Survey Says: Another Successful Customer Conference
We’re proud to share feedback from our 2024 Annual Customer Conference, including a 100% satisfaction rating from survey participants.
Featured Article
October 2024
October 2024
17th Annual Customer Conference Recap: GLP-1s, Gene Therapy, Generative AI and More
Read the highlights and see video clips of our presenters who covered cost containment strategies, the latest trends in healthcare, and updates to our TrueCost Reference-Based Pricing.
October 2024
COMPLIANCE CORNER: HIPAA Privacy Rule Supports Reproductive Health Care Privacy
Learn how the final rule modifies the Standards of Privacy for Individually Identifiable Health Information and review the timeline for compliance.
October 2024
2024 Customer Conference Moments in Pictures
View our best snapshots from our 17th annual Customer Conference.
August 2024
Cellular and Gene Therapy: Preparing for Million-Dollar Treatments
Cell and gene therapy can treat – or even cure – debilitating diseases like cancer. But a single dose can cost up to $3.5 million. Here’s what you need to know to support employees who need this treatment.
August 2024
Unmask the Secrets to Controlling Health Care Costs at Our Customer Conference
Join us August 29 for our Annual Customer Conference, where we’ll unmask the secrets to controlling health care costs, covering insights on GLP-1, gene therapy, pharmacy spend, AI, and more.
August 2024
Transparency in Spend Data Helps Employers Manage Rising Health Care Costs
Every year, medical and pharmacy costs increase. Transparency in current and projected costs can help employers save money without sacrificing the quality of their health benefits plans.
August 2024
COMPLIANCE CORNER: Final Rule Expands Nondiscrimination Under ACA
What employers need to know about the HHS’ recently issued final rule on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and how it impacts certain employer-sponsored group health plans.
June 2024
Biosimilars Boast Big Health Care Savings
As health care costs continue to soar, biosimilars offer a welcome reprieve. While biological drugs, or biologics, are medications developed from living organisms, biosimilars present an alternative that is nearly (but not quite) identical. These drugs are designed to deliver the same therapeutic effects as their biologically derived counterpoints, much like a generic alternative to […]
June 2024
Public Encouraged to Report Unfair Competition in Health Care
As part of an ongoing campaign to fight anticompetitive practices in health care, federal regulators are asking members of the public to report uncompetitive and monopolistic behavior on a new online portal. With the addition of HealthyCompetition.gov, the public can now report “potentially unfair and anticompetitive health care practices” to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) […]
June 2024
Navigating the Maze of Leave Administration
Managing employee leave can feel like being stuck in a maze. Take a wrong turn and you could end up violating employee privacy or paying costly noncompliance fines. What’s worse is that new regulations pop up, at the state or federal level, adding new levels to the already complex labyrinth. So how can HR professionals […]
June 2024
The Impact of Population Health Management: A Q&A with CDB’s Director of Medical & Risk Management
Our team members are the heart of everything we do at Custom Design Benefits. People like Alberta Manga, RN, B.S.N., M.S.A., CRRN, LSSBB, Director, Medical & Risk Management, are the reason we can offer exceptional service to our customers. We sat down with Alberta to explore the impact of our population health management strategy. Q: […]
April 2024
Rise In Weight Loss Drugs Causing Headaches For Employers’ Health Care Plans
Ozempic and Wegovy may be good for people’s waistlines, but they are causing havoc for employers’ health care plans. The meteoric rise of these GLP-1 drugs in the past few years has left employers struggling to find a way to manage escalating prescription drug costs. While originally used to treat Type-2 diabetes, GLP-1s have taken […]
April 2024
How Mental Well-Being Makes for Happier (and More Productive) Employees
An employee’s health is about more than blood pressure and broken bones. More and more, an employee’s mental health is a bellwether for them being a happy and healthy – and productive – member of the team. In today’s work environment, companies must recognize the critical role mental health plays in employee well-being and overall organizational […]
April 2024
Press Release Announcing New Cost Containment Strategy
Custom Design Benefits, a leading third party administrator providing innovative cost containment solutions for self-funded employers, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Emerging Therapy Solutions® (ETS) to help employers manage the high costs associated with treatments for rare genetic and complex diseases. With many new cell and gene therapies approved by the FDA […]
April 2024
Compliance Corner
Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2021, reporting for 2023 data is due no later than June 1. What is the Consolidated Appropriations Act, Section 204? Title II (Transparency) of Division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116- 260) (CAA), establishes new protections for consumers to promote transparency in health care […]
Fall 2023
More High-Cost Therapies Are Coming… But a New Partner is Keeping Us One Step Ahead
With approval rates of high-cost CAR T-cell and gene therapies escalating, the time has come for employers to get proactive about managing their potential risk appropriately. CAR T-cell and gene therapies are designed to treat extremely rare diseases such as blood disorders, cancers, and metabolic and neurogenerative diseases by transferring live cells into the body […]
Fall 2023
A Message from Julie D. Mueller
While the list of challenges facing the health care industry continues to grow, Custom Design Benefits has never been more aligned and focused on helping our clients and brokers navigate these choppy waters. With our 16th Annual Customer Conference, we shared how we can work together to address these issues with new solutions. This year’s […]
Fall 2023
Making Medications More Effective with Genetic Testing
When it comes to prescription medications, one size does not always fit all. What works for one person might not work for another for a variety of factors. Pharmacogenomics, a groundbreaking field, uses DNA to predict how your body processes medications and potential side effects before you take them. In the U.S., about 99% of […]
Fall 2023
An Employee Assistance Program with Measurable Results
CuraLinc Healthcare, which manages Custom Design Benefits’ SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program, is helping more CDB members break down barriers to mental health care. At Custom Design Benefits’ recent Customer Conference, CuraLinc Health Care client relationship managers Catherine Caldwell and Hannah Harnack provided some updated data revealing how CuraLinc is making getting help easier than ever […]
Fall 2023
The Benefits of Custom Design Benefits’ Approach to Population Health
Identifying chronic conditions early to keep members as healthy as possible for as long as possible is the goal of Custom Design Benefit’s Population Health Management team. By helping members improve their health on an individual level, this approach also helps reduce the cost of health care for all. Members who are found to have […]
Fall 2023
Meet Rachel Jones: the New Director of Client Services for Custom Design Benefits
Rachel Jones is the Director of Client Services at Custom Design Benefits, where she leads client support activities including plan implementation, strategic initiatives, and account management. Before joining Custom Design Benefits, Rachel spent 13 years working for a local medical device manufacturer where she focused on team development, sales support, contract management and process improvement. […]
Fall 2023
Improving Access to Care: Advanced Primary Care
Lack of access to quality primary care is one of the biggest drivers of health care costs. Without access, medical conditions are more likely to progress to advanced stages, giving patients no other option than to turn to expensive emergency room care for non-emergency issues. Poorly managed conditions and inadequate follow-up to care also lead […]
Fall 2023
Phia Group Insights: Top Self-Funded Legal Issues to Watch
In the ever-evolving landscape of health care compliance, staying informed about crucial topics is essential. In his presentation, Ron E. Peck, Esq., Chief Legal Officer for The Phia Group, gave Custom Design Benefit customers and brokers a crash course in some of the issues that everyone involved in self-funded benefits plans needs to be aware […]
Fall 2023
How Alternative Funding Makes Specialty Drug Expenses More Affordable
With specialty drug expenses exceeding more than 60% of the total pharmacy spend for some group health plans, it’s no surprise that employers are having to shift more costs to their members. But as the cost for the member goes up, the chances they will actually take the drug after it has been prescribed goes […]
Spring 2023
Biometric Screenings:
Biometric Screenings:
More than a Window into Your Workforce’s Wellbeing
Find out how CDB helped one manufacturer dive deeper into the data.
Spring 2023
A Message from Julie D. Mueller
Welcome back everyone! We’ve got a lot of exciting news to share with you in this issue of our newsletter. Or to be more precise, our very first e-newsletter!
Spring 2023
Spring 2023 Benefits News Roundup
From reference-based pricing to Ted Lasso and mental health, here’s a look at some of the headlines and issues that are impacting health care and benefit plans.
Spring 2023
Need to Replace Your Humana Plan? We’ve Got You Covered.
We can make replacing your current carrier seamless.
Spring 2023
Take the Headaches Out of Paid Family Medical Leave Administration
If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, more and more states are mandating paid family and medical leave benefits. CDB can help you manage more types of leave.
Spring 2023
The End of the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration and Your Plan
HHS is preparing to end the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 on May 11, 2023. The change in status is expected to impact health benefit plans.
Spring 2023
Prescription Drug Data Collection Filing Due June 2023
Insurance companies and employer-based health plans must submit information about prescription drugs and health care spending. Learn what we're doing to help you comply with the requirement.
Spring 2023
Reporting and Disclosure for Employee Benefit Plans
How can you get a copy of the 2023 Annual Notices and Compliance Guide? Find out in this article.
