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>>> GOOD MORNING.
AT AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
WHAT CHANGE HAVE BEEN MADE TO
ADAPT TO THE LAW?
WE'LL TALK TO A LEADER,
PITTSBURGH'S LARGEST EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS FIRM.
>>> WE'LL TELL YOU HOW YOU CAN
JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT
HELPING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
HELP THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND
ECONOMICALLY DISADD
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITITIES.
THIS IS ALL NEXT RIGHT HERE ON
THE SUNDAY BUSINESS PAGE.
>>> AND A VERY GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
AFTER MUCH DEBATE, THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WAS PASSED
IN CONGRESS IN 2009 AND SIGNED
INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT OBAMA IN
2010.
THE CONSTITUTIONALLY WAS HELD
UP IN MOST PART BY THE SUPREME
COURT LAST YEAR.
HOW WILL THE AC WORK TO
OVERHAUL THE U.S. HEALTH CARE
DELIVERY SYSTEM AND SAVE
PATIENTS AND HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS MONEY?
WE INVITED TWO MEN THAT ARE
PART OF TWO DIFFERENT ASPECTS
OF HEALTH CARE TO TALK ABOUT
THIS CHALLENGE AND HOW THIS
AFFECTS THEIR BUSINESSES.
BUCK IS PITTSBURGH LARGEST
EMPLOYEES' BENEFIT FIRM AND
RECENTLY LAUNCHED A PRIVATE
HEALTH CARE EXCHANGE FOR
ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.
MICHAEL GALLOP IS PART OF
TELETRACKING TECHNOLOGY.
IT HAS MORE THAN 1,000 HOSPITAL
CLIENTS AND IT HELPS THEM TRACK
INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR
PATIENTS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WHEN I THINK OBAMA CARE, THE
EYES JUST GLAZE OVER.
IT'S CONFUSING AND IT'S BIG.
YOU COULD READ FOR HOURS ABOUT
IT.
AND YET IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO
ALL OF US.
WHAT PART OF OBAMA CARRY YOU
FOCUSED ON IN YOUR BUSINESS?
>> OUR BUSINESS FOCUSES
PRIMARILY WITH LARGER
EMPLOYERS, OVER A THOUSAND.
AND WE TRY TO HELP OUR CLIENTS
UNDERSTAND THE OBAMA CARE AND
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND THE
IMPACT ON THE EMPLOYEES AND
WHAT THEY CAN DO TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND BOTH THE SHORT-TERM
AND LONG TERM IMPACT AFTER THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
>> WE'LL ASK YOU ABOUT THE
ADVICE THAT YOU'RE GIVING IN A
MINUTE.
BUT LET ME ASK YOU, WHAT
EXACTLY ARE YOU FOCUSED ON FROM
YOUR END TV AS A HOSPITAL
TELETRACKING FIRM.
>> IT'S AN INTERESTING STORY
FOR PITTSBURGH T STARTED HERE
23 YEARS AGO.
AND IN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE
YEARS AGO IT TRANSFORMED ITSELF
INTO HELPING HOSPITALIZED GET
PATIENTS IN AND OUT OF THE
HOSPITAL AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN
AND CUTTING DOWN WAIT TIMES.
AND A LOT OF THE SYSTEM IS
THERE WAITING AND WAITING AND
WE'RE CUTTING OUT THAT WASTE IN
HEALTH OKAY.
>> BOTH OF OF THESE ARE --
HEALTH CARE.
>> BOTH OF THESE ARE VERY
IMPORTANT ASPECTS.
WE'RE CHARGED WAY TOO MUCH FOR
HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN THIS
COUNTRY.
AND FINDING WASTE, PEOPLE GET
TWO DIFFERENT BILLS FOR THE
SAME PROCESS, SAME PROCEDURE.
AND IT MAKES NO SENSE.
PART OF IT IS WE'RE NOT
INVESTED AS INDIVIDUALS.
IF WE WERE PAYING OUT OF OUR
OWN POCKET.
BUT IT'S BECAUSE IT'S THROUGH
INSURANCE COMPANIES, WE TEND TO
BE OBLIVIOUS WHAT IT THE PRICE
IS FROM ONE HOSPITAL TO
ANOTHER.
BUT COMPANIES CANNOT BE
OBLIVIOUS TO THAT BECAUSE
THEY'RE HELPING TO PAY THE
BILL.
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> YES.
AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
WILL HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND
THOSE COSTS.
THAT IS PRIMARILY WHAT WE'RE
TRYING TO DO WITH OUR CLIENTS
ALSO.
ONE OF THE KEYS TO CONTROLLING
HEALTH CARE COSTS GOING FORWARD
IS TO REALLY ENGAGE THE
EMPLOYEE, MUCH MORE THAN THEY
ARE TODAY AND UNDERSTANDING
WHAT IT IS REALLY COSTING TO
PROVIDE HEALTH CARE.
>> HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE
DONE?
YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT A LOT
OF WELLNESS ACTIVITIES THAT
LARGE EMPLOYERS ARE EMBRACING
NOW.
AND CERTAINLY TRANSPARENCY
ISSUES.
>> LET ME COME BACK ON THE
WELLNESS SIDE.
I KNOW AT THIS COMPANY, YOU GET
A 10% CUT IN YOUR INSURANCE
PREMIUMS IF YOU ENGAGE IN
WELLNESS PROGRAMS AND THAT IS A
GREAT INCENTIVE.
>> THAT IS NOT UNCOMMON.
AND WHAT IT IS DOING IT IS
HELPING EMPLOYEE WHAT'S IT
MEANS FROM I AM SICK OR IF I
STAY HEALTHY, TAKE SOMETHING
OWNERSHIP.
FOR TOO LONG, YOU ARE RIGHT,
BECAUSE WE PAY A $10 COPAY WE
THAT IS ALL IT COSTS.
IN FACT THAT IS NOT ALL IT
COSTS.
>> WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE
OTHER END WAS.
I WAS LOOKING AT A STATEMENT, I
WAS THINKING DID THAT COST THAT
MUCH, REALLY?
AND THEN YOU THINK I'M NOT
PAYING.
BUT, OF COURSE WE ARE PAYING IT
THROUGH THE HEALTH INSURANCE
PREMIUMS.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS, HOW DOES
THIS WHOLE NOTION OF EXCHANGE
WORK?
IN 2014, EVERY AMERICAN WILL BE
REQUIRED BY LAW TO HAVE HEALTH
INSURANCE.
AND THERE'S A TAX OR FEE OR A
FINE IF YOU DON'T GET HEALTH
INSURANCE.
BUT TO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET
HEALTH INSURANCE, THERE'S
SUPPOSED TO BE THE EXCHANGES.
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
>> EXCHANGES, THE PUBLIC
EXCHANGES WERE CREATED FOR THE
LOW INCOME, NONMEDICARE
EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES SO
MEDICARE RETIREES ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC
EXCHANGES.
>> AND IT'S BEEN DESIGNED FOR
EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE LESS THAN
100 EMPLOYEES AND THOSE THAT
DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
AND THE EXCHANGES -- THE THEORY
BEHIND IT IS TO GIVE PEOPLE THE
OPPORTUNITY THAT DON'T HAVE
INSURANCE OR THE INSURANCE IS
NOT AFFORDABLE FROM THE CURRENT
EMPLOYER THE ABILITY TO FIND A
PLAN THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO
AFFORD IN THE EXCHANGE.
AND PART OF IT IS ALSO SOME
SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIES THAT ARE
AVAILABLE TO THEM EMPLOYEE OR
WHOEVER GOES TO THE EXCHANGE.
AND IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE, THEY
MEET THE INCOME REQUIREMENTS
THEY CAN SELECT A PLAN WHERE IN
MANY INSTANCES IT'S SUBSIDIZED
SIGNIFICANTLY.
>> THAT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
BUT THERE'S THE HOSPITAL SIDE
OF THIS, MICHAEL.
HOW DOES OBAMA CARE, HOW WILL
THE HOSPITALS HAVE TO DEAL WITH
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT?
>> LET ME START WITH THIS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE
IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
TRYING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, TAKE
CARE OF PATIENTS EVERY DAY.
SOME I'M GOING THROW OUT SOME
NUMBERS.
IN AMERICA WE TRY TO FIND THE
PERSON THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
THEM AND WHY.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT
PEOPLE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A
COMPLEX PROBLEM.
SO THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU SAY
IT DOESN'T AFFECT US, EACH ONE
OF US BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING,
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT LOOKING
AT THE PROBLEM CORRECTLY.
$2.8TRILLION IS SPEND IN HEALTH
CARE.
>> THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY.
>> AND IT'S GOING UP EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE MANY EXPERTS, THE
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE, DON
BURRWICK AND 30 TO 50% THAT
HAVE NUMBER IS WASTE.
>> AND THAT IS WHERE YOU COME
IN BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO
HELP HOSPITALS ELIMINATE THE
WASTE?
>> RIGHT.
>> IS THERE AND INCENTIVE FOR
HOSPITALS TO DO THAT UNDER
OBAMA CARE?
>> YES.
BUT THERE ARE THINGS ON THAT
WILL FORCE THEM.
THE NUMBERS ARE SO BROAD THAT
THEIR BIG.
30MILLION TO 60 MILLION
PATIENTS COMING THROUGH THE
SYSTEM NOW THAT IS CRAZY
NUMBERS.
THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT ARE
GOING ON.
YOU HAVE THE BABY BOOMERS
COMING THROUGH.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, TO THE POINT
OF HEALTH, THE U.S. IS SICKER,
WE'RE GETTING LARGER AND WE'RE
GETTING OLDER.
SO ALL OF THOSE PIECES FOR
PROVIDERS, THEY HAVE TO TAKE
CARE OF A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAN
THEY'RE USED TO TAKING CARE OF.
AND NOW THEY'LL HAVE ACCESS.
AND WITH THE ACCESS COMES WITH
I HAVE TO FIND OUT WHERE I'M
GOING PUT THEM.
AND THE ANSWER IS NOT TO GO
BUILD MORE HOSPITALS.
OBAMA CARE CUTS BACK ON
PAYMENTS.
SO NOW I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF
ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL
PATIENTS WITH A LOT LESS MONEY.
SO THERE'S A REAL APPRECIATE ON
PROVIDERS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT
AND WHERE WE COME IN IS WE
COORDINATE THAT CARE THROUGH
THE SYSTEM AND WE'VE SEEN GREAT
RESULTS.
THERE'S GREAT PROVIDERS OUT AND
THERE GREAT PEOPLE.
AND WE HAVE SEEN HOSPITALS IN
THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS
REDUCE COSTS.
WE HAVE 15 CLIENTS THAT SAVED A
BILLION DOLLARS.
>> THAT IS THE GOOD SIDE OF
THIS STORY.
DO YOU THINK OBAMA CARE WILL BE
A SUCCESS?
>> IT'S GOING TO FIGURE OUT
WHERE OUR PROBLEMS ARE AND
WE'RE GOING TO, AS A COUNTRY
FIX THEM.
>> HOW ABOUT NEW.
>> I THINK IT'S TOO EARLY TO
TELL.
>> ON THAT MIXED NOTE,
GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT'S A COMPLICATED PROBLEM AND
ISSUE.
WE'LL HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SPENDING