Although this article is from 2007, these strategies are still something to at least think about!! MBGH still hears a lot about:
Covering preventive services at 100%
Mandating mail order
Moving from the carrot to the stick (or as a speaker referred to it lately, as a "frozen carrot")
Auditing enrolled dependents
Click here to read the Workforce.com article. You will need to register to see the article,but it is free!!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Handy Tool to Assess Your Dental Benefit Offerings
Check out this article which gives you an easy way to assess the quality of your dental benefits. Key aspects include:
Offering the right preventive services
Giving employees access to dental risk assessments
Maximizing flexible spending accounts
Communicating effectively with your employees
Click here for the article from Workforce.com. You will need to register, but it is free!!
Offering the right preventive services
Giving employees access to dental risk assessments
Maximizing flexible spending accounts
Communicating effectively with your employees
Click here for the article from Workforce.com. You will need to register, but it is free!!
More Cost-Effective Dental Benefits Now Available
Tailoring dental benefits to the needs of your employees, including medical conditions they may have such as diabetes, can help you save dollars down the road. Click here to read the Workforce.com article. You may need to register, but it is free!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
MBGH Launches: Tobacco Cessation Benefits Tools & Solutions
MBGH launches its first Tools & Solutions center focusing on tobacco cessation benefits. Building off of our successful February 25, 2010 meeting, Smoking Cessation: The Purchaser Perspective, MBGH has created a web page dedicated to key information employers need to manage the cost & quality of their tobacco cessation benefits.Click here to access the web page.
Included on this web page are:
MBGH is committed to providing our members with current tools & solutions to manage the cost & quality of their health benefits in an ever-changing environment.
Included on this web page are:
- Presentations from the February 25, 2010 meeting
- Purchaser's Guide: Summary Plan Description Language for tobacco use treatment
- Partnership for Prevention Business Outreach Package on Tobacco Cessation
- Employer Case Studies
- Sample Policies
- Publications
MBGH is committed to providing our members with current tools & solutions to manage the cost & quality of their health benefits in an ever-changing environment.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Pharmacist-based Program Proves Effective for Diabetics in Polk County, FL
An employer-based clinical pharmacist counseling program for type 2 diabetes patients in Polk County, FL led to a 9% improvement in A1C levels, a 30% decrease in hospitalizations, and a 24% decrease in ER visits. These results of this 2005 study are reported in the February 15, 2010, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
The pharmacist provided six 30-minute counseling sessions and copays were waived for disease-related medications, supplies, and non-prescription products. Participants were asked to sign an agreement to comply with program rules and processes. A total of 564 enrolled in the program and 477 were still active in the program at the end of 12 months.
Click here to read the article.
The pharmacist provided six 30-minute counseling sessions and copays were waived for disease-related medications, supplies, and non-prescription products. Participants were asked to sign an agreement to comply with program rules and processes. A total of 564 enrolled in the program and 477 were still active in the program at the end of 12 months.
Click here to read the article.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Price Increases Drive Spikes in Massachusetts Health Care Costs & Premiums
Massachusetts' recent spikes in health care cost (and increases in premiums) have been caused primarly (75%) by price increases from hospitals and physicians and only 25% have been caused by utilization increases.
The preliminary report from the Massachusetts' Attorney General, also finds that provider payments do not correlate to quality of care or to the actual cost of providing the service. Instead, payments are closely related to provider size and market dominance.
The report also found that in some instances some providers were paid twice as much for the same service as other providers.
Click here to read the article.
The preliminary report from the Massachusetts' Attorney General, also finds that provider payments do not correlate to quality of care or to the actual cost of providing the service. Instead, payments are closely related to provider size and market dominance.
The report also found that in some instances some providers were paid twice as much for the same service as other providers.
Click here to read the article.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Cut Cost by Reducing Hospital-Acquired Conditions: Sepsis & Pneumonia
Study results reported by Extending the Cure in The Archives of Internal Medicine indicate that patients that develop sepsis (a systemic response to infection) after surgey end up staying an extra 11 days in the hospital at an average cost of an additional $33,000. In addition, 20% of these patients die of the infection.
The study also found that patients that develop pneumonia after surgery, often due to a dirty ventialtor tube, stay in the hospital an extra 14 days and cost an additional $46,000. 11% of these patients die of the pneumonia.
According to Ramanan Laxminarayan, Ph.D., principal investigator, "In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals.”
This study presents one more piece of evidence that improving the quality & safety in hospitals not only saves lives, but saves dollars as well.
Click here to read the article.
The study also found that patients that develop pneumonia after surgery, often due to a dirty ventialtor tube, stay in the hospital an extra 14 days and cost an additional $46,000. 11% of these patients die of the pneumonia.
According to Ramanan Laxminarayan, Ph.D., principal investigator, "In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals.”
This study presents one more piece of evidence that improving the quality & safety in hospitals not only saves lives, but saves dollars as well.
Click here to read the article.
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