As a health plan, getting members to act on compliance requirements is a costly and time-consuming affair. It’s a key focus for Medicaid plans because non-compliance results in revenue loss and corrective action. Since member participation is voluntary, many Medicaid plans have tried different approaches to meeting this requirement. Incentivizing behavior change among their members has become the most popular route that many have taken – but this is far from the best option. The secret to boosting compliance lies in changing how Medicaid plans approach this problem.

Interview with Dawn Miller, Risk and Compliance Manager at Sagitec

We welcome Dawn Miller to lead Sagitec’s risk and compliance charter. Dawn graduated from Temple University and has obtained numerous risk and compliance professional certifications. She has over 25 years of experience in risk management, compliance, safety, data privacy, and emergency preparedness. Her experience includes workplace safety matters, emergency preparedness, and disaster relief, including playing a role in response to the September 11^th attacks. She has held leadership roles in federal and global healthcare programs as a Director of Risk Management and Compliance and Data Privacy Officer. She has been responsible for managing HIPAA, GDPR, and data privacy requirements.

Is the end of COVID-19 in sight? Though spikes and dips cluster in different parts around the country, a growing trend of businesses have begun preparations to return employees to the office. While many don’t have a specific timeline, planning for the day that employees can return has begun. From desk arrangements to addendum policies, there’s a lot to plan and ensuring that your office is a safe environment for employees is a complicated affair. The following sections identify best practices to consider when preparing your business.  

The after-effects of national events are no stranger to the workplace. Turnstiles and X-raying briefcases became normal at many offices and buildings post 9/11 due to the perceived need for additional security. Shoe screening began after Richard Reid's unsuccessful attempt to ignite his explosives-laden sneakers aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001. Consequently, TSA estimates that they have examined 10 billion pairs of shoes since. These are only a few of the many examples that indicate this trend.

According to LastPass's Global Password Security Report, the average individual has 85 different accounts. Remembering 85 passwords is not easy, but most people repeat their passwords, causing a password overload.

Can we use behavioral psychology concepts to provoke action?  Managed care organizations face a daunting challenge in getting members to complete tasks - be it wellness visits or renewing eligibility.  It is not from lack of trying.  Multiple reminders are sent through mailers, SMS, and calls.  What gives?

Member Guide for COVID-19

COVID-19 is a global pandemic.  With 1 in 5 Americans covered by Medicaid, it is seen as a key player in the response to this national emergency.  There is uncertainty around eligibility, co-pay, testing and treatment coverage.  There has been a surge in search of Coronavirus information on Google.  Below is the search term indexed against popular terms like “Trump”, “music” and “video” – according to News Lab team at Google, there has not been a search term like coronavirus in terms of volume – as you can see in the image, it surpasses all other keywords.

Technology is changing the way consumers seek out and interact with, important health information, including locating nearby health providers, securing quality community resources, determining benefit eligibility, and accessing offline and live customer service representatives.

The Opioid Crisis

The number of deaths in the U.S. from prescription opioid overdose has more than quadrupled in the last 15 years and the number of deaths due to heroin and fentanyl use and overdoses has surpassed these numbers. The DEA released a National Heroin Threat Assessment Summary in 2015 after they had issued a nationwide alert that identified fentanyl as a public health and safety threat. In this summary, they observed a spike in overdose deaths in several states, with Ohio, Maryland, and Massachusetts in the top three spots.

A recent report released by The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) revealed that the use of vaping devices has dramatically increased among America’s teens. In just one year, the number of 12th graders that reported using some type of vaping increased from 27.8 percent in 2017 to 37.3 percent in 2018. Within the same group, nicotine vaping increased nearly 10 percentage points and marijuana vaping increase 9.5 percentage points in one year.