AHIP Fall Forum

While Health Care remains top of mind for everyone in the US, the AHIP Fall Forum provided opportunity to learn and review what policies will make a difference in reducing costs and improving service in the system.

Over the next few weeks we'll be discussing the most relevant of those opportunities. Including how private plans can benefit from what the public option is proposing.

For now, we want to reinforce the importance of knowing the demographics of your plan members, and treating them uniquely based on the profile that provides.

Data continues to be the best friend a Health Care provider has in managing and reducing the overall costs in the system.

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Pam Argeris is a thought leader in the Healthcare Industry and possesses extensive, hands-on experience with CMS compliance, and multiple regulatory bodies such as NCQA, JACHO, and DOI. In her role at Merrill Corp., Pam focuses on developing solutions for compliance and quality assurance, delivered in a cost effective manner to improve beneficiary and prospect communications. You can contact Pam at Pamela.Argeris@merrillcorp.com.

Wellness: Measurement Shows Improved Health

In a recent article from Anne Zieger in Fierce Healthcare, she highlighted that private insurance plans have begun the debate over how effective employee wellness programs really are. And on the flip side, that large insurance plans haven't invested in the area heavily enough to have an impact, or measured to see any results.

While the debate rolls on with the insurers, Zieger goes on to point out that Emory University has been at work to see if the results are there.

According to the study conducted by Woodruff Health Sciences at Emory, measurable results were found in employee absenteeism (down 3.9 days in 2006 to 3.4 days in 2007 - 1.5 days lower than at standard sites).

This netted a savings of about $414.90 per employee per year, according to the study.

Our Take:

Results are found only when measured. Moving from discussion to action is critical for private insurance plans and measurement needs to be implemented by insurers across all types of coverage.

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Pam Argeris is a thought leader in the Healthcare Industry and possesses extensive, hands-on experience with CMS compliance, and multiple regulatory bodies such as NCQA, JACHO, and DOI. In her role at Merrill Corp., Pam focuses on developing solutions for compliance and quality assurance, delivered in a cost effective manner to improve beneficiary and prospect communications. You can contact Pam at Pamela.Argeris@merrillcorp.com.