Hospitals are donating unpaid debt to a Tulsa-based not-for-profit that claims to connect patients with social services including housing help, food assistance, transportation, addiction treatment or credit counseling.
Month: August 2021
Participate In Stop Loss Profits
Trucking coverage is tough right now. Thanks to nuclear verdicts and low interest rates, premiums are climbing. This is happening to all companies, regardless of their loss experienc
You Can’t Fix What You Don’t See
By William Rusteberg
Has your company tried, over and over again, to solve ever increasing health care costs? “Yes, of course we have, but nothing seems to work!” is a common answer. “We bid out our employee health insurance every year through multiple brokers, we reduce benefits to offset rate increases, and we even light a candle 24 hours before year-end renewal!”
The Klement Letter
“As an outsider looking in and not having all the political implications and considerations that board members face, I’d like to give you our perspective and advice for consideration on your choices.” – Greg Klement
Mike Keogh
“Don’t bother doing something unless you’re radically different from the competition” – Richard Branson
By Bill Rusteberg
Mike Keogh was an extraordinary man. A former BCBSTX salesman in the 1950’s, he later built an independent brokerage in San Antonio with great success. I met Mike in the early 80’s and did quite a bit of business with him.
United States Health Care Pricing Is Insane
Does anyone with health insurance really care what health care costs? After all, with copays and deductible/s the same cost to the consumer no matter where they go for care because other people’s money pay most of the cost……………..
Continue reading United States Health Care Pricing Is Insane
Trends in Hospital Lawsuits Filed Against Patients for Unpaid Bills Following Published Research About This Activity
The findings of this study suggest that research leading to public awareness can shift hospital billing practices. Translation: Hospitals don’t like sunlight……………
French Citizens: “Screw Covid Passports”
A single photo persuaded bureaucrats to drop face mask mandates during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic…………Will a 2021 French picnic picture bring back bureaucratic sanity?
Schuessler’s Band Of Renegades Poised To Solve Health Care
Carl Schuessler, Inventor of The Schuessler Stick™
Mitigate Partners with 30 independent offices across the United States act as the problem-solvers, consulting with businesses on employee benefits……………..
Continue reading Schuessler’s Band Of Renegades Poised To Solve Health Care
Cash Pay Health Insurance Is The Future (and the future is now)
Insured members pay for health care with cash provided by insurance plan funds and paid directly to medical caregivers at the point of service. No patient responsibility and no balance billing. Everyone wins, the plan, plan members and medical caregivers…………Meanwhile under traditional status quo health plans……………
Continue reading Cash Pay Health Insurance Is The Future (and the future is now)
Insurance Payments Tied to Medicare Intrigue States, Employers
Montana’s state employee plan went from a projected $9 million deficit to $112 million in reserves by the end of 2017.
Continue reading Insurance Payments Tied to Medicare Intrigue States, Employers
BUCA Earns “F” In Health Care Cost Containment
A +4,000 life Texas school district self-funds their medical plan using a BUCA as plan administrator and PPO network provider. How has their plan performed in the last seven years?
Continue reading BUCA Earns “F” In Health Care Cost Containment
Long Live Primary Care
“If we increase the spend on primary care so that primary care doctors can holistically manage their patient’s health, quarterbacking to specialists and coordinating care as needed, we can achieve lower overall spend on healthcare.”
TRS ActiveCare Eager To Provide Claim Experience?
After years of refusing to provide member districts their own claim experience, TRS officials now are eager to provide it. Why?
Continue reading TRS ActiveCare Eager To Provide Claim Experience?
Tyler, Texas Chamber Against Hospital Pricing Transparency Rules
Plaintiffs Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America (“U.S. Chamber”) and Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce (“Tyler Chamber”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”), bring this action for declaratory and injunctive relief against the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Labor, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Department of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service, and the current heads of those agencies in their official capacities (collectively, “Defendants”), alleging as follows:
Continue reading Tyler, Texas Chamber Against Hospital Pricing Transparency Rules
Man Sentenced To Death For Refusing Vaccination
Transplant patient taken off list for refusing to take the Chinese Flu vaccination……
Continue reading Man Sentenced To Death For Refusing Vaccination
Dallas ISD Offers $500 Vaccination Incentive
Coach Joe Sixpack and his pals are planning to get vaccinated at least ten times just to be sure. “We’re gonna use the money to help pay for our TRS ActiveCare we can’t afford to use” said Coach Sixpack.
Continue reading Dallas ISD Offers $500 Vaccination Incentive
Commission Relationships in Health Care
The Healthcare Industry is Filled with Commission Relationships Where Money Is Paid, But It Is Not Always Obvious.
Decision Time: TRS ActiveCare or Commercial Health Plan?
Senate Bill 1444 brings districts to a fork in the road. One takes them out of the health insurance business and the other puts them smack dab into it…..
Continue reading Decision Time: TRS ActiveCare or Commercial Health Plan?
The Duopoly That Controls Your Pharmacy Benefit
Dear Plan Sponsor, do you think you control your Rx plan? Think again…………..
Continue reading The Duopoly That Controls Your Pharmacy Benefit
Dead People Paid By Government Health Plan
Dead people have been known to vote, now we learn they get health care while dead too…..Next thing you know we’ll elect dead people to Congress………….
Why a $60 Hospital Bill From 1955 Went Viral
Babies cost $59.95 back in the 1950’s. I was almost free in the decade before that. Babies are worth a lot more these days………….
Continue reading Why a $60 Hospital Bill From 1955 Went Viral
You’ve Got The Body Now You Want My Soul
You’ve got the body now you want my soul………….Ill do almost anything you want me to do but I cant do that, no, no, no………………Ain’t accepting any balance billing baby!
Court Finds Charter School Benefit Plans Fall Under ERISA’s Governmental Plan Exempt
“Because the state not only funds the charter schools but also approves their establishment and continued existence, it is not appropriate to treat them as private institutions subject to public regulation.”
TRS ActiveCare or Commercial Health Plan?
The Kind Of Prospect We Want To Do Business With
Yesterday’s meeting with a prospect was memorable. The group’s in-house risk manager listened politely, then towards the end of the meeting got up and started drawing a diagram on the board, while narrating at the same time.
Continue reading The Kind Of Prospect We Want To Do Business With
Welcome to Global Health Management, Canada or as we refer to ourselves: GHM Canada.
Public Consulting Group
We believe in the power of the public sector…………………….
Where is the medical cost trend headed in 2022?
Healthcare spending is expected to return to pre-pandemic baselines with some adjustments to account for the pandemic’s persistent effects.
Continue reading Where is the medical cost trend headed in 2022?
TRS ActiveCare Flips: Will Release Claim Experience
Can an employer access claims data to compare TRS-ActiveCare to other options for employee health benefits?
Continue reading TRS ActiveCare Flips: Will Release Claim Experience
Easy Issue Life Insurance With Return of Premium Benefit
If They Want to See A COVID “Passport” – Show them This!
How Banning Surprise Billing Changes MultiPlan’s Business
Political winds threaten the stability of MultiPlan’s core business……..
Continue reading How Banning Surprise Billing Changes MultiPlan’s Business
Question for Health Insurance Experts
Plans have been known to exclude coverage for “risky” behavior………
The Robin Hood Risk Adjustment Program
To protect against potential effects of adverse selection and help stabilize premiums in the individual and small group markets, the (Robin Hood) risk adjustment program transfers funds from plans with relatively low-risk enrollees to plans with relatively high-risk enrollees.
What European Country Is This?
National Ambulance Service reach all over the country within 15 minutes…………
Government Considers Onerous Punishment For Renegade Hospitals
Government bureaucrats consider upping punishment for non-compliant hospitals…….
Continue reading Government Considers Onerous Punishment For Renegade Hospitals
Consumers Blame Insurers Surprise Medical Bills
Blame Game In Health Care
Whatever happened to individual responsibility?
Continue reading Consumers Blame Insurers Surprise Medical Bills
Hospital Price Transparency – Not a Cure for the Disease
Transparency has revealed just how absurd the current contracting process is, and has in many ways caused more confusion and obfuscation……………….Costs could very likely rise in many markets as systems learn about higher prices being charged by their competitors – the definition of ‘unintended consequence………….
Continue reading Hospital Price Transparency – Not a Cure for the Disease