Tuesdays Tidbits

Federal News Radio reports that OPM has awarded a new seven year long Federal Long Term Care Insurance contract to John Hancock, the incumbent contractor. FLTCI Program coverage is employee pay all. “John Hancock was the only bidder to provide long-term care insurance services to the federal market despite the fact OPM had the solicitation on the street for almost seven months.”

HHS has provided updated information on the Zika virus here.

Kaiser Health News reports on a Health Affairs study concluding that doctors need to speak with their patients about of pocket costs.  That’s more support for the FEHBlog’s idea that health care providers should provide their patients with a summary document about the networks in which they participate and their pricing practices.  Implementing the idea at a minimum would solve the erronoeous provider directory kerfluffle.

On a related note, WBUR points out another Health Affairs study that “looked at the health care shopping habits of 332,255 members of insurer Aetna in 2011 and 2012. The top shopped service was a colonoscopy. Coming in at second and third, respectively: a mammogram and childbirth services” Interesting tidbit.