The healthcare industry is calling for greater connectivity, or interoperability standards to increase adoption, safety and implementation.

Major changes are under way in global accounting standards, and all U.S. insurance companies will be affected.

Employers and health plans are pursuing technologies such as secure email, personal health records (PHR) and home monitoring in hopes of improving compliance with treatment plans and care management programs.

Specialty pharmacy as a managed benefit has arrived at the same place pharmacy benefit management was several years ago (offering open formularies, flat co-pays, etc.). Yet little is being done to address specialty pharmacy as a managed benefit.

An important concept surfacing of late is that of patient care navigators, whose goal it is to decrease the number of cancer deaths caused by healthcare treatment disparities.

The evolution of consumer-driven healthcare (CDH) has increased the demand for value-added services from health plans. The ability to offer these new services is a prerequisite for those hoping to succeed in the CDH market.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to expand the recommended ages for annual influenza vaccination to include all children from 6 months through 18 years of age.

Regardless of an insurer's composition — public or private, large or small, geographically diverse or regionally focused — reducing non-labor general and administrative (G&A) expenses can contribute greatly to margin improvement.

The purpose of the attorney-client privilege is to encourage frank communications between attorneys and clients, which promotes dissemination of sound legal advice. Regarding the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), some courts have found that an ERISA plan fiduciary may not assert the attorney-client privilege against plan participants regarding matters of plan administration.