Obamaco$t – Rate Increases for 2016
Health insurance companies were seeking rate increases of 20 percent to 40 percent or more. Reason cited, new customers under the Affordable Care Act are seeking more treatment than expected. Increases of approximately half the amount requested is generally what state insurance agency approved. Some states fairing better than others. The proposed increases indicate health carriers […]
Useful App: GoodRx
Drug prices vary wildly between pharmacies. GoodRx finds the lowest prices and discounts. How? Compare prices – Prescription prices can vary widely from pharmacy to pharmacy. The app allows you to compare costs for every FDA-approved prescription drug at more than 70,000 US pharmacies. Find free coupons – Show the coupon displayed in the app […]
Top 8 Issues for Employers under ACA
To be fully compliant employers face 8 key requirements. All “applicable large employers” are subject – The trick here is properly counting part-time and variable hour employees. January 1, 2015 was the “effective date” for the new requirements. – Even if employers qualify for temporary relief they must report 2015 calendar year data to the […]
New Law Increases ACA Information Reporting Penalties
The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 will increase the penalties employers are subject to under the Affordable Care Act’s information reporting provisions. Information Reporting Penalties Self-insuring employers that provide minimum essential health coverage (regardless of size) and large employers with 50 or more full-time employees (including full-time equivalents) that fail to comply with the […]
Dark Chocolate – just what the Doctor ordered!
Just 30 calories per day of chocolate may be enough to help reduce your blood pressure. As far as serving sizes go, that’s about a Hershey’s Kiss worth. But you have to eat the right kind of chocolate, according to Joseph Maroon, MD, author of The Longevity Factor. He recommends nonsweetened or minimally sweetened dark […]
Major Legal Challenge Still Lies Ahead of ACA
At the center of the challenge is the Appropriations Clause of the Constitution. Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 says, “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law.” The lawsuit filed argues the administration is spending billions of dollars without the necessary appropriations from Congress. The suit […]
Obamacare – 5 Years Later
Conclusion: If we look at the three main points of Obamacare we see (1) although there has been an increase in the number of insureds, it was minimal; (2) costs have increased (vs. the decrease we were promised); and (3) the ability to keep your doctor has not held true for many Americans. A new […]
Voluntary Certification gives businesses more confidence when dealing with a PEO
Currently businesses bear the responsibility when PEOs have failed to pay all wages and taxes, even when they may have already been paid to the PEO beforehand. Under a new voluntary certification effective January 1, 2016, when a Certified PEO (CPEO) Regulation (H.R. 5771, Division B, Title 2, Section 206) contracts with a business, the […]
Videos Cover Basics of IRS Section 6055/6056 Reporting
UnitedhealthCare has provided two videos covering the basics of IRS section 6055 and section 6056 reporting to help give a better understanding of what the reporting is and what is required of employers, both fully insured and self-funded. Section 6055 reporting supports the individual mandate. It is the required reporting to the Internal Revenue Service […]
Pre-Active Medicine – CompanionDx
Anywhere between 40 and 75 percent of drugs are ineffective for individual patients. That means a large portion of patients may not only be wasting their money—but they may not be receiving the treatment or the results they seek. Pre-Active medicine is a new diagnostic discipline that uses genetic insights to help prevent adverse drug […]