|
|
|
Greetings!
In this issue we will point you to an article of interest regarding a recent court decision pertaining to on-site clinics and privacy (one of the most common barriers cited by employees for use of an on-site clinic), and other news of the day in the industry.
As a side note, I was privileged to attend the two back-to-back conferences in Chicago this past week that addressed on-site clinics. The conference sponsors are to be congratulated on meetings that were timely and thought provoking. One has to wonder about the coordination of the programming since they both occurred in Chicago and apparently were in competition for speakers, sponsors and attendees. This was evident to those at the conferences and some level of collaboration would benefit all of us in the future.
We are going to continue to highlight conferences in our sidebar as we learn of them. If we can, we will comment upon their applicability and value. We can certainly recommend two of our featured conference sponsors as we know each of them from direct participation. HBCE is one of the best all around HR showplaces in the country, and MBGH always addresses some of the most current benefits topics in detail and with a degree of credibility that is seldom exceeded in any conference venue. HBCE is on its 21st conference, and MBGH is sponsoring its fifth roundtable on pharmacy benefits. If you arelooking for depth and content, look no further.
|
It's All About Privacy
| | In an article posted on the Web site for Workplace Privacy Data Management & Security Report this past week, it was noted that the federal district court in Maine held in favor of the employee in a case involving falsification of a pre-placement screening questionnaire (the employee failed to mention that he had been diagnosed with ADHD). The employee worked well at the firm for a number of months but then when transferred to another position began experiencing performance issues.
The employee was referred back to the same physician who conducted his intake questionnaire and exam for follow-up after he disclosed in a meeting with his supervisor that he had ADHD and that was the reason for his current problems. The physician questioned the employee about his condition, and subsequently informed the employer of the employee's initial omission of the facts from his questionnaire. Shortly thereafter the employee was fired, without an opportunity to be provided with accommodation.
The court held that all medical information is considered protected by the law (it doesn't matter whether it is true or false); and that the physician's first obligation is to the patient, not the employer (thus denying that a conflict of interest exists) under current regulatory statutes.
This shouldn't surprise any of you. Employers and vendors alike have been struggling to address the hopefully unfounded fear of employees that all their medical information can be and often is revealed to their employers. If you haven't experienced this concern yet, check out the comments on this Web site. It's an eye-opener; nearly every comment regarding the post on on-site clinics is hugely negative and about fear of privacy breaches.
Another reason to keep those privacy training in-services up-to-date.
|
Outcomes-Based Contracting (TM) Seminar Summary
| | |
Right out of the gate, let me state that I don't pretend to understand all there is to know about Outcomes-Based Contracting(TM), nor do I pretend to fully grasp all that is presented in the summary I am referring you to here. But I'm smart enough to know that it is important to all of you. Therefore, I'll risk revealing my lack of knowledge in order to make you aware of this recent paper.
The paper was published by the Center for Health Value Innovation. We have referred to them often in this newsletter and on the Web site in the past. This organization is making huge strides in helping employers (and governmental units, insurance plans, etc.) understand the linkages between dollars spent and outcomes. It is an invaluable resource for all of you involved in plan design and the offerings at your on-site clinics and beyond.
The paper appears to be a summary of the findings of an interactive seminar in which five delivery system expansions (one of which was on- site clinics) were discussed in detail with experts, and attendees were asked to ". . . define key metrics that would identify higher value from the expanded service, and levers that they would use to guide beneficiaries to the services, when appropriate." Other types of service/system expansions included in the discussion were Medical Travel, Chiropractic, and other emergency technologies.
The paper is 14-pages long and well worth the read. But, more important, go to their Web site, figure out how to participate in their work (if you can) and, at a minimum, figure out how you can use their research and advice to enhance what you are doing. If you are trying to improve health, reduce costs, and link the two - you need to be aware of the work of this group on an ongoing basis.
Contributed by: Dorothea Taylor, The La Penna Group
|
|
|
Go to our WEB site for more information about the NAWHC. We have now incorporated, agreed upon a name and a logo. So far, the logo and the naming were the most consumptive of time and creative energy. However, we think that we have enough steam left to really get this effort off to a rolling start.
|
|
|
ON-SITE CLINIC NEWSLETTER
