Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

Public health insurance exchange decision support tools improved somewhat in year two open enrollment compared to year one, but still have a way to go, research shows.

Proposed rate increases for 2016 health insurance coverage that a dozen carriers will sell on Covered California’s state-run exchange will be just 4% compared to the 4.2% rise approved for 2015.

Some have compared the changes in health care to the changes that occurred in the retirement industry 30 years ago when companies switched from pension plans to 401(k) plans and put the responsibility on consumers to pick investments. But George Tzinas, chief experience officer at BenefitAlign, says it is not the same.

Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker stitched together a series of popular conservative health care ideas in his newly unveiled ACA replacement plan Tuesday.

Warnings of billions in crippling costs and TV attack ads are the latest salvos from opponents of the Labor Department's fiduciary rule after hearings closed last week. The industry's newest claim is that independent firms could get hit with a bill tallying up to $3.9 billion in startup costs alone should the rule go into effect.

Class action lawsuits claim the professional services firm breached its fiduciary duty by agreeing to the $18 billion deal.

For a private exchange to be successful, it needs to offer a full service solution in a box, says David Holton, vice president of private exchange business development at HealthPlan Services. His Tampa, Fla.-based company’s My Consumer Link is an individual exchanges for group brokers to offer. These brokers, Holton says, don’t want to walk away from the money of the individual sales, but don’t have the time to commit to it.

What happens if the U.S. Supreme Court decides next month to eliminate federal subsidies for as many as 10 million consumers in 37 states and carriers are unable to cover claims based on rates they've already submitted to Healthcare.gov?

There’s plenty of complexity when it comes to determining premiums, and brokers can help clients understand exactly what’s in their policy.

Highlights of the expected legislation include limiting tax exclusions on employer-provided health insurance to $12,000 for individual coverage and $30,000 for family coverage and dismantling Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act in favor of state grants.