by Tom Barrett | Apr 1, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Managed Care - Group Health, National News, News and Events, Pharmacy Costs, Pharmacy, PBMs and Pharma Costs, Providers, Uncategorized
There’s a lot in the news these days about what’s referred to as the opioid crisis or epidemic. Just yesterday for instance — highly respected healthcare consultant (and close friend) Joe Paduda, fresh off of speaking at a national drug summit in Atlanta, wrote...
by Tom Barrett | Mar 18, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform
During several recent meetings this question was posed a number of times by curious employees and a few their employers. It seems many folks are still unclear about the exemptions. Many also were unclear on the amount of the penalties. Below is a summary on exemptions...
by Tom Barrett | Mar 9, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Managed Care - Group Health, Providers
Use of retail clinics leads to higher costs. Seems a bit counter-intuitive doesn’t it? You’d think that the use of retail clinics like those found in some CVS and Kroger stores and typically staffed by nurse practitioners would be apt to lower total costs. In fact...
by Mike Barrett | Mar 7, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Managed Care - Group Health, National News, Uncategorized
This is hot off the presses. The most important announcement this past week is that HHS published the increased out-of-pocket regulations for 2017. Originally, the ACA was to cap deductibles at $2,000. That seems like a long time ago and was never really followed. In...
by Tom Barrett | Jan 6, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Providers
We read and hear a lot about the craziness and wild swings in pricing for common medical services. Some seem too incredulous to believe. Healthcare’s version of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. OK. So here’s a true story. Hot off the presses. Happened just this week to...
by Tom Barrett | Jan 5, 2016 | General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Pharmacy Costs, Pharmacy, PBMs and Pharma Costs, Providers
It seems the kickoff of a New Year fosters predictions, Top Ten’s, and various and sundry industry-related crystal ball lists. An article about consumer healthcare trends in this morning’s Fiscal Times (10 Healthcare Trends That Will Affect You in 2016) caught my eye....
