A seemingly valid concern about Reference Based Pricing strategies on the part of consumers is the possibility of balance billing leading to personal debt, lawsuits and ruined credit.
Archive for March, 2019
The Balance Billing Myth
Sunday, March 31st, 2019The Evolution of Reference Based Pricing
Sunday, March 31st, 2019Thurman James Chapman
Sunday, March 31st, 2019OCTOBER 13, 1925 – MARCH 27, 2019
Thurman James (T.J.) Chapman, age 93, of Austin, Texas passed away peacefully at his home on March 27, 2019 after a long illness.
Donna Independent School District Seeks Insurance Consultant
Saturday, March 30th, 2019Donna Independent School District is accepting Insurance Consulting Services RFP #032219-487 at the office of the purchasing agent located at:
Judge Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Health Care Plan
Friday, March 29th, 2019The most powerful branch of government strikes down proposed rules for association health plans………….The Trump administration had rolled out the plans after President Trump signed an executive order directing Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta to consider allowing more small employers to form association health plans.
WellCare bought by Centene
Friday, March 29th, 2019WellCare Health Plans Inc. will be acquired by Centene Corp. in a $17.3 billion cash and stock deal.
Slapped in North Carolina
Friday, March 29th, 2019“Delay and Confuse” is one of the oldest tactics used by incumbents under attack. The North Carolina flirtation with Reference Based Pricing for their state employees is a classic example.
$15,000,000,000.00
Thursday, March 28th, 2019Reference Based Pricing Model For Prescription Drugs
Thursday, March 28th, 2019Reference pricing divides drugs into therapeutic classes, which allow a payer to identify an average price to use as a reference point……………………
ObamaCare On The Ropes Again – Investors Skittish
Wednesday, March 27th, 2019Here we go again. Another challenge to the ACA. But this time investors are weighing the odds and taking their money elsewhere…………………..
Litigation vs. Negotiation: How to successfully structure RBP
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019As consultants we have options when it comes to vendors, and if you’re in this healthcare revolution, I urge you to choose your partners thoughtfully and more importantly, in alignment with the values you communicate as an adviser…………….
Medical Providers Declare War In North Carolina
Saturday, March 23rd, 2019North Carolina may not embrace Reference Based Pricing strategies for the state employee plan after all. The North Carolina medical community has declared war. “Delay and Confuse”, a time tested tactic, is the weapon of choice……….
Health Care Prices vs Health Care Costs
Saturday, March 23rd, 2019Dave Chase
Hospitals have overplayed their hand just like Pharma. At a certain point, gluttony has blowback.
Health Plans For State Employees Use Medicare’s Hammer On Hospital Bills
Saturday, March 23rd, 2019Some states are moving to control costs of state employee health plans by implementing defined contribution plans, a move away from traditional defined benefit plans. Montana, North Carolina, Oregon and Delaware are states that have implemented defined contribution health plans for their state employees or are about to do so. Meanwhile Texas is considering a House Bill to “study alternatives” to health care financing for their state employee benefit programs.
Finnish Government Collapses Due to Rising Cost of Universal Health Care
Saturday, March 23rd, 2019A Reason to Be Skeptical of the Workplace Wellness Industry
Friday, March 22nd, 2019Study of a comprehensive workplace wellness program concludes that it didn’t change employees’ behavior or health care costs. Employees who took part didn’t become healthier or more productive, and were not more likely to go to the gym or run in a local race. Total health care costs didn’t drop, either.
Amazing Statistic!
Thursday, March 21st, 2019The latest survey shows that
three out of four people make up 75% of the population |
The 20 Most Expensive Drugs in the U.S.A.
Thursday, March 21st, 2019All 20 of these drugs are priced well over $25,000 for a monthly supply, or + $300,000 per year
Will Texas Consider Feasibility of Reference Based Pricing Strategies for Public Educators?
Wednesday, March 20th, 2019$64,000 Question
House Bill 3987, if passed, will direct a commission to study alternative mechanisms for offering health benefit plan coverage to the affected employees of the TRS ActiveCare program and their dependents. Will “alternative mechanisms” include a study of Reference Based Pricing strategies? Will Texas follow the lead of Montana, North Carolina and the South Texas Health Cooperative?
Insurance Agent Who Stole 80+ Identities Gets Probation
Monday, March 18th, 2019A Colorado insurance agent who created more than 80 phony life insurance policies has been sentenced to probation.
What Health Care Consumers Never See
Friday, March 15th, 2019I get emails like the one below almost every day on claims incurred under various Reference Based Pricing plans. The redacted email below shows how egregious health care billing practices are and what consumers are expected to pay in relationship to what Medicare pays.
3 Drug Manufacturers Hold 7,000,000 Americans Hostage – Life or Death?
Friday, March 15th, 2019The Canadian inventor of insulin sold his patent for $1 to the University of Toranto back in the 1920’s to benefit mankind with a life saving, inexpensive drug. Now three drug manufacturers hold the power of life and death over 7,000,000 diabetic Americans. Why?
A Cost Effective Approach to Reference Based Pricing
Thursday, March 14th, 2019
Going with a PEPM subscription model yields greater plan savings than charging a percentage of savings. Our RBP solution, powered by Payer Compass, uses that model and helping is helping clients save up to 72% over traditional PPO networks.
Texas School District Continues Deficit Spending On Health Plan
Thursday, March 14th, 2019The Donna Independent School District (DISD) in deep South Texas continues to under fund their self-funded health plan. In a competitive RFP process last year the district moved their self-funded health plan administration from Blue Cross to United HealthCare. However, the change in plan administrators have not shown any savings to date, although there is a “shared savings” fee paid to the administrator. Try explaining that to the boys in the domino parlor.
New Health Plans Expose Insureds To Less Risk
Thursday, March 14th, 2019New health plans expose insureds to less risk:
The risk of systematic rising health insurance costs, erosion of benefits and less choice. Provider payments are fully transparent unlike traditional health plans that cloak provider pricing in secrecy.
Members may select any provider of choice unlike PPO and HMO plans. There are no high deductibles and in some cases no deductibles at all. So what’s the catch?
Some TPA’s Are Planning For Survival, Others Are Not
Wednesday, March 13th, 2019With a single payer system only one election away, some TPA’s are looking towards the future. Others have their heads in the sand.
Blue Cross Enters Food Business
Wednesday, March 13th, 2019For a low co-pay of $10 every time you order a meal and a reasonable $6 delivery charge (tips encouraged) you can get free meals from Blue Cross if you live in designated areas. You don’t even have to be a Blue Cross member, although we suspect those are the ones paying for all of this……………
Mother Knows Best
Tuesday, March 12th, 2019A major carrier (Mother) will require all new self-funded employer customers (Children) to incorporate this feature into their plan designs……………….As children don’t you hate to be told what to do?
Lockton Enters Reinsurance Business
Monday, March 11th, 2019Monkey Business?
Monday, March 11th, 20191980’s BCBS Representative At Work
I remember years ago when I was a naive young salesman for BCBS working in a rural area office. I was eventually promoted to a big city office. It was a new experience for me. I noticed real fast that all the other sales reps. were involved in some sort of “monkey business.”
They were typing up group health insurance proposals in the confines of their company paid offices (door closed of course) on behalf of competitors, pocketing commissions earned in addition to their BCBS salary. One rep. showed me his check stubs from more than one competitor and said “Bill, why don’t you do the same? It’s easy money! And, if I get fired or quit, I have a nice steady income coming in!”
Population Health on Steroids
Monday, March 11th, 2019
Solving Health Care At An Affordable Price
Thursday, March 7th, 2019Opening The Black Box
Wednesday, March 6th, 2019Retail Rx Prices Vary a Lot!
Wednesday, March 6th, 2019I take a prescription drug that costs $18 at a mom & pop pharmacy in Cuero, Texas that costs $95 at a chain pharmacy 34 miles down the road in Victoria, Texas. A pharmacist friend told me his cost is $6…………..But of course not too many people know this or care. All they see is a Rx co-pay which effectively hides the scheme from public outcry…………..Many of our clients exclude two of the largest drug store chains in the country because they know prices there are 500-600% higher at the retail level than most independent pharmacies. That alone will save on average 5-10% off a group’s total drug spend.
Seize The Day & Reference Based Pricing
Tuesday, March 5th, 2019
Specialty Drugs Are Killing Your Renewals!
Tuesday, March 5th, 2019Insurer of Last Resort
Tuesday, March 5th, 2019Glenn McLellan – Sales & Account Management at Centivo
Monday, March 4th, 2019For 35 years I have worked closely with all constituents in the self-insurance industry to help our industry be the best that it can be. From my perspective, the development of Centivo is the culmination of every effort I have made for a TPA to be “world class” and represent the future.
TPA Offers New Health Plan Model
Sunday, March 3rd, 2019Centivo offers an alternative to traditional insurance carriers or third-party administrators……..
War On Drugs – The Indians Are Restless
Sunday, March 3rd, 2019Boston Tea Party
What’s the price of tea in China? How about insulin………….Insulin which was discovered in the 1920’s and whose patent sold for $1, has doubled in price between 2012 and 2016 while the price of insulin drug lantus increased 49% in 2014 alone. Why? In this war on drugs we should “Just Say No.”
It’s Scary – House of Representatives or House of Horrors?
Saturday, March 2nd, 2019Rather than finding a way to provide for the small minority who still need health insurance, they want to overhaul the whole health system for everyone……………….
Texas Addresses Balance Billing Issue
Friday, March 1st, 2019A Texas Senate Bill was introduced a few days ago that addresses balance billing issues including credit reporting agencies……………….