Latest News + Info
The latest information relating to the health insurance industry.
A Rare Loss for U.S. Pharma Lobby Will Cost the Industry Billions
Bloomberg reports: "Deep in a budget deal Congress passed earlier this year -- just 118 words in Section 53116, a little before passages on prison reporting data and payment yields for seed cotton -- was a hit to pharmaceutical companies that will cost them billions,...
Scammers Are Using New Medicare Cards to Try to Trick Seniors
The Motley Fool reports: "If you're a senior on Medicare, new cards are coming soon. New cards will be mailed out between April 2018 and April 2019, and these new cards will no longer have your Social Security number on them. The switch to the new Medicare card is...
Medicare Advantage Plans Cleared To Go Beyond Medical Coverage — Even Groceries
The Washington Post reports: "Air conditioners for people with asthma, healthy groceries, rides to medical appointments and home-delivered meals may be among the new benefits added to Medicare Advantage coverage when new federal rules take effect next year. On Monday,...
Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs You Should Expect to Pay
Yahoo Finance reports: "Medicare provides valuable health insurance for individuals 65 or older and certain people with disabilities who are under age 65. But it also comes with complex rules and sometimes significant out-of-pocket costs. Here's what you can expect to...
Health reimbursement arrangements for small employers
The Tax Advisor reports: "The IRS recently issued Notice 2017-67 to provide guidance on "qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements" (qualified small employer HRAs) under Sec. 9831(d). Qualified small employer HRAs enable an eligible employer to...
Trump administration releases association health plan rule
Axios reports: "The Department of Health and Human Services has posted its long-awaited proposed rule to make it easier to form “association health plans,” aimed at groups of workers who team up to get better deals on health insurance. Among other things, the rule...
Amazon Takes Aim at Disrupting the Healthcare Industry
Consumer Reports reports: "The e-commerce giant becomes the latest corporation trying to tackle the high cost of employee medical care Can Amazon, which transformed the way many Americans shop, do the same thing for medical care? That’s the question many are asking...
ACA Marketplace Plan Issues Threaten Consumers’ Financial Well-Being
The Observer reports: "If you bought health insurance during the Affordable Care Act open enrollment, congratulations. Your major health care needs, known and unknown, should be covered without risk of financial ruin. You may feel you are set until the next open...
Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire create new company to tackle health care costs
The Chicago Tribune reports: Three of corporate America's heaviest hitters — Amazon, Warren Buffett and JPMorgan Chase — sent a shudder through the health industry Tuesday when they announced plans to jointly create a company to provide their employees with...
After Trump’s Obamacare moves, shopping for health insurance more baffling than ever
The Chicago Tribune reports: "Cindy Purvance of Park City, Utah, was incensed when she received a letter in the mail, alerting her that her family's health insurance premium would skyrocket to $1,300 a month next year - a $500 increase. Purvance vented on social...