Until this year, the 27,000 people working for the Hannaford Bros. supermarket chain were on the hook for several thousand dollars in coinsurance if they needed a costly hip replacement. Yet the company was responsible for the lion’s share of the total bill — about $40,000.

But after he toured Singapore’s National University Hospital last year, Hannaford health benefits strategist Peter Hayes offered workers a deal that could be hard to pass up. Now, any one of them who needs it can get a hip replacement in that city-state, halfway around the world, and Hannaford will cover the entire $8,000 tab — including travel for the patient and spouse — to make it worthwhile for employees to choose the foreign adventure.
And there is more interest this year than last year. Of course, if another large influential employer working with United or Cigna or even Anthem says that it wants to do it, I’m sure that insurer will try to accommodate them. The national account business is so hard to get that they’re going to want to do this. And if a couple of employers that other employers know and trust are willing to give something a shot and it works out reasonably well, others will follow.”

http://healthpolicyblog.mayoclinic.org/

Your blog seems to have a predominantly Massachusetts focus, but I hope what we’re trying to accomplish at the national level will be of interest to those participating here. We hope you will engage in the live discussion.