by Tom Barrett | Jan 19, 2018 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Insurance, Medicare Medicaid, National News
Job-based health insurance is the largest single source of health care coverage in the U.S. 1.) Employer-sponsored insurance covers more than 157 million workers and their dependents. 2.) The next largest source of coverage, Medicaid, insures less than half as many,...
by Tom Barrett | Dec 8, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Issues, Insurance, Managed Care - Group Health, National News, News and Events
In a letter to the broker community Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini provided a glimpse of where the combined CVS/Aetna entity hopes to head once everything is completed. If approved, the blockbuster transaction is expected to close late in 2018. Here’s what Bertolini had to...
by Tom Barrett | Nov 21, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Insurance
In case you missed the IRS announcement in May, here’s a snapshot of the key inflation-adjusted limits for next year as we roll toward 2018. Health Savings Accounts (and the IRS compliant health plans that must be paired with HSA’s) are subject to annual dollar...
by Mike Barrett | Nov 6, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Insurance, Pharmacy Costs, Pharmacy, PBMs and Pharma Costs
This is an example of one Ohio company adjusting how they administer coupons people use at the pharmacy. The program helps make sure members’ out-of-pocket cost for prescription drugs are properly applied to deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket amounts. The benefit...
by Mike Barrett | Sep 14, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Medicare Medicaid, Pharmacy Costs, Pharmacy, PBMs and Pharma Costs
We have all heard jokes that begin with “Three guys walk into a bar….” I thought it might make sense to use that model to explain why “referenced-based pricing” and general consumer awareness in healthcare are important to consider. Here...
