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Issue: # 37 August 12, 2009 
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Dear :
   
We hope you find this month's newsletter of interest.  WIth the national spotlight on healthcare reform, we wanted to make you aware of some local developments that you & your employees may find helpful.
 
Below you will find a listing of clinics/medical facilities available at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and ReadyMED.  This seems to be a new trend thats developing with hopes of reducing overall costs to the insurance companies.
 
To our clients we thank you for your business and hope that you have enjoyed this very short summer.  The final quarter of the year is just around the corner and businesses are gearing up for a final push before the holiday season arrives.
 
As always, If you have any questions email Bill or Vanessa.  To learn more about Advantage Benefits click here.  Please give us your feedback.
 
Sincerely,
 

Bill Randell, CLU, CHFC             Vanessa Costa, CLU,CHFC
Advantage Benefits Group, Inc. 
ReadyMED Clinic 
All  Night Clinic
ReadyMED, is a new type of medical clinic that has recently opened on Route 9 in Shrewsbury.  This may be a sign of things to come and an example of reform that may help contain health care costs. The clinic will be opened during the week from 1 PM to 9 PM and week-ends  9 AM to 9 PM.   Doctors will be on staff to see patients WITHOUT an appointment!  They will accept all major health plans and charge the office co-payment of your underlying plan.
 
The clinic can handle a broad array of medical illnesses, from colds, sore throats & allergic reactions to simple fractures or wounds requiring sutures.  The facility has an X-ray and laboratory services on site.  This type of facility may be ideal for weekend and evening treatment of  children's  various sicknesses such as sore throat, stomach flus, ear infections, etc..  Or, adult accidents such as someone who twists an ankle or hurts their back at home.
 
Typically, the cost of this care is less then the costs associated with an Emergency Room Visit, thus lowering the claims costs for the insurance company.   More importantly the subscriber pays an office co-payment, versus an emergency room co-payment.
Minute Clinics
CVS
 
In the Boston area CVS has already opened clinics in many of their pharmacies similar to ReadyMED called Minute Clinic.  For a map where you may be able to find these Minute Clinics, click here.
 
*  No appointment necessary
*  Staffed with doctors
*  Open 7 days per week
*  Accepts most major health plans 
 
   Click here for a list of conditions treated. 
 
Take Care Clinic
Walgreens
Walgreens  has their own in store clinics called Take Care Clinic. Much like their competitors, they are open 7 days per week, staffed with doctors seeing patients without an appointment, and they accept most major health plans.  
 
Currently there are none yet in Massachusetts - But, they are coming, and we will keep you updated.
Prescriptions for $4 
Walmart - Reminder 

Great program!  Last November we dedicated a full newsletter to the Walmart Prescripton Drug Plans. You can buy a 30 day supply of drugs for $4.  Anyone can use the Walmart Program.  It does not matter what health insurance plan you have, or in fact, if you have no insurance.  As long as the drug is on the approved list, all you need is a prescription from a doctor. The plan is currently for Generic Drugs only.

Click here for a list of drugs ,   Now the program allows you to buy a 90 day supply for $10 using mailorder.  Walmart also has in store clinics, but none have opened in Massachusetts yet .  
Fallon Community Health Plans 
Select/Direct Networks and Expansion into New Hampshire
 
When Fallon Community Health Plan (FCHP) first began, the network consisted of Fallon Clinic facilities and fallon clinic physicians. Today, that original makeup of Clinics is still available and is called the Fallon Direct Network. 
 
Fallon has worked very hard to expand the Direct Network, as follows:
  • Cape Ann Medical Center
  • Acton Medical Associates
  • Charles River Medical Associates
  • Highland Healthcare Associates IPA
  • Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
  • Lahey Clinic
  • Lawrence General Independent Practice
  • Lawrence General Hospital
  • Lowell General Physician Hospital Organization
  • Mount Auburn Hospital
  • Mount Auburn Cambridge IPA
  • Northeast Physician Hospital Organization
  • Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital
  • Signature Healthcare Goddard Park Medical Associates
  • Southboro Medical Group and Woburn Pediatrics. 
Even with this expansion, FCHP realized they had to sign up the many independent physician practices to compete with Blue Cross, Harvard & Tufts.   This option with Fallon is called their Select network and cost 13% higher then the Direct option.  Recently the Fallon Select network has expanded into New Hampshire and have added 1,400 providers at the following facilities:
  • Advantage Network PHO (Nashua, NH)
  • Catholic Medical Center (Manchester, NH)
  • Catholic Medical Center-Physicians Practice Associates (Manchester, NH)
  • Cheshire Medical Center (Keene, NH)
  • Dartmouth Hitchcock Keene
  • Dartmouth Hitchcock Manchester (Manchester/Bedford, NH)
  • Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon)
  • Dartmouth Hitchcock Nashua
  • Derry Medical Center/Londonderry Family Practice
  • Derry Pediatrics
  • Elliot Hospital (Manchester, NH)
  • Elliot Physician Network (Londonderry, Bedford, Manchester, Goffstown, Hooksett, New Boston, Amherst, Nashua, Merrimack, NH)
  • Parkland Regional Hospital (Portsmouth, NH)
  • Southern NH Internal Medical Associates (Derry/Londonderry, NH)
  • Southern NH Medical Center (Nashua, NH)
With this expansion, the FCHP Select Care network now has more than 21,000 providers.   An employer can have Fallon Community Health Plans as their group insurance plan and let their employee decided which network fits their needs.