Covered California has earned their rep for innovative strategies to get the word out about health insurance options in the state. Remember last year’s effort to have commencement speakers mention the importance 
of health insurance for new graduates? Now the organization has announced that it’s partnering with 105 community organizations through its Navigator Grants program. The aim is to educate Californians about their health care options, offer in-person enrollment and renewal assistance and provide info on how to get the best value from a health plan. Covered Cal says the partnerships are part of an ongoing commitment to aggressive marketing and outreach. Check out a full list of Navigator programs and the amounts awarded here.
Blue Shield Of California and Landmark Partnership Helps Folks with Chronic Conditions
Blue Shield of California announced that this past year it enrolled approximately 3,500 physically vulnerable people in a program with Landmark Health to provide comprehensive, coordinated in-home care. Through the program, health care providers made 15,000 home visits. According to the companies, the program isn’t a substitute for primary care physicians. It simply allows people with complex needs to get some health care assistance at home, hopefully leading to fewer expensive and unnecessary hospital visits. Blue Shield hasn’t supplied data on patient outcomes or the financial impact of the effort yet. Read more here.
Alexander, Murray Include Agent and Broker Comp Disclosure in Proposed Act
Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray have included a 15-page health insurance agent and broker compensation disclosure provision in their new Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 bill draft. Allison Bell at ThinkAdvisor reports:
The producer comp disclosure provision, described in Section 308 in the bill draft, would require “disclosure of direct and indirect compensation for brokers and consultants to employer-sponsored health plans and enrollees in plans on the individual market.”
Read a draft of the entire Act here.
Delta Survey Finds Room For Dental IQ Improvement
What? You’re not versed in bruxism, prophylaxis and caries? Well, join the club. A new survey by Delta Dental found a resounding majority of adults don’t know their dental terms. Unfortunately, ignorance isn’t bliss. In fact, the less you know the more unease you may have in the dental chair. So, err, brush up. On your terminology, of course.
Drug Channels: Look For Change In How PBMs Profit
Adam Fein over at Drug Channels says it’s a tough time to be a PBM. Fein says we can look for these four ways that PBM profits will change:
1) Bundled pricing of pharmacy and medical benefits will pressure margins.
2) PBMs will continue to reduce their reliance on profits from rebates.
3) PBMs will depend more on profits from dispensing specialty drugs.
4) Payer and government pressure will shrink PBMs’ ability to capture network spreads.
Read the whole post. He discusses CVS and Cigna’s upcoming annual investor days and much more.
Beyond Zip Codes: Social Determinants of Health That Matter
Tuesday, June 4, 10-11a.m. PT
America’s Health Insurance Plans and Welltok bring together three experts for a discussion on social determinants of health. They will share real-world examples of how leveraging consumer data, along with clinical and claims data, leads to a deeper understanding of consumer needs. Register here.
Mental & Behavioral Health Virtual Summit
Tuesday, June 4, 11 a.m. PT
Global Health Resources says mental and behavioral health issues have been stigmatized, especially in the workplace. In an effort to respect employee privacy, employers have avoided involvement. Not any longer. This virtual summit will address the importance of promoting mental health as a critical component to overall health and wellbeing, prevention, early identification and intervention for every employer’s healthcare culture. According to the World Health Organization and the National Business Group on Health, mental and behavioral health conditions generate as much as $100 billion in direct costs for employers. Register here.
Reduce Waste and Improve Outcomes
Wednesday, June 5, 10-11a.m. PT
The Institute of Medicine estimates that 30% of health care spending is attributed to waste. Waste in health care not only has a financial impact, but also has repercussions on patients’ time, safety and well-being. In this AHIP webinar, 3M discusses how to use data analytics to measure and monitor where waste is coming from; how to build a value-based program, and how to sustain improvements. Register here.
Mark Cover to lead growth of MassMutual Funds DCIO channel
MassMutual welcomes Mark Cover as head of defined contribution investment only (DCIO) field sales. Cover reports to Aruna Hobbs, Head of Institutional Investments for MassMutual’s Institutional Solutions business.
IICF Women in Insurance Global Conference
June 12-14, 2019, New York City
NAHU Annual Convention –We’ll see you here!
June 29-July 2, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina
Keynote speaker is Retired Master Sergeant Cedric King. Sessions focus on practical solutions for your business, including retaining today’s new workforce, buying or selling your agency, data transparency and alternative healthcare management. And there’s an expanded Medicare Extreme! with proven practices and important trends on changes in Medicare, technology solutions, growing your business with group Medicare sales plus more. Plus plenty of opportunity to visit with a variety of vendors and network with colleagues More info here.
NAAIA National ConferenceSept 11-13, Atlanta- SAVE THE DATE!
Leaders from across the insurance and financial services profession will come together at this high energy industry event to further the education, advancement and uplifting of African American insurance professionals. More info soon at www.naaia.org.
Alliance of Comprehensive Planners 2019 Annual Conference
Nov. 12-15, Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, San Diego
The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP) is a community of tax-focused financial planners who provide planning strategies for clients on a fee-only retainer basis. Conference early bird registration rates (which expire Oct. 11, 2019) are in effect now. Participation is open to all interested financial professionals. Companies interested in sponsoring the ACP Annual Conference should contact Jill Colsch at jill@acplanners.org. The agenda is available here: https://2019.acplanners.org/home.
