Meeting of interest
Western Colo. HR Assoc
Fall Conference
Wednesday, Sept. 17 2008
All-day event begins at 8 a.m
Two River Conference Center
Grand Junction
Afternoon workshops feature Ralph Pollock from the Business Health Forum and Kelly Esselman
from Mountain States Employers Council. The first afternoon workshop
allows us an opportunity to let out voice be heard as we participate in
a discussion titled "Colorado Health Care Reform - What is the Employer's Response?"
Kelly
and Ralph really want to know! They will be reviewing legislative
proposals and recent initiatives and will take feedback to the
Capitol. The second workshop is titled "Assessing Assessment: An
Examination of Pre- Employment Testing." Come prepared to interact!
Attendance at the day's events can earn up to 5 recertification credits!!
Register for the event online.
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The Business Health Forum is funded by several foundations, including The Colorado Health Foundation and The Colorado Trust.
Stay tuned for info. about upcoming business health care forums in your community.
To learn more about the Forum, contact Amy Fletcher at afletcher@bizhealthforum.org or call 303-866-9659.
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Dear Amy,
As
health insurance premiums continue to soar and Colorado examines
wide-scale health care reform, there has never been a more important
time for the business community to engage in the debate. The Forum is a
new project to help you connect the dots and weigh in on solutions.
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Ranks of Colorado uninsured continue to grow
Contrary to national trends, the number of Colorado's uninsured grew
slightly last year, according recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
According to the Denver Business Journal,
the Census Bureau's August report shows that 16.8 percent of Colorado's
4.7 million people lacked health insurance in 2007 - up one-half
percentage point from the previous year. About 15.4 percent of 296
million people in the country lacked health insurance coverage in 2007
- down 0.5 percent (or roughly 1 million people) from 2006.
"In addition to jeopardizing the health of our neighbors, there are
grave economic consequences for Colorado when one almost one in five
people is uninsured," said Denise de Percin, on behalf of Colorado
Voices for Coverage. "Reducing the number of uninsured in Colorado will
take strong leadership, bipartisan cooperation and swift action from
all sectors of our state."
Colorado Voices for Coverage (CVC) is a collaboration among the
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, the Business Health Forum, the
Colorado Progressive Coalition and the Colorado Council of Churches,
made possible through a joint project of the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation and Community Catalyst.
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Top health care news
Employers encourage workers to travel for health care
In a new twist on medical tourism, U.S. employers are encouraging workers to travel domestically for medical care.
Some employers are looking to take advantage of geographical variations
in the quality and cost of health care within the U.S., while others
are leveraging deals they've struck with foreign hospitals in order to
secure better rates with U.S. hospitals that are eager to keep American
patients here. Most of the activity is focused on surgical procedures,
such as hip and knee replacement, and cardiac bypasses.
Employers
are offering financial incentives, such as no out-of-pocket costs --
which can save workers thousands of dollars -- money for travel
expenses, and access to concierge services that schedule appointments
and organize travel arrangements, as enticements. Wall Street Journal
Fewer U.S medical students choosing primary care
Only
2 percent of graduating medical students say they plan to work in
primary care internal medicine, raising worries about a looming
shortage of the first-stop doctors who used to be the backbone of the
American medical system.
The results of a new survey published
Wednesday suggest more medical students, many of them saddled with
debt, are opting for more lucrative specialties.
Just 2 percent of
nearly 1,200 fourth-year students surveyed planned to work in primary
care internal medicine, according to results published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association. In a similar survey in 1990, the
figure was 9 percent. Associated Press
'State of the state' meetings on health care financing
Health care reform is one of the battle cries of this year's
presidential, federal and state elections. The recent federal debate
over the Medicare payments pitted physicians against health plans. In
Colorado, the state Legislature responded to the Blue Ribbon Commission
for Health Care Reform report with more than health care-related bills.
What's next?
At the 2008 Colorado State of the State session, Jim Hertel of Colorado
Managed Care will lay it out for you, and you'll get feedback from
industry leaders. These sessions are an opportunity for you to join in
the discussion and network with industry representatives, providers,
government officials and friends.
For more information, go to www.hmo-info.com.
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