The following article appeared in the Laredo Morning Times almost a year ago. What has the county done since to address rising health care costs? From our vantage point, essentially nothing…………………
Archive for July, 2018
Medical Claims “Killing” Webb County Self-Funded Health Plan
Tuesday, July 31st, 2018Only One Election Away…………………
Monday, July 30th, 2018Bernie & The Elephant In The Room
“If every major country on earth can guarantee health care to all, and achieve better health outcomes, while spending substantially less per capita than we do, it is absurd for anyone to suggest that the United States cannot do the same” – Bernie
Centivo – A New Type of Health Plan
Monday, July 30th, 2018Centivo, a New Type of Health Plan, Raises $34 Million in Series A Funding
Next Generation Self-Funded Health Plan Launched to Help Employers Deliver Affordable, Sustainable Healthcare for Their Employees.
CMS Picks Fight With Powerful Hospitals?
Friday, July 27th, 2018THE COST IS TO DAMN HIGH!
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed significant cuts to the payment hospitals receive for care they provide to Medicare patients…………………
Trump Officials Scoff at ‘Medicare for All’ Drive
Friday, July 27th, 2018Medicare is running out of other people’s money, and those other people happen to be our children……
50 Rural Hospital CEO’s To Know
Friday, July 27th, 2018The CEOs featured on this list have overcome significant challenges operating rural community and critical access hospitals to lead sustainable and thriving organizations……………….
.006 Cents On The Dollar Removes Medical Debt
Thursday, July 26th, 2018Independent primary care providers donate over $10,000 to buy $1,474,987.25 in unpaid medical bills………………………….
Health Care Maverick Hits The Airwaves
Wednesday, July 25th, 2018Hello again everyone. I’m writing you all once again, but this time to share two radio appearances I made last weekend.
ScriptSourcing: Ensuring Rx Access & Affordability
Wednesday, July 25th, 2018Founded by CEO Gary Becker, a health insurance and risk management consultant for more than 30 years, ScriptSourcing works with employers to rein in the costs of Rx spending through a coordinated, seamless approach involving several key programs.
The Cost of Convenience
Tuesday, July 24th, 2018“More employers are seeing the value of adding a little bit of inconvenience to their health plans these days.”
Some Texas School Districts Want Out of TRS ActiveCare
Monday, July 23rd, 2018Since 2015, some El Paso school district employees and lawmakers have been asking the state to let them leave the program…………………………….
The Health Care Payers That No One Has Ever Heard Of
Friday, July 20th, 2018Go Away, I’ve Never Heard of Them!
What must we do when a patient presents an insurance card that lists no insurance company and no PPO network? We must reject them, the bible says so!
School Teachers Are The Ones Paying For Health Care, Not Their Employer
Friday, July 20th, 2018Teachers pay 100% of their health insurance, not their employers. How? Lower pay so the difference can be generously paid by the employer……………………………
Do Hospitals Lose Money on Medicare?
Thursday, July 19th, 2018Doctors & Hospitals Sue Patients
Thursday, July 19th, 2018Insurance Consultant Sentenced
Wednesday, July 18th, 2018William O. Haff
After more than three years in limbo, William O. Haff has finally learned his fate.
Haff has plead guilty to accepting bribes to steer his consulting clients to broker The Mullen Group. Sam Mullen of The Mullen Group has been given a prison sentence related to the scheme.
U.S. To Make More Drugs Easily Available, Cutting Role Docs Play
Wednesday, July 18th, 2018Americans may soon be able to get cholesterol-lowering medications and other widely used prescription drugs without seeing a doctor, a first step in what could amount to sweeping changes to how patients access treatments for chronic conditions…………….
GROWDEN v. GOOD SHEPHERD HEALTH SYSTEM
Wednesday, July 18th, 2018$25,308 Emergency Room Visit
Hospital sued for egregious pricing…………hospital responds by waiving all charges………Judge dismisses lawsuit…………Plaintiff appeals and wants to continue the lawsuit………….Appellate court agrees……..lawsuit continues……………..What is reasonable value of the treatment? Stay tuned……..
HealthSmart® Launches SmartDecision™ Reference Based Pricing Solution
Wednesday, July 18th, 2018The Reference Based Pricing movement is unstoppable. More vendors are entering the arena, moving away from managed care networks. HealthSmart is the newest entrant…………….
Insurance Consultant Faces Sentencing
Monday, July 16th, 2018William O. Haff
After more than three years in limbo, William O. Haff will learn his fate today before a Federal Judge.
HHC Group
Monday, July 16th, 2018As part of its broad suite of cost-containment services, HHC Group provides Medical Necessity (Bill) Reviews (MNRs) for Group Health, Auto and Workers Comp claims. Our Board certified physician specialists review medical records and billed codes to ascertain whether the services and supplies are appropriate and essential. They base their determinations on CMS and other nationally published and recognized guidelines (FDA, AMA, MCG, Cancer Institute, etc.). We do MNRs for all types of claims; prospective, post-service/prepayment and post-payment.
Hospitals Don’t Mind Being Overpaid So They Are Not Complaining
Monday, July 16th, 2018David Belk is at it again. Someone please send David a Schuessler Stick ( The Schuessler Stick™)
In Health Care The Law of Supply & Demand Doesn’t Exist
Sunday, July 15th, 2018I Will Show You How To Cut Your Rx Costs by 50%
Saturday, July 14th, 2018
The Ever Outrageous Outlier
Friday, July 13th, 2018This one (lawsuit) appears to be all about outlier provisions, and what happens when a really high dollar claim hits a plan………………………………..
Paychex Now a ‘Top 20’ Insurance Agency in the U.S.
Friday, July 13th, 2018A New Twist in Reference Based Pricing Lawsuits?
Thursday, July 12th, 2018“And the verdict is…………….”
This case is instructive for employers who use reference pricing. It is a good reminder that employers who use reference pricing should confirm that they fall within the guidance for establishing a network and confirm that their administrators are correctly explaining the plan terms to providers who call to determine coverage.
Mike Dendy Announces Launch of AHPA
Thursday, July 12th, 2018I’m pleased to announce the launch of Association Health Plans of America (AHPA). AHPA will be sponsored by Job Creators Network (JCN) an Association started by Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus to assist small businesses. JCN has partnered with Dr. Tom Price former Secretary of HHS and the primary author of the AHP regulations and legendary business and sports legend Fran Tarkenton for the development and national deployment of an AHP targeting small employers and using the new regulations to place the group(s) upon an ERISA self-funded platform.
Health Care Expert Poses Interesting Question
Thursday, July 12th, 2018Editor: Another interesting observation by Mel Schlesinger: Lower your health care costs by enrolling for a 3 credit hour course at your local college………………………………
New Cost Containment Strategy? – DIVORCE
Thursday, July 12th, 2018The following article is another example of a broken health care system and the lengths some take to find affordable health care…………………..
TPA Sues Teladoc
Thursday, July 12th, 2018An Illinois benefits administrator is suing the telemedicine company Teladoc for $450,000 in overcharges, claiming the company tried to restructure a refund to avoid a negative outlook on its financial statements.
One Phone Call Later And Presto – Lower Rx Prices for All Americans
Wednesday, July 11th, 2018Scheussler Stick™ Sales Explode
Tuesday, July 10th, 2018The Schuessler Stick™, introduced to the market less than one week ago, is surpassing all sales expectations. It’s rumored to be a “must have” for all the attendees of the upcoming SIIA convention in Austin, Texas. Orders are averaging 2,000 per day.
The 340B Program
Tuesday, July 10th, 2018For 25 years, the 340B program has provided hospitals with financial help to expand access to life-saving prescription drugs and comprehensive health care services to low-income and uninsured individuals in communities across the country.
Getting Away With Murder
Tuesday, July 10th, 2018“Pfizer & others should be ashamed that they have raised drug prices for no reason,” Trump posted on Twitter. “They are merely taking advantage of the poor & others unable to defend themselves, while at the same time giving bargain basement prices to other countries in Europe & elsewhere. We will respond!”
Detecting Truth, Deception, and Lies
Tuesday, July 10th, 2018Most people believe they can tell when someone is lying…………….but some can’t. For example, an insurance agent representing a BUCA tells their client they receive no other compensation other than the disclosed PEPM fee. How can one tell if this is a lie………………?
Let’s Face It – Scott Sterling Never Gives Up
Monday, July 9th, 2018David Belk Reports On His RX Findings
Monday, July 9th, 2018David Belk, M.D.
Hello again everyone, I hope you all had a great 4th of July!
I’m writing you all today to give you two updates about prescription medication costs. The first update has to do with the cost of generic prescription drugs: Their prices went down last year! That’s right, down, by an average of about 12%!!
The Path To Fixing Health Care Starts With Employers
Sunday, July 8th, 2018“You don’t need an act of Congress to make a difference when it comes to employer health” – Dave Chase
The Schuessler Stick™
Saturday, July 7th, 2018“I always say I have to carry metal rod with the mirror at the bottom of it to run under my car before crank it up” – Carl Schuessler
Benefits Consultants Group
Saturday, July 7th, 2018Is Anything But Status Quo Better?
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018When things are so bad that anything different than the status quo is considered a good idea…that’s when we find out just how bad it really can get.
Who Starts Tyrone’s Car In The Morning?
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018How many businesses do you know want to cut their revenues in half? That’s why traditional pharmacy benefit managers don’t offer a fiduciary standard and instead opt for hidden cash flow opportunities such as rebate masking. Want to learn more? – Tyrone Squires
Managing Risk VS Servicing Risk
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018Brokers who survive in the long run will adopt both strategies by aggregating best in class services on a private label basis as a single source comprehensive branded model……………………..This will enable independent brokers to effectively compete with the big boys…………………….
Nurse Hotline Causes Sharp Increase in ER Visits
Monday, July 2nd, 2018
PillPack Founders, 32 & 35 To Receive $200 Million From Sale
Sunday, July 1st, 2018The two co-founders of PillPack are set to get about $100 million each in the startup pharmacy’s sale to Amazon.com.
Amazon + PillPack = Major Market Disruption
Sunday, July 1st, 2018PillPack is an online pharmacy that packages, organizes and delivers presorted doses of medications.
Healthcare Price Transparency Ballot Initiative
Sunday, July 1st, 2018“We launched our advocacy program in Colorado in 2017, and drafted powerful legislation, which will serve as a prototype for our efforts in other states.” – David Silverstein