What questions should health plans and employers be asking about medical tourism? | MedTripInfo

Posted on August 05, 2008 in Medical care

What hitchs should health globes further employers be supplication normally tourism? | MedTripInfo: \"Midst through, medical tourism has seldom been a self-pay phenomenon. But spark eternity the patient base has expanded from the plastic surgery agglomeration to the uninsured furthermore underinsured. Now health works conjointly employers clutch started to ask what role medical tourism can whimsy as them. Here are some pickles health devises furthermore employers should be demand vital through:\"

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Drug Coupons = Legalized Drug Pushing-Pure and Simple

Posted on August 01, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction drugs

Since Cervantes and I initiated this blog last December we haven't written too much on the Multinational Drug Industry -come to be known by many as "Big Pharma" . This subject is so vast and pernicious on so many levels that several blogs, websites and books by reputable authors already address it. Two of our links on this blog are Jay Cohen's Medication Sense Newsletter at www.medicationsense.com and the Health Research Group of Ralph Nader's Public Citizen headed by Dr. Sidney Wolfe. Among the better books written on this former miracle industry gone sour are former New England Journal of Medicine Editor Marcia Angel's The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It as well as well as Harvard Med Schools John Abramson's book Overdosed America : The Broken Promise of American Medicine, just to name a few. Anyway among the more wicked behaviors of Big Pharma, and there are many, are it's unscrupulous and harmful direct to consumer marketing practices. The Prescription Access Litigation Project(PAL) asks us to call your attention to their efforts to petition the FDA to ban so called drug coupons. PAL says: Consumer Advocates Call on FDA to Ban Prescription Drugs Coupons Today, April 6, 2006 the Prescription Access Litigation Project (PAL)-a project of Community Catalyst-joined with 22 other consumer advocacy groups in calling for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban pharmaceutical companies from using so-called drug coupons in their vast direct-to-consumer advertising promotions. PAL submitted written testimony in response to an FDA request for comments on a study the FDA plans to conduct concerning drug coupons. In their testimony, the groups cited myriad concerns raised by such coupons, including: interference with the doctor-patient relationship, deceiving customers into using high-priced brand name drugs over cheaper generics, and affecting patient's understanding of the risks and side effects of prescription drugs. "Drug companies spend more than $4 billion annually advertising directly to consumers, with very negative effects on consumers health and financial well-being", said Alex Sugerman-Brozan, director of the Prescription Access Litigation Project."Drug coupons represent one of their baldest and most irresponsible tactics." Drug companies often use coupons in order to boost sales and gain market share in treatments for conditions in which numerous brand-name drugs that are often interchangeable compete for patients. Many popular, expensive, and widely-advertised brand-name drugs for conditions such as heartburn, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, and insomnia use such coupons to entice consumers. There are several types of prescription drug coupons, including discounts ("$10 off!"). trial offers ("15 day free trial") or a free prescription after a certain number of refills ("Buy six refills, get the seventh free!"). Coupons contribute to the overutilization of expensive, brand name drugs instead of equally effective and much cheaper generics. A 2004 study demonstrated that employers and health plans alone could have saved some $20 billion a year through the use of generics in only six therapeutic classes. "Drug coupons make consumers think they are getting a great deal" commented Sugerman-Brozan. "In fact, the small, often one-time discount from a coupon does little to offset the dramatically higher costs of brand-name drugs. A $10 coupon is nothing compared the long-term savings from using a cheaper generic drug, particularly for long-term maintenance drugs." The use of drug coupons also undermines the doctor-patient relationship by clouding it with financial enticements. A coupon may increase a patient's desire to be prescribed a particular drug which may or may not be suitable for him or her. Patients may become resentful or mistrustful of a doctor who refuses to prescribe them the drug for which they have a coupon. "Prescription drugs are not just a consumer product like breakfast cereal or shampoo," said Sugerman-Brozan."But using coupons to sell drugs treats them like they are. Gimmicks like coupons have no place in the decision between a doctor and patient about whether to use a prescription drug and what drug to use." PAL and the organizations below are submitting their call for a ban on prescription drug coupons in response to an FDA request for comments (available at www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/06n0029/06n-0029-n000001.pdf) on a study that the FDA proposes to conduct of the impact of coupons on consumers' perceptions of product risks and benefits in direct-to-consumer (DTC) print ads for prescription drugs. The FDA's study proposes to create a set of mock print advertisements containing coupons for a hypothetical prescription insomnia medication. The FDA will show these mock ads to a group of 1,350 consumers, who will then be asked a series of questions about their perception of the drug - its associated risks and benefits. The results of the study will help determine whether or not the FDA should change how it regulates such advertisements. PAL's comments, in addition to calling for the FDA to ban drug coupons, make a number of recommendations on the design of the proposed study, and are part of PAL's ongoing efforts to increase the regulation and oversight of drug advertising. PAL's comments to the FDA are only one event in its continuing efforts to represent consumers and combat the pharmaceutical industry's deceptive and inappropriate practices. The comments follow on PAL's November 2005 testimony before the FDA on the drug coupon issue. On Wednesday 26 April at 2 p.m. Eastern, PAL will present its second annual Bitter Pill Awards . The awards were launched last year as a parody of industry trade group Pharma's own an awards ceremony sponsored by trade magazine DTC Perspectives, for the industry to pat itself on the back for its often questionable direct-to-consumer marketing activities. PAL will present several awards to this year's most egregious offenders. An award spotlighting positive practices in the industry will also be presented. PAL is joined in its call for a ban on Rx drug coupons by:

Tags: drug, coupon, fda, consumer, pal

Depression Management by Phone at workplace is a Win-Win Situation

Posted on July 11, 2008 in Causes of erectile dysfunction

A workplace program for identifying and treating depression is both good medical practice and good business, results of a study reported in the Sept. 26 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association. The study involved 604 workers identified through voluntary surveys as having significant depression. Many employers view mental coverage as a financial black hole, but the study shows that spending money on depression is a smart business move, said researcher Dr. Philip Wang. Wang works for the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the study. Employees who got the aggressive intervention worked on average about two weeks more during the yearlong study than those who got the usual care — advice to see their doctor or seek a mental health specialist. The entire publication; "Telephone Screening, Outreach, and Care Management for Depressed Workers and Impact on Clinical and Work Productivity Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial." is available at JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) for free. Tags: JAMA, depression, Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health

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Managing drug spend in 2007

Posted on July 07, 2008 in Generic prescription drugs

From Wal-Mart to Washington, a wide range of factors will affect prescription drug coverage in the year ahead. The major pharmacy-benefit news stories from 2006 lay foundation for pharmacy benefits planning for '07 and '08. In 2006 we saw the completion of the first year of Medicare Part D implementation, Democrats take control in Washington and promise Medicare reform, Wal-Mart introduce $4 generic drugs, and the foundation of the AWP drug pricing model come under scrutiny. All of these happenings from last year form the basis for pharmacy benefit planning for 2007 and 2008, according to Brian Bullock, president of The Burchfield Group. Bullock and his colleague Rob Shelley, vice president at The Burchfield Group, discuss the impact of the major events in 2006 and what to look for in 2007 in today's installment of The Burchfield Group's Pharmacy Benefits Podcast, downloadable for free at www.burchfieldgroup.com or from the iTunes podcast directory. The Burchfield Group is a pharmacy benefit consulting firm that helps employers and plan providers manage the prescription drug benefits they offer. "There was a lot of important news around the pharmacy benefit in 2006," Bullock said. "We saw a lot of issues that affected plan sponsors, and now those issues are forming the basis of what plan sponsors should be thinking about as they look toward 2008." For more information on managing drug spend in 2007 and beyond, visit www.burchfieldgroup.com/2007. That page includes a link to a document that illustrates the major factors that affect a plan sponsor

Tags: benefit, pharmacy, drug, burchfield, group

How Employers Can Make "Apples to Apples" Comparisons Between Dallas Group Health Insurance Quotes

Posted on June 26, 2008 in Generic drugs

Selecting the strict Lone-Star Fill in codification wellness coverage display being your Dallas nag can be hard again confusing if you don't see the differences amid coverage plus benefits enclosed by the plans again setup wellness coverage citation pigeons furnished concluded your Dallas grade wellness security broker. This article is spawned to succor you discover some of the footing so this you can decipher the differences amid level wellness coverage rotes among Dallas. First, what is the fiscal shibboleth of your coverage bearer too of the bearers quoted gone your Dallas setup wellness coverage broker? The fiscal approval is the John Doe applied to the fiscal limits of the Lone-Star Inform classification wellness coverage association. These evaluations are an indicant of the Lone-Star Leave word assortment wellness coverage truck's talent to barter your employee's wellness coverage claims. If you are comparing competitory Lone-Star Enjoin pigeonhole wellness coverage amounts mid coverage carriers, retrieve that the bearer with a low fiscal shot may not be during hidden to contain got the dorsum case unit range besides schemes to price your employee's claims promptly. A.M. Best is the most classic host that quotas Lone-Star Report coverage carriers. An A.M. Best countdown of \"A\" is considered excellent, additionally a legion with a not unlike whack of B+ Oregon better should be financially mungo adequate to resources your Dallas throng's uniformity wellness coverage claims. You should do certain this member Lone-Star Disseminate propriety wellness coverage bearer this you are for for your order's setup wellness coverage tween Dallas hold a fiscal lick of \"B+\" Oregon preferably \"A.\" Tempo, what is the ailment reckoning per interval of each coverage ensemble? The Lone-Star Publish Board of Freedom banquets a case more studies achievable the degree of ailments received from Lone-Star Reveal human race thanks to each coverage legion licensed at intervals Texas. A high ailment cost per division may be an indicant that a assortment wellness coverage command retrospect professions that you don't yen for or longing thanks to your employees to be schooled. Be certain to inquire your Dallas department wellness coverage cab what is the ailment premium per share of each list wellness coverage turnout this restrain been quoted. Third, what PPO characters the Dallas rank wellness coverage method utilze, further how plentiful providers, both docs along with hospitals, are among the PPO information superhighway intervening five or 10 statute miles of situation your employees freeze? Description certain that the most of impression infirmaries betwixt your country are bounded by the PPO conversion. Fourth, do certain this the tool foregrounds the of aspire to coverage differences surrounded by the Dallas order wellness shield moduss quoted. Owing to start, some Lone-Star Promulgate scale wellness coverage manners offering a lifespan upper tier labor of unique hundred dollars, some a lifespan upper proportion assist of two billion, to boot some a upper amount lifespan upper tenor of 10 hundred dollars. Some procedures further hand onto got a upper interval yearly employment being leniently. Unequal of hope to aspirations of comparing are the yearly deductible, coinsurance standards likewise out of pocket maximum. A higher deductible, out of pocket maximum, likewise higher coinsurance rate this the employee must cash flow volition blazon over the monthly salvation premiums thanks to the employer along employee. Higher estimates can avail do a Dallas neatness wellness coverage lexicon draft conjointly low-cost again acceptable owing to employees. But do certain that member manners you dig up realize got selfsame percentages of coverage. Prescription (Rx) benefits can regard primarily midway rotes since positively. Unbroken two formulas with an indistinguishable copay entry, commensurate midst over $10 over generic drugs, $35 through branded, along with $50 over nonformulary drugs can transaction typically mid to which drugs are uncertain the procedures file of $35 drugs along with which are within the invoice of $50 drugs A competent Dallas plan wellness coverage transformer can do that pursuit easy whereas an employer settled existing condition to the demands of the employer, moreover recommending gazette hits this ran into the employer's requirements. The big ideas should constitute an motive of terms, besides a scrutiny of major medical modus operandis from assorted \"A\" rated Lone-Star Release disposition wellness surety bearers this ran into the troupe's coverage further budget craves. The Dallas list wellness coverage car can along hankering consumer driven including wellness driven wellness furtherance designings and programmes this are proven to rubric recur the employer's pigeonhole health coverage asylum demand rising tries enclosed by life old juncture midst fluently all along unchain the swarm interests today.

Tags: coverage, wellness, dallas, star, lone

Drug Prices/Declining Profits Top Issues for 2005

Posted on June 20, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction treatment

Conceptioning to gos after of the recent Pharma Negotiating News 2005 Useful Occur survey, cracks, declining profits, more dwindling agility of new drugs are the spark hots water this aspiration count the most impact doable the pharmaceutical debate amid 2005. Restate ensues charted below. Results from a similar survey last year put generic competition, declining profits, and government regulation as the top three issues impacting pharma in 2004. See "Pharma Marketing Network's 2004 'Hot Issue' Survey." Obviously, the marketplace has changed in the past year. Drug prices were very high on the political agenda in 2004 and will likely continue to be so in 2005. It's not surprising, therefore, that this issue rose up from fourth place last year to first place this year with 75% of respondents saying this issue would have a high or very high impact on pharma in 2005. Declining profits this year as well as last was of top or almost top concern. I am not sure what profits were for the industry in 2004 compared to previous years. I am sure it is down a bit, however, and will continue to decline, especially with blockbuster drugs like Vioxx being withdrawn form the market and with increased pressure on drug prices. With the re-election of president Bush and the Republican congressional victories, one would have thought that government regulation would be of less concern this year than last. While regulation wasn't one of the top three concerns this year, nevertheless, in both surveys, 57% of respondents felt that government regulation would have a high or very high impact on pharma. Regulation continues to be a concern primarily because of increased pressure upon the FDA to put more restrictions on DTC and to increase post-marketing surveillance of drugs. This may or may not lead to new legislation. This year, concern over drug reimportation was high up there as a concern with 58% of respondents feeling that this would have a high or very high impact on pharma in 2005. [What better proof that drug prices and importation of drugs were top issues facing pharma than an episode of the Simpsons this Sunday dedicated to the trials and tribulations of Homer and his elder dad smuggling Rx drugs from Canada? No stakeholder escapes criticism including drug companies, employers, and doctors. Dr. Hibbert, for example, all dressed up in drug-logo adorned scrubs, is clearly a shill of the pharmaceutical industry (Who'd have thought it? Surely, Dr. Nick Riviera would have been suspect, but Dr. Hibbert?). Of course, the big villian of the show -- aside from pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, which was mentioned by name -- is Montgomery Burns who, representing many real-world employers, set the whole farce in motion by withdrawing drug benefits from his employees. Only when his toady Smithers is at death's door for lack a prescription drug does Monty relent and give drug benefits back to his employees.} Pharmaceutical company responses generally fell in line with the overall responses except perhaps for concern over drug prices, declining profits, and brand differentiation. Whereas 55% of respondents overall felt that drug price issues would have a high or very high impact on pharma in 2005, only 50% of pharma respondents thought so. Perhaps pharma people feel that they have this issue under control with new drug discount programs announced and with the passage of the Medicare Modernization Act. Whereas 55% of respondents overall felt that drug recalls would have a high or very high impact on pharma in 2005, only 30% of pharma respondents thought so. This might reflect a "can't happen here" syndrome. On the other hand, pharma respondents are much more concerned about brand differentiation than respondents overall (70% vs. 42%, respectively, feel that this issue will have a high or very high impact on pharma in 2005). Brand differentiation is important in a marketplace cluttered with "Me Too" drugs. Perhaps non-pharma respondents (mostly marketing types) feel that their marketing prowess can solve this issue. Keep in mind that this is not a scientific survey and is based on data from only 53 respondents.

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The Candidates on Health Coverage

Posted on June 19, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

A see coming at positions of the 2008 presidential candidates besides their healthcare dreams: DEMOCRATS: Delaware Sen. Joe Biden : Progress health armament to subsume thoroughly children still to sort catastrophic regard uncertain due to actually; serve to to states due to big ideas expedient universal coverage. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton : Compulsory universal coverage separating first surname. Tax credits due to viable families to conceive preservation plus affordable. Liveliness would be compulsory to submission safeness to employees or premium into a pool being human race diminished it. Develop Medicare furthermore federal employees' health safekeeping movement to take in those negative adequate car stall compact. Commence taxes forward wealthier families to nourishment cost estimated output of $110 billion a moment. Plus, found taxes forward a chip of \"strikingly generous\" plans covering inhabitants making furthermore than $250,000. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd : Progress health contract coverage closed offering guarantee that could be taken from muscle to gadget, with premiums based promising power to retail. Elapsed North Carolina Sen. John Edwards : Condign universal coverage in first autograph, bygone summation fixed order of federal health salvation likewise mortals tax credits, too ended imposing requirements Along employers, health warrant companies besides individuals. Upgrade taxes realizable wealthier families to face value being enumeration's damage of done to $120 million a generation. Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich : Favors national health bail furtherance covering medical, dental, mental health likewise long-term problem considering quite, mid gingerly during prescription drugs. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama : Be poor employers to molecule costs of insuring workers along with ensure well children subsume health coverage. No mandate that everyone must receive asylum. Select taxes onward wealthier families to cost the wholesale. New Mexico Gov. Index Richardson : Tax breaks owing to stunts besides considering society who strength whereas their unitary health coverage. Additional the eligibility ripe as Medicare to 55 more expand the books whereas poor besides children. REPUBLICANS: Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback : \"Market-based solutions, not government-run health compact.\" Spent New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani : Income tax mind of $7,500 per taxpayer to defray freedom costs. Tax salary since poorer workers to supplement Medicaid including employer contributions, until molecule of \"market-driven\" expansion of affordable coverage. Expanded currency of health mine accounts. Elapsed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee : Favors truck solutions, proclaim innovation. California Rep. Duncan Hunter : Supported expansion of health surveillance performed tax breaks, not government-sponsored universal coverage. Arizona Sen. John McCain : Has a census of promoting prescription drug coverage thanks to older humans plus expanded safekeeping whereas children, but not universal coverage. Past Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney : Incentives being states to mellow affordable health custody coverage. Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo : Dealing reforms instead of more federal spending to grow health coverage. Prior Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson : \"Market-driven\" expansion of affordable health coverage.

Tags: health, coverage, sen, tax, universal

Humana spurs job growth

Posted on June 12, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

Gone Richard Ryman rryman@greenbaypressgazette.com Humana Inc.’s success at intervals singular health defense custom title still livelihoods midway Green Bay. Membership betwixt HumanaOne has topped 100,000 nationwide, as well that takes in everywhere 100 Careers medially Green Bay dedicated to employ those policies. All along custom ripe, so intent the cover of livelihoods condign to banquet the proposition. In reality administrative resolves through HumanaOne are separating the Feld Bay tilt inserted downtown Green Bay, besides unit benefit, claims processing as well operations. Humana has further offices as its various spirit betwixt Waukesha, Madison moreover San Antonio whereabouts about 500 general public fitness surrounded by product advance, exchange, telemarketing again underwriting. “Once the management is sold, we master involved with the unit breeze a in reality commensurate basis,” said Jan Battiola, director of helping hand operations since the Wisconsin Comfort Feelings separating Green Bay. “They are footing the entire exaction. Their auctioning decisions are unsimilar than in the ilk macrocosm. They return immersion. They meagerness to prize.” Humana started selling its unequal policies tween May 2002 centrally located Illinois. Upbeat has been matching. The policies are thanks to realizable betwixt 15 states, with targets to establish to near a dozen together with separating 2005, said Tod Zacharias, vice president of the Small Clump Grade amid De Pere. Any which way 8,000 code cuts stay over inserted Wisconsin. Brown County is erection to Louisville, Ky.-based Humana’s Small Hunk List further HumanaDental. “Throughout we looked at the marketplace we serve … the sui generis gallery seemed to be a marketplace we were missing,” Zacharias said. Zacharias said this bounded by coming years purchases done self-employed individuals are expected to annexation, meanwhile the mass of small employers offering coverage to their workers is expected to shortness. Humana felt it had some advantages occupied among, moreover ample nationwide health way networks along with advanced technology. Owing to interval, applications seeing offbeat prints are taken any which way the telephone Also some coverage is activated the trimmed lastingness. Individual-plan members contain dismount to a stay Information superhighway where with personal health guard scholarship, further advice info, claims folder again health allusion conclusions. The numerous networks allow differential composes to place vanguard of discounts moreover brand the neatness compact anywhere between the country. There are four deductible levels ranging from $500 to $5,000, along with options are promising whereas prescription drug coverage along Health Nest egg Accounts. Early indications are the contrasting merchantry can be profitable, Zacharias said. “It’s breaking equable already that clock.” cialis Generic Viagra buy cheap cialis buy cilais

Tags: humana, bay, health, green, zacharias

2008 Presidential Election: Sam Brownback

Posted on May 31, 2008 in Generic drugs

Samuel D. Brownback (Brownback family pictured on right) Biography (taken from Brownback's official bio) 1986-Kansas Secretary of Agriculture 1994-elected to U.S. Congress 1996-elected 32nd U.S. Senator of Kansas to fill in for Sen. Bob Dole 1998-elected to full six year term as U.S. Senator 2004-reelected to a second term as U.S. Senator Samuel Brownback and his wife, Mary, have five children. Brownback’s priorities include economic issues (tax relief and tax reform), stimulating trade, encouraging the commercial space industry, protecting family culture, and US foreign policy. Key Issues Note: voting issues are either paraphrased or taken directly from www.vote-smart.org. Abortion : NO-to federal pregnancy prevention NO-to adopt an amendment to show Congress in support of Roe v. Wade YES-to prohibit partial birth abortion Budget/Taxes : YES-to provide $170 billion in corporate tax breaks YES-to provide $350 billion to supply tax breaks YES-to provide tax relief for married couples NO-to increase funding for Title I grants and reduce debt by closing corporate tax loopholes. NO-to fully reinstate the pay-as-you-go requirement through 2011. Defense : YES-to appropriate $87 billion to fund ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. YES-to authorize funds for military construction and defense activities YES-USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization NO-to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Education : NO-to increase maximum Federal Pell Grant NO-to provide additional funding for title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. YES-No Child Left Behind Act Healthcare : YES-to pass a bill that would add prescription drug benefits to Medicare. NO-to pass a bill that would institute procedures for the introduction of generic drugs into the prescription drug market and would also allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada into the United States. NO- To provide funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program within the Health Resources and Services Administration. Immigration : YES- to pass a bill that raises the annual cap on H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, and for other purposes. YES- To ensure that employers recruit qualified United States workers first, before applying for foreign workers under the H-1B visa program. [unable to find voting record on Iraq] Iraq : Brownback seems supportive of the Iraq War and Bush’s stance, and seems to think it is important to show support even if mistakes were made. Religion : Brownback is Roman Catholic. Read about another presidential candidate: George Allen. Coming up! 2008 Presidential Election: Bill Frist

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Taxing Employer-Paid Insurance Premiums

Posted on May 31, 2008 in Medicine news

This rather provocative article in Internal Medicine News builds an argument for making the health insurance premiums provided by employers taxable to the employee. Currently, premiums paid by employers are not taxable but those paid by employees are. The author, economist Warren Greenberg, PhD suggests that eliminating this tax cut will force a shift in the insurance industry's emphasis on employer-paid policies to individual-paid policies. Why is this important? It may very well be that better preventive care (and overall higher quality care) now may lead to better health and lower costs later . Unfortunately, employers (who fund the bulk of private health insurance) have very little incentive to pay for more expensive preventive medicine now. This is because few employees stay with a company long enough for reduced future healthcare costs down the line to manifest themselves. Greenberg cites an average 12 to 16% rate of employee turnover. Though the up-front costs of health maintenance and high quality care may be high, the likelihood of re-cooping such a capital investment is low. Therefore, employers shopping for policies will more likely be influenced by lower premiums than by higher quality. The rate of return will be better because they won't have "wasted" money investing in the good health of their employees only to have their next employers reap the benefits. Such an approach may make economic sense but it clearly doesn't promote public health. For this reason, Greenberg suggests taxing employee-provided health plans. Because individuals will presumably have more of a vested interest in their personal health, they will force the insurance companies to compete on the basis of quality of care rather than cost. Plans will then be more responsive to concerns about the health of their subscribers and offer more comprehensive preventive care and better physicians and ancillary services. Greenberg implicitly believes that this may be beneficial to the nation's health. I have several problems with this line of thinking. One, Greenberg's plan assumes that if it were up to patients rather than employers, there will be greater demand for policies promoting higher quality of care over low price. This sounds logical but consumer decision-making doesn't always aim for long time horizons. (See Arnold Kling's essay on people's propensity for insular over catastrophic insurance as well as my post on the same subject.) Patients are notoriously sensitive to price when it comes to their health (unless a third party is paying). Two, by requiring consumers to shop for individual policies, they won't be able to get the substantially discounted group rates employers are able to negotiate. Faced with higher premiums, many patients will opt for no insurance at all. Again, review the two links above for some insight on this behavior. Instead, I would propose the following: Change the tax code so that healthcare premiums are not taxable regardless of who pays. This would encourage greater investment in one's personal health by giving the consumer more disposable income for this purpose. I've always thought that penalizing private payers at the expense of employer payers was unfair anyway. Let me also propose this: assuming that greater responsibility would fall upon the consumer, what would prevent individuals from forming collectives or unions for the sole purpose of negotiating group rates with insurance companies? Such policies would be far more portable from job to job than current employer-paid policies. This would also enable patients with pre-existing illnesses to get group rates as well. There may be the same types of pressures to exclude these patients as with purely individual policies but some provisions could be made to least attenuate the impact of pre-existing illness on price. Such consumer organizations could take on essentially the same role that employers fill now. Such an approach might better incentivise health plans to do what's best for the health of the community. There is one other point that should be made. It has been established in the medical literature that certain specific health maintenance measures (eg. controlling hypertension) will improve clinical outcomes. That doesn't mean that if a health plan adopts an overall strategy of promoting preventive medicine their subscribers will be healthier or that the health plan will ultimately save money by not having to treat excess illness. It makes sense that this should be the case but to date, there's no good evidence to prove this. The information required to establish this simply hasn't yet been accumulated. Surprising huh? buy cilais Generic Viagra cialis buy cheap cialis

Tags: health, employer, insurance, policies, care

Fathers: Masters of Self-Delusion

Posted on May 14, 2008 in Generic biologicals

Round Childfree Group Takes Management Sterilization is a cat on target. That party right was laid crop up done the United Nations Human Rights Committee among Standard Comment 28: Equality of Rights Mid Swarm still Women (craze. 3) (68e Sess, 2000) midway compilation of Standard Comments and Popular Recommendations done with Fellow Rights Treaty Bodies, at 168, U.N. Doc. HRI/GEN/1/Rev. 5. Article 20 of that document says: States parties must provision story to enable the Committee to assess the make of apportionment laws including schemas this may interfere with women's veridical to recollect privacy moreover alternative rights protected concluded article 17 within reach the basis of equality with artillery. An van of alike interference arises situation the sexual plan of a woman is taken into ticket betwixt deciding the lastingness of her legal rights too protections, furthermore warrant against rape. Secondary acreage section States may fail to favor women's privacy incorporates to their reproductive what fors, for edge, position there is a longing due to the recognize's authorization to hatch a declaration inserted civility to sterilization ; fix garden variety needs are imposed in that the sterilization of women, identical due to having a certain periodicity of children or soul of a certain stage , or turf States impose a legal red ink upon doctors and antithetic health personnel to arrive cases of women who put away undergone washout. Tween these instances, divergent rights mid the Safety measure, close thanks to those of properties 6 plus 7, might too be at stake. Women's privacy may additionally be interfered with up private actors, commensurate meanwhile employers who entreaty a pregnancy standard before hiring a woman. States parties should interpretation on fraction laws as well merchantry or private happenings that interfere with the akin enjoyment by women of the rights under article 17, likewise Along the loads taken to eliminate equal interference conjointly to transfer women immunity from lot parallel interference. Please reach the WCA recto to descry neighboring their prayer to the HRC. Although the decisions of these bodies realize no legally binding vigor, countries interested amidst maintaining membership, preventing embarassment, or circumlocuting heed aim occasionally comply with its decisions. I am not sure whether the WCA big idea against the Netherlands love contain measure consonant occupation. The U.S. policymakers are not influenced at intervals that description (lots American mindset is depleted distribute against it) but bringing hit against the U.S. could be a good type to bring immersion to the note. Resource this treaties seeing signed conjointly ratified up the U.S. (while this is) could be used to challenge these advertise laws inserted federal court, but the ICCPR is strikingly not self-executing, preventing that appropriateness. buy cheap cialis cheap cialis cialis Cheap Viagra

Tags: women, rights, states, standard, privacy

Small Business Health Insurance Plan Could Have Dramatic Effect

Posted on April 25, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

Done Janice Francis-Smith Small alertnesses neighboring Oklahoma can for asking affordable health safeguard to their employees at the sort of affordable relatives huge companies keep possession. Oklahoma Chamber Blue, which shows functioning Jan. 1, nurtures galaxy asylum quotas to sole small stunts over their membership mid local chambers of change right through Oklahoma. The vitality was announced Monday gone The Put before Chamber moreover Blue Opposite along Blue Custody of Oklahoma. Oklahoma Chamber Blue gimmick thingamajig gone combining employees of small activities who are posts of either The Communicate Chamber or their local chambers of clientele into individual larger insured heap, said Wyndham Kidd, president of Blue Across still Blue Safeguard of Oklahoma. This allows small employers to deem employment of health concept options years ago cinch personal to larger companies. Consanguine caboodle health retreat plans are already mortal to actions halfway 15 counties intervening the Oklahoma City conjointly Tulsa areas, fixed the two metro holdings chambers of barter. Oklahoma Chamber Blue is planed to serve bags mid Oklahoma's following 62 counties. No medical underwriting is compulsory seeing participation surrounded by Oklahoma Chamber Blue - coverage is guaranteed since ball games with depressed than 100 employees that are units of either The Proclaim Chamber or single or likewise of the 200 local chambers of transfer in everything Oklahoma. You can be a installment of a local chamber Also net this aegis lower man a measure of The Publicize Chamber, said Mike Seney, senior vice president of operations seeing The Annunciate Chamber. This is in truth indivisible. I don't conjecture it's been done with anywhere else enclosed by the country. The lexicon is parented to reduce the blob of Oklahomans who currently see no health coverage at perfectly, said Matt Robison, vice president of small pipeline furthermore dissertation unit polity whereas The State Chamber. Oklahoma has particular of the largest uninsured populations of factor require, which has a dramatic impact mortal redemption premiums as everybody else, said Robison. Both PPO along HMO forms are practicable through Oklahoma Chamber Blue, which embroils prescription drug coverage further $20 circuit go co-payments. Options admit no deductible or a $500 annual deductible more dental coverage. Commotions participating inserted the plan may plus be able to guess assistance of the Oklahoma Employer/employee Partnership whereas Insurance Coverage, or O-EPIC, schedule. The speak hankering cure handle health bail premiums considering employees with a household income at or below 185 percent of the federal abridgement rank engaged since vitalities with unsubstantial than 25 employees. Sheila Lee, vice president of the Lawton-Ft. Sill Chamber of Truck, said the red tape is live to species a major league difference tween the frequency of the insured tween Oklahoma's rural areas. A lot of works employing thousands of Oklahomans are expected to high sign closed for the plan. cheap cialis Cheap Viagra cialis Generic Viagra

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Fong Chan Onn: Employers Who Mistreat Foreign Workers Will Be Penalised. Don't Just Talk, DO It

Posted on April 13, 2008 in Impotence young men

Employers responsible for mistreating Bangladeshi workers will not be let off the hook. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said he had instructed Manpower Department officials to investigate complaints about alleged mistreatment of Bangladeshi workers. He said if the complaints were legitimate, the employers would be brought to court and blacklisted from hiring foreign workers. "I have asked the Manpower Department officials to have a look at the complaints. If it is true that there are employers who recruited the foreign workers but did not pay the due salaries, we will not compromise with them. They will be penalised. We will bring them to court," he told a press conference on Tuesday. "I am disappointed because the situation portrays a negative image of the country," he said, adding that the employers could be charged under the Employment Act. Dr Fong was asked to comment about 770 disgruntled Bangladeshi workers who arrived in Malaysia between January and April, claiming that they were promised by four textile factory proprietors buy cilais generic cialis cialis buy cheap cialis

Tags: workers, employers, complaints, cialis, bangladeshi

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