/PRNewswire/ -- According to Genworth's 2011 Cost of Care Survey, assisted living cost inflation in Georgia is being outpaced by national cost increases. Overall, the cost of long term care services in Georgia is well below national levels.
The median hourly rate to receive care in the home, Americans' preferred long term care setting, is $17.50 an hour in Georgia for home health aide services and $19 per hour nationally. The cost for this type of care has increased 1.5 percent a year over the past six years in Georgia, and 1.4 percent nationally during this same period.
The cost for a private nursing home room in Georgia has risen 4.4 percent annually over the past six years, and in line with the national rate. The median annual rate in Georgia for a private nursing home room is $63,875 per year, less than the national rate of $77,745 per year.
Nationally, the median annual cost of long term care in an assisted living facility is $39,135, an increase of 6.0 percent annually over the past six years. In Georgia, the annual cost of assisted living care is $28,800 and costs have risen 0.7 percent per year over the same time period.
Click here for an interactive map of long term care costs in 15 regions across Georgia, as well as nationally.
Knowing Local Care Costs for Productive LTC Discussions
"Understanding local caregiving expenses is an essential first step for families faced with rising care costs," said Buck Stinson, president, U.S. Life Insurance Products at Genworth. "Genworth's Cost of Care Survey arms consumers with the knowledge to have informed conversations, whether they are speaking with a family member, a care provider or financial professional, about how they might realistically pay for care."
Now in its 8th year, Genworth's Cost of Care Survey not only provides Georgia residents with national and local long term care cost data, but also information on cost inflation over time. Armed with this information, consumers and their advisors can:
* Develop a comprehensive financial plan to cover anticipated future long term care costs
* Conduct an informed discussion with family members to address future long term care needs and preferences
* Negotiate more effectively with providers of long term care services
Negotiating With Care Providers: It Never Hurts to Ask
Some consumers may be surprised to learn that they have the power to negotiate with care providers to help contain costs. Care providers, particularly assisted living facilities and home care agencies, often face stiff competition in their local markets. Consumers should feel comfortable addressing the issue of costs, and the opportunity to lower them, when discussing care options with a provider of long term care services. Genworth's Cost of Care Survey provides localized cost data that empowers families to confidently discuss care costs and options with service providers.
Know What to Ask: Tips for Reducing Caregiving Costs
While nursing homes generally do not discount their rates because they are strongly influenced by the effect of Medicare/Medicaid on their overall business plans, assisted living facilities and home care providers are more apt to do so. Tips on where to start when negotiating with a long term care provider include:
* Know Local Costs: Genworth's Cost of Care Map provides the median cost of long term care across the U.S., including 15 regions in Georgia, to help consumers plan for the potential costs associated with the various types of long term care available in their preferred location and setting.
* Fee Waivers: Assisted living facilities often charge a one-time fee when a client first moves in. If the facility is in a competitive market, or has a surplus of vacant units, they may discount or waive this fee (or offer other discounts such as free rent for a period of time).
* Special Rates : Facilities will sometimes have a special rate if residents move in at the first of the month or during a time that is known to have higher vacancy rates.
* Vacancy Rates : Facilities may allow a resident to choose a more expensive room, at a lower price, if vacancies are currently high.
* Lower Hourly Rates: Home care agencies may lower their hourly rate if the services needed are easy to staff and long term, such as a weekday schedule that is predicted to last several months.
* Shop Around: If a home care agency's fees are at the high end of the local range, they may lower rates if they know the client is interviewing several agencies and cost is an important factor. Let care providers know if a lower rate has been quoted elsewhere for the same services.
* Premium Waivers: Agencies usually charge a premium for weekend services. For a client that also engages services for a significant amount of weekday hours, the agency may waive this premium.
* Ask for an Upgrade: Nursing homes generally do not discount their rates, however, certain extra amenities, or a private room upgrade, may be available under certain circumstances.
It is important to note that most of these price concessions are based on the availability of staff, or residential units, which is a factor that fluctuates often for some businesses. Contacting several providers before making a final decision offers the best chance of securing safe, appropriate services at a reasonable rate.
"While consumers should seek out quality and value when shopping for long term care, it is crucial that they have a financial plan in place to pay for long term care," said Stinson. "The cost of long term care remains one of the biggest risks to one's retirement security, especially with ever-increasing healthcare costs."
For consumers interested in learning more about the cost of care in their local market, Genworth offers an interactive map of long term care costs in 437 regions across all 50 states, including 15 regions in Georgia, at www.Genworth.com/CostofCare. The site offers a range of educational tools that help consumers compare costs across geographies, project future costs and share comparisons and calculations with family, friends or a financial professional.
Additional Resources:
* Genworth's "Let's Talk" campaign was developed to help families initiate conversations about long term care preferences, options, and strategies.
* Genworth Celebrates Caregivers Facebook Page: Caregivers can have their questions about caregiving challenges answered by a professional care advocate.
* An interactive Cost of Care press release containing downloadable content is available at:
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/genworthfinancial/49612.
About Genworth's 2011 Cost of Care Survey
Genworth's Cost of Care Survey, is the most comprehensive study of its kind, covering nearly 15,500 long term care providers nationwide. The survey includes 437 regions which cover all Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined for the 2010 U.S. census. Genworth annually surveys the cost of long term care across the U.S. to help Americans plan for the potential costs associated with the various types of care available in their preferred location and setting. CareScout®, part of the Genworth Financial family of companies, has conducted the survey since 2004. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, CareScout has specialized in helping families find long term care providers nationwide since 1997. Genworth's 2011 Cost of Care Survey was conducted during January, February and March 2011.
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Showing posts with label cost. Show all posts
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Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sebelius announces three million Medicare beneficiaries have received prescription drug cost relief under the Affordable Care Act
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that three million Medicare beneficiaries nationwide have received prescription drug cost relief through the Affordable Care Act. To date, three million eligible beneficiaries who fell into the drug coverage gap known as the donut hole during 2010 have been mailed a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate check.
“For too long, many seniors and people with disabilities have been forced to make impossible choices between paying for needed prescription medication and necessities like food and rent,” said Secretary Sebelius. “The Affordable Care Act offers long overdue relief by lowering prescription drug costs each year until the donut hole is closed.”
Eligible beneficiaries who fell into the coverage gap during 2010 are continuing to automatically receive rebate checks. These checks are only the first step in how the Affordable Care Act will reduce prescription drug costs for beneficiaries in the donut hole each year until it is closed in 2020. Starting this year, eligible beneficiaries in the coverage gap will receive a 50-percent discount on covered brand name medications while in the donut hole. In addition, in 2011 Medicare will begin paying 7-percent of the price for generic drugs during the coverage gap.
Also today, Secretary Sebelius released a new video message on the new benefits the Affordable Care Act provides in 2011 for people on Medicare. You can watch the video message here.
The closing of the donut hole is just one of the ways seniors benefit from the Affordable Care Act. In addition to savings on prescription drugs, the law provides new benefits to Medicare beneficiaries when they visit their doctor starting this year:
* As of January 1, 2011, Original Medicare no longer charges out-of-pocket costs for the “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam and, for the first time since the Medicare program was created in 1965, Original Medicare now covers an annual wellness visit with a participating doctor, also at no cost.
* In addition to these annual wellness visits, most people with Medicare can now receive critical preventive services, including certain cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies, for free.
* Also this year, the Affordable Care Act will provide qualifying doctors and other health care professionals providing primary care to people on Medicare a 10-percent bonus for primary care services. This will help ensure that those primary care providers can continue to be there for Medicare patients.
People with Medicare can learn more about these new benefits, search for participating doctors in their area, and find other helpful information by contacting a trained customer service representative toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visiting www.Medicare.gov.
Additionally, the Affordable Care Act makes Medicare stronger and more secure for all beneficiaries. These provisions under the new law increase benefits to beneficiaries and help to extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by 12 years.
* An analysis issued by the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that under the Affordable Care Act, average savings for those enrolled in traditional Medicare will amount to more than $3,500 over the next 10 years. Savings will be even higher – as much as $12,300 over the next 10 years – for seniors and people with disabilities who have high prescription drug costs. Total savings per beneficiary enrolled in traditional Medicare are estimated to be $86 in 2011, rising to $649 in 2020. For a beneficiary in the donut hole, estimated total savings increase from $553 in 2011 to $2,217 in 2020.
* The Affordable Care Act establishes a new Innovation Center that will research, develop, test, and expand innovative payment and delivery arrangements to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care provided to patient with Medicare, Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. Innovations that are found to work can be rapidly expanded and applied more broadly—helping to transform the health care system into one that provides better care at lower cost.
· The Affordable Care Act contains important new tools to help crack down on criminals seeking to scam seniors and steal taxpayer dollars. The law strengthens the screenings for health care providers who want to participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP, enables enforcement officials to see health care claims data from around the country in a searchable database, and strengthens the penalties for criminal wrongdoing. The reduction in waste, fraud, and abuse returns savings to the Medicare Trust Fund to strengthen the program into the future. Seniors are encouraged to contact 1-800-MEDICARE to report any solicitations of personal information or suspected fraud, waste, or abuse, or go to www.StopMedicareFraud.gov.
For more information on how the Affordable Care Act benefits seniors, visit www.HealthCare.gov.
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“For too long, many seniors and people with disabilities have been forced to make impossible choices between paying for needed prescription medication and necessities like food and rent,” said Secretary Sebelius. “The Affordable Care Act offers long overdue relief by lowering prescription drug costs each year until the donut hole is closed.”
Eligible beneficiaries who fell into the coverage gap during 2010 are continuing to automatically receive rebate checks. These checks are only the first step in how the Affordable Care Act will reduce prescription drug costs for beneficiaries in the donut hole each year until it is closed in 2020. Starting this year, eligible beneficiaries in the coverage gap will receive a 50-percent discount on covered brand name medications while in the donut hole. In addition, in 2011 Medicare will begin paying 7-percent of the price for generic drugs during the coverage gap.
Also today, Secretary Sebelius released a new video message on the new benefits the Affordable Care Act provides in 2011 for people on Medicare. You can watch the video message here.
The closing of the donut hole is just one of the ways seniors benefit from the Affordable Care Act. In addition to savings on prescription drugs, the law provides new benefits to Medicare beneficiaries when they visit their doctor starting this year:
* As of January 1, 2011, Original Medicare no longer charges out-of-pocket costs for the “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam and, for the first time since the Medicare program was created in 1965, Original Medicare now covers an annual wellness visit with a participating doctor, also at no cost.
* In addition to these annual wellness visits, most people with Medicare can now receive critical preventive services, including certain cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies, for free.
* Also this year, the Affordable Care Act will provide qualifying doctors and other health care professionals providing primary care to people on Medicare a 10-percent bonus for primary care services. This will help ensure that those primary care providers can continue to be there for Medicare patients.
People with Medicare can learn more about these new benefits, search for participating doctors in their area, and find other helpful information by contacting a trained customer service representative toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visiting www.Medicare.gov.
Additionally, the Affordable Care Act makes Medicare stronger and more secure for all beneficiaries. These provisions under the new law increase benefits to beneficiaries and help to extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by 12 years.
* An analysis issued by the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that under the Affordable Care Act, average savings for those enrolled in traditional Medicare will amount to more than $3,500 over the next 10 years. Savings will be even higher – as much as $12,300 over the next 10 years – for seniors and people with disabilities who have high prescription drug costs. Total savings per beneficiary enrolled in traditional Medicare are estimated to be $86 in 2011, rising to $649 in 2020. For a beneficiary in the donut hole, estimated total savings increase from $553 in 2011 to $2,217 in 2020.
* The Affordable Care Act establishes a new Innovation Center that will research, develop, test, and expand innovative payment and delivery arrangements to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care provided to patient with Medicare, Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. Innovations that are found to work can be rapidly expanded and applied more broadly—helping to transform the health care system into one that provides better care at lower cost.
· The Affordable Care Act contains important new tools to help crack down on criminals seeking to scam seniors and steal taxpayer dollars. The law strengthens the screenings for health care providers who want to participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP, enables enforcement officials to see health care claims data from around the country in a searchable database, and strengthens the penalties for criminal wrongdoing. The reduction in waste, fraud, and abuse returns savings to the Medicare Trust Fund to strengthen the program into the future. Seniors are encouraged to contact 1-800-MEDICARE to report any solicitations of personal information or suspected fraud, waste, or abuse, or go to www.StopMedicareFraud.gov.
For more information on how the Affordable Care Act benefits seniors, visit www.HealthCare.gov.
-----
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Unemployed See COBRA Costs Increase in 2010, While Current Workers Brace for More Health Care Cost Shifting in 2011, Says Aon Consulting
/PRNewswire/ -- As the national unemployment rate continues to hover around 10 percent, health care costs for those jobless Americans have seen a year-over-year increase, according to Aon Consulting, the global benefits and human capital consulting business of Aon Corporation (NYSE:AON) .
Aon Consulting surveyed 1,079 employers nationwide in its 2010 Benefits Survey, and found an increase in monthly COBRA* contributions for terminated employees. Specifically, the average monthly cost for employee-only HMO coverage for a terminated worker is $429 this year, compared to $399 for the same coverage in 2009. For employee plus family, the former employee is paying $1,251 a month this year, compared to $1,171 per month last year. As for PPO coverage, the average monthly cost for employee only is $449 in 2010, compared to $439 in 2009, and for employee plus family, the cost tops out at a monthly average of $1,310 this year, versus $1,275 last year. (Click on the following link to see charts on a detailed year-over-year comparison: http://aon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1998)
"The increased frequency and duration of COBRA use is creating a significant strain on the program, leading to higher costs," said John Zern, executive vice president and Health & Benefits Practice director with Aon Consulting. "Those who are unemployed, and facing uncertainty about employment prospects and future COBRA availability, are utilizing the program more than we've traditionally seen to treat a variety of conditions prior to potentially losing coverage. This coupled with the high unemployment rate, is placing the COBRA program in a unique and unprecedented position."
As for current employees, they can expect to shoulder more of the expense related to health coverage in 2011, according to this survey. In fact, 65 percent of employers plan to increase cost sharing next year for things such as deductibles, co-pays and out-of-pocket maximums. What's more, 57 percent of companies say they will ask employees to contribute more for the overall cost of health care in 2011. The amount of cost sharing implemented by employers varies. On plan design (e.g., deductibles, co-pays and out-of-pocket maximums), 46 percent of employers are shifting costs to employees equal to the overall renewal increase, while an additional 46 percent are shifting costs to workers that are less than the overall renewal increase. For overall health plan cost, 40 percent of employers say the additional worker contributions will be equal to the 2011 renewal increase, and 49 percent indicate that workers will be asked to pay less than next year's renewal increase.
"We believe the new health reform law will increase health care costs by 2 percent to 4 percent during the next three years," said Tom Lerche, senior vice president with Aon Consulting. "In addition, we expect to see new costs related to excise taxes and potential cost shifting from reductions in Medicare reimbursement to providers, which will be on top of existing long-term medical trend inflation. These factors will lead many employers to consider increased employee contributions for health coverage, as well as plan design cost sharing."
To learn more about Aon Consulting's 2010 Benefits Survey, please visit www.aon.com/2010survey.
* COBRA - refers to the Consolidated Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, and includes provisions for members of company health plans who have lost their coverage due to a "qualifying event" to continue coverage at the employee's expense for a period of time.
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Aon Consulting surveyed 1,079 employers nationwide in its 2010 Benefits Survey, and found an increase in monthly COBRA* contributions for terminated employees. Specifically, the average monthly cost for employee-only HMO coverage for a terminated worker is $429 this year, compared to $399 for the same coverage in 2009. For employee plus family, the former employee is paying $1,251 a month this year, compared to $1,171 per month last year. As for PPO coverage, the average monthly cost for employee only is $449 in 2010, compared to $439 in 2009, and for employee plus family, the cost tops out at a monthly average of $1,310 this year, versus $1,275 last year. (Click on the following link to see charts on a detailed year-over-year comparison: http://aon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1998)
"The increased frequency and duration of COBRA use is creating a significant strain on the program, leading to higher costs," said John Zern, executive vice president and Health & Benefits Practice director with Aon Consulting. "Those who are unemployed, and facing uncertainty about employment prospects and future COBRA availability, are utilizing the program more than we've traditionally seen to treat a variety of conditions prior to potentially losing coverage. This coupled with the high unemployment rate, is placing the COBRA program in a unique and unprecedented position."
As for current employees, they can expect to shoulder more of the expense related to health coverage in 2011, according to this survey. In fact, 65 percent of employers plan to increase cost sharing next year for things such as deductibles, co-pays and out-of-pocket maximums. What's more, 57 percent of companies say they will ask employees to contribute more for the overall cost of health care in 2011. The amount of cost sharing implemented by employers varies. On plan design (e.g., deductibles, co-pays and out-of-pocket maximums), 46 percent of employers are shifting costs to employees equal to the overall renewal increase, while an additional 46 percent are shifting costs to workers that are less than the overall renewal increase. For overall health plan cost, 40 percent of employers say the additional worker contributions will be equal to the 2011 renewal increase, and 49 percent indicate that workers will be asked to pay less than next year's renewal increase.
"We believe the new health reform law will increase health care costs by 2 percent to 4 percent during the next three years," said Tom Lerche, senior vice president with Aon Consulting. "In addition, we expect to see new costs related to excise taxes and potential cost shifting from reductions in Medicare reimbursement to providers, which will be on top of existing long-term medical trend inflation. These factors will lead many employers to consider increased employee contributions for health coverage, as well as plan design cost sharing."
To learn more about Aon Consulting's 2010 Benefits Survey, please visit www.aon.com/2010survey.
* COBRA - refers to the Consolidated Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, and includes provisions for members of company health plans who have lost their coverage due to a "qualifying event" to continue coverage at the employee's expense for a period of time.
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Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Medical Tourism Association Releases Healthcare Reform White Paper
(PR.com)-- The Medical Tourism Association has released an educational White Paper on Healthcare Reform, detailing what positive and negative effects healthcare reform is expected to have on both inbound, outbound and domestic medical tourism. Healthcare Reform passed into law in March 2010 and has both immediate implications and those to go into full effect in 2014. Many expect the reform will continue to raise healthcare and health insurance costs in the United States. As healthcare costs and health insurance costs rise in the United States this will push American patients to choose to travel domestically for medical tourism, a new term coined towards the provision of more affordable healthcare services within the US, or to leave the United States to travel abroad for medical care.
As stated by Devon Herrick of National Center for Policy Analysis, USA, “The recent Health Reform legislation contains virtually nothing to encourage patients and providers to control costs. By contrast, medical tourism represents global competition in health care, where providers compete on price and quality. Medical tourism is our best opportunity to encourage competition within the health care industry.”
The Healthcare Reform white paper is meant to give guidance and understanding on how the different aspects of healthcare reform will interact with medical tourism. The Medical Tourism White Paper can be read in the Healthcare Reform Updates section of the Medical Tourism Congress website. http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/healthcare-reform-updates.html
“We have released this white paper in order to provide insight into healthcare reform and its different provisions, projecting how it may affect medical tourism. Many people around the world do not understand the lengthy healthcare reform document passed in the US and mistakenly think that it provides more affordable healthcare to Americans and that it will lower healthcare costs. Costs will likely go up under healthcare reform and this was reaffirmed in the recent medical tourism survey the MTA conducted with almost 100 insurance companies and employers, where almost 100% of respondents found that they believe costs will rise,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association.
The healthcare reform and medical tourism white paper will be available at the MTA’s annual conference, The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, which will have a large focus on Healthcare Reform this year in Los Angeles, California from September 22-24th. The conference will focus on how healthcare reform affects employers, insurers, insurance agents, healthcare providers and patients and will peel back the onion of the thousands of pages of healthcare reform bill to look at how different aspects of health care reform will really work. www.medicaltourismcongress.com
The Medical Tourism Association also conducted a survey of over one hundred US insurance companies and US employers on the effect medical tourism will have upon them. The survey, “Healthcare Reform Survey Among Industry Stakeholders Discovers Similar Concerns,” July, 2010, shows a sample of the future growth potential of the medical tourism industry. 71 percent of insurance companies and employers felt healthcare reform was extremely positive for the medical tourism industry and more Americans would travel overseas under the new law. Employers and insurance companies know that healthcare reform will increase costs and medical tourism is one of the few ways to lower those costs. http://medicaltourismmag.com/article/healthcare-reform-survey.html
The Medical Tourism Association (Medical Travel Association), also known as the Global Healthcare Association, at http://www.MedicalTourismAssociation.com is the first international non-profit association comprised of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitators members. The Medical Tourism Association has three mission-driven tenets: Education, Communication and Transparency.
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As stated by Devon Herrick of National Center for Policy Analysis, USA, “The recent Health Reform legislation contains virtually nothing to encourage patients and providers to control costs. By contrast, medical tourism represents global competition in health care, where providers compete on price and quality. Medical tourism is our best opportunity to encourage competition within the health care industry.”
The Healthcare Reform white paper is meant to give guidance and understanding on how the different aspects of healthcare reform will interact with medical tourism. The Medical Tourism White Paper can be read in the Healthcare Reform Updates section of the Medical Tourism Congress website. http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/healthcare-reform-updates.html
“We have released this white paper in order to provide insight into healthcare reform and its different provisions, projecting how it may affect medical tourism. Many people around the world do not understand the lengthy healthcare reform document passed in the US and mistakenly think that it provides more affordable healthcare to Americans and that it will lower healthcare costs. Costs will likely go up under healthcare reform and this was reaffirmed in the recent medical tourism survey the MTA conducted with almost 100 insurance companies and employers, where almost 100% of respondents found that they believe costs will rise,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association.
The healthcare reform and medical tourism white paper will be available at the MTA’s annual conference, The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, which will have a large focus on Healthcare Reform this year in Los Angeles, California from September 22-24th. The conference will focus on how healthcare reform affects employers, insurers, insurance agents, healthcare providers and patients and will peel back the onion of the thousands of pages of healthcare reform bill to look at how different aspects of health care reform will really work. www.medicaltourismcongress.com
The Medical Tourism Association also conducted a survey of over one hundred US insurance companies and US employers on the effect medical tourism will have upon them. The survey, “Healthcare Reform Survey Among Industry Stakeholders Discovers Similar Concerns,” July, 2010, shows a sample of the future growth potential of the medical tourism industry. 71 percent of insurance companies and employers felt healthcare reform was extremely positive for the medical tourism industry and more Americans would travel overseas under the new law. Employers and insurance companies know that healthcare reform will increase costs and medical tourism is one of the few ways to lower those costs. http://medicaltourismmag.com/article/healthcare-reform-survey.html
The Medical Tourism Association (Medical Travel Association), also known as the Global Healthcare Association, at http://www.MedicalTourismAssociation.com is the first international non-profit association comprised of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitators members. The Medical Tourism Association has three mission-driven tenets: Education, Communication and Transparency.
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Thursday, June 10, 2010
Deloitte Survey: Majority of Insured Consumers Satisfied With Current Health Plan -- But Concerned About Changes Health Care Reform Act May Bring
/PRNewswire/ -- Of the 82 percent of consumers surveyed who consider themselves "well" or "adequately" insured, nearly all (96 percent) are somewhat or very satisfied with their health plans overall, according to a new Deloitte poll. (www.deloitte.com/us/consumerhealthpulse) Many are concerned the new health reform law will bring about significant changes to their current coverage. Of those enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans, 61 percent believe their employer will reduce benefits for dependents and retirees and 32 percent think employers will probably pay the penalty and discontinue health coverage for employees altogether.
"Anxiety about current and future health insurance coverage will continue to be a major issue for American consumers as health care reform is implemented nationally," stated Paul Keckley, Ph.D., executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. "For example, our research shows that consumers who are covered through Medicare are more highly satisfied with their health care services than those in employer-sponsored plans."
Among survey respondents who consider themselves "very knowledgeable" about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many also indicated concerns over the impact of health reform on access to quality health care. They believe that some hospitals and medical practices will close (72 percent) and that their employers may drop their coverage (51 percent).
The cost of care is also an issue for the majority of consumers. Survey respondents anticipate increases in taxes (76 percent), health insurance costs, including premiums and out-of pocket expenses (65 percent), hospitals and physicians services (66 percent), and the cost of medications (54 percent) as reform is implemented.
Age is a major factor contributing to opinions about health care reform. In general, younger adults are more positive about health reform than older consumers. According to the survey, more than half (51 percent) of 18-34 year-olds believe that the reform bill will reduce health care costs in the long term, compared to respondents 45-54 years old (23 percent), 55-64 years old (36 percent), and 65 years old and above (30 percent).
"Younger consumers are beginning to embrace a new norm for health care," said Keckley. "Those in the younger age groups, (18-44 years old), are increasingly aware that the health care reform process has many moving parts and that they may find themselves entering into a new pact with employers."
The Deloitte survey also identified that consumers with employer-sponsored coverage seem to be the most skeptical and expect to experience negative impacts from the implementation of reform. This segment of survey respondents agree with the following:
-- The cost of the health reform act will be higher than expected (82
percent), which is significantly different from those who are
individually insured (68 percent).
-- The health reform act will not reduce health care costs in the
long-term (58 percent), which is significantly different from the
uninsured (43 percent).
-- Employers will pass the increased cost of health benefits through to
their employees (80 percent).
"Our research indicates that health insurance plans and employers may need to collaborate more than ever to help ease the anxiety of plan participants and employees as new health reform measures are implemented," said John T. Bigalke, vice chairman and Deloitte's health sciences and government industry leader.
Additional key findings from the survey include:
-- Eighty-four percent of all consumers surveyed have health insurance.
-- More than half (56 percent) of those surveyed believe that incentives
for doctors and hospitals to use electronic medical records will be
effective or very effective at improving the overall performance of
the health care system.
-- Cutting the rate of growth of Medicare costs will be only somewhat or
not effective at improving the overall performance of the health care
system according to 60 percent of those surveyed.
-- Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed believe the issue is not whether
an organization is for-profit or not-for-profit -- it's what they do
that matters.
-- Sixty-one percent of respondents agree that a mix of for-profit and
not-for-profit organizations stimulates positive competition and
innovation.
Methodology:
This survey was conducted via telephone interviews within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions from May 21-24, 2010 among 1,019 adults ages 18 years old and above. Results were weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population. The survey results have a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
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"Anxiety about current and future health insurance coverage will continue to be a major issue for American consumers as health care reform is implemented nationally," stated Paul Keckley, Ph.D., executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. "For example, our research shows that consumers who are covered through Medicare are more highly satisfied with their health care services than those in employer-sponsored plans."
Among survey respondents who consider themselves "very knowledgeable" about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many also indicated concerns over the impact of health reform on access to quality health care. They believe that some hospitals and medical practices will close (72 percent) and that their employers may drop their coverage (51 percent).
The cost of care is also an issue for the majority of consumers. Survey respondents anticipate increases in taxes (76 percent), health insurance costs, including premiums and out-of pocket expenses (65 percent), hospitals and physicians services (66 percent), and the cost of medications (54 percent) as reform is implemented.
Age is a major factor contributing to opinions about health care reform. In general, younger adults are more positive about health reform than older consumers. According to the survey, more than half (51 percent) of 18-34 year-olds believe that the reform bill will reduce health care costs in the long term, compared to respondents 45-54 years old (23 percent), 55-64 years old (36 percent), and 65 years old and above (30 percent).
"Younger consumers are beginning to embrace a new norm for health care," said Keckley. "Those in the younger age groups, (18-44 years old), are increasingly aware that the health care reform process has many moving parts and that they may find themselves entering into a new pact with employers."
The Deloitte survey also identified that consumers with employer-sponsored coverage seem to be the most skeptical and expect to experience negative impacts from the implementation of reform. This segment of survey respondents agree with the following:
-- The cost of the health reform act will be higher than expected (82
percent), which is significantly different from those who are
individually insured (68 percent).
-- The health reform act will not reduce health care costs in the
long-term (58 percent), which is significantly different from the
uninsured (43 percent).
-- Employers will pass the increased cost of health benefits through to
their employees (80 percent).
"Our research indicates that health insurance plans and employers may need to collaborate more than ever to help ease the anxiety of plan participants and employees as new health reform measures are implemented," said John T. Bigalke, vice chairman and Deloitte's health sciences and government industry leader.
Additional key findings from the survey include:
-- Eighty-four percent of all consumers surveyed have health insurance.
-- More than half (56 percent) of those surveyed believe that incentives
for doctors and hospitals to use electronic medical records will be
effective or very effective at improving the overall performance of
the health care system.
-- Cutting the rate of growth of Medicare costs will be only somewhat or
not effective at improving the overall performance of the health care
system according to 60 percent of those surveyed.
-- Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed believe the issue is not whether
an organization is for-profit or not-for-profit -- it's what they do
that matters.
-- Sixty-one percent of respondents agree that a mix of for-profit and
not-for-profit organizations stimulates positive competition and
innovation.
Methodology:
This survey was conducted via telephone interviews within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions from May 21-24, 2010 among 1,019 adults ages 18 years old and above. Results were weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population. The survey results have a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
On-Line Petition Launched in Support of a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct
(BUSINESS WIRE)--In an effort to ensure and protect patient access to approved medical treatments, a petition in support of a Health Insurer Code of Conduct was launched today by the Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA). The petition calls for the adoption of a Code of Conduct, currently being drafted by the American Medical Association, which will address restrictive practices of the managed care industry which undermine the integrity of doctor-patient relationships.
The AMA House of Delegates passed a resolution in November of 2008 to draft and adopt a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct. According to the resolution, the AMA code will set forth clear and concise principles addressing both medical policies and payment issues, as well as create a mechanism to monitor compliance by managed care companies.
Currently, while many managed care organizations maintain appropriate focus on quality measures, some managed care plans and pharmacy benefit managers employ aggressive tactics to cut costs, while at the same time shifting blame for consequences of actions such as premium increases and cost-sharing strategies onto other parties in the healthcare industry.
“In Georgia, the cost-control efforts implemented by managed care health plans have created the widespread perception that such plans are more interested in saving money than providing quality health care,” said Dr. Christina Mayville, a neurologist in Macon, GA. “Unlike many other stakeholders in the health care industry, however, there is no overarching standard of conduct for health plans. The Alliance for Patient Access is taking the lead to collect support for a Code of Conduct to empower health plans to voluntarily agree to abide by principled guidelines and specific protocols regarding certain issues that are particularly prone to abuse.”
AfPA’s petition calls for autonomy between doctors and managed care companies, as well as full transparency regarding a patient’s prescribed course of care. This includes any relationships with outside parties that might influence doctors’ decisions. AfPA also calls for upholding business integrity, with fees reflecting acceptable rates and prescribed courses of treatment resulting from medically-based, not fiscally-driven, decisions. Finally, AfPA’s first priority remains patients’ access to quality medical care that ensures their safety and welfare.
“A Code of Conduct for the managed care industry is highly overdue,” said Dr. David Charles, AfPA Chairman. “The petition is a way for us to show managed care companies that we will not stand by as they attempt to interfere with the course of treatment prescribed to patients by their doctors. A Health Insurer Code of Conduct will help protect patients by regulating the practices of managed care companies and holding them accountable to the same standards to which the rest of the healthcare industry already adheres.”
The American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution in November 2008 to adopt a Health Insurer Code of Conduct, which it is currently drafting. The AMA will vote to adopt the code in June.
The AfPA petition for a Health Insurer Code of Conduct can be found at www.insurepatientaccess.org.
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The AMA House of Delegates passed a resolution in November of 2008 to draft and adopt a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct. According to the resolution, the AMA code will set forth clear and concise principles addressing both medical policies and payment issues, as well as create a mechanism to monitor compliance by managed care companies.
Currently, while many managed care organizations maintain appropriate focus on quality measures, some managed care plans and pharmacy benefit managers employ aggressive tactics to cut costs, while at the same time shifting blame for consequences of actions such as premium increases and cost-sharing strategies onto other parties in the healthcare industry.
“In Georgia, the cost-control efforts implemented by managed care health plans have created the widespread perception that such plans are more interested in saving money than providing quality health care,” said Dr. Christina Mayville, a neurologist in Macon, GA. “Unlike many other stakeholders in the health care industry, however, there is no overarching standard of conduct for health plans. The Alliance for Patient Access is taking the lead to collect support for a Code of Conduct to empower health plans to voluntarily agree to abide by principled guidelines and specific protocols regarding certain issues that are particularly prone to abuse.”
AfPA’s petition calls for autonomy between doctors and managed care companies, as well as full transparency regarding a patient’s prescribed course of care. This includes any relationships with outside parties that might influence doctors’ decisions. AfPA also calls for upholding business integrity, with fees reflecting acceptable rates and prescribed courses of treatment resulting from medically-based, not fiscally-driven, decisions. Finally, AfPA’s first priority remains patients’ access to quality medical care that ensures their safety and welfare.
“A Code of Conduct for the managed care industry is highly overdue,” said Dr. David Charles, AfPA Chairman. “The petition is a way for us to show managed care companies that we will not stand by as they attempt to interfere with the course of treatment prescribed to patients by their doctors. A Health Insurer Code of Conduct will help protect patients by regulating the practices of managed care companies and holding them accountable to the same standards to which the rest of the healthcare industry already adheres.”
The American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution in November 2008 to adopt a Health Insurer Code of Conduct, which it is currently drafting. The AMA will vote to adopt the code in June.
The AfPA petition for a Health Insurer Code of Conduct can be found at www.insurepatientaccess.org.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
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