In Focus
News & Insight from Chelko Consulting
It’s Time to Speak Up
When I was working in a large health system’s patient safety department, we empowered patients to be their own advocate. If something didn’t seem right, feel right, or had not been explained clearly, we encouraged them to speak up.
This is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately as mega high-priced cell and gene therapies make their way on the market with only scant acknowledgement from plan sponsors. As evidenced by our frequent posts, webinars, and pretty much sharing with anyone who will listen (sorry Amazon delivery guy), our firm has been closely ― some would say obsessively ― following these emerging therapies. read more…
Preparing for an Unprecedented Open Enrollment
Open enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic will be unlike any other in recent memory. Many organizations are still trying to recover from extended closures and maintain safe working environments—open enrollment is the last thing on their minds. Yet, procrastinating on enrollment planning can actually cause more issues than it solves. This article explains what employers can expect this enrollment period and how to prepare. read more…
Brace for Impact
We’ve all likely seen at least one of the countless movies sharing this plot. You know the script: Large rock hurtles through space on a collision course with earth, leading to what will result in a mass extinction level event. That is, of course, unless divine intervention or the planet’s greatest minds hatch a plan to divert path of said rock.
Forgive our sense of the dramatic (and love of clever word play), but this scenario recently came to mind as we awaited what we thought was the imminent market introduction of gene therapy Roctavian. If you follow these sorts of things, you would know that Roctavian just received a rejection from the FDA. read more…
Meeting Demand for Rx Benefit Services: Chelko Adds Another Pharmacist
Responding to client needs within its rapidly expanding drug benefits management practice, the Chelko Consulting Group recently welcomed Lucia Vescera, PharmD, RPh.
Before joining Chelko, Vescera was instrumental in the opening and URAC accreditation of the Cleveland Clinic Specialty Pharmacy where her clinical focus was hepatology, infectious disease, and preventative cardiology. Her role also involved clinical consulting for solid organ transplant patients. read more…
Chelko Strengthens Experience and Actuarial Expertise by Adding Parsons
With the recent addition of benefits industry veteran Steve Parsons, the Chelko Consulting Group continues to expand its team of subject matter experts.
Throughout his career, Steve has focused on optimizing the value of clients’ employee benefits programs. His insights, creativity, and actuarial expertise have been key in building foundations for short- and long-term plan management success.
read more…
Be Prepared: New Wave of Costly Rx Claims on the Horizon
If recent events have taught us anything, it is to be prepared for the unexpected. While none of us could have fully predicted the dramatic impact of COVID-19 on our families, organizations, and the world economy, hindsight reveals safeguards we might have put in place to lessen the damage.
Ironically, this is a subject I had been wrestling with well before the coronavirus was receiving any attention from the international media. Those of you who follow our firm’s work know we have long been concerned about the growing economic threat posed by rising specialty drug costs to employer-funded health plans and their members. It actually dates back to 2005, when I first learned about a $125,000 oncology drug that didn’t save lives. On average, it only extended life by less than two months of sub-optimal living. read more…
All is Not Well: Survey Reveals Some Disconnect
We recently conducted a survey of Ohio employers, posing questions about their wellbeing programs. Participants were asked to rate their company’s actual performance compared to their desired performance in fourteen categories on a five-point scale. read more…
You’ve Been Warned: This is Not a Drill
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed any number of shortcomings in our readiness to face a healthcare-related crisis, and our handling of HIPAA privacy and security rules in the workplace is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, it didn’t require a global emergency to know that all too many organizations are falling woefully short when it comes to having adequate HIPAA plans and procedures in place. read more…
Necessity is the Mother of Invention… and Progress
COVID-19 safety concerns have redefined “normal” for countless aspects of our lives and nowhere is that more apparent than healthcare. Some things, like discretionary testing and surgeries, will probably return to the pre-corona standard. But others (think telehealth visits) have achieved a new level of acceptance and may become the standard of care in many situations. read more…
Keeping Score: Average Number of Prescriptions PMPY
Are more prescription drugs better or worse? And how many are too many or too few? These are difficult questions for most health plan sponsors to answer. One thing is clear: there is significant variation between the usage levels from one group to another. read more…
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