Category: Insurance

How COVID-19 has spurred home health and telemedicine

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guest: Dr. Josh Sclar, Chief Medical Officer, BioIQ

Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley

COVID-19 has altered the healthcare landscape dramatically. From the chaos of Covid hotspots where medical teams and facilities have been stretched to the limit, to the general apprehension people feel about visiting ANY medical facility. 

But there is almost always opportunity in chaos. When people are sheltering in place, opportunities for different healthcare delivery models present themselves. Such is the case in the category of home testing. 

In this episode of Modern Marketeers, we’ll examine the impact COVID-19 has had on home health and telemedicine and we request, require and receive treatment.

Have a comment or topic suggestion for a future episode of Modern Marketeers? Please email our producer, Michael Levine, at mlevine@barkleyus.com.

Community initiatives in public health in the era of COVID-19

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guest: Virginia Barnes, Director of Blue Health Initiatives,
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley

COVID-19 has demonstrated how ill-prepared we were as a nation for a public health crisis. The lack of an immediate response plan to rapidly ramp up testing, our lack of contact tracing, and the grossly understaffed public health sector all exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic, making it a larger healthcare and economic issue than it might have been.

Much of healthcare is reactive, focusing on the acute needs of those who are unwell. There’s swelling support for a shift toward value-based healthcare and programs and benefits that focus on preventive care and long-term outcomes.  But those investments are at odds with the way the system works. This is why community health initiatives that take on social determinants of health are so important for preventive care and access to healthcare resources.

In this episode of Modern Marketeers, we’ll examine what should have been done, and what needs to be done nationally, regionally and locally to get ahead of COVID-19 and to be better prepared for the next global pandemic.

Have a comment or topic suggestion for a future episode of Modern Marketeers? Please email our producer, Michael Levine, at mlevine@barkleyus.com.

Unbundling health insurance in the era of COVID-19

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guest: John Kelly, CEO, NexBen

Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley

When you combine a global pandemic with an unexpected economic cliff event, most businesses will be caught off guard. And in an era when employers and their employees are struggling with rising health insurance costs, adding more strain to the business ecosystem exacerbates the situation even more. The latest US Census Bureau report shows that while 92% of Americans had health insurance coverage, only 20% are satisfied with the cost.

Not only are consumers looking for lower health insurance costs, they’re expecting a better experience. They’re being shaped by their experiences with companies like Amazon. In fact, 50% of consumers would like their healthcare experience to feel like their Amazon experience.

Is this possible in a traditional health insurance ecosystem? Can we meet the consumer demands of lowering costs (or at least demonstrating more value) while at the same time improving their healthcare experience?

In this episode of Modern Marketeers, we work to unravel this dichotomy and examine alternatives for both employers and employees in the era of COVID.

Have a comment or topic suggestion for a future episode of Modern Marketeers? Please email our producer, Michael Levine, at mlevine@barkleyus.com.

Business and community implications of COVID-19

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guest: Matt All, CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley

Every business in the US has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. None more so than those companies in the healthcare industry. In COVID hotspots, hospital systems have been stretched to capacity. And even in non-hotspots, hospitals postponed elective surgeries to limit the exposure of patients to the Coronavirus. 

Health insurance carriers have had a front row seat to the pandemic, working to help their members and groups while working to understand the short-term and long-term implications of the pandemic on their business and the communities they serve.

In this episode of Modern Marketeers, we’ll discuss the complex realities of COVID-19 and the impact it has had on the healthcare ecosystem in Kansas.

Have a comment or topic suggestion for a future episode of Modern Marketeers? Please email our producer, Michael Levine, at mlevine@barkleyus.com.

COVID-19 and its impact on Women

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guest: Wendy Doyle, President & CEO, The Women’s Foundation

Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley

The COVID pandemic has exacerbated a number of issues that were lying right below the surface in the areas of public health, social justice and inequality. Candidly, you can go down the list of the social determinants of health and identify multiple issues that have become worse since the virus grasped the nation — socio-economic and cultural conditions; age, gender, and biological factors; income and social status — the list goes on.

COVID-19 has elevated the need to address a host of policy issues that impact public health and our economy.  Those issues have long-term impact on healthcare brands as they address the total cost of care. 

In this episode of Modern Marketeers, we’ll speak with Wendy Doyle, President and CEO of The Women’s Foundation on the impacts of COVID-19 specifically with women. 

Have a comment or topic suggestion for a future episode of Modern Marketeers? Please email our producer, Michael Levine, at mlevine@barkleyus.com.