Aug 25, 2022 | by Rick Chelko, Commentary
The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act includes a series of provisions intended to reduce prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries. Because the bill got through Congress via the budget reconciliation process, it was not allowed to include drug pricing provisions that apply to the commercial market (i.e., employer-sponsored health plans).
So, the law couldn’t do it, but can employers do it on their own? Or maybe the bigger question is: Will they? Worse yet, will this law create a significant cost shift from Medicare to private sector plans? Only time will tell! (more…)
Jul 13, 2022 | Commentary
On an unseasonably warm day in June, we at Chelko cooled off the best way we know how — by splashing into some data. (more…)
Apr 5, 2022 | by Rick Chelko, Commentary
As you might guess from the title and subtitle of Dave Chase’s popular book Relocalizing Health: The Future of Health Care is Local, Open and Independent, the emphasis on “local” is a key building block for his vision of a more cost-effective health care system. While I support many of the concepts discussed in the book, I remain skeptical when it comes to the localization premise ꟷ at least as it applies to large employers with distributed operations. (more…)
Feb 24, 2022 | by Rick Chelko, Commentary
A friend of mine is the CEO of a structural engineering company that specializes in maintenance, construction, modifications, inspections, and emergency services within the broadcast industry. Pretty mundane stuff, right? Far from it.
What I failed to mention is that the company’s niche is working on the highest communications towers in the country ― towers that rise as high as 2,000 feet in the air. (more…)
Jan 19, 2022 | by Rick Chelko, Commentary
Most companies and their functional areas tend to passionately pursue best-in-class performance, but do executives send a different signal to their employee benefits teams? (more…)
Nov 30, 2021 | by Kelly Prymicz, Commentary, Specialty Drug Management
If you’re a plan sponsor, you’re probably familiar with the drug Humira. That’s undoubtedly because it appears toward the top of your list of costliest drugs. Well, that might change soon. Or maybe not. It’s tough to tell. (more…)
