Life-balance tools

I have been following Sparkpeople for sometime (thanks Andre). It is one of MANY resources that help users with life-balance solutions.

Employers are increasingly interested in helping employees with home issues. Why? Not only is it the 'right thing to do', but it also can have a benefit to the employer, by reducing the the spillover of stress from outside which may impact an employees productivity.

Sharing tidbits, URLS or tools is a low/no cost solution.

Here is an example of an article healined in the Sparkpeople newsletter I receive:

The Benefits of Eating Together

In the unlikeliest of contexts this weekend, I had a number of discussions about the environments we create for our children to learn and grow. The guest of honor during the weekend, Cory - asked how often we eat together as a family. At roughly the same time, the article The Benefits of Eating Together arrived in my inbox.

The top 8 list (!) from the article:

Reason #1: Communication and Well-Being
Reason #2: Model Manners (and more)
Reason #3: Expand Their World…One Food at a Time
Reason #4: Nourish
Reason #5: Become Self-Sufficient
Reason #6: Prevent Destructive Behaviors
Reason #7: Improve Grades
Reason #8: Save Money

Equal? access

Dr. Brock, President of MedExtra is live on the Tommy Shnurmacher show this morning. The title of the episode:

The government says it wants to help autistic children...I don't buy it. (click to listen)

Tommy is speaking with Dr. Brock and Stanley Schulman, a client of MedExtra's who has been frustrated with the Quebec healthcare and medicare system in the quest to address Stanley's son's medical issues which stem back to David's adoption from the FSU.

MedExtra helped the Schulman family to undergo assessment with Dr. Ronald Federici.

Dr. Federici offered insight to the child's condition, which no local hospitals were able to do, and proposed a treatment plan - again something the local hospitals were unable to achieve.

The hospitals understood their limitation, and supported the family in approaching Medicare for funding for the out of province treatment. The application for funding was denied, citing that the treatment was available locally, and further that the medical discipline Dr. Federici practices is not eligible for funding.

You would expect that the local availability of the care is a cue to a happy ending, shockingly, Medicare declined to direct the family how or where to access the care locally.

Stanley took matters into his own hands and self-financed his son's in-patient care in the US.

Call in 514-790-0991
Text in 514800

Maybe the time is right for a Second Opinion

When questions about the accuracy of cancer pathology emerge & re-emerge within a span of a a short few weeks, it is enough to give rise to concern.... Was my pathology done correctly?

The current episode of the ongoing Canadian saga of questioning the accuracy of pathology tests for breast cancer began at the beginning of June when the Quebec health minister ordered breast cancer retests. The move came as Minister Yves Bolduc, reacted to the Quebec College of Physicians issued report that 30% of pathology tests were potentially questionable.

Now, it turns out that the initial group of about 2,100 reassesments will be increased by another 630. CTV reports that this might not even be the end to test called into question.

Unfortunately these tests will only be concluded by the end of 2009!

The expectation is that some 100 patients will have a new course of treatment recommended. Which means, that until the treatment is changed, they are on the wrong treatment plan. Some Quebecers could be receiving inappropriate care for 6 months before it is corrected.

The underlying problem is that the system is overburdened. While there are an increasing number of cases the resource; professional and technological, have not been invested in to accommodate the increased demand.

MedExtra has been organizing Remote Second Opinions for nearly a decade to take the guesswork out of diagnosis and treatment of our members' medical conditions. Learn more about how MedExtra's Remote Second Opinions integrate with Critical Illness Insurance.

Pharmaceutical Costs on the Rise

Canadian group plan sponsors (employers) dread the annual renewal - or quarterly updates from their agent/broker/actuary/third party administrator, since the cost of the plan - and consequently the premium trend upwards. It is no surprise that 11 major Canadian insurers* report a 15.19% increase in drug costs in 2009 - according to a Buck Consulting survey.

Typically drugs costs account for about 80% of the group plan... a little napkin math and you are looking at 12% increase in costs alone!

That is pretty substantial for a corporate balance sheet item which generates 0 revenue - particularly in the current economic condition.

There are two things which are critical for plan sponsors:

1) Understand that a large portion of the group health plan is a cash-flow tool to assist employees in paying their health costs

• The plan pays ALL employee's health costs
• The employer contributes some portion to the plan
• The plan spreads the remaining cost across ALL employees

2) Put in place measures to control the costs which are paid for by the plan.

Would you think that it is possible to control costs after they are incurred. Of course not! So then why is it that a common reaction is to go and shop the plan to another insurer for a lower rate?

Costs have to be controlled proactively which means equipping the spenders (employees) with the tools and incentive to ensure that the health dollars are spent wisely. According to the survey:

When employees share in the cost of medical
services, they tend to appreciate the actual cost and are
more judicious in their health care purchases.

Strategies include:

• Pharmacy program to address drug plan cost and optimize drug utilization
• Strategic use of generic drugs
  
• Incentivising employees to seek lower cost drug options where available.
  

These should ideally be aligned with a plan sponsor's overall Healthcare Productivity Management Strategy - the employer's plan to focus healthcare related expenses to maximize Return on Investment and Employee Satisfaction for the greatest number of participants.

What measures are YOU taking to control these spiralling costs?


*The 11 partipating insurers:
Alberta Blue Cross
Desjardins Financial Securities
Great-West Life
Green Shield
Manulife Financial
Medavie Blue Cross
Pacific Blue Cross
Saskatchewan Blue Cross
SSQ Financial
Standard Life
Sun Life Financial

MedExtra inks deal with Mediprofil

MedExtra is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Mediprofil to integrate and promote their Electonic Medical Record.

Watch this space for to see how MedExtra will be integrating the EMR to bring employers increased ROI for their health dollars spent.

MedExtra Partners with Right Choice Insurance

MedExtra is pleased to announce its partnership with Right Choice Insurance.

Right Choice leverage's MedExtra's Comprehensive Second Opinion service to bring to market Easy Assist - a unique Critical Illness Insurance feature which kicks in prior to a diagnosis to help Canadian policy holders arrive at the diagnosis promptly - from the initial onset of symptoms.

The insurance product has some exceptional features which will make it standout in Canada.Right Choice Critical Illness Insurance complements our health care system providing:

• Help to speed up tests and shorten wait times, thereby getting a policyholder diagnosed and into treatment faster;
• Telephone support to answer a policyholder's health-related questions for the duration of his or her illness;
• Access to a second opinion & treatment alternatives;
• Access to world-class medical facilities, such as U.S. based Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospital; and
• The ability to make a second claim if the insured is diagnosed with a heart attack, stroke or coronary artery bypass more than 365 days after the payment of the cancer benefit.

The product is available exclusively online and is underwritten by ACE insurance.

Dr. Alex Jadad has his finger on the pulse of the hurdles to overcome in implementing an national Electronic Health Record.

Jadad has outlined the 4 key issues (CRAP).

Confidentiality of health information comes up, but banks are showing that information can be handled confidentially online and that it's not a deterrent.
Reduction in the quality of care is another one - people say technology is dehumanizing, but they don't have a relationship with a doctor who can only spend five minutes with a patient.
Absence of evidence about technology's ability to improve care - it takes years to
do clinical trials to get that evidence, and by the time they're done, the technology's obsolete.
Protection is the last issue: how to handle the legal issues if something goes wrong.

Removing my tongue from my cheek, it is very good to see this sort of messaging coming from the office of no less than a director at the University Health Network of Toronto.

I have two thoughts to add -

• What lessons can Canada Health Infoway (CHI) from the implementation challenges, cost overruns and results of Canada's Gun Registry?
  
• We need to harness the strength of Canada's employers by appealing to their interest in improving their employees health.

More than Employee Relationship building
In the US it is very simple, Employers want to keep employees healthy because healthy employees cost less in terms of expensive medical treatment (physicians, hospitals, etc.)

In Canada - it is not so simple. A result of our socialized medicine structure, the government (our taxes), pays for this large chunk of healthcare costs. We need to dig a little deeper, but we can find health related cost centers for employers. As a society & as an economy we have to uncover the costs of employee health for employers. Providing employers with tangible ROI in health and wellness programs, builds the case for the business decision to invest.


Technorati Tags: Dr. Alex Jadad, Electronic Health Record, EHR, University Health Network, UHN, Canada Health Inforway, CHI, ROI, Healthcare, Wellness