University of Michigan Value Based Insurance Design
Based on the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2008, coverage for many critical areas, particularly those associated with “prevention & wellness,” are being carefully reviewed by employers and insurers who are offering new health insurance policies that reflect new health benefit changes in the law.
One of the leading organizations considering how the law impacts insurance coverage is the University of Michigan Value Based Insurance Design group. Based in Ann Arbor, MI, UM VBID is a leading advocate for the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative health benefit plans under the new law.
A key aspect of “prevention & wellness” is execution of smoking cessation programs. During a June 22, 2011 presentation, Dr. Mark Fendrick, Director of the UM VBID program, led a panel in a review of the law as it pertains to the mandates concerning smoking cessation and how health benefit plans are evolving to respond to those needs.
The findings of the panel were quite clear. The group determined that smoking cessation is clearly covered under the new law. However, the question of how that coverage is actually being provided under health benefit plans in 2011 did provide some issues of concern for the panel.
Key Highlights
- Mark Fendrick, MD – Director, University of Michigan, Value Based Insurance Design Center. He is a leading advocate for the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative health benefit plans under the new healthcare reform law.
- Paul Billings – Vice President, National Policy & Advocacy, American Lung Association. He directs the Lung Association’s asthma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, clean air and tobacco control advocacy programs, and serves as the lead lobbyist before the U.S Congress on lung health issues.
- Monica Lindeen – Commission of Securities and Insurance for the State of Montana State Auditor. She serves as the State Government “watchdog” for the citizens of Montana in the insurance and securities industries.
Key NHD Services
- SmartCasts – The UM VBID program was supported by an NHD video enhanced, SmartCast email, sent to targeted audiences, and designed to heighten interest in the upcoming webinar presentation. The SmartCast was 60 seconds in duration, included a calendar download function, and a one page PDF summary page detailing the highlights of the upcoming program.
- Pre-Recorded, “Live” Webinar – This program, staged in a Washington, DC area studio, featured a “live” presentation, that was pre-recorded and edited down to a 45 minute program. Although pre-recorded, the presentation did allow for audience feedback, questions, and the opportunity to fill out a survey following the program.
- On Demand Webinar - Shortly after the live presentation, the entire webinar and several key “chapters” of the presentation were made available online in a free, “On Demand” mode. Visitors to the site were free to review the video documents whenever they wished.
- Independent, Fully Integrated Landing Page – For the UM VBID event, although the program was presented on the UM VBID website, and for all intents and purposes, appeared to be part of the larger UM VBID website, it was not. Rather, this was an independent “landing page” that NHD crafted to look and operate just as the rest of the UM VBID site does. Working hand and hand with the Um VBID web team, NHD created a “landing page” that totally supported the project, while not disrupting, or in any way interfering with the existing UM VBID applications & design
