Welcome to our spring edition of Roper Report! Lots of exciting things are happening in the health insurance world. We would be more excited if we could tell you that health insurance rates are going down but we can’t. Call us and we can talk about the new ideas to redesign your insurance plan to get the maximum benefit for your plan design. We hope you are having a wonderful spring and things are going well for you. As always THANK-YOU for your business and Referrals!

Roper Insurance is in the news again. We were in the recent issue May 5th edition of Denver Business Journal about small group health insurance trends along with the Mountain States Employers Council. We were the main feature in the May Benefit Mall news, an industry publication. They interviewed Steve Roper about his agency’s success and customer service abilities. We have again won the Gold Star Award in company service from the Better Business Bureau.

Consolidated Group Benefits is a company I created last year to band employers together so they can buy affordable insurance coverage and negotiate better contracts with insurance companies. President Bush proposed this idea last year. We have not made much headway because of the federal and state laws that are on the books currently that oppose each other. The bill to get this program that all small business owners really want has just died in the Senate as of May 12th.  If you know of employers who are in an association or group of similar companies and want to save money on group health insurance plans, please let us know. We have some current ideas that may work for them until this bill gets passed in the future. This bill will come back up again soon. We can work with your association to put your company on a consolidated group plan and we can possibly save you money if you qualify.

Thank you again for all your great referrals to our business. Our Mission at Roper Insurance is to: Help people gain more value and understanding from their benefits. We know we have achieved our goal when we hear from you, “Thanks for the great help you have given us!”

Have a wonderful and profitable spring!

Steve Roper

HSA plans are making consumers  ready to shop for affordable health care
Council for Affordable Health Insurance and polling firm Zogby International found that one of the arguments against consumer-directed health care -- people are not necessarily willing to shop for their health care like they would a car -- may be crumbling. HSA’s provide an easy solution for consumers to save money on premiums while they can direct where they spend their money.

According to the recently released data, 84% of the 1,209 adults surveyed believe doctors, hospitals and pharmacies should publish their prices for all goods and services. Moreover, 79% say that, if they did know the costs, they would shop around for the best price.

Unsurprisingly, among the most likely to shop around are 20- to 34-year-olds, who tend to be the healthiest consumers, and those who earn $25,000 to $35,000 annually, who simply do not have as much money to spare.

While we strongly advocate using price as an incentive for employees to think about just how much and what kind of care they might need, consumer-directed health care has not yet taken off as expected. Some employers think employees will find it too confusing, but HR managers also have complained that workers just do not pay any attention to their health and how much it is costing them and the company. This is were we can help you with employee education programs that Roper Insurance offers. Call us today and find out what we have to offer your company.

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Drugs our #1 problem?

Yes, but not the way you might think. The biggest challenge today in treating illness is patients’ using prescription drugs incorrectly. Not only are we risking our health – 125,000 die each year as a result, twice as many as auto accidents – but medication mistakes add up to about $100 billion in health care and productivity costs a year. The good news is you are in the driver’s seat.
(Source: American Heart Association; The Washington Times, Aug. 6, 2003)

Did You Know?

Don’t swallow myths about generic drugs
Generic drugs are every bit as safe and effective as name-brand drugs and cost up to 70 percent less. It’s a smart way to get the same medicine for what ails you, and put some money back in your pocket.

Generics and brands treat you the same:

* Many of the companies that make brand-name drugs produce the generic equivalents, too.

* Both drugs include the same active ingredient, in the same strength and dose.

* Both are approved by the FDA and meet the same standards for quality.

* Both have the same effect on the body; they even share the same patient information.

(Sources: Feb. 2003 Healthcare Informatics Oct. 2003 Trendscape)

Read any good labels lately?
One mother frantic to relieve her baby’s ear infection put liquid antibiotic in the child’s ear, instead of giving it by mouth. With often-confusing labels, a lot of us can – and do – make similar mistakes everyday. See how much you know about drugs and how to take them with this quick quiz.

1. T or F The pharmacist may not always be able to fit all the necessary information on a label, so he or she should tell you anything else you need to know.

2. T or F You can save enough money to take a trip for two to Las Vegas just be following your prescription drug instructions.

3. T or F If you forget to ask your doctor, it's okay to ask your pharmacist to recommend a generic alternative.

4. T or F Americans pay more for drug-related health care mistakes than the costs of the medications themselves.

5. T or F The best place to keep prescriptions is in the bathroom because you'll remember to take them.

Answers:

 

For the latest information on United's Exante Bank, click here.

If you are currently taking a prescription medication, you may want to verify that the drug is still covered.  Carriers change their formulary lists fairly often, with new drugs added, some drugs dropped (especially if a generic or over-the-counter substitute is released), and some drugs changing tiers.  Kaiser just released their new formulary list (click here to view it).  If you have questions about your carrier's formulary list, please let us know or call the customer service number on your ID card.
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