| From the National Health Council and Wyeth |   |
| Top Story |  |  |
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| Out-of-Pocket Cost Impact | | |
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| Health Care Costs and Access | | |
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- Experts say 5 steps could cut health care costs by $1 trillion
Experts name five simple lifestyle changes that would help prevent disease and could trim $1 trillion off the U.S. health care bill. They say limiting salt, sugar and alcohol, quitting smoking, and reducing air pollution all would lead to substantial reductions in disease, death and health care costs. CNNMoney.com
(11/3)     
- Wellness programs benefit workers, companies
Employer-based wellness programs improve employee health, reduce job stress and lower absenteeism rates, according to an analysis of dozens of studies that included more than 38,000 people. Researchers said the most effective programs were developed with the help of the company, offered an on-site workout area and allowed employees to exercise during the day rather than before or after work. Reuters
(10/28)
| Trends in Health Care Design | | |
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- Group cites 5 ways to improve medication adherence
A group of consumer and medical organizations has cited the adoption of health IT as one of the five strategies toward achieving better patient adherence to medications, which they say could improve health outcomes and save up to $300 billion in health care costs. Other recommendations include care coordination and a focus on medication adherence in quality improvement initiatives and health research. Healthcare IT News
(10/30)
- Teletrauma system aids rural hospitals in Maine
Teletrauma videoconferencing technology connects Maine's large trauma centers to its most remote community hospitals to help physicians diagnose and treat emergency department patients. The system, which costs about $5,000 for a hospital to install, can help physicians decide when a patient needs to be transferred to a larger facility, saving lives and money. Bangor Daily News (Maine) (free registration)
(11/3)
| Policy/Legislative Watch | | |
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- House Democrats unveil health reform bill
House Democrats announced a 10-year, $894 billion health care reform package that would require most individuals to purchase health insurance and would require most employers to provide coverage for their workers or face a penalty. The legislation includes a government-run health insurance plan. The Washington Post
(10/30), Los Angeles Times
(10/30)
- Reform bills would cap flexible spending account contributions
Employee tax-free contributions to flexible spending accounts would be capped at $2,500 a year under health reform bills in the Senate and House, to raise an estimated $13 billion over 10 years to help pay for health care reform. A coalition of insurers, businesses and others -- called the Save Flexible Spending Plans -- is trying to stop the change, saying it would tax the middle class and hurt chronic disease patients. Yahoo!/The Associated Press
(11/2)
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| About Better Health Care by Design |
As the incidence of chronic diseases and their associated costs continue to rise, many patients are facing increasing out-of-pocket costs for their care. Research has demonstrated that
high out-of-pocket costs present a barrier to much-needed care for many patients with chronic diseases, leading to poorer health outcomes for patients and increased long-term costs
for patients and payers. Better Health Care by Design is an effort focused on improving health and economic outcomes for patients with chronic diseases by bringing together the
diverse range of interested stakeholders — patients, providers and payers — to collaborate on new, practical benefit design models that lead to better prevention, management and
treatment.
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| | Recent Better Health Care by Design issues:
- Wednesday, October 28, 2009
- Wednesday, October 21, 2009
- Wednesday, October 14, 2009
- Wednesday, October 07, 2009
- Wednesday, September 30, 2009
| | | Lead Editor: Kathryn Doherty
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