OPM now has posted its FY 2017 Congressional Budget Justification. Fun reading for the weekend. The budget justification discusses OPM's FEHBP claims data warehouse. The FEHBlog is not suggesting that there is any connection but the Wall Street Journal reported the other day that
Employee wellness firms and insurers are working with companies to mine data about the prescription drugs workers use, how they shop and even whether they vote, to predict their individual health needs and recommend treatments.That's a bridge too far in the FEHBlog's view.
Trying to stem rising health-care costs, some companies, including retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc., are paying firms like Castlight Healthcare Inc. to collect and crunch employee data to identify, for example, which workers are at risk for diabetes, and target them with personalized messages nudging them toward a doctor or services such as weight-loss programs.
Companies say the goal is to get employees to improve their own health as a way to cut corporate health-care bills.
Privacy advocates have raised concerns about such practices.
Here's a link to an interesting Fierce Healthcare article about a Highmark subsidiary that helps hospitals cut costs on major medical device purchases. Bravo.
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