Lower Specialty Drug Costs with MedBen Rx Access Solutions
Employers pay up to 30 times as much for specialty drugs than Medicare does, new research finds. According to the JAMA Health Forum, for the 10 most commonly used specialty drugs, employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) plans paid prices up to 3,350% higher than Medicare....
MedBen Tops Central Ohio Employee Benefits Companies List
MedBen has once again topped the list of Largest Central Ohio Employee Benefits Companies as ranked by Columbus Business First. “We’re celebrating our 85th anniversary this year, and the main reason for this longevity is our people,” said MedBen President and CEO Kurt...
Report Underscores Importance of Primary Care
A new report finds that the primary care workforce has decreased in recent years, and advises that the U.S. should invest more in adding new physicians. It's a sensible suggestion, considering that primary care has demonstrably contributed to making Americans...
HealthJoy Enhances Employer Dashboard with Improved Performance Reporting
HealthJoy Enhanced Navigation has augmented its technology experience with performance reporting updates and other enhancements now available in the Employer Dashboard. These improvements will provide you with greater visibility into member behavior and a more direct...
Comparative Effectiveness Silences the Drug Ad Hype
Drug companies spend $6 billion per year on direct-to-consumer ads with the goal of getting patients to ask their doctors to prescribe drugs that, in many instances, cost substantially more but are less effective than their current medications. And with no comparative...
Remind Your FSA Members to Use Their 2022 Funds Before the Grace Period Ends!
If your health plan offers a grace period for members to use any remaining 2022 flexible spending account (FSA) funds, you'll want to remind them that those funds will no longer be available after March 15, 2023. Any claims submitted before that date will...
Proposed Rule Would Expand Women’s Birth Control Access
On February 2, 2023, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the “Tri-Agencies”) proposed a rule to expand women's access to birth control under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The proposed rule revises the exemption allowances under...
Prevention, Early Detection Contribute to Lower Cancer Mortality Rate
Prevention and early detection have contributed to a three-decade decline in cancer mortality, a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) finds. With an increased emphasis on being proactive about wellness exams and cancer screenings, the U.S. cancer death...
Independent Dispute Resolution on Hold Due To Lawsuit
Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) review decisions have been placed on hold due to a lawsuit brought forth by the Texas Medical Association (TMA). The lawsuit challenges the Final Rules of the No Surprises Act, specifically those relating to how the Qualified...
Is the End in Sight for COVID-19 Mandatory Plan Compliance?
On Monday, January 30, 2023 the Biden Administration announced that both the National Health Emergency and the HHS Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023. The news came in the form of a statement of administration policy typically issued in response to...
The 2023 MedBen University Season Starts Soon!
The 22nd Season of MedBen University (MBU) will soon be in session! In 2023, MBU will explore current benefit management issues and proven solutions MedBen offers, including: Reducing Rx spend through alternative specialty drug funding, as well as other pharmacy plan...
Why Health Care Costs Will Rise in 2023 – and How You Can Control Them
Even though health care costs have not seen the same rate of inflation as other industries, that's about to change. Fortunately, MedBen has a variety of inflation-hedging solutions to counter rising costs. As a recent Self-Insurer article notes, health care costs...