Med-Vision In The News

Television News Segment
WFLA-NBC News Channel 8
Wednesday, May 16, 2012

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Pasco County School District Promotes Healthy Employees

TAMPA — Pasco County schools have three clinics in hopes of encouraging teachers and employees to stay healthy, saving the district money in healthcare cost. Watch this news segment to learn about the revolutionary idea taking hold in the Pasco County school district -- it's a program that encourages teachers and employees to stay healthy.

News Article
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Friday, February 24, 2012

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Employer-friendly, high-deductible plans may contain key pitfalls
Shift in workers' health coverage sparks debate over cost, quality
By Margie Manning

TAMPA — As a growing number of businesses try to cope with rising benefits cost by offering consumer-driven health insurance to workers, some health analytics experts are raising questions about the high-deductible plans that accompany them.

The plans can present hidden short-term and long-term costs that companies need to consider, said Dan Ross, president of Med-Vision LLC, a Tampa company that provides health plan risk management and wellness strategies to employers.

When a high-deductible plan is part of a consumer-driven health offering...

View this full news story at Tampa Bay Business Journal's site.

Contact Med-Vision for more information.

Magazine Article
District Administration
Issue: October 2011

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Wellness Program Reduces Employee Healthcare Costs
The School District of Manatee County (Fla.) has implemented a new wellness program.
By Marion Herbert

Nationally, health-care costs are rising roughly 10 percent each year. Costs at the School District of Manatee County (Fla.), however, are rising at a mere 1 percent since the district implemented an employee wellness program, dubbed HealthVantage, three years ago. Since the wellness program took root, the district has saved nearly 14 percent on health-care costs compared to other districts and $1.3 million for medical and prescription services during the first half of 2010 compared to 2009.

In 2008, prior to the program's implementation, data showed approximately 5 percent of the district's 5,200 employees were accounting for nearly 51 percent of the district's overall health-care costs. HealthVantage includes on-site health clinics, seminars and fitness centers to tackle chronic, co-morbid and preventative care for these employees and others. The program isn't funded through the district's operating dollars, but rather through federal funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service and their Retiree Drug Subsidy Program, as well as donations from the district's insurance provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield. Manatee schools have received nearly $1 million in funding for Health- Vantage over the last three years. "Lower health-care costs is the residual effect and something that happens naturally when people are healthier," says Kristi Dickerson, Manatee's health and wellness coordinator.

Each year, employees in the district's 60 buildings receive on-site screenings for body mass index, blood pressure, blood chemistry and cell counts. They also receive a follow-up health-risk assessment. Health instructors provide after-school classes, including yoga, spinning and ballroom dancing. A full-service gym is also available at one site for all employees and their spouses. Two weight management programs were launched as part of the district's nutrition education program. Wellness seminars are also filmed for employees and the community at large to view.

Manatee partnered with the Tampa-based consulting group, MedVision, to help monitor data analytics, implement the HealthVantage program, and assess the program's overall effectiveness on reducing health-care costs.

"We've seen people get off certain medications just from increased physical exercise," Dickerson says. "The employees really feel that the administration is investing in them." To learn more about the School District of Manatee County's wellness program, visit www.manateewellness.net.

Television News
Aired Sept. 7, 2011

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Ways to Save: Moffitt Cancer Center Saves Millions of Dollars
By Gayle Guyardo, WFLA-NBC News Channel 8

With help from Med-Vision, Moffitt Cancer Center was able to save $11 million in employee healthcare expenses. Watch this 2-minute news report to learn about which health planning strategies helped this organization save money.

Magazine Article
Published May 1, 2011

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Healthcare Innovation/The Business Side: Cost Savers
By Amy Keller

With the help from Med-Vision, a 6-year-old Tampa-based medical consulting company that uses data analytics to create wellness and disease management programs, Sarasota County government was able to pass on a 3% decrease in health insurance premiums this year. One key aspect of Med-Vision's work with the county was honing in on costs drivers. To manage the costs of cancer care, Med-Vision partners with Biologics, a North Carolina-based cancer management service provider that relies on "evidence-based guidelines" and "integrated clinical oncology professionals" to achieve lower costs for payers and higher rates of patient satisfaction.

Newspaper Column
The Seattle Times
Published Feb. 22, 2011

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Solve health-care challenge by reducing costs, not shifting more costs to workers
By Cynthia M. Cole, Med-Vision VP of Operations in Western US.

There is much discussion today regarding the high cost of health-care benefits. All of the proposed solutions involve some sort of cost-shifting to the recipients of these benefits. Companies and governments (and, ultimately, taxpayers) are tired of paying this high cost.

Yet shifting the cost does nothing to rein in the overall cost of these benefits. The best solution is one where the cost is decreased without sacrificing quality or access.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 75 percent of health-care costs come from chronic disease. Furthermore, independent audits conducted by health-care data analytics companies reveal similar findings. For example, Med-Vision's database of employer-sponsored plans shows that just 5 percent of members (the sickest) account for 60 to 70 percent of all employer health expenses. Also, take note that 50 percent of members account for virtually zero expenses.

Continuing to "solve" the high cost of medical benefits by cost-shifting to employees will only deter budget-minded members from seeking care during the earliest, least expensive stages of chronic-disease development. The conversation should be about dialing back the cost of the benefits and providing a multifaceted approach to reclaiming and reinvesting the wasted dollars spent month after month. The cost-shifting solution is about maintaining the norm, which is to contain health-plan inflation at the national trend of about 10 percent a year.

The genuine solution begins by looking at the expense-distribution concept. In this example, an employer covering 12,000 members has an expense distribution showing that 70 percent of members spend an average of only $328 per year, or a mere 8.4 percent of the total annual plan expense. Put simply, at an average health-plan expense of $328 per year, 70 percent of members don't even have plan expenses equal to the plan's total administrative service fees. In contrast, members in the top 5 percent category spent a whopping 59 percent of the total annual claims.

If plan claims are increasing 10 percent annually, which segment is impacting the plan the greatest? By basic math, it must be the top 5 percent, as this category pushes the greatest percentage of plan cost. The truth is that the clinical conditions of a few members have great financial impact on the whole.

What has been the standard reaction to increasing health-care cost trends? It has been to increase deductibles, copays and member contributions.

Referring to the expense-distribution concept forces us to ask which segment is impacted the greatest by a deductible or copay increase? Is it: (A) the member battling cancer with annual claims approaching $200,000, or (B) the member battling to control diabetes, struggling to support a family in today's economic climate, and spending $300 annually of employer-funded benefits after meeting the deductible on health and prescription drug claims? The correct answer is "B."

It is time for our state to gain control over health-care costs. Although to solve a problem, policymakers must understand the cause of the problem. Washington must first have access to independent plan data.

Further, our state must undertake solutions to prevent the members who are not incurring large costs from "falling off the cliff" into serious states of chronic disease. Initially, an easy and universal solution lies in expanding access to low- or no-cost primary care community health centers. Wise employers are following this course with employer-sponsored and on-site clinics to provide easier access to affordable health care for employees.

With the right approach for reducing risks, it could be relatively easy to reduce health-care expenses by 10 percent given the current state of health-care fragmentation and dysfunction.

Let's open up this discussion to include improving health care while simultaneously decreasing costs.

Cynthia M. Cole is vice president of operations in the Western United States for Med-Vision LLC.

Newspaper Article
The Wall Street Journal
Published Feb. 6, 2011

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Wellness Programs Get Creative
By Kristen Gerencher

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE CLIP FEATURES MED-VISION CLIENT, SARASOTA GOVERNMENT
...A focus on wellness has helped Florida's Sarasota County government notch a 3% drop in the cost of health-care premiums this year, says Angela Gustafson, a registered nurse and the county's wellness-development adviser.

Sarasota County, which employs 3,200 people, offers 33 onsite group exercise classes, over staggered lunch hours and before and after work, Ms. Gustafson says. Nearly a third of the classes, including spinning, yoga and Zumba, are taught by qualified worker volunteers.

Workers also can take advantage of four free sessions a year with a personal trainer. That benefit has boosted utilization of the county's five fitness centers, Ms. Gustafson says, but gym-averse employees can tap trainers to start a fitness regimen as simple as walking. Those who complete their four free sessions also get $25. Workers can earn up to a total of $100 a year by participating in various wellness activities.

Helping workers to better cope with stress is a priority as well. The county has seen lower medical and prescription-drug spending among 911 operators since launching a stress-management program called Heart Math in 2009, she says.

And after seeing good results from a program in which employees with medical conditions worked with a dietician, the county is changing its health coverage to allow workers to see the dietician for free even if they don't have a specific diagnosis, Ms. Gustafson says.

Read this full article.

Magazine News Brief
Florida Tend
Published January 2011 Issue

Read this news brief at FloridaTrend.com.

Southwest Fla. and Tampa Bay Business Players
Cynthia M. Cole, a former engineer with Boeing, has joined Med-Vision, a Tampa-based health plan and risk management strategy firm, as vice president of operations for the western United States.

Magazine Article
Gulf Coast Business Review
Published November 10, 2010

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Med-Vision Adds Operations VP
Cynthia Cole brings a 32-year career with The Boeing Co. to Tampa-based Med-Vision LLC as she signs on with the firm as vice president of operations for the Western United States.

While with Boeing, Cole served as an active member with the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, a labor union representing engineers, technical workers, and other employees in the industry. During that time, Cole says she "gained first-hand knowledge about how detrimental it is to employees' motivation and productivity when compensation and benefits are postured as a hindrance to profitability."

That experience should serve her well in her time with Med-Vision, which assists self-funded employers with their health plan and risk management strategies.

Med-Vision's clients provide health care benefits to more than 75,000 plan members. The firm has been in business since 2005.

Journal Article
American Medical News
Published November 8, 2010

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE FEATURES A QUOTE BY
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER, JEFFREY GASSER:

Read this full article at the American Medical Association site.

US Plans to Create a Massive Medical Database
By Emily Berry, amednews.com staff writer

ARTICLE EXCERPTS:
The Office of Personnel Management, which manages benefits for federal employees, intends to create a giant database of medical claims information about those employees and enrollees in two programs created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...

...According to the Federal Register notice, the Office of Personnel Management wants to use the proposed database to "actively manage the programs to ensure the best value for both enrollees and taxpayers." The OPM listed reasons it might share the data, including for law enforcement, court proceedings and congressional hearings. The OPM could do a lot with the data, including calculating the costs of various health conditions and conducting predictive modeling -- examining claims to find patterns to help predict and prevent serious and costly illnesses, said Jeffrey Gasser, a health data analytics expert and executive vice president of Deerwalk, a data management firm in Lexington, Mass.

"The Holy Grail of predictive modeling is to find people who don't cost a lot of money today, but might cost a lot tomorrow," he said.

Large- and medium-sized employers have been gathering databases the same way for many years, Gasser said.

Above Content Appeared in Nov. 15 Issue of Amercian Medical News.

Read this full article at the American Medical Association site.

Newspaper Article
Herald-Tribune
Manatee County
Published November 1, 2010

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE FEATURES THE RECENT HEALTH PLANNING
SUCCESSES OF MED-VISION'S CLIENT, MANATEE COUNTY SCHOOLS:

Read this full article at Herald-Tribune.com

School workers get screenings
By Christopher O'Donnell, Reporter
When the school district offered teachers at King Middle School an on-site health checkup, reading teacher Ellen Binder decided to take advantage of it.

Her blood work revealed liver irregularities caused by a obstruction close to her pancreas that could have turned cancerous. The 61-year-old ended up having surgery at Johns Hopkins.

"What if it had not been found?" Binder said. "That's where I feel I was so lucky. I found out so early."

The checkups offered to district staff are part of a wellness program that school officials expect will reduce a $8.4 million deficit in its health insurance fund. They credit the program along with cuts in benefits for reducing medical and prescription costs by $2.2 million compared to the previous year. That bucks a national trend of 10 percent yearly increases, according to a survey by The Segal Company, a New York actuarial and consulting firm.

"If you catch a disease early on and go though treatment, you can avert much higher medical costs," said Kristi Dickerson, district wellness coordinator.

District officials were warned by state auditors in 2008 that the fund's deficit must be addressed. At the time, claims for treatment and prescription drugs were outstripping premiums by $3 million per year.

Officials responded by increasing some deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses, introducing some co-pays and encouraging more use of generic drugs.

It also introduced the wellness program to reduce the amount it was paying out on treatment of chronic health conditions.

District staff are offered a free yearly health checkup at their place of work by Manatee County Department of Health staff. They also have free use of a fitness center at the district's Professional Support Center.

The district also contracted exercise instructors and sent them to school sites for after-school activities for staff including yoga, tennis, pilates and dancing.

The program is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through their Retiree Drug Subsidy Program.

The district's health insurance plan covers almost 5,000 employees, 4,500 dependents and about 900 retirees.

Sarasota County School District does not run its own insurance fund. Employees there are offered periodic screening for cholesterol and high blood pressure, said spokesman Scott Ferguson.


Read this full article at Herald-Tribune.com
For more client quotes regarding Med-Vision's role,
see Med-Vision Press Release dated 10/27/2010.

Radio Appearance
Boomer Nation Radio Show
WGUL 860AM Tampa, Fla.
October 31, 2010

Listen to Connie Gee on Boomer Nation

Leadership Tips for a Greater Workforce
October 31, 2010 (Tampa, Fla.) –Med-Vision's vice president and wellness strategist, Connie Gee, was a featured expert on Boomer Nation! radio show on Oct. 31. Gee's segment featured tips on how true leaders can produce positive change in the workplace. Her extensive knowledge is based on a "systems thinking" approach to health and productivity management, which results in proven returns on investments. Empowering employees to create and maintain a balanced lifestyle will equal better health, improved job performance, increased energy levels, and a drive to succeed. Also, communicating long term vision to all stakeholders can create greater workforce productivity and increased morale. Gee, the former wellness leader for Tampa General Hospital, has over 20 years experience working in health promotions, disease management, workforce utilization, wellness programming, and leadership seminars. She appears regularly on Boomer Nation!, offering advice on how to reduce healthcare costs.

Radio Appearance
Boomer Nation Radio Show
WGUL 860AM Tampa, Fla.
August 22, 2010

Listen to Connie Gee on Boomer Nation

Connie Gee Talks Strategies for Regaining Control of Health Costs
Boomer Nation! radio show featured Med-Vision's vice president and wellness strategist, Connie Gee, as a special guest on Sunday, August 22, 2010. The weekly show airs on Sunday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m. on WGUL 860AM Tampa, Fla., and is also broadcasted live over the internet at: www.860wgul.com. The show's running theme is to provide advice, information, and inspiration for individuals of the baby boomer generation, helping them to live life to the fullest.

Gee provided expert advice for how individuals can regain control of their healthcare costs. Tips included how to improve and maintain wellness as well as how to remain indisposible at work. Gee, the former wellness leader for Tampa General Hospital, has over 20 years experience working in health promotions, disease management, workforce utilization, wellness programming, and leadership seminars.
Listen to Connie Gee on Boomer Nation.

Feature Article
Healthcare Reform Magazine
August 2010, Issue 4
By Connie Gee

Published at www.healthcarereformmagazine.com

Lower Healthecare Costs Begin With YOU
Strategies for individuals and employers to regain control of healthcare costs
The nation is quickly learning that healthcare reform will not be the answer for lower healthcare costs. As the new legislation unfolds, it is likely that the costs will increase for healthcare along with everything supporting that industry.

Basic economics dictate that if demand for healthcare increases faster than supply of qualified healthcare providers, costs will increase. Premiums will also increase for individuals and employers as more individuals are added to the receiving side of healthcare without paying into the system. According to data released by the National Center for Health Statistics in early 2010, nearly 32 million Americans had been uninsured for more than a year as of the 2008 National Health Interview Survey. As of this writing, the question remains: how many of these uninsured citizens will actually pay into the system to afford the increased demand?

Perhaps the biggest reason healthcare reform will not lower costs is that the legislation fails to address the necessity of self-responsibility and accountability. There are few incentives provided to inspire individuals to take care of themselves and their health in the first place. It appears that individuals can continue to do what they want to and count on someone else fixing their problems for them, if the individual allows them to do so.

A counter action, however, would make sense. Lower costs by lowering demand through improved health. This is where the power of the individual can prevail and one person can make a big difference. True health improvements begin with the individuals, those of whom have the power to lower healthcare costs by taking care of themselves first.

Supply and Demand: Sickness Raises the Costs
Put simply, lifestyle choices determine if a person maintains or regains good health. For example, it is up to the individual to consistently monitor and manage high blood pressure so it won't have a negative effect personally or financially. Uncontrolled blood pressure can result in the need for dialysis treatments. Does any individual want to spend three days a week, six hours a day, sitting for medicinal purposes? No. Adding to this burden, the cost for dialysis currently stands at $30,000 to $50,000 per month, per person.

Controlling high blood pressure, and other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, can prevent the inconvenience and the expense of renal failure. For those carelessly thinking they don't have to worry about the expense because the employer or insurance is paying for it – think again. Healthcare costs impact the cost of premiums. The higher the costs, the more premiums increase. As premiums increase, cost sharing increases. The individual ends up paying more for premiums because of this. One step further, as more money is allocated to premiums, the less there is in the budget for other items such as raises, bonuses, educational benefits, and retirement funds. Jobs are, consequently, also in jeopardy because of lack of resources. An entity (including the government) has only so much in revenue, and as one expense item drains the budget, other expense items must be sacrificed.

Purchasing Power: Individuals Control Costs
Employees who are smart healthcare consumers can help save money for themselves, for their employers, and, ultimately, for the nation. Those who are healthcare literate know that generic drug options reduce costs. They have the sense to use a 24/7 nurse-line instead of an emergency room for their suddenly sick child. They also understand the importance of examining medical bills for accuracy just as they would bills at a restaurant or auto shop.

In addition to being cost savvy, healthcare consumers have the power to reduce costs through the act of improving their health. There are simple actions an individual could take to regain control of healthcare costs through wellness:

--Look at where you are now and ask yourself if this is your very best. What would make life better for you? What would better look like to you? What can you do to make it better?
--Write down your vision of a better life for yourself. For example, better health strategies can involve some sort of physical activity, better nutrition, enough sleep, and staying connected in the present moment versus worrying about moments that may not come.
--Take an inventory of your personal and professional life. Can this be better and how? Soul searching questions about your lifestyle could determine what you can do to preserve or maintain your health.
--Define very specifically what all the components of your life mean to you and why they are important to you. Do you want to be around a long time? Do you need to be around to take care of family members? What are your reasons for living longer than diseases will allow you?
--Once you know what you want and why, seek partnerships and ask others to help you along your journey. Determine what support you need and want. Decide if you are honestly willing to ask for it. You must clearly express your needs to solicit the type of help you need from those you have identified to help you.
--In addition to family and friends, consult your physician for guidance. Statistics show that physicians have an average of six minutes per patient; therefore, you should go in prepared with your research and a list of specific questions. Consider the doctor your partner in good health.
--Once you are on the right track, make it a commitment. Annual screenings are a must, but also be sure to monitor and keep records for yourself throughout the year. You know "you" better than anyone.

Marginal Cost: Employers Evoke Change
Healthcare continues with the employer. The employer has the influence to empower employees to achieve better health. Employers can provide opportunities at work to help their employees make better choices. As a result, the employer will reap the benefits of having healthier, more productive employees. Loyalty and morale will also simultaneously improve.

By investing in an organization's greatest asset (employees), employers will save money short term and long term because healthy employees can do more, can be faster, can be engaged in their work, can think clearly, and can be energetic and enthused individuals. This is the company image every employer wants customers to see.

Starting from the top, employers can take responsibility in taking care of employees through wellness programming, strategic benefits planning, and making healthcare education a part of the company culture. The opportunities are endless with what employers can do to enhance a team's efforts. While it's the individuals' ultimate responsibility, the employer can be a supporting partner to decrease the demand and to help lower costs at the individual level.

Radio Appearance
Boomer Nation Radio Show
WGUL 860AM Tampa, Fla.
July 25, 2010

Listen to Connie Gee on Boomer Nation

Connie Gee of Med-Vision Featured Guest on Boomer Nation
Boomer Nation! radio show featured vice president and wellness strategist, Connie Gee, as a special guest on Sunday, July 25, 2010. The weekly show airs on Sunday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m. on WGUL 860AM Tampa, Fla., and is also broadcasted live over the internet at: www.860wgul.com. The show’s running theme is to provide advice, information, and inspiration for individuals of the baby boomer generation, helping them to live life to the fullest.

Gee provided expert advice for employers regarding employee wellness, emphasizing the financial and productivity benefits. Gee, the former wellness leader for Tampa General Hospital, has over 20 years experience working in health promotions, disease management, workforce utilization, wellness programming, and leadership seminars.
Listen to Connie Gee on Boomer Nation.

Journal Article
The Self-Insurer
The World's Leading Alternative Risk Transfer Journal Since 1984
Volume 27 - May 2010
View this issue at www.siia.org

Predictive Modeling, Incentives are Keys to Effective Wellness Programs
By Kathleen Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Business Development
First Service Administrators, Inc. (FSAI)

... In evaluating the root causes of its clients' escalating healthcare costs, Med-Vision found that most lacked awareness of what was driving both costs and care outcomes. Convinced that state-of-the-art healthcare data-gathering and analysis capabilities would empower it to deliver the solutions employer groups needed, Med-Vision opted to deploy the D2Explorer from Verisk Health Inc....
Download a PDF article clipping

Magazine Article
Florida Trend, May 2010
By Amy Keller, Florida Trend

Healthcare Innovations: Ahead of the Curve
GETTING A HANDLE ON COSTS
View this article online at www.floridatrend.com.

After 20 years in the employee benefits industry, including 17 years at Cigna, Dan Ross is using his expertise to help private companies and other large employers find ways to trim their healthcare expenses.

Consider, he says, prescription drug coverage. Most employers assume that retail pharmacies cost significantly more than mail-order pharmacies, but thanks to hidden fees and other costs imposed by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the mail-order prescriptions often cost employers significantly more for generic drugs than they’d pay using a community pharmacy. “There’s no reason you should let an insurance company handle your prescription drug benefit because they mark up the drugs like you wouldn’t believe. You can figure an extra $10 to $15 per employee, per month,” says Ross, CEO and founder of MedVision, a Tampa-based consulting company that helps self-insured companies get more bang for their healthcare dollar.

Dan Ross, CEO of MedVision, helps self-insured companies save on healthcare expenses. Ross recommends that clients farm out some options like prescription drug benefits to providers other than insurance companies. Ross also gets his clients to focus on preventive healthcare and managing chronic disease, which he notes is the No. 1 driver of healthcare costs. MedVision has also partnered with companies like North Carolina-based Biologics, which provides strategies to elevate cancer care while lowering cancer costs — a key considering that cancer can absorb 15% to 25% of an employer’s annual healthcare budget.

In the year since Manatee County schools hired MedVision, ER visits are down 70%, breast cancer claims and expenses are down 20%, back pain claims are down 20% and preventive office visits are up 66%. Other clients include the Archdiocese of Miami, Sarasota County government and Moffitt Cancer Center.
--Amy Keller, Florida Trend, May 2010

Industry Article
Thompson Publishing
Reducing Healthcare Costs for Employers - Newsletter
Employee Benefits Series, Volume I, 2010
Excerpt: April 30, 2010 Issue No. 8
View this full newsletter at thompson.com

Employers Prepare for Reform Grants to Fund Wellness Programs
MED-VISION VICE PRESIDENT, CONNIE GEE'S QUOTES:
... To qualify, Section 10408 of the PPACA requires that a program must include: health awareness initiatives; efforts to maximize employee participation; initiatives to change unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle choices; and efforts to create a “supportive environment.” Applying will be arduous and will require soul-searching, says Connie Gee, an employer wellness adviser and vice president of MedVision in Tampa, Fla.

Although the grant forms and application instructions are not yet available, employers should expect these to be similar to standard government grant forms. They’ll require a written business plan in which the company’s wellness program is organized and described with steps that will be taken to get it started, Gee says. Applications will be taken beginning this summer, and the funding will be available from 2011 to 2015, provided there is enough money and the program isn’t flooded with applications like last summer’s car rebate program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will decide who meets criteria and who will receive the grant money...
Download a PDF article clipping

Contact Connie Gee for more information about Reform Grants or schedule her to speak at your next event on this subject: 813-205-1577 or email connie.gee@med-vision.com.

Industry Article
Thompson Publishing
Reducing Healthcare Costs for Employers - Newsletter
Employee Benefits Series, Volume I, 2010
Excerpt: March 15, 2010 Issue No. 5
View this full newsletter at thompson.com

Battling Employee Chronic Health Conditions Early
Is Key to Reducing Health Care Costs
MED-VISION PRESIDENT, DAN ROSS, AND CLIENT QUOTES:
... Chronic diseases account for more than 75 percent of the nation’s $2 trillion medical care costs, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

Unless employers put more effort into their workforce’s preventive health care, they’ll fail to slow rapidly increasing health care costs, experts say.

What employers often do not realize is that their rising health care costs are not the result of physicians and providers raising their fees, but the result of a slim proportion of sick people becoming sicker and costing more, says Dan Ross, president of health care quality and risk management consulting firm Med-Vision LLC of Tampa, Fla.

“We should be spending our health care dollars to prevent people from [suffering acute health breakdowns], not rushing in when they [suffer them] and arguing about the discount,” Ross says. “But that’s the way the system is.”...
Download a PDF article clipping.

Magazine Editorial
BABM (Bay Area Business Magazine) Mar/April 2010
By Connie Gee, Vice President of Med-Vision

Dropping Employee Health Coverage? Think again.
View this article online at www.babm.com.

Many CFOs and other decision makers are contemplating the idea of eliminating employee healthcare benefits as a viable cost containment option. The first top-level thought is that you can hardly blame them. Considering healthcare is an escalating cost, dropping plans would represent an annual savings of several million for most companies.

Granted, it is tempting to think that these savings from not paying premiums or self-funded administrative fees, insurance industry fees and Human Resource administration costs could be potentially reallocated to revenue-driven business investments. Although if you do lean towards this choice, are you aware of the consequences?

Consider these corporate soul-searching questions:
1. What will be your return on investment from your greatest asset?
If you fail to invest in employees, it may cost you in terms of innovation, ultimately hurting the long-term value of your brand. Employees may see plan cancellations as “corporate greed” or label it short-term thinking for the sake of shareholder value. Yes, shareholder value is in the forefront, but decision makers cannot underestimate the bottom line impact of motivated employees who build customer loyalty.
2. How will you make up the lost value of the benefit?
If you consider subsidizing employees to buy their own insurance, will you subsidize to the same value of what you have taken away, or will you reduce it by the amount you may have to pay to the government for lack of coverage? If you subsidize to the same value, you have just increased your costs, including additional payroll tax liability for the employee and for the company. You also give up any tax deduction benefit for providing healthcare benefits.
3. Would a subsidy be enough to cover a public option?
If so, for how long? History shows that government programs start out at a low cost the first year but quickly double within a year or two as administrative costs increase. You may also discover that there are more budget items than had been planned or admitted.
4. How will your company’s Workers’ Compensation costs be impacted?
As wages and medical costs go up, so do Workers’ Compensation rates, which have been known to jump almost 200% in a year. The financial implications of an increase in injuries, a rise in legal fees and higher premiums could be detrimental. Even worse, disloyal employees could look to Workers’ Compensation as an opportunity to acquire early retirement through a cash settlement or as a way to be paid two-thirds their regular pay – while on leave. Most employees could also be eligible for additional government entitlement programs and payments. In response, you could increase investments in prevention methods such as workstation and equipment assessments, staff training, education, and monitoring of safety procedures.
5. What effect will this have on unemployment compensation?
Employee morale and productivity of certain workers feeling “shortchanged” is inevitable. After all, the company just reduced its compensation package. Employees may suddenly not be motivated to give the 150 percent they have been asked to give in recent years; in turn, you may be faced with a decision to reduce the workforce and grant undeserving claimants unemployment benefits.
6. Will not having a healthcare benefit impact recruitment?
If your turnover rate increases, you will need to compete to replace outstanding talent. Benefit packages have always greatly influenced a candidate’s decision to accept or decline an employment offer. If your benefit plan has been effectively communicated to potential and existing employees, it most certainly has helped promote a positive image and a distinct competitive advantage in recruiting. Without the healthcare benefit, your competition could have a differential advantage, which would leave you strapped to find an alternative offering, thus, again increasing costs elsewhere.

IMPROVING benefits opposed to reducing…
While mulling over the above questions, think about the quality of your benefit plan. It’s vital for management to monitor efficiencies and accountability of all parties concerned. Whether through training or professional planners, an enhanced understanding of healthcare planning can result in bottom line savings. Employees who are smart healthcare consumers can help you save money. They know about generic drug options and have the sense to use a 24/7 nurse-line instead of an emergency room for their suddenly sick child. They also understand the importance of examining medical bills for accuracy just as they would bills at a restaurant or auto shop.

CONTROLLING your healthcare costs...
When a CFO makes the strategic business decision to play an active role in assessments to manage healthcare costs, the benefits will pay off. There are qualified, medical consulting experts who can help every step of the way, whether in setting up a self-funded program or in improving quality of care through wellness initiatives and risk management. Consistent and reliable assessment of your plan is vital in containing costs. Early identification of solutions to reduce risks and reverse trends can result in cutting healthcare costs, which proves to be a more affordable option than the consequences of dropping benefits altogether.

Industry Article
Thompson Publishing
Reducing Healthcare Costs for Employers - Newsletter
Employee Benefits Series, Volume I, 2010
Excerpt: February 28, 2010 Issue No. 4
View this full newsletter at thompson.com

Employers May Be Able to Save Thousands
By Evaluating Drug-management Charges
MED-VISION PRESIDENT, DAN ROSS, AND CLIENT QUOTES:
... The quickest way to save money is to identify high mark-ups on generic drugs. Forrest Branscomb [of Manatee School District] hired a consultant who analyzed the district’s drug spending and showed him how the PBM was charging the district far more for some generic drugs than what an employee would pay out of pocket at a discount retailer like Wal-Mart, Costco’s, Kmart, Target, or even some grocery store chains.

For example, the PBM [Pharmacy Benefit Manager] charges included a $180 charge for 90 days of a generic statin drug. The employee paid a $20 copay for the drug when it was filled, says Dan Ross, president of Med-Vision LLC of Tampa. Ross worked with Branscomb on identifying some of the easier ways to save health care costs.

“That same drug costs $10 at Wal-Mart for a 90-day supply,” Ross says. “It’s incredible!” In such cases, employers should attempt to renegotiate with the PBM. To do so, Manatee hired an attorney who understood the complex language and terms of PBM contracts, Branscomb says. “You have to rely on experts because there are a lot of dollars out there that you can save,” he adds. ...
Download a PDF article clipping.

Magazine Article
CFO Magazine: In print February 1, 2010
By Alix Stuart, Senior Editor

What Will Companies Do?
As health-care reform starts and stops, CFOs face difficult decisions about where to invest now.
View this full article at CFO.com

MED-VISION CLIENT, SNYDER'S OF HANOVER, QUOTE:
... Pretzel maker Snyder's of Hanover has kept its health costs flat for five years, thanks in part to efforts to steer employees toward annual physicals, health fairs, and Internet-based second opinions. Even if the company ultimately decides to drop coverage, "it would still be worthwhile to have a wellness program because of the productivity savings," says Penny Opalka, manager of benefits and compensation.

Related On-Line Article
CFO.com: January 13, 2010
By Alix Stuart, Senior Editor

Do Wellness Programs Make Cents?
Employers investing in ways to contain health-care costs, but few know what they're getting back.
View this full article at CFO.com

MED-VISION CLIENT, SNYDER'S OF HANOVER, QUOTE:
... Snyder's of Hanover, for example, managed to keep health costs per employee month flat for five years between 2003 and 2008, in part due to sophisticated data analyses and efforts to steer employees toward annual physicals and top experts in any given field. Last year, however, several health-screening fairs at the Pennsylvania-based pretzel-maker's various manufacturing facilities turned up employees with serious illnesses, saving at least one employee's life, according to Penny Opalka, manager of benefits and compensation.

News Article
The St. Petersburg Times: In print Dec. 14, 2009
By Irene Maher, Times Staff Writer

Corporate checkup can yield healthcare savings
View this article online at www.tampabay.com.
TAMPA — If any employer would know how to manage its own workers' health care expenses, you might think it would be a hospital.

But at a time when costs are soaring so high that many employers are cutting or even eliminating coverage, even health experts need help.

That's the case at Moffitt Cancer Center, which three years ago hired Tampa consulting firm MedVision to look at how its 3,100 employees were using their health benefits.

Today, the most visible result of that analysis is a new clinic where workers can get basic care. MedVision discovered that many employees were putting off going to the doctor because they didn't want to take so much time away from work. As a result, simple ailments sometimes became costlier problems.

The clinic "is here, it's free, it's accessible. The easier we can make it for employees to access primary care, the better," says Michele Talka, director of compensation benefits at Moffitt.

Talka said that and other changes recommended by MedVision have controlled costs enough that Moffitt could limit employee premium increases this year. That despite the fact that it has hired some older workers with pricier health issues.

Last week, MedVision invited local employers to the Tampa Club downtown to hear about its services, and 43 people sat in rapt attention.

Among them were Margaret McGarrity of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, which is considering breaking away from the county health plan and putting its 976 employees in a self-insured group.

"We're just in the exploration phase, but we're looking at all our options," McGarrity said.

Little wonder. At a time when politicians are struggling with health reform and clearly nervous about Medicare cuts, employers are having to find their own ways to contain costs. And their workers can testify that for all the political uproar, managed care already is a fact of life.

The cost of employer-sponsored health care is up 5 percent this year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Workers paid an average of just over $3,500 for family coverage this year, while employers contributed more than $9,800 per worker. At this rate, the cost to employers will rise to more than $28,000 per worker in a decade, according to the Business Roundtable.

Enter the health care consultant industry, which promises savings — or at least better controlled increases — by analyzing spending patterns.

At the Tampa Club presentation, Biologics, which specializes in the cost of cancer care, said it saved one client $19,000 when it discovered a patient was billed for a higher dose of medication than she actually received. In another case, switching a colon cancer patient from a brand-name drug to a similar generic drug netted a savings of more than $15,000.

MedVision works exclusively with self-funded employer groups such as Moffitt, Manatee County schools and Sarasota County government. MedVision president Dan Ross, who started the company in 2005, has more than 20 years in the employee health industry, 17 of them spent at Cigna.

The single biggest way to control costs, he said, is spending more on wellness.

"Our goal is to prevent people from getting sick and to keep people from getting worse," he said.

In Florida, he said, the biggest costs MedVision sees surround cancer care.

"In (employee) groups where a lot of women are over age 40, breast cancer is costly," he said. "We look at what percentage of women are getting mammograms and we can almost always improve those numbers" of women getting regular screenings to catch tumors early.

Research shows that many patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis often don't take their medication as prescribed. They may stop it if they start to feel better or the side effects become intolerable. That can lead to serious, even life-threatening complications.

So MedVision might recommend bringing in nurses to coach those patients on the need to stick with their treatment. In other cases, data analysis might reveal high use of expensive brand-name drugs for which there are generic substitutes.

Moffitt, for instance, no longer pays for pricey acid reflux reliever Nexium, only covering the generic version. Other than insisting on generics, Moffitt has not eliminated treatments from its coverage, she said.

Talka notes that using MedVision's services enables Moffitt to make these changes while preserving patient confidentiality.

"We don't care who has diabetes. We just want to know how many cases we have," she said.

"If someone hasn't filled their blood pressure prescription in six months," Talka said, "then disease management nurses will reach out to them to discuss what's going on."

But reaching out is all they can do. Employee participation is strictly voluntary, she said.

"We can't make people get medical care."
View this article online at the St. Petersburg Times' site
Published December 14th 2009.