Majority Unaware Of Medical Costs
Americans often grossly misjudge the price of medical services due to a general lack of knowledge about health care and because of a lack of price transparency in the industry, a new survey from HealthMarkets shows. More than 70% of Americans know little or nothing about what their doctors charge for medical services compared to other doctors.
About 73% of adults assumed the highest price for a CT scan of the abdomen would be $2,000. In actuality, the cost for such a procedure ranged from $298 to $2,858. Meanwhile, 83% of adults thought the highest price for knee replacement was $66,000, when the actual price ranged from $22,000 to $77,239. Only 10% of adults correctly guessed the highest price for a tonsillectomy. Approximately 70% said it would be useful to have online data comparing health care providers. Estimates on new patient office visits ranged from $60 to $261.
“Most Americans have no idea how much health care costs or how much it varies from one provider to another,” says William Gedwed, president of HealthMarkets. “If consumers are going to effectively manage their health care dollars, they need to know how much things will cost them.”
HealthMarkets, which is based in North Richland Hills, Texas and provides health insurance services to small businesses, questioned 1,028 adults for the survey.
Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss
The New Year is here. During the holidays you probably indulged in turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and many other tempting goodies. Now you step on the scale and much to your dismay, you've gained a few pounds in addition to the extra weight you may have already accumulated throughout the year. How can you make this the year to slim down and keep the weight off for good?
Researchers say losing just five to 10 percent of your excess body weight can make a big difference in your health, including lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk for diabetes. So where do you start? University of Maryland experts offer the following common-sense strategies to lead you on the way to long-term weight loss.
To read more on these strategies, click on
Weight Loss.
Most Americans Like Their Health Plans
A majority of Americans are satisfied with their health plans and do not intend to switch to another plan for the coming year, a new poll indicates. About 89% of adults are very or somewhat confident that their health insurance for next year will meet their needs, compared to 9% who were not confident in their plan, reveals a recent Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive survey of 2,673 adults with health care coverage.
Only a small segment of individuals, 6%, indicated they would choose a different health plan, while the majority, 86%, intends to stick with what they’ve got. Another 7% weren’t sure, and 1% said they currently don’t have coverage, but would sign up.
Half of adults indicated their monthly premium charges would stay about the same, while 34% said premiums would get more expensive. Over two-thirds believe out-of-pocket costs, including copays and deductibles, would remain the same, while only 18% expect such costs to increase.
Very few Americans participate in health savings accounts, the poll shows. Only 5% of adults said they intend to enroll in an HSA for 2007, compared to 79% who said they did not. Only 17% plan to sign up for a flexible spending account, while 69% do not.
Article provided by Benefit News - 12-7-06
Helpful Hints To Kick The (Smoking) Habit
You know you need to quit. You really want to quit. But smoking has become such a huge part of your life that you just can't imagine waking up in the morning without reaching for a cigarette, finishing a meal without lighting up or hanging out with your friends -- all smokers -- without smoking yourself.
How does one go about kicking the habit for good? What is going to make this year any different than previous ones where you resolved to swear off nicotine?
For helpful tips click on,
Kick the Habit.
Put the Power of Regular Physical Activity to Work for You
You know exercise is good for you, and that it's in your best interest to make this the year you start and/or maintain regular physical activity. But do you know how good getting 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week really is?
Consider: The most recent Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health found that regular physical activity:
Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease
Reduces the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure and colon cancer
Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
Helps control weight and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints
Helps maintain function and preserve independence in older adults
To read more on this article click on
Physical Activity.
Retailers Offering Low-Cost Generics Shake Drug Market
While health care analysts agree that consumers will benefit from Wal-Mart's recent decision to sell certain generic drugs for $4 a month, there's plenty of debate on the impact cheaper generics will have on competition at the retail and PBM levels and on consumerism.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., announced in mid-September that it was launching a test program to sell 291 generic drugs for $4 a prescription in the Tampa area. Shortly thereafter, the company decided to expand the discount program to dozens of states.
To read this article in it entirety click on
Generics.
Wellness Watch: Small Businesses Can Benefit From Wellness Initiatives
Wellness programs geared toward a specific workforce can be just as beneficial for small companies as they are for big companies, and they may be even more successful, experts say.
"Small businesses often do not consider wellness programs because they believe they are too small, or that it isn't effective," says Brian Passon, director of Corporate Fitness & Health, a Marlborough, Conn.-based wellness vendor. "On the contrary, we find that small businesses have the upper hand on bigger businesses when it comes to wellness, and there are several key reasons. They typically get higher rates of participation and generally do not have to work as hard in implementing the programs."
To read this article in its entirety click on
Wellness Watch.
Where to Begin: Expert Advice on Maintaining Resolutions
Bad habits that keep you from optimal health such as smoking, drinking or overeating don't have to follow you into the New Year. You must prepare yourself psychologically, however, if you don't want them hanging around for another 12 months.
Experts agree that no matter how stubborn a habit you've developed, there are ways to break negative patterns and keep healthy resolutions throughout the New Year. The trick is to keep everything in perspective.
To read more, click on
Expert Advice.
Health Inflation Lower, But Worries Grow Over "Fraying Benefits"
This year showed the slowest rate of group health care premium growth since 2000, which is music to the ears of HR professionals. However, the tune remains discordant, because premiums still increased more than twice as fast as workers' wages (3.8%) and overall inflation (3.5%), according to the annual survey of employer health benefits from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust.
Health care premiums grew 7.7% this year, down from 9.2% last year. Competition among insurers contributed to that national trend, with insurers trimming premiums to gain market share, says KFF Vice President Gary Claxton. Small firms saw larger premium increases than large firms.
To read this article in its entirety click on,
Health Care.
Aligning Online Personal Records With Consumer-Driven Care
Personal health records are modernizing medical recordkeeping by allowing consumers to go online to create, organize and control records about their health history.
Not surprisingly, larger employers, such as Verizon Communications, Inc., IBM, Dell, Inc. and Pepsi-Cola North America, are starting to provide their workers with access to PHR systems containing health claim data. They hope the service will help workers keep better track of their health and make better health care choices.
Industry insiders applaud the measure, but point out that PHR technology is still in its nascent stages, and few systems actually connect to electronic health records maintained by doctors and hospitals. Nevertheless, proponents point out that PHRs allow patients to provide health care providers with a comprehensive medical history.
To read this article in its entirety click on
Employee Benefit News, Nov 2006
