EBA’s 2013 Voluntary Adviser of the Year is Lou Faiola
Lou Faiola takes relationships to a new level. From carriers to brokers to beneficiaries, his commitment to benefits is apparent to all whose lives he touches.
Healthcare reform
Make smart HIX decisions based on your company size
After speaking with the leader of Towers Watson's Exchange Solutions segment and Liazons CEO to understand how small and larger employers should strategically approach the private exchanges, here are the key thoughts employers of any size should consider when deciding whether to shift to a defined contribution approach to health care benefits.
Republicans change ACA attacks as website functions better
The health care websites improved performance has both U.S. political parties shifting strategies, with President Barack Obamas team preparing a January advertising blitz and a wave of celebrity promotions to boost enrollment, allies said.
Tread lightly with electronic disclosures
With the ACA requiring even more communications to employees, many employers might consider shifting to electronic means for all disclosure notices, but there are many rules here and employers and their advisers should be careful.
Obamacare tops October sign-ups in first 2 December days
More people signed up for Obamacare health plans in the first two days of December than in all of October after the U.S. government rehabilitated its error-prone insurance-exchange website.
By
Alex Wayne
CMS and broker disconnect continues
The federal agency in charge of exchanges is communicating with brokers about technology improvements, but brokers say they havent heard much of anything, yet.
Obama to tout ACAs benefits to rebuild support
President Barack Obama plans to highlight the 2010 health care laws benefits at a White House event Tuesday that kicks off a three-week campaign to regain support for a program marred by a troubled implementation.
Health exchange insurer bug fixed as 800,000 try website
The Obama administration says much of the site is fixed but its not clear still how much of that is true.
By
Alex Wayne
Obamacare website repair goals reached, administration says
President Barack Obama raised the stakes on his three-year-old health care overhaul Sunday, declaring that fixes to his administrations troubled insurance exchange website make it ready to sign up 800,000 people a day.
By
Alex Wayne
Benefits Think The lesson from Healthcare.gov? Time for you to become a geek
Leaders overseeing the launch of the federal health care exchange understood the importance of technology. But they did not understand how to build technology. And that lack of intuitive understanding and respect for the nature of how technology is built led to decisions that doomed the project's launch.
Towers Watson’s private exchange division leader details advantages of Liazon purchase
Towers Watson acquired Liazon Corporation, a leader in developing and delivering private benefit exchanges for active employees, last week. Representatives of the consultancy believe that this acquisition, which follows the purchase of Extend Health in June 2012, has solidified their position as the leading player in the private exchange market through its OneExchange solution.
Lawmakers move to block ACA union exemption
Republican senators introduced a bill this week that would prevent the exclusion of multi-employer health plans from a $63 reinsurance fee that the ACA imposes on each enrollee.
State insurance commissioners snub Obama on policy cancellations
Kansas, North Dakota and other state insurance commissioners snubbed a meeting with President Barack Obama set up to discuss allowing some people to keep medical plans that dont meet the requirements of the U.S. health law.
By
Anna Edney
Public entity embraces private exchange approach
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.
CMS: 30-40% of federal marketplace remains to be built
More than a third of the back end infrastructure still remains to be built in the federally-run marketplace, top IT official at CMS says Tuesday on Capitol Hill.
Obamacare failure could reduce U.S. drug sales by 30%
Expenditures in the $2.7 trillion U.S. health care system have doubled since 1980, growing to 18% of gross domestic product and leading to financial success for drugmakers, hospitals and insurers.
ACA consultants warned of website failure in March
Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee say it shows that public promises the project was on schedule from top administration officials were incorrect.
By
Alex Wayne
CA: We will quadruple registered HIX brokers in 11 days
Exchange leaders in the Golden State, Connecticut, New York and Oregon share solid numbers on exchange-registered brokers.
Fed tech issues hurting state-run exchanges
The technology issues plaguing the federal exchanges have hampered enrollment in state-run exchanges which are largely free of glitches causing some states to modify their marketing techniques.
ACA dental changes confusing for employers and advisers
The ACA's pediatric dental requirement brings increased attention to this popular benefit.
