http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress Savannah Health Care Purchasing Coalition Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:05:52 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en  Stay Connected with HealthCare.gov Widgets and Badges.  They are supplying coding and graphics for use on websites. HHS seems to really be trying to use the internet and social media.  Thier latest is widgets and gadets for the new section of the HHS website about how to find health care programs for you ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=440 The Centers for Disease Control released a new report this month on Emergency Room visits. Among the report findings: There were 39.4 ER annual visits per 100 persons There were 88.5 ER annual visits per 100 U.S. infants Persons aged 75 years and over had an annual ER visit rate ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=437 NBCH Announces New Board Officers & Members Congratulations to NBCH's newly elected Board Officers: Carolyn Pare, Chair; Cristie Travis, Immediate Past Chair; Barbara Wallace, Vice Chair; Sue Szymanski, Secretary/Treasurer; and Cheryl DeMars and Gary Rost, At Large Representatives to the Executive Committee. Newly elected Board Members include incumbents Marilyn Bell, Becky ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=423 What are the advantages to being a grandfathered plan?   Grandfathered plans basically have more time. Grandfathered plans must comply with all of the health reform laws and are required to implement them this September (or the next anniversary date).  Grandfathered plans are free from certain mandates that all other plans must ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=419 HHS released the interm rules for health plan gradfathering today. The written rules are here and the video of the press conference is here. Compared to their polices in effect on March 23, 2010, grandfathered plans: Cannot Significantly Cut or Reduce Benefits.  For example, if a plan decides to no longer cover care ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=416 SBG is proud to announce that we have executed a new long term agreement with MDI to provide claims data technology services for the members of the coalition.  Services to SBG members will include the use of MDI’s new Insight Series software package.  The Insight Series is made up of: o   ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=413 Health reform is moving – glacially; but once that hunk of ice gets moving its going to swoop down and crush us – if we are still in its path.  Now is not the time to be idle and sitting by and watching.  Now is the time to evaluate and ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=405 I have been asked a lot about what I thought will be the impact of the new health reform law on employers and the Coalition's members.  The health reform law is getting a lot of attention right now but this new law is only one of 4 laws that employers ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=402 Working Together for a Healthier Savannah Southern city's leaders tackle obesity through an innovative initiative of policies and programs. Published: May 05, 2010 (Produced by RWJF with a video) In Chatham County, Georgia, home to the city of Savannah, more than 29 percent of adults are obese. And, as is the case in ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=399 The Dartmouth Atlas clearly demonstrated that the number of physicians in a given area have significant impact on the number of surgeries and procedures for that region.   Now in a new article from Health Affairs suggests that there is a clear connection between physician owned surgeries centers and high surgery rates.  The ... http://www.savannahbusinessgroup.com/wordpress/?p=395