Podcasts about national business group

Kenneth R. Pelletier, MD, PhD is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine; Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry at the University of California School of Medicine (UCSF) in San Francisco. He is Director of the Corporate Health Improvement Program (CHIP) which is a collaborative research program between CHIP and 15 of the Fortune 500 corporations including Ford, Oracle, Prudential, Apple, Dow, Lockheed Martin, Pepsico, IBM, American Airlines and NASA. Dr. Pelletier served as Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine and Stanford University School of Medicine. He was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, studied at the CG Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland and has published over 300 professional journal articles in behavioral medicine, disease management, worksite interventions, alternative/integrative medicine, and epigenetics. At the present time, Dr. Pelletier is a medical and business consultant to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Business Group on Health, the Federation of State Medical Boards, and major corporations including Cisco, IBM, American Airlines, Prudential, Dow, Disney, Ford, Mercer, Merck, Pepsico, Ford, Pfizer, Walgreens, NASA, Microsoft ENCARTA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Health Net, the Pasteur Institute of Lille, the Alpha Group of Mexico, and the Singapore Ministry of Health. Dr. Pelletier is the author of fifteen (15) major books, including the international bestseller Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer and Change Your Genes – Change Your Life: Creating Optimal Health with the New Science of Epigenetics. Today we enjoy the amazing viewpoint that Dr. Pelletier has for humanity. We have control over our destinies individually and collectively. This conversation is the culmination of years of incredible study. Enjoy, Dr. M  

Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, Change Your Genes, Change Your Life: Creating Optimal Health with the New Science of Epigenetics. Dr. Pelletier is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF, a renowned keynote speaker, and a pioneer in mind-body medicine and integrative health research.  Change Your Genes, Change Your Life is renowned for pioneering work in integrative medicine, epigenetics, and longevity. Throughout the book, Dr. Pelletier navigates readers through a captivating journey into the realm of health and wellness – unveiling actionable steps to alter our genetic expression and enhance our well-being for a lifetime… Presently, Dr. Pelletier works as a medical and business consultant to an array of entities, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Business Group on Health, and the Federation of State Medical Boards. He also serves on the boards of the Healthtrac Foundation, United Behavioral Health, American Institute of Stress, and more.  In this conversation, we dive into: What “adept meditators" are, and how observing them drove Dr. Pelletier's career interests. The difference between the voluntary and involuntary nervous system, and how they interact.  How practice and repetition can create pathways in the nervous system.  Examples of skills that can be learned through deep concentration.  You can follow along with Dr. Pelletier and his work by visiting his website! Take advantage of a 5% discount on Ekster accessories by using the code FINDINGGENIUS. Enhance your style and functionality with premium accessories. Visit bit.ly/3uiVX9R to explore latest collection. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9

Welcome to the weekend!This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Saturday, July 22nd, and Sunday, July 23rd, 2023.According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 87, cooling to a low around 61 Saturday evening with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms before 1am.Sunday will be sunny, with a high near 90 and cool to 64 Sunday night.Schools tapping into Cedar Rapids mental health care providerSeveral Iowa school districts are adding a workplace mental health and wellness partner — based in Cedar Rapids — to help educators manage their mental health and achieve their goals.Covenant Workplace Solutions is an employee assistance program that — like many of these programs — offers confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals and follow-up services for employees as part of their benefits. It also is trying to reduce the stigma around mental health in the workplace and make it easier for employees to access services, said Chad Charkowski, an owner and head of sales at Covenant Workplace Solutions.The average use of employee assistance programs in the United States is about 5.5 percent of workers, according to the National Business Group on Health, which describes itself as a voice in health care policy.Collins Aerospace expands plant in West Des MoinesCollins Aerospace has opened a $14 million, 9,000-square-foot addition to its manufacturing center in West Des Moines to house 3D metal printers.The new 3D printers are aimed at cutting costs, wait times and the backlog of orders for commercial airplane parts, the company said in a news release, as well as avoid supply chain issues.The first 3D metal printer installed has eight times the build volume of the facility's existing printers, significantly increasing the center's “additive manufacturing” capabilities, the news release stated.Iowa cracking down on speeding next weekIowa law enforcement will be out on the road next week ready to pull over speeding vehicles and motorcycles as part of a multistate traffic safety awareness campaign.The Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau is teaming up with law enforcement across the state and Midwest to keep drivers and passengers safe by raising awareness about the dangers of speeding and urging drivers to obey speed limits.Iowa will join several states on Wednesday in the Speed Awareness Campaign.Speeding is among the most influential factors in severe injury or fatal crashes. It reduces a driver's ability to safely maneuver around other vehicles, obstacles or unexpected curves, and even modern systems have limitations in preventing the worst effects of a high-speed crash, according to the news release.Have a good weekend, everyone.

Hoangmai (Mai) H. Pham, MD MPH, is President and CEO of Institute for Exceptional Care, a nonprofit committed to transforming healthcare for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. She is a general internist and national health policy leader. She was Vice President, Provider Alignment Solutions at Anthem, Inc., responsible for value-based care initiatives at the country’s second largest health insurance company. Prior to Anthem, Dr. Pham served as Chief Innovation Officer at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, where she was a founding official, and the architect of Medicare’s foundational programs on accountable care organizations and primary care. She was Co-Director of Research at the Center for Studying Health System Change and has published extensively in the medical literature on provider payment policy and its intersection with health disparities, care coordination, quality performance, provider behavior, and market trends. Dr. Pham serves on numerous advisory bodies, including the National Advisory Council for the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality, the Maryland Primary Care Program, and the National Business Group on Health, and was a member of the Board Executive Committee at the Health Care Transformation Task Force. She is an Adjunct Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics of the University of Pennsylvania, and Faculty at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Dr. Pham earned her A.B. from Harvard University, her M.D. from Temple University, and her M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University where she was also a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The importance of engagement strategies to achieve an inclusive healthcare environment. Understand that meaningful engagement can promote joy in healthcare practices. Learn resources and tools available that may not have been provided in traditional medical educational programs Collaboration with patients, families and caregivers is a key component when providing patient care In this episode…. This podcast features Hoangmai (Mai) H. Pham, MD MPH. She discusses how her organization provides training for clinicians and hospital staff around creating an environment of inclusion. IEC was founded by healthcare professionals who also have disabled loved ones. They share the anxiety and isolation of navigating an opaque, disconnected, and underfunded world of support services. Through their training and services healthcare providers can learn how to better engage with patients who have disabilities fostering an environment of inclusion.

What if there was an approach to behavior change on exercise and healthy eating that fit the realities of day-to-day life? Good intentions and a sound plan don't always stand up to the inevitable changes that pop up and get in your way. Sustainable-behavior-change researcher and lifestyle coach Dr. Michelle Segar discusses her new book The Joy Choice, which introduces a new brain-based solution that's flexible - and fun. Her behavior change approach positions you to make the practical choice in the moment that's sustainable in the long run. Michelle Segar joins us from Michigan. _________________________ Bio Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS, bestselling author of No Sweat and author of the new book, The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise,  sustainable behavior change scientist, directs the University of Michigan's Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center. She has translated science into sustainable behavior change messages and programming for decades and is a recognized pioneer and leading authority in this field. See featured peer-reviewed publications and national media. Her comprehensive, science-based, and tailored approach to creating sustainable behavior change related to healthy lifestyles and well-being has made her a sought-after speaker, sustainable-behavior-change trainer, consultant, and learning/intervention expert for global organizations seeking to accelerate and sustain positive change. Her clients include Adidas, Anytime Fitness, Beaumont Health System, EXL, Google, Harvard Medical School, Kaiser Permanente, The Permanente Medical Group, National Business Group on Health, PepsiCo, and Walmart. Dr. Segar is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded researcher and she holds a doctorate in Psychology (PhD), a master's degree in Health Behavior/Health Education (MPH), and a master's degree in Kinesiology (MS) from the University of Michigan. ___________________________ For More on Dr. Michelle Segar The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise  Take Her Quiz on Your Hidden Eating & Exercise  Traps Access Bonus Offers (including a workbook) if you pre-order the book by April 25, 2022) Michelle Segar's Website ___________________________ Podcast Episodes You May Like Move: The New Science of Body Over Mind – Caroline Williams The Joy of Movement – Kelly McGonigal Take Charge of Your Well-Being – John La Puma, MD How to Get Stronger After 50 – Dave Durell ____________________________ Wise Quotes On Moving Away from All-or-Nothing Thinking "And so people need to]break away from the part of all or nothing thinking when it comes to physical activity that it has to feel punishing, it has to be intense, like the kinds of marathons that you might run, or you have to sweat for it to be worth doing. And the research absolutely shows that something is better than nothing. So that's the formula, for creating a more positive experience with physical activity." On Slicing & Dicing "...things always get in the way in every area of our life. When we're parents with our jobs, as children helping aging parents, as people aging ourselves, things always get in the way. But, in general, all or nothing thinking can plague us in other life areas too. In general, we've learned to do what I call slicing and dicing. When you thought you were going to be able to leave to do this for your job at this time, but you got an urgent call and you had to leave 15 minutes later, it's no sweat. You just shrug your shoulders and move on. Or you're working on something and a child needs to be picked up early from school because they're sick, or an aging parent got an early eye doctor's appointment and you have to take them to it. Those things happen. And we just intuitively go, Oh wow, I got to do it this way. And so what I'm proposing is, in the same way,

In this healthcare podcast, I speak with Peter Hayes, who is president and CEO at the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine and a national presence in healthcare strategy, innovation, and a frequent keynote speaker. One thing, among many, that Peter said during our conversation struck me. He said it will take a village to fix what ails the healthcare industry in this country. There are too many interdependencies. This point obviously resonates around these parts because it's the rationale for the Relentless Health Value podcast. We started this show on the recognition that if you want to achieve anything in healthcare, you cannot do it without collaboration/cooperation/grudging acquiescence of other stakeholders in the patient journey or the payment journey. And when I say, “You can't do anything,” I mean you can't sell anything, you can't improve patient care, and, most relevant to this particular episode, you can't contain prices. If we're talking about health systems (for example, hospitals and the like), they are not going to curtail their price hikes or improve the value of care delivered or safety or infection control really unless patients and employers and CMS and others demand that they do—and unless employers and others do some of the five things that Peter Hayes mentions at the end of our conversation. Spoiler alert there. For context to this discussion, let's check in with some of the biggest, most powerful health systems in this country. If I limit this comment to the “nonprofit” ones—and I say “nonprofit” with air quotes because what does that mean exactly?—look, I know there are many health system execs that listen to this show, but there's some inalienable facts here. And let's talk about them with the intent of fixing them because nothing is going to get fixed that isn't talked about. It's not my nature to mince words, so I won't. Many hospitals are, by almost every account, pretty darn inefficient. And they don't do cost accounting, but then they'll scream and claim to be losing money when paid the exact same prices for certain services that other hospitals can get paid and make a fair profit. Crappy workflows cost money. Talk to anybody who has watched even the trailer to a Six Sigma course. Another thing that costs money is when all the burned-out doctors quit and you have to recruit new ones, but that's a topic for a different day. Listen the EP323 with Arshad Rahim, MD.  But there's also inefficiencies in how many health systems purchase supplies. (Listen to EP281 with Rob Austin for more on that.) Further, paying the C-suite millions of dollars but maybe underpaying or understaffing nurses has consequences. There's complaints about Medicare payer mixes, but then somehow there's enough spare shekel to put a waterfall in the lobby. Nonprofit hospitals also don't pay any taxes, keep in mind, which is a huge financial windfall, especially when they provide vanishingly small amounts of charity care compared to revenue. See the top 10 health system hall of shame in this category here.   Here's another point to ponder: Amongst the hundreds, thousands, of requests I get from PR firms pitching guests to come on this show, there are plenty from what appears to be a pretty large cottage industry that I had never heard of before. I'll call it the real estate for nonprofit hospitals cottage industry. From what I can gather by the promo copy, this involves buying up medical office buildings, not paying any real estate taxes, and then leasing out the space. I should have one of these guys come on the show just to shine some light on whatever this apparently pretty common shenanigan is. As Vikas Saini, MD, from the Lown Institute has said, “No margin, no mission” can become an excuse for all kinds of questionable behavior. So bottom line, we have employers, employees, taxpayers, cash-pay patients whose federal and/or state and/or local taxes are going to support these nonprofit hospitals—but then there's this double tax. Because they claim to be losing money on Medicare patients, they justify cost shifting some pretty big bucks onto the commercially insured patients, who are then paying, on average, some wildly inflated prices for healthcare services. This might be considered a double tax if you think about it: tax dollars going to the IRS directly and then after-tax dollars buying that knee replacement for $125,000 that should cost $25,000. Consider that a $100,000 double tax. But why should a hospital with a motive to maximize margins quit it with their questionable and secretive billing practices if employers just pay whatever the bill is no fuss no muss? Short answer: They won't. So, it's going to be up to someone else in the village to make it untenable to continue. It's going to be up to another party to slow that roll. In this conversation, Peter Hayes talks about the RAND Hospital Price Transparency Study.  One last thing that may or may not be relevant here, but I can't resist a good sidebar. New catchphrase I have been hearing lately: the “deconstruction of hospitals.” Have you heard it, too? In fact, I was listening to Zeev Neuwirth's podcast recently that featured Raphael Rakowski. Raphael said that the average fixed cost of any given brick-and-mortar hospital is 65% of revenue. So, just having the building, the physical plant, and paying for all the things you need to pay for to run that physical plant is really high. I heard Jason Wells say in a HealthIMPACT forum the other day that it costs a million dollars to build a bed in California due to all the regulatory requirements. Add to that something Christin Deacon highlighted the other day on LinkedIn about how operating rooms are empty 30% of the time.   So, it makes me wonder whether some of the issues that hospitals have when they claim that they are losing money on Medicaid or Medicare is because their fixed costs are out of whack. This potentially disproportionate situation, however, is one reason why hospitals really have to watch it for hospitals at home or virtual offerings. After all, this is exactly how Amazon ate everybody's lunch. Erase 65% of your costs, or even 50% of your costs, and that cost-plus profit threshold becomes a weapon of mass destruction. At the end of this podcast—the very end, so if you're in a rush, jump to 28 minutes or something [32:45]—Peter gives five ideas for employers to limit the ability for hospitals to take advantage. If you're a hospital exec that's listening, I would urge you to please help your local employers do these things. Let's all get on the same team here to improve the health of our communities with pricing and business models that are reasonable and fair. Don't be like the hospital that Katy Talento is going to talk about in an upcoming episode who won't do direct contracting with employers because the coding is kind of a hassle. Seriously now. You can learn more at purchaseralliance.org. Peter Hayes is president and CEO of the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine and formerly a principal of Healthcare Solutions and director of associate health and wellness at Hannaford Supermarkets. He has been in innovative, strategic benefit design for the past 20+ years. During the past several years, Hannaford has received numerous national awards in recognition of the company's commitment to working collaboratively with healthcare providers and vendors in delivering health benefits that are focused on value (high-quality efficient care). Hannaford Supermarkets has been successful in this arena by focusing on innovative solutions for patient advocacy, chronic disease management, and health promotion programs. Hannaford was recognized by receiving the National Business Group on Health Platinum Award for the health promotion and wellness programs three years in a row. These programs, along with healthcare delivery strategies, contributed to a flat trend line over five years. Peter has also been involved in healthcare reform leadership roles on both the national and regional levels with organizations like the Center for Health Innovation, Care Focused Purchasing, and Leapfrog. He's also cofounder of the Maine Health Management Coalition (now Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine) and has been appointed by two different Maine Governors to serve on Health Care Reform Commissions to recommend public policies to improve the access and affordability of healthcare for Maine citizens. 07:51 Who are the commercial payers? 08:48 Are hospitals actually losing money on Medicare and Medicaid? 11:26 Is cost inversely connected to quality when it comes to hospital care? 13:46 “A lot of hospitals don't do cost accounting.” 13:59 If hospitals don't know their costs, how does Medicare know their costs? 15:52 “In the hospital financial world … they start the budget upside down.” 18:48 “There's plenty of accountability to spread around for where we are.” 20:30 Do employers have any options in the current health system situation? 21:39 “If this market's going to change, purchasers have to step up and start demanding more accountability, more transparency.” 26:21 How is the new transparency legislation impacting plan sponsors and employers? 29:41 EP342 with Christin Deacon.32:38 “I think the whole dialogue around how we pay for hospital services is going to really change.” 32:45 What is Peter's advice to employers? You can learn more at purchaseralliance.org.   @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth Who are the commercial payers? @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth Are hospitals actually losing money on Medicare and Medicaid? @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth Is cost inversely connected to quality when it comes to hospital care? @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth “A lot of hospitals don't do cost accounting.” @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth If hospitals don't know their costs, how does Medicare know their costs? @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth “In the hospital financial world … they start the budget upside down.” @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth “There's plenty of accountability to spread around for where we are.” @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth Do employers have any options in the current health system situation? @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth “If this market's going to change, purchasers have to step up and start demanding more accountability, more transparency.” @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth How is the new transparency legislation impacting plan sponsors and employers? @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth “I think the whole dialogue around how we pay for hospital services is going to really change.” @pefhayes of @HPAofMaine discusses #healthsystempricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Paul Simms, Dr Steven Quimby, Dr David Carmouche (EP343), Christin Deacon, Gary Campbell, Kristin Begley, David Contorno (AEE17), David Contorno (EP339), Nikki King, Olivia Webb, Brandon Weber, Stacey Richter (INBW30), Brian Klepper (AEE16), Brian Klepper (EP335), Sunita Desai, Care Plans vs Real World (EP333), Dr Tony DiGioia, Al Lewis, John Marchica, Joe Connolly, Marshall Allen, Andrew Eye, Naomi Fried, Dr Rishi Wadhera, Dr Mai Pham, Nicole Bradberry and Kelly Conroy, Lee Lewis, Dr Arshad Rahim

Health care is the largest employment sector in the US, and women account for 75-percent of the workforce. Gender equity in medical leadership is of paramount importance in value-based care to provide more meaningful and culturally-competent care with improved relational and clinical outcomes between patients and providers. Despite a female majority in the healthcare workforce, they are not proportionally represented within top leadership positions, where they account for less than 15-percent of executives. While women account for just over half of all medical school enrollments, they have consistently graduated from medical school at rates below their male colleagues, although that gap has narrowed in recent years. Further, only 18-percent of hospital CEOs are women. Our special guest for this bonus episode is Dr. Charlotte Collins, Division Chief for The Center for Professionalism and Well-Being at Geisinger. Her work focuses on the provider experience to improve engagement, recruitment, retention, and communication, while benefitting patient care and experience, and reducing the risk for medical errors. The Center promotes cultural goals such as transparency, decentralized decision-making, and continuous quality improvement for the organization. In 2020, the National Business Group on Health awarded Geisinger with the platinum Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being Award for supporting the “enhancement and maintenance of personal and professional well-being” for staff. In this episode, Dr. Collins shares insights garnered from her efforts to better understand women's needs in the health care workforce. During this time of consistent burnout among clinicians, and heightened awareness of the need for improved equity, it is critical to recognize the opportunity for women to take a more prominent role in leading value-based care transformation. This discussion will provide you with important insights on gender and pay equity, creating a female-friendly workplace, empowerment, and workforce resiliency. The value proposition of gender equity in leadership is crucial in the transition to whole-person care models that deliver on improved population health outcomes. This bonus episode is a recording of an ACLC Peer Learning Session – watch here if you would like to see Dr. Collins' slides and hear the full audio. Episode Bookmarks: 01:40 Referencing the ACLC Intelligence Brief on Women in Medicine and Introduction to Dr. Charlotte Collins 04:00 Kimberly Mueller explains the purpose of the ACLC in accelerating the transition to value-based care 05:00 Recent efforts in healthcare to support the advancement of DEI and Dr. Collins work at Geisinger 07:20 75% of the healthcare workforce is female, but there is an imbalance between men and women in leadership roles 08:30 The role that women leaders play in value-based care and how more women in medical leadership could improve clinical outcomes 09:30 The three pillars of Geisinger that inform population health and how the pandemic has impacted that work 10:15 The exodus of the healthcare workforce due to burnout and retirement, coupled with nursing shortages, has created a crisis 11:15 The development of the Geisinger Center for Professionalism and Well-Being and how it supports women in medicine 13:00 Overview of Geisinger's survey on women-centered medicine and clinical practice 17:45 How patients have potentially been impacted by sexual harassment, and the opportunities to address burnout and workplace fairness 19:30 Pay equity and transparency within the workforce and the creation of a “female-friendly workplace” 21:10 Addressing workforce policies that disproportionately impact women 22:10 The choice that women face in being a “good Mom” or a professional in the workplace 24:00 Geisinger's program to support workforce resiliency and emotional well-being (RISE - Resilience in Stressful Events)

First of all, a shout-out to all of you listeners who have shared this show with colleagues and LISTSERVs—really appreciate it. It's because of you and your efforts to share that Relentless Health Value maintains its spot as one of the top podcasts reaching health care executives, executives who take the insights shared by our guests to drive actual change and transformation across our industry. So, thank you. Leaving a rating and/or a review on iTunes is also the bomb and really helps our RHV team stay motivated and keep it going. Weekly shows take a ton of work! Feedback is super appreciated. On to the topic this week: Who has read that white paper put out in February by the University of Pennsylvania, specifically, Penn's Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics? It's called “The Future of Value-Based Payment: A Road Map to 2030.” I mentioned this paper last week, too. So, if you still haven't read it, go back after this show and take a look. There's links in show notes.  As with every interesting white paper, while you're reading it, you start thinking of more questions. That's why I was thrilled to get a chance speak with Mai Pham, MD, MPH. She is one of the paper's authors, a physician, and a trained health services researcher. Dr. Pham is a former chief innovation officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). She also spent time at Anthem doing value-based care (VBC) work for the enterprise on a national level. Further, she's the parent of an autistic child and founded the Institute for Exceptional Care to transform health care for people with IDD (meaning intellectual developmental disabilities), which I'll get to in a second. Here's some highlights from my discussion with Dr. Pham: Markets get distorted when insane quantities of dollars rush in. I'm thinking about Medicare Advantage and all of its attendant suppliers right now. Think about all of the amazing brainpower captivated by figuring out how to upcode at scale, which, by the way, only a minority of the time corresponds to actual spend. Dr. Pham has some words on this. Attaining value-based care results and adoption has a big problem. As a policy maker, you can't just keep trying to sweeten the value-based care pot. You don't want to plow even more money into the system. So, at a certain point, we all have to get real and realize that for the cost-driving entities in this country—those IDNs (independent delivery networks) with huge market clout—to get on the VBC bandwagon, value-based care probably has to be a mandate; and it also will mean making FFS (fee for service) much less attractive. Thirdly—and here's something I never considered—commercial prices drive up Medicare prices. You have hospital systems pointing to growing disparities between commercial rates when they negotiate for higher Medicare rates, when the hospital systems themselves created those deltas with their private-sector negotiations. Lastly, we chat national versus local health care reform and about indie doctors and the “why” behind consolidation. It aligns quite a bit, our conversation in this health care podcast, with the insights from the show last week with Nicole Bradberry and Kelly Conroy (EP324).  The last 6 minutes of this podcast is Dr. Pham's insight about the scope and impact of not caring adequately for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities. We're talking about somewhere between 10 and 16 million people, as Dr. Pham notes for perspective. That's the number of new cancer cases each year. Collectively, we spend as a country somewhere between 1% and 2% of the GDP all in on this patient population. You can learn more at ie-care.org.  Hoangmai (Mai) H. Pham, MD, MPH, is a general internist and national health policy leader. She was vice president, provider alignment solutions, at Anthem, Inc., responsible for value-based care initiatives at the country's second-largest health insurance company. Prior to Anthem, Dr. Pham served as chief innovation officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, where she was a founding official, and the architect of Medicare's foundational programs on accountable care organizations and primary care. She was co-director of research at the Center for Studying Health System Change and has published extensively on provider payment policy and its intersection with health disparities, quality performance, provider behavior, and market trends. Dr. Pham serves on numerous advisory bodies, including the National Advisory Council for the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality, the Maryland Primary Care Program, and the National Business Group on Health, and was a member of the Board Executive Committee at the Health Care Transformation Task Force. Dr. Pham earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard University, her MD from Temple University, and her MPH from Johns Hopkins University, where she was also a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. 04:22 What are the nuances within the promises of value-based care? 05:34 “For the first 10 years of … value-based care, it was right in order to generate momentum and get as much participation as possible.” 06:41 “When you leave yourself open to tackling prices, now you open up a whole world of possibilities in terms of how you could redirect sources.” 08:00 “Not all providers are the same.” 09:24 “It's time to stop tracking the phenomenon and actually pay for change.” 10:29 “We haven't done our best to actually make the alternative to value-based payment as bad as it could be.” 12:14 What's the path forward in value-based care, especially for specialists? 15:43 “There has been tremendous business opportunity in Medicare Advantage, not to the benefit of the trust funds.” 17:13 “As a citizen, I gotta ask, ‘How much is enough?'” 19:03 “It's not like we're talking about replacing a really superlative gold standard.” 19:34 EP263 with Andrew Eye from ClosedLoop.ai. 22:02 “It's not just about taking dollars away from certain subsectors; it's about reallocating some of those dollars.” 23:34 “Policy making itself tends to be siloed.” 25:02 “This is about paying some people in health care modestly less.” 25:35 “Most of the costs are driven by fixed costs.” 29:25 “Value-based care is not what has driven consolidation.” You can learn more at ie-care.org.  @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc What are the nuances within the promises of value-based care? @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “For the first 10 years of … value-based care, it was right in order to generate momentum and get as much participation as possible.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “When you leave yourself open to tackling prices, now you open up a whole world of possibilities in terms of how you could redirect sources.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “Not all providers are the same.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “It's time to stop tracking the phenomenon and actually pay for change.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “We haven't done our best to actually make the alternative to value-based payment as bad as it could be.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “As a citizen, I gotta ask, ‘How much is enough?'” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “It's not like we're talking about replacing a really superlative gold standard.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “It's not just about taking dollars away from certain subsectors; it's about reallocating some of those dollars.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “This is about paying some people in health care modestly less.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc “Value-based care is not what has driven consolidation.” @HoangmaiPham discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #vbc

Tune in (10/26/20) on The Doctor Whisperer Show, at 5:30pm EST, to welcome Therapist, Shelly Khaldi, LMHC, who will discuss with us the importance of EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) for mental health at work. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) provide a range of different services and resources. In general, EAPs provide assessment and services for addressing a range of personal problems and concerns that interfere with employees' well being and work performance (EASNA, 2009). EAPs may help individuals with emotional and substance use issues, interpersonal relationships, legal problems, and financial difficulties. In addition, EAPs may provide information and resources on health promotion and work/life issues. EAP professionals may also provide training and/or consultation to managers and supervisors on organizational concerns. Furthermore, EAPs may be helpful to employees experiencing serious illness and the associated challenges of staying at work or returning to work (National Business Group on Health, 2013). Thank you to our incredible sponsor TieTechnology for sponsoring the show! Contact: To send me a voice message, click here: https://anchor.fm/thedoctorwhisperer/message To send me an email, click here: 13thavenuemedia@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thedoctorwhisperer/message

Let me explicitly state an implicit theme that’s been running through a bunch of the latest Relentless Health Value podcasts talking about if and how the COVID-19 pandemic could possibly serve as a flash point in the health care industry—a flash point where egregious and self-interested financial pursuits take such a toll that politicians notice. Why do these legislators notice? Because the patients (also known as voters), the ones that we all serve, begin to break under the weight of a system that inappropriately enriches some of its purveyors. In this health care podcast, I speak with Peter Hayes, who is president and CEO at the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine and a national presence in health care strategy/innovation and frequent keynote speaker. One thing, among many, that Peter said during our conversation struck me. He said it will take a village to fix what ails the health care system in this country. There’s just too many interdependencies. Take, for example, some of the biggest, most powerful health systems in this country. Most are, by almost every account, pretty darn inefficient in how they purchase supplies, how they pay their CEO millions of dollars, and how they put a waterfall in the lobby and don’t pay any taxes. Look, here’s my point—and it’s both an uncomfortable time and a great time to make it. I want the doctors and the nurses and others who actually provide care to be heroes and fairly compensated for their hard and dangerous work. But that should not, and maybe even cannot, happen within the context of a larger system that is anything but fair to patients. So, this whole upcoming conversation that I have with Peter pertains to the business decisions that many huge health systems are making and have made. It does not pertain to the “scrubs,” for the most part, who are doing the best they can and should be exalted—except to urge you guys to organize, please. But why should health systems change their often wildly inflated and secretive billing practices if employers just pay whatever the bill is no fuss, no muss? Short answer: They won’t. It’s not like no one in the health system noticed that the CEO is getting paid, like, 10x what the average worker makes. It’s not like no one noticed what has been sacrificed in patient care or infection control or technology to spring for that kind of green. Health systems operate the way they operate because someone wants them to operate that way. Follow the money and you can figure out who. So, it’s going to be up to someone else in the village to make it untenable for them to continue to do these things. It’s going to be up to another party to slow that roll. You can learn more at purchaseralliance.org. You can also connect with Peter on LinkedIn. Peter Hayes is president and CEO of the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine and formerly a principal of Healthcare Solutions and director of associate health and wellness at Hannaford Supermarkets. He has been in innovative, strategic benefit design for the past 20+ years. During the past several years, Hannaford has received numerous national awards in recognition of the company’s commitment to working collaboratively with health care providers and vendors in delivering health benefits that are focused on value (high-quality efficient care). Hannaford Supermarkets has been successful in this arena by focusing on innovative solutions for patient advocacy, chronic disease management, and health promotion programs. Hannaford was recognized by receiving the National Business Group on Health Platinum Award for the health promotion and wellness programs three years in a row. These programs, along with health care delivery strategies, contributed to a flat trend line over five years. Peter has also been involved in health care reform leadership roles on both the national and regional levels with organizations like the Center for Health Innovation, Care Focused Purchasing, and Leapfrog. He’s also cofounder of the Maine Health Management Coalition (now Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine) and has been appointed by two different Maine Governors to serve on Health Care Reform Commissions to recommend public policies to improve the access and affordability of health care for Maine citizens. 03:36 Why employers are spotting the margin from commercial pay. 05:20 Public pay vs commercial pay, and why profit for a hospital has to come from commercial payers. 05:51 Inefficient costs in health systems. 07:22 How the health care system evolved this way. 09:12 “If you’re a business, a manufacturer, you actually do cost accounting. … Hospitals don’t use cost accounting. They really don’t know.” 12:00 The amount that taxpayers are actually subsidizing hospital systems. 12:24 Cost shifting and how this is affecting employers and employees. 14:45 How a hospital could increase its employer prices by such a large magnitude. 17:19 The perverse incentives that have made health plan premiums what they are today. 22:11 The case for the bundled payment program. 23:35 How purchasers shopping around for benefit designs can transform health pricing and make hospitals more willing to move from fee-for-service to bundled payments. 24:54 EP257 with Karl Bilimoria, MD.25:46 Employers outside of the health care industry vs the health care industry, and how this plays out in state and federal legislature. 27:26 What else employers can be doing. 29:09 “Instead of being market takers, [it’s time] to be market makers.” 29:47 What employers can be doing at the local level. 34:30 Employers can find a transparent health broker by checking out Health Rosetta and Validation Institute. 35:17 “If we don’t do something to have the market work, it’s going to be done to us.” You can learn more at purchaseralliance.org. You can also connect with Peter on LinkedIn. Check out our newest #healthcarepodcast with Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine as he discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice #Publicpay vs #commercialpay. Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice Inefficient costs in #healthcaresystems. Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice “If you’re a business, a manufacturer, you actually do cost accounting. … Hospitals don’t use cost accounting. They really don’t know.” Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice How much are taxpayers subsidizing #hospitalsystems? Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice How does cost shifting affect #employers? Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice Perverse incentives in #healthcarepremiums. Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice How #bundledpayments could change things. Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice “Instead of being market takers, [it’s time] to be market makers.” Peter Hayes of @HPAofMaine on our #healthcarepodcast discusses inflated #healthcarepricing among #healthsystems and #employers. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #hospitalpricing #feeforservice

Susan Morgan Bailey is a high energy leader with more than 20 years of experience in health, benefits and education settings. In her role Vice President, Culture & Wellbeing Practice Leader at Marsh & McLennan Agency, she calls upon her experience to help organizations build supportive cultures that empower individuals to live healthy, engaged lives.   Susan was instrumental in the success of a number of best-in-class wellbeing & culture strategies including initiatives at DTE Energy, Beaumont Health System and Chrysler. Prior to joining MMA in 2016, Susan led the Health and Wellbeing Strategy Consulting team at RedBrick Health where she provided strategic support and guidance to the account teams and clients. Susan also worked in the public health sector as a Health Promotion Coordinator for the Gaston County Health Department, in North Carolina, where she developed a county-wide fitness and nutrition program for residents. She remains committed to community health improvement through active involvement in the Michigan Wellness Council.   Susan is dedicated to sharing best practices and learning from the field of health and wellbeing.  Speaking engagements include presentations at various Human Resources events, HERO, National Business Group on Health, and Truven Health Analytics conferences.  Susan also serves on the faculty of the National Wellness Institute as a trainer for the Certified Worksite Wellness Program Manager certificate.   Susan is a Certified CultureTalk™ Partner, a Certified Intrinsic Coach® and is SHRM-SCP and SPHR certified, with a BS in Education from Central Michigan University. Susan also holds a Master of Science degree in Health Promotion from the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Susan is a graduate of Leadership Oakland class XIX and remains involved with the organization to this day as a board member and retreat facilitator.   Recognized for her passion and enthusiasm, she is on a mission to help others find their own high energy, good health and passion for life! Susan integrates her passion for wellbeing into her own life through time spent with her husband and two boys at her cottage in northern Michigan and conquering various outdoor pursuits like paddle boarding, hiking, swimming, playing soccer, an occasional 10K and traveling to warm, sunny places.  Connect with Susan Bailey Website: http://www.mma-mi.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmbailey/ Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Website: http://jondwoskin.com/ Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Thejondwoskinexperience/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com

How do we help employers help their employees? The employer market covers 180 million people in the United States—the largest payer of health care services. On this episode of “Inside Health Care”, NCQA welcomes Ellen Kelsay, Chief Strategy Officer for the National Business Group on Health. Based in Washington, D.C, the Business Group is a […]

How do we help employers help their employees? The employer market covers 180 million people in the United States—the largest payer of health care services. On this episode of “Inside Health Care”, NCQA welcomes Ellen Kelsay, Chief Strategy Officer for the National Business Group on Health. Based in Washington, D.C, the Business Group is a nonprofit membership-based organization that works with large self-funded employers on a variety of health and well-being related issues. In this episode, Ellen discusses how the Business Group is there to help companies improve health care quality among their employees—this impacts employee productivity, engagement, wellness and more. Improvements are being made but there is still a gap—so, what is the employer’s role? What are the challenges? Listen to the episode below to find out more. Be sure to rate us where you listen to podcasts!

Employers may not look forward to purchasing healthcare, but they are in the position to transform the market. Key opinion leaders like Suzanne Delbanco, PhD, MPH, of Catalyst for Payment Reform; Brian Marcotte of the National Business Group on Health; and Judy Berger of Southwest Airlines, discuss how employers are getting more involved in healthcare by championing alternative payment models and other more services to their employees. Learn more about the most recent news and updates in Medicaid: Employers Play an Increasingly Important Role in the Move to Value-Based Care: www.ajmc.com/conferences/acdc-spring-2018/employers-play-an-increasingly-important-role-in-the-move-to-valuebased-care Employer Support Is Needed to Help Payment Reform Succeed: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/employer-support-is-needed-to-help-payment-reform-succeed Percent of Employers Offering Health Coverage Increases for First Time Since 2008: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/percent-of-employers-offering-health-coverage-increases-for-first-time-since-2008 Employers Actively Exploring, Offering New Ways of Delivering Healthcare to Employees: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/employers-actively-exploring-offering-new-ways-of-care-delivering-healthcare-to-employees When Employee Healthcare Costs Move Stocks: www.ajmc.com/contributor/joseph-andelin/2018/09/when-employee-healthcare-costs-move-stocks

For those of you working in or with larger organizations, this episode is for you. Today I talk to LuAnn Heinen, VP of Workforce Well-being, Productivity and Human Capital for the National Business Group on Health®. The National Business Group on Health is the nation’s only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers’ perspective on national health policy issues and helping companies optimize business performance through health improvement, innovation and health care management. LuAnn leads the Business Group’s initiatives on employee, family and community well-being and workforce effectiveness. These include Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles® recognition program, Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being and the Institute on Health, Productivity and Human Capital. In today’s interview, we discuss their model of the drivers of employee well-being, their 2018 trends to watch, what the well-being conversations looks like with their global employers, and future trends. LuAnn leaves us with one tangible tip for employers to consider when attempting to enhance employee well-being. Also, click here to learn more about my upcoming training, Next Generation Wellness: From Theory to Practice. For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/ To join the Redesigning Wellness Community, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/rdwellnesscommunity/  

Medicine gone Mobile & Virtual Health. Dr. Cindy Zelis of University Hospitals  discusses technology in medicine and explain updates in how virtual medicine is practiced. Brian Marcotte, Pres. National Business Group on Health talks about the Employer perspective.

Christopher Kennedy with Heritage Biologics interviews Thomas G. Emerick, President of Emerick Consulting, LLC, a firm engaged in providing consulting services to a broad spectrum of clients. The discussion centers around specialty pharmacy & Direct-to-Employer Program Opportunities.  About Tom´s years with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Burger King Corporation, British Petroleum, and American Fidelity Assurance Company have provided an excellent blend of experience and contacts. His last position with Wal-Mart was Vice President, Global Benefit Design. Tom has served on a variety of employer coalitions and associations, including being on the board of the influential National Business Group on Health, the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Benefit Committee, and many others. In the year 2000 Tom was given the prestigious “Distinguished Former Student” award from the University of Central Oklahoma from which he has both BBA and MBA degrees. Tom has also been on the Arkansas State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Board, and served as a member of the Murphy Commission in Arkansas. Frequently in demand as a speaker for benefits and health care conferences, such as the internationally known World Health Care Congress, Tom´s topics include strategic health plan design, global health care challenges, health care economics, and evidence-based medicine. Specialty Pharmacy Podcast Host: Christopher W. Kennedy, MSM Chief Operating Officer Heritage Biologics, Inc. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Kennedy with Heritage Biologics interviews Thomas G. Emerick, President of Emerick Consulting, LLC, a firm engaged in providing consulting services to a broad spectrum of clients. The discussion centers around specialty pharmacy & Direct-to-Employer Program Opportunities.  About Tom´s years with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Burger King Corporation, British Petroleum, and American Fidelity Assurance Company have provided an excellent blend of experience and contacts. His last position with Wal-Mart was Vice President, Global Benefit Design. Tom has served on a variety of employer coalitions and associations, including being on the board of the influential National Business Group on Health, the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Benefit Committee, and many others. In the year 2000 Tom was given the prestigious “Distinguished Former Student” award from the University of Central Oklahoma from which he has both BBA and MBA

We sat down with Brian Marcotte, President and CEO of the National Business Group on Health, to discuss the most pressing healthcare issues facing employers today and how deploying holistic well-being strategies can strengthen the workforce.        

Join host Elise Marquam Jahns as she communes with Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier, PhD, MD. Dr. Pelletier is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine; Dept.of Family and Community Medicine; and Dept.of Psychiatry at the University of California School of Medicine (UCSF) in San Francisco; and a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Dept.of Medicine and Dept.Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine in Tuscon. He also serves as Chairman of the American Health Association (AHA) and is a Vice President with American Specialty Health (ASH). Dr. Pelletier has published over 300 professional journal articles in behavioral medicine, disease management, worksite interventions, alternative/integrative medicine, and epigenetics and is the author of thirteen (13) major books including "The Best Alternative Medicine: What Works?  What Does Not?"; and "Change Your Genes – Change Your Life: The Hope and Hype of Genetics." Currently, Dr. Pelletier is a medical and business consultant to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the National Business Group on Health, the Federation of State Medical Boards. Learning Well is sponsored by the Integrative Health Education Center of Normandale Community College. Thank you for your interest in the Edge! Please go to edgemagazine.net to view the latest issue of the Edge. For information on advertising in the Edge please contact Cathy Jacobsen at 763.433.9291. Or via email at Cathy@edgemagazine.net For article submission please contact Tim Miejan at 651.578.8969. Or via email at editor@edgemagazine.net

Freshwire helps brands tell their stories by delivering strategic and thoughtful content, operating on the belief that the future of consumer engagement lies in value, not volume. Amos has been a trusted tastemaker, content creator, and custodian of pop culture for the past decade, having previously served as a music industry exec. He was included in Forbes magazine's recent list of "Up and Comers," and he is a regular contributor on Bloomberg West TV. Amos also sits on the Board of Trustees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the Board of Directors of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. Elisha is a psychologist and author of the best-selling book "The Now Effect." Goldstein synthesizes traditional psychotherapy with a progressive integration of mindfulness to achieve mental and emotional healing. He also wrote "Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler" and "A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook" as well as numerous articles, chapters and blogs. Goldstein designed the breakthrough program Mindfulness at Work for eMindful.com, which has been recognized by the National Business Group on Health for it's success with stress management. He also designed the "Basics of Mindfulness Meditation : 28 Day online program."

Listen NowToday nearly all large employers offer a workplace wellness programs and most small employers that offer health benefits also offer at least one wellness program.  Typically these programs consist of health risk assessments, biometric screenings, health coaching and lifestyle management education.  Program popularity is not surprising considering the epidemic in what's termed "lifestyle diseases" due to, in part, poor nutrition and tobacco use.   To encourage employee participation in these programs the Affordable Care Act will allow beginning in 2014 employers to discount up to 30% of successfully participating employee's insurance premiums and up to 50% if the additional 20% is due to a reduction in employee tobacco use.  However, do these programs work and more pointedly do they shift health care costs from healthier employees to those considered less healthy? During this 22-minute podcast, Ms. Darling briefly describes workplace wellness programs, their rationale, funding, program incentive payments (including loss aversion policies) and the difficulties in determining wellness programming effectiveness.  She also addressess cost shifting criticisms of wellness programs and other related issues.  The interview concludes with her thoughts concering whether employers will begin to drop employee benefits in 2014.         Ms. Helen Darling is President of the National Business Group on Health, a national non-profit, representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues.  Its over 300 members, including 64 of the Fortune 100, purchase health and disability benefits for over 55 million employees, retirees and dependents.  Ms. Darling also currently serves on numerous boards including the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine, the Board of the National Quality Forum, the VHA Health Foundation Board and the Board of the Congressionally-created Reagan-Udall Foundation.  She is widely quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Washington Post and numerous other periodicals.  Previously, Ms. Darling worked at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, the Xerox Corporation, at William W. Mercer and served as an advisor to Senator David Durenberger.  Ms. Darling received her Master's and Bachelor's of Science fom the University of Memphis.For more on the debate regarding the effectiveness of wellness programs see, for the example, the debate between Ron Goetzel and John DiNardo via the Health Affairs Blog, at: http://healthaffairs.org/blog/.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thehealthcarepolicypodcast.com

Over two million Americans have fought in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They return to a nation in economic crisis and a third of those veterans come home to face serious medical conditions. Many of those veterans now consider themselves the 99 percent, and have joined a second Occupation, Occupy Wall Street. On this edition, a special report on veterans standing in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street movements and an encore presentation about veterans returning home from war and the struggles they endure produced by Aaron Glantz. Featuring: Sgt. Shamar Thomas, Marine Veteran, Kurt Biddle, Army Veteran,  Jeff Paterson, Courage To Resist, Jason Matherne, Iraq Veterans Against War, Joshua Shepherd, Navy Veteran, Douglass Connor, Army Veteran, Andrew Berends, The Blood of My Brother filmmaker; Michael Hall, former US Army staff sergeant; Rachel Feldstein, New Directions associate director; Joshua Kors, The Nation magazine correspondent; Zollie Goodman, former Naval petty officer; Barack Obama, United States president; Todd Stenhouse, National Veterans Foundation spokesperson; Terry “T.J.” Boyd, former Marine Corps sergeant; Ron Finch, National Business Group on Health; Catherine Morris, Sierra College veterans' counselor; Paul Sullivan, Veterans for Common Sense executive director. For More Information:  Iraq Veterans Against the War, http://ivaw.org/ National Veterans Foundation , http://www.nvf.org/ National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, http://www.nchv.org/ Swords to Plowshares, http://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/ Veterans for Common Sense, http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ Veterans for Peace, http://www.veteransforpeace.org/ Occupy Wall Street,  http://occupywallst.org/   Occupy Oakland, http://www.occupyoakland.org/   Articles/Blogs/Videos/Audio: Sgt. Shamar Thomas defends Occupy Wall Street , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDBSCLXWfYI   The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans  written by Aaron Glantz, http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520266049   Veterans more likely to be homeless, study says, http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-10-1Ahomelessvets10_ST_N.htm    Cost of Treating Veterans Will Rise Long Past Wars, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/us/28veterans.html   Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan not worth the cost, many US veterans say , http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2011/1005/Wars-in-Iraq-and-Afghanistan-not-worth-the-cost-many-US-veterans-say   Report: Meeting the Needs of Veterans In Today's Labor Force, http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/new-data-on-high-unemployment-among-recent-veterans/. The post Making Contact – Veterans of Occupation: From Iraq to Wall Street appeared first on KPFA.

Nearly two million Americans have fought in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On this edition, reporter Aaron Glantz takes us inside the war as it comes home to our communities … with a focus on the special role our educational institutions can play in helping former soldiers adjust to civilian life. Featuring: Andrew Berends, The Blood of My Brother filmmaker; Michael Hall, former US Army staff sergeant; Rachel Feldstein, New Directions associate director; Joshua Kors, The Nation magazine correspondent; Zollie Goodman, former Naval petty officer; Barack Obama, United States president; Todd Stenhouse, National Veterans Foundation spokesperson; Terry "T.J." Boyd, former Marine Corps sergeant; Ron Finch, National Business Group on Health; Catherine Morris, Sierra College veterans' counselor; Paul Sullivan, Veterans for Common Sense executive director.   The post Making Contact – The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans (ENCORE EDITION) appeared first on KPFA.

Nearly two million Americans have fought in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On this edition, reporter Aaron Glantz takes us inside the war as it comes home to our communities, with a focus on the special role our educational institutions can play in helping former soldiers adjust to civilian life. This documentary was produced with support to Aaron Glatz from the Hechinger Institute for Education and the Media at Columbia University Teachers College and the Rosalynn Carter Journalism Fellowship program at the Carter Center. Thanks also to Mike Siv of New America Media. Featuring:Andrew Berends, The Blood of My Brother filmmaker; Michael Hall, former US Army staff sergeant; Rachel Feldstein, New Directions associate director; Joshua Kors, The Nation magazine correspondent; Zollie Goodman, former Naval petty officer; Barack Obama, UnitedStates president; Todd Stenhouse, National Veterans Foundation spokesperson; Terry "T.J." Boyd, former Marine Corps sergeant; Ron Finch, National Business Group on Health; Catherine Morris, Sierra College veterans¹ counselor; Paul Sullivan, Veterans for Common Sense executive director.   The post Making Contact – The War Comes Home: Washington¹s Battle Against America¹s Veterans appeared first on KPFA.

Guest: Helen Darling Host: Bruce Japsen Employers are finding it tougher and tougher to provide increasingly expensive health benefits. So when President Barack Obama makes healthcare reform a priority this year, what would employers like to see in this proposal? Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, discusses with the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen what employers are looking for in healthcare reform.

Guest: Helen Darling Host: Bruce Japsen The stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama has employers excited about the potential for saving healthcare dollars from comparative effectiveness, technology assessment and cost control. Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit coalition representing some of the nation's largest employers, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about various goodies in the economic stimulus package that will benefit medical research, and innovative efforts that doctors, insurers and employers are looking at to provide cost-effective medical care.