http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/blogBlog Updatesen-us Register for the CDC's National Healthy Worksite Program  Implementation Training Webinar on June 18, 2012, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm CT. This webinar entitled "Making the Case for Worksite Health, Leadership and Culture"  features speaker...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=119162Thu, 17 May 2012 17:38:00 Z From the National Business Coalition on Health: The American Benefits Council, an important strategic partner of NBCH, has announced its new, more user-friendly website. The Health Care Reform issue page is now divided into its component...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118791Fri, 04 May 2012 12:01:00 Z UPDATE: FIRST TRAINING ANNOUNCED Register NOW to attend the June 6 "Healthy Worksite 101" training provided by the National Healthy Worksite Program here in Memphis. The topic is "Making the Business Case for Worksite Wellness" . Space is...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118364Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:28:00 Z Kelly Kennedy's April 6, 2012 article in USA Today sheds light on the significant variance in the costs of preventive services, now required to be covered by insurance at 100%, not subject to co-pays or deductibles. "Over the past year, health...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118294Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:16:00 Z "(RNN) - Calls to a national stop-smoking line doubled and traffic to the government's anti-smoking website tripled after a hard-hitting TV advertising campaign seems to have convinced many Americans to quit the deadly habit. The Tips from...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118187Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:54:00 Z This video explains it all...why MBGH is working with our regional hospitals to improve the safety, quality and efficiency of their care. For one little soul at a time. Plan to attend MBGH's April 24, 2012 celebration of 10 years as a Leapfrog...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118185Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:44:00 Z Nine physician organizations have each identified five tests or procedures that may be overused or unnecessary as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign led by the ABIM Foundation, with Consumer Reports, in an effort to improve health care quality...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118178Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:46:00 Z Click here for copy. http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118173Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:41:00 Z The recently released 2012 County Health Rankings have some good news for Shelby County as well as continuing to point out where we need to focus efforts to improve the overall “health” of our community. The good news is that Shelby County...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=118161Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:43:00 Z Yet another great video from BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, this one explains "bundled payments" or "flat fees" in a way that anyone can understand.   http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=117936Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:53:00 Z Great little video from BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina about how they are beginning to shine the light on the quality and cost of care for their members. We need to do this in Memphis! MBGH is helping employers move in this direction. ...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=117935Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:48:00 Z MBGH attended the recent Memphis meeting presenting the results of the Annual Mercer National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2011. Although I had read the results when they were released in November 2011, at this meeting, I...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=117645Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:51:00 Z One of the highlights of MBGH's "Believe in a Healthy Memphis: the 2011 Let's CHANGE Summit" held last July in collaboration with the Healthy Memphis Common Table, the Shelby County Health Department, and Shelby County Mayor Luttrell's office, was...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=117649Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:48:00 Z Towers Watson/National Business Group on Health study finds health benefits changes are on the horizon. Although the rate of health care cost increases is expected to remain stable in 2012, employers are taking more aggressive steps to manage...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=117586Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:19:00 Z In a new report on how the health reform law has impacted people, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says that the health reform law has eliminated lifetime limits on coverage for more than 105 million Americans, including...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=117585Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:58:00 Z From Aon Hewitt: Employers Interested in Exploring a Corporate Health Exchange Model, Says Aon Hewitt  --  March 23 marks two years since Health Care Reform legislation passed. During this time, many employers have re-examined the way...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=117584Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:45:00 Z U.S. health care spending experienced historically low rates of growth in 2009 and 2010 according to the annual report of national health expenditures (NHE) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the January...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=116797Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:56:00 Z In the field of medicine, the customer is not always right, but that doesn't necessarily stop physicians from ordering tests and procedures that may not be strictly medically indicated when their patients request such tests or procedures. ...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=116796Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:42:00 Z According to a recent article by Lisa Gillespie in Employee Benefit News... A new ADP survey shows a wide gap between the goals and reality of how employees understand their benefit plans. Eighty percent of human resources...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=116795Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:24:00 Z Memphis Business Group on Health (MBGH) and the employer-driven hospital quality watchdog, The Leapfrog Group , announce that the 2011 results from the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey indicate that hospitals in the greater-Memphis area, which...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=116765Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:16:00 Z From the National Business Coalition on Health : The Catalyst for Payment Reform released a tool ( see model health plan contract language ) to unite employers and other health care purchasers around the shared goal to make 20% of health...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=116656Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:15:00 Z On Friday, January 13, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that Shelby County was one of 7 sites nationally selected for their National Healthy Worksite Initiative. Viridian Health Management, based in Phoenix, AZ,...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=116601Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:27:00 Z Proposed recommendations for the Tennessee Health Insurance Exchange encourage health plans and employers to establish expectations about personal responsibility and engagement through benefit designs in the Exchange.   The wellness...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115957Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:19:00 Z Labor and delivery account for nearly 25% of all hospitalizations for many employers, and costs associated with pregnancy and its complications are a driving factor in the rising costs of health care. The growing use of medically unnecessary...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115955Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:43:00 Z In 2012, MBGH is offering a series of Benefits Basics webinars, designed to "fill the gap" for educational programming geared toward new hires, where other programs are not readily available from reliable training sources (such as ISCEBS or...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115936Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:48:00 Z Get the answer by reading the full document (or the Executive Summary ), “Best Alternatives to a Federal Insurance Exchange in Tennessee”, just issued by the State of Tennessee Insurance Exchange Planning Initiative (the Initiative). ...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115426Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:19:00 Z In July of this year, MBGH sponsored the “Believe in a Healthy Memphis: 2011 Let’s CHANGE Summit” in collaboration with the Shelby County Health Department and Healthy Memphis Common Table. Ham Smythe, President of Yellow Cab and Checker Cab,...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115424Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:07:00 Z It seems a week does not go by without at least one physician practice forming a partnership or being acquired by a Memphis area health system. The most recent announcement, just today, was Methodist's acquisition of Eastmoreland Internal...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115427Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:54:00 Z Well, not quite a blog in the truest sense, but a Facebook version of a blog. Here is a recent conversation on Facebook about public reporting of hospital infection rates! Bottom line, whose burden is it? The hospital's burden of data collection,...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115380Thu, 27 Oct 2011 02:01:00 Z The IOM recommended that HHS develop an EHB package by May 2012. The high-level recommendations are as follows: 1. The EHB package should be adjusted so that the expected national average premium for a “silver” (second-lowest-price) plan...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115266Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:20:00 Z Memphis Business Group on Health is proud to be the Leapfrog Regional Roll-Out for Memphis and West Tennessee and to serve as Vice Chair of the Leapfrog Board of Directors. We are excited to see that public reporting of hospital acquired infections...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=115261Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:08:00 Z If I were King, and could wave my magic wand, my three wishes would be (ooops, I think I am mixing metaphors, oh well): Engage my employees as partners with me in the quality and cost of their health benefits. I would Implement a benefit design...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=114867Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:58:00 Z The National Business Coalition on Health's (NBCH) Action Brief on Hospital Patient Safety, lays out the issues, details how health plans across the country are or are not working to improve safety, and details actions employers can take to have an...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=114860Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:58:00 Z Maybe it's time for the private sector to look at how state governments are ratcheting up the requirements for employees to get health benefits and follow suit. Whether it is called the Health Enhancement Plan, like it is in Connecticut, or the...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=114845Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:44:00 Z Great article from Milliman explaining why something has to be done to address adverse selection in health reform. If it is not the individual mandate, what will it be? As Tom Snook, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman Inc., says, people...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=114846Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:10:00 Z On August 1, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued detailed guidelines ( http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/ ) for group health plans and health insurance issuers...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=114814Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:53:00 Z Currently, the value of health insurance coverage provided by employers is not subject to payroll or income taxes. Recent budget calculations indicate that this is the federal government’s largest tax expenditure, at a cost of more than $1...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=114813Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:46:00 Z As it turns out, wrong site surgeries happen for many reasons and often the cause for the mistake happens before the patient is even scheduled for surgery.  A new initiative of the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare believes...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113842Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:45:00 Z Embracing the belief that providing on-site medical care can keep employees healthy and productive and save money, more and more employers are opening their own state-of-the-art health centers. Mercer reports that, nationally, 15% of employers...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113841Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:20:00 Z Every employer MBGH talks to says they want to increase the “health engagement” of their employees, but the strategies they have used so far just have not been successful. Does this sound like you? If so, plan to attend MBGH’s Annual...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113754Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:54:00 Z Every year 1,300 to 2,700 Americans are harmed by wrong-site errors. Even after all the attention to this issue since 1999, brought to light by To Err is Human , and an understanding that it is possible NOT to have these injuries, highlighted in...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113616Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:25:00 Z Major findings from McKinsey's early 2011 survey of 1,300 employers include: Overall, 30 percent of employers will definitely or probably stop offering employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) in the years after 2014. Among employers...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113392Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:06:00 Z Recent research indicates that "sitting can be lethal". With the increase of "knowledge workers" who are tied to their desks on the phone, webinars, computer and in long conference room meetings, employers should start thinking about how to keep...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113029Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:48:00 Z 51% of those responding to MBGH's informal Facebook poll on what work place policy change they would support to improve health voted for "no tobacco use on property". This is exciting news as decreasing the number of tobacco users is a high priority...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112593Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:40:00 Z On May 24, 2011, the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2011-32, which lists the 2012 indexed amounts, adjusted for inflation, for health savings accounts and high-deductible health plans...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113013Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:49:00 Z In the first of a two-part interview with Dr. Cathy Baase, Global Director of Health Services for Dow Chemical, The Benfield Group's article outlines the key philosophy and approaches Dow has taken over the past 20 years to increase value to Dow by...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=113002Tue, 31 May 2011 14:17:00 Z Who better to help you beat the health reform blues than Suzanne F. Delbanco, PhD., executive director of Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR). Delbanco is joining Peter Hayes , Principal for Healthcare Solutions and formerly with Hannaford...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112806Mon, 16 May 2011 20:14:00 Z Few tasks in benefits management are more time-consuming and expensive than performing due diligence on vendors or potential vendors. Starting now MBGH members can supplement or replace vendor due diligence with information from The Leapfrog Due...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112805Mon, 16 May 2011 20:04:00 Z Our members said they wanted it, and we listened. In the most recent MBGH user survey, worksite health promotion ranked number one as the most important learning topic. That’s why MBGH created a new Tools & Solutions Center dedicated to...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112804Mon, 16 May 2011 19:56:00 Z Memphis Business Group on Health has been appointed to the Measures Applications Partnership (MAP), a consensus-based entity advising the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) on the best measures to use in public reporting,...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112803Mon, 16 May 2011 19:33:00 Z The good news for Memphis is that our total cost of healthcare for a typical family of four covered by a PPO increased only 5.7% from 2010 to 2011 compared to a national increase of 7.3% during that same time period. Memphis costs are now 4.3% above...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112787Thu, 12 May 2011 23:15:00 Z Health Reform Update from the National Business Coalition on Health The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is considering whether to endorse legislation that would remove broker and agent commissions from the medical...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112771Wed, 11 May 2011 20:17:00 Z Health Reform Update from National Business Coalition on Health As NBCH and many organizations are preparing to submit comments to HHS on the ACO federal regulations, the nation’s highest-profile health care centers — the Cleveland Clinic,...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112770Wed, 11 May 2011 20:11:00 Z The Memphis Business Group on Health (MBGH), Memphis’s only non-profit organization focused on employee health and wellness issues from the employers’ perspective, recognized two health insurance companies and five regional hospitals for their...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112688Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:02:00 Z Memphis Business Group on Health is the first employer/employer group in Tennessee to sign the pledge to support the " Partnership for Patients ' Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs was launched today, April 12, 2011, by HHS...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112552Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:36:00 Z Martha McGeachy (shown on her bike), Benefit Services Manager at Rhodes College, gets to the bottom line quickly about why Rhodes has ramped up their health and wellness programs, "We think these programs serve the College and our employees...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112533Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:26:00 Z Peter Hayes will join John Moses, PhD, thought leader for behavior change and measurement with Aon Hewitt, and Suzanne F. Delbanco, PhD., M.P.H., executive director of Catalyst for Payment Reform as national keynote speakers at the MBGH Annual...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112532Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:13:00 Z Why does MBGH member First Horizon invest so heavily in the health of their employees? CEO Bryan Jordan puts it this way, "Our employees are our competitive advantage so we invest in programs designed to encourage them and their family members to...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112531Sat, 09 Apr 2011 21:48:00 Z MBGH Salutes Winners of the Memphis Business Journal’s Mid-South’s Healthiest Employers Awards Adams and Reese (1-99 employees) was recognized for a combination of health initiatives, including discounted gym memberships and a cash incentive...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112530Sat, 09 Apr 2011 21:41:00 Z Getting care that is best for your condition? Getting care when you need it? Getting care from skilled & knowledgeable professionals? Getting care that does not harm you? 44% of those responding to MBGH's...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112414Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:17:00 Z Are Memphis Employers Kinder and Gentler Than Their National Counterparts?   MBGH decided to find out. We separated out the responses of Tennessee employers to a national survey of employers and then compared them to national...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112319Mon, 21 Mar 2011 04:11:00 Z Insurance brokers, concerned that their livelihoods could be significantly impacted with the implementation of health insurance exchanges, are working hard to be sure they continue to play a role and earn agent commissions. Efforts include...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=112306Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:54:00 Z Cristie Upshaw Travis, CEO of Memphis Business Group on Health, will moderate a panel discussion on health issues that affect the workplace after the awards breakfast for the Mid-South's Healthiest Employers on Friday, March 25, 2011. The...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111778Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:02:00 Z Cristie Upshaw Travis, CEO of Memphis Business Group on Health, talked with Richard Banks, blogger for the Memphis Business Quarterly's Business Minded Blog, about a critical component of healthcare reform, state health insurance exchanges, and...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111514Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:57:00 Z Cristie Upshaw Travis, CEO of Memphis Business Group on Health, helps Richard Banks, blogger for the Memphis Business Quarterly's Business Minded Blog, get, what he refers to as, a "semblance of comprehension" about what health reform means...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111495Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:53:00 Z Segal's December 2010 Health Reform Insights focuses on the impact of health reform on dental and vision benefits. Segal finds that self-insured dental and vision plans that are NOT separately elected and paid ARE subject to health reform....http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111427Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:49:00 Z MBGH Reports summarizes the MBGH & Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) project collaboration to improve the health of employees by conducting the SCHD health promotion program at Memphis employer worksites. In addition to a project...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111392Wed, 29 Dec 2010 02:42:00 Z Andy Webber, CEO and President of the National Business Coalition on Health in Washington, DC, addressed a room full of Memphis employers and community leaders at Christian Brothers University on December 14,2010, on "Health Care Reform: The...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111292Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:38:00 Z On November 30, 2010 at a gala celebration in Washington, DC attended by more than 350 of the most influential health, healthcare and policy experts in the country, The Leapfrog Group celebrated 10 years of triggering giant leaps...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111259Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:23:00 Z On December 2, 2010, HHS released "Healthy People 2020", updating goals and objectives for improving the health of our nation over the next decade (replaces Healthy People 2010). Visit the Healthy People 2020 website for details. Overarching...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111233Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:38:00 ZJust when we were all beginning to adjust to the sweeping changes in health insurance plans required by Health Reform legislation passed in March 2010, we are now bombarded by the possibility of more changes included in the Deficit Panel's...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111225Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:41:00 Z According to the State of Tennessee Insurance Exchange Planning Initiative, "Key stakeholders now express (in writing) their preference that Tennessee operate the exchange instead of the federal government.  These groups include all of the...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111183Thu, 25 Nov 2010 03:49:00 Z Read the Employee Benefit News article regarding final GINA requlations issues November 9, 2010. Get  a copy of the Federal Register for GINA regulations. According to Employee Benefit News, "GINA and its new implementing regulations:  •...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111165Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:10:00 Z The National Business Coalition on Health released its national eValue8 2010 report "Engage...Focus...Improve"  on November 16, 2010. The report provides a snap shot of health plan performance on key elements including consumer engagement,...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111131Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:20:00 Z It doesn't take a rocket scientist to draw the conclusion that we still have unsafe, expensive healthcare in the US, and right here in Memphis, when you read the headlines of recent reports: AHRQ: Rate of Adverse Events in Medicare Cases...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=111097Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:18:00 Z MBGH hosted a successful Value-Based Insurance Design webinar on Thursday, November 4,2010 with A. Mark Fendrick, MD, co-Director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design at the University of Michigan. MBGH  has been working with...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110992Thu, 04 Nov 2010 21:45:00 ZMethodist Healthcare is the first Midsouth hospital system to post their complete results from the Leapfrog Group Annual Hospital Survey on their website. MBGH has been working with Methodist since July to add critical outcome, process, and structure...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110913Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:53:00 Z Milliman's 2010 Group Health Insurance Survey  found insurers estimated a 10.2% and 11.7% increase for HMOs and PPOs respectively for 2011. The survey also found that the most frequent contracting and cost control steps insurers are taking in...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110852Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:28:00 Z Should the state of Tennessee establish its own health insurance exchange or tap into the national, federal exchange? That is the question being considered by the State of Tennessee under a $1 million grant from the federal government. I attended...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110814Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:28:00 Z From Business Insurance , S&P Healthcare Indices reports that for the 12-month period ending August 2010, per capita health care costs for commercial plans,including self-insured, increased 8.66% compared to an increase in Medicare per...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110800Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:49:00 Z A 3-year, incentive-based wellness program for the employees of Sentara Healthcare had a 6:1 return on investment, saved approximately $3.4 million in healthcare costs, and resulted in health improvement for nearly 80% of the employees that...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110789Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:07:00 Z Most favored nation pricing means that you (or your health plan) have the best pricing a hospital or physician practice gives any plan.On the surface, this looks good; after all, all other payors will pay more than you. However, all may not be good...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110782Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:39:00 Z According to a report published in the October issue of the Archives of Surgery, introducing the universal protocol endorsed by the Joint Commission in 2004 has NOT reduced the frequency of such medical errors as wrong site surgery or wrong...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110780Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:25:00 ZTell us what your premium (or premium equivalent if you are self-insured) increase is for 2011 .Approximately what is the amount of this increase that is due to changes required by health reform? Did you make some benefit design changes to reduce...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110726Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:07:00 Z Effective January 1, 2011, employees must have a "prescription" to purchase over-the-counter medicines and drugs if they are to be categorized as "medical care" for purposes of the employer health plan and health savings accounts. Click here to...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110643Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:27:00 Z MBGH released its 2010 eValue8 report on Tennessee Health Plan Performance at the MBGH Annual Conference on September 9, 2010. This annual report is prepared in conjunction with HealthCare 21, the business coalition in middle & east Tennessee. ...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110405Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:49:00 Z Mini-med plans provide only the very basic health care coverage in order to keep premiums affordable and are usually offered to seasonal, part-time, temporary, blue-collar, and entry-level employees. Firms that offer mini-med plans include...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110340Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:08:00 Z Survey results released over the past 2 weeks clearly indicate that employers of all sizes will be asking their employees to share in healthcare cost increases expected in 2011.For example: Large Employers: The National Business Group on...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110194Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:46:00 Z Check out how wireless technology is now being used to help manage patients from home & the other innovations being developed to improve care & increase efficiency. How do you plan to incorporate this type of technology into your employee...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110168Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:24:00 Z Memphis employers, employees & their families will definitely be affected by the latest trend to hit the healthcare delivery system: Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). The concept is not entirely new but is a new version of an old idea:...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110155Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:48:00 Z A Hewitt Associates survey of 466 large employers released on August 10, 2010 indicates most expect to lose their Grandfather plan status in the next two years, and for sure by 2014. Reasons sited for loss include changes they plan to make...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110127Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:47:00 Z Yet another study reveals the direct connection between poor quality of care and increased cost. Milliman's recent study for the Society of Actuaries found that, in 2008, avoidable medical errors added $19.5 billion to the US healthcare bill. This...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110110Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:12:00 Z Compliance with the new medical loss ratios by health plans could cost health insurance companies much more than originally predicted according to a recent study conducted by Weiss Ratings. Margins for health insurance companies already complying...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=110099Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:18:00 Z Click here to read the HHS fact sheet on the new internal/external appeals rules for NEW health plans. Grandfathered plans are not impacted by the new rules. The new rules provide health plan members with the ability to appeal denials to an...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=109976Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:53:00 Z Click here  to read  the article from Employee Benefit News summarizing new non-discrimination rules re: executive medical plans. http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=109897Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:25:00 Z Memphis Business Group on Health (MBGH) applauds Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (Methodist) for making their quality of care report card public on their websites. Specifically, MBGH is pleased with this initiative for the following reasons: ...http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=109807Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:21:00 Z Click here to read Buck Consultants' summary of how recently released DOL FAQ ( click here to read) on mental health parity impacts grandfathered status under health reform. http://www.memphisbusinessgroup.org/default.aspx?p=57772&beid=109891Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:26:00 Z