Science

If you have a condition or injury that leaves you in non-stop pain, for months or years, your doctor might prescribe a powerful painkiller, such as Vicodin or OxyContin. Many doctors are looking for alternatives to these narcotics, and they're sharing approaches this week at a “National Opioid Summit” in SeaTac. Concerns about painkillers are rising, because abuse, addiction and overdose deaths are up.The numbers of people getting prescriptions began rising rapidly in the 1990s, and since 2001, prescriptions increased fivefold. Pain specialists have been telling everyone, these medications called opioids are safe and effective, and are a great solution for long-term pain relief. “They made claims for safety that just haven’t panned out over time,” says Michael von Korff, who studies pain-relief at Group Health Research Institute.The more drugs such as OxyContin are prescribed, he says, the more overdose deaths there are every year. In theory, many of those pills are making their way to addicts, and many people getting prescriptions aren’t well-monitored.Reversing courseSo, the pendulum is swinging the other way.“We need to change practice in direction of safer, more cautious, more selective prescribing, and monitor what happens and see what we can learn,” says von Korff.Group Health overhauled how its own doctors prescribe painkillers two years ago, and says it was able to cut back the number of pills while also improving patient satisfaction.At the summit this week in SeaTac, they’ll share that model with other doctors and discuss whether their example could become a guideline for all medical practices. Researchers at the University of Washington have also developed a more cautious model for prescribing opiates.These efforts dovetail with a new state law that took effect this year. It requires careful monitoring for anyone on high doses of painkillers, or for more than 90 days.Chilling effect on doctors?However, some pain specialists are concerned the reformers could go too far, and put a chill on doctors willingness to prescribe painkillers.For example, many of the speakers at the summit have signed a petition asking the Federal Drug Administration to change the official label on these opiate drugs. The new label would say they’re intended only for severe pain, not moderate pain, and for less than 90 days.Physicians could still prescribe them for longer, and for less severe cases, but that’s called “off-label” prescribing.“As medical legal issues get worse, physicians are more reluctant to go off label, so I think it would put a chill on physicians willing to prescribe opioids,” says Charles Chabal, a pain specialist at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland, a former researcher at the University of Washington, and the current president of the Washington Academy of Pain Management.Chabal says in small towns, there may not be a specialist for a family doc to consult. And those primary care physicians may refuse to prescribe the painkillers.He’s warned about the over-use of opiates for many years, but he says opiates do have their place.This debate over painkillers is likely to continue for years to come, because there’s no definitive research – no large, controlled study – about safety or effectiveness.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

Far from the campaign trail, President Obama’s health-care law is chugging toward implementation in Washington state. A new agency is emerging, with a new name – and some questions about how to fund it.The agency will call itself Washington Healthplanfinder. It's an example of a "health insurance exchange," which is where thousands of people will start buying health insurance in 2014 (if the Affordable Care Act remains law).All 50 states need to establish an exchange, and Washington state is one of about 15 states that are moving quickly to meet all the deadlines set out in the federal law.An appointed board runs Washington's exchange. They picked the new name at their regular meeting last week. They're settling dozens of other important details, which will affect what health insurance is available and how it is sold.The price-tag for a new agency: $50mAnd, as those details emerge, business leaders are fretting. They shared their concerns at a forum this week on implementation of the law. "The big thing is, how are we going to pay for that exchange?" asked Gary Chandler, vice president of the Association of Washington Business, which sponsored the event.The Washington Healthplanfinder will cost about $50 million a year to operate, once it’s up and running, according to its own estimates released last week. Much of that cost goes for administration, marketing and customer service.That's about the same as what Massachusetts spends on its exchange, called The Connector.Washington's health exchange board must come up with a way to cover its costs, and forward those to the state legislature. Currently, it's operating on start-up grants from the federal government.The board's first choice: Raise a 1 percent tax on all health insurance premiums in the state.Share the cost broadly, or charge users onlyThe business group is solidly against any kind of taxes, which Chandler says could discourage hiring. But the group has a deeper problem with having everyone pay:"Bigger yet, the concern is gonna be: Should us on the outside, in the private market, have to subsidize and pay for those inside the exchange?"A backup plan is to charge only the people who use the Healthplanfinder. Based on early projections, they’d end up with a service fee costing about $14 a month on top of their insurance premiums.One concern there is, what if the fee scares people away from using Washington Healthplanfinder and its website? If fewer people use it, it won’t work as well as a competitive marketplace.The exchange is the portal to getting subsidized health insurance. The federal government has promised thousands of dollars in subsidies, per person, for middle income and low income families who use the exchanges. But, Washington Healthplanfinder will be open to anyone, and the more people using the exchange, the more motivation for the insurance companies to offer competitive products.

For one thing, Kennewick Man – the 9,500-year-old remains found in the shallows of the Columbia River more than 16 years ago – was buff. We’re talking beefcake.So says Doug Owsley, head of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Owsley led the study of the ancient remains.For nearly a decade, scientists and Northwest tribes fought bitterly over whether to bury or study the bones known as Kennewick Man. Now, after years of careful examination, scientists are releasing some of their findings to tribes at meetings this week in central Washington.First, and important to the battles over the bones, it turns out Kennewick Man grew up on the coast and was not a direct ancestor to inland tribes.Reading the bonesOwsley can read the bones like we might read a book. He looks for ridge lines that indicate which muscles Kennewick Man used the most and what he was doing with them.First off – he had muscular legs like a soccer player, likely from running, trudging and hunting.“In his leg structure he’s certainly accustomed to very rapid movement, quick movement and you can read that in those muscle ridges,” Owsley explained.He also likely had killer arms, because he threw a spear with the aid of a lever-like tool.Owsley says Kennewick Man was so strong in his right arm he was like a pro baseball pitcher.A tough lifeK-Man’s bones show he got today’s equivalent of a career-ending sports injury.“If it happened to a contemporary baseball pitcher, they’d need surgery. And so it took off a piece of bone off the back side of the shoulder joint that would have been essentially loose. And I’m sure that caused great complications in his ability to throw.” Owsley says Kennewick Man stood about 5-foot-7-inches tall and weighed about 170 pounds. And he wasn’t any stranger to pain.The evidence shows, K-Man as he’s known in eastern Washington, got hit on the head a few times and stabbed with a basalt rock point that embedded in his hip.‘A true messenger’Owsley’s research includes this big revelation: Kennewick Man wasn’t from the southeast Washington region along the Columbia River where he was found. Instead, Owsley said he was from the coast.The scientists can tell from chemical tests on tiny bits of his bones and the enamel on his teeth that he ate mostly marine animals.“Once a tooth erupts it doesn’t change," Owsley says. "So that tiny, tiny piece of tooth enamel with just hitting it with the same sort of process, you can tell where he grew up as a child.”Owsley and forensic artists came up with a new sculpture of what Kennewick Man looks like.The remains known to tribes as the Ancient One, draws his ancestry from the ancient peoples of Asia, Owsley says. The scientist describes the moment he looked at the new reconstruction of Kennewick Man’s face.“He’s so lifelike. And when you look at those eyes, those eyes have such a piercing glare. I think this man has a story to tell us. There is very little known about that time. And he’s a true messenger.”Resources Owsley has a new young-adult book out with author Sally Walker. It’s called “Their Skeletons Speak.” Owsley plans to release a much larger scientific text soon. Burke Museum’s “Kennewick Man” Copyright 2012 Northwest Public Radio

For one thing, Kennewick Man – the 9,500-year-old remains found in the shallows of the Columbia River more than 16 years ago – was buff. We’re talking beefcake.So says Doug Owsley, head of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Owsley led the study of the ancient remains.For nearly a decade, scientists and Northwest tribes fought bitterly over whether to bury or study the bones known as Kennewick Man. Now, after years of careful examination, scientists are releasing some of their findings to tribes at meetings this week in central Washington.First, and important to the battles over the bones, it turns out Kennewick Man grew up on the coast and was not a direct ancestor to inland tribes.Reading the bonesOwsley can read the bones like we might read a book. He looks for ridge lines that indicate which muscles Kennewick Man used the most and what he was doing with them.First off – he had muscular legs like a soccer player, likely from running, trudging and hunting.“In his leg structure he’s certainly accustomed to very rapid movement, quick movement and you can read that in those muscle ridges,” Owsley explained.He also likely had killer arms, because he threw a spear with the aid of a lever-like tool.Owsley says Kennewick Man was so strong in his right arm he was like a pro baseball pitcher.A tough lifeK-Man’s bones show he got today’s equivalent of a career-ending sports injury.“If it happened to a contemporary baseball pitcher, they’d need surgery. And so it took off a piece of bone off the back side of the shoulder joint that would have been essentially loose. And I’m sure that caused great complications in his ability to throw.” Owsley says Kennewick Man stood about 5-foot-7-inches tall and weighed about 170 pounds. And he wasn’t any stranger to pain.The evidence shows, K-Man as he’s known in eastern Washington, got hit on the head a few times and stabbed with a basalt rock point that embedded in his hip.‘A true messenger’Owsley’s research includes this big revelation: Kennewick Man wasn’t from the southeast Washington region along the Columbia River where he was found. Instead, Owsley said he was from the coast.The scientists can tell from chemical tests on tiny bits of his bones and the enamel on his teeth that he ate mostly marine animals.“Once a tooth erupts it doesn’t change," Owsley says. "So that tiny, tiny piece of tooth enamel with just hitting it with the same sort of process, you can tell where he grew up as a child.”Owsley and forensic artists came up with a new sculpture of what Kennewick Man looks like.The remains known to tribes as the Ancient One, draws his ancestry from the ancient peoples of Asia, Owsley says. The scientist describes the moment he looked at the new reconstruction of Kennewick Man’s face.“He’s so lifelike. And when you look at those eyes, those eyes have such a piercing glare. I think this man has a story to tell us. There is very little known about that time. And he’s a true messenger.”Resources Owsley has a new young-adult book out with author Sally Walker. It’s called “Their Skeletons Speak.” Owsley plans to release a much larger scientific text soon. Burke Museum’s “Kennewick Man” Copyright 2012 Northwest Public Radio

For one thing, Kennewick Man – the 9,500-year-old remains found in the shallows of the Columbia River more than 16 years ago – was buff. We’re talking beefcake.So says Doug Owsley, head of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Owsley led the study of the ancient remains.For nearly a decade, scientists and Northwest tribes fought bitterly over whether to bury or study the bones known as Kennewick Man. Now, after years of careful examination, scientists are releasing some of their findings to tribes at meetings this week in central Washington.First, and important to the battles over the bones, it turns out Kennewick Man grew up on the coast and was not a direct ancestor to inland tribes.Reading the bonesOwsley can read the bones like we might read a book. He looks for ridge lines that indicate which muscles Kennewick Man used the most and what he was doing with them.First off – he had muscular legs like a soccer player, likely from running, trudging and hunting.“In his leg structure he’s certainly accustomed to very rapid movement, quick movement and you can read that in those muscle ridges,” Owsley explained.He also likely had killer arms, because he threw a spear with the aid of a lever-like tool.Owsley says Kennewick Man was so strong in his right arm he was like a pro baseball pitcher.A tough lifeK-Man’s bones show he got today’s equivalent of a career-ending sports injury.“If it happened to a contemporary baseball pitcher, they’d need surgery. And so it took off a piece of bone off the back side of the shoulder joint that would have been essentially loose. And I’m sure that caused great complications in his ability to throw.” Owsley says Kennewick Man stood about 5-foot-7-inches tall and weighed about 170 pounds. And he wasn’t any stranger to pain.The evidence shows, K-Man as he’s known in eastern Washington, got hit on the head a few times and stabbed with a basalt rock point that embedded in his hip.‘A true messenger’Owsley’s research includes this big revelation: Kennewick Man wasn’t from the southeast Washington region along the Columbia River where he was found. Instead, Owsley said he was from the coast.The scientists can tell from chemical tests on tiny bits of his bones and the enamel on his teeth that he ate mostly marine animals.“Once a tooth erupts it doesn’t change," Owsley says. "So that tiny, tiny piece of tooth enamel with just hitting it with the same sort of process, you can tell where he grew up as a child.”Owsley and forensic artists came up with a new sculpture of what Kennewick Man looks like.The remains known to tribes as the Ancient One, draws his ancestry from the ancient peoples of Asia, Owsley says. The scientist describes the moment he looked at the new reconstruction of Kennewick Man’s face.“He’s so lifelike. And when you look at those eyes, those eyes have such a piercing glare. I think this man has a story to tell us. There is very little known about that time. And he’s a true messenger.”Resources Owsley has a new young-adult book out with author Sally Walker. It’s called “Their Skeletons Speak.” Owsley plans to release a much larger scientific text soon. Burke Museum’s “Kennewick Man” Copyright 2012 Northwest Public Radio