Health I.T. start-ups are increasing, and so is help for them
The amount of venture capital being spent on Health IT companies is increasing, and technology is partying like its 1999 as geeks are transforming health care.
Technology
Fixing health care from an IT mindset
John Lamb shares how health care can be fixed by using an IT mindset.
Find the ROI in technology
Employee benefits clients demand greater technological fluency, advisers adjust.
Exchange competition grows
Gallagher deal with Liazon markets latest addition to complex state health care reform exchange market
Great divide coming in employee benefits
Craig Davidson on how health insurance consumers will soon face a technology divide for employee benefits
Technology isn’t enough
EBA editor Elizabeth Galentine says how technology is not always the answer for brokers
Performance Under Pressure
With health reform summary of benefits and coverage advisers must help employers change communication
Liberty Mutual, USAA lead latest social media assessment
Of the 14 life insurance firms monitored by Corporate Insight, Liberty Mutual and USAA were cited as having the strongest social media performances and were awarded top grades.
The other wellness plan
The primary cause of stress, points out James Werner, CEO of Wealth Habit, is finances. With the average employer spending just under 9% of payroll on extended disability absences – most of which are related to stress – Werner believes an increased focus on financial wellness in the workplace has the potential to not only help employees save, but also save their employers "hundreds of thousands, or even billions, of dollars a year."
Cloud computing keeps the lights on
When Boston benefits firm Longfellow Benefits decided to elevate their technology system by converting to a cloud computing model they knew there'd be a little turbulence as they made the switch.
Finding a seat at the table
Under health reform, state health care exchanges are slated to operate in 2014 – not much time to figure out the role a broker will play in the system. As we await more definitive information on what exactly constitutes a "navigator," one can look toward California, which is further along in setting up its exchange, as a potential model, says Neil Crosby, director of sales at Westlake Village, Calif.-based Warner Pacific Insurance Services.
Insurers early adopters of social media
Insurance is labeled an early adopter of social media in a new report from the International Data Corporation (IDC), titled 2012 U.S. Social Media Trends by Vertical. The banking industry was cited as being a late adopter.
Insurance execs prioritize tech spending, talent management
Protracted slow growth in the insurance industry is causing executives to concentrate on improving their organization's operational processes, prepare for regulatory changes and enhance their technological capabilities, according to the 2012 KPMG Insurance Industry Outlook.
Provider CIOs: Reform confusion, then needed clarity
While things were a bit murky at first, what emerged from the Supreme Court was some much-needed clarity on how providers can move forward with accountable care initiatives and other efforts fueled by health reform, according to two hospital CIOs asked for their first impressions on the ruling.
Water-cooler dialogues
All too often we get caught up in day-to-day activities and forget who it is that we ultimately serve: employees. Without employees signing up for benefits, querying accounts, using services provided and generally trying to take care of themselves and their families, we wouldn't have businesses to run. To bring this point home, I offer the following composite sketches (based on anecdotes from brokers, vendors and employers) – oh to be a fly on the wall …
Convenience and cost savings found in telemedicine program
With consumer-driven health care plans increasing the out-of-pocket contribution for a growing number of employees, employers and their advisers are looking for ways to offset these costs. Consult A Doctor's telephonic program connects employees to a doctor in a matter of minutes, no office visit copay required, just a fee-for-service that is often covered by the employer.
Benefits Think Do you properly communicate?
Communication is not just important for business … it is essential for the very existence and operation of any business. A benefit adviser must transfer its knowledge to clients as well as receive information – communication consists of a mutual exchange. With the advent of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, and emails. However, how we use these avenues is the question we must ask ourselves.