Healthcare reform

Michael Thompson discusses how the National Business Coalition on Health plans to address consolidation in the benefits industry and a proposal for a well-being institute.

Presidential candidates are unlikely to advocate for any of these changes so it’s up to employers and their advisers to take a run at them.

But don’t expect any of the presidential candidates to advocate these changes. More knowledgeable stakeholders like advisers are going to have to take a run at this.

Data analytics and delivery system reform are areas of focus in the private sector, says Kathleen Sebelius, former U.S. secretary of HHS.

Delivery system reform and improved population health are two areas of the Affordable Care Act that haven’t received as much attention from employers as the Cadillac tax, said Kathleen Sebelius, former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services this week at an NBGH conference.

Do employer clients need to give individuals receiving disability payments an offer of health plan coverage?

In joint guidance issued last week the DOL, Treasury and HHS clarified the application of health care reform provisions on student health coverage.

The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to repeal the core of the Affordable Care Act, bringing Congress closer to sending legislation to President Barack Obama for the first time that would dismantle his signature domestic achievement.

Commentary: An employer’s argument that their classification of a 1099 employee should be respected because it’s how the employee is classified will go over like a lead balloon. The risk of misclassification under the ACA could be significant, says lawyer Peter Marathas.

Commentary: Adviser David C. Smith says he’s seen “a handful of imaginative approaches that all fail to satisfy the IRS’s prohibition” on standalone Health Reimbursement Arrangements.

EBA Advisers of the Year, as well as other industry insiders, share their insight on some of the major issues employee benefit brokers face. Take a look as these experts reflect on everything from the Cadillac tax to benefits technology to voluntary products.

ACA reporting becomes mandatory in 2016. Preparing employers to be compliant with reporting requirements is a core service that advisers should be offering, industry experts say.

Implementing top-tier plans poses unique obstacles for advisers and their employer clients.

Commentary: The reality is that the CO-OPs could not overcome the most vital aspect of our insurance infrastructure: maintaining adequate reserves, says adviser David C. Smith.

The Supreme Court of the United States Friday agreed to hear another challenge to the ACA's birth control mandate. It’s the fourth time the Affordable Care Act will be considered by the Supreme Court and follows the controversial ruling in last year’s closely watched Hobby Lobby case.

Commentary: Risk adjustment programs were intended to be self-supporting and clearly this has not been the case, says adviser Craig Hasday.

As private exchanges continue to evolve, industry insiders say the integration of accountable care organizations could be the ‘next big thing' in the exchange world; one that could be a big win for employers.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 will repeal the Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring employers with more than 200 employees to automatically enroll full-time workers in a health plan if coverage isn't voluntarily chosen or declined by the employee.

Premiums for the second-lowest-cost silver plans are going up by an average of 7.5% next year in the 37 states that use a U.S.-run website, HHS says.

The ACA’s 2018 Cadillac tax looms large in the minds of employers and benefit experts have already begun to see trends in the plan design options and benefit offering changes employers have made to avoid the hefty excise tax.