January 30, 2013
By David Beasley
ATLANTA | Tue Jan 29, 2013 3:07pm EST
Jan 29 (Reuters) – The flu isn’t the only illness adults should be immunized against, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday, as a new study found current adult vaccination rates in the country “unacceptably low.”
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that a “substantial increase” in adult vaccinations is needed to prevent diseases including pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis, shingles and whooping cough.
“Far too few adults are getting vaccinated against these important diseases, and we need to do more,” said Dr. Howard Koh, an assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2011, there were 37,000 cases of . . . to finish the article click here.
January 11, 2013
With some recent proposed rules, federal agencies should make it easier for employers to get serious about wellness in the quest to cut healthcare costs.
By Tom Starner
Thanks to the latest federally issued healthcare-reform guidelines, wellness in the American workplace should end up getting a welcomed booster shot in 2014 and beyond.
Even with that positive news, however, experts say the next two years remain full of uncertainty and complexity, warning employers and HR executives to stay focused as the Affordable Care Act continues to unfold bit by bit.
Specifically on the wellness front, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Treasury Department in late November jointly released proposed rules for employer-based wellness incentives, which would apply to plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014.
The proposal, which increases the caps on employee incentives, should result in a positive impact for employers who either already are serious or are thinking about getting serious with their wellness-program strategies, according to experts.
In 2014, according to a government fact sheet, the proposed maximum financial incentive for “standards-based” wellness programs (those that have metrics or specific goals attached) will jump from the current 20 percent to 30 percent of the cost of coverage. Also, the maximum incentive for wellness programs designed with . . Click here to continue
