It was late 2019. CPR was approaching its tenth year of leading the payment reform movement and wanted to take stock of its progress. We stimulated an alternative payment model (APM) “arms race” by tracking progress.

Ghost (a noun) has taken a back seat to ghosting, the verb form. And unfortunately, the practice exists in commercial health care.

If you go to any job search site and look at open positions for a Director of Benefits, you’ll likely see common themes. One job requirement that you won’t find…

The U.S. Department of Labor released its latest monthly report on inflation.  The CPI jumped by 7.5% over the past 12 months, its highest annual increase in 40 years. This news prompts questions from purchasers about how inflation will impact their future health care spend.

It’s almost that time of year – a warm pumpkin spice latte (PSL) is the drink of choice, beautiful fall foliage will soon appear, and lawn décor will signal Halloween’s approach. But a nice PSL is far from the only thing on the mind of most benefits managers in September.

CPR brought purchasers together to increase member engagement in high-value programs. We focused on digital health products and used the experience to distill best practices on how to maximize uptake of a point solution.

If I’d only stuffed a dollar in a jar every time I heard of a new digital health vendor selling direct to employers.  Digital health has exploded over the last decade, injecting competition into a failing health care marketplace and promising a better member experience.

It’s flu season – everyone’s least favorite season.  The stakes are even higher in 2020 due to COVID-19.  Getting the flu vaccine will not only reduce your risk from flu, but it will also help conserve potentially scarce resources.  Read about my experience.

Employers are hungry for high-value health care.  The average annual premium for employer-sponsored family health coverage surpassed $20,000 in 2019, and annual increases remain above CPI.  And we are not seeing better care or outcomes.

What do the letters V, Q, P, and D have in common? Besides being the remaining letters in your Scrabble tile holder, they also can make or break your health care strategy, individually and collectively. Hear us out below.

Pharmacy spend eats up 20 cents for every health care dollar a purchaser spends. Purchasers are very concerned about the high price of prescription drug costs, seeking ways to increase the value of their pharmacy dollars.

Early findings from the Vitals for Change Scorecard, a guide for employers from Mercer and Catalyst for Payment Reform.

Can health care take a page from SpotHero’s playbook? The app allows you to reserve a parking spot in advance at a pre-negotiated rate, whether in the parking lot of a local business or a parking garage.

With the passage into law of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017, we wonder what the impact of repealing the penalties associated with the health insurance coverage mandate will be on employers and other health care purchasers.

Congratulations! You’ve made it through another benefits planning season and you can finally relax. But not so fast. Focusing on execution during implementation is equally important to minimize hiccups. Here are a few tips.

A recent story highlighted a mother who took her child to what she thought was an urgent care center, however, it was a freestanding emergency center (FEC).  She didn’t realize it was a FEC until she received a surprise in the mail – a $1,700 bill.