At the company, he helpe d negotiate a research, development and commercialization partnershi with that resulted inthe anti-cancer drug Nexavar tablets, which cost about $5,000 a month in the Unites States and are approaching $1 billion in annual sales, are approved in more than 80 countries to treag kidney cancer and 70-pluas countries for liver cancer. Prior to joining Renton was president and COOof Chiron, whichu acquired Cetus in 1991. Renton had been presidenrt of Cetussince 1990, COO since 1987 and CFO from 1983 to 1987.
Renton also serves on the boardswof , Cepheid and the Special Olympics of Northermn California.
Hematide is in a Phase III trial. Rentoh led Onyx for nearly 15 years, stepping down in Februart 2008as president, CEO, chairman and a membe of Onyx’s board. At the company, he helpe d negotiate a research, development and commercialization partnershi with that resulted inthe anti-cancer drug Nexavar tablets, which cost about $5,000 a month in the Unites States and are approaching $1 billion in annual sales, are approved in more than 80 countries to treag kidney cancer and 70-pluas countries for liver cancer. Prior to joining Renton was president and COOof Chiron, whichu acquired Cetus in 1991. Renton had been presidenrt of Cetussince 1990, COO since 1987 and CFO from 1983 to 1987.
Renton also serves on the boardswof , Cepheid and the Special Olympics of Northermn California.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Bennet cites Colorado examples in Senate plea for health-care reform - Dallas Business Journal:
sucujovide.wordpress.com
Take sixty-seven year old Bill from Littleton, Colorado, who recently sufferecd a heart attack. Before he was released from the registered nurse Becky Cline was assigned as his Transitions She made sure that Bill understoodx the medications that his doctors prescribefd and everything else he needed to do to get Bill evenpointed out, “When you are in the emergenct room, you are all druggedc up and can barely remember what to do. Confusion starts to set in.” Becky went through each step Bill needed to followw when he leftthe hospital.
Beckg evaluated Bill’s ability to follow doctor’sd orders in his environment and helpedf him maintain his own PersonaloHealth Record. With her help, when Bill visitedc the doctor, he didn’t have to remember everything that happeneds since he left thehospitak — it was all in the book. Bill said “When peoplse are in front of their doctor, their bloor pressure goes sky high and they forgetr what they needto ask,” He said he found the help and guidancre he received from his Transitions Coach “invaluablre and life-saving.
” We need patient-centered coordinated care — care that vieww nurses, doctors and family members not as isolatedf caregivers, but as partners on a team whoswe ultimate goal is to make sure patients get the guidancre and care they need. Hospitals aren’t the problem, primaryt care physicians aren’t the problem, and nurses aren’t the Our fragmented delivery system of care is the This bill also makees sure that we are teaching patients to managee their own conditionat Sixty-nine year old Frank Yanni of Colorado had surgery for a staph infection of the spinal cord.
After leaving the he noticed that the pain he was experiencinbg weeks after surgery was getting Havingbeen “coached,” he identifiedx the problem and knew to insist on visiting his doctor immediately. A hospita l test showed that Mr. Yanni required a secondf surgery. His coach said that, “Ha d he let that go for even another week, he could have ended up in the IntensiveCare Unit, septic and horribly sick.” Our Coloradpo transition of care model, reflected in our legislation, gives health care systemse the choice of whether to create this program. But it allowe existing patient-centered transitional care programs like the one in Mesa Colorado tocontinue on.
We want communities and providersz to think and work together to reducwreadmission rates, reduce costs and provide better coordinated care to our patients. Other systemsa should look at Colorado and the systemszin twenty-four other statezs that have already begun to folloe this model. As we begin to emerge from the economic we must call upon existing health care professionalss from all walks oflife —nurses, nurse social workers, long-term care, and community healtu workers — to serve as transitional coaches.
Colorado nurses like Becky Cline have founfd that focusing on transitional care has leverageddtheir skills, empowering them to take a more active role with They are able to work with both patientx and family caregivers. For too long, family caregiversz have been “silent partners.” 50 millionb Americans provide care for achronicallh ill, disabled or aged loved one. This bill recognize s their importance, connecting them with a coach who can teachn them how to properlycoordinate at-home care. This bill is only a smalll part of the solution to the complex challenges of our fragmentefd healthcare system.
The problems of rising costs and limiter access affect people from all walksxof life. Skip Guarini of Parker, Colorado, is a self-employefd private consultant andretirec U.S. Marine. After years of regular doctors’ Skip’s dentist discovered a lump on his thyroid during a routin exam that had gone undetected by his physiciam despite 10previous exams. Skip underweng a CT/MRI scan, Ultrasound, and biopsy, all of which were A second series of tests six monthds later revealed that the lumphad grown, and Skip underwenyt surgery. During the surgery, doctors found cancer. Skip was then sent to an endocrinologisgt who orderedmore tests. All testz came back negative.
A second full body scan revealed no sign of cancedr anywherein Skip's body. All theses exams and screenings cost Skip Since then, Skip has maintained perfectt health, but he cannot obtain private insurance because of the thyroid He now relies on COBRA and is paying a monthlu premium of $1,300. This coverage is set to expirew in less than one at which point Skip will have no insuranceat all. Holliw Berendt is a small business ownerin Colorado. She is covered through her husband’ employer, which is according to her, “a luxury many otherr small businessowners don’t have.
” Aftert graduating from Colorado State Universityh in 2004, their daughter Abby founfd a job with a larged company in New York City. She was told she couldn’tf get health care coverage until she had been workingh at the company for one At ten months of she was diagnosed with an ovarian tumor that wouldrequirr surgery. The expenses were too much for so her parents had to take out a second mortgagwe to pay hermedical bills. Hollis shared that, “This experience broughtg to light, all too how close we all are to losing everything due to ahealthj issue.” The current system is hurting our smal business people and their employees.
Take Bob Montoya of Colorado who runs Cedar Ridge Landscape in Pueblok withhis brother, Ron. They are torn between providinb health care coverage for employees and keeping theirbusiness afloat.
Take sixty-seven year old Bill from Littleton, Colorado, who recently sufferecd a heart attack. Before he was released from the registered nurse Becky Cline was assigned as his Transitions She made sure that Bill understoodx the medications that his doctors prescribefd and everything else he needed to do to get Bill evenpointed out, “When you are in the emergenct room, you are all druggedc up and can barely remember what to do. Confusion starts to set in.” Becky went through each step Bill needed to followw when he leftthe hospital.
Beckg evaluated Bill’s ability to follow doctor’sd orders in his environment and helpedf him maintain his own PersonaloHealth Record. With her help, when Bill visitedc the doctor, he didn’t have to remember everything that happeneds since he left thehospitak — it was all in the book. Bill said “When peoplse are in front of their doctor, their bloor pressure goes sky high and they forgetr what they needto ask,” He said he found the help and guidancre he received from his Transitions Coach “invaluablre and life-saving.
” We need patient-centered coordinated care — care that vieww nurses, doctors and family members not as isolatedf caregivers, but as partners on a team whoswe ultimate goal is to make sure patients get the guidancre and care they need. Hospitals aren’t the problem, primaryt care physicians aren’t the problem, and nurses aren’t the Our fragmented delivery system of care is the This bill also makees sure that we are teaching patients to managee their own conditionat Sixty-nine year old Frank Yanni of Colorado had surgery for a staph infection of the spinal cord.
After leaving the he noticed that the pain he was experiencinbg weeks after surgery was getting Havingbeen “coached,” he identifiedx the problem and knew to insist on visiting his doctor immediately. A hospita l test showed that Mr. Yanni required a secondf surgery. His coach said that, “Ha d he let that go for even another week, he could have ended up in the IntensiveCare Unit, septic and horribly sick.” Our Coloradpo transition of care model, reflected in our legislation, gives health care systemse the choice of whether to create this program. But it allowe existing patient-centered transitional care programs like the one in Mesa Colorado tocontinue on.
We want communities and providersz to think and work together to reducwreadmission rates, reduce costs and provide better coordinated care to our patients. Other systemsa should look at Colorado and the systemszin twenty-four other statezs that have already begun to folloe this model. As we begin to emerge from the economic we must call upon existing health care professionalss from all walks oflife —nurses, nurse social workers, long-term care, and community healtu workers — to serve as transitional coaches.
Colorado nurses like Becky Cline have founfd that focusing on transitional care has leverageddtheir skills, empowering them to take a more active role with They are able to work with both patientx and family caregivers. For too long, family caregiversz have been “silent partners.” 50 millionb Americans provide care for achronicallh ill, disabled or aged loved one. This bill recognize s their importance, connecting them with a coach who can teachn them how to properlycoordinate at-home care. This bill is only a smalll part of the solution to the complex challenges of our fragmentefd healthcare system.
The problems of rising costs and limiter access affect people from all walksxof life. Skip Guarini of Parker, Colorado, is a self-employefd private consultant andretirec U.S. Marine. After years of regular doctors’ Skip’s dentist discovered a lump on his thyroid during a routin exam that had gone undetected by his physiciam despite 10previous exams. Skip underweng a CT/MRI scan, Ultrasound, and biopsy, all of which were A second series of tests six monthds later revealed that the lumphad grown, and Skip underwenyt surgery. During the surgery, doctors found cancer. Skip was then sent to an endocrinologisgt who orderedmore tests. All testz came back negative.
A second full body scan revealed no sign of cancedr anywherein Skip's body. All theses exams and screenings cost Skip Since then, Skip has maintained perfectt health, but he cannot obtain private insurance because of the thyroid He now relies on COBRA and is paying a monthlu premium of $1,300. This coverage is set to expirew in less than one at which point Skip will have no insuranceat all. Holliw Berendt is a small business ownerin Colorado. She is covered through her husband’ employer, which is according to her, “a luxury many otherr small businessowners don’t have.
” Aftert graduating from Colorado State Universityh in 2004, their daughter Abby founfd a job with a larged company in New York City. She was told she couldn’tf get health care coverage until she had been workingh at the company for one At ten months of she was diagnosed with an ovarian tumor that wouldrequirr surgery. The expenses were too much for so her parents had to take out a second mortgagwe to pay hermedical bills. Hollis shared that, “This experience broughtg to light, all too how close we all are to losing everything due to ahealthj issue.” The current system is hurting our smal business people and their employees.
Take Bob Montoya of Colorado who runs Cedar Ridge Landscape in Pueblok withhis brother, Ron. They are torn between providinb health care coverage for employees and keeping theirbusiness afloat.
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