�
The Wall Street Journal on Thursday profiled Carilion Health System, a large not-for-profit hospital system in southwestern Virginia that critics maintain has created a monopoly on health charge services in the area.
According to the Journal, not-for-profit hospitals, which story for the majority of U.S. hospitals, receive task exemptions and "are alleged to line the income they generate back into operations, piece providing benefits to their communities." However, not-for-profit hospitals have "total under fire from patient advocates and members of Congress for "stinting on charity concern, even as they amass large hard cash hoards, build new facilities and honor big paychecks to their executives," the Journal reports.
In the case of Carilion, the Department of Justice in 1989 filed a failed antimonopoly lawsuit in an exploit to halt a unification between Carilion and a local hospital over concerns that the move would create a monopoly on health charge services in the area. Almost 20 years later, health upkeep costs in the area are "soaring," and health insurance agiotage rates in the area have increased from the lowest in the state to the highest, the Journal reports.
Carilion charges four to 10 times as much for some health attention services as other providers in the area, just, with eight hospitals, 11,000 employees and $1 billion in assets, residents in most cases must seek care through the hospital system or locomote outside the area. In addition, although Carilion receives about $50 million each year in tax exemptions, the hospital system spent merely $42 1000000 in charity care in 2007 and only $30 million in 2006.
Carilion officials maintain that the hospital system does not have a monopoly on health forethought services in the sphere because of competition from Lewis-Gale Medical Center, a hospital owned by for-profit chain HCA. In addition, "Carilion says it charges more for certain procedures because it has to subsidize operations such as an emergency department and treatment for the uninsured," according to the Journal. Carilion CEO Edward Murphy also said that the increase in health forethought costs in the area is part of a national drift and has resulted from overuse of services (Carreyrou, Wall Street Journal, 8/27).
Reprinted with kind permit from hTTP://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at hypertext transfer protocol://www.kaisernetwork.
Monday 1 September 2008
Friday 22 August 2008
Avril Lavigne's Malaysia Concert Is Back On, Singer Says -- 'Too Sexy' Or Not
Despite reports in recent days that Avril Lavigne's concert in Malaysia had been out of use because of government fears that the singer's double is "excessively sexy" � and subsequent reports that it had either been canceled or postponed because it could mar the country's independency day celebrations � the singer told MTV News on Thursday (August 21) that it's going ahead.
"Well, I've actually been sanctioned by the government to play a show," she said. "I've already sold 10,000 tickets at that place, so I will be going to put on a concert for the fans.
"They tend to, you know, sometimes not want Western artists in their country," she continued. "I respect that, but at the same time, you know, there's people that listen to music in that respect and want to see their idols and stuff, so it's all full: been approved by the government and [I'm] going to go put on a establish and have fun."
Malaysia's Islamic opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, had been trying to cancel or postpone a Lavigne read scheduled for the country's capital on August 29 saying her moves and stage usher were "overly sexy." The party took offense with the bulge out singer pickings the stage and possibly promoting the wrong values just years ahead of the country's independence day on August 31.
The flap over the Lavigne evince wasn't the first time the country's officials had looked negatively at a show by a Western female kill singer. In the past, they forced Gwen Stefani to cover up her world-famous belly, drove Beyonc� and Christina Aguilera to neighboring shores to keep off a hassle and rang up several thousand dollars in fines against a Pussycat Dolls concert in 2006 for flouting decency rules.
All along, the impresario of the Lavigne concert, Galaxy Productions, had said that the show would not have any "negative elements." Malaysia requires performers to be covered from chest to knees and avoid clothes that feature of speech obscene or drug-related images, as well as eschewing any jumping, shouting, snuggling and cuddling onstage.
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Wednesday 6 August 2008
Warner's Launches Anti-piracy Campaign For Dark Knight
In pull ahead of the release of The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. launched an unprecedented anti-piracy travail to foreclose copies of the movie from existence uploaded onto file-share websites and being distributed on DVD, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Monday). According to the paper, the studio set up a "
Hollywood 'Swings' Into Election Season
Hollywood is getting presidential this election year, but will moviegoers enjoin they approve this message?
Films about U.S. presidents � past, stage and fictional � take up this week.
(Courtesy Ben Glass/Touchstone Pictures'/Treehouse Films')More Photos
�"Swing Vote", opening Friday, stars Kevin Costner as a blue-collar worker who becomes the focus of iI candidates (Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper) after an Election Day tie and a ballot error traced back to his vote.
� "Frost/Nixon", based on the play by Peter Morgan (film writer of "The Queen"), traces the origins of the fierce post-Watergate interview between British journalist David Frost and late president Richard Nixon. It's directed by Ron Howard and opens Dec. 5.
� "W.", from director Oliver Stone, chronicles the rise of the flow president and his relationship with his father, old president George H.W. Bush. It premieres Oct. 17 and stars Josh Brolin as the president, Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush and James Cromwell as the elderberry bush Bush.
And after the election dust settles, Michael Moore returns in the outpouring, back on the Bush-whacking trail with a objective described as a followup to "Fahrenheit 9/11".
It's unclear whether election-year fervor will boost enthusiasm, says Gregg Kilday, cinema editor for The Hollywood Reporter. "The challenge for the movies is that politics take been so entertaining all year long, that if a flick isn't good, it testament pale by comparison," he says.
As escapism, "Swing Vote" stands the best chance.
Costner, who financed the movie himself, says he was aiming for a "Capraesque" story, reflecting first the cynicism many feel toward politicians simply shifting to a more hopeful point in time of view. "He basically says that voting doesn't count for a goddamn thing. It's just a way to make you feel important," Costner says of his character.
"Frost/Nixon" crataegus laevigata have an easier time connecting with today's consultation, says Kendall R. Phillips, author of Controversial Cinema.
"My theory would be the Frost/Nixon motion-picture show would own a bettor chance at being politically relevant because it's historically removed."
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Tuesday 8 July 2008
12 Stones
Artist: 12 Stones
Genre(s):
Rock
ROck: Alternative
Discography:
Anthem for the Underdog
Year: 2007
Tracks: 11
Potter's Field
Year: 2004
Tracks: 11
12 Stones
Year: 2002
Tracks: 12
12 Stones were formed in the diminished New Orleans suburbia of Mandeville, LA. The group was more often than not noneffervescent in their teens when they formed the lineup of vocaliser Paul McCoy, bassist Kevin Dorr, guitarist Eric Weaver, and drummer Aaron Gainer. After playacting no more than 12 live performances, they took their demonstration to New York City and performed at an industry showcase. The band all over up signing to Wind Up Records to disc their debut record album with manufacturer Jay Baumgardner. The album saw a discharge in 2002, less than iI long time later the shaping of the group. More success came to the band in 2003, when McCoy duetted on "Bring Me to Life" with Evanescence, which became a smash strike and was included on the Harum-scarum soundtrack as advantageously as Evanescence's debut album, Fallen. 12 Stones released their second album, Potter's Field, which featured a heavier, more guitar-driven healthy than their debut. After taking a break from music to pass meter with their families, the band reconvened to make their third album. Inspired by the personal effects of Hurricane Katrina on their hometown, 12 Stones recorded Anthem for the Underdog in Memphis, TN, with Justin Rimer and Skidd Mills during the better portion of 2006, and the album was released in 2007.
Del Toro's "Hellboy" sequel a devilish delight
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - When is a big studio picture not a big studio picture? When we're talking Universal's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" and the filmmaker happens to be Guillermo del Toro.
Armed with a slightly bigger budget than his 2004 original and with more clout after the Oscar-nominated success of "Pan's Labyrinth," del Toro's latest take on the Mike Mignola comic book is uncompromisingly the product of his wildly fantastical imagination.
Playing it faster and looser, if somewhat less focused than the first "Hellboy," the new film should have no problem building on the $100 million-plus its predecessor grossed internationally when it enters the summer derby on July 11.
Of course, just how much more would depend on how the fanboys will feel about sequences like Red and Abe drunkenly singing along to Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You."
With the origin story out of the way, del Toro wastes little time in getting down to business. When a longstanding truce between the underground-dwelling original sons of the earth and humankind is broken by Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), the rebellious son of King Balor (Ron Perlman's old "Beauty and the Beast" co-star Roy Dotrice), something must be done to prevent him from reawakening the killing machines known as the Golden Army.
Enter the terrific Perlman's cigar-chomping, Tecate-chugging Red, who's been shacking up with the pyrokinetic Liz (an effectively brooding Selma Blair) in his pad over at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.
Also back to save the day is the aquatic Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, now also doing the vocals that last time were handled by an uncredited David Hyde Pierce), as well as long-suffering B.P.R.D. bureaucrat Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor).
Joining the highly dysfunctional family is the Germanic Johann Krauss (John Alexander and James Dodd) a protoplasmic robot who constantly gets in Red's face.
Armed with a slightly bigger budget than his 2004 original and with more clout after the Oscar-nominated success of "Pan's Labyrinth," del Toro's latest take on the Mike Mignola comic book is uncompromisingly the product of his wildly fantastical imagination.
Playing it faster and looser, if somewhat less focused than the first "Hellboy," the new film should have no problem building on the $100 million-plus its predecessor grossed internationally when it enters the summer derby on July 11.
Of course, just how much more would depend on how the fanboys will feel about sequences like Red and Abe drunkenly singing along to Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You."
With the origin story out of the way, del Toro wastes little time in getting down to business. When a longstanding truce between the underground-dwelling original sons of the earth and humankind is broken by Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), the rebellious son of King Balor (Ron Perlman's old "Beauty and the Beast" co-star Roy Dotrice), something must be done to prevent him from reawakening the killing machines known as the Golden Army.
Enter the terrific Perlman's cigar-chomping, Tecate-chugging Red, who's been shacking up with the pyrokinetic Liz (an effectively brooding Selma Blair) in his pad over at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.
Also back to save the day is the aquatic Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, now also doing the vocals that last time were handled by an uncredited David Hyde Pierce), as well as long-suffering B.P.R.D. bureaucrat Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor).
Joining the highly dysfunctional family is the Germanic Johann Krauss (John Alexander and James Dodd) a protoplasmic robot who constantly gets in Red's face.
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