Diversified Group is holding a food drive for our local food bank, the Food Bank of Marlborough, Connecticut. This is the time of year when the food banks are in the most need. Therefore, we will be collecting donations until mid-December. We hope that you will take the time to donate this holiday season. Below [...]
On November 8, 2017, the IRS announced that, for the first time, it would begin enforcement of the employer mandate under the Affordable Care Act (i.e., the assessment of tax penalties against large employers failing to provide affordable, minimum value health coverage to substantially all employees). The initiation of active enforcement efforts now comes as a [...]
While the University of Utah Health Care System began publishing data from patient satisfaction surveys 5 years ago, dozens of hospitals and health systems are following suit. One Midwest-based system is listing Yelp-like reviews and a star rating next to each qualifying physician’s name. Research shows that 45% of consumers have looked at online provider [...]
The article below was published on October 11, 2017 by Clinical Advisor, written by Madeline Morr. Photo source: Clinical Advisor Low health literacy is associated with a longer hospital length of stay among general medicine patients, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Ethan G. Jaffee, MD, from Massachusetts [...]
Health savings accounts are hot, with nearly two-thirds of respondents to a Plan Sponsor Council of America survey saying they believe that even those without a high deductible health plan should qualify. A benefit often cited by employers and employees alike is that HSAs can be a valuable part of one’s retirement strategy, since healthcare [...]
The 2018 Forecast for TPAs & Self-Funding, recently released by the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA), expects factors to fuel continued growth and expansion by TPAs and self-funded health benefit plans in the coming year. The most significant of these factors is a growing demand by today's workforce for more personalized benefit offerings that [...]
If you live near a large shopping mall, chances are you’ve noticed vacant stores, thanks to the rapid growth of online shopping. Many retail vacancies are being filled by doctors, dentists, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals looking for ways to become more accessible to their communities. To generate more foot traffic, one dental network [...]
The article below was published on October 17, 2017 by BenefitsPRO, written by Alan Goforth. Photo source: BenefitsPRO Benefits professionals have been on a roller-coaster ride since the 2016 presidential election. That ride includes the highs of lofty rhetoric, the lows of as-yet unfulfilled promises, and uncertainty about what may lie around the [...]
Because of their focus on substance abuse issues and the national awareness of the opioid epidemic, Magellan Rx Management is calling your attention to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) scheduled event – National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. This event will take place on Saturday, October 28th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is a [...]
The article below was published on October 24, 2017 by Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc., written by Wrenne Bartlett. The Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc. (SIIA) is pleased to announce that Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed A.8264 into law, allowing grandfathered stop-loss contracts for groups of 51-100 to renew until January 1, 2019. As background, [...]
