March 2009

Features

Cover Story

Million-Dollar Claim Club
The increase in the number of catastrophic claims is shocking, but there are things that insurers and employers can do to protect themselves
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Q&A

A Conversation With Dee W. Edington, PhD: Changing Culture To Support Wellness
Why pay through the nose for tomorrow’s high-tech cures when you can buy an inexpensive ounce of prevention today?
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Modern Cardiovascular Programs Cut Costs, Inpatient Days, and Deaths
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care has striven methodically to become superior in cardiac care. Its numbers tell the story.
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Plans and Physicians in Hawaii Experiment With Online 'Visits'
Some doctors say that far from cutting waste, online visits create it. Others are signing up and giving it a try.
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Providers Enlisted To Curtail Waste
Attempts to improve efficiency often involve controlling utilization, but Geisinger Health Plan thinks it has a better approach
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Cigna’s CDHP Study Bolsters Prevention
Impressive savings and compliance rates seen for those enrolled in Choice Fund, the insurer’s consumer-directed plan
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Departments

Million-Dollar Claims Challenge Plans’ Ingenuity
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Stimulus Saves Medicaid, But Nobody’s Celebrating
Managed care companies may benefit from swelling enrollment, but some questions remain unanswered
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Metabolic Agents Lead In Total Dollars Spent
Medications that lower cholesterol and manage diabetes account for $38.1 billion — the single largest category
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Despite recession, doc outlook remains bright
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Part D plans embrace specialty drug tiers
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The Pursuit of Happy Docs
Some health plans do a better job than others in bolstering physician satisfaction. Systems really matter.
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Transgenic Goats Are Key To Antithrombin Production
With their high milk production and short generational time, these bovids are ideal bioreactors able to dramatically increase the protein yield
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Public spending on health care to accelerate
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News

Headlines on Deadline…    DIGITAL | HTML

More Young Adults Using Sleep Aids     DIGITAL | HTML

Personal health spending, by condition    DIGITAL | HTML

Premiums Shrink Under Reform Plan     DIGITAL | HTML

Regional Spending Variations Tied to Doctor Care Methods    DIGITAL | HTML