With statistics showing that 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 each day from now until 2030, the impact on our workforce will be dramatic. When the last of the baby boomers reach age 65 in 2029, nearly 25% of our population will be 65 or older. This is up from about 15% today. While 62% [...]
While health information is protected in doctors’ offices, hospitals and other healthcare institutions, that simply isn’t the case in the online world. The Department of Health and Human Services warns that HIPAA privacy regulations do not apply to information you reveal on social media, in emails and web searches or when using health apps. The [...]
In a previous newsletter, we discussed bundling introduced by Medicare which focuses on orthopedic and cardiac procedures. Through the mandatory initiative for comprehensive care for joint replacements (CJR), which became policy in 2016, some 800 hospitals are participating in the program. While some sources report the results of bundling as mixed, Medicare reports that joint [...]
If you’ve joined the “end sugary drinks” club, you may be enjoying LaCroix or one of several other unsweetened, carbonated waters. What makes them taste so refreshing? According to scientists and registered dieticians, studies show that while drinking any cold water will avoid the 140 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar found in a can [...]
For those who simply cannot do without their favorite foods, here’s a list of the things that many of us love, but our hearts wish we would avoid. Fast Food – Most of it has poor nutritional value, including plenty of fat, calories and processing. Candy – Go with a small quantity of dark chocolate [...]
The article below was published on June 26, 2017 by CNN, written by Elisabeth Rosenthal. (CNN) – When Jeffrey Kivi’s rheumatologist changed affiliations from one hospital in New York City to another, less than 20 blocks uptown, the price his insurer paid for the outpatient infusion he got about every 6 weeks to control his [...]
The article below was published on June 21, 2017 by Employee Benefit News, written by Alicia Kelsey. Employer-sponsored health plans are taking up an increasing amount of real estate on companies’ operating budgets, and management has had to get creative in order to slow the rise in costs. One creative solution that companies have turned [...]
In the race to bring health-related information to your digital world, Amazon is certainly not falling behind. Beginning in early March, Amazon enabled “Alexa” users to obtain answers to medical questions. According to a press release, with help from WebMD, Alexa devices will respond to medical questions with physician-reviewed, medically appropriate answers in plain, understandable [...]
The State of Benefits report from BenefitFocus shows that workers under the age of 26 are investing 20% more of their salary in HSAs than other generations. This is certainly due to the fact that nearly half have elected to enroll in high deductible health plans in 2017. While PPO plans remain very popular, especially [...]
The article below was published on May 11, 2017 by the Mercer Signal, written by David Dross. Photo Source: Mercer Signal With all the uncertainties around healthcare legislation swirling, cost control of pharmacy spend remains top priority for employers. On one hand, employers obviously want their employees to have access to the medications [...]
