AIS's Health Business Daily

April 4, 2008

"It's a relatively tough labor market, and employers can't afford to lose good employees. The big publicly traded health plans could be in for a real battle with employers over rate hikes. The employer doesn't want to go to the employee with another rate increase. So employers will be under pressure to get the best deal they can."

-- Ed Kaplan, national health practice leader in Segal Company's NYC office, told AIS's Health Plan Week.

Today's Featured Story

Recession Could Prompt Higher Utilization, Health Plan Consolidations, and Reliance on Public Programs

$19 million

…in fraudulent 2007 claims were recovered by the special investigations unit of Horizon BCBS of NJ, which initiated 664 investigations of suspected fraud, 38 of which were referred to law enforcement agencies.

AIS's Pharmacy Benefit Survey Results
Now available quarterly as Excel spreadsheets! These survey results track growth and consolidation in the industry, and trends in costs, utilization and benefit design. Click here.

People On the Move

Southcoast Health System, located in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, named Keith Hovan president and CEO. He will replace Ronald Goodspeed, M.D., who is retiring from the position but will remain with the health care system in an executive capacity until October. Hovan is executive vice president and chief operating officer at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn.…HealthTrans appointed Cyndi Bryant vice president of account management. Bryant had worked for RxAmerica, LLC, where she oversaw the account management department.

MANAGED MEDICARE AND MEDICAID FACTBOOK: 2008
A 605-page resource that contains up-to-date enrollment data on all Medicare Advantage plans, and features current and historical statistics so you can make plan-by-plan or state-by-state comparisons. Click here.

Today's Featured Health Business Job Opening

WellPoint, Inc.
Business Change Director
Richmond, Va.

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