Buckle Up for Wellness

There is a growing focus on work site promotion of wellness except in the small business marketplace (90% of all businesses have fewer than 50 employees), where budgets are particularly tight and the "return on investment" (ROI) is hard to measure. That is frustrating to me. One might just as well ask, "What is the ROI for buckling your seat belt every time you get in your car?"

The best way to reduce health care costs is to not get sick. Promoting wellness is the right thing to do. And through free resources such as those available from The Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA), costs can be minimal.

Go Figure; Drugs For Less Than A Gallon of Gas!

I have been reviewing the lengthy list of mostly generic drugs available at Wal-Mart Pharmacies. It is a comprehensive list. A 30 day supply can be purchased for just $4.00, less than I paid for a gallon of gas this morning. Remarkable. I understand similar pharmacy programs are available through Target and possibly other retailers.

If pharmacy competition is any indicator, will market forces have a similar salubrious effect on all health care costs? We can only hope!

Walkin' In To Walgreens

The ads for Walgreen's Take Care Clinics have been hard to miss; they promise quick convenient care for routine health conditions like the chest cold that was dragging me down this week. So I gave the nearest clinic a shot. Here's what I found.

I signed in at a touch screen computer which asked for the usual name, rank and serial number. I was also prompted to select the condition I wanted treated and given the cost of the consult. I think it was $56. Not a Co-Pay, this was the all inclusive price. There's a first - I know in advance what my health care encounter will cost. Cool!

An aide then took me into the one (and only) private room that looked just like a doctors office. Same examination table, sink, charts on the wall etc. No one asked me to disrobe. Cool, again! The Nurse Practitioner ("PhD, APNP" to be precise) that promptly entered the room had the usual white coat and stethoscope. After listening to me describe my symptoms she pretty much checked the usual things a doctor checks; blood pressure, eyes, ears, nose and throat. Then my heart and lungs. Yup, I have a virus. Nope, no pneumonia. Pretty standard cold. I'm just hoping to get an antibiotic and get the heck out of there but she's wise to the usual exaggeration of how long I've been suffering. (Haven't we all been pretty much conditioned to stretch the truth to get our drugs - especially since our insurers are paying for them!) She recommends instead an over the counter med and a prescription inhaler. Combined, the two meds are another $39.

So now the wheels are turning; would Walgreen's make more money on this course of treatment or on the sale of the expensive antibiotic. (What a cynic!) I guess I don't know nor do I care if this cheaper stuff works. The jury is still out on that. I paid for both the consult and the meds with a swipe of my HSA credit card. My insurance company will never see the claim and Walgreen's has their money without any delay.

In all I was at the Take Care Clinic almost an hour. And today when I got home I had a letter from 'my' Nurse Practitioner with a little professional advice on the need to keep current with annual exams etc. Believe it or not, I got a phone call too. How was I feeling? Did I want any more information? Wow! This is the kind of customer service every business tries to achieve. Nice job Walgreen's. All of that 'fluff' however is unimportant unless she got the diagnosis and treatment right. Without the MD after her name, there is just a hint of doubt.

One Night Stand is $53,103!

I recently reviewed a good friend and client's EOB - Explanation of Benefits. The insurer's form showed charges for a minimally invasive knee replacement in an Illinois hospital (where costs are allegedly lower). The in-patient charges for this one night stay were $53,103. I repeat and clarify: exclusive of the surgeon, this procedure was $53,103!!!

Several weeks later, the other knee costs 'only' $51,000. As this was an In Network provider for the insurer, the amount was discounted and paid at $36,110.

[Note to certain pandering politicians: My client owns a small business with only 20 covered employees, but this 32% negotiated discount is the same given to the insurer's largest national account - but I digress to dispel a myth.]

Welcome to the Rauser Health Review

Thanks for visiting this site.

For the entire 25+ years I have been in the health insurance business, the headlines have pretty much been the same. Skyrocketing Premiums! SKYROCKETING PREMIUMS! SKYROCKETING PREMIUMS!!! (Doesn't anyone have a thesaurus?) Well, finally market forces are generating real change in both the financing and delivery of health care. As one who meets with groups of employees almost daily, it is exciting to see how eager folks are for information, choice and control.

Long ago Thomas Jefferson wrote: "I know of no safe depository of the ultimate power of society but of the people themselves; and if we think of them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion."

In some small way I hope this site will provide information and encouragement to readers to be savvy consumers of health care. While there is a role for government and academics and insurers and employers in getting health care costs under control, the real power is in the hands of everyday people.

Your thoughts and feedback will be welcomed.

Disclaimer

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. RauserHealthReview.com makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

The opinions expressed by the RauserHealthReview.com and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of the The Rauser Agency or any employee thereof. Jon Rauser or The Rauser Agency are not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the blog.

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About Jon

As President & Owner of a successful health insurance brokerage in downtown Milwaukee - The Rauser Agency, Inc. - Jon Rauser has for 25 years been an employee benefits consultant for small to medium sized businesses. More recently he has been a regular participant in health care forums advocating for reform in the private sector.

Jon's understanding of health care costs and coverage coupled with the practical insights gained by working daily with employers and groups of employees has made him a sought after resource for policymakers and the media. He is a Past President of The Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters - the state's largest professional organization of benefits specialists - and presently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute and, the Wisconsin Chapter of American's for Prosperity. As an active member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Jon serves on the MMAC's 'Blue Print for Prosperity' Health Care Committee.