Consumer Directed Health Care
Broker fired for selling CDHP with employer funding
Thursday, September 11th, 2008In recent times, health plans in California have started to warn their
brokers that it wasn’t kosher to sell high-deductible plans with other
forms of insurance or funding to cover the deductible. Now, Blue Shield
of California has terminated a broker for taking just such an action, a
move that is now being scrutinized by the state’s Department of
Insurance. Southern California […]
Retired, Uninsured and Too Young For Medicare — Healthcare Options Growing
Monday, December 3rd, 2007The San Diego Union-Tribune has an interesting look at a new trend. Health insurance carriers want to sell individual policies to a really large niche, the 7 million baby boomers who remain uninusured.
Covering The Uncovered - San Diego Union-Tribune, Tom MurphyDecember 03, 2007
Insurers try to tap growing ranks of people too young for Medicare
Health […]
Value, Price, Plan Design for Small Business Health Insurance
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007When small business owners talk about their health insurance, they focus on value, price and plan design.
I found it fascinating that only 4% currently offered high-deductible, low premium plans, but fully one-third planned to offer them as a cost saving mechanism.
“Everyone talks about ‘price, price, price’ but what we hear in this market is that […]
Microsoft and Google Health Records Attacked as “Vaporware” by Aetna CEO
Monday, October 8th, 2007Aetna CEO Ron Williams, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, strongly attacked the new Microsoft and Google entries into Personal Health Records online.
I mean, it isn’t as if Aetna has a vested interest or anything, right Ronnie?
Aetna CEO Calls Microsoft, Google Health ‘Vaporware’
Posted by Jacob Goldstein
“There’s all […]
Aetna says it will tell consumers the REAL prices of their healthcare services
Monday, October 8th, 2007There is a revolution coming, and part of it will surely be “price transparency”.
Aetna is causing a stir by claiming to provide it’s consumers the real prices paid for about 30 medical procedures. 30 procedures is a tiny number… but it is a start!
The Wall Street Journal’s Vanessa Fuhrmans talks with Aetna CEO Ron Williams.
Most […]
Combining HRA and HMO gaining favor in Californ ia
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007New
Products That Combine an HRA With an HMO Are Gaining Traction in CaliforniaCan you see an HRA in your future?
Reprinted
from INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED
CARE, a biweekly newsletter with timely news and insightful analysis
of benefit design, contracts, market strategies and financial results.
Since
being launched in June, a product that pairs an HMO with a health reimbursement
arrangement (HRA) has been […]
Linking Healthy Behaviors To Health Benefits, Has The ADA Law Changed?
Thursday, September 13th, 2007The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is anti-discrimination law that protects people with disabilities. Now that some federal guidelines and rules have been made more clear, it appears that linking health factors to benefits payments is legal.
If so, then we will see a real move to health penalties and incentives in the next few years. […]
Employees Paying More For Health Insurance
Wednesday, September 12th, 2007Workers earnings are expected to rise 3.7% in 2007. The Kaiser Family Foundation projects health insurance premiums to rise 6.1%.
Costs are being shifted slowly and surely from the employer to the employee.
The LA Times looks at the KFF survey and presents some interesting numbers.
Workers paying more for coverage
Employees are taking on more of the rising […]
Health Savings Accounts (HSA) Continue To Lag
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007The Wall Street Journal continues its fine coverage of health care.
Today Joseph Goldstein notes how health savings accounts are simply not “catching on” with consumers.
Health Savings Accounts Aren’t Catching On
Posted by Jacob Goldstein
A closely watched survey of employer-sponsored health insurance released today is getting attention for […]
Use A Health Coach To Help Employees and Save Health Insurance Costs
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007Consumer Directed Health Care has many moving parts, and not all of them work well together.
For example, health savings accounts (HSAs)
are supported by many conservative economists
and by President Bush, but are not finding favor in the marketplace.
Health coaching in the workplace is interesting because
all signs point to both effectiveness in controlling costs,
AND generally positive acceptance […]
