In Brief: Michigan Blues Collaborates On Spinal Surgery; MBGH Surveys Employer Groups On ACA
Michigan Blues, Hospitals Collaborate On Spinal Surgery Initiative
The Michigan Blues have collaborated with the Henry Ford Health System and six other hospitals in Michigan to improve the care and outcomes for spinal surgery patients.
Known as the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative, it will collect and analyze data on patients who undergo spinal surgey either for pain relief or the restoration of function.
The intention is to try and get a better handle on costs for spinal surgery, which have skyrocketed in recent years. According to the Medicare program, spending on such procedures rose from $75 million in 1992 to $482 million in 2003. The number of Medicare enrollees undergoing spinal fusion rose another 15-fold between 2002 and 2007. The procedures can run well over $100,000.
"This new initiative is modeled after other statewide hospital collaborations that bring together the Blues with more than 70 hospitals across Michigan to increase safety and improve the quality of medical and surgical procedures for more than 200,000 patients each year," said David Share, M.D., a senior vice president for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. "Spinal surgery affects thousands of patients a year, and we're excited to be working with Henry Ford Health System as the coordinating center for this program."
Other participating hospitals include Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo; Marquette General Hospital; McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint; St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor; St. Mary's of Michigan in Saginaw; and Saginaw Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
The quality and cost initiative is the 15th involving the Michigan Blues.
MBGH Survey Queries Employees On ACA
Nine out of 10 employers surveyed by the Midwest Business Group on Health say they have received queries from their workers on the Affordable Care Act and how it will impact their coverage.
The online survey of more than 40 mostly large group employers indicated that most of the groups – about 90% – don't plan to move their employee health insurance to either public or private exchanges.
"Many self-insured employers didn't think they needed to pay much attention to health insurance exchanges since they offered coverage, but these findings clearly state the need for expanded employee education," said MBGH Chief Executive Officer Larry Boress.
According to the survey, 70% of employers say they're developing their own ACA messaging for their employees.
"There are key questions employees have that need to be addressed now, such as the status of their current benefits and their eligibility to obtain tax credits and subsidies through the new marketplaces. Most employer efforts are focused in these areas for the upcoming rollouts this fall,” Boress said.
UnitedHealthcare Pledges $1.5 Million In Grants In Kansas
UnitedHealthcare has made the first wave of $1.5 million in grants to organizations in Kansas intended to help disabled residents find meaningful work.
The grants announced earlier this week total more than $263,000. Recipients include the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and the Sedgwick County Community Development Disability Organization.
“The Empower Kansans initiative will help people identify skills, passion and talents that support their overall wellness as healthy individuals and contributors to society – and we will all benefit from those contributions in Kansas,” said Timothy M. Spilker, president of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kansas.
The Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare has about 380,000 commercial and government enrollees in Kansas.
