2018 Outlook: 3 Trends That Are Changing Healthcare

Today's blog features an exciting blog shared by Express Scripts that highlights the 3 healthcare trends that are changing healthcare as we speak. The goal of putting patients first results in better care coordination, healthier outcomes and continued savings to both payers and patients.

Learn more about each of these 3 trends by reading the full article HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. 

House Republicans Propose Delays for Obamacare Health Taxes

Today's blog features the Benefits Pro article that highlights the proposed delays for Obamacare health taxes. Natasha Rausch writes that the measures proposed in the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday would actually cut some ACA taxes for health insurers, drug makers and medical device makers. Patients would also benefit from some of the changes.

To read the full article, please click HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. 

Blue Cross to Limit Opioid Scripts to 30-Day Supply

Today's blog features the Modern HealthCare article that highlights that starting February 1st Blue Cross will be limiting opioid prescriptions to members to 30 days, and in some cases, 5 days. This will include new prescriptions and any refills a patient may have left on a current prescription.  All of us at HORIZON are hoping this change will provide some sort of relief in the ongoing opioid crisis.

To read the full article, please click HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. 

Opioid Addiction Leaves Strange Holes

Today's blog features a powerful video published by Express Scripts that highlights the continued opioid crisis. Express Scripts is determined to make the use of opioids safer through Advanced Opioid ManagementSM, which is a comprehensive approach to safe opioid prescribing that includes patient education, physician alerting, and safe disposal along with limits on the quantity and type of opioid medication for people new to opioid therapy.

Click HERE to watch the full video

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. 

Momentum for Health Systems

Today's blog features the Teladoc article that highlights the leaps and bounds that telehealth has taken this year alone.

Dr. Alan Roga explains, "Today the question we hear is no longer “should we implement a telehealth strategy” but “when and where is the best area to start?” A recent survey reinforces that point, as 83% of health systems rated telehealth as a high priority initiative, and of those health systems with telehealth in place, 69% have plans to expand their use." 

Telehealth is changing healthcare only for the better, and it's something we're very excited about. To read the full article and how it's positively impacting so many lives, click HERE!


HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. 

Pharmacy Benefit Manager Never Needed More Than Now

Today's blog features a video from CNBC where Express Scripts CEO Tim Wentworth explains the future of pharmacy benefit managers and their necessity in the healthcare industry. Watch the video for yourself to learn more!

Click HERE to watch the full interview

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. 

6 Focus Areas for Improving Clinical Outcomes

Today's blog features the Express Scripts blog that highlights six different examples of how actionable data partnered with clinical expertise serves clients and patients by improving clinical outcomes while lowering costs. Over the course of the past month Express Scripts published various different articles that all touched on this same point.

Interested in learning more? Find all of the articles HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. 

'Skinny' Health Plans Confuse Consumers

Consumers in today's health care market are constantly having to cope with the high cost of health insurance. The new plans that claim to be lower-cost alternatives to the ACA are catching the eye of these consumers, but experts and regulators are warning consumers to be cautious, as they may not be legitimate plans.

Julie Appleby writes, "Legal and policy experts have raised concerns that the new plans could leave buyers incorrectly thinking they are exempt from paying a penalty for not having coverage. Additionally, they say, plans sold to individuals must be state-licensed — and one regulator has already asked for an investigation." 

Read the full NBC News article HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV, please visit our website at https://horizonhealthventures.com/

2017 Forbes Healthcare Summit

The Forbes Healthcare Summit is coming up and they're planning on covering a wide variety of topics. They plan to ask meaningful questions including, What is the meaning of value? How do we deal with the opioid crisis? And are there areas where new technology could save us? Similar questions that we ask ourselves everyday at HORIZON.

If you're interested in attending the Summit in New York, please click the link HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/      

Bill Gates Determined to Wipe Out Alzheimer's

Today's blog features the major headline regarding Bill Gates' recent announcement that the mogul is investing $50 million dollars of his own money to go towards the Dementia Discovery Fund, a two-year-old private venture fund focused on drug discovery in Alzheimer’s and other age-related brain disorders. 

Gates proclaims, "I know how awful it is to watch people you love struggle as the disease robs them of their mental capacity, and there is nothing you can do about it,” Gates wrote. “It feels a lot like you’re experiencing a gradual death of the person that you knew."

We love seeing stories like this in healthcare news. To read the full Forbes article, please click HERE! 

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/      

Healthcare Prices, Quality Information Remain Elusive In Most States

Today's blog features the Forbes article that recognizes the movement to require healthcare prices to be made public and inform patients about quality. A new report shows that this movement is virtually going no where in most U.S. states.

"We continue to find that most states miss the mark in providing consumers with usable price and quality information," Altarum's Center for Value in Healthcare director Francois de Brantes said.

Maine was the only state to score above an "F" in both price and quality information. This means that consumers in 49 out of the 50 states are basically completely in the dark when it comes to making value-based healthcare decisions.

Learn more on this topic HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/      

Integrated PBM Model Could Pose a Threat to Hospitals

Today's blog features the most recent article out of Modern Healthcare that highlights the news that high-cost hospitals could end up holding the short end of the stick if the new proposed PBM model takes hold.

Alex Kacik writes, "CVS Health's rumored Aetna takeover bid, tallying $66 billion, could harness 9,700-plus retail stores and more than 1,100 walk-in Minute Clinic locations to funnel patients through lower-cost settings and deliver more comprehensive care by leveraging big data."

Check out the full article HERE!


HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/      

Using Data to Make Your Next Benefit Decision

Today's blog features the Express Scripts article that is delivering actionable insights to clinicians and patients to help future costs and lower health risks.

Express Scripts writes, "By 2020, 83% of employers will offer a consumer-directed health plan (CDHPs). These plans are characterized by cost sharing between employer and member, where high deductibles and out of pocket limits are the tradeoff for lower premiums and tax benefits." 

Pharmacy data is often the best predictor of a patient's health. To understand its depth, data scientists describe big data through the five V's: variety, velocity, variability, volume and veracity. 

Learn more about each of these categories in detail by reading the full article HERE! 

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/      

CVS PBM's Shined Ahead of Aetna Deal Talk

Today's blog features the EBN article that highlights CVS' new drug program that aims to help their sickest patients as the specialty drug costs begin to rise. EBN reports that CVS is moving to acquire Aetna to allow them to expand the reach of its pharmacy benefit management business to millions of new customers.

To read the full article, please click HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/      

Narcan Opioid Overdose Spray Now Stocked by all Walgreen Pharmacies

Today's blog circles back to on-going opioid crisis, which was just declared a National Emergency. In order to combat the crisis, Walgreens is now stocking Narcan in spray form on their shelves in every store.

"By stocking Narcan in all our pharmacies, we are making it easier for families and caregivers to help their loved ones by having it on hand in case it is needed," said Walgreens vice president Rick Gates.

Read the full article to learn more on this headline. 

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV please visit their website: www.horizonhealthventures.com

IRS to Reject Returns Lacking Health Coverage Disclosure

Today's blog features the Benefits Pro article that highlights the recent announcement that the IRS for the first time, for tax returns filed electronically in 2018 will be rejected if they do not contain information about whether the filer has coverage. This includes whether the filer is exempt from the individual mandate or will pay the tax penalty imposed on by the law on those who don't buy coverage.

Marlene Satter writes, "The New York Times reports that the IRS appears to be acting in contradiction to the first executive order issued by the Trump White House on inauguration day, in which Trump instructed agencies to “scale back” enforcement of regulations governing the ACA." 

To read the full article, please click HERE! 

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV please visit their website: www.horizonhealthventures.com

Consumer Misconceptions About HSAs

About half of Americans claim that they understand Health Savings Accounts according to the survey taken by LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. Emily Payne of Benefits Pro writes that despite this confidence, many consumers have misconceptions.





A few of these misconceptions include:

• 49 percent of consumers who state they are very knowledgeable on HSAs believe they must spend the entire HSA balance by the end of the year. 
• Only 39 percent of all consumers understand the difference between an HSA and a flexible spending account. 

To learn more findings from this survey, please click HERE! 

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV please visit their website: www.horizonhealthventures.com

Express Scripts to Acquire eviCore healthcare; Accelerates Company's Shift to Patient Benefit Management

Today's blog features the press release recently published by Express Scripts that highlights their new development in accelerating the company's shift to patient benefit management. As of today Express Scripts has reached an agreement to acquire privately-held eviCore healthcare, the industry leader in evidence-based medical benefit management services. This new platform has hopes to create a uniquely comprehensive patient benefit management solution.

To read the full press release, please click HERE!

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV please visit their website: www.horizonhealthventures.com

Mission Possible: Transform Healthcare

As we've been sharing with you, Telehealth is on the verge of completely transforming healthcare. With fall in the air, Jason Gorevic of Teladoic is in the midst of daily meetings and weekly conferences.

He comments, "The promotion of these events got me thinking about an article I read over the summer on Inc.com that questioned the feasibility of transformation in healthcare at the hands of technology innovation. It cautioned entrepreneurs that disruption may never happen in healthcare. But I’d contend that transformation is not only achievable, but that radical change in healthcare is occurring right now, all around us." 

Big change in healthcare IS possible. Read the full article HERE! 

HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/      

A New Normal? 870,000 Americans Used $50,000 Worth or More of Prescription Medicine in 2016

Today's blog features the Express Scripts press release that highlights a few shocking findings. The press release shockingly shows that 870,000 Americans exceeded a yearly medication threshold of $50,000, up 35% from 2014.

"Between 2014 and 2016, the number of people representing annual medication costs of $50,000 or greater increased by 35 percent. In 2016, about 3 out of every 1,000 people in the analysis accounted for more than 20 percent of total pharmacy spending.  Extrapolating these data to the U.S. population, an estimated 870,000 Americans accounted for $80 billion of 2016 U.S. pharmacy spend." 

There's much more on this topic. To read the full press release, please click HERE!


HORIZON Health Ventures is a healthcare cost management solutions company used by insurance brokers, employee benefit consultants, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and associations, to bring proven thought leadership and strategy to the management of their clients healthcare costs. To learn more about HHV and their services, please visit http://horizonhealthventures.com/