Last week we spent some time at the California Statewide Medicare Expo, an event hosted by 10 local California Association of Health Underwriters chapters. It was great to see Cal Broker’s own Naama Pozniak open the morning meditations and Yolanda Webb and Maggie Stedt receive recognition for their trailblazing efforts bringing the idea of a Medicare conference to the state. Good work, ladies! This week we’re at the Senior Summit, a collaboration of Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego Associations of Health Underwriters. Look for more on what we learned at these events in an upcoming issue of Cal Broker magazine. Thanks to all the people responsible for putting on these groundbreaking virtual events. You rock!
HEALTH
SCAN Embraces AI and Machine Learning
SCAN Health Plan announced its embracing AI, artificial intelligence. The company launched the first phase AI-based predictive models designed to improve health outcomes and better inform benefit and service design. The company says this implementation will improve SCAN’s ability to identify high-needs members and provide tailored interventions to help avoid or reduce hospitalizations. As a part of the first phase implementation, SCAN and KenSci, a system of intelligence for healthcare, have launched explainable AI models for healthcare, enabling SCAN to identify members at risk of Hospitalization for Potentially Preventable Hospitalization Complications (HPC) as well as those eligible for Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). The platform provides SCAN with insights, helping the company identify members potentially at risk for specific disease states and prompting earlier interventions. In addition, SCAN is using machine learning (ML) techniques that are routine in other sectors but new to healthcare in helping to identify gaps in care to improve the management of chronic conditions.
CAHU Summit Oct. 6&7
This year’s CAHU Summit will take place October 6 and 7. The virtual event will include a full line-up of speakers, CE courses and much more! Sponsorship opportunities are available. Go to CAHU.org for more info.
OptumInsight to Develop California’s New COVID-19 Data System
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and California Department of Technology (CDT) announced that OptumInsight, Inc. has been selected to develop the state’s new COVID-19 data reporting system. The system will collect, track and report COVID-19 cases, supplementing California’s current disease registry system known as CalREDIE. The new standalone COVID-19 data reporting system, which was procured competitively, is a software solution built to manage the large volume of data currently tracked as a result of the pandemic. It is designed to help improve the efficiency of the system that receives data from laboratories and local public health departments and prepares data for reporting and analysis. OptumInsight, Inc. is a global company that provides data, software and services to health care companies and government agencies to optimize their operations. CDPH has signed a renewable, 6-month, $15.3 million contract with the company to develop the data tool using funding from the federal Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) grant. The first phase of the new system will be up and running in October.
CAL BROKER MAGAZINE
The Print Magazine is Always Available Online! Hooray!
Are you working from home, but your magazine is being sent to the office? No problem! Did you know that the print version of Cal Broker magazine is also always available online? Make sure to check out the September print magazine. It’s packed with lots of valuable articles, but you definitely won’t want to miss the open letter by Dickerson’s Tony Lee. And if you’re looking for Part 2 of Alan Katz’s business planning advice, you can find it here.
TELEHEALTH
Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker Suggests Telehealth Still Strong
It’s pretty amazing when you can say something increased more than 4000% and still it was a little down. But that’s the case for telehealth. New data from FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker says telehealth claim lines increased 4,132% nationally from June 2019 to June 2020, rising from 0.16 percent of medical claim lines in June 2019 to 6.85 percent in June 2020. The increase, however, was less than the year-to-year increase the previous month, when telehealth claim lines increased 5,680% nationally, from 0.15 percent of medical claim lines in May 2019 to 8.69% in May 2020. The data represent the privately insured population, excluding Medicare and Medicaid.
Telemedicine Takes a Seat at the Inc. Table
COVID-19 has helped usher in a new form of healthcare. And now MyTelemedicine, a telehealth and virtual care company, has a ranking to prove it. The company announced it has ranked No. 1112 on the annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.
Cal Dental Assn and ADA Say Get Your Teeth Cleaned
The California Dental Association and American Dental Association want you to know that they believe it’s safe and desirable to get routine dental care now. The organizations released a statement of disagreement against the World Health Organization’s Aug. 3 guidance advising that routine non-essential oral health care, including oral health check-ups, dental cleanings and preventive care, be delayed. The WHO provides guidance worldwide, and its recent document “Considerations for the provision of essential oral health services in the context of COVID-19” is not specific to California, says our state’s dentists. Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health and CDA Practice Support provide resources and tools to help dental teams practice safely during the pandemic. Based on federal, state and local guidance, dental practices in California are open to provide routine and preventive care. recommendation.
Guardian Study Says We’ll Get Back to the Dentist…Soon
Since the onset of COVID-19, the use of teledentistry, digital communications and online self-service tools has increased among dentists to provide dental care to their patients. However, in a new dental survey from The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian Life) on the pandemic’s impact on oral health, roughly 40% of adults say they or their child experienced a dental issue that would have otherwise prompted a dental visit.
The latest findings, from Guardian’s Workplace Benefits Study titled “Dental Benefits 2020,” also revealed that regarding safety, nearly three in ten say they are more anxious about visiting the dentist since the coronavirus outbreak. However, 3 in 4 adults will be comfortable going to the dentist by year-end 2020.
PEOPLE
Weinberg appointed CEO, Board Director at New Startup Coefficient
Denny Weinberg has been appointed CEO and Board Director at Coefficient Insurance Company, a new Verily subsidiary focused on employer stop-loss. Swiss Re Corporate Solutions (Swiss Re CorSo), the commercial insurance arm of reinsurance giant Swiss Re is backing the endeavor. Verily is the life sciences and healthcare subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent of Google.
Denny is a veteran executive, having spent 35 years in health care financing and operations. Prior to serving as CEO of Coefficient, his background included a four-year tenure as CEO of Hixme, a digital health benefits platform for large employers, and a 20-year tenure with WellPoint (Anthem), serving as CEO for a number of its nationwide insurance companies.
As CEO, Denny will be at the helm of Coefficient, which was launched to help employers realize improved value via its “precision risk” solution.
The new insurer will combine innovative health technology solutions with novel insurance and payment methods, leveraging Verily’s strengths integrating hardware, software and data science. Coefficient will also make use of Swiss Re CorSo’s risk knowledge, distribution capabilities and position in the employer stop-loss marketplace.
Coefficient Insurance Company, a new Verily subsidiary focused on employer stop-loss, announced industry vet Denny Weinberg has been appointed CEO and board director. Verily is the life sciences and healthcare subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent of Google. Weinberg had a 20-year tenure with WellPoint (Anthem) and, more recently, spent four years as CEO of insurtech startup Hixme. In his new position, the company says Weinberg will lead Coefficient’s mission to help employers realize improved value via its “precision risk” solution.
EVENTS
- LAAHU’s Zoom Happy Hour is the first Wednesday of the month from 4-5p.m. That means it’s today! Members and nonmembers welcome. Register here.
- National African-American Insurance Association (NAAIA) Webinars
- NAIFA-Los Angeles
- CAHU Summit, Virtual, Oct 6-7- Moving Boldly Into Our Future
Keynote speaker will be Joe Buzzello, a life-long entrepreneur, author and a master salesperson and organizational leader. Sponsorship info here. Register here.
- IICF Foundation Women in Insurance Regional Forums Rescheduled
Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation has rescheduled the Women in Insurance Regional Forums:
New York: October 26
Los Angeles: October 30
Dallas: November 17
- IICF Inclusion in Insurance Forum, Virtual, October 27 – 29
- CAHU Women’s Leadership Summit will now be April 7-9, 2021!
The latest news from CAHU’s WLS committee is that the CAHU Women’s Leadership Summit will now take place April 7 –9, 2021, at Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas. Questions should be emailed to info@cahu.org.
