December 2010
Placing nearly all specialty drugs under the pharmacy benefit and using tiered formularies are among several promising strategies
Portable interactive communications technology promises to influence health behavior as mere postcards and email messages never did. There will be big rewards for the health plans that figure out how to use it well.
Twitter and Facebook are good places to promote a health plan’s brand, and they can help members by reinforcing positive behaviors
We want to hear from medical directors about how they approach one of the most vexing and chronic problems in health care
El Paso First Health Plans did not lose sight of the two goals in the overhaul of the electronic data interchange system
As Part D enrollees approach their coverage limits, their decisions are significantly affected through the doughnut hole period
Departments
Legislation & Regulation
A committee at the Institute of Medicine has called for better use of registered nurses, but physicians continue to try to keep them subordinate
John Carroll
Medication Management
Health plans have another option to consider for improving medication outcomes
Thomas Reinke
Compensation Monitor
The Formulary Files
Plan Watch
Physicians can earn extra money, but hospitals can lose if they do not show an improvement in quality
Frank Diamond
Tomorrow's Medicine
A new device can partially restore central field vision to thousands who suffer from a common cause of blindness
Thomas Morrow, MD
Managed Care Outlook