Managed Healthcare Executive back issues from March 2007:
Impact and Outcomes: The Public Health Burden of Insomnia and the Economic Impact of Recent Pharmacotherapies
Mar 01, 2007; ... Abstract The clinical and economic burden of insomnia is enormous. Insomnia, with its associated symptoms of sleep disruption, affects about 99 million people in the United States, making it more prevalent than arthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This burden is especially ...
Tricky poverty measures influence coverage levels
Mar 01, 2007; ... Educated math whiz from a poor family designed the formula more than 40 years ago Millions of people's lives have been influenced by the work of Mollie Orshansky, even though very few people know who she is. Dozens of health-related programs throughout history have benefitted from ...
CORRECTION
Mar 01, 2007; ... The February Special Report, "Retail Ready," incorrectly identified Health Stop and the American Academy ...
Bush plan seeks huge Medicare savings
Mar 01, 2007; ... Bush budget takes a big whack at Medicare, Medicaid, children's health WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Bush administration spending plan for 2008 proposes major funding curbs for Medicare, Medicaid, children's health and other government health programs. The proposal aims to counter the ...
Mental health parity bill provides flexibility for insurers
Mar 01, 2007; ... WASHINGTON, D.C.-Legislation encouraging more equitable coverage of mental illness is moving forward in Congress following important modification of previous requirements. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently approved a bill that requires health plans to ...
Unusual organization partnerships aim to reform healthcare
Mar 01, 2007; ... NATIONAL REPORTS-Wal-Mart and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have formed what industry watchers have called an "unusual" partnership to push for quality, affordable healthcare. "These organizations have been at each others' throats for several years, with the SEIU ...
Automakers look at trust funds to manage retiree health benefits
Mar 01, 2007; ... NATIONAL REPORTS-Detroit's Big Three automakers are considering shifting future retiree healthcare costs to union-controlled trust funds and are eyeing a new contract between Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and the United Steelworkers (USW) union. Goodyear and USW have agreed to establish ...
Medicare Advantage plans under attack
Mar 01, 2007; ... Critics want to reduce excess payments and curb the growth of private FFS plans Rising pressure to reduce federal spending for Medicare has put the spotlight on payments and policies governing the Medicare Advantage program. MA plans are "vastly overpaid," according to Rep. Pete Stark ...
Corporate practice of medicine seen as ancient approach
Mar 01, 2007; ... This doctrine is alive and well in Illinois, and it remains a barrier to modernization The Illinois Supreme Court recently confirmed that the corporate practice of medicine doctrine is still alive and well in the state of Illinois. In Vine Street Clinic, et al. v. HealthLink Inc., the ...
California Canvas
Mar 01, 2007; ... The California Association of Health Plans' Chris Ohman sees shared responsibility as a critical part of the state's future When you're the most populous state in the union, any extraordinary policies you sketch out could likely become a national catalyst for change. California has begun ...
Integrated intervention
Mar 01, 2007; ... UBH CEO Gregory Bayer defines behavioral health in today's context Gregory Bayer, PhD CEO United Behavioral Health TRADITIONALLY, "behavioral health" refers to mental-health and subtance-abuse treatment through psychosocial and/or pharmacy care, says Gregory ...
Market of 1
Mar 01, 2007; ... As more employers drop coverage, the market for affordable individual plans has grown Some health insurers are hoping that new benefit designs targeting individuals will attract some of the uninsured and the self-employed, who either don't realize that they can get insurance or don't ...
Hospitals look to improve infection-prevention measures
Mar 01, 2007; ... Simple steps such as hand hygiene can greatly reduce the number of dangerous and costly infections in patients THE PRIMARY COST to patients with hospital-acquired infections is a prolonged stay and additional therapeutic interventions. But because of the high financial costs, there is ...
Case management for seniors requires heightened coordination
Mar 01, 2007; ... Older adults vulnerable to multiple chronic conditions thrive in broader DM programs THE CENTERS FOR Medicare and Medicaid CMS) says that 23% of Medicare beneficiaries lave five or more chronic conditions but account for 68% of costs-not quite the 80/20 rule. And they tend to see many ...
Plans choose coverage for HPV vaccine, ponder routine mandate
Mar 01, 2007; ... Insurers recognize value of vaccination, study clinical evidence, recommendations and consider reimbursement rates AS HEALTH PLANS elect to cover a new FDA-approved vaccine that protects girls and women against strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), parents might wonder if it will be ...
Effective prophylactic drugs reduce surgery infections
Mar 01, 2007; ... Best practices guide antibiotic use before surgery and other steps to improve outcomes SURGICAL SITE infections are a significant problem in hospitals today. They occur in 2% to 5% of patients who have clean operations outside the abdomen, and in up to 20% of patients with ...
Consumerism fuels the fire for real-time claims adjudication
Mar 01, 2007; ... Health plan demonstration models aim to make it easier for providers to obtain real-time information and simplify the collection process WITH THE INCREASING trend toward consumer-directed healthcare, providers can add another specialty to their list: bill collector. "For ...
Integrated, flexible incentive programs encourage change
Mar 01, 2007; ... Incentive business intelligence uncovers what works to promote healthy behavior change in consumers Consumerism in health benefits has moved beyond buzzword status to a mainstream strategy. Increasingly, health plans and employers view consumerism with a global approach to benefits-a ...
Coverage for specific drug classes
Mar 01, 2007; ... OVER THE NEXT few years, more health plans and employers will investigate covering the physician-administered injectable drugs under the pharmacy benefit as a way to control the costs and manage appropriate utilization, says Kathryn Lindhorst Canaday, PharmD, director of pharmacy analysis, ...