Producers

Posted January 31st, 2014 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

As one of the essential health benefits covered in the Health Insurance Marketplace, pediatric dental care has been top of mind. This February will be the first time that National Children’s Dental Health Month will take place while the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is in full swing.

Posted January 29th, 2014 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the 2014 Federal Poverty Levels (FPL) last week. The 2014 FPL guidelines have been raised 1.5% in comparison to the 2013 FPL. The FPL is a measure of income used to determine eligibility for various government programs including healthcare, housing and food stamps. The FPL is also used as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to determine eligibility for subsidies available through the Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as the Exchange.

Posted January 22nd, 2014 in Producers, Employers

An employer can be fined up to $100 per day for every employee that had a waiting period in excess of 90 calendar days.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a new rule that group health plans cannot have a waiting period of more than 90 calendar days.

Posted January 15th, 2014 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a report earlier this week with details about enrollment numbers and other information as it relates to state and federal insurance exchanges. Below is a list of some key information that was included in the report.

Posted January 10th, 2014 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

Ever wonder if the Co-Ops created by the ACA offer QHPs with access to APTCs and an ACO network?  Yikes!!!

So many acronyms, what do they all mean? There are a number of different acronyms that are regularly used when we talk about healthcare reform. Here are some of those acronyms along with definitions.

Posted January 6th, 2014 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

The maximum amount that can be reimbursed with pre-tax dollars for mass transit officially dropped to $130 per month for employees as of January 1st.  Last year the maximum reimbursement was $245 per month for mass transit so this may come as a shock to some employees. The decrease is a result of a tax law that expired at the end of 2013.

Posted January 3rd, 2014 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

President Obama had previously announced that individuals could keep their health plan for another year if they received a cancellation letter in the mail. But he ultimately left this decision up to each state to decide. There were several states that chose not to allow these health plans to be continued for another year. As a result, several individuals are being forced to find new coverage.

Posted December 27th, 2013 in Producers, Employers

The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is a part of the healthcare reform law that is supposed to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance coverage to employees. Last month it was announced that the SHOP Exchange would be delayed until November 2014; however, this statement requires clarification as some of the core features of the SHOP are still available. 

Posted December 18th, 2013 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

Healthcare Reform, Obamacare, Affordable Care Act, thingamajig, whatchamacallit, no matter your choice of nickname—it’s unavoidable this holiday season. Much like those ugly sweater holiday parties that force you to raid a family member’s closet or a local thrift store, your treasure hunt is now for the best, most affordable health insurance for yourself, family members, employees and/or clients.

A recent article gave insider tips on how to shop at a thrift store. A lot of these same practices apply directly to the insurance shopping experience under the new health law.

Note: All of the tips that the source article gave for shopping at a thrift store are listed within parentheses.

Posted December 13th, 2013 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

Flexible Benefit Service LLC (Flex) has been administering Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) since the beginning. These ten years have gone by fast, and every year more and more people are starting to take notice of them. They have been celebrated as popular, consumer-driven and a great tool for retirement planning.

Moreover, HSA participants themselves have received the reputation of being cost-savvy and more involved overall in their health care spend. While HSAs are not for everyone, these plans offer consumers a triple tax advantage – which is not very common in the tax code.

Benefits Buzz

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