Included in this Spring issue of the The Employers’ Voice is information regarding our upcoming May 6th all-stakeholder meeting, new federal and state legislative policy resources, COVID-19 vaccine resources, a spotlight on Mark Bower and news articles we thought would be of high interest.
Happy 20th Anniversary!
We look forward to celebrating the Forum’s 20th anniversary with you at a networking cocktail hour on September 17, 2021, from 4:30-5:30 at the Eiteljorg Museum Ballroom. Please mark your calendars for this event which will immediately follow our all-stakeholder meeting. I so look forward to seeing everyone in person…it has been too long!
We have 3 anniversary gifts to share with you:
- The Forum received not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status. While we’ve been operating as a not-for-profit since inception, having this official status expands our ability to secure grant funding, accept donations, and allows Forum membership dues paid since September 2020 to be tax deductible.
- Redesigned Forum website. Many thanks to Julie Reyes, web manager; Sarah Stewart, graphics consultant; and Sara Otte, Forum Business Manager, for their efforts.
- Legislative progress towards price transparency. The Indiana legislative session just wrapped up and we are encouraged to see additional steps taken towards provider and insurer price transparency.
Gloria Sachdev
President and CEO, Employers’ Forum of Indiana
Employers’ Forum All-Stakeholder Meetings
Next All-Stakeholder Meeting
Optimizing Medication Outcomes
May 6, 2021
11:30 am – 2:00 pm
View Agenda
Please let us know if you are interested in joining one of the following Forum work groups:
- Pharmacist Provider Status
- Physician Payment Strategies
- Hospital Value Report
The registration link for this meeting was sent to members on April 5, 2021. For questions, please contact sara@employersforumindiana.org
Upcoming Meetings
September 17, 2021
November 4, 2021
Visit our Meetings Page for an archive of past meeting materials and presentations.
Policy Highlights
Hospital Price Transparency―CMS Rule:
Every hospital operating in the U.S. must provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide as of January 1, 2021. Click here to read the CMS hospital price transparency rule.
2021 Indiana Legislative Session:
April 22nd marked the completion of the 2021 Indiana Legislative session, at least until legislators come back in the fall to complete redistricting measures. Of the 1,012 bills filed this session, only 220 bills successfully navigated the legislative process. We are currently in the process of creating a legislative summary, which we will share with you in the coming weeks.
Additional Resources
DOL Issues Additional Guidance on Parity Compliance
National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and Employers’ Forum of Indiana
Hospital Price Transparency – CMS Rule
National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions
COVID-19 Vaccines in Indiana
The vaccination of Hoosiers against COVID-19 continues to expand. Among those now eligible are any Hoosier age 16 and older.
Click here to register or call 211 (866-211-9966) if you do not have access to a computer or need assistance. Please note that anyone younger than 18 must receive the Pfizer vaccine.
Visit the State of Indiana’s Coronavirus information site for updates.
COVID-19 Resources
Preparing Your Company for COVID-19 Vaccines
Health Action Alliance
National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions
Employers’ Forum of Indiana
Member Spotlight
Meet Mark Bower
Job Title: Principal Employee Benefits Consultant
Organization: MJ Insurance
Tell us how you got to the position you are in today.
MJ chose to become part of the Employer’s Forum of Indiana because their mission and ours are very much aligned. Over the years we have always enjoyed exposure, learning opportunities, and thought leadership from the forum. Through the pandemic we were fortunate to have further conversation and it became very evident that it was very much a group that we wanted to be a part of. The opportunity to contribute towards solving huge healthcare problems, learning alongside our peers and community, and contributing at large was a great opportunity to become part of.
If you could fix one problem in healthcare with a magic wand, what would you fix?
While there are many opportunities to help improve healthcare, I believe transparency would be at the top of the list. As we all know, there are very few other consumer experiences where you purchase goods without having a known cost. Combine that with the fact that access to quality information is rarely available make this a great place to start for improvement. Getting basic information into consumers hands would be an excellent step towards improvement and helping individuals become better providers and utilizers of healthcare.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
My wife Lara and I are fortunate to be the parents to 6 young children under the age of 9. While I would love to say that I have a lots of “free time” it is generally consumed by kids activities, sporting events, and similar schedules to all forum members which I very much enjoy. Beyond family, I am a huge sports fan, specifically all things Indiana Hoosiers and enjoy traveling.
In the News
Employers
An Employer-Provider Direct Payment Program Is Associated With Lower Episode Costs (Health Affairs)
WEBINAR: RAND Corporation Highlights Significant Financial Savings that can be Achieved Through Carrum Health’s Digital Centers of Excellence (COE) Platform. (Carrum Health)
Pulse of the Purchaser 2021 – 2023: Directions in Workforce, Benefits, Health Equity (National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions)
Pulse of the Purchaser Survey: Healthcare Strategy & Beyond (National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions)
Health Care Industry
Mass. Blue Cross sued for ‘mismanagement’ of state employee health plan (Reuters)
In U.S., An Estimated 46 Million Cannot Afford Needed Care (Gallup)
Health giants disclose hefty pandemic year paydays for top executives (Axios)
Private equity healthcare spending continues (Modern Healthcare – Subscription Required)
Can Biden’s Push for a Public Option Lower Your Healthcare Costs? (Healthline)
Hospitals
Congratulations to the 13 Indiana hospitals who received 5 stars for high quality by CMS! (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Hospitals Hide Pricing Data From Search Results (Wall Street Journal)
HCA shareholder wants quality, not profit, to play bigger role in exec bonuses (Modern Healthcare – Subscription Required)
Some of America’s wealthiest hospital systems ended up even richer, thanks to federal bailouts (The Washington Post)
UVA Health Will Wipe Out Tens of Thousands of Lawsuits Against Patients (KHN)
Pharmacy
Optum on track to exceed physician hiring goal, CEO says (Becker’s ASC Review)
New Prescription Drug Price Transparency Law in Virginia (FDA Law Blog)
Ohio to save $240 million by having own PBM (Modern Healthcare – Subscription Required)
Physicians
Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2021: The Recovery Begins (Medscape)
The Confident Generalist: Putting The Primary Care Physician Back At The Center (Health Affairs)
Burned out by the pandemic, 3 in 10 health-care workers consider leaving the profession (The Washington Post)
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