As a health insurance advisor, acting as an intermediary between employers and health insurers, one of our primary roles is to constantly assess the viability and product portfolio of the various local and national insurers to pair with our clients. And it’s a very tricky job because each carrier has a unique value proposition and… [Read More]
Primary Care is Changing – but Is It for the Better?
A new study by WD Partners has confirmed what we all know about primary care access – it’s changing. Virtual care and urgent care are gaining in popularity as convenience becomes the primary driver of consumer preferences. No longer content to wait days or weeks for a doctors appointment, many patients are willing to receive care… [Read More]
Does Cuba Have the Answer to Remaking U.S. Healthcare?
As the transformation of healthcare in the United States continues, it was interesting to read a New York Times article about Cuban healthcare. While food and other basic living conditions are a concern in Cuba, healthcare is not. The government completely funds universal care and the results, as measured by infant mortality, are quite good – 4.0… [Read More]
Look for Big Changes to Pharmacy Cost in 2019
The Wall Street Journal reported that this week, more than three dozen drug companies have raised prices on generic and brand name drugs an average 6.3% – significantly higher than overall inflation. On the dawn of the day Nancy Pelosi reestablished leadership of the Democratic-controlled House, I was reminded that one of her first post-election… [Read More]
UnitedHealthcare on the Forefront of Changing the Paradigm
“Do you have the guts to break through where others don’t or won’t?” These are the words of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on their mission to improve healthcare delivery in the United States. As this blog continuously chronicles, the system is fraught with deficiencies and opportunities for substantive improvement. Medical care has become too expensive. Delivery is… [Read More]
Walmart-Humana and the Future of Healthcare
Change and consolidation continue to sweep the insurance industry. Healthcare represents almost 20% of the U.S. economy. Costs are increasing and almost no one is happy. These are ingredients for change. The retail sales portion of the economy is also under extreme pressure – with thousands of stores closing and wildly-moving stock prices, this market is as ready for drastic… [Read More]
A Conversation with Dave Cordani, President and CEO of Cigna, About Express Scripts
I had the opportunity to talk to Dave Cordani, President and CEO of Cigna regarding their planned purchase of Express Scripts. The health insurance carriers get it – they very much need to bring solutions to the market or solutions, which may not be optimal to the carriers, will be imposed upon them. Cigna’s intent is to create… [Read More]
Aetna – Reshaping Healthcare
I just attended the Aetna National Broker Advisory Council Meeting. This is a very inspiring meeting to me, one in which I learn of the ways Aetna is helping to tackle the biggest issue in healthcare today: COST! While the CVS-Aetna merger is awaiting approval, it’s nice to hear that Aetna is moving forward with their… [Read More]
Take Politics Out of Healthcare
Three additional states have joined California in an investigation of the third largest insurer in the United States – Aetna – alleging their medical director denied a $20,000-per-dose infusion, admitting in a deposition that he never looked at [the] patient’s medical records. The media and public have cried out that the insurer has put profits over patient… [Read More]
Can You Believe What Happened to Me at the Pharmacy?
This is going to be a rant blog. I happen to know that a lot of people from Aetna (which is my insurer) read this. But, it really doesn’t matter whether it’s Aetna or another medical insurer – they all have the same issues. Thankfully I am reasonably healthy. As with most people, my most frequent encounter with the… [Read More]
