healthcare reform Archives - Page 2 of 2

Be Well’s employees aren’t all marathoners, but top small company practices what it preaches

Michelle Jarboe McFee for The Plain Dealer SOLON, Ohio -- Eileen Herman spent years researching diseases and working with patients struggling with diabetes or recuperating from heart and lung problems. Now she's focused on prevention instead of treatment, as the nursing director for Be Well Solutions, a small Northeast Ohio company that stands to grow as employers try to tamp down rising health-care costs and comply with the Affordable Care Act. A physician-owned company, Be Well Solutions offers health screenings, risk assessments and wellness programs to a broad range of corporate clients. The 50-person business emerged as the top-ranked small business in this year's Top Workplaces in Northeast Ohio survey. In May, Herman and much of Be Well's staff traveled to health fairs in North Carolina, Arizona, Illinois and Massachusetts. They tested workers' blood pressure, cholesterol and other vital statistics, [...]

In Good Company: Grand Slam

Heather Maurer for Wright State University Wright State University Alumnus Ronald Golovan serves as team physician for the Cleveland Indians, cares for entertainers appearing at the House of Blues, Blossom Music Center, and other Cleveland venues, serves as medical director for a corporate wellness firm, and sees patients in his private practice. As a Cleveland-based private practice internist, Ronald Golovan, M.D., (’89) has spent 22 years treating professional baseball players, musicians, actors, and corporate executives. However, he is quick to point out that some of the most satisfying moments of his career have come from his involvement in the health care of his more typical internal medicine patients. “I won’t lie. Taking care of professional athletes and musicians is great, but I still love going to work every day and seeing my regular office patients,” said Golovan, who received the 2013 Outstanding [...]

Be Well Solutions Currently Assists More Organizations with the BWC Wellness Grant than Any Other Wellness Company in Ohio.

Ohio employers wanting to improve the health and wellness of their workers can benefit from the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s newest program, the Workplace Wellness Grant Program (WWGP). It provides funding to assist employers in establishing training and programs to reduce health risk factors specific to their employees. BWC established WWGP to study the effect of a wellness program in the workplace on bringing down incidence and cost of accidents and illnesses. The goal is to control the escalating cost of workers' compensation claims through addressing health risk factors. The WWGP's collateral goals are also to reduce health-care costs for employers, as well as improve the health of the workforce. The BWC has established this program to meet the challenges of obesity, rising incidence of chronic diseases and the aging workforce. This program will assist employers with the creation and [...]

How the Health Care Law is Making a Difference for the People of Ohio

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Because of the Affordable Care Act, the 86% of Ohioans who have insurance have more choices and stronger coverage than ever before. And for the 14% of Ohioans who don’t have insurance, or Ohio families and small businesses who buy their coverage but aren’t happy with it, a new day is just around the corner. Soon, the new online Health Insurance Marketplace will provide families and small businesses who currently don’t have insurance, or are looking for a better deal, a new way to find health coverage that fits their needs and their budgets. Open enrollment in the Marketplace starts Oct 1, with coverage starting as soon as Jan 1, 2014. But Ohio families and small business can visit HealthCare.gov right now to find the information they need prepare for open enrollment. The health care [...]

Tags: ACA, affordable care act, be well solutions, bill frankel, biometric screening, BMI, cleveland, cleveland wellness, cleveland wellness company, comprehensive wellness, Egon Singerman, healthcare reform, national wellness, obama, obamacare, preventative care, preventive care, solon wellness, wellness|

Obama administration continues moving forward to implement health care law by releasing final rules on employment-based wellness programs

Laura McGinnis for the United States Department of Labor WASHINGTON - The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury today issued final rules on employment-based wellness programs. The final rules support workplace health promotion and prevention as a means to reduce the burden of chronic illness, improve health and limit growth of health care costs, while ensuring that individuals are protected from unfair underwriting practices that could otherwise reduce benefits based on health status. The final rules continue to support participatory wellness programs, which generally are available without regard to an individual's health status. These include programs that reimburse for the cost of membership in a fitness center; that provide a reward to employees for attending a monthly, no-cost health education seminar; or that reward employees who complete a health risk assessment, without requiring them to take [...]

Tags: ACA, affordable care act, be well solutions, bill frankel, BMI, cleveland, cleveland wellness, cleveland wellness company, Egon Singerman, healthcare reform, obamacare, ohio, ron golovan, smoking cessation, Solon, wellness company, wellness initiative, wellness program|