Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Premium increases are low in part because benefits have been decreased and employee contributions increased. Chris made this point yesterday in a comment on my post about low trend rates.
Is that really happening?
No, yes and hell yes.
It looks like employers’ health care costs will increase by somewhere in the mid-to-high single digits next year. According to one survey, costs for employer-sponsored health insurance will average over $9300 per worker next year. That’s just 7% more than this year, which is ‘good news’. Another report indicates costs will jump by 8.7% to $8600+ per worker. (the disparity appears to be due to differences among survey methodology and subjects, the Towers study focuses on larger employers while the Hewitt data is from health plans).
If the good news continues, health care costs will be $18,600 per employee in ten years.
Continue reading Why the good news on Employer health care costs?
Pres. Bush’s condemnation of the proposed revamping of S-CHIP is, in various places, flat-out wrong, misleading, irresponsible, and blatant fear-mongering.
What is even more disappointing is his attack on legislation that has broad bipartisan support.
Sigh.
Fiserv’s Third Party Solutions sub is acquiring competitor WorkingRx. As a result, if/when the deal closes, there will be only one third party biller.
Terms were not disclosed.
Implications follow.
There’s a lot of misinformation about how Sen. Clinton is rolling in cash from big pharma, HMOs, and the insurance industry.
Not true.
Fact is, she’s not even on the list of the top 25 recipients of industry PAC money in 2006.
Notably, that list includes 17 Republicans, 7 Democrats, and Lieberman.
Tops? Ex-CT Rep Nancy Johnson (R), one of the prime movers of the Part D program with $790k. And now in retirement.
An example is worth a thousand studies – the free market can work to limit health care costs.
Here’s another one of those posts that is really really interesting to very very few people.
Third party billers are factors – they buy WC script receivables from pharmacy chains and try to collect from WC payers.
The two TPBs have been on (and off) the selling block for some time; it now appears they are working on a merger.
Continue reading Consolidation in the third party biller business
Yet more evidence health care reform is going to happen – the wolf is lying down with the lamb.
Today, we’re leading with a quote from W, from a talk in DC October 28, 2003 …”As you know, these are open forums, you’re able to come and listen to what I have to say…”
That’s not what we do here at HWR
By the time a patient gets an MRI to diagnose cancer in Canada, they’re dead. Canadians have to wait forever to get to see a specialist. And elective surgery? Better get your grandkids’ on the list now for knee replacements…
That’s a common view of the health care system up north.
And it is dead wrong.
