Producers
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have jointly issued rules that define affordable coverage. Employers and employees still have several questions about how this affects penalty calculations and subsidy eligibility.
The following offers some insight on these key issues:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published a draft version of the individual application that will be used for public exchange enrollments starting on October 1, 2013. The application may be as long as 21 pages for some families.
Estimates indicate the online application process will take a minimum of 45 minutes to complete, and it could be even longer for individuals applying for coverage with dependents. Social Security Numbers, citizenship and residency status and employment and income verification are among the items that will need to be disclosed. A recent AP news article indicated the application process "could be as daunting as doing your taxes."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released final regulations on March 1, 2013 about the Transitional Reinsurance Program. This new program will require insurance companies and some employers to fund a program that will provide partial reimbursements to commercial insurers that provide coverage to high risk individuals.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released final regulations on February 22, 2013 in regards to various health insurance market rules. The new guidance includes information about minimum participation requirements in the small employer marketplace. In most states, small employers are defined as those with 50 or fewer employees.
Insurance companies today require a minimum percentage of employees to enroll in coverage. This is referred to as the participation requirements and helps insurance companies avoid adverse selection. Minimum participation requirements can be up to 75% today.
Small employers able to provide simple, effective program with defined contribution strategy and online insurance marketplace.
InsureXSolutions® recently announced more small businesses in the Chicagoland area are looking to adopt a private health insurance exchange as an alternative to increasing healthcare costs. Through a defined contribution benefits strategy and the use of a private insurance exchange, businesses can now take control of their healthcare spending and offer a personalized insurance buying experience for employees.
Approximately 75 percent of Illinois employers have fewer than 50 employees, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. Of those employers, only a third currently offer group health coverage due to expensive premiums, participation requirements or other challenges that exist in today’s marketplace.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) posted final regulations about the deductible and out-of-pocket limitations to the Federal Registrar on February 25, 2013. Section 1302(c) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) specifies that the maximum deductible for a qualified insurance plan cannot exceed $2,000 for single coverage and $4,000 for family coverage.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final regulations about Essential Health Benefits (EHB) on February 20, 2013. The guidance defines the benefits that must be included with all fully insured plans sold inside and outside of the public exchanges in 2014. This will impact all individual health plans and most small group health plans. Grandfathered plans and self-insured plans are exempt from the EHB requirements; however, self-insured plans that cover any EHB must provide coverage without any annual or lifetime dollar limits.
Important milestones are a special time to reflect on the past, celebrate achievements, create a vision for the future, and express appreciation.
This year, we at Flexible Benefit Service LLC (Flex) expect to do no less as we proudly mark our 25th anniversary.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that all Americans have health insurance or pay a penalty. If you’re an American, just look to the mirror to see who’s going to be affected.
Just like a certain beloved movie from the ‘80s that used a DeLorean to take us to the future, we now have a vehicle that can be used today, in 2014 and well beyond – defined contribution health benefits.
Health insurance producers and consultants should educate their clients on the defined contribution benefits strategy now because this trend is not going away anytime soon. In fact, nearly 50% of employers “definitely or probably will” switch to defined contribution in 2013.
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