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

Employees Facing New Plan Designs, Significant Benefit Changes During Open Enrollment Season
EXCERPT: "U.S. workers can expect to see major changes in their employer-sponsored health benefits coverage during the upcoming open enrollment season, according to benefits consultants at Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

'Faced with rising health costs, employers are making several changes to their benefit programs that employees should anticipate seeing in their enrollment packages,' said Tom Billet, a senior benefits consultant with Watson Wyatt. 'And, with workers assuming more responsibility for making health care decisions, they’ll need to carefully evaluate their options.'

Here are seven major trends that benefits experts at Watson Wyatt, which consults with large employers on their health care benefit and open enrollment programs, have identified for this year’s season."
Full Article
September 27, 2004—Watson Wyatt Worldwide 


Is There an Actuary in the House?: Assessing Disease Management
EXCERPT: "Escalating health care costs are causing employers and insurers to reassess the value and effectiveness of their medical management procedures. Many of them are looking at disease management programs to prevent major diseases and thus reduce the need for and the costs of medical care. What’s the value of these programs? It depends on whom you ask. According to the Disease Management Association of America, “disease management is a system of coordinated health care interventions and communications for populations with conditions in which patient self-care efforts are significant."
Full Article
July/August 2004—Contingencies, a publication of The American Academy of Actuaries 


Consumer-Directed Health Care Plans Not Likely to Lower Health Care Costs
EXCERPT: "Consumer-directed health care (CDHC)—high-deductible plans often touted as the answer to spiraling health care costs—is not likely to curb health care costs, and could even worsen health outcomes by reducing patients' receipt of needed preventive care and care for chronic conditions, says a new report from The Commonwealth Fund.

A more effective and equitable alternative to increased cost-sharing for patients would be care management for high-cost patients, says Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis in Will Consumer-Directed Health Care Improve Health System Performance?, noting that ten percent of individuals account for 69 percent of health care costs."
Full Article
August 19, 2004—The Commonwealth Fund


Survey Shows Private Health Insurance Premiums Rose 11.2% in 2004
EXCERPT: "Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased an average of 11.2% in 2004 -- less than last year’s 13.9% increase, but still the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to the 2004 Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET). Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose at about five times the rate of inflation (2.3%) and workers’ earnings (2.2%)."
Full Article
September 9, 2004—Kaiser Family Foundation 

Governor Doyle Orders Influenza Vaccines Be Limited to High-Risk Individuals 

In response to the recently-announced influenza vaccine shortage, Governor Doyle has ordered  influenza vaccines be limited to high-risk individuals. The public health order uses the force of law to limit influenza vaccinations to those in the following categories: 

All children aged 6 months through 23 months; 
Adults aged 65 years or over; 
Persons aged 2 years through 64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions; 
All women who will be pregnant during the influenza season, in Wisconsin typically October through March; 
Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities; 
Children aged 6 months through 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy; 
Health care workers involved in direct patient care; and 
Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged under 6 months. 

Call to Action:
Some Wisconsin businesses have a stock of influenza vaccine they purchased to immunize their employees. It is extremely important that employers scale back their worksite vaccination programs and immunize only employees who are members of the priority groups, not immunize employees who are not in the priority groups, and redistribute remaining supplies to priority groups in the community. Redistribution will be by the local health departments. 

Employers must encourage employees who are sick to stay home. This is an important method to prevent communication of influenza. 
Employers should obtain materials for posting, such as hand washing posters, “cover your cough” posters, and general “healthy habits” posters. Employers with occupational health staff should contact the local health department for educational information. 


Text of the Order 
DHFS Influenza Website 

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Influenza Website 

Local Public Health Department Listing 

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/PADirect/index.htm. 

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Copyright 2004 The Benefit Services Group, Inc. BSG® is a registered trademark of The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

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