Benefits Consulting Firm Informs Clients About AHRQ Research
Medical Benefit Alternatives, an insurance benefits consulting firm based in Minneapolis, includes information from AHRQ's Research Activities publication in its monthly bulletin to employer and employee groups.
"The goal of our monthly bulletins is to provide unbiased, third-party medical evidence for our clients who need the information to structure effective and comprehensive benefits plans," comments Larry Schwartz, Proprietor for Medical Benefit Alternatives.
In 2002, Medical Benefit Alternatives created its bulletin using items compiled from the University of California at Berkeley health newsletter. Presently, the majority of the items are drawn from Harvard Medical School's health publications. AHRQ's Research Activities was added as a resource in early 2007.
"We want to use items from AHRQ's Research Activities to demonstrate research and progress, particularly in the field of preventive medicine, from a governmental agency," says Schwartz.
Presently, Medical Benefit Alternatives mails more than 100 bulletins to employer and employee groups based in Minnesota. Insurance brokers, employer, and employee groups consult with the company to get evidence-based medical information to assist in the design of benefits plans.
In the future, Medical Benefit Alternatives intends to expand its services to include seminar workshops on medical information and legal requirements for health care benefits. The company plans to continue to use AHRQ publications and research.
Research Activities can be found at http://www.ahrq.gov/research/resact.htm.