More Providers Charge for Telemedicine, Phone Visits and Doctor E-Mails
More hospitals and insurers have started charging patients for virtual care services as they have grown in usage and providers are spending more time meeting patients in telehealth appointments and responding to their e-mails. Many hospital systems have started billing patients
Identify Your Workers’ Needs, Consider Costs before Open Enrollment
It's almost time for group health insurance open enrollment and your top priority should be to drive participation by helping your employees make informed decisions about their options. You'll want to help your staff understand all of their options so they
More Insurers Scale Back on Prior Authorizations
Some of the nation's largest insurers have announced plans to roll back their prior authorization requirements for medical services, and some are doing this in their Medicare Advantage plans as well. The moves come as states and the Centers for Medicare
EEOC Posts New Guidance on Visual Disabilities under the ADA
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued new guidance for employers to provide reasonable accommodations for visually impaired workers who request it. About 18.4% of all American adults have at least some difficulty with their vision, even when wearing corrective lenses,
Group Health Plan Affordability Level Cut Significantly for 2024
The IRS has significantly reduced the group plan affordability threshold — which is used to determine if an employer's lowest-premium health plan meets the Affordable Care Act rules — for 2024. The threshold for next year has been set at 8.39%
Report: Group Health Plan Cost Inflation to Pick Up Steam
A new report by Aon warns employers to expect average group health insurance costs to increase 8.5% in 2024, as inflation starts hitting the cost of delivering care as well as pharmaceuticals. The report predicts that employers will pay an average
Budgeting and Prepping for Open Enrollment
If you are running a business, you need to get an early start on preparations for your small group health plan open enrollment, particularly now as so much confusion abounds about the state of health insurance in the country. With recent
Handling Health Insurance for Remote Workers
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more employers are allowing their staff to work remotely on a permanent basis, often allowing them to never have to set foot in the office again. This newfound freedom for American workers has allowed many of them
SCOTUS Sets High Bar for Rejecting Religious Accommodation Requests
A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court will make it more difficult for employers to deny employees' requests for religious accommodations in the workplace. The unanimous decision by the court in the case of Groff vs. DeJoy basically upends a standard
New Mental Health Parity Rules Would Expand Care
With mental health in the forefront as patients demand greater access to psychologists and psychiatrists, the Biden administration in July 2023 proposed new regulations aimed at requiring health insurers to expand their mental health coverage. The proposal aims to bring insurers