MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'healthcare benefits'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 03:32:16 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921423&cid=t_230895_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhigh-deductible-health-insurance-plans-incentivize-patients-to-skip-screening-tests%2F2011.06.10 Almost half of health plans in the US have deductibles of at least $1,000 according to a new study.  It’s called “cost shifting” and it’s a big part of the future of American health care. There are two major reasons why employers are doing this. First, higher deductible plans are cheaper, since there is less risk to insure.  Think of your car insurance – why would you make a claim for a ding on your door when it’s cheaper for you to just pay to have it fixed (or fix it yourself)?  The higher the deductible, the lower the premium, even if it means more out-of-pocket cost for you for the small stuff. Along these same lines is the second reason.  If employees spend more of their own money on health care, maybe they’ll be smarter about how they spend it. It sounds good – bu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921423 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:00:50 +0100 4921423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253135&cid=t_230895_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Femployee-health-the-first-benefits-package-blog-carnival%2F2010.12.13 Welcome to The Benefits Package — the very first employee benefits blog carnival. After healthcare reform, employee benefits move to center stage as one of the most important issues facing Americans. So what are employers, insurers, and the government really doing to rein in healthcare costs, get their employees to live healthier lives, and improve healthcare quality? The Benefits Package is the first-ever blog carnival dedicated to these issues. With benefits executives starting to make the leap into the blogosphere, The Benefits Package will highlight the best insights and opinions on this important subject. You will discover new blogs, learn new things, and hopefully think about issues a little differently. I’ll host the first couple of Benefits Packages, and then others will ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253135 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:00:58 +0100 4253135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183297&cid=t_230895_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Femployers-up-the-ante-for-workers-health%2F2010.11.19 More than half of employers are likely to keep offering insurance rather than use state health insurance exchanges when they become available under health care reform in 2014, reported a survey by an insurance broker. Willis Human Capital Practice released results of its Health Care Reform Survey 2010, which showed 55 percent of employers would keep their health plans in 2014 even if the new state exchanges offer competitive prices. The survey sampled 1,400 employers of varying sizes, industry sectors and geographies whose plans cover more than 9 million employees and dependents (including retirees). Key findings from the survey include: • 88 percent believe that group health plan costs will increase as a result of health care reform; • 76 percent expect administrative compliance co... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183297 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0100 4183297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036648&cid=t_230895_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Freal-reform-in-healthcare%2F2010.10.06 “We want our employees to spend their time on real issues,” said Charlie Salter, VP of Benefits at ConAgra. He means it. Charlie and ConAgra have built their healthcare benefits around some simple concepts that are yielding impressive results. How impressive? Close to flat healthcare cost trend since 2007. Charlie’s work is part of a growing trend among America’s most innovative companies: Designing healthcare benefits in ways that have a real impact on quality and cost. It’s why I [recently] asked Charlie to share the podium with me in Boca Raton. ConAgra is showing it’s possible to control healthcare costs by helping people do the right thing. The vision behind ConAgra’s programs is simple: Employees have to be responsible for managing their own care. But, says Charlie,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036648 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:00:37 +0100 4036648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726599&cid=t_230895_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-road-rage%2F2010.07.05 Road and construction projects have stopped all over town, thanks to concerns about future healthcare benefits. From ChicagoBreakingNews.com: Construction companies and labor unions are divided over healthcare packages. The unions seek a 15 percent annual benefits increase over three years, while contractors have countered with a 1 percent annual increase. -WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. *This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726599 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3726599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272386&cid=t_230895_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fu7WoG_2DwyA%2F A recent report on MSN said President Obama “could support taxing some employee health benefits” in an effort to ” help pay for overhauling the health care system.“ I have a huge problem with this! As someone who has several chronic health conditions, I look for work that includes health coverage. Often I have skipped over more lucrative jobs because they didn’t offer health benefits. Since we already pay an income tax, it is beyond wrong to charge us for having health insurance. I don’t agree with this strategy, because it seems the average worker already foots the bill for a lot of things. Is there a better way to do this? What’s your opinion? Image from StockXchange. (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272386 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:00:27 +0100 2272386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260664&cid=t_230895_140_f&fid=35457&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fbattlingforhealthcom%2F%7E3%2Fpb-I6Y42vQE%2F The state of the health care system of the US has always been a subject of great controversy. The recent approval of the Children´s Health Insurance Bill by President Obama which gives health care access to all American children as well as children of legal immigrants was met with mixed reactions. Its proponents were pleased and hope that this is the first step in their goal of having health coverage for everyone. Those against the bill, on the other hand, the bill too closely resembles “socialized medicine” or “government-run health care for every one” that can easily be abused and can cost taxpayers a lot of money. A recent report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) states that “having health insurance is essential for people’s health and well-being&#8... Battling-Schizophrenia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260664 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:31:27 +0100 2260664