Dear Forum Friends,
In this newsletter you will find details about the Sage Transparency 2.0 update that occurred on August 22nd, the launch of the Indiana All-Payer Claims Database on August 5th, and interesting healthcare news updates. Happy reading!
Gloria Sachdev
President and CEO, Employers’ Forum of Indiana
Inside the Forum
Transparency Champion Award
EFI is honored to receive the Transparency Champion award, presented by Dave Chase of Health Rosetta at Indiana’s Top Health Plans conference on 8/6/24 hosted by Conner Insurance, a Forum member. Thank you Dave Chase and Ben Conner!
Presentations
In August, Gloria Sachdev was invited to give presentations regarding market and policy ideas to advance transparency, affordability, and competition to the following organizations:
- August 5th: Indiana Top Health Plans
- August 6th: Marathon Health
- August 22nd: National Associations of Worksite Health Centers, co-hosted by EFI
- August 27th: Association of Health Care Journalists
EFI Award Nominations
We are currently taking nominations for our Innovation in Healthcare, and Leadership in Healthcare Awards. Both awards will be presented at our November 2024 All-Stakeholder Meeting. You are welcome to self nominate or nominate someone. Please send nominations to Sara Otte at sara@employersforumindiana.org.
Sage Transparency
Sage Transparency 2.0: Updated August 22, 2024
To provide you with the most current data we have available, Sage Transparency 2.0 data gets updated quarterly! On August 22nd, Sage Transparency was updated to reflect the July 2024 release of CMS Quality data and the July 2024 update of the NASHP hospital financial data.
Indiana All-Payer Claims Database (APCD)
Now Available!
The Indiana All-Payers Claims Database (APCD) is now live! This has been a long time coming as in 2020 Indiana lawmakers established the development of an APCD via SEA 5. This was a priority policy initiative of EFI.
Many thanks to Jonathan Handsborough, Executive Director of the Indiana APCD, and his team at the Indiana Department of Insurance, for their commitment and efforts to bring healthcare price and quality transparency to Hoosiers. We have had the pleasure of working with Jonathan for several years and believe this to be a good first step. Jonathan will be presenting at our November 12th Forum All-Stakeholder meeting… He requests EFI send all questions to him ahead of time. As such please send your questions to Sara Otte at sara@employersforumindiana.org by October 16th.
Learn more about the APCD in this IBJ article.
Sister Healthcare Coalition Roundup
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 at sara@employersforumindiana.org 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.
Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH)
Webinar: Keeping Up with the Ever-Changing Landscape of Obesity Management
Date: September 18, 2024 from 9:30am – 5:00pm ET (8:30am – 4:00pm CT)
Registration: Link, (Employer Non – MBGH Member Registration Fee: $100)
Overview: In today’s workforce, combating obesity is paramount for fostering employee health and well-being. The changing landscape of treating obesity as a disease demands strategic attention from employers. Employers are increasingly being asked to consider pharmacological interventions along with traditional behavioral health programs to manage obesity in their employee population. The question for many employers is, “Can this be done in cost-effective manner?” Join MBGH to explore fresh perspectives on implementing a holistic, inclusive and cost-effective obesity management strategy within your organization.
Kentuckiana Health Collaborative (KHC)
In Person Conference: Aligning for Whole Person Health
Date: September 18th – 19th beginning at 12pm ET
Registration: Link (Non-KHC Members: $400)
Overview: Join the Kentuckiana Health Collaborative at our 10th Annual Conference on September 18-19, 2024, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, KY to learn about the importance of whole person health and hear from thought leaders and experts on how we can implement a holistic approach to care. The conference will emphasize applying a whole person health approach on maternal health, mental health, and obesity – three high priority conditions for the US and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. These are also the KHC’s three strategic focus areas.
National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (NAHCPC)
In Person Conference: Manifesting a New Destiny: Employers Creating the Future of Healthcare
Date: November 18th – 20th
Registration: Link (EFI has a limited number of free registration codes. If you are an Employer Member of EFI and interested in attending this event, please contact Sara Otte at sara@employersforumindiana.org.)
Overview: The Annual Forum will take place in Arlington, VA, November 18-20, 2024. This event brings hundreds of employers, business coalition leaders, and healthcare stakeholders to discuss successful strategies and emerging trends in healthcare value; health policy; and benefits, wellbeing and health equity.
D
2024 State of Diabetes: Indiana Event
Register Today – November 20, 2024
Join the American Diabetes Association at The State of Diabetes for a panel discussion focused on the current landscape of diabetes and its financial impact on employers and employees. Discussion and networking will follow.
Register for this free event here.
In the News
EFI in the News:
Employers:
- Purdue Trustees Approve 2025 Health Plans with Modest Employee Premium Increase (Purdue University)
- Mark Cuban’s Big Warning for Employers (Becker’s)
- Wells Fargo Sued Over Drug Costs in Employee Health Plan (Modern Healthcare)
- New Pricing Data Fuel Employer Lawsuits Against Aetna (Modern Healthcare)
- Employer Sponsored Insurance Paid Twice as Much as Medicare for Services at Ambulatory Surgical Centers (HCCI)
- Aon: U.S. Employer Health Care Costs Projected to Increase 9 Percent Next Year (PR Newswire)
- 2025 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey (Business Group on Health)
- Surprise Billing Law Helped PE-Backed Providers (Axios)
- A Playbook for Employers Addressing Pharmacy Benefit Management Misalignment (National Alliance)
- Mental Health Initiative Guidebook Employer Mental Health Strategies, An Essential Investment (National Alliance)
Mental Health:
- Enforcing Mental Health Parity: State Options to Improve Access to Care (Commonwealth Fund)
Public Health:
Hospitals:
- 381 Hospitals with 5 Stars from CMS (Becker’s)
- Inside Ascension’s Growth Strategy, Per its President (Becker’s)
- Charitable Care from Hoosier Not-For-Profit Hospitals Remains Stagnant While Revenue Increases (IBJ)
- Gulf Widens Between Rich and Poor Hospitals (Axios)
- Why I’m Worried About Patient Care, Safety, Security at IU Health Bloomington (The Herald-Times)
- States Setting Health Care Spending Growth Targets Experienced Accelerated Growth in 2021 (Health Affairs)
- JLL Capital Markets Sells 64-Bed Inpatient Facility in Indianapolis Market (RE Journals)
- Tale of Two Hospitals: Why Some Hospitals Succeed and Others Do Not (Third Way)
- CEOs Earn Big Bucks at Nonprofit Hospitals. But Does that Benefit Patients? (NPR)
Providers & Physicians:
- Rural Medicine: Caring for your Neighbors in Small Places (Indiana University)
- Walgreens May Sell Entire VillageMD Stake (Modern Healthcare)
- Claim Denials Becoming More of a Headache for Providers: Report (Modern Healthcare)
- Ambulatory Surgical Center Services: Status Report (MedPAC)
- Finding a Therapist Who Takes Your Insurance Can be Nearly Impossible. Here’s Why (NPR)
Insurance:
- CVS Launches $2B in Cost Cuts, Aetna President Out (Modern Healthcare)
- UnitedHealthcare Embraces Consumerism (Beckers)
- Elevance Health Picks Leaders, Name for $4B Primary Care Venture (Becker’s)
- Centene to Cut Broker Commissions on Part D Drug Plans for 2025 (Modern Healthcare)
Pharmacy:
Policy:
- Addressing Corporatization of Health Care, Consolidation, and Closures: Updated NASHP Market Oversight Model Legislation (NASHP)
- 120 – Day Review of Union – Regional Hospital Merger Begins (Tribstar)
- Medicare Site-Neutral Payments: A Commonsense, Bipartisan Reform (Paragon Health Institute)
- Report: Failing to Regulate Hospital Mergers Means Consumers Pay More (AHCJ)
- 2023 Data From The Independent Dispute Resolution Process: Select Providers Win Big (Health Affairs)
- FTC Ban on Worker Noncompete Deals Blocked by Federal Judge (Bloomberg Law)
- Political Polarization and Diverging Economies are Related (ICC)
- Prior Authorization Targeted by More and More States (Modern Healthcare)
Private Equity
- Hospital Assets Before and After Private Equity Acquisition (JAMA)
- After Private Equity Takes Over Hospitals, They are Less Able to Care for Patients, Top Medical Researchers Say (NBC)
Other Healthcare News
Do you have a suggestion or contribution for our next newsletter? Contact us.