Carriers are from Mars, employers from Venus: 4 responses to get the health information you need
February 28, 2013 11:20 AM
Scenario 1: Standing up to the Intimidator
What the insurer says: I could tell you, but then Id have to kill you. (Or some version of, We cant give you any data for legal, administrative, technical, or other reasons that have scary-sounding acronyms.)
What you say: I want to assure you, I do not want any sensitive or confidential data. Instead, please give me summary, aggregated, de-identified data.
Scenario 2: Outsmarting the Know-It-All
What the insurer says: All of our groups have high costs from [insert chronic illness here].
What you say: That may be true, but my group certainly will differ in subtle and dramatic ways from the average. Im seeking solutions for my group, not the average group.
Scenario 3: Stretching beyond the Inside-the-Box Thinker
What the insurer says: You only need to target illnesses that can be affected by lifestyle.
What you say: Studies show that only about 20% of health costs are related to lifestyle habits. If I limit my view to lifestyle illnesses, Ill be missing most of the picture.
Scenario 4: Getting details from the Data Pusher
What the insurer says: You have all the information you need from our standard reports.
What you say: Most standard reports dont have the level of detail that I need to make informed decisions. What I really need is a plain-English report that specifically names my groups cost-driving illnesses with words like back problems, migraines and normal pregnancy. Id like the data broken down by clinical condition. If you need it, theres a free schematic for what Im talking about at the AHRQ website.
