| VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2009 | http://www.rmpllc.biz |
At this time of year, we hear stories from business owners and managers facing the annual renewal of their health insurance policies. It's "awful," they claim, or I have "no control" over the process. What's it been like in your organization? The problem is often, "You don't know what you don't know." So in this month's feature, we give you some tips and suggestions for a successful renewal.Also, health reform is hot and on the fast track in Washington, and we continue to share with you our insights on this debate. We are not on the Democratic side of the debate, nor on the Republican side, but rather on the side of those elected representatives who truly seek to improve our healthcare system and maintain a degree of fiscal responsibility. Let us know your thoughts on this critical subject and how we can help.
| David Edman Managing Partner Risk Management Partners, LLC |
7 Steps to an Effective Health Insurance Renewal
Do you have a budget for your company's healthcare costs for the next year? What about the next 3 years? We would argue that your company's planning and decision-making as it relates to healthcare costs should go beyond a 1-year time frame, and we provide you with 7 clear steps for how to accomplish this, beginning with your next renewal. Read more.Case Study: Zieger & Sons — Bending the Cost Curve
Read about how RMP client Zieger & Sons successfully implemented a strategy for gaining control over its healthcare costs. After many years of double-digit inflation, learn how this company managed to reduce costs by approximately 13% at its 2008 renewal, and another 2% at its 2009 renewal. This company is a great example of how RMP is positively impacting health policy from the top down by fixing healthcare from the bottom up and one company at a time. Read more.Policy Update: Health Reform Progress Report
Commentary by David Edman
I just finished reading a summary of the Senate Finance Committee Health Reform Proposal, as amended by the committee during mark-up in early October. I'm not sure what to say because we desperately need improvements to our healthcare system, and this bill is a step in the right direction from prior proposals coming from the House of Representatives. Yet, the bill remains exceedingly complex, bureaucratic, and expensive. The focus is on insuring more people in the currently broken system, rather than fixing the system by promoting high-deductible plans, personal responsibility, and greater competition. We urge you to judge for yourself and engage with your elected representatives. Read more on healthcare reform.| • | Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals (Kaiser Family Foundation) | |
| • | A Proven Money-Saver Gets Short Shrift (The Philadelphia Inquirer) | |
| • | GOP Can Lead on Health Care (The Philadelphia Inquirer) | |
| • | Medicare Makes People Happy, But Can It Last? (Kaiser Health News) | |
Readers might also be interested in: Each month we provide a list of recently published articles you probably won't want to miss! |
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| Healthcare Strategies for Employers |
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Health Plans Can Save Costs by Using Generic Drugs, Mail-Order Systems (Kansas City Star) |
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Medicare Data Could Cut Health Care Costs (NPR) |
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| Key Healthcare Products and Updates |
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Charting a New Course – Electronic Medical Records Are Here, and They Come Not Without Challenges, Controversy or Expense (CBS News Sunday Morning) |
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Patient-Centered Medical Home from Vision to Reality (Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative) |
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| Wellness and Prevention Techniques |
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U.S. Losing Ground on Preventable Deaths (The Washington Post) |
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 Join Us at the Next NFIB Networking Lunch |
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How can you reduce your company's health insurance costs without cutting employee benefits? How will the new state budget impact your 2010 taxes? Get the answers to these questions and more at one of three National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) networking lunches where David Edman is speaking. The first is on Oct. 22 in New Castle, PA, followed by Nov. 11 in Harrisburg and Nov. 12 in Philadelphia. Registration is free. For more information, or to register by phone or email, contact Gwenn Dando at (717) 232-8582 or gwenn.dando@nfib.org. |
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| Healthy Eating at Work. Remember the old lunch hour when a group of colleagues would head to the local pub for an hour off? Those times have changed due to the shrinkage of the dollar and the definition of the "lunch hour." The upside of these changes is the opportunity to make healthier choices. You can now go to work with fresh fruit, nuts, and cut-up vegetables and not be judged. Most offices have refrigerators where you can store yogurt, salads, and other nutritious options. Learn about healthy snacking, and turn those former pub colleagues into lunchtime walking mates. Read more. | ||
About RMP
RMP draws on more than three decades of experience inside the healthcare industry, using a risk management approach, to create smarter purchasers and consumers of healthcare — exposing wasted spending and helping clients get consistent maximum value for their healthcare dollar.
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David Edman, Managing Partner
Risk Management Partners, LLC
175 Strafford Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087
610-975-4415
http://www.rmpllc.biz
© 2009 Risk Management Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter produced by FulcrumTech, LLC.