Employers

By increasing access and awareness of mental health services, employers can assist in addressing concerns precipitated by pandemic and racial injustice to curb potentially severe and persistent mental illness, said Joe Grasso, PhD, clinical director of partnerships at Lyra Health.

Beyond telework, some notable strategies that employers should consider when managing back-to-school and other leave related concerns among employees include child care benefits and flexible work options, said David Weisenfeld, JD, legal editor and host of a XpertHR podcast.

Hinge Health announced the expansion of its clinical and technical musculoskeletal (MSK) capabilities to cover the full continuum of MSK care. The move will provide the most complete back and joint health solution to employers and health plans.

The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted the lack of preparation and notable disruptions in the US health care delivery system. To optimally transition to delivering high quality and affordable care, findings from a report by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and the Council for Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP) suggest that enhanced care coordination, greater investment in delivery systems and primary care, and aligning reimbursement with patient outcomes is warranted, said Norman Chenven, MD, vice chairman of CAPP.

Through GoMo Health’s partnership with the Center for Health Technology and Innovation (CHTI) at the American Heart Association (AHA), GoMo, in collaboration with the AHA, has launched the telehealth care coordination solution, known as Concierge Care, a behaviorally-based, patient-centric care solution that can lead to measurable and sustainable population health, said Patrick Dunn, program director of CHTI at the AHA, and Bob Gold, chief executive officer of GoMo Health.

In beginning the first phase 3 clinical trial to examine a vaccine candidate for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Moderna Inc announced that the Trump administration increased funding to expand the trial to 30,000 US participants; employers have considered and some have made it a requirement for employees to sign a waiver to not sue the organization if they are infected by COVID-19 or suffered any injury while working; study finds 1 flu shot can reduce the risk for Alzheimer disease by 17% and 1 pneumonia vaccine before age 75 can reduce the risk by 25%.

In addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, a more active-based approach is warranted among employers to optimize care. Through detailed databases and a greater focus on population health, Paladina Health has promoted this transition to a more informed, value-based health care delivery system, said Kirk Rosin, chief revenue officer of Paladina Health.

In 2 midyear deals reports issued today by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), total US health services deal value and volume were down in the first half (H1) of 2020 compared with H1 2019, with overall global pharma and life sciences sectors also down in H1 2020 compared with the second half of 2019.

Karen Kobelski is the vice president and general manager of clinical surveillance, compliance & data solutions at Wolters Kluwer. She brings more than 25 years of experience to her position, which expands her previous leadership role over the Safety & Surveillance group to also include the Health Language portfolio of data normalization solutions.

Recognizing trends in health care that align with the COVID-19 pandemic and related racial disparities can improve the design of timely and effective strategies by employers to safely return employees to the workplace. Some of these efforts include less wait time for testing results, an improved focus on social determinants of health, and greater accessibility to care, said Lauren Vela, MBA, senior director at Pacific Business Group on Health.

There are 3 key issues that, if addressed by Congress, can optimally assist medical groups and health systems dealing with financial struggles amid the pandemic. These include continued funding to the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, reinstating the Medicare Accelerated and Advanced Payment program, and permanently lifting waivers on telehealth, said Jerry Penso, MD, MBA, president and CEO of the American Medical Group Association.

Based on findings from our COVID-19 Reopening the Workplace Survey, employers are increasing focus on safety, enhancing well-being programs, and providing flexibility to accommodate employees who may be at-risk or may shoulder a greater caregiving responsibility, said Regina Ihrke, senior director and wellbeing leader of Willis Towers Watson in North America.

In the United States, Gilead Sciences set the price for remdesivir, its antiviral drug that can shorten hospitalization stays for individuals ill with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), based on insurance factors, and is allowing generic drug makers to create the drug for less in low to middle income countries.

Rita E. Numerof, PhD, is the president of Numerof & Associates, a firm that helps businesses across the healthcare sector define and implement strategies for winning in dynamic markets. For more than 25 years, she has helped executives understand the implications of an evolving healthcare market. Working with leaders in the healthcare space, she has consulted with everyone from top academic and community hospital systems, payers, and Fortune 500 pharmaceutical, device, and diagnostics companies. She is the coauthor of several books, most recently, "Bringing Value to Healthcare: Practical Steps for Getting to a Market-Based Model" (2016).

With the growing uncertainty of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the emergence of services such as telehealth and behavioral health, PwC's Health Research Institute provided 3 spending scenarios for employers managing the insurance market. It projects a 4% to 10% increase in the medical cost trend for 2021 based on these scenarios, said Ben Isgur, MPA, Health Research Institute leader at PwC.

Presented at AHIP’s Institute & Expo Online 2020, panelists discuss in a webinar how greater collaboration of health insurance providers with state and county leaders can ameliorate barriers to access to health care and promote timely interventions to improve health outcomes.

In a webinar presented at the AHIP Institute & Online Expo 2020, experts discussed how data analytics are addressing gaps in health care and providing timely, effective interventions.

Accelerating the shift to value-based care, as well as the growing presence of telehealth, may be potentially beneficial long-term effects of COVID-19 on the health care industry, said Dan Mendelson, MPP, founder of Avalere Health.

A report by Innovaccer, titled “COVID-19: What It Means to American Healthcare: Trends, Impacts, Predictions, and the Road Ahead,” details implications of the pandemic for the US health care system, with additional recommendations on how to optimize emerging services such as telehealth.

To ease concerns from hesitant patients wary of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, physicians have implemented temperature checks and comprehensive symptom screening, as well as telehealth offerings to provide timely and effective care, said Brian LaMoreaux, MD, medical director of Horizon Therapeutics.

Vibhas Ratanjee is a senior practice expert with Gallup, based in Gallup's Irvine, California office. Vibhas is a well-known speaker and author and has contributed several articles on leadership and organizational development as well as how new technology will alter the future of work and the customer experience. His writing has featured in several global publications, including the Gallup Business Journal and the Harvard Business Review. Vibhas specializes in organizational development, culture change, and executive-level engagement strategies, including strengths-based leadership and succession management. Vibhas is also an executive coach and a leadership consultant to senior executives and CEOs. Vibhas works extensively in the health care and financial services sector.

A comprehensive workplace wellness program was shown to increase the proportion of employees with a designated primary care physician and improve employee beliefs on their own health. However, no significant effects were observed on physical health outcomes, rates of medical diagnoses, or health care service use, according to study findings published this week.

To safely accommodate the return of employees to the workplace amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, employers have formed multidisciplinary task forces to address issues related to risk, testing, and impact on behavioral and physical health, said Michael Thompson, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.

This week, the top managed care news included President Trump's use of hydroxychloroquine; early data on a COVID-19 vaccine trial; an inside look at physician burnout amid the pandemic.

Utilizing a consistent strategy consisting of 4 key attributes—trust, stability, compassion, and hope—can assist employers in designing an effective burnout strategy for physicians amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and beyond, said Vibhas Ratanjee, senior practice expert at Gallup.

Vibhas Ratanjee is a senior practice expert with Gallup, based in Gallup's Irvine, California office. Vibhas is a well-known speaker and author and has contributed several articles on leadership and organizational development as well as how new technology will alter the future of work and the customer experience. His writing has featured in several global publications, including the Gallup Business Journal and the Harvard Business Review. Vibhas specializes in organizational development, culture change, and executive-level engagement strategies, including strengths-based leadership and succession management. Vibhas is also an executive coach and a leadership consultant to senior executives and CEOs. Vibhas works extensively in the health care and financial services sector.