Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

Rules for the six state insurance exchanges that won conditional approval from the Obama administration Dec. 10 are split evenly between those with strict criteria for companies that want to participate and states that have opened their exchanges to all comers, a scenario supported by the insurance industry. A high bar for inclusion could limit the number of insurers offering health plans in some states.

Many states led by Republican governors have already said they won’t build their own insurance exchanges. That puts the onus on the Obama administration.

Alvarez & Marsal, A&M Executive Benefits Consulting and Henderson Brothers Inc. all announce personnel moves. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned today.

Health insurance premiums may double for some small businesses and individual buyers in the U.S. when the Affordable Care Act’s major provisions start in 2014, Aetna’s chief executive officer said.

While adoption of consumer-driven health plans by employers continues to increase, the perceived risk of CDHP’s high deductibles still makes employees hesitant to switch from the traditional PPO. However, such fears may be unfounded, according to Change Healthcare.

Under health care exchanges, many employees will be selecting benefits previously decided by an employer — providing a chance for brokers and consultants to show their true value, said a panel of experts at the Workplace Benefits Transitions conference December 5.

While brokers will be needed now more than ever to assist their clients, they must be sure to partner with the right provider, or potentially risk losing everything, said a panel of experts at the Workplace Benefits Transitions conference Wednesday.

With health reform moving full steam ahead, most employers will continue to offer employee coverage, but will make alterations to how they provide it, said a speaker at the Workplace Benefits Transitions conference Tuesday.

Health care reform means that many patients can no longer be denied health insurance because of preexisting conditions. But there’s a big catch: Coverage for many Americans without insurance will come at a potentially unaffordable cost.

Aetna and other insurers that initially fought President Obama’s health care overhaul are reversing course and supporting the effort by funding a group planning to spend $100 million to help the uninsured get coverage.