AIS's Health Business Daily
Strategic Business News from Experienced Health Care Reporters
at Atlantic Information Services, Inc.
 

Feb. 22, 2012

Today’s issue is brought to you by AIS's hard-hitting new newsletter, Inside Health Insurance Exchanges, containing news and strategic insights on the development and operation of state and private exchanges.

 
Today's Featured Story

With Many States Behind Schedule, CMS Is Likely to Set Low Bar for Certification
Reprinted from Inside Health Insurance Exchanges

While HHS collectively has awarded $729 million to help states stand up an insurance exchange, many states will run out of time long before they run out of cash. As a result, HHS is expected to set the bar low when evaluating certification applications for state insurance exchanges, industry observers tell AIS .... Read Full Story

 

From the AIS Blogs

ICD-10 Delay May be Mixed Bag

By now, most people probably know that HHS has delayed the October 2013 implementation date of ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes ... Read more

 

Quote of the Day

“Determining whether [a 50.4% increase in the retail prices for 98 specialty drugs from 2004 through December 2009] was a reasonable rate of price inflation or not needs to be established by the manufacturers, something they have not done a very good job at to date. The particularly high specialty price growth during this time shows the oft-mentioned arrogance of many biopharm companies who seemed out of touch with market trends and attitudes.”

— F. Randy Vogenberg, Ph.D., a principal with the Institute for Integrated Healthcare, told AIS’s Specialty Pharmacy News.

Click here to read the SPECIALTY PHARMACY NEWS article in which this quote appeared. (Free for SPN subscribers; $17 for non-subscribers).

 

Today's Datapoint

22.5 million … health plan members are enrolled in Express Scripts, Inc., making it the leading PBM in terms of enrollment, according to AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2012.

Click here to read the DRUG BENEFIT NEWS article in which this datapoint appeared. (Free for DBN subscribers; $17 for non-subscribers).

 

Today from Washington

People on the Move

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee promoted Bill Gracey to CEO. He will replace Vicky Gregg, who will retire effective Dec. 31, 2012. Gracey is president and chief operating officer....PerfectServe, a developer of clinical communication tools, appoined Todd Cozzens to its board of directors. Cozzens is CEO of Optum Accountable Care Solutions.

 

Today's Featured Health Business Job Opening

Executive Search & Placement
Plan President
Texas

Place Your Ad Here
 

Content questions or suggestions should be directed to BJ Taylor, editor of AIS's HEALTH BUSINESS DAILY, at bjtaylor@aishealth.com. If you are interested in sponsoring AIS's HEALTH BUSINESS DAILY, please contact Bailey Sterrett at bsterrett@aishealth.com.

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Health Plan Strategies for Boosting Medicare Star Ratings
Thurs., Feb. 23, 2012
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Overcoming the Challenges of Bundled Payments: Health Plans’ Strategies and Results to Date
Tues., Feb. 28, 2012
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Medicare Advantage Payment Rates and Changes for 2013: Strategies for Health Plans
Tues., March 6, 2012
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Health Insurer Strategies to Harness the Limitless Potential of Mobile Smart Devices
Thurs., March 29, 2012
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Identifying and Filling Gaps in Specialty Pharmacy Management: Health Plan Strategies to Contain Soaring Costs
Wed., April 11, 2012
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