Medical Benefits articles from April 2003

Medical Benefits archives from April 2003

Long-term care insurance in 2000-2001. (Health Care Industry).
April 30, 2003... "In 2000 and 2001 alone, 137 companies sold over 1.4 million [long-term care insurance] policies. With this surge in sales, 8.26 million policies were sold as of the end of 2001. The market grew an average of 18% each year between 1987 and...

Pitching plans to the uninsured. (Health Care Industry).
April 30, 2003... "With the average income of the typical uninsured individual rising--and Congress considering a series of initiatives to expand coverage--health plans have begun to pursue this population with new vigor. In 2001, some 1.4 million...

Health services had biggest employment gain in 2002. (Health Care Industry).(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... "Health services hired more workers (270,000) than any other industry in 2002, as its employment grew 2.6%. Aging baby boomers, population growth and technological advances generated increased demand for health care services. Hospitals...

Managed health plan effects on the specialty referral process: results from the ambulatory sentinel practice network referral study. (Health Care Industry).
April 30, 2003... "The specialty referral process is one of the chief targets of managed care constraints on ambulatory medical decision-making. [Our] study examines the influence of gatekeeping arrangements and capitated primary care physician (PCP) payment...

Health plan administrative cost trends. (Health Care Costs).
April 30, 2003... "During the period of 1998 through 2002, premiums for insured business increased at an annualized rate of 7.4% while administrative costs increased at a slower rate of 4.6%. During that same period the average administrative cost as a...

Cost of caring: key drivers of growth in spending on hospital care. (Health Care Costs).
April 30, 2003... "After a period of relatively low growth in the mid-1990s, health insurance premiums began to accelerate and reached double-digit levels during the past three years. Spending on hospital services followed a similar path although the growth...

States reduce services, drop many from Medicaid rolls. (Health Care Costs).
April 30, 2003... "More than 1 million low-income Americans have lost or might lose government-subsidized health care as states try to contain rapidly escalating costs. The cuts and potential reductions represent about 2% of the 47 million Americans who...

Emergency department visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: insights into preventable hospitalizations. (Health Care Policy).
April 30, 2003... "Black persons, Medicaid and uninsured patients make up a disproportionate share of emergency department (ED) visits for chronic ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions (Table 3). Although there were some differences in disease prevalence...

Health care purchasing among state employers. (Health Care Policy).
April 30, 2003... "Burdened by double-digit increases in premium rates and the rising cost of prescription drugs, state employers are in the midst of a mounting health care cost crisis. State [governments] are often the largest employers in their respective...

Court unanimous: any willing provider laws okay. (Legal Pulse).
April 30, 2003... Many states have "any willing provider" (AWP) statutes, which state that if a physician is willing to meet the terms and conditions to participate in a benefit health plan, that health plan must allow the physician to join the program....

Court approves malpractice claim against HMO. (Legal Pulse).(the U.S. Court of Appeals rules that a woman can take a claim to state court to collect damages against her health maintenance organization)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has said one woman can take her claim to state court, making it possible for her to collect damages against her health maintenance organization (HMO). In the case, Bonnie Cicio says her HMO...

HHS issues new ambulatory surgical center list of covered procedures. (Legal Pulse).(the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a final rule with comment period to make additions to and deletions from the current list of Medicare-approved ambulatory surgical center (ASCs) procedures. STATUS: The...

Employer can take tax deduction for present value of retiree medical benefits. (Legal Pulse).(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... An employer prefunded its retiree medical benefits for current retirees at a cost of nearly $28 million and then took a deduction for the contribution. The IRS complained that the cost of postretirement benefits must be spread over the...

Health care is war casualty as reservists lose insurance. (Health Care Policy).(while the law guarantees guardsmen and reservists their jobs, it does not require employers to keep paying for health insurance)
April 30, 2003... "Douglas Dimond, a major in the South Carolina Army National Guard, expected to make sacrifices when he was called to active duty in November 2001. He didn't expect one of them to be medical care for his daughter. A local doctor wouldn't...

Issues in worksite marketing: insights from employees. (Workplace Health & Benefits).(a discussion of a study of participants' preferences for worksite benefits for their insurance coverage)
April 30, 2003... "Participants in [our] focus groups generally rely on worksite benefits for their insurance coverage. They approach the buying opportunity in a fairly passive manner, relying on referrals and recommendations, basic product information and the...

Organizational climate, perceived work-related symptoms and sickness absence: a population-based survey. (Workplace Health & Benefits).
April 30, 2003... "We measured sickness absence with the following question: `During the past 6 months, how many days have you been off work because of a health problem? Days off because of maternity leave should not be counted.' We inquired about...

2003 consumer-driven health care survey. (Survey Synopsis).(interest in alternative health care delivery models is increasing)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... "Of the companies responding to [our] survey, interest in alternative health care delivery models that encourage employee consumerism is growing: * 11% offer a consumer-driven health plan as of January 1, 2003. * 8% will definitely...

Differentials in employment-related health insurance coverage--2000. (Survey Synopsis).
April 30, 2003... "In the first half of 2000, 61.4% of U.S. workers (excluding the self-employed) held health insurance through their current main job. Generally, the larger the size of an establishment, the greater the percentage of its workers who had health...

Deaths and death rates for the 15 leading causes of death 2001 versus 2000. (MB Stat).(Illustration)
April 30, 2003... Deaths and Death Rates for the 15 Leading Causes of Death, 2001 versus 2000 Editor's Note: This report includes a new subcategory for homicide--deaths from terrorism--that was added as a result of the September 11 attacks. Although...

Cigarette smoking behavior of adults: United States, 1997-98. (Reference Desk).
April 30, 2003... This report provides information about who is smoking, at what age they start, how often and how much they are smoking, and who is trying to quit. This information can provide valuable insights to assist policy makers and health educators in...

How employers are using the Internet--the eHealth promise. (Reference Desk).(a report shows how employers are using eHealth tools)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... This report from the Health Intelligence Network looks at ways employers are currently using eHealth tools and asks what characteristics they consider most vital in an eHealth vendor. The report outlines these expectations through employer...

Group and health coverage in the wake of September 11. (Reference Desk).(a new publication examines how terrorist events impact group and health coverage)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... How would group and health coverage be affected if a suicidal terrorist detonated a bomb in a crowded area or if a "dirty bomb" was used to spread radiation? How would the marketplace react if a biological agent were introduced into the water...

Capital checkup. (Reference Desk).(a new electronic newsletter that summarizes Washington's activity concerning health care-related topics)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Capital Checkup is The Segal Company's periodic electronic newsletter summarizing activity in Washington with respect to health care and related subjects. The April 8, 2003, issue features a brief compliance checklist and discusses guidance...

Creating a sustainable health care program: eighth annual survey report 2003. (Health Care Costs).(Illustration)
April 15, 2003... "Runaway inflation in health care continued unabated in the past year. The median anticipated rate of increase from 2002 to 2003 among surveyed employers rose to 15%. At this rate, costs will double in a mere five years. Despite much...

The economic burden of non-influenza-related viral respiratory tract infection in the United States. (Health Care Costs).
April 15, 2003... "Viral respiratory tract infection (VRTI) is the most common illness in humans. Non-influenza-related VRTI has typically been perceived as a self-limiting condition with little or no economic impact on society and the health care system....

Economic costs of diabetes in the U.S. in 2002. (Health Care Costs).(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... "Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death by disease in the U.S. Diabetes also contributes to higher rates of morbidity--people with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, extremity amputations and other...

The 2002 employee benefits study. (Workplace Health & Benefits).
April 15, 2003... "Employees at participating companies received an average of $18,254 worth of employee benefits in addition to wages in 2001. The cost of benefits averaged 39% of payroll. However, benefits varied significantly between companies. For example,...

The next big thing: public views and values on consumer-directed health plans. (Workplace Health & Benefits).
April 15, 2003... "Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs), which include `flex plans' and `medical savings accounts,' shift a greater share of accountability to consumers for managing their health care costs. Currently, approximately 1.5 million Americans are...

Workplace solutions: treating alcohol problems through employment-based health insurance. (Workplace Health & Benefits).
April 15, 2003... "Fourteen million adult Americans are dependent on alcohol, yet only two to three million receive treatment each year. Untreated alcohol problems lead to death, disability and $184.6 billion each year in avoidable health care, business and...

Benefits denied because of illegal actions. (Legal Pulse).(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... Most health plans include limitations and exclusions that could interfere with an employee's ability to collect medical benefits. However, plans must be careful to make certain that any denial of benefits is clearly justified by plan...

FDA takes first steps to improve regulation of pharmaceutical manufacturing. (Legal Pulse).(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has accomplished the initial objectives set in its ongoing initiative to modernize regulation of pharmaceutical manufacturing and product quality. "Pharmaceutical Current Good...

Overtime discrepancies yield $2.85 million for temp workers. (Legal Pulse).(the U.S. Department of Labor alleges that Star Med violated the Fair Labor Standards Act)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Star Med, a wholly owned division of St. Louis-based RehabCare Group, Inc., violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) when paying current and former nurses, nurses aides and other health...

GASB publishes exposure drafts. (Legal Pulse).(Governmental Accounting Standards Board)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has issued Accounting and Financial Reporting by Employers for Postemployment Benefits Other Than Pensions and Financial Reporting for Postemployment Benefit Plans Other Than Pension Plans....

Physicians and care management: more acceptance than you think. (Health Care Industry).
April 15, 2003... "More than half of all physicians affected by each care management tool reported a positive overall effect of the tool on the quality and efficiency of their practice of medicine. Two-thirds of those affected rated practice guidelines as...

A system to save on drugs falters. (Health Care Industry).(a discussion of a plan by pharmacy benefit managers to reduce pharmaceutical costs)
April 15, 2003... "By pressuring doctors to prescribe only drugs on which they had gotten the best deals, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) cut pharmaceutical costs up to 30% for some health plans. In short order, PBMs managed the prescription drug choices of...

Enrollee appeal of preservice coverage denials at two health maintenance organizations. (Health Care Industry).
April 15, 2003... "Procedural protections have emerged as the keystone of reforms aimed at safeguarding the interests of patients in managed care. External review mechanisms now exist in more than 40 states, and the U.S. Supreme Court recently endorsed their...

Affordable health insurance for all is possible by means of a pragmatic approach. (Health Care Policy).
April 15, 2003... "There is no question about whether the United States can or cannot make affordable health insurance available to all its residents. It can. The nation has vast financial and intellectual resources available to solve the problem. A...

Physician, public and policymaker perspectives on chronic conditions. (Health Care Policy).(a survey of health care industry insiders on the status of chronic illness care in the U.S.)
April 15, 2003... "One reason why Americans are living longer is that the medical care system has become more proficient at treating infectious diseases and acute episodes. Unfortunately, as they grow older, [Americans] are more likely to develop chronic...

MB stat.(health care spending data)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
April 15, 2003... MB STAT Where the Nation's Health Dollar Came From, 2001 Other private 5% Other public 13% Out of pocket 14% Medicaid and SCHIP 16% Medicare 17% Private...