GiftCard Partners Blog

Recently the Obama administration announced a goal of accelerating changes to Medicare so that within four years half of the program’s traditional spending will go to doctors, hospitals, and other providers, stressing quality and frugality.  This plan is intended to replace Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service medicine.  Currently in the fee-for-service structure, doctors and hospitals are paid for each service without regard to how the patient fares. Last year about $72 billion (20%) of traditional Medicare spending went to alternate payment models such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), where doctors banded together to care for patients along with the promise of getting a portion of any savings they bring to Medicare.  Across the U.S. there are now 424 ACOs and 105 hospitals or health care groups that accept bundled payments. In return, Medicare gives them a fixed sum for each patient which covers initial treatment and follow-up care. The administration is targeting for about $113 billion (30%) of Medicare’s traditional spending to go to these ACO type of endeavors by 2016 and about $215 billion (50%) by the end of 2018.  They also want to spend on quality components. such as bonuses and penalties on top of traditional fee-for-service payments, so that by the end of 2018, 90% of Medicare spending has some sort of link to quality. "For the first time we're actually going to set clear goals and establish a clear timeline for moving from volume to value in the Medicare system," said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell,  "So today what we want to do is measure our progress and we want to hold ourselves in the federal government accountable."
Read more on the Obama Administration’s plan for Medicare here!

Social media is rapidly becoming a prime element for businesses.  It's utilized to increase brand exposure, generate leads, and help create meaningful relationships with customers all with little to no budget.  While this is great for marketers and sales representatives, what about other employees?  Should any employee be allowed to tweet, post, or otherwise about your company? The common practice of many companies is to discourage employees from talking to the world about their company.  Many employees are even banned from using any form of social media to discuss their place of employment.  One communications company,
Mitel, has been in business for more than four decades but their name may not resonate with most because of their low profile.  The company’s chief marketing officer, Martyn Etherington, is going against the grain and using social media to change that.  In March 2014, the company had 30 employees actively engaged in social media, by November that number had grown to 1,600 people.  That's 1,600 brand ambassadors who are actively engaged and growing the Mitel brand. Your employees can be your biggest brand ambassadors and having that "social trust" in them can result in big payoffs.  Here are some ideas to help get your employees involved in social media while protecting your brand:

Love is in the air, or it will be tomorrow. As we prepare for a holiday full of chocolates and roses,
CVS/pharmacy has both classic and non-traditional gift options available. With everything from perfumes, photo cards, razors and male grooming equipment on sale, to bonuses for ExtraCare rewards members on certain purchases and purchasing thresholds, it's easier than ever to make your special one feel special this Valentine's Day. While some may view the holiday as hokey and only meant for the love birds, Valentine's Day can be used as a unique opportunity to show gratitude and appreciation for the employees in your office. Your support staff, your junior level employees, the people in the mail room (heck, even the person who delivers the mail!) are great people to thank on Valentine's Day. Simple "Thank You's," especially during these dark, cold winter months, can be a great morale boost. Thank you gifts don't need to be big either. A
$10 gift card to retailers like CVS/pharmacy can be a great way to say thanks without breaking the bank, especially with the variety of merchandise on sale. For healthier options that can support new year's resolutions and employee's healthy lifestyle the
CVS Select® Gift Card can help with the temptation by limiting the merchandise the card can be redeemed for (so skip the chocolate when using this gift card!). So who do you want or need to thank this Valentines Day? Think beyond the cupid interpretation and show "love" as gratitude to the people who make your business great!

Scaling your business can be challenging. It can affect everyone from the executive management team to the most junior employee.
Growth and scaling can provide instability, lack of faith in leadership and employee turn over. All of these events can have a negatively impact your business. Here are a few tips on how to
scale successfully for your employees and your business to provide stability and success.

Military discipline is known to transform people and form the incredible individuals who keep our country safe every day. The military also instills incredible leadership qualities that can help you keep your business on tract and build your team into the picture of efficiency. Here are
three qualities that Amit Kleinberger, CEO of Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, learned in the military that he applies to his business.