Comcast At Forefront Of Controlling Health Care Costs For Its Employees With Do-It-Yourself Approach
The cable behemoth's health care costs have stayed nearly flat in the past five years--increasing by about 1 percent a year, well under the 3 percent average of other large employers and below general inflation. In other industry news: investors are excited about Berkshire Hathaway's new health venture; Johnson & Johnson scores high at Management Top 250; and doctors at work is the latest perk at some tech companies.
The New York Times:
You’ll Never Guess Which Company Is Reinventing Health Benefits
It’s hard to think of a company that seems less likely to transform health care. It isn’t headquartered in Silicon Valley, with all the venture-backed start-ups. It’s not among the corporate giants — Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase — that recently announced, with much fanfare, a plan to overhaul the medical-industrial complex for their employees. And it is among the most hated companies in the United States, according to many surveys on customer satisfaction. It’s Comcast. (Abelson, 8/31)
Stat:
Berkshire Hathaway Investors See Another Blockbuster For Warren Buffett
Inside Berkshire Hathaway, some investors think legendary CEO Warren Buffett may be laying the groundwork for a blockbuster business opportunity, spawned from the health care venture he recently formed with the leaders of Amazon and JPMorgan Chase. While most of the national discussion about the high-profile venture has focused on its potential to reshape the U.S. health care system, interviews with two long-time Berkshire shareholders show that within Buffett World, it’s also seen as a chance to develop profit-making lines of business and new investment ideas. (Ross, 9/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
Johnson & Johnson Heads Health Care List In Management Top 250
Johnson & Johnson took the top spot among health-care and life-sciences companies in the Management Top 250. The New Brunswick, N.J., company was No. 4 overall, lifted in particular by its scores in innovation, social responsibility, and employee engagement and development. In those three areas of management effectiveness, J&J scored in the top 1% of all companies analyzed for the ranking. It also got high marks in the financial-strength category, where it was in the top 4% of companies. (8/31)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Latest Perk For Tech Companies: Doctor Visits At Work
Not only are companies providing in-office meals for their employees, but they’re also bringing in doctors — so nobody has to leave work to get examined. ...They usually handle non-emergencies, like physicals, allergic reactions or minor wounds — conditions that typically might send patients to an urgent care clinic. (Ho, 9/3)
