'; if(pArray.length >= 4) { i=2; } else if(pArray.length >= 3) { i=2; inline = ''; } else if(pArray.length >= 2) { i=1; inline = ''; } else if(pArray.length === 1) { i=0; inline = ''; } $('#librarydrawer_story_container script').each(function() { $(this).remove(); }); $(pArray[pArray.length - 1]).after(subscribeBox); $(pArray[i]).after(inline).after($('#librarydrawer_story_container')); $('#text-story').focus(function() { if ($(this).val() == 'EMAIL ADDRESS') { $(this).css({color: '#000000', backgroundColor: '#ffffff'}); $(this).val(''); } }); $('#text-story').blur(function() { var trim = $(this).val().replace(/[\s]/g, ''); if(trim === '') { $(this).val('EMAIL ADDRESS'); $(this).css({color: '#666666', backgroundColor: '#f8f8f8', border: '#666666 1px solid'}); } }); $('.content-subscribe .btn-submit').click(function() { var val = $('.content-subscribe .text').val(); if(val.search(/[a-z0-9!#$%&'*+\/=?^_`{|}~-]+(?:\.[a-z0-9!#$%&'*+\/=?^_`{|}~-]+)*@(?:[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?\.)+[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?/gi) === -1) { $('.content-subscribe .text').css('border', '#ff6600 1px solid'); $('.content-subscribe .text').focus(); return false; } return true; }); }); //-->

Payer, hospital execs sit on board of group fighting anti-smoking laws

U.S. Chamber of Commerce goals at odds with healthcare orgs' missions
July 1, 2015 | By
Tools

Insurers and providers are putting more emphasis on wellness and preventive care--including smoking cessation programs--in an effort to control costly chronic conditions, such as heart disease.

Yet the executive vice president of health insurance behemoth Anthem, Wayne S. DeVeydt, serves on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is engaged in a worldwide campaign to block anti-tobacco laws--including ones that ban smoking in public--reports The New York Times.

And he's not alone. Also on the board: John Cannon, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Chicago-based insurer Health Care Service Corporation; Ralph de la Torre, M.D., CEO of Boston's Steward Health Care System; and Daniel F. Evans Jr., chief executive of the Indiana University Health system.

Of the four organizations, only Steward responded to the Times.

"Smoking is one of the leading causes of death," Brooke Thurston, a spokeswoman for Steward, said in a statement to the paper. "If the chamber is in fact advocating for increased smoking we do not agree with them on this public health issue."

Despite the apparent disconnect, the organizations have all put resources behind health and wellness efforts that include smoking cessation programs--some of them are outlined in the article.

Case in point: Anthem Blue Cross of California saved almost $8 million by emphasizing preventive care and paying its doctors additional money to give enhanced attention to patients with chronic conditions, including asthma and congestive heart failure, FierceHealthPayer recently reported.

To learn more:
- here's the Times piece
- see the full list of board members

Related Articles:
Preventive care saved Anthem Blue Cross $8M in 1 year
CDC sheds incriminating light on health insurers' preventive services
Humana bets on 'lifestyle medicine' to help reduce chronic conditions
Obama administration launches preventive health campaign
Payers can curb smoking-related costs by making members pay

 
Filed Under
, , , , , , ,
Press Releases
Featured Jobs
> Need a job? Need to hire? Visit our jobs site.