Employers still in shock mode with PPACA
More than half of employers have not calculated the costs of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but of those that have, 61% say PPACA has increased their expenses.
Healthcare reform
408(b)(2) fee disclosure not just for retirement advisers
ERISA lawyer warns DOL spotlight on 408(b)(2) fees will soon shine on voluntary benefit industry in keynote address at Workplace Benefits Renaissance. Prepare now.
White House rejects Miss. health exchange
For the first time, the Obama administration is rejecting a states request to set up its own exchange under PPACA. At root is a disagreement between Mississippis Republican governor, who wants nothing to do with the law, and its insurance commissioner, who is also a Republican, but would rather the state run its own marketplace.
Boomerang patients to penalize hospitals under U.S. law
Tenet Healthcare Corp., the third largest U.S. hospital chain, keeps an eye on Medicare patients after theyre released. This isnt just about professional integrity. Tenet has a financial stake in their well-being.
UPDATE: Feds recruiting licensed broker, agent info for exchanges
CMS, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, plans to collect information from brokers and agents for inclusion in health insurance exchanges. Find out updated timing information here.
CBO prediction: 7 million fewer people on employer-based health care in 2022
The number of Americans projected to gain insurance from the U.S. health care law is eroding, by at least 5 million people, as the Obama administration struggles to implement the $1.3 trillion overhaul amid Republican opposition.
HHS official reports both gains and communication challenges with PPACA implementation
Reaching out to younger Americans, the illiterate and those who dont speak English (all of whom represent significant portions of the uninsured ) could be the biggest PPACA education task ahead for the Department of Health and Human Services and employers.
CBO lowers estimate of those insured under PPACA
As many as 8 million people will lose health care plans now offered through their employers, the Congressional Budget Office now estimates, up from a previous estimate of 5 million.
2 Midwest senators endorse universal health care
Lawmakers from Michigan and Wisconsin were among those who called PPACA a good first step toward health care coverage for all Americans at a Families USA conference in Washington.
Obamas health insurance expansion eroding, CBO projects
The number of Americans projected to gain insurance from the U.S. health care law is eroding, by at least 5 million people, as the Obama administration struggles to implement the $1.3 trillion overhaul amid Republican opposition.
For-profit companies also want exception to contraception rule
The government said the rules announced last week would broaden the types of organizations eligible for an exemption from the birth-control mandate and make it easier for them to escape it.
Medical industry must disclose doctor payments, U.S. says
Payments from drugmakers and medical device companies to doctors must be disclosed to the U.S. government beginning next March, regulators said.
Helping employees that have reached the tipping point on health care spending
John Lamb on helping employees that have reached the tipping point on health care spending.
Carriers will no longer establish a brokers worth
Nelson Griswold on how under health reform a carrier will not determine how much a broker is worth.
Making the exchanges work for brokers and employers
What employers and brokers need to know and do to success under the new health care reform model.
Mercer’s exchange
Mercer has launched a private benefit exchange. Called Mercer Marketplace and developed by Benefitfocus, the exchange is available to employers with at least 100 employees. It will provide access to a broad array of benefits – both traditional and voluntary – from multiple insurance providers. Additional education tools and support will help employees customize their choices to better fit their needs, according to the company.
4 Biggest Priorities For Health Plans In 2013
Mercer health benefit consultants have come up with a short list of what employer health plan sponsors need to keep top-of-mind in the New Year:
Inside baseball
With PPACA implementation in full swing, the top four broker organizations set their sights on making inroads on Capitol Hill to secure regulatory fixes.
Aetna profit slips as insurer settles lawsuit
Third biggest U.S. health insurer says the share of health care premiums it spends on patient care rose to 84.1% from 80.7% a year earlier. The insurer finished 2012 with 18.2 million members in its medical plans, an increase of 64,000 over the third quarter.
NAHU: Individual mandate regs signal great opportunity for brokers
The IRS and HHS released new regulations Wednesday for the individual mandate portion of PPACA. The proposed regulations shed new light on the process the agencies will take in determining which individuals are subject to the mandate or whether theyre exempt, and whether their insurance coverage is sufficient.