A blog covering the health/care ecosystem and people.

In 2009, the cost of health care for a 65-year old couple entering retirement is 50% more than it was in 2002, according to Fidelity Investments. The nest-egg required for retirement health is $240,000, give or take tens of thousands depending on your health risks. In just the past year, this cost increased 6.7%, from $225K. Fidelity has measured the cost of health care in retirement since 2002, when the cost was $160,000. Note the assumptions behind this number: Fidelity assumes that retirees will not have employer-sponsored retiree health benefits, but will take up Medicare. Thus the $240K takes into

The economy is re-shaping both employers’ and employee’s views on workplace benefits. Most employers continue to value their most important asset: the human capital that is inherent in their employees. This is good news. Retaining employees is the #1 benefits objective for American employers, according to MetLife’s 7th annual Employee Benefits Trends Study. Now, for the #2 and #3 objectives for employers as revealed by MetLife’s survey: due to the economic downturn, employers are looking for more productivity out of their employees, while controlling costs. At the same time, employees are concerned about their financial security. MetLife has found that

As the Internet disrupted health care information in the late 1990s through the 2000s, watch out for the phone to make the health world flat, taking off from Tom Friedman’s phrasing about The World. There are parts of the world using simple SMS text messaging in public health: to enable peoples’ positive health behaviors. In parts of Africa, safe-sex messaging and medication reminders help people prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. In Europe, Nokia has tested a wide range of these applications, and Vodafone has been successful in getting teenage diabetics to respond to text messages via phones in an NHS

Even though profitability for American business will be elusive in 2009, many employers are increasing employee wellness programs — and not cutting budgets for these programs. According to Buck Consultants’ survey, employers can find that wellness programs actually help employees deal with the very issues that the economic downturn creates. Since the beginning of the economic downturn in the U.S., Buck’s survey found that employees’ use of wellness programs increased for over one-half of employers. The key metrics for measuring success of thesee programs are cost-effectiveness, changing employee behavior, and measuring health status. Nearly one-half of employers said they were

Don’t assume that State Medicaid programs will cover the vulnerable populations this and next year. Even with the stimulus funding provided in ARRA, Governors will be hard-pressed to cover all of the growing demands for health care among citizens in their states. Governors’ budgets are severely constrained due to declining tax receipts and increasing financial obligations, especially for education and health care. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) includes about $140 billion in fiscal relief to the States. However, this funding will cover only about 40% of the $350

“The problem with the U.S. health care market is that it doesn’t really function as a market – it leaves major consumer needs unmet, costs unchecked by competition and basic practices untouched by the productivity revolution that has transformed every other sector of the economy.” That quote isn’t from a Marxist-leaning, left-wing political operative — it was spoken by Ivan Seidenberg, the Chairman and CEO of Verizon, the telecommunications firm that sits as #17 on the 2008 Fortune 100 list. As one of the largest companies in the world, and certainly in telecomms, Seidenberg has to compete in a global

“We believe America can have high quality, affordable and accessible health care by 2012.” Who said that? If you guessed President Obama, Senator Edward Kennedy, or Hillary Clinton, you’re wrong. It’s Wal-Mart, on its Health and Wellness webpage. Wal-Mart’s got a new direct-to-physician strategy: selling electronic health records (EHRs). The world’s largest retailer, #1 on the Fortune 100, expands on the company’s experience with retail health clinics. The chain now has 30 clinics sprinkled throughout the south, and in each clinic, there’s an EHR system. The EHRs will be offered through Wal-Mart’s subsidiary, Sam’s Club, jointly with Dell and eClinicalWorks,

The Barbie doll was born in March 1959, marking this month her 50th birthday. She began life as a beach beauty and fashion model in a zebra-striped swimsuit. By 1965, she scored many careers including American Airlines Stewardess, Nurse, Teacher, and Astronaut. In 2006, USA Today named her one of the Top 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived. It took 28 years for Barbie to morph into Doctor Barbie, shown in the photo on the left. Note the tagline printed on the front bottom of the box: “She changes from doctor to glamorous date!” This first Doctor Barbie came

Employers providing health insurance to employees continue to focus on workers’ health and productivity, despite economic decline and the need to cut costs. This is good news for 2009. 2010 may be a different story, depending on the length and depth of the recession. Hewitt’s 10th Annual Health Care Report, Challenges for Health Care in Uncertain Times 2009, surveyed over 340 employers in January 2009. 75% of employers said they planned to focus on improving employee health and productivity in the next 3 to 5 years. 19% (1 in 5) said they would stop directly providing health care benefits. This

Patients have spoken, and they really like their care providers. It’s good news for medical practices that patient satisfaction is on the rise, and has been for the past year. As practices pay attention to consumer-facing issues like waiting room times, ease of scheduling, and, yes, exam room manners, patients get more satisfied with care. This survey dovetails nicely with a study published in the March 3, 2009, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, which finds that patients who are more connected to a physician were most likely to receive recommended care. The study, Patient-Doctor Connectedness and the Quality