PCIP extended one month
A program for sick Americans who were previously denied insurance coverage will be extended another month, through April, the Obama administration said Friday afternoon.
By
Alex Wayne
Healthcare reform
Republicans send insurers letters asked whos paid
Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have sent letters to every insurer participating in the federal marketplace to request specific enrollment data, including how many people have paid their first months premium, how many individuals were previously uninsured and how many plans received a subsidy.
New HHS rule could exempt your client from ACA reinsurance fee
Under the Department of Health and Human Services final rule issued March 5 on the reinsurance fee imposed under the Affordable Care Act, some employers may be exempt in 2015 or 2016. Is your client exempt?
Millions may avoid ACA penalty as deadline looms
Obamacares requirement that all Americans carry insurance or face penalties, part of the effort to gain universal coverage, may not be much of a rule at all.
By
Alex Wayne
Know the narrow network landmines
Like it or not, limited plan options seem here to stay. Brokers and employers discuss their strategies for navigating through them.
Americans’ support of ACA ticks up, opposition remains
President Barack Obamas health care law is becoming more entrenched, with 64% of Americans now supporting it outright or backing small changes.
ACA co-ops defy forecasts to win market share
In Maine, the insurer that has enrolled the most Obamacare customers isnt the states well-established Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, owned by WellPoint Inc. Its WellPoints only rival.
By
Alex Wayne
Employers raise deductibles to reduce costs
Four of five U.S. companies have raised deductibles or are considering doing so as health costs increase, according to a Mercer survey of more than 700 employers.
Dumping your spouse
Rising health care costs are driving employers to audit their covered dependents to eliminate working spouses.
ACA deadline looms as sign-ups hit 4.2 million
About 4.2 million people signed up for Obamacare health plans through February as the administration tries to focus the attention of consumers on the March 31 deadline for Americans to enroll.
By
Alex Wayne
Feds to review Maryland exchange
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is opening an investigation into Marylands state-run health insurance marketplace, amid questions over spending on a still not fully-functioning website.
Exchanges are not a one-size-fits-all solution
The private and public exchanges offer employers an opportunity to help manage costs and provide personalized benefits, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution, industry experts say.
Conservative voice wants agents to stay in the game
Galen Institutes Grace-Marie Turner talked conservatives view of both employers and brokers at a recent Washington policy conference on health reform alternatives. She shares her conclusions on the Affordable Care Act, next steps on broker compensation, and more.
CCIIO’s Gary Cohen: I wanted to go home
U.S. Health Insurance Regulator Gary Cohen has long wanted to return home to California, and the end of open enrollment seemed like the perfect time to make that move, he told the media Thursday, two days after announcing his resignation.
CMS expects last-minute enrollment bump in exchanges
Looking toward the end of 2014 open enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s health exchanges, Gary Cohen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, said Thursday at an AHIP conference that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is expecting a “fairly significant spike in enrollments."
Cadillac tax a black cloud over employers heads
In two employer-focused sessions at AHIPs annual policy conference in Washington this week, the excise tax in the ACA known as the Cadillac tax dominated the list of future concerns for plan sponsors.
U.S. health insurance regulator Gary Cohen to resign
Gary Cohen, the top U.S. health insurance regulator accused by congressional Republicans of misleading them before the troubled start of the Obamacare insurance website, will resign.
By
Alex Wayne
Obamacare policies change for 2015 to provide more flexibility
With mid-term elections bearing down, the government changed its regulation of Obamacare to give consumers and states more flexibility to decide on their health plans, insurers more time to sign up customers and taxpayers a chance to avoid more costs.
By
Alex Wayne
Benefit consultants find success in proprietary private exchanges
Many employers are turning to private health care exchanges to rein in costs and benefit consulting firms are reaping the benefits, according to a new report from Moodys Investor Services.
Insurer ACA losses may reach $5.5 billion in 2015
Health insurers such as WellPoint Inc. and Humana Inc. stand to gain $5.5 billion next year to cover losses from Obamacare in a program the laws opponents label a bailout.
By
Alex Wayne