text:
Obama Care Or The Affordable Care Act – Jimmy Kimmel Pranks Us [Video]
It's the issue that is at the heart of the current government shutdown, but so many Americans don't seem to have a clue.
Is this Jimmy Kimmel prank funny or alarming?
It's the issue that is at the heart of the current government shutdown, but so many Americans don't seem to have a clue.
Is this Jimmy Kimmel prank funny or alarming?
What started as a simple craft project for her family has become a labor of love for Robyn Rosenberger.
Her superhero capes have made the struggle with a disability or terminal illness much easier for a growing number of children nationwide.
It's not pretty, but it's message is powerful.
On this first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month watch as one brave woman shares a year's worth of treatment in this inspiring time lapse video.
Bath time is extra fun in this video featuring an armadillo, hedge hogs, a raccoon, a panda bear and baby elephants, among others.
Can you resist?
A priest had no qualms about chastising a wedding photographer for getting to close to the wedding ceremony that he was performing.
Watch the video and tell us....who was out of line?
Sure, the view is stunning, but I think that I will just buy the postcards!
Watch aerialist, Nik Wallenda cross the Grand Canyon on a tightrope.
The latest search for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa's body began yesterday, and investigators are still hopeful that the former Teamster's boss will be found. Here are the latest details.
Is this guy a complete moron or a very brave cat lover?
You decide as you watch this video!
Their employer's dress code only allows long pants or skirts, but during the hot summer months these men say that long pants are just to uncomfortable.The solution is easy for these guys!
Do you think that cops do slightly illegal things just because they can? I don't mean murder or robbing a bank....but I'm fairly sure that they speed or make their own parking spaces on occasion, just because they have a badge. Watch a spunky 12 year-old bust a cop for doing something he thought was not right.
If you think the weather in Michigan stinks , and it does right now, take heart! At least you're not an intern for The Weather Channel. They are working in a tornado...
Some folks read in their spare time. Others watch TV. Smart people do crossword puzzles. Gluttons for punishment take days to put together incredibly intricate, 40,000 piece jigsaw puzzles only to have the unthinkable happen. Watch the unthinkable here!


text:
You must log in to access this feature. Sign in with Twellow or Facebook to get started.
By signing in to Twellow, you indicate your agreement to our terms of service.
Simply connect with Facebook and kiss those password blues away,
or go here to reset your password.
a volunteer group that aims to increase support of community events that benefit our beloved Haiti

subset: commoncrawl


text:
new Orleans cuisine in los angeles
went to new Orleans jazzfest again this and am jonesing for some great new orleans Cajun or creole cuisine in los angeles. Any new places around?
re: soccerandlost
Been to NOLA and that Bourbon Street Shrimp is awful. No comparison whatsoever.
re: maudies5
I recently had a great time at the IVY.
re: Hershey Bomar
does anyone have a menu of the ivy dishes? that would be great. I feel that the comments on Ivy are reminscent of a ping-pong match. One minute the comments are favorable, the next the comments are atrocious.
re: maudies5
i can see why you recommend the ivy's but while i like their "gumbo", it really isn't very authentic.
i've yet to find one in LA that passes the test, with enough okra, seafood and a great broth. uncle darrow's and the farmer's market are completely passable.
re: JEN10
cafe boogaloo in hermosa also has some new orleans' dishes, but i haven't personally tried them.
maybe someone else on the board can say. . .
Uncle Darrows at Lincoln and Washington in Marina Del Rey would be my first choice. Great service, friendly New Orleans transplants own the place. Try the gumbo, fried chicken, collard greens, and po boys. It's all good. It's the best New Orleans cuisine I know of in LA.
Also, at the Farmer's Market, you might try the Gumbo Pot. IMHO, it's decent.
re: SushioCity
The tagline for Uncle Darrows is "Welcome to
Uncle Darrow's Cajun restaurant
where we serve food with all the flavor of the Bayou but without beef or pork"
I'm sorry but...no. I simply cannot accept this as authentic New Orleans cooking.
re: GenevieveCa
i agree. my addendum to their tag line would be: easier said than done.
re: GenevieveCa
Agreed, not serving pork is blasphemy. But, people swear by their seafood dishes. I'll try it before making judgment...
re: vinosnob
I went to Darrows for the first time a few weeks back and was surprised. It's much more of a fast food looking place than a restaurant. I would say that take out would probably enhance the food -- the inside of the place is stark and commercial and gray. The outside is mini-mall wasteland bleak.
re: Hershey Bomar
And the food??
re: vinosnob
Uncle Darrows, is mediocre and overpriced. It shares these qualities with The Gumbo Pot.
Try New Orleans fish market on Arlington, La Louisanne on Slauson/Overhill, The Gumbo Shack on Praire across from Hollywood Park, for starters.
re: broncosaurus
But really we all know that Harold and Belle's is the best LA has to offer.
re: Hershey Bomar
Yeah, the prices seem high, given that you order at the register and then someone brings your food out. But the service has always been extremely friendly in my experience, and that enhances the food. Anyway, I don't find the place "wasteland bleak" inside or out, so, I guess we see it with different eyes.
I won't argue with those who insist on pork as an essential ingredient. But, I like the food and would still recommend it to others who want something like they had in N.O. here in L.A. There just aren't all that many places to choose from here.
re: vinosnob
Yes. Try the grilled shrimp.
Check it out. The new South restaurant in Santa Monica. Best beignets I've found outside of New Orleans.
re: Mel Gee
It's surprisingly good bar food, but not something I'd go out of my way for. As fdb's celebration of the beignets suggests, the fried food is really the star. I like the fried green tomatoes, myself.
re: a_and_w
Well said, a and w. My experience with Cajun or creole food is somewhat limited. I've been to New Orleans once a long time ago, and remember the food being very delicious, and very flavorful & spicy. I used to like a restaurant called Orleans in West LA, which has closed for a long time. That said. The food at South seems to be somewhat mild and tame to me--not bad but not too exciting, either. We had fried green tomato as well, which is pretty tasty. The fried okra was ok. Baby back ribs were not bad. The muffaletta tasted good to me (my first time having it), but my friend commented that it wasn't very authentic--not enough olive salad on it. I like the Mint Julep though. We were there for lunch and the place was almost empty. It may be a good place for happy hour but it gets insanely crowded at late night.
New Orleans restaurant in Hermosa Beach is delicious. It is a small place run by a wonderful family serving authentic cajun and creole food. They fly in all of their seafood from new orleans, the shrimp are oh so sweet. The seafood gumbo bowl is enough for 2. I believe they are closedf on Tuesday and Wednesday's.
New Orleans Cajun Cafe
140 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
re: broncosaurus
I go to Hollywood Park a lot and consequently I've tried two places nearby. They're both on Prairie Ave. : Bourbon Street Fish near Manchester Blvd, and a hole in the wall called The Gumbo Shack, closer to Century Blvd. Bourbon St. is quite good with a fair sized menu and pleasant restaurant decor. I've only had the gumbo (what else?) at the Gumbo Shack and it wowed me - fantastic, rich flavor and texture, although no okra (Thank God) in the bowl I had. I hate okra - to me it's like eating phlegm. The Gumbo Shack has a few formica tables, but it's mostly take out. They must be doing it right, because they're doing good business in a bad location. I would suggest all you gumbo lovers to try it. Best I've had (other than my own, of course.) Nice people at both spots - NOLA vibe seems to bring out friendliness.
re: broncosaurus
Thanks to FDB up above for mentioning South, in Santa Monica. Hadn't heard of it, must try.
The best Cajun food I've had in LA has been at The Creole Chef:
The Creole Chef
3715 Santa Rosalia Drive
Los Angeles
(323) 294-2433
re: Norm Man
Second that, but I must admit I haven't tried New Orleans in Redondo.
re: Ciao Bob
Yeah, I haven't tried New Orleans in Hermosa on Pier Ave in a while. I must be ready for a redux.
As for, Bourbon St, I didn't find it too be good at all.
Gumbo Shack I will have to try.
re: gado_gado
Gumbo Pot good! 2 kinds of gumbo usually ready. I ordered a gallon of shrimp gumbo to go (like,45 bucks ) and it was delicious for days. The jambalya is excellent too, but as a to-go deal, i would recommend getting the rice separate from the sauce and blending right before service.
re: DeePocketChopra
Recommending the Gumbo Pot, or even the Creole Chef for that matter, as "authentic" and good-tasting Louisiana fare is problematic in my eyes. "Jambalaya sauce" ? Jambalaya doesn't have a sauce, and it is not supposed to be saucy. As far as Uncle Darrow's is concerned, you simply cannot make a decent Creole or Seafood Gumbo without pork or beef. Even chicken and duck gumbos are traditionally made with smoked birds (or smoked sausage). Without that deep, smoky flavor, it's just not gumbo...or jambalaya either for that matter. Most south Louisiana dishes are seasoned with smoked meats, usually pork. You can't even make authentic red beans and rice without smoked sausage, ham, ham hocks, or pickled pork. You just can't get around that. I honestly think that Harold & Belle's and La Lousianne are the only two games in town. If New Orleans in Hermosa is anything like Ragin Cajun (a complete travesty), I'll save my time and stick with the tried and true. Bourbon Street Shrimp isn't bad, but it's not authentic either. Anyone who has tasted real New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp will tell you the same.
Stepping down from my gumbo pot now,
re: TerriDawn
P.S. I haven't tried the Gumbo Shack, nor the other place mentioned that isin Inglewood, so I'll have to try. Also, does anyone remember the 5 C's? Is that still there? Their food was pretty good, as I recall.
re: TerriDawn
They've relocated to West Covina (a chowhound search should find the exact address). NO fish market is similar in some ways. Gumbo there is only so-so, shrimp and oyster loaves are good. They're on the corner of Arlington and Vernon.
I agree with your comments about Creole Chef (though the owners are from NO stock) and Gumbo Pot. La Lousianne has (or had) a good lunch special for gumbo for those who'd like to try it for just under $10.
re: broncosaurus
I am a second generation customer of NO Fish Market (my dad relocated to L.A. from N.O. in 1946), but the last time I was there was a total disaster. The place has gone down the toilet. The odor was not just a bit ripe, it was FUNKY; and my food just was not right. I won't be driving to West Covina for gumbo any time soon either.
The people at the Creole Chef certainly appear to be of Louisiana stock, but that doesn't impart any specialized cooking skills upon them. I grew up here in Los Angeles with plenty of people with roots in Southeast Louisiana who could not cook a pot of red beans to save their very lives. Once their grandmothers passed away, that was the end of home-made gumbo in their family. My own sister, who grew up in the same house with me, and who attended college in Louisiana just as I did, cannot cook any of these foods. She knows what they taste like, but she can't cook any of it; and her children will grow up completely ignorant of their own culture due to the loss of foodways in their nuclear family.
Honestly, my cravings for Creole food are generally for awesome po-boys, stuffed with impeccably fried oysters and shrimp, served on buttered bread that is flaky outside and chewy inside...or perfectly fried "stuffed shrimp." I mean, nobody else's gumbo or shrimp creole (around here) is really going to please me as much as my own; but it would be nice to go out and have real crawfish bisque, with the delicious stuffed heads decorating the bowl! Sometimes you don't want to make these labor-intensive dishes; sometimes you'd just like to luxuriate in a great, authentic meal.
Not that bread pudding is complex, but I would like to buy some in a restaurant that is actually pudding-like, instead of a hard, old piece of bread seasoned with cinnamon. I love cinnamon, but I was never served bread pudding with cinnamon in Louisiana (nor in my childhood home).
Do you remember Sid's on Exposition? You could eat there, and be completely satisfied. I remember going there with my father on sweltering summer nights, and the fans would be blowing, and we would be sweating...but also smiling.
re: TerriDawn
Man you may be complaining but I could listen to you talk all day!
I agree that N.O. Fish Market is sketchy but it's at its best on Saturday's and everyone is always super friendly. I just wish their boudin was good.
re: TerriDawn
the bread pudding you are describing sounds a lot like the bread pudding that was served to me at mariscos chente last saturday night.
it isn't a menu item, i believe, just available sometimes.
it had sliced plantains hidden in there somewhere. . .
re: westsidegal
Oh yes, had some myself.Amazing!
re: westsidegal
so now they have desserts too?
i haven't been in a month now, but i'll try it in a week or so hopefully.
any new shrimp dishes on the menu?
re: TerriDawn
New Orleans in Hermosa is nothing like Rajun Cajun. You are talking night and day, give it a try before passing judgment, you will be quite suprised!!!!!!!!!!!
re: TerriDawn
No quarrel there about the necessity of pork. However, their seafood is supposed to be good. Worth a shot...
I am from Louisiana, and the best gumbo by far is made by my mother :). However, the closest representations I've had in Los Angeles are at Michaels/Mardi Gras in Burbank on Olive, and Uncle Andre's BBQ (they only have gumbo on Friday, but it's gooooood). Uncle Andre's is on Moorpark & Colfax in Studio City. Their fried chicken and baby back ribs are good too.


text:
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:
Enrollment and Spending in the Early Retiree Reinsurance and Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan Programs
GAO-13-391: Published: Apr 30, 2013. Publicly Released: May 30, 2013.
Additional Materials:
- Highlights Page:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
(202) 512-7114
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
What GAO Found
The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) discontinued enrollment in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) in early 2011 and stopped most program reimbursements the following year to keep spending within the $5 billion ERRP appropriation. Specifically, anticipating exhaustion of funds, CCIIO stopped ERRP enrollment in May 2011. According to CCIIO officials, CCIIO suspended making reimbursements to plan sponsors in September 2012, as reimbursements had reached the $4.7 billion cap established for paying claims under the original appropriation, and the remainder was reserved for administrative expenses. When the cap was reached, significant demand for the program remained with 5,699 ERRP reimbursement requests left outstanding that accounted for about $2.5 billion in unpaid claims. CCIIO officials told GAO that they planned to pay some of the outstanding reimbursement requests by redistributing any overpayments recovered from plan sponsors--when, for example a plan receives a rebate that lowers the total cost of a prior claim--as well as money recovered from program audits. As of January 2013, officials told GAO that CCIIO had recovered a total of $54 million and redistributed $20.7 million of this amount.
Enrollment and spending for the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program have grown substantially. Cumulative PCIP enrollment had reached 103,160 by the end of December 2012, more than doubling from a year earlier. By the end of January 2013, total PCIP spending reached about $2.6 billion, representing over half of the $5 billion PCIP appropriation compared to a year earlier when only about 16 percent of the total appropriation had been spent. PCIP spending has varied on a monthly basis, but overall, monthly spending also has increased over the life of the program. Most recently, monthly spending reached its highest point since the program's inception, increasing about 35 percent from December 2012 to January 2013.
According to CMS, PCIP spending is likely to approach the $5 billion appropriation by the end of 2013, and CCIIO is taking steps intended to ensure it does not exceed this amount. In June 2012, Office of the Actuary (OACT) within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a projection that the entire $5 billion in PCIP funding would be used "through 2013." Similarly, CCIIO officials told GAO they anticipate total PCIP spending to closely approach $5 billion, and that they are taking program management steps--many of which are not yet reflected in spending data--to ensure appropriated funding lasts through 2013. For example, in the second half of 2012, CCIIO was able to obtain lower provider reimbursement rates for the PCIP program. Also, in January 2013, CCIIO instituted benefit changes that shifted more costs onto PCIP enrollees, including by increasing enrollee coinsurance from 20 percent to 30 percent in many states. Due to growing concerns about the rate of PCIP spending, in February 2013, CCIIO suspended PCIP enrollment to ensure the appropriated funding would be sufficient to cover claims for current enrollees through the end of the program. Officials told GAO that if spending trends begin to indicate that funding will not be used as quickly as they are projecting, they could reinstate PCIP enrollment to use remaining funds.
Why GAO Did This Study
In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) appropriated $5 billion each to establish and carry out two temporary programs--ERRP and PCIP. ERRP reimburses sponsors of employment-based health plans to help cover the cost of providing health benefits to early retirees--individuals age 55 and older not eligible for Medicare. The PCIP program is a high-risk pool that provides access to health insurance for individuals unable to acquire affordable coverage due to a preexisting condition. Both programs are operated by CCIIO within CMS (an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services) and are intended to operate through 2013, after which PPACA will provide new insurance coverage options.
GAO was asked to provide updated information on ERRP and PCIP spending. This report describes the current status of ERRP and PCIP enrollment and spending as well as projected PCIP spending and how CCIIO is ensuring that program funding is sufficient through 2013. GAO obtained the most recent data available on ERRP and PCIP enrollment and spending and on overpayments recovered from ERRP plan sponsors during the claims adjudication process. GAO also obtained other supporting documentation where available. GAO interviewed CMS officials about ERRP and PCIP enrollment and spending as well as their predictions of future PCIP spending and steps they are taking to ensure the sufficiency of PCIP funding.
The Department of Health and Human Services provided technical comments on a draft of this report, which GAO incorporated as appropriate.
For more information, contact John E.Dicken at (202) 512-7114 or email@example.com.
Nov 24, 2014
Group Purchasing Organizations:Funding Structure Has Potential Implications for Medicare CostsGAO-15-13: Published: Oct 24, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2014.
Medicare Program Integrity:CMS Pursues Many Practices to Address Prescription Drug Fraud, Waste, and AbuseGAO-15-66: Published: Oct 24, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2014.
Nov 21, 2014
Vaccine Injury Compensation:Most Claims Took Multiple Years and Many Were Settled through NegotiationGAO-15-142: Published: Nov 21, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 21, 2014.
Nov 18, 2014
Health Care Transparency:Actions Needed to Improve Cost and Quality Information for ConsumersGAO-15-11: Published: Oct 20, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 18, 2014.
Nov 17, 2014
VA Health Care:Actions Needed to Ensure Adequate and Qualified Nurse StaffingGAO-15-61: Published: Oct 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 17, 2014.
Nov 13, 2014
Small Business Health Insurance Exchanges:Low Initial Enrollment Likely due to Multiple, Evolving FactorsGAO-15-58: Published: Nov 13, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 13, 2014.
Nov 10, 2014
Compounded Drugs:Payment Practices Vary across Public Programs and Private Insurers, and Medicare Part B Policy Should Be ClarifiedGAO-15-85: Published: Oct 10, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 10, 2014.
Oct 30, 2014
VA Health Care:Management and Oversight of Consult Process Need Improvement to Help Ensure Veterans Receive Timely Outpatient Specialty CareGAO-14-808: Published: Sep 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 30, 2014.
Oct 29, 2014
Chemical Assessments:Agencies Coordinate Activities, but Additional Action Could Enhance EffortsGAO-14-763: Published: Sep 29, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2014.
Oct 6, 2014
Medicaid:Information on Inmate Eligibility and Federal Costs for Allowable ServicesGAO-14-752R: Published: Sep 5, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 6, 2014.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here