bhoffman | September 1, 2010
Employers concerned health reform change will add to burdens
By Joanne Wojcik of Business Insurance Magazine, www.businessinsurance.com
WASHINGTON—Interim final rules about the appeals and external claims review processes that nongrandfathered self-insured group health plans must follow under new federal law could prove a challenge for many large, multistate employers, some benefit consultants say.
The challenge is that less [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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bhoffman | August 27, 2010
Study shows projected average increase up from 7% this year
By Jerry Geisel of Business Insurance Magazine, www.businessinsurance.com
After years in which annual group health care plan cost increases have held steady in the 6% to 7% range, large employers are expecting much bigger increases in 2011, according to a survey released last week.
Employers responding to a [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation |
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bhoffman | August 25, 2010
By Jack B. Helitzer, Esq., Coordination of Benefits Handbook
The federal health care reform law attempted to address two major problems with health coverage in the United States; (1) expansion of coverage to the uninsured; and (2) reducing overall health care costs. Most reform provisions won’t take effect for at least a few years. That’s because [...]
Category: ERISA, Health Care Legislation, Made Whole Rule, Preemption, Subrogation |
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bhoffman | August 12, 2010
CCH® BENEFITS, www.hr.cch.com
California
The California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) has approved an average increase of more than 9% in health premiums next year for state and local government workers. CalPERS blamed the rate increase on rising costs for hospital care, doctor visits, and prescriptions. The increase will mean higher premiums for public agencies and their [...]
Category: California, Connecticut, Health Care Legislation, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Utah, Washington D.C., Wisconsin |
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bhoffman | August 9, 2010
CCH® BENEFITS, www.hr.cch.com
Congress is relying on circular reasoning in its attempt to require all Americans to obtain health insurance, and the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is questionable, according based in to attorney Jonathan W. Emord, principal of Emord & Associates, based in Clifton, VA. The following is an excerpt [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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bhoffman | August 3, 2010
SIIA, www.siia.org
SIIA Submits Official Comments to Federal Agencies Regarding the Proposed Rule on Grandfathered Health Plans
SIIA was one of a select group of industry organizations who submitted official comments to the Federal agencies responsible for drafting and ultimately implementing regulations dealing with grandfathered health plans. The issued interim rule dealt with allowable modifications plans may [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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bhoffman | August 3, 2010
Troutman Sanders, www.troutmansanders.com
This is the seventh in a series of advisories on Health Care Reform and other recent developments in health care. This advisory summarizes the most recent interim final regulations jointly released by the Treasury Department, the Department of Labor and Health and Human Services relating to coverage of preventive care and new claims [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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bhoffman | August 2, 2010
By Kathryn R. Paradise & Hugh W. Davis II of Pyner Spruill, www.poynerspruill.com
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively the “Act”), includes a series of significant changes that are relevant to employer-provided group health plans. Some of these changes take effect for [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation |
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bhoffman | July 28, 2010
By Jerry Geisel of Business Insurance, www.businessinsurance.com
WASHINGTON—New health care reform regulations clarify how health care plans must handle disputed claims, but leave murky a key issue: how a new federal external claims review requirement will work.
Category: Health Care Legislation |
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Adam V. Russo | July 26, 2010
By: Philip L. Gordon
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published on July 14, 2010, a voluminous Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), containing dozens of proposed amendments to three sets of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations: the Privacy Rule; the Security Rule; and the Enforcement Rule. The proposed [...]
Category: HIPAA, Health Care Legislation |
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Adam V. Russo | July 26, 2010
Spencer’s Benefits Reports: The impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on small group and individually purchased health insurance will depend upon many factors, according to a the Urban Institute’s recently issued paper, entitled How Will the PPACA Impact Individual and Small Group Premiums in the Short and Long Term?
Category: Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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Adam V. Russo | July 26, 2010
www.dwt.com; By Elizabeth J. Deckman
Health Care Reform: New Guidance on Patient Protections in Group Health PlansNew interim final rules address pre-existing condition exclusions, annual and lifetime limits, rescissions, and other patient protections
Recently, federal agencies issued new interim final rules to address several patient-protection provisions of health care reform. The new regulations provide guidance on pre-existing [...]
Category: HIPAA, Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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Adam V. Russo | July 23, 2010
www.larkinhoffman.com; by Bruce J. Douglas and Kelly M. Burke*
The big question on many people’s minds is where will the money come from to fund the deficit reduction and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the PPACA will cost $940 billion over the next 10 years. Even [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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Adam V. Russo | July 23, 2010
www.hrpolicy.org
This week, the Departments of HHS, Labor and Treasury released interim final rules requiring group health plans and insurers to provide first-dollar coverage for certain recommended preventive items and services. The rules apply to non-grandfathered plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), providing additional clarity for companies that are in the process [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation, PPACA |
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Adam V. Russo | July 23, 2010
By Steve Rasnick
I really don’t mean to pick on TPA’s because the same statement could be made for all businesses and business relationships, including insurance agents. In fact, I began to think of this issue as I focused on the fact that on 2/1/10 my TPA celebrated its 13th year of business in Southwest Florida. [...]
Category: Health Care Legislation, Third Party Administrators |
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