| Bird returning as Iberia Parish Fire District chief
The man who has led firefighting efforts in rural Iberia Parish for most of the last two decades is stepping down.Iberia Parish Fire District No. 1 Chief Sam Bird, 55, is retiring next week after more than a dozen years with the fire district. To put it in perspective, those years represent more than three-quarters of the fire district's 16-year history."He's done a lot for the fire district," said Assistant Chief Chad Maturin. "I just hope we can find somebody who can replace him and do as good as he did." Bird said he plans to take about 45 days off, after which he will volunteer with the Coteau Volunteer Fire Department."Iberia Parish and the fire district have been real good to me," Bird said. "I have no complaints. I'm leaving happy."Bird took over as chief in September 1994. Before joining the fire district, he trained firefighters in Virginia.A native of Narrows, Va., Bird has been in firefighting for nearly 40 years.
In Japan, private health care filling public gaps
TOKYO: Johns Hopkins Hospital, taking advantage of Japan's dissatisfaction with public health care, has started a clinic in Tokyo that charges as much as ¥2 million for a three-day medical checkup. The Tokyo Midtown Medical Center, which opened March 30 in the city's tallest office tower, is a venture involving Johns Hopkins as well as Mitsui Fudosan and Resorttrust. The clinic is the latest of seven overseas projects since 2006 for Hopkins, based in Baltimore, which has topped U.S. News & World Report's ranking of best U.S. hospitals the past 16 years. Medical care for an aging population is absorbing more than 40 percent of the government's health budget, leaving less money for hospital emergency rooms and clinics. Almost half of Tokyo residents say they are frustrated by long waiting times at hospitals, a city government survey shows.
Wells Fargo Insurance Services Opens Orlando Office
Wells Fargo Insurance Services announced today the opening of its first office in Orlando, Fla. The new Wells Fargo Insurance Services office is located at 801 International Parkway, Lake Mary, and offers both commercial and group health and benefits insurance services, as well as extensive experience with the health care industry. Shawn F. Smith has been appointed Senior Vice President and Managing Director for the Orlando Wells Fargo Insurance Services office. Joining Smith are Kim McGee, Vice President/Account Manager, and Kim Zastrow, Vice President/Senior Account Manager. Smith has more than 17 years of insurance experience and joins Wells Fargo Insurance Services from Marsh. While at Marsh, Smith assumed various business development roles and was the health care practice leader for Florida and sales leader for the company's Orlando and Tampa offices.
AARP wants candidates to focus on health care
ST. PETERSBURG - Presidential candidates campaigning in Florida can expect persistent grilling about health insurance, prescription drugs and Social Security if AARP has its way. The lobbying group for older Americans announced Wednesday that it will stock every public campaign event in the state with vocal volunteers who will try to pin candidates down on health care reform and financial security for retirees. The moment is ripe, AARP "social impact" executive Nancy LeaMond said in a news conference. Polls show that Americans place a high priority on accessible, affordable health care, she said. And business groups are beginning to take the same view. The Business Roundtable, traditionally a Republican-tilting organization, will join AARP in trying to steer the public debate toward health care and retirement issues, as will the Service Employees International Union, usually aligned with Democrats.
Blue Chip News: Fundamental Review for Aetna Inc.
Mount Etna is Europe's most active volcano; Aetna is one of the most active health insurance companies in the US. The company operates in three segments. Its Health Care division offers HMOs, PPOs, point-of-service (POS) plans, health savings accounts, and traditional indemnity coverage, along with dental, vision, behavioral health, and Medicare plans. Aetna covers more than 15 million individuals under its health plans, some 13 million dental plan members, and 10 million pharmacy members. Its Group Insurance segment sells life, disability, and long-term care insurance, covering about 15 million people. The Large Case Pensions segment offers pensions, annuities, and other retirement savings products. Shares were down 2% expanding efforts to help consumers purchase health care. BellwetherReport.com is a leading online research firm for international investors looking to get an edge over their portfolio.
Saigontourist, AIG tie up to provide travel insurance
(SGT-HCMC) Vietnam's leading tour operator Saigontourist Travel Service Co. inked a deal yesterday with AIG General Insurance (Vietnam) Co. Ltd. to provide global travel insurance for tourists. Under the deal signed in HCMC, AIG is the insurance partner to provide global travel insurance for Saigontourist's outbound tourists in one year from April 1. The insurance policy covers health care costs abroad, around-the-clock emergency support by International SOS, accidents, losses, delayed and damaged luggage. Especially, the policy also covers losses or damages caused by terrorism, natural calamities, and epidemic diseases. The two companies declined to announce the fee, but said that the payout can reach US$10,000. Vo Anh Tai, director of Saigontourist, said that the global travel insurance service not only applies to Vietnamese travel abroad but also for overseas Vietnamese and foreigners who buy outbound tourism services at the company.
RFID Reader Prevents Reagent Counterfeiting In Healthcare Industry
Cloning and counterfeiting pose perhaps the greatest threat in the healthcare industry where decreased reliability and performance of medical devices and medication affect diagnosis and treatment. The downstream effects are decreased patient safety, insurance cost efficiency, and provider reputations. Iris Diagnostics, a division of Iris International (NASDAQ: IRIS), is tackling the cloning problem head-on by RFID-enabling their iQ200 Automated Urinalysis System. Utilizing chemical reagents to detect the presence of molecules in urine samples, the machine relies on reagents of the correct type, freshness, and authenticity in order to deliver the most accurate results. To prevent reagent counterfeiting, Iris Diagnostics is incorporating SkyeTeks RFID reader and ReaderWare Security technology into their product.
MMA Meddling Leaves 35 000 Without Health Insurance
Bureaucratic wrangling and obstruction by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and the Finance Ministry, both headed by Gasim Ibrahim, have left the governments army of nearly 35 000 civil servants without any health insurance. The International Medical Group (IMG), which signed an agreement with the government in June last year to provide its employees with health cover, ceased paying out on claims on Friday, after the MMA rejected its application for a general insurance licence. That leaves all Maldivian civil servants with no provision by their employer, the government, to help them in the event of health problems. They will have to fall back on the welfare system. Previously the government provided a stipend of Rf. 250 every three months as a health allowance. Many workers did not even realise this was a medical allowance, and almost none put the money aside in case of emergency.
bellwetherreport.com: Morning Alert for Countrywide Financial Corp.
Countrywide Financial gives credit where credit is due. One of the largest independent residential mortgage lending firms in the US, the company writes, sells, and services mainly prime first mortgages for single-family homes through its Countrywide Home Loans subsidiary. It also offers home equity loans, commercial mortgages, and subprime home mortgages. In addition, Countrywide Financial is a broker/dealer of mortgage-backed securities; underwrites and sells property/casualty, health, and disability insurance (mainly through Balboa Insurance Group); and runs Countrywide Bank. Countrywide Financial operates approximately 1,000 branch offices in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Shares were down 3% as the company will lost 2 board members. BellwetherReport.com is a leading online research firm for international investors looking to get an edge over their portfolio.
Domestic Partner Benefits Stalled
TAMPA - A year ago, when the University of South Florida administration agreed to find health care options for domestic partners, faculty union leaders called it a breakthrough. The word they use today is stalemate. The two sides are no closer to creating a health benefit for gay and unmarried heterosexual couples like those found at a growing number of Florida universities. The union says the university's leaders care little about finding the money to pay for such a benefit, and suggest that USF follow the example set by the University of Florida and Florida International University, which launched domestic-partner benefits more than a year ago. Finding money may be one of many problems. Responding to the union's criticism, USF administrators say they have yet to find a health-insurance carrier eager to provide coverage.
Domestic and International Class Struggle in a Harmonious ...
In his eulogy at the graveside of Marx, Engels pointed to the two great discoveries of Marx, the discovery of the materialist concept of history and the discovery of surplus value as the source of capitalist profit. Surplus value is the difference between the value created by the worker and the value of the returned to the worker in the form of wages. Surplus value is therefore the value of the workers labor time that is appropriated by the capitalist. In this manner, Marx disclosed the irreconcilable conflict of interest between capital and laborthe capitalists striving to increase their profits by increasing the ratio of surplus value to the wages, while interest of the worker lies in decreasing that ratio. The struggle of the workers to raise their wages or to resist attempts by the capitalist lower them is what we refer to as class struggle.
Focus On Inflation Could Delay Rate Cut
NEW YORK -- Some investors are betting that if the economy really starts slumping, the Federal Reserve will bail them out sooner rather than later by lowering interest rates.
Storybook endings such as that can happen - just look at how former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan altered monetary policy to stem the fallout from market shocks at times during his 18-year tenure, which then helped fuel market gains.
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