Article is by Arielle Levin Becker, from The CT Mirror Lisa Freeman recently tried an experiment: Before having a medical diagnostic test, she tried to figure out what it would cost. “It took no less than five phone calls, and I still never got to the end of the thing,” said Freeman, executive director of [...]
Out-of-pocket costs for pricey new drugs leave even some insured and relatively affluent patients with hard choices on how to afford them Article is by Joseph Walker, from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) BELLEVILLE, Ill.— Jacqueline Racener ’s doctor prescribed a new leukemia drug for her last winter that promised to roll back the cancer [...]
Census Bureau figures show that the percentage of Americans without health insurance fell from 13.3% in 2013 to 10.4% in 2014 – approximately 8.8 million people. At the same time, the average cost of employer sponsored health care coverage rose by about 4% to more than $17,500 this year, from $16,834 last year.
Article seen in CT Viewpoints, written by Tom Swn (CCAG) It is hard to turn on your computer or to check out your evening news without hearing highly paid hospital executives saying that the sky is falling and arguing that they are on the side of consumers. In reviewing the recent filings with state regulators, [...]
Article from Employee Benefit News Commentary: The Affordable Care Act reporting deadlines are rapidly approaching, presenting a major administrative burden for employers who face penalties for failing to report in a timely and accurate manner. While there has been significant discussion of employer roles and responsibilities, employees have been largely left out of the equation. [...]
Article is by Melanie Evans, from Modern Healthcare Some hospitals and health systems are starting to review and revise their prices to make themselves more attractive to individual consumers who increasingly experience sticker shock when they pay for services out of pocket under high-deductible health plans. Part of that effort involves analyzing how much those [...]
Thank you to ASG Risk Management, Inc., a Diversified Group partner for many years, for featuring us on their MGU Perspectives Blog. We appreciate your recognition and our relationship. Featured on the MGU Perspectives Blog, Compliments of ASG Risk Management, Inc. For those of us in the risk management business, we know our work involves [...]
A recently released study, based on claims data from 126,245 members participating in self-insured, employer-sponsored health benefit plans, reflected average annual per member cost savings of $1,157.91 for chronically ill individuals participating in a telephone-based chronic disease management program. The results of the independent study, recently published in "Population Health Management", showed 15% average savings [...]
With the costs of maintenance and specialty drugs skyrocketing, why would some employers with self-funded health plans not place prescription drugs under their plan’s stop-loss insurance?
"Doc merger reshapes Hartford's physician landscape" Article is by Matt Pilon, from Hartford Business.com, a publication of The Hartford Business Journal CMG CEO Dr. Jarrod Post will be Starling Physician's new chief medical officer starting Jan. 1. A merger of nearly 200 Hartford County doctors is all but complete. Rocky Hill's Connecticut Multispecialty Group (CMG) [...]
