Businesses working hard to disgest health law changes

Austin Business Journal: Who Understands Health Reform?
Health care reform has put some businesses that provide health insurance-related services into marketing and education overdrive. Health care benefits brokers, law firms and insurance carriers are among the chief entities digesting legislative rules to help employers track health insurance-related changes that impact costs. Now more than ever, the task of educating clients and marketing to new and existing clients is intertwined, said Reuben McDaniel, a professor at the University of Texas' McCombs School of Business whose research includes health care management. On one hand, these businesses "are trying to teach others. They are also trying to prove they have a good grasp on this complex situation and have the strong ability to process the required information and do it in a way that can offer benefits to a business," McDaniel said (Zaragoza, 9/2).

Meanwhile, MSNBC profiles one business that is helping physicians improve patient care.

MSNBC: Patient-Centered Medical Homes Improve Access And Quality Of Care
Amerigroup Corporation (NYSE: AGP) is working with hundreds of physicians in six states on a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) pilot program that is helping doctors improve access and quality of care for their patients. According to the latest Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) report, Amerigroup currently ranks 8th nationally for the number of providers participating in the PCMH pilot program, and is the only plan in the top ten that is solely dedicated to serving public beneficiaries. Amerigroup's PCMH strategy requires focused, on-the-ground training and collaboration with its providers, and is creating an innovative delivery system for its members in an effort to produce better outcomes, higher quality care and lower costs (9/2) .