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A free monthly newsletter for plan sponsors and employee benefits 
professionals published by The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

'Early Adopter' Employers Offer Glimpse Into Their Second Generation Consumer-Directed Health [CDH] Plans
EXCERPT: "With this fall's open-enrollment season already peaking around the corner, insurers and vendors are working to win new CDH clients, and employers that already have a CDH plan in place are tweaking their plan designs for 2004....[Inside Consumer-Directed Care] talked with seven employers that went live with a CDH plan last January or earlier. Here's a look at how the plans are working so far, and some of the changes employers plan to make for 2004."
Full Article
July 18, 2003—Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS) 

Patients Can Save 90 Percent On Some Drug Costs
EXCERPT: "As Congress and many state legislatures debate ways to lower the cost of prescription drugs, a new study from the National Center for Policy analysis (NCPA) shows that patients can save more than 90 percent on some of the most common drug therapies by becoming smarter, more aggressive shoppers."
Full Article
June 24, 2003—National Center For Policy Analysis 

Healthcare Prices Aren't Rising When Patients Pay The Bill
EXCERPT: "Although prices for health care services have risen almost twice as fast as consumer prices generally over the past decade, prices for cosmetic surgery are actually lower in real terms, according to the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). The key difference, according to the NCPA, is who pays the bill. Third parties (insurers, employers and government) pay most of the costs of health care. But cosmetic surgery is almost always paid by patients out of their own pocket."
Full Article
May 7, 2003—National Center For Policy Analysis 


Specialty Hospitals: Focused Factories or Cream Skimmers?
EXCERPT: "Hospitals specializing in cardiovascular and orthopedic procedures are developing rapidly throughout the country, raising challenging questions for communities and policy makers. Proponents argue that specialty hospitals could improve quality and reduce costs, yet skeptics note that specialty hospitals might reduce quality, increase costs and decrease access to basic services."
Full Article
April 2003—Center for Studying Health System Change


Employee Health and Productivity Could Suffer From Recent Changes
EXCERPT: "The Institute for Health and Productivity Management (IHPM) cautioned today that recent coverage changes to non-sedating antihistamines (NSAs) could diminish the quality of medical care for employees with allergies, and have significant cost and productivity implications for employers. Approximately 36 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, which is responsible for more than eight million visits to office-based physicians each year and 3.4 million lost workdays."
Full Article
March 21, 2003—Institute for Health and Productivity Management

EBSA Web Site Provides Information on Health Benefits

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has launched a new interactive Web site that will serve as a resource to help employees and their families make informed decisions about their health benefits when facing life and work changes. 

The Web site gives consumers information about:
•Health coverage under private plans and federal and state programs 
•Definitions of key terms 
•Links to other resources, including public health plans and state insurance offices nationwide.

Assistant Secretary of Labor Ann L. Combs called the Web site, "an outstanding resource for the 131 million Americans and their families who rely on coverage from private-sector group health plans. It will be especially helpful when unanticipated events happen."

This Employment Law Advisor is one of a series of elaws advisors (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses), which are interactive e-tools that help individuals understand federal employment laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

EBSA Web site

By providing links to other sites, The Benefit Services Group, Inc. does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

The preceding is not intended to be and is not offered as legal advice. We are prohibited from the practice of law. Compliance is the responsibility of the employer or Plan sponsor and affected employees, who should seek their own legal counsel regarding questions about information presented in this newsletter.

PlanAhead Direct is a monthly newsletter provided free of charge to select BSG® client representatives and associates. View and search back issues at www.bsg.com/news/index.htm. 

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Copyright 2003 The Benefit Services Group, Inc. BSG® is a registered trademark of The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

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