Swine Flu Employee Education

Below are links to a variety of swine flu educational resources that will help you stay on top of the situation. They include:

• General information about swine flu from the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC is updating this page several times a day.
• Information about workplace planning for a pandemic such as swine flu from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and OSHA.
• Additionally, we encourage you to contact your state and local health departments for additional guidance on this topic.

The CDC has offered recommendations for everyday actions people can take to protect themselves from this new strain of flu.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  • Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
  • If you get sick, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

NJ Prescription Drug Price Registry

The NJ Prescription Drug Registry will help consumers compare retail prices charged by pharmacies for the most frequently prescribed prescription drugs. By comparing prices here, consumers can see what a pharmacy has reported to the state that it charged for a specific Rx. You will find that prices for the exact medication will be different from pharmacy to pharmacy and from town to town. To use this registry click here, this link will also be on the right side of my blog titled NJ Prescription Drug Registry. New York and Connecticut have a similar site called Prescription Drug Prices in New York State and CT Attorney General’s Prescription Drug Page.

 

 

Prescription Assistance Program Loosens Eligibility Guidelines, Expands Access

According to a February 2009 Kaiser Health tracking poll more than 53% of all Americans are cutting back on healthcare in someway because of costs concerns. The most common behaviors are relying on home remedies and over the counter drugs rather than going to the doctor. One in four have put off healthcare that they needed more generally and one in five have not filled a needed prescription and one in six have cut pills in half or skipped doses to make their prescription last longer.

Together Rx Access, a prescription savings program sponsored by some of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies, has loosened its income eligibility requirements, thereby expanding the number of health consumers who qualify for the program. Share this anyone who is in need of support.

Governor Patterson Slams Healthcare Premium Costs

 

Health care premiums will be increasing as a result of the State Legislature approving the Governor’s proposed increases in taxes, fees and assessments on your health benefits as part of his Deficit Reduction Plan. This increase may very well come prior to your next annual renewal.

 

In short, as part of the Deficit Reduction Plan, the Governor has added to the State Premium tax and has imposed a new tax on certain physician services.

 

The insurance carriers are required to collect these taxes, fees and assessments and there will be no exceptions or extensions. The estimated overall percentage is thought to be between 1% and 5% which will be passed along to the carriers’ clients. At this point, the carriers are determining how and when they will roll this out.  For more details on these taxes see my Feb 4th post. 

 

We will monitor this situation and advise you as we get additional information

 

DOL Releases ARRA COBRA Model Notices

 

The DOL has released the new model notices today. We will be reviewing all new notices and sharing with you via email under which circumstances to use these new notices.  COBRA NOTICES 

 

DOL creates website on COBRA coverage under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

All employers and employees now have a site that answers questions about the COBRA coverage under ARRA. Individuals who request treatment as an assistance eligible individual and are denied such treatment by their group health plan may have the right to appeal to the DOL. The DOL is currently developing a process and an official application form that will be required to be completed for appeals. According to the website, The DOL is actively working to issue additional guidance regarding the COBRA premium reductions.  I expect to see the DOL’s final notices regarding changes under ARRA next week.  Important IRS forms are also available in spanish and english at this site.  Stay tuned for more information.

Go to DOL COBRA ARRA site

Patterson Proposes to Increase Taxes on Self Insured Health Plans and HCRA Assessments

Governor Patterson’s proposed State Budget will impose substantial additional costs to your employee and retiree health plans. These additional taxes and assessments will impact all plans including private business, schools, colleges & universities, hospitals and union funds.

This proposed tax would impose a $1 assessment per claim over $20 that is processed under a self insured program including prescriptions drugs and a 240 million increase in the HCRA “covered life” assessment paid by all entities providing health insurance.

The Governor has chosen a bad time to tax businesses that provide healthcare to employees and families to help bridge the states financial crisis. We need to get this message to him that these proposals would be devastating if they are not eliminated from the final budget.

Call your legislators in Albany now as they are working hard on this budget and need to hear from all businesses now on eliminating these taxs

Getting Free or Low Cost Prescription Drugs

 

Given the significant rise in unemployment and people unable to afford the costs of COBRA may people are going without Rx coverage.  Help is available for people to receive free or low cost prescription drugs thru PAP’s.

 

Patient Assistance Programs (PAP’s) are programs set up by drug companies that offer free or low cost drugs to individuals who are unable to pay for their medication. Most of the best known and most prescribed drugs can be found in these programs. All of the major drug companies have patient assistance programs, although every company has different eligibility and application requirements.

 

Eligibility varies program by program. Generally, individuals must have incomes under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, cannot have prescription coverage from any public or private source and must be a U.S. resident or citizen. Some companies require that the patient has no health insurance.

 

For more on PAP go to RxAssist and spread the good word.       

  

Cuomo Battles Health Insurance Carriers and Posts a Victory for Consumers and Transparency

Cuomo Speaks Out on Victory

Back in February 2008 I reported NY Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo was investigating United Healthcare and has subpoenaed 16 other health plans including Aetna, CIGNA, Humana, and Well Point a subsidiary of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield to determine how they calculate UCR. UCR is the usual customary and reasonable payment made for medical services rendered outside of the insurance carrier’s network.

Yesterday United Healthcare agreed to close down two Ingenix databases used to determine usual and customary payment rates for services for out of network doctors and pay 50 M to establish a new database that will be run by an independent nonprofit.  This much criticized database was run by Ingenix a subsidiary of United Healthcare. 

Cuomo’s investigation found that the UCR determined by Ingenix database for claims led to underpayments by iurers anywhere from 10 to 28 percent.   United wasn’t the only carrier using this database.

 

This is a huge victory for healthcare transparency for consumers. Under the agreement the new database will come with a web site that allows consumers to see how much they will be reimbursed for services in their area for out of network services

Free Antibiotics at Stop & Shop

Starting January 2, 2009, and continuing through March 21, 2009, Stop & Shop pharmacies are offering a 14-day supply of the most commonly prescribed generic antibiotics for free. Simply bring in your valid prescription from your doctor.

For a list of participating antibiotics, click here.

For a list of frequently asked questions click here.