 On My Mind |
|
By Cheryl DeMars, President and CEO
|
|
Save the Date for The Alliance Annual Meeting |
|
Our Annual Meeting will be held October 21, 2009, at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. We'll have more details in the coming months, but be sure to save the date for our annual business meeting where we report out on the cooperative's business, review the past year, take a look forward to the next and elect board members.
|
| Now's the Time to Plan Onsite Flu Shots |
Now is the time for employers to start planning their onsite flu clinic for next fall. Although not yet confirmed, it has been reported that a vaccine may be made available for the H1N1 (swine) flu as part of, or in addition to, the annual influenza immunization.
Providing onsite flu shots can help:
- Reduce sick leave and medical costs
- Boost employee morale and reinforce your commitment to your employees' health
- Increase company productivity
As part of membership, Alliance members can access discounts at a number of local providers. To see the complete list of vendors, services offered, fees, and Alliance Employer preferred discounts visit our 2009 Flu Shot page at the Employer Resource Center, under the Employee Health and Education tab. You will need to log-in first. If you are unsure how to do so, please see the information in the sidebar at right. You can access the complete list of vendors as well other resources members may want to use to plan onsite flu shots, such as free posters and other campaign materials from the CDC. We will update this page as we get closer to the flu season and as new information becomes available.
|
| National Network Access for Those Outside The Alliance Service Area |
The Alliance's partnership with National Health Benefits Corporation (NHBC) provides a cost-effective solution for national network coverage for employees who travel or have dependents living in locations outside The Alliance service area.
The National Access Program offers significant savings, extensive access, and superior customer satisfaction to fill gaps and ensure adequate coverage. Benefits include:
- Large number of available hospitals, facilities and physicians
- Deep discounts
- Minimum plan design requirements
Learn more about this partnership.
Back to top |
| New Spanish Resource: ER or Urgent Care: What's the Difference? |
|
Our ER or Urgent Care? What's the Difference? flyer is now available in Spanish. The flyer provides information about the different type of care settings and when to seek care at each. It parses out information about when someone may want to visit a doctor's office, walk-in clinic, or ER depending on their symptoms. The flyer also includes information about retail clinics. You can find the flyer in English and Spanish in the Employer Resource Center.
To find it after you've logged in:
- Click on the Wellness Planner graphic on the right side of the screen
- Click on Printable Flyers at the lower left corner of the screen
If you don't know how to log-in to the Employer Resource Center, see the information in the sidebar at right.
|
| Reduce Costs on Workers' Compensation Claims with The Alliance |
|
The Alliance can help members who struggle with the costs of workers' compensation claims. By providing access to The Alliance's comprehensive, cost-efficient network of providers - more than 8,000 strong - members can manage these claims' costs.
Savings vary from employer to employer, but participants in the Healthy People at Work program experience average gross savings of 30.1% on compensable billed charges.
Employers using The Alliance Healthy People at Work Program experience a number of benefits including:
- Using The Alliance's comprehensive, cost-efficient network of providers for workers' compensation health-care related claims.
- Preventing cost shifting by providers from medical care to workers' compensation care.
- Decreasing disability costs as providers coordinate effective return-to-work plans.
For more information view this flyer or contact Jesse Oberloh, member services manager, 800.223.4139, x 6645.
|
| New Guidance on Maximum Contribution Levels for Health Savings Accounts |
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance on the maximum contribution levels for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and out-of-pocket spending limits for High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) that must be used in conjunction with HSAs. These amounts have been indexed for cost-of-living adjustments for 2010 and are included in Revenue Procedure 2009-29.
Read the release here.
Back to the top |
| Welcome Tierney Jensen |
 Tierney Jensen has joined The Alliance as marketing and member services assistant. A recent graduate of U.W. Oshkosh with a bachelor's degree in marketing and information management, she brings experience in marketing, sales and customer service and will be instrumental in serving the needs of Alliance staff as well as members and others.
Please join us in welcoming Tierney, 608.210.6642.
Back to the top |
| Building Our Cooperative |
|
Welcome to our newest members:
- Axium Foods
- MasterMold LLC
Back to top
|
| QualityCounts for Employees |
- Why do health care costs vary? - Provides information about the QualityCounts™ Outpatient Procedures and Tests Report and a few reasons why costs vary.
Back to top |
| News You Can Use |
The Alliance highlights health care and benefit management news for employers in News You Can Use with a link to take you to the original story or report.
- Lifetime Prevalence of Depression has been Underestimated for Years - A new report shows that lifetime prevalence of depression has been underestimated for years.
Back to top
|
| Alliance Provider Update |
The Alliance encourages employers to distribute the Provider Update listing to their employees.
 Just a reminder - always check the online provider directory for the most current provider information! |
| About the Agent and Consultant Briefing |
Each month, The Alliance Agent and Consultant Briefing delivers the latest news to insurance agents and consultants about Alliance services, programs and events as well as information on health benefit trends, issues, and ideas of interest to our mutual clients. Subscriptions are available on a complimentary basis. To subscribe, please send an e-mail message with your name and agency to the Marketing and Member Services Department. You can also read past issues of this newsletter on-line.
Reader comments, suggestions, and topics are always welcome.
Cathy Lanser, Editor
Melanie Cannon, Designer
Diane Loram, Account Executive | |
|
|
|
|
Accessing the Employer Resource Center |
|
This issue mentions a number of resources in our Employer Resource Center. As a reminder, to access:
> Visit www.the-alliance.org and click on the green Employer Resource Center logo in the lower right hand section of the page
> Log in to the Employer Resource Center
> If you don't know your username or password, contact Melanie Cannon, 800.223.4139, x 6637. | |
|
The Alliance encourages employers to distribute the