Healthcare reform

Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have received funds from the Department of Health and Human Services totaling $185 million to build state insurance exchanges to aid consumers and small businesses in comparative shopping for health care coverage.

North Carolina is making strides to promote transparency and accountability for insurance consumers.

Communities known for paying the most on health care may not be spending as much as once thought, according to new data released on Wednesday.

Health care reform in Massachusetts hasn't lessened the pressure on providers that care for the poor, a new study shows.

Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), ranking member on the senate health, education, labor and pensions (HELP) committee, released a report Tuesday showing access to child-only health insurance plans has declined significantly since passage of the new health care law. Enzi says the Department of Health and Human Services has failed to take action to address problems created by the new regulations.

U.S. health insurance companies must offer women free birth control and other preventive health care services under Obama administration rules released on Monday, a historic decision supported by family planning groups and opposed by conservative groups. The rules from the Health and Human Services Department are part of the nation's healthcare overhaul and largely follow recommendations from an advisory group released last month. …

One year after the passage of sweeping health-insurance reform legislation, the lasting impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on the small business community remains to be seen. A new study by the National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation indicates that the overwhelming majority of small business owners do not expect the law to reduce cost or regulatory burdens and nearly two-thirds agree that the law will result in premium increases but not in better care.

It's long been said that what you don't know won't hurt you. Whoever said that clearly had no knowledge of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Since its enactment in March 2010, PPACA and its impact on health plans, wellness programs,long-term care and even adoption benefits can definitely harm benefits pros who aren't on top of its provisions.

Government and industry experts say recent guidance from the federal government will hasten development of state purchasing exchanges, which will in turn affect employers’ long-range benefit sponsorship decisions.

State officials developing health insurance purchasing exchanges have voiced growing appreciation for the roles that can be played by benefit advisers.

While most companies go through their annual renewal process in the fall, at Ambrose we are wrapping it up and heading into open enrollment for an Aug. 1 effective date. For us, as well as other employers with renewals that fall in the middle of the year, health care reform regulations haven't kicked in until now

The one-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has come and gone, and federal agencies continue to issue clarifying guidance on several of its provisions, including the grandfathered health plan rules and the requirement to report the cost of employer-provided health coverage on employees' Forms W-2.

McKinsey & Co. caused quite a stir not only around the insurance world, when it recently revealed that 30% of employers will “definitely or probably” drop their coverage when PPACA takes effect in 2014. While the exact percentage of employers keeping or dropping their coverage in three years remains to be seen, voluntary programs will be valuable to employers and employees alike in either situation.

A U.S. health official overseeing the new insurance exchanges program said he expects recently released regulatory guidelines to spur activity in the states this summer.

Liz Rowell, a senior consultant at Benz Communications, offers benefits pros tips for using health care reform’s focus on preventive care to their strategic advantage and force employees to get serious about screenings.

Louisiana Sen. Mary L. Landrieu urges Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to remove agent compensation from the medical loss ratio rule.

A new bill introduced in the Senate last week could help consumers keep their employer-sponsored flexible spending account funds at the end of the year.

On July 11 when Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, announced rules for the new state health insurance exchanges, she did so with an air of caution, telling stakeholders to expect more modifications before they become final. That may prove to be an understatement.

A group of U.S. senators has offered an ambitious budget plan that could help Congress find a way to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling before an Aug. 2 default.

As of the end of June, 39 new approvals have bumped the number of annual limit waivers to 1,471. The one-year waivers are designed to help organizations delay provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.