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Monthly Archives: April 2012
Pennsylvania Group Benefits: The Quality of Your Healthcare
How much time do you spend shopping for your companies Group Benefits? According to some reports, not as much time as you spend researching your electronics purchases. Jon Cohen, a vascular surgeon and chief medical officer at Quest Diagnostics said the average American spends twice as much time before buying a TV as they do looking for a doctor, speaking at the TEDMED conference in early April. Patients don’t invest the time into their own health. Price, quality, and desire are the three main components that comprise consumer decisions. However the traditional consumerist approach to appraising products doesn’t apply in healthcare. For example, price doesn’t necessarily mean better care. Patients are generally not good healthcare consumers in that they don’t tend to proactively manage and maintain their health. Furthermore, Cohen said, people use the wrong parameters to judge the quality of their healthcare. For example the service at a practice, such as wait time in a doctor’s office, extended hours or availability tend to influence patients more than factors such as experience and judgment. A two-part approach is needed. Patients need to be voracious in managing their own healthcare. If people are motivated for their own health, Cohen argues, then they will be better motivated to be informed about their own health. And in return, the medical profession must continually strive to meet them halfway to help translate extensive and often complex medical problems. Take the first step to help your employees get the best healthcare possible. At the Dryfoos Group, we offer a variety of comprehensive Pennsylvania Group Benefits programs that can be custom tailored to fit your specific employee benefits needs. Contact us today for more information.
Health News: Pharmaceutical Merger Expected to Have Big Impact
Express Scripts Inc. and Medco Health Solutions Inc. won approval from the Federal Trade Commission in early April for their 29.1 billion dollar merger, according to the Wall Street Journal. This merger created a huge pharmacy-benefit manager that will have significant industry impacts. Pharmacy benefit managers (or P.B.M.’s) manage prescription drug plans for employers and insurers. P.B.M.’s are the middlemen between drug companies and the payers. The new combined company is predicted to save as much as 1 billion; they will handle one of every three prescriptions written in the U.S. The merger allows Express Scripts and Medco to combine forces and squeeze out a lot of costs, which they then say will be passed on to the consumer. The decision was not unanimous. Pharmacy and consumer advocacy groups comprise the main opponents of the deal. They argue that the merger will shrink competition, potentially raise prices and limit where patients can get their prescriptions filled. Opponents such as the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association sued to block the deal in federal court. They claim the merger violates anti-trust laws and isn’t in the best interests of patients or consumers. The merger has raised antitrust issues; many are worried about the effect of such a huge merger on the pharmaceutical industry and the potential of driving other companies out of business. What are your thoughts on the Express Scripts-Medco merger? Is it a step in the right direction in lowering health care costs or a potentially harmful consolidation of assets that could change the industry? Let us know your thoughts. Our healthcare system is in the middle of a substantial overhaul. From the Express Scripts-Medco merger to the healthcare case being debated in the Supreme Court, our healthcare will see significant changes in the next few years. However none of those changes alter the importance of protecting your employees. At the Dryfoos Group, we understand the importance of providing comprehensive group benefits plan to your employees. We offer a variety of plans that can be custom tailored to fit your specific employee benefits needs. Contact us today for more information. The facts in this article were provided by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Bloomberg Business Week.
The Dangers at Your Desk: Breaking Down Your Workspace
Your desk is the hub of your career. Post-its, highlighted notes, to-do lists galore; your workspace is integral to the work that you do. Yet so often, it’s disregarded and grows messy and disorganized, an effect new studies say can have some detrimental effects. According to Forbes, a new survey of over 1,000 workers by staffing firm Adecco, a majority of Americans admit they judge coworkers by how clean or dirty they keep their workspaces, and often attribute messiness to laziness. An Office Max study found that office clutter can undermine productivity and motivation. In the spirit of spring cleaning, here are a few tips to project forth your best image at your workplace and make your life easier. Organization. Set a weekly appointment to clean your desk. Don’t just create piles, but make specific places for the various tasks in your office. Clear your desk of stacks of paper and unnecessary items that just hog space. Designate a drawer or shelf to keep your gym bag off the floor. The result will be a space that is not only more aesthetically more appealing, it will help you to better organize your work. Cleanliness. The results are highly unappealing, and well, gross. According to some reports, the average keyboard harbors 5 times the amount of germs found in a public bathroom. Disinfect your office regularly, wiping down everything from your phone to your mouse and coffee mugs to ensure you have a healthy, clean workspace. Sedentary Dangers. You want to ensure maximum productivity at your desk? Step away from it. Being chained to your desk can be exhausting and draining. Take 5 minutes to walk outside and drink your cup of coffee. Leave your desk for lunch. You’ll come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to go. From a teacher with a mountain of assignments to grade, to a retail manager analyzing sales reports, or a contractor managing multiple bids and projects, keeping a clean desk can help out professionals in all types of industries. Our Business Insurance Plans are no different. At Dryfoos Group we proudly provide a variety of industries with comprehensive insurance solutions from non-profits to hospitality and construction. We’ve dedicated ourselves to providing the most comprehensive and affordable risk management and insurance solutions to business owners across the state. Contact us today for more information.
Posted in Blog, Business Insurance
Tagged business insurance, creativity, desk space, disorganized, flow, workspace
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