Deborah Merkin
Recent Posts
Combatting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy with Incentives and Rewards
As kids head back to school and the days grow shorter, we all realize it isn’t quite as warm as it was a few weeks ago. We are deep in the midst of the delta surge of COVID-19 infections. What is different about this wave, versus earlier surges in infection, is that unvaccinated individuals are 49 times more likely to be hospitalized and 32 times more likely to die from COVID than those that are vaccinated.
Using Incentives for Chronic Disease Management in Medicaid and Medicare Members
It is important for program administrators, healthcare providers, and personal caregivers to take vested interest in proactive care towards Medicare and Medicaid members with chronic diseases. Keeping members healthy is beneficial for the entire care team, preventing health complications for members can reduce costly hospital visits for both the member and the program’s payors and providers.
How to Retain Talent in The Post-Pandemic Era: Best Incentive Methods
Retaining talent is extremely important for the success of any organization. After a year of working remotely, employees may not be as engaged as they previously were, and the pandemic has completely changed the corporate landscape into an employees’ market. Employees no longer have to fight for positions or accept jobs they don’t love. They now have the flexibility to get a job anywhere in the United States; all they need to do is hop on a Zoom interview from the comfort of their couch, give notice, and they could decide to leave your organization in a matter of days or weeks.
5 Ways to Solve Poor Medicare Member Engagement
Continually improving member engagement, care, and health outcomes are vital for the success of healthcare providers’ programs. Engaged members lead to reduced hospitalizations, readmissions, and improved Star Ratings. When members do not utilize plan benefits, miss appointments, and are unengaged, Star Ratings plummet resulting in a direct impact on the funding providers are able to receive. Low Star Ratings can also cause members to switch to higher star-scored healthcare plans.
Attract Employees with Return-to-Work Incentives
As much of the U.S. gets back to a “new normal” with the COVID-19 pandemic waning, many businesses that require either low-wage, hourly, or exclusively in-person workforces are still finding themselves short-staffed. These sectors of the American workforce are critical to the healing of the economy and for getting individual businesses back to operating at pre-pandemic levels.
