Muscular Dystrophy Association committee members for the annual Passport to a Cure gala in 2018 included (from top left) Lauren Boykin, Nathan Karr, Emily Ripka, Eric Helper, Seth Carroll and Courtney Orensky; also (from bottom left) Caroline Pennell, Marie Derby and Jerry Creehan. (Photo courtesy MDA of Virginia)
The Muscular Dystrophy Association will stage its Passport to a Cure Gala at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa in Short Pump.
The fourth annual fundraiser will feature food, entertainment, and live and silent auctions. It’s a formal event, and registration cutoff is Nov. 20. Call 804-285-2961, or click here for tickets.
The gala is the major fundraiser of the year for MDA of Greater Virginia. About 195 attended last year, and the event raised $160,000, according to Jenna Brown, development assistant for the Richmond-based association. MDA’s goal for 2019 is 220 attendees and $170,000 in donations. About $500,000 has been raised through the galas since 2016.
The funds benefit research and also programs that provide resources and services to some 3,000 Virginia families and people who are living with muscular dystrophy and other debilitating muscular diseases. Proceeds also support free trips for children to the MDA Summer Camp.
The association manages MDA care centers across the state, including centers at the VCU Health Medical Center and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
‘Autism Goes to College’
Learn about college from the perspective of five students on the autism spectrum in a free screening of the film “Autism Goes to College,” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Byrd Theatre. A question-and-answer session follows, presented by SpectrumWise College Consulting. The screening is free, but there’s a suggested donation of $5, with proceeds benefiting the Autism Society of Central Virginia.
Is It Safe?
The fall 2019 patient safety ratings are in from the national nonprofit Leapfrog Group, and 10 of the 11 hospitals serving metro Richmond earned A’s and B’s.
Recipients of A’s include HCA facilities Retreat Doctors Hospital, the Chippenham and Johnston Willis campuses of CJW Medical Center, Parham Doctors Hospital, and Henrico Doctors Hospital.
A’s were also earned by Bon Secours facilities including Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville and St. Mary’s Hospital.
Recipients of B’s include Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian, HCA’s John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell, and Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg.
VCU Health System received a C.
A national assessment is released in spring and fall each year, with grades on a scale of A to F. Factors considered include error prevention, rates of bed sores and falls, infections, and surgical problems. There were 68 facilities assessed in Virginia, with 38 earning A’s, 20 with B’s, 8 receiving C’s and 2 with D’s.
Now and Then
It’s a good time to be in the health insurance industry; for those of us paying premiums, not so much.
Overall net earnings for health care insurers were $23.4 billion in 2018, a 3.3% increase in the profit margin, according to a report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The association reported that insurers enjoyed $16.1 billion in net earnings in 2017, a 2.4% increase in profit margin. Net earned premium income in 2018 was $42.8 billion, up 6.5% year over year; capital and surplus earnings were $14 billion, up 10%. Expenses included $13.9 billion in administrative costs, up 17.7%, and hospital and medical expenses at $28.2 billion, up 5%.
What you paid for health care coverage helped fuel those figures. The average health insurance premium has increased 54% since 2009, according to Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation’s report of employer health benefits for 2019. The average annual health insurance premium is $20,236 this year. That sum represents an average that includes those paying for a single coverage and those who pay for a family coverage plan.
The average monthly premium for a worker is $1,878 in 2019; your employer kicks in an average monthly payment for your health care coverage of a bit less than $6,000. For a longer view of things, the average annual health insurance premium in 1999 was $5,683, which adjusted for inflation, would be $8,758 in 2019 dollars.
