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Posts Tagged ‘group health plan’
Monday, January 11th, 2016
Crain’s Chicago Business Reports:
 “Aetna is returning to sell plans on the Illinois health insurance exchange after taking a year off.
Also returning are giants Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, the dominant insurer in the state; UnitedHealthcare, which is affiliated with Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group, and Chicago-based Land of Lincoln Health.
Mostly familiar faces are returning to the exchange for enrollment that begins Nov. 1, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. Other companies that received federal approval to sell plans include:
—Health Alliance, based in downstate Urbana.
—Celtic Insurance, which is part of St. Louis-based Centene Corp.
—Coventry Health, part of Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna.
—Harken Health, of which UnitedHealth Group is an investor.
—Humana, based in Louisville, Ky.
(more…)
Tags: 2015, 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, Atena, aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Bucktown, buffalo grove, Burlington, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, Dundee, DuPage County, Elgin, employer health insurance, enrollment, exchange, Forest Park, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Glenview, government regulations, group health plan, Harwood Heights, Health and Human Services, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health exemption, health insurance, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance premiums, health insurance reform, health plan, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Humana, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, insurance industry, IRS, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Long Grove, Marengo, Marketplace, McCullen Lake, McHenry, McHenry County, Naperville, North Barrington, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, Oakwood Hills, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, Palatine, Park Ridge, Pingree Grove, Prairie Grove, Ringwood, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Skokie, small businesses, South Barrington, South Elgin, the affordable care act, United Health Care, United Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, Village of Lakewood, Wasco, West Chicago, West Dundee, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Wood Dale, Woodridge, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Small Business | Comments Off on Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare return to Illinois Obamacare exchange
Monday, January 11th, 2016
The Advocate Reports:
“The Affordable Care Act is confusing and complicated, which means that health insurance agents and brokers are needed to help consumers pick the best plans for them, Kevin Counihan, chief executive officer of Healthcare.gov, said Monday.
“It’s got plenty of opportunity to be made a little bit better,” Counihan said. “And I’m very hopeful and confident that as we get more adults in Congress that they’re all going to sit down, the two sides together, and they’re going to address some of these issues.”
Counihan spoke to about 20 brokers and agents at an event hosted in Baton Rouge by the Louisiana Association of Health Underwriters. (more…)
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, barack obama, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, budget cuts, buffalo grove, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Cary, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, COBRA, Consultant, Cook, Cook County, Costs, Crystal Lake, deductibles, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Dundee, DuPage County, East Dundee, Elgin, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, exchange, family plan, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Geneva, Gilberts, Glendale Heights, Government, government regulations, group health plan, group health plans, Hampshire, Health and Human Services, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance reform, health plan, health programs, health reform, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, High deductible health plan, human resources, Humana, Huntley, IL, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, Kane, Kane County, Kendall County, Key Findings ACA, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Lakewood, Long Grove, Marengo, Marketplace, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Morton Grove, Naperville, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Northlake, Oak Park, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Prairie Grove, Riverwoods, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, South Barrington, Streamwood, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, U.S. Senate, unemployment, United Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, Wasco, West Chicago, Wheaton, Will County
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Care .gov, Health Insurance News | Comments Off on Healthcare.gov CEO says insurance marketplace’s complexity argues for agents
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014
Flexible Benefit reports:
“The IRS and other agencies have issued three different sets of guidance making it clear that employers cannot give actively employed workers pre-tax dollars through a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) ,or any other type of arrangement, to purchase individual coverage on their own. Employers using this model will be subject to fines of up to $100 per employee per day.
(more…)
Tags: East Dundee, Elburn, Elgin, Elmhurst, Elmwood Park, enrollment, Evanston, group health plan, group health plans, individual, individual insurance
Posted in Group Health Insurance, Insurance Reform | Comments Off on Employer-paid Individual Health Plans
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014
The Wall Street Journal reports:
“Businesses with fewer than 50 workers are exempt from the most stringent requirements for larger employers under the federal health-care law. But that doesn’t mean they’re off the hook entirely.
Smaller employers aren’t required under the Affordable Care Act to offer coverage for their full-time workers—as larger firms must by 2016 or face penalties, for instance. But many owners of small ventures and startup entrepreneurs are nonetheless facing big changes to how they obtain their own health coverage, as well as to the benefits they’re able to offer employees.
“It’s a myth that smaller firms aren’t being hit” by the health law, albeit in less obvious ways, says James Schutzer, president of the New York State Association of Health Underwriters, referring to employers with fewer than 50 workers.
(more…)
Tags: Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Batavia, Bensenville, Berwyn, Big Rock, Blue Cross, Boulder Hill, Broker, group health plan, individual insurance, SHOP, the affordable care act
Posted in Group Health Insurance | Comments Off on Small Firms Hit by Big Changes in Health Coverage
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014
Insurance News Net reports:
“The rumblings of employees dissatisfied with the value of employer-sponsored health benefits are getting louder.
But are the grumblings loud enough for employees to put their money where their mouths are? Are employees willing to walk out the door and leave their employer-sponsored cocoons, tossing all the value talk out the window?
(more…)
Tags: Defined Contribution, Franklin Park, Geneva, Genoa, Gilberts, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glendale, Glendale Heights, Glenview, group health plan, group rates, health reform, insurance news, private exchange
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on Support For Employer-Provided Health Plans Starts To Erode
Monday, February 17th, 2014
Benefits Pro reports:
“Robert Pear, a New York Timesreporter, made waves this week by calling the Internal Revenue Service about what happened to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act nondiscrimination provisions. (more…)
Tags: Affordable Care Act, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Genoa, Gilberts, Glen Ellyn, group health plan, group health plans, PPACA, requirements
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on IRS puts off PPACA discrimination testing
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013
The IRS reports:
“Basic Information
1. What is the individual shared responsibility provision?
Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government, state governments, insurers, employers and individuals are given shared responsibility to reform and improve the availability, quality and affordability of health insurance coverage in the United States. Starting in 2014, the individual shared responsibility provision calls for each individual to have minimum essential health coverage (known as minimum essential coverage) for each month, qualify for an exemption, or make a payment when filing his or her federal income tax return.
(more…)
Tags: Affordable Care Act, exchange, family plan, group health plan, health insurance coverage, health insurance marketplace, Individual Shared Responsibility, IRS, Minimum Essential Coverage, premiums, Richmond, Ringwood, River Grove, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Roselle
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on Questions and Answers on the Individual Shared Responsibility Provision
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013
Flex Benefits reports:
“The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires non-grandfathered plans to impose limitations on out-of-pocket expenses for essential health benefits starting in 2014. The out-of-pocket limitations will be capped next year at $6,350 for single coverage and $12,700 for family coverage.
However, some self-funded plans will be exempt from this requirement until 2015. The guidance indicates that self-funded plans contracting with multiple service providers can delay this requirement for one year.
For example, some self-funded plans contract with one service provider to administer their major medical benefits and another service provider to administer their pharmacy benefits.
The reason for the delay has been linked to administrative complications in tracking the out-of-pocket expenses when multiple service providers are used.
The new out-of-pocket limitations will still apply in 2014 to all individual health plans, fully insured group health plans and self-funded group health plans that use a single service provider to administer their plan benefits.””
Tags: Affordable Care Act, group health plan, group health plans, health, individual, Sleepy Hollow, South Barrington, South Elgin, Spring Grove, St. Charles, state health insurance, Stone Park, the affordable care act
Posted in Health Laws, Health Reform | Comments Off on ACA Out-of-Pocket Max Clarity
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013
HR . BLR . com reports:
“The Obama administration has revealed the delay of another Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision. The administration has postponed a consumer protection provision that limits out-of-pocket costs until 2015. Under the provision, the limit on such out-of-pocket costs was not supposed to exceed $6,350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family.
(more…)
Tags: Affordable Care Act, Geneva, Genoa, Gilberts, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glendale, Glendale Heights, Glenview, group health plan, health insurance, healthcare reform, insurance, play or pay
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on Obama administration delays another healthcare reform provision
Friday, July 12th, 2013
Heath Affairs Blog reports:
“The most controversial single issue presented by the Affordable Care Act is arguably the regulatory requirement that group health plans and insurers cover contraceptive services. The ACA requires non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurers to offer, without cost sharing, coverage of preventive services, including women’s preventive services, that are designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Based on an Institute of Medicine study, HRSA in 2011 identified as women’s preventive services “all Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.” Pursuant to this designation, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) listed contraceptives services and counseling as required preventive services.
(more…)
Tags: Affordable Care Act, cortland, Crystal Lake, Darien, Deer Park, Deerfield, Government, group health plan, group health plans, preventive services, the affordable care act
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on Implementing Health Reform: Contraceptive Coverage Final Regulations
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