COBRA Subsidies Ending and Employers Must Send Out Notices
The 100% COBRA health insurance subsidies for workers who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic are about to expire on Sept. 30, and that means employers who have former staff receiving those subsidies must notify them of their expiration. If
Deductibles Shift Drives Interest in Critical Illness Cover
If you want to provide your employees with the one voluntary benefit that can give them peace of mind should tragedy strike, critical illness coverage is the answer. Demand has grown for critical illness insurance over the last year thanks to
What You Need to Know About New Health Plan Transparency Rules
Regulations are slated to take effect over the next few years that will greatly increase the transparency requirements for group health plans. The regulations issued under the Trump administration will require health insurers in the individual and group health markets to
Group Health Insurers Not Factoring In COVID-19 Effects in 2022 Pricing: Study
In a glimpse of what we may expect in terms of premiums, a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that most insurers are not factoring in added costs or savings related to COVID-19 for their 2022 health
Few Health Plan Enrollees Know About New Price Transparency Rules
Despite a new law requiring hospitals to post detailed pricing information for their treatments and procedures online, fewer than 10% of U.S. adults are aware of the requirement. That's a problem considering that a growing number of Americans have high-deductible health
Attention Employers: IRS Ramping Up ACA Compliance
There are signs that the Internal Revenue Service is starting to step up its enforcement of the Affordable Care Act employer mandate. During the past six months, there's been an uptick in the number of employers receiving initial notices stating they
CMS Issues New Rules Barring Surprise Billing
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service in late June released a series of new regulations targeted at banning surprise billing in most instances, taking aim at a scourge that ends up costing many covered individuals thousands of dollars even
Employer Medical Costs Expected to Rise 6.5% in 2022
As this year sees increased health care spending due to pent-up demand after many people delayed medical procedures in 2020, a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) predicts employer medical costs will rise 6.5% in 2022. Last year was the first time
DOL Issues Model COBRA Subsidy Notices
As you will recall, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes a 100% COBRA subsidy for people who were laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the law, which took effect April 1, the Department of Labor
Health Plan Rebates in 2021 to Be Second Highest on Record
Group health plan insurers are expected to pay out $618 million in rebates to plan sponsors for the 2020 policy year after seeing use of health care services plummet during the COVID-19 pandemic. That's according to a Kaiser Family Foundation estimate