 |  |
| Best Business Practices
|  |  |
|
- Sales topics to address this year
Your 2013 sales plan isn't complete without a social selling component, writes Jim Keenan. "Social media provides sales people with insight and connectivity to their target market in ways that didn't exist just a couple of years ago." You should also focus on content marketing and knowledge acquisition, he advises. A Sales Guy blog
(1/14)
- A 12-month online marketing plan
Creating a strong online presence for your brand is an intricate process, but you don't have to do it all at once, John Jantsch writes. He provides a 12-month plan for developing your presence, which starts with using tools such as Google Alerts and HootSuite to monitor what people are saying about your company. Later, you should focus on producing content that is easy to share and improving your e-mail newsletter. Duct Tape Marketing
(1/14)
| Industry Insight
| | |
|
- Higher star ratings draw bigger MA enrollment, study finds
A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that higher ratings under the star system used to evaluate Medicare Advantage plans translate to higher enrollment. A one-star increase was associated with a 9.5 percentage-point increase in likelihood of enrollment. However, researcher Dr. William Shrank urged consumers to also look beyond the rating system. "Consumers have a bunch of things to look at," he said. "Quality should be an important consideration, but it isn't the only consideration." Kaiser Health News/Capsules blog
(1/15)
- Preventive health care: What's covered by Medicare?
Medicare and Medicare Advantage offer many preventive health services at no cost to patients, but some do carry out-of-pocket costs, and consumers should know the difference. Fully covered services include wellness visits, mammograms, diabetes screenings, bone mass assessments, colorectal and prostate cancer screenings, and more, provided patients meet the eligibility requirements. The Huffington Post
(1/15)
| Market Trends
| | |
|
- A consumer's view of costs in a changing system
High costs and pricing variation – an MRI may cost more than $3,200 in a hospital but only $300 in a local clinic – are among the factors that strain the health care system and make it difficult for consumers to find out how much care really costs, writes David Lazarus in this inside look at medical care costs based on his own experience. Additionally, providers are paid based on the number of services rendered, encouraging more care rather than better care, but that model is poised for a massive shift. "Right now, the more patients we have in the hospital, the more money we make," said Dr. David Feinberg, president of UCLA Health System. "Soon, we'll make more money by keeping you out of the hospital." Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model)
(1/15)
| Health Insurance Plan Company News
| | |
|
| Vendor Company News
| | |
|
 | Time for Affordability
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will help millions of people get coverage for the first time, but the new health insurance tax, costly benefit requirements, and age rating restrictions will drive up the cost of coverage for millions of consumers and employers. Check out www.AHIP.org/Affordability to learn more about the factors driving health insurance premiums.
|
| AHIP News
| | |
|
-
Health systems change initiative launched
AHIP Foundation announces the launch of the Institute for Health Systems Solutions (IHSS), an initiative designed to help advance new ideas regarding the delivery and financing of health care through credible, independent research and analysis. Learn more.
-
Improve your ACA knowledge with new online courses
For a better understanding of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), register for AHIP’s new ACA Series of Courses. Available course topics include Medicare, Exchanges, the Summary of Benefits and Coverage, and Accountable Care Organizations, with more programs planned in the near future. For details, visit http://www.ahipinsuranceeducation.org/ahip/
| SmartQuote
| |
|
 | Not in the clamor of the crowded street, not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng, but in ourselves, are triumph and defeat."
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
American poet and educator
|
| |
| |
| AHIP Solutions Team |
Managing Editor, Online Publishing:
Yvonne Chanatry
 |
|
| |
| |
| | Recent
AHIP Agents and Brokers SmartBrief Issues:
- Tuesday, January 15, 2013
- Monday, January 14, 2013
- Friday, January 11, 2013
- Thursday, January 10, 2013
- Wednesday, January 09, 2013
| | | Lead Editor:
Melissa Turner
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | |
| |
|
© 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information
Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do
not reflect actual AHIP endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not
necessarily reflect the official position of AHIP.
|
|
The Huffington Post
