The House of Representatives Has Spoken; Can We Do Better in the Senate?

If we are to effectively reform healthcare in the United States and keep the system private, there is one critical concept that needs to be accepted and respected—that is, we must properly apply the general principles of insurance to healthcare. Insurance is meant to provide individuals with financial protection against large, unexpected losses. When used in that way, insurance works, such as in the markets for automobile and fire insurance. When insurance is used to pay for smaller, routine, day-to-day expenses, insurance doesn’t work—it is an inefficient and wasteful financing mechanism. If we want to fix healthcare in this country, preserve choice, and keep the system private, there is a way and it doesn’t have to bust the federal budget.

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At this time of year, many businesses face the annual renewal of their health benefits. Is your company prepared? We hear from many business owners and executives that this annual process is generally ineffective and unsatisfactory. Why do they feel this way?

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Four generations of Ziegers have owned and managed a wholesale florist business started in 1910 by Ernst Zieger, when he purchased a greenhouse business in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Next year marks Zieger & Sons’ 100th anniversary of providing the retail florist community with the highest quality products and dependable services. Like most small businesses, the company has struggled in recent years with the cost of healthcare.

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A wise man says, “In God we trust; everyone else bring data.” The Health Savings Account (HSA) model for health benefits has been available to employers and their employees since January 2004. Health Savings Accounts, when combined with the purchase of a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), offer consumers an alternative to the traditional insurance options such as preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). With over 5 years of experience and millions of Americans using HSAs, what does the data tell us?

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Supermarket chain Safeway is held up by President Obama and others as the model for controlling healthcare costs by focusing attention on wellness programs and preventive care. How does Safeway do it? Safeway takes a comprehensive approach, involving corporate commitment, changes in plan design, and financial incentives that reward healthy behavior. Let’s take a look at each of these critical success factors to Safeway’s approach.

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In this August newsletter, we introduce our readers to the term “Carrier Agnostic.” I first heard this term from a representative of the HSA Bank in Wisconsin – the bank where I opened my Health Savings Account 4 years ago – which was one of the first banks to offer HSAs to the public. The goals of a Carrier Agnostic organization are to establish independence from any one insurance carrier, promote competition to keep health insurance rates as low as possible, and gain control over future healthcare costs. In effect, we show you how HSAs put the negotiating power in your hands.

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Sure, the American healthcare system needs to be fixed, but there’s a risk that curing the system will harm the patient. Will reform bankrupt our country or saddle future generations with enormous debt? Will we curtail or end access to services and healthcare providers of our choosing?

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Washington lawmakers are hard at work on a variety of healthcare reform options. And, we’ve seen our share of commentary both for and against the reforms. That’s why we’ve compiled a group of links covering different sides of the issue — from the impact of reform on small businesses and the uninsured, to how to understand and gauge the potential reform program costs.

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David Edman, Managing Partner of Risk Management Partners, has over 30 years of experience designing healthcare benefits for companies. Here he details the benefits of self-insurance by answering commonly asked questions.

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We’re lucky to live in America, with access to the best healthcare services in the world if and when we need them. Yet, as last month’s newsletter reported, we’re not getting good value for our healthcare dollars. Why? Overuse, underuse, and misuse of healthcare services has escalated spending to unacceptably high levels. Wasteful spending, in fact, is estimated at 30%.

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On May 4, 2009, 85 business owners gathered for this panel discussion on healthcare challenges to small business. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) sponsored the forum during Pennsylvania Small Business Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg. Here are the key points.

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First, Can We Really Measure Healthcare ‘Value’? YES! ‘Value’ is sometimes in the eye of the beholder, but it is always some combination of the cost and quality the healthcare services that you are purchasing on behalf of your employees. At RMP, our mission is to help employers to maximize the value of their healthcare [...]

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The Horsham Veterinary Hospital (HVH) is a full-service animal healthcare facility located in suburban Philadelphia. In 2006, after 20 years of providing outstanding care to a growing group of loyal pet owners, HVH moved into a brand-new 12,800-square-foot facility with over 50 employees, including doctors, technicians, groomers, and other animal-care specialists.

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