A few items of interest from around the work comp world…then a brief discussion of what works, and what doesn’t, in driving innovation.
Brian Allen’s now with Mitchell International’s ScriptAdvisor PBM operation. A highly experienced government affairs professional, Brian’s been in the business for longer than he might admit. Good pickup by Mitchell, which has rapidly grown its work comp pharmacy business and is likely the third largest PBM.
The fine folks at BWC Ohio have done exemplary work reducing overuse of opioids. Under the leadership of John Hanna MBA, RPh, over the last five years, BWC saw:
- 44% fewer patients were taking opioids,
- 48% lower opioid consumptiomn overall,
- a prior authorization turnaround time of 4 hours (!) down from 2.5 days,
- overall drug costs were down 7.7% year over year,
John and his folks have saved countless lives, prevented untold misery, significantly reduced employers’ and taxpayers costs, and done it all at a governmental organization. Yes, they have some significant advantages, but so do you.
John’s retiring this fall, but I fully expect BWC to continue to make progress as Nick Trego PharmD takes the reins…
And yes, I do have a man-crush on John. I have huge respect for him. Thanks WorkCompCentral for the tip.
Innovation CAN happen in insurance – here’s a quick case study of one company’s pursuit of improvement via incremental, evolutionary, and disruptive innovation.
Here’s the summary – but you really should read this.
Creating a culture of innovation is about much more than hiring a Chief Innovation Officer or creating a new department. Culture change takes time and significant effort, and shifting culture toward innovation is no different. The process may start at the top, but it’s fundamentally about getting all employees involved.
But bureaucracy can frustrate innovation…
Also from Harvard Business Review, a piece on how bureaucracy screws up business and results and frustrates people.
(respondents) reported spending an average of 28% of their time—more than one day a week—on bureaucratic chores such as preparing reports, attending meetings, complying with internal requests, securing sign-offs and interacting with staff functions. Moreover, a significant portion of that work seems to be creating little or no value.
But here’s the key takeaway – “Only 20% of respondents said that unconventional ideas were greeted with interest or enthusiasm in their organization. Eighty percent said new ideas were likely to encounter indifference, skepticism, or outright resistance.”
