Around $47 billion are spent on emergency department services each year in the US. If some of that funding was shifted to preventing illnesses in the first place through less expensive doctor’s visits, access to paid sick days would save $1.1 billion each year. About $500 million in these preventable costs are covered by taxpayers with allocated funds going to veterans and low income families. “As high and rising health care expenditures continuing to be a top concern for policymakers and businesses alike, paid sick days is a cost saving solution that should receive serious attention,”  said Claudia Williams, Research Analyst with IWPR and an author of the report.

If an employee has paid sick days they are more likely to go to a doctor during regular business hours. They’re also less likely to put off needed care. Some states are considering legislation that would make sure workers have the ability to earn paid sick time. Some industries are less likely to have paid six days. For instance, two-fifths of private sector employees, including three in four food service workers, three in five personal health care workers and three in four child care workers, do not currently have access to paid sick days.

Study: Paid Sick Days Could Lower Healthcare Costs is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

1. Products: Critical illness insurance will continue to get attention

Major medical issues like cancer, heart attacks and strokes usually exceed many employees’ major medical coverage. Critical illness insurance can provide vital out-of-pocket protection in these cases. “One way to think of critical illness insurance is as ‘living life insurance,’” says Randy Finn, assistant vice president of supplemental health products at Colonial Life, where critical illness sales increased 24 percent from 2009 to 2010. “If you get a serious illness such as cancer and die, life insurance helps with that. But what if you survive? You’re likely to have years of financially crippling bills to pay.”

2. Sales: Voluntary insurance sales will improve significantly

Experts believe sales will increase as more workplaces feel the need to offer a variety of choices to employees. “There’s a big need for better education of workers about the need to protect their most valuable assets with life and disability coverage,” points out Jeff Koll, Colonial Life’s assistant vice president of life and disability products.

3. Services: Wellness programs will become more common as a cost-reduction strategy for employers

Employers have more motivation to keep their employees healthy as health care costs continue to rise. “Good communication about wellness programs is essential for them to be effective,” says Steve Bygott, Colonial Life’s assistant vice president of marketing analysis and programs. “Without a focused effort to ensure employees understand the program and its value to them, participation tends to be low.”

4. Technology: Employees will receive access to more online insurance tools

Employers are putting more decisions into their employees’ hands which means easily accessible tools are going to become even more important.

5. Economy: Government sector employers will need more money-saving options

Government employers are feeling the financial pinch and will need more affordable insurance solutions. “The good news is there’s a huge opportunity for government employers to control costs by changing their benefits plan design,” says Pat McCullough, Colonial Life’s public sector practice leader. “Government employers have been slower than other industry segments to shift away from the more comprehensive, paternalistic benefits models of the past, but there are solutions to help them offer strong packages and still save money.”

Insurance Trends For 2012 is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

Lindquist’s job didn’t provide medical insurance so according to the Washington Post he tried to qualify for workers’ compensation since he was injured on the job. But in June the claim was denied, leaving Lindquist with $2.5 million in bills, according to his sister. Lindquist Baldwin said last week.

Fortunately some good news finally arrived when the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America announced it had changed its mind. “Upon further review of the case, and receiving additional information on the facts involved in this situation, Accident Fund believes the appropriate decision is to honor Mr. Mark Lindquist’s claim for worker’s compensation benefits,” Mike Britt, president of the Lansing, Mich.-based insurance company, told the Washington Post. “We are committed to working with Mr. Lindquist to ensure he receives all the benefits to which he is entitled and helping him to recover from his injuries.” Lindquist told the newspaper that this may mean he won’t have to sell his home like he had previously thought.

Tornado Victim Receives Good News From Insurance Company is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

Indexes monitoring hospital and professional services saw only small increases. “As the summer of 2011 ended, we continued to observe the recent trend of a deceleration in the annual growth rates of Medicare costs and a sustained acceleration in the annual rates of commercial healthcare costs,” David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices said in a news release. “The Composite Index posted an annual rate of +5.73%, the Commercial Index +7.89% and the Medicare Index +2.16%. With this month’s data, the Medicare index is almost one-fourth of its peak annual rate of +8.02% recorded in November 2009.  This is a very sharp deceleration.”

The S&P Healthcare Economic Indices determine annual growth rates by calculating a percentage change over a 12-month period, examining increases and decreases each month. “If you further separate commercial plans’ costs into their hospital and professional services components, you can see that the August 2011 commercial hospital index is above the rate it posted at the beginning of the year – specifically +9.05% in August versus +8.68% in January,” explains Blitzer. “In contrast, the commercial professional services index has decreased to +6.68% from its +7.25% January growth rate. The increasing growth rate for hospitals is primarily due to rising rates of employment and wages. Professional services wages have also seen increasing rates during 2011; however, employment trends have declined over the same period.”

Study: Healthcare Costs Increase By 5.73% Over 12 Months is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

The Consumer Health Mindset survey, Aon Hewitt‘s recent survey of 3,000 health consumers, shows more than half of consumers participated in health risk assessments and/or screenings such as blood pressure and cholesterol screendings in the past year. Many employers are offering opportunities for employees to address health risks and conditions that will help them with things like managing their diabetes or quitting smoking. Choosing to take part in these assessments and screenings is a crucial part of the open enrollment process. “The most important advice we can provide to an employee is to be an active participant in the open enrollment process,” suggests Craig Rosenberg of Aon Hewitt. “Health care needs and benefit costs can vary from year to year, and when you combine that with the changing health care landscape, it’s critical for employees to educate themselves on their available coverage and reevaluate their choices.”

These are important steps in preventative health care, which is something that employees need to consider, according to experts. “When it comes to choosing and using their employers’ health care plans and programs, workers want their employers to do four things, according to our Consumer Health Mindset survey: make it easy to do, make it personal so I know how to get the best value, make it move me in the right direction, and make it meaningful, so I feel supported as I try to improve my health,” said Joann Hall Swenson, health engagement best practice leader with Aon Hewitt. “Employers who craft their health engagement strategies around these four insights will have a chance at reaching and engaging their employees, which in turn will lead to improved health and productivity, and reduced cost.”

Remember What’s Important During Open Enrollment Season is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

The rankings are conducted by the nonprofit National Committee for Quality Assurance. “All the health plans in these rankings are exemplary,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane in a news release. “First, they measure their quality in painstaking ways that help them improve and that make comparing plans possible. Then they take the extra step of revealing their results for the world to see—a true public service.” This is the second year for the rankings, but the first time that Preferred Provider Organizations, also known as PPOs, are being included. PPOs are generally less restrictive than Health Maintenance Organizations. About one-third of the US population is enrolled in a PPO plan.

The rankings include insurance plans in all 50 states and involve an estimated 127 million Americans. “American consumers who assume that ‘bigger is better’ and that doctor choice equates with quality might be surprised when they see how insurance plans stack up in the rankings.  We were struck by the strong performance among HMOs in general, and by some of the smaller, community-based plans,” says Nancy Metcalf, senior program editor, Consumer Reports in a news release. Among the plans receiving the highest scores include 15% of HMOs, 6% of PPOs, 33% of plans not owned by one of the six biggest health insurers and 4% of plans owned by the six biggest health insurers.

Consumer Reports Ranks Health Insurance Plans is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

The study also asked parents if they would seek medical attention for a condition that would limit their child’s life expectancy and 94% said yes. The survey also found that 93% of parents would get their children medical attention if they had an issue that would impact their future health care costs. “Despite the attention on the obesity epidemic, the disconnect found among parents regarding the long-term outcomes associated with childhood obesity is concerning,” said Sarah Hampl, MD  medical director, Weight Management Services at Children’s Mercy. “Obese children have both immediate and future health problems, including hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. The survey illustrates that parents need help connecting the dots between having an overweight child and what their future health consequences may be.”

Eight out of ten parents surveyed say they have the greatest potential to prevent obesity, but roughly six in ten think schools need to pitch in. The majority of parents are in favor of schools changing physical education requirements and restricting unhealthy foods during fundraising activities. “It is evident that parents recognize that there is an issue and that they can have an impact on combating obesity,” said John Lantos, MD, the hospital’s Director of Pediatric Bioethics. “They need to set a healthy example and work with both physicians and schools to encourage a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity, healthy habits and nutritious food.”

Parents: Insurance Should Cover Obesity Treatment is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

Roughly half of those surveyed say they’re expecting health care reform to move forward as planned, but their unsure about other areas. “With so much still unknown regarding both the short- and long-term impact of health care reform, most employers will not make wholesale changes to employer-sponsored health plans in 2012,” said Ron Fontanetta, senior health care consulting leader at Towers Watson in a news release. “However, a small group of employers is driving more fundamental change in 2012 by using account-based platform designs, aggressively positioning incentives and rethinking subsidization levels.”

The survey found that 71 percent of companies plan to continue health care benefits through 2014 for active employees. However, 29 percent aren’t sure if they’ll continue to offer benefits or instead provide salary increases to offset costs. The study found that over the next few years employers are considering increasing their offering of account-based health plans. Around half also plan to use value-based benefit designs or increase use of preferred networks.

Study Forecasts Health Insurance Changes For 2012 is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

Many dentists say they see patients regularly who haven’t had their teeth checked in years in an effort to save money. However, skipping the dentist means minor issues can turn into serious medical problems which cost far more to treat than to prevent. “You do not save anything by ignoring your teeth,” Thomas P. Connelly, a cosmetic dentist practicing in New York City recently wrote. “In fact, it will end up costing you a lot — either in high dental bills, or lost teeth (which, trust me, you don’t want to happen).”

Eliminating regular dental care from your routine can lead to aching teeth and sensitive gums. Routine checkups can also help reduce the risk of diabetes, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease and more. Even without insurance a cleaning can cost less than $100, which makes it a good investment against future procedures.

Millions Of Americans Lack Dental Insurance, Skipping Routine Check-Ups is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance

Any minor unable to purchase or obtain individual health insurance can now be included in the state’s high risk pool which is handled by the Kansas Health Insurance Association, or KHIA. “Now, those families that need a child-only policy can seek coverage through the KHIA plan if they meet the new eligibility requirements,” Sandy Praeger, Commissioner of Insurance, said in a news release. “It provides a starting point for a Kansas-based solution to a coverage problem. We appreciate the understanding of Gov. Brownback and the Kansas Legislature in supporting this change.”

In New York, parents with children under the age of 19 who need health insurance can not be denied health coverage due to pre-existing conditions thanks to a new law signed in late April. If a parent applies for insurance and is approved, then the child will also be approved.

If a parent is not applying for coverage, the application is known as a “child-only plan.” SB-11-128 mandates that child-only plans will be sold only during two open enrollment periods during the year — the month of August for this year. Starting in 2012, it will be the month of January and July. If a parent is not signing up, then the best time to sign up for “child-only” policies in New York is during August which is the open enrollment period. The situation is similar to Kansas and other states looking for a temporary solution until health care reform takes full effect. “The new law provides a temporary solution until 2014, when all health plans are required by law to provide coverage without consideration of health status,” Praeger said.

Some States Offering Open Enrollment For Child Insurance is a post from: Peppercoin Insurance