Health and wellness

I've never met Danna Korn, but after spending just 25 minutes speaking with her, I believe her company - wellness program vendor Sonic Boom, in Carlsbad, Calif. - is aptly named. Recalling from middle school science that a sonic boom is the thunderous sound created from shock waves when an object is moving faster than the speed of sound, Korn's approach to wellness and her views on traditional programs likely will send shock waves through the industry.

Although for the most part still in their infancy, global wellness programs are beginning to catch on. Unlike U.S. wellness initiatives that are driven largely by fighting rising health care costs, in Asia, the motive is a need to compete for top talent, and European multinationals are focused on reducing absenteeism and improving employees' health and safety, according to Towers Watson. Whatever the reason, formulating a global health strategy means balancing a universal mission with local realities.

President Obama signed legislation in April repealing the expanded 1099 reporting requirements in the health care reform law and Small Business Jobs Act.

The Employers Council on Flexible Compensation is fighting to repeal parts of the health care reform law that establish annual caps for flexible spending accounts and require a prescription for over-the-counter medications to be reimbursed under FSAs. It also is pushing for a change to allow for a cash out at the end of the year in place of the use-it-or-lose-it system that dates back to the 1980s.

Last week's survey results from McKinsey, which found 30% of employers plan to drop health benefits after PPACA-mandated exchanges open in 2014, may be the product of flawed methodology, according to news reports.

One of every seven cancer patients spends more than 20% of his income on health care and insurance, according to a new study from federal researchers.

One of the more contentious issues of last year’s health care reform debate, whether health insurance companies should be allowed to sell policies across state lines, was subject to a congressional hearing last week.

New steps to reduce premiums and make it easier for Americans to enroll in the federally administrated Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan risk pool were announced May 31 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

One of the more contentious issues of last year’s health care reform debate, whether health insurance companies should be allowed to sell policies across state lines, was subject to a congressional hearing last week.

Patients could obtain a list of everyone who has accessed their electronic medical record under a rule proposed Tuesday by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Premiums for new federal health insurance plans that cover high-risk people with pre-existing conditions will drop by as much as 40%, federal health regulators said Tuesday.

Employers nationwide - both big and small - are watching and waiting to see whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's state exchanges will succeed when they open for business in 2014. Small employers and those with low-paid or part-time employees are especially interested in finding out whether funneling their employees into an exchange or finding coverage for them through one would be beneficial.

At Rood & Dax Advanced Insurance Services in Sacramento, Laurie Rood and partner Gayle Dax approach client wellness plans by creating a comprehensive culture that uses both technology and personal interaction to foster a healthier, happier workplace. "Especially nowadays when people aren't willing to pay a lot of money for things, we have set a lot of our clients up with the idea that they are creating a wellness culture in which to operate to keep their employees happy and healthy and wanting to come to work," says Dax.

Over the last three months, I've questioned the validity of health risk assessments and the ability of biometric-screening data to powerfully track wellness program performance. This has prompted many readers to ask, "So what do you suggest instead?" If you think that tracking wellness program performance, return-on-investment and cause-and-effect is impossible, think again.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the day we announced that those who use tobacco will pay higher health plan premiums than their tobacco-free counterparts.

With the summer season upon us, your and your employees' thoughts likely have turned to where you'll be spending your vacation time. Perhaps you enjoy lounging on the beach, soaking up the sun, while you bury yourself in a good book.

We all know that employee wellness is the buzz in many organizations. In fact, a recently released health and productivity survey by Willis North America's human capital practice showed that senior leadership commitment to improving employee health significantly increased to 42% in 2010, compared with 6% in 2009

Health insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may pose a threat to COBRA.

The recently released white paper from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on the role of producers in state exchanges, while helpful, leaves many crucial questions unanswered.

Chief financial officers at some of the nation's largest banks and financial services firms are downright bullish on the U.S. economy's overall outlook but nagging concerns about health care reform and the uncertainty of those costs are tempering their optimism.