Providing workers with healthcare coverage still makes economic sense for large employers.  However, there are fewer incentives for smaller employers to offer coverage in the new era of healthcare reform.  That was the key message in a new national study for the nonpartisan National Institute for Health Care Reform.

The study, led by University of Minnesota researcher Jean Abraham, who worked with the Center for Studying Health System Change, calculated the economic incentives for employers offering coverage to active workers before and after health reform implementation in 2014.   The analysis used data from the 2008-2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

“The findings indicate that the economic incentives to offer coverage will remain strong under health reform for many businesses, especially larger, higher-wage firms,” Abraham said. “But they will weaken for small and low-wage employers – the very establishments that already were most likely to drop coverage because of rising costs.”

For the nation’s healthcare providers, the study points to the importance of regular verification of current insurance coverage, particularly for patients working for smaller businesses that might decide to drop this benefit. If so, there could well be a significant time lag before the patient purchases coverage from another source.

The institute’s study found that pre-reform, all businesses had an economic incentive to offer health insurance because the U.S. government gave preferential tax treatment for both employer and employee premium contributions.  Post-reform, employer premium contributions remain tax exempt.  In addition, two new policies take effect in 2014: a penalty on larger employers that do not offer affordable health insurance, and premium tax credits for lower-income people to purchase insurance in new state exchanges if they lack access to affordable employer coverage.

In the pre-reform period, the economic incentives of employers to offer health insurance were all positive and increased with firm size.  After reform implementation in 2014, the largest firms with 500 or more workers will continue to have a strong economic incentive, with an average incentive of $2,503 per employee, according to the analysis.  However, the smallest firms with fewer than 50 workers will face lower economic incentives – an average of $990  – in the post-reform period, in large part because these smaller employers will be exempt from the penalty.

If you are wondering where the U.S. healthcare sector is headed, think about mobility.  An explosion of new mobile applications (apps) is helping patients and families use their smart phones and tablets to connect with physicians, hospitals and other providers.  Perhaps most importantly, these new mobile apps have the potential to support wellness and disease prevention, shifting the focus away from acute patient care, while providing more effective monitoring of costly chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

One recent example is Heart Health Mobile,  a free mobile app created by the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation as part of a nationwide competition in support of its “Million Hearts” initiative. “The foundation has created an app to give people easy access to some of the most advanced health care analytics available to learn the factors that put them at risk for heart attacks and how to prevent them,” said Farzad Mostashari, M.D., the national coordinator for health information technology. “People can now get information about their risk and share what they know with their doctor to better manage their heart health.”

Heart Health Mobile, which can be downloaded from iTunes, provides information about  a person’s risk for heart disease based on answers to questions about height, weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking status.  In areas with participating pharmacies and other retail clinics, the app steers users to convenient locations for cholesterol and blood-pressure screening.  A feature that tracks users’ histories allows people to easily see if they have made progress as they work to lose weight or lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Along with the regular app, Heart Health Mobile has an innovative feature that allows users to play a “game,” earning points for completed tasks and awards for tracking their heart health and reaching their targets.  As Simon M. Lin, M.D., director of the foundation’s Biomedical Informatics Research Center, said, “As health care moves rapidly toward preventing disease, technology such as Heart Health Mobile can help people take charge of their health.”

One of the foundations of the national Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the concept of a state-level health insurance exchange or marketplace. The goal is to make it an easy and affordable for consumers and small businesses to purchase health coverage through private health plans. It’s a particularly important step for millions of individuals who do not get insurance from their employers.

Hospitals, physician groups and other healthcare providers should pay attention to the progress toward creating these two marketplaces – one for individuals and one for small businesses – in their states. After all, having insurance coverage makes it much more likely that individuals, couples and families will access primary care and specialty services.

As of mid February, 20 states and the District of Columbia have been conditionally approved to partially or fully run a marketplace, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The most recent state was Illinois, which plans to be ready for open enrollment in October 2013. “We are forging ahead to make the promise of the Affordable Care Act a reality,” said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on Feb. 13. “We are going to be working very hard between now and October 1st to educate the people of our state about the health care coverage options they will have through the marketplace.”

Quinn’s remarks reflect the two key challenges that states will face in setting up these new health insurance entities. First of all, each state will need to establish policies, rules and regulations for insurance companies that desire to participate in the marketplaces, as well as reviewing their rate structures and coverage options.  That’s a daunting task in itself.  But state officials will also need to educate the consumers about these new options – a process that may well require telephone or face-to-face discussions with individuals and families.  Since educating consumers is vital to the success of the state marketplaces, healthcare providers may want to become involved in the process, such as holding health fairs that include insurance representatives or posting information, such as FAQs, on their websites.  While getting ready for the full implementation of the ACA next January is a major challenge for the healthcare industry, the reform effort is also creating new opportunities as well.

Healthcare administrators, practice leaders, office managers and other executives tend to develop certain leadership styles. First, there’s the traditional authoritarian approach, where a leader might tells his subordinates, “Do what I say and don’t ask questions.”  This style is usually best suited for crises or other situations that require an immediate response.  But when applied on a day-to-day basis, the authoritarian approach can drive away knowledgeable and creative employees who see that their ideas and suggestions are not welcome.

In contrast, a democratic leader tries to build consensus around each decision.  She might ask her team, “Tell me what you think we should do.”  This is a far better approach when facing a challenging issue, because it provides multiple perspectives on a problem.  A marketing manager, for instance, will likely make different suggestions for developing a new outpatient program than the organization’s risk manager or CFO.  However, the democratic process takes time and can try the leader’s patience.

Of course, there are plenty of variations on these two styles, such as the “open door” leader, who welcomes employee feedback, but ignores those suggestions when making decisions. And there’s the “share the blame” leader who asks others to buy into her actions after she’s already made a decision.

In today’s fast-paced world, there seems to be a shift back toward more traditional decision-making. When there’s a “crisis” every day – whether real or perceived – it’s hard to spare the time for thoughtful decision making.  But successful healthcare executives recognize the importance of the democratic approach in facing immediate issues and developing longer term strategies.  That’s why an annual retreat or weekly planning sessions can help a leader stay focused on the organization’s mission, goals and objectives.  In the end, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to leadership styles.  Instead, it’s a matter of knowing your own preferences, but not letting those habits sway you when deciding how best to handle a particular situation.

For healthcare organizations, the biggest technology trend of 2013 is likely to be the mobility revolution.  Certainly, the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets – as well as medical diagnostic carts, video-enabled robots and other telemedicine tools – is dramatically changing work practices at physician offices, hospitals, medical laboratories and other healthcare organizations.

For example, 66 percent of physicians who responded to InformationWeek Healthcare’s 2012 Priorities Survey, said they were using iPads or other tablets for medical purposes, up from 45 percent in 2011.  That’s because tablets hit the mobile “sweet spot” for doctors.  They’re lightweight and easily transportable from exam room to exam room, yet have a screen that’s easy to read.  Tablets allow physicians, nurses and other team members to access patient EMR records, diagnostic scans, drug references and other valuable information.

Along with the explosion of mobile devices has come a parallel expansion of mobile applications – some specific to the healthcare sector and others designed for the consumer.  It’s easy for health-conscious consumers to download apps for fitness routines, nutritious diets and a myriad of other wellness objectives. Other apps can be used in conjunction with add-on devices to measure blood pressure, glucose levels and other health indicators.  A recent global survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) found about half of consumers, physicians and payers expect mobile apps to improve the cost, quality and convenience of healthcare services in the next three years.

One of the challenges facing U.S. healthcare organizations is determining the best way to use mobile devices and apps to operate more efficiently, market their services more effectively and improve outcomes for their patients.  By addressing these issues in 2013, organizations have an excellent opportunity to capitalize on the benefits of the mobility revolution.

Season’s greetings and enjoy the holiday season!

Whether you are client or a member of our nationwide healthcare team, we thank you for your continued loyalty and support.  We are committed to providing the best healthcare staffing service in the country and look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence.

If you are looking to advance in your career or take advantage or our flexible staffing options, please bookmark our website and check in on a regular basis.  We have some exciting new job opportunities that are now in the planning stage.

If you are a healthcare employer, our team can advise you on optimizing your ongoing personnel arrangements, while fulfilling your immediate staffing needs.

In any case, please accept our best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Neil Bernstein
President
All Medical Personnel

It always seems like the month of December sneaks up on everyone.  Suddenly, it’s time for holiday parties, client luncheons, charitable activities and other seasonal events.  At the same time, many healthcare staffers realize they have unused vacation time and decide to take off for a week or two before the end of the year.

As a result, physician groups, hospitals, laboratories and other healthcare organizations often find it difficult to stay fully staffed during the late December – early January season.  Many organizations already have temporary staffing plans in place to fill those gaps in the schedule, while others find themselves looking for help at the last minute.

Since December staffing issues are a highly predictable occurrence, All Medical Personnel urges healthcare organizations to take a proactive approach.  That might involve reviewing last year’s employee schedules to determine how many people took vacation or personal days during the month.  That can help in projecting staffing needs for this December.  Planning ahead for staffing coverage is also important when arranging a holiday party or charitable event.

If everyone in the office is volunteering a half-day to serve meals to the homeless, deliver gifts to needy children or contribute in another way, then be sure to have temporary staffers in place to “hold down the fort” in the meantime.  It may seem obvious, but it’s surprising how temporary staffing issues are often left to the last minute amid the busy activities of the month.  With the biggest holidays of the year just ahead, All Medical Personnel recommends taking a careful look at your December staffing plans to be sure you can continue to provide seamless care to patients and clients during the 2012 holiday season.

Whether you’re just starting out in your healthcare career or a seasoned veteran, you didn’t achieve your goals by accident.  It took training, dedication and a desire to succeed on your part – plus the encouragement and support of other people in your lives.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, now is a good time to reflect on the family members, friends, teachers, mentors, job recruiters and managers who believed in your abilities and helped you move ahead with your healthcare career.

Perhaps you became interested in becoming a physician or nurse at an early age.  You might have wanted to help a family member with a chronic medical condition or been inspired by the stories a parent, aunt or uncle or older sibling told you about “the helping professions.”  Or the spark might have been ignited by a teacher in high school, a laboratory class in biology or chemistry or the hands-on experience provided by a magnet program.

Other professionals found their way into healthcare during their college years, deciding to earn a certificate or degree that opened the door to a challenging but rewarding career. In many cases, a mentor helped shape the direction of a student’s interest, particularly in graduate-level programs or advanced training in a specialty field.

And don’t forget the importance of those career counselors in high school, college and the “real world,” who helped you develop job-related skills like writing a job application letter and resume, preparing for an interview and making a favorable impression on the recruiter.

In the spirit of the season, we invite you to say “thank you” to the people who provided encouragement, education and support for your goals and dreams. Happy Thanksgiving!

Healthcare organizations throughout the U.S. need to move quickly to address the mobility revolution.  Every day, more consumers use their smartphones and tablets to search for information, connect with friends, watch videos and hunt for retail bargains.  Mobile internet usage is accelerating around the world, creating a dramatic change in the way Americans are accessing healthcare information.

Many hospitals and health systems with in-house IT teams are developing mobile applications (apps) that provide information about their services.  Ambulatory and urgent care centers often use text messaging (SMS) to reach consumers who may already be in their cars.

Physicians and other providers are focusing their technology spending on electronic medical record (EMR) systems and patient portals that can be accessed from the desktop or mobile device.  That’s a clear indicator of the ongoing convergence of digital, social and mobile channels.  For instance, a potential patient might search for reviews of a provider on her tablet, watch a YouTube video of a procedure on her desktop computer, and gather the opinions of her Facebook friends using her smartphone.

Healthcare organizations of all sizes should consider this trend carefully when planning their patient communication, education and marketing programs.  Savvy providers realize it’s no longer enough to rely on a ‘traditional’ website accessed by a desktop or laptop computer.  Instead, an organization must reach out to current and prospective patients through the most popular social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) using their mobile devices.  Providers who get in front of the mobility curve will have a distinct advantage in their markets, while those who fail to address this key consumer trend will fall behind.

Healthcare is expected to be a leading driver of the U.S. economy in 2013, continuing its strong performance over the past 12 months. Regardless of the outcome of the November elections, there are several underlying forces propelling this sector forward: the aging of America, healthcare technology advances, a growing emphasis on wellness and preventive care strategies and increased access to medical services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

According to monthly reports by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare has been adding new jobs throughout the year.  In July, for instance, 12,000 new positions were created, although that total was down prior months.

Looking ahead, the U.S. Department of Labor projects that 10 of the 20 occupations expected to grow most quickly from 2010 to 2020 are in the healthcare industry, including personal care aides and medical secretaries.

Currently, positions in high demand include nurses, nurse practitioners, primary care physicians, family practice physicians, physician assistants, billing and coding specialists and information technology (IT) professionals.  Many of these healthcare jobs require less than four years of college, although formal training and certification is usually needed. Most healthcare IT positions require at least a two-year technical degree, and jobs like dental hygienist or radiological technologist usually require an associate’s degree of completion of a certification program.

If you are considering a healthcare career, one of the fastest growing sectors today is primary care.  Under the changing healthcare landscape, primary care physicians and clinics will play an increasingly greater role in providing diagnostic, treatment and follow-up services, along with patient education, support and prevention services.

Another growth sector is elder care, which is driven by the aging of the Boomer generation.  Demand is rising for home health nurses and aides, as well as physical and occupational therapists.  Changes in reimbursement structures are also likely to lead to more care delivered in the home rather than a more expensive office or inpatient setting.  In any case, choosing a healthcare career makes a great deal of sense in today’s economy.