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Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for Providers & Patients: Part of the Solution to Runaway Health Costs?

Written on 17 Oct, 2011 at 15:51

As in all other businesses, IT is bringing great changes to the area of medical record keeping.... (Continue reading)

Major Health Insurance Cost Development: Insurers Willing to Cease Health-Based Price Discrimination

Written on 28 Mar, 2009 at 21:44

A concession by a major health insurance trade group seems to be good news on the road to implementing badly-needed healthcare reforms and controlling health insurance costs. And that’s good news for employers — and everyone else. Health Insurance Cost... (Continue reading)

Charming the Stimulus Act COBRA:
New COBRA Rights and Employer Obligations

Written on 26 Feb, 2009 at 16:47

A federal subsidy of continued health coverage under COBRA is one of the main “ease-the-pain” provisions of the Stimulus Act enacted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009). This provision is intended to keep... (Continue reading)

Not Just a Bailout for the Rich; Mental Health Parity Law Comes Along for the Ride

Written on 6 Oct, 2008 at 22:17

Mental Health Parity Act: One of the “Sweeteners” Added to the Wall Street Bailout Bill Thanks to the mess on Wall Street, over a third of Americans will have better health insurance coverage for mental illness and addiction treatments beginning... (Continue reading)

Benefits Crippling Large and Small Businesses Alike

Written on 10 Jul, 2008 at 11:28

Two New York Times items today create a useful, if discouraging, overview of the way the American reliance on employers to provide health and pension benefits hurts our economy (and health). One explores how collectively-bargained benefit commitments hampered GM... (Continue reading)

Hospital Comparison Tool May Lead to More Affordable Healthcare

Written on 2 Jul, 2007 at 23:26

In my humble opinion, the health insurance crisis in the U.S. has many causes, and the “solution” is a puzzle with many pieces. I am extremely leery of solutions that merely shift costs (such as to a single government payer),... (Continue reading)

Health Care Cost Crisis Inspires Sucessful New Strategies

Written on 14 Sep, 2006 at 8:45

Some things to consider in looking for savings. The rising cost of healthcare and unaffordability of health insurance is, of course, a national problem. But with our employer-provided insurance model, it is above all a crisis for employers seeking to... (Continue reading)

Wal-Mart in the News — A Lot! (Part II)

Written on 6 Mar, 2006 at 22:32

Last week, at a St. Louis bloggers’ lunch, Dennis Kennedy and I were joking about all our uncompleted posts, and all my Part I’s that never got Part II’s. Back in November 2005, when I wrote Wal-Mart in the News... (Continue reading)

Harvard Rx for Health Insurance Costs — at a Price

Written on 29 Nov, 2005 at 12:23

I’m not gaining anything by pitching this book — and at a hefty $495 it’s clearly “value-priced” based on the notion that it promises business hundreds of times that sum in the cost of providing health insurance to employees. But... (Continue reading)

Wal-Mart in the News — a Lot!

Written on 4 Nov, 2005 at 13:24

Recently there has been a fascinating string of Wal-Mart news, much of it employment-related. I’m not just gratuitously piling on the beat-up-Wal-Mart heap here. Wal-Mart is important — and bears watching — for a number of reasons. First, Wal-Mart Stores,... (Continue reading)

HR/Employment Blogosphere Update for October 1-26, 2005

Written on 26 Oct, 2005 at 16:44

I’ve been so busy switching to the new format and keeping up with the “Our Recent Reading” page that I’ve neglected to do this update for over a month. (New readers: I had been doing it weekly, publishing on Monday,... (Continue reading)

Wanted: Access to Comparative Healthcare Quality and Cost Info.

Written on 16 Sep, 2005 at 22:20

Success of consumer-driven health plans, such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) depends on consumers’ willingness and ability, when their own money is on the line, to “research more about the cost, quality and the underlying necessity of the health care... (Continue reading)