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Would $2K a Year Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle?Three years ago, a non-profit organization in Berne, Ind., switched its 120 health insurance eligible employees from a $500 annual deductible on their health insurance to $2,500. To help offset the cost increase, workers were offered a supplemental policy that would grant them credits worth up to $2,000 if they kept their weight in check, didn't smoke and met specific standards for blood pressure and cholesterol. Read More —Source: USA Today, July 11, 2007 How Moore’s Nemesis Found InsuranceIf you’ve seen Michael Moore’s “Sicko,” you’re probably familiar with the story of Jim Kenefick. Jim runs the anti-Moore site MooreWatch.com, and last year ran into financial trouble over his wife’s health. As Moore puts it in “Sicko”: "He was faced with a choice of either keep attacking me, or pay for his wife's health. Fortunately, he chose his wife.” Read More —Source: Vimo, July 10, 2007 Procedure Price and Quality: No Real Connection
A Pennsylvania health care agency has found that at 60 hospitals performing heart-bypass surgery, there is little if any relationship between the quality of care or the price. Researchers say the reason is that there's no financial incentive in the present system for hospitals to provide care that leads to better outcomes or lower payments. Maybe that will start to change with the price transparency being delivered by Vimo.com. Read More Free Generics from Humana
Humana just announced they are giving away free drugs to members that make the switch from brand name to generic drugs. Humana announced that plan enrollees will have their first copayment for a generic equivalent waived when utilizing Humana’s prescription home delivery service, RightSource. Read More Sunshine Safety Tips
Here are some quick safety tips on how to remain safe in the summer sun, courtesy of Consumer Reports: 1. Use sunscreen but know its limits. Check the label for products that help protect against UVA and UVB rays, since both types can cause potentially cancerous changes in cells. Choose a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. 2. Wear the right clothing. Opt for tighly woven fabrics for better sun protection. 3. Shield your eyes. Wear a broad-rimmed hat and choose large-frame, wraparound sunglasses. 4. Don't rely on shade. Just because you're sitting under a leafy tree doesn't mean you're shielded from the damage of the sun's UV rays. 5. Stay hydrated. 6. Recognize heat-stroke symptoms. Swelling of the hands and feet, fatigue, and prickly heat (a rash caused by blocked sweat pores) are signs that you need to cool off.
Medicare Members Encouraged to Jump OnlineSource: Kaiser Permanente.
As Vimo has demonstrated with its comparison-shopping-for-surgery service and its well-known health insurance quoting system, using the Internet can save patients money and time when it comes to dealing with their health care. Now Kaiser Permanente is partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to inform Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries about the pluses of using online records. Kaiser's online health management tools, available under "Your Health Record," include lab test results, prescription refills, eligibility/benefits, past office visit summaries, allergy and immunization information and access for parents to their children's records. Already, over one million Kaiser Permanente members have accessed "Your Health Record" online at its Web site, kp.org. Kaiser is encouraging Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries that are members of Kaiser to log onto the Web site and activate their accounts to view records and set up doctor's appointments online. Just over 880,000 Kaiser Permanente members are Medicare beneficiaries. Learn More Beware of Clinics Within Pharmacies?
Is an in-store clinic located inside a pharmacy a conflict of interest? Maybe, according to the American Medical Association, which is concerned that pharmacies have too much of a financial interest in writing prescriptions to customers. Read More |
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The Vimo BeatThe Latest Vimo Reports The Vimo Research Group publishes a new report on health care pricing just about every month. The latest report focuses on women's health – specifically prices related to prices for medical procedures performed by obstetrician / gynecologists (OB/GYNs). We learned that prices vary widely by zip code. The new report also shows that the gender make-up of OB/GYN specialists is shifting. While there are currently more male obstetrician / gynecologists in the U.S. than women, in 20 years women should outnumber men in the profession. This projection is based upon graduation dates and genders in Vimo's database of U.S. physicians. Other important findings from the report include:
- Most obstetrician / gynecologists are concentrated along the East Coast, in Texas or in California. Vimo Research Group's "Women's Health: OB/GYN Trends Report" report can be downloaded for free here. In May, Vimo published the first interactive atlas that details the availability of affordable health insurance in all 50 states. It's interesting to see how prices differ for similar plans from state to state. You can access the Atlas for free here. Need Health Insurance? Speak Now With an ExpertLet Vimo call your phone and connect you with a licensed expert to discuss your health insurance needs now. Learn More How Can
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Source: New York Times, Vimo.com.
Source: Humana.
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