Benefits quarterly最新文献

As episodes of workplace-centered violence have increased in the United States, a focus on emotional and mental health matters is more essential than ever. It is imperative for organizations to be proactive about violence prevention and have a plan that is supported by top management and understood by all managers and employees. Employers can take a number of steps in collaboration with a comprehensive violence prevention plan to promote a supportive and safe work environment. This article addresses workplace violence, risk factors and the components of a violence prevention plan as well as the importance of building a psychologically healthy workplace.

The cost and complexity of specialty medications are keeping employers and plan administrators up at night. A 2016 survey found that large group employers (100+ full-time employees) struggle with specialty drug trend and cost management, using a variety of unconnected tools and techniques. This article outlines employer challenges and suggests a medical/pharmacy integration paradigm as a successful model for controlling costs and improving health outcomes.

This article describes how methods of personalized medicine-specifically, pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing-can benefit private health plans, benefits managers, care providers and consumers alike. The authors cover pharmacogenomics as a science and also introduce an innovative way to optimize drug treatments. The article touches on some important clinical outcomes drawn from a recent study in community pharmacy and reviews the application and return on investment of PGx testing in disability and medication management.

Although the prevalence and destruction of opioid addiction have touched individuals and families across all social groups and geographies, until recently, federal and state-level efforts to confront this growing problem have lacked focus and rigor. With several legislative actions already underway and the recent enactment of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), we will continue to see a focus on program development and treatment strategies. Employers can contribute toward curbing the opioid addiction epidemic in a number of ways and should play an instrumental role in facilitating increased awareness of and access to needed programming. These efforts will improve quality of life for employees and their dependents, as well as have a positive impact on productivity (including reduced absenteeism and decreased presenteeism). This article will explore the size and prevalence of the opioid epidemic, reflect on its implications for employers-including public policy initiatives-and suggest specific strategies for employer interventions.

There's no question that employers can no longer ignore mental health issues. Compassion and support for employees aside, it is simply good business to protect the mental health and productivity of employees. This article describes existing challenges surrounding employees with mental disorders: the link between mental disorders, disability and an employee's ability to return to work; best practices for employers, employees and health care providers; and the role of the insurance company. Together, using proven strategies, everyone contributes to the optimal solution of helping employees with mental disorders return to work.

More and more employers recognize the business impact of behavioral health concerns in the workplace. This article provides insights into some of the current innovations in behavioral health benefits, along with their rationale for development. Areas of innovation include conceptual and delivery models, technological advance- ments, tools for engaging employees and ways of quantifying the business value of behavioral health benefits. The rapid growth of innovative behavioral health services should provide employers with confidence that they can tailor a program best suited to their priorities, organizational culture and cost limitations.

Although the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and associated regulations have been around for a while, behavioral health advocacy groups have expressed significant concern about a lack of enforcement to ensure compliance among health plans and employers. Federal and state governments have stepped up efforts to encourage MHPAEA compliance. This article presents recent developments in mental health parity, including a summary of the parity law requirements, new warning signs for nonquantitative treatment limitations, a confusing answer to a frequently asked question from the U.S. Department of Labor, an update on enforcement developments and the results of recent Milliman research on cost patterns since MHPAEA went into effect.

Specialty biotech drugs represent 1-2% of prescriptions yet 35% or more of overall pharmacy costs-and are projected to reach 50% of costs over the next three years. In the United States, the cost of these drugs is multiples more than in other countries, and their use presents global competitiveness and philosophical challenges for plan sponsors. This article examines specialty drug trends, discusses balancing access to them versus their impact and reviews the current state of specialty drug management. It provides plan sponsors with key considerations for the future. While specialty biotech management will remain an area of focus affecting benefits budgets for years to come, options are available to help manage their impact and improve outcomes.