Dear Forum Friends,
We are excited to bring you this summer issue of the Employers’ Voice. In addition to sharing healthcare price information, we have added multiple wellness resources for you and plenty of articles to keep you current on all things healthcare. Happy reading!
Gloria Sachdev
President and CEO, Employers’ Forum of Indiana
Sage Transparency
Love Transparency? Visit Sage Transparency 2.0 to compare commercial price and quality metrics for over 4,000 U.S. hospitals and price data for over 2,000 ASCs with the click of a button. See some example graphics from Sage Transparency below!
Inside the Forum
Watch a Recording of the National Healthcare Price Conference
Thank you to those who were able to join us on May 13, 2024, for our National Healthcare Price Transparency Conference! We had a fantastic lineup of speakers and over 500 attendees, both in person and virtually, representing 37 states. The presentations and recordings from the conference are now available here.
Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming All – Stakeholder Meetings
Details will be distributed to members one month prior to each meeting.
- August 22nd – 23rd: Two day Conference, a partnership between the National Association of Worksite Health Centers and EFI
- November 12th: In Person, Agenda TBD
If interested in reviewing past meeting materials, click here.
Wellness
HPV Vaccination Guide for Employers
The HPV Vaccine is the only vaccine that prevents cancers. It’s a no-brainer. Our sister business coalition, Pittsburgh Business Group on Health, has created a new, terrific, free, plug-n-play employer guide with all communication downloads needed to increase employee HPV vaccination rates. Read the guide here.
Sister Healthcare Coalition Roundup
Kentuckiana Healthcare Collaborative
Date: July 30, 2024 from 11:30am – 1:00pm ET
Registration: Link (Free for KHC Members and $25 for non-KHC members)
Overview: The Consolidated Appropriations Act (“CAA”), considered by many to be the most significant reform to health care since the ACA, introduced a variety of compliance rules related to employer fiduciary responsibilities. New requirements around gag clauses, governance oversight, and transparency pose significant challenges to employers of all sizes. This webinar will focus on the impact of the CAA on employers specifically related to managing benefit costs, overseeing vendors, and leveraging CAA tools to improve benefits and defend against emergent litigation risk (which carries personal liability).
Purchaser Business Group on Health
Webinar: 2024 Maternal Health & Birth Equity Summit
Date: September 18th from 10am – 6pm ET (8am – 4pm MT)
Registration: Link (Forum Employer Members can email Sara Otte for a discount code for complimentary registration)
Overview: This summit will bring together employers, public purchasers, providers, plans, patients, and government agencies to discuss strategies to address maternal morbidity and mortality, eliminate disparities and improve birth outcomes. This event is a call to action. Attendees will walk away with clear steps that they can take (both individually and collectively) to positively impact the future state of U.S. maternity care.
National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC) 12th Annual Forum
Directions and Success Factors in Onsite, Near-site and Virtual Health Centers
NAWHC and EFI invite you to participate in the 12th Annual Forum, August 22 & 23, 2024, at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, IN.
NAWHC is the nation’s only trade organization focused on helping employers and others understand the potential and value of onsite health services, as well to enable existing employer clinics to increase their capabilities and integration of other worksite programs and benefits. Members include employers and their vendor and provider partners. The conference is expected to have nearly 200 participants. For more information, click here.
- Conference Registration
- Non-Forum Member Rate: $250
- Forum Member Rate: $150 (please email Sara Otte for a discount code)
- Conference Agenda
- Sponsorship Information
Bentley University – Healthcare Cost Containment Course
An Executive Program that Combines Innovative Health Care Cost Strategies with Real-World Business Simulations
Beginning July 29th – August 1st, Bentley University brings you a 4 module executive education program tailored for top-tier executives in various industries, empowering them to manage escalating healthcare expenses for their organizations. Participants will learn strategies to negotiate benefit options, reclaim overlooked savings, and discover innovative approaches capable of reducing a company’s healthcare expenditures by up to 10%. Learn more here.
In the News
EFI In the News:
- Indiana Aims to Keep Closer Eye on Mergers, Acquisitions (IBJ)
- Indiana Weighs Hospital Monopoly as Officials Elsewhere Scrutinize Similar Deals (KFF)
- She Wrote an Open Letter to Peyton Manning, Criticizing Ascension. Then She Bumped into Him. (Indy Star)
- Hamilton County Hospital Surge Comes Amid Closings Elsewhere (IBJ)
Employers:
- The J&J Lawsuit Should Be a Wakeup Call to the PBM Industry — and to Companies Everywhere (STAT)
- Virtual Musculoskeletal (MSK) Solutions (PHTI)
- 2024 Employee Benefits (SHRM)
Public Health:
- Funding Instability Plagues Program That Brings Docs to Underserved Areas (KFF)
- Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison (Commonwealth Fund)
- Claire Fiddian-Green: We Must Refocus Our Energy on the Opioid Crisis (IBJ)
- Not-For-Profits, Anonymous Donor Pay Off Medical Debt for 112,000 (IBJ)
- Americans With HIV Are Living Longer. Federal Spending Isn’t Keeping Up. (KFF)
- We Know How to Save Black Americans From Overdoses. Will Congress Actually Do It? (USA Today)
- State Strategies for Preventing Substance Use and Overdose Among Youth and Adolescents (NASHP)
- Podcast: Off The Record with Claire Fiddian-Green (IBJ)
- Indiana’s Public Health Investment Holds Insights For Other States (Health Affairs)
- Financial Burden of Health Care in the Privately Insured US Population (JAMA)
- Use of Oral and Emergency Contraceptives After the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs Decision (JAMA)
- Rate of Young Women Getting Sterilized Doubled After ‘Roe’ Was Overturned (KFF)
- In-Home Emergency Care Cuts Costs, But Needs More Payer Buy-In (Modern Healthcare)
- Firearm Violence in America (HHS)
Mental Health:
- American Psychiatric Association Center for Workplace Mental Health (Workplace Mental Health)
- U.S. DOL Mental Health at Work (DOL)
- Mental Health at Work (WHO)
- Mental Health in the Workplace (CDC)
- Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
Hospitals
- IU Health Hospital Horror Stories: Lack of Space Leaves Patients on Cots in Hallways (Herald Times)
- Community Health Planning $335M Hospital in Westfield (IBJ)
- Behind the Bill: The Hidden Injustice of Hospital Facility Fees (United States of Care)
- Outpatient Outrage: Hospitals Charge Fees for Care at the Doctor’s Office (PIRG)
- Senator Targets Ascension for Outsourcing to Private Equity Firm (Modern Healthcare)
- 52 Statistics on Hospital Profitability (Beckers)
- IU Health to Eliminate Noncompete Clauses for Primary-Care Docs (IBJ)
- HCA’s Business Is Thriving. Its Hospitals Are Paying a Price. (Barron’s)
- Health Systems Invest in New Facilities, Services to Grow Revenue (Modern Healthcare)
- All 71 CHS Hospitals to Use Mark Cuban’s Drug Wholesale Services (Beckers)
- Lown Institute Hospital Index Rankings (Lown Institute)
Providers & Physicians
- Delivering Better Care: Midwifery Practice in New Jersey (The Burke Foundation)
- Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Past Performance and Future Directions (CBO)
- Walgreens to Cut Stake in Primary Care Provider VillageMD: WSJ (Modern Healthcare)
- Amazon Consolidates Clinic Telehealth Service into Amazon One Medical Offering (Fierce Healthcare)
Insurance
- Health Insurance Coverage Projections For The US Population And Sources Of Coverage, By Age, 2024–34 (Health Affairs)
- Michigan-Based Health Plan to Acquire PHP, Which Has More Than 52,000 Members (The Journal Gazette)
- The Opaque Industry Secretly Inflating Prices for Prescription Drugs (NYT)
Pharmacy
- Pharmacists Prove Effective, Less Costly Care Option for Minor Illnesses (WSU)
- US Patent Office Takes Aim At Pharma Industry Pricing Strategy (KFF)
- Under Pressure to Thwart Pharma Patent Abuse, the PTO Proposes a New Rule. But Will it Fly? (STAT)
- Amazon Pharmacy Expands to Medicare Enrollees (The Hill)
- Walgreens Pursues Provider Status for Pharmacists (Beckers)
- Teva Launches Authorized Generic of Victoza in the US (PharmaNews)
- The Supreme Court Rejects a Nationwide Opioid Settlement with OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma (APNews)
- Walgreens to Take a Hard Look at Underperforming Stores, Could Shutter Hundreds More (ABC News)
Policy:
- State Laws Passed to Address Health System Costs: 2020-2024 (NASHP)
- Senator’s Letter Critical of Hospital Association Casts Shadow on 2025 Health Care Discussions (ICC)
- The Future of Employer-Sponsored Insurance (GU)
- Even Doctors Like Me Are Falling Into This Medical Bill Trap (NYT)
Other Healthcare News
Do you have a suggestion or contribution for our next newsletter? Contact us.