Now that we have swept away all the confetti, cleaned up the remnants of fireworks and washed away the stickiness from spilled champagne, it is time to focus on 2011. As we move into the new year we know healthcare will in fact be a primary concern. As our nation struggles with healthcare reform we know that three major provisions have already taken effect as of the first day of our new year:
- Insurance companies are now required by law to spend more of the premiums to pay claims and improve health rather that pocketing such enormous profits.
- Seniors will now receive a break on the cost of prescription drugs.
- Seniors will also receive some free preventive services such as annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plans.
In reveiwing these provisions it seems that our government is beginning to understand that keeping people well is the key to truly providing healthcare reform. One would think that insurance companies would have realized a long time ago that providing assistance to keep people healthy rather than waiting for them to get sick would have increased their bottom line. Time can only tell what the insurance industry's response will be to such a major reduction in profits, but at least some are starting to get on board with wellness promotion.
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