news

Surviving the Allergy Season

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:25:51 +0100

2010 has been a particularly bad year for allergy sufferers. Weather conditions have caused all plants to bloom at once in some areas, and that's something to sneeze at. From Phoenix to Louisville and from Portland to Philadelphia, folks are rubbing their eyes and blowing their noses - more than usual at this time of year.

Allergens can be particularly harmful to people with ongoing conditions, like asthma or COPD. You can do a few things to make yourself more comfortable during allergy season. Read more

Focus on Your Health is brought to you by Coventry Health Care of Georgia, Inc.

How to Build a Competitive Employee Benefits Package

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:08:46 +0100

A generous employee benefits package can be an excellent way to keep the talent you have, and to recruit the cream of the crop. Read more...

Source: By Inc. Staff | Apr 26, 2010

Move It to Lose It: Stay active to stay healthy

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:09:02 +0100

Staying active is an important part of staying healthy. Overweight or obese people are more likely to have health problems. To avoid the health problems that can come through excess pounds, use some of the calories you take in. Burn them up with physical activity. (Remember, you should always check with a health care provider before starting any exercise program.) Read more...

Focus on Your Health is brought to you by Coventry Health Care of Georgia, Inc.

Big impact: The ins and outs of health reform

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:09:12 +0100

BLOOMINGTON -- Whether you're for it or against it, health care reform is the law of the land and individuals, health care providers, insurers and employers will be affected to varying degrees. Read more

Source: Pantagraph - By Paul Swiech | pswiech@pantagraph.com | Posted: Monday, April 19, 2010 7:00 am

Summary of Coverage Provisions in the Health Care Reform Act of 2010

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:09:23 +0100

Source: http://www.kff.org/healthreform/8023.cfm -- The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Summary of Coverage Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

This short summary describes the health coverage provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (each signed into law in March 2010), including the individual mandate requirements, expansion of public programs, health insurance exchanges, changes to private insurance, employer requirements and cost and coverage estimates. It supplements the full summary of all the final health reform laws provisions here.

Also provided below are archived summaries of the coverage provisions in the House bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, as passed by the full House on November 7, 2009, and the Senate Leadership bill, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as passed by the full Senate on Dec. 24, 2009. They supplement the interactive, more comprehensive side-by-side comparisons of major health reform proposals available here.

Summary of Coverage Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010(.pdf)

Want kids' vaccinations up to date? Keep the record

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:09:32 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Taking charge of your toddler's vaccination record may be the best way to ensure he or she doesn't miss any shots, a new study suggests.

HEALTH

"In our country, we think the doctor should have all the medical records," said Dr. James McElligott, a pediatrician at the Medical University of South Carolina who worked on the study. "I like the idea of putting the ownership back in Mom's hands and empowering her a little bit."

When parents kept a so-called shot card, their child's odds of being up-to-date on vaccinations rose by more than half.
-- read more http://ow.ly/17Rry

Millions missing out on colon cancer screening -- Nearly half the people who need potentially ...

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:09:47 +0100

Millions missing out on colon cancer screening

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly half the people who need potentially lifesaving checks for the nation's No. 2 cancer killer - colorectal cancer - miss them, despite years of public efforts to make colon screening as widespread as tests for breast and prostate cancer.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_HEALTHBEAT_COLON_CANCER?SITE=OHALL2&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

What's Really Driving the Increase in Health Insurance Premiums?

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:19:04 +0100

What's Really Driving the Increase in
Health Insurance Premiums?

Anthem plans across the country are working to develop innovative products and programs that help address rising health care costs. Through pay for performance initiatives, consumer directed health plans and transparency initiatives; Anthem is providing access to the information needed to drive down health care costs.

While many people may believe that insurer profits are the driving force behind increasing health insurance premiums, research reveals very different reasons for the high cost of health insurance.

*Includes prevention, disease management, care coordination, investments in health information technology and health support. Based on a PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis, Factors Fueling Healthcare Costs 2008
ã 2008 America's Health Insurance Plans

A May 2009 report titled "What's Really Driving the Increase in Health Care Premiums?" addresses the issue. The report, issued by the WellPoint Institute of Health Care Knowledge, compiles research from sources such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Congressional Budget Office.

According to the report, the "key drivers" of spiraling U.S. health care costs are:

Advances in medical technology and subsequent increases in utilization;
Price inflation for medical services that exceeds inflation in other sectors of the economy;
Cost-shifting from people who are uninsured and those receiving Medicare and Medicaid to the private sector;
High cost of regulatory compliance; and
Patient lifestyles, such as smoking, physical inactivity and obesity.

Citing PricewaterhouseCoopers research from 2008, the report found that only three cents of every health care premium dollar is spent on health insurer profit.

According to the Institute's report, newer medical technologies tend to increase costs because they are generally more expensive than the older technologies they replace. While the availability of more advanced, superior technologies can yield better results for some patients, these technologies and diagnostic tests may be used inappropriately in some situations where existing, older technologies are more effective and accurate.

View a copy of the full report, "What's Really Driving the Increase in Health Care Premiums?"

Benefits Consultants Report Continued Group Health Rate Increases

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:18:54 +0100

For Immediate Release

Benefits Consultants Report Continued Group Health Rate Increases

As the health care reform debates rage in Washington, employers are continuing to see steady increases in rates for group medical coverage, according to a recent survey by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. The Council’s semiannual Employee Benefits Market Survey shows employers of all sizes continuing to experience group medical coverage rate increases and choosing to shift more of those costs along to their employees through higher deductibles and co-pays, but few employers looking to discontinue group medical coverage as an employee benefit.

“As the prolonged economic downturn continues to hit employers’ bottom lines and rates continue to rise in excess of inflation, many corporate clients are being forced to pass on more of the costs of group medical coverage to their employees,” said Ken A. Crerar, president of The Council. “However, the survey also shows that most employers aren’t looking to do away with this important employee benefit despite these issues.”

“Employers’ reluctance to eliminate group medical plans despite tight budgets shows the value that they place on such plans in attracting and retaining employees,” Crerar said. “Congress is beginning to seriously consider the elements of health care reform, and must recognize that employer-sponsored health care does work for millions of people across the U.S. Wiping clean the slate of health care options for employer-sponsored health-care would cause more problems than it would solve.”

Of the benefits consultants responding to the survey, 87 percent said rates had increased for small accounts, those with 50 or fewer employees. Eighty-nine percent said rates increased for medium accounts (51-500 employees) and 67 percent saw increases in large accounts (501+ employees).

Fifty-three percent of small and 68 percent of medium accounts saw rate increases 6-15 percent, while only 50 percent of large accounts saw rate increases in the 6-15 percent range. “Carriers appear to be much more aggressive in pricing,” commented one consultant. “Trend is escalating,” said another.

Employers continue to look at options to cut their costs in the face of continuing rate increases. One consultant said, “Deductibles, coinsurance and co-pays have increased drastically – plans are becoming more cost sharing.” Another commented, “Carriers in our region are developing higher deductible plans in response to the need for low cost options in this economy.”

Employers are also looking to employees to shoulder a higher percentage of premiums costs, with more than 50 percent of respondents saying that over half of their clients have chosen this option. “A majority of plan sponsors have elected to increase deductibles and make other design changes for the purpose of reducing cost increases,” said one respondent. However, employers are not looking to drop health coverage completely, with 85 percent of respondents saying that only 1-10 percent of their clients are considering this option.

High Deductible Health Plans/Health Savings Accounts remain of great interest to employers, but not as the sole health care offering. Fifty-seven percent of consultants said clients see HDHPs/HSAs as a plan option rather than for replacement of an existing plan. Small, medium and large accounts continue to implement the HSA option at around the same pace, and employer contributions to HSAs generally fall within the $250-$749 range.

The benefits consultants also said that group life insurance renewal rates remained stable or dipped slightly for all size accounts.

Click here to read the full release with charts.

Health Insurance - options other than Cobra

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:27:30 +0100

With the economy the way it is, people are finding themselves with out health insurance due to either losing their job or their employer is discontinuing to provide group health insurance. Few people realize that they can obtain individual health insurance for themself and/or family substantially cheaper than opting for Cobra benefits. In some scenarios, the premiums are a quarter of what the Cobra premiums are and the benefits are broader. Another advantage to opting for the individual plan is the portability of it. The coverage will stay with you as long as you pay the premiums regardless of where you work. This is advantageous in the event you or a family member is later diagnosed with a condition that would render you ineligible to apply for coverage later on.