Bruce Shutan

Much has been made about how the exchanges are playing in Peoria, but what about Portugal, Poland or Peru?

The operator of a private HIX platform for small and large employers has teamed up with a global leader in entertainment payroll, residuals and other integrated production management solutions to fill health care coverage gaps in an industry known more for who is appearing in front of the camera.

As Healthcare.gov procrastinators gear up for the nail-biting final weeks of 2014 enrollment, some lucky part-time or seasonal workers will be able to ride the coattails of their employer’s customized portal for assistance.

A potential loophole in the Affordable Care Act could spell trouble for the HIX marketplace if enough group health plans are able to steer sicker employee populations to public exchanges while holding onto healthier lives.

Republicans' alternative to the ACA, the Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility and Empowerment Act, would do away with exchanges and include a cap on employer-provided health insurance that working Americans could exclude from their taxable income.

It’s never too early for employers to examine ways they can minimize their exposure to the 40% excise tax slated to take effect in 2018 on so-called Cadillac-style health plans under the Affordable Care Act.

For millions of low-income Americans, the road to health care reform in 2014 could prove to be a jagged line as they bounce between public exchanges and Medicaid as their income fluctuates over the year.

In a sign of just how difficult it is to rein in out-of-pocket costs, 35% of 2014 bronze-level plans in the Small Business Health Options Program exchange had deductibles that exceeded suggested annual caps under the Affordable Care Act.

Accounting for barely 1% of enrollment in all employer-sponsored benefits plans, private exchanges are currently a dimly lit bulb on the radar for group health insurance delivery. But there’s little doubt that number will rise.

The ACA has been roundly criticized for its lack of cost-containment provisions But one Princeton University academic maintains that cost-containment cannot be implemented simultaneously with universal-coverage measures.

A leading private exchange operator’s satisfaction survey shows that employees who shopped online for their health insurance in 2013 have a surprisingly high understanding of, and appreciation for, the value of this new sophisticated marketplace.

In hoping for expanded access to health insurance, proponents of the emerging HIX marketplace have had to make a few Faustian deals along the way to realizing their objectives. One such tradeoff under the Affordable Care Act involves narrower provider networks – an old strategy used to rein in runaway costs that’s rooted in the managed care era.

Time may not be on the side of carriers in their quest to set appropriate rates for 2015 if the 2014 enrollments take longer than expected because of further online technical delays, public apathy or both.

A public employer in California is building its own marketplace to mirror public exchanges under the Affordable Care Act — a potential idea for brokers for prospecting.

While confusion and acrimony dominate discussions over Healthcare.gov, HR sources are reporting few if any concerns from their workforce populations, most of whom are snug and secure in their employer-sponsored health care.

The Affordable Care Act did not envision the emergence of private exchanges, noted Larry Boress, president and CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health. “There are no rules or regulations – yet,” he warned.

A 40% excise tax on co-called Cadillac coverage under the Affordable Care Act will not be assessed until 2018, which gives employers time to tweak their plan design, but now there’s concern that platinum-level health insurance might disappear from public exchanges.

The lowly pedometer has become a cornerstone of wellness programs, providing a range of real data to help employees lose weight and get more active.

Survey reveals major benefits communication challenges.

Benefit Advisors Network partners with Liazon; traction may take time.