“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 pay for Medicare:
Posts Tagged ‘Sleepy Hollow’
Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs You Should Expect to Pay
Thursday, April 5th, 2018Tags: deductibles, doctors, health care costs, health insurance, Individuals, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, premiums, Skokie, Sleepy Hollow, Solon Mills, Spring Grove, St. Charles
Posted in Health Insurance Cost | Comments Off on Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs You Should Expect to Pay
Health reimbursement arrangements for small employers
Friday, February 2nd, 2018“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 reimburse employees for medical expenses, such as health insurance premiums, as defined under Sec. 213(d). Qualified small employer HRAs are solely employer-funded; employees cannot contribute to them. Payments from a qualified small employer HRA to an employee are not includible in the employee’s income, as long as the employee has obtained qualifying health insurance. An employer can establish a qualified small employer HRA for tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2016. The guidance within Notice 2017-67 is effective for arrangement plan years beginning on or after Nov. 20, 2017.
Tags: ACA requirements, Affordable Care Act, group health plans, health insurance coverage, health savings account, requirements, Skokie, Sleepy Hollow, small businesses, small group, Solon Mills, South Barrington, South Elgin, special enrollment, Spring Grove, Sugar Grove, Tax
Posted in Small Business | Comments Off on Health reimbursement arrangements for small employers
Blue Cross Blue Shield Confirms Obamacare Death Spiral
Thursday, April 28th, 2016According to The Beacon:
” The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which represents 36 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans covering 105 million Americans, has just released a study of its members’ claims data in Obamacare exchanges 2014 and 2015. It confirms that Obamacare exchange enrollees are sicker and more expensive than enrollees in pre-Obamacare individual plans or employer-based plans.
Here I quote four of the study’s findings:
- Members who newly enrolled in BCBS individual health plans in 2014 and 2015 have higher rates of certain diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, coronary artery disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C than individuals who had BCBS individual coverage prior to health-care reform.
- Consumers who newly enrolled in BCBS individual health plans in 2014 and 2015 received significantly more medical care, on average, than those with BCBS individual plans prior to 2014 who maintained BCBS individual health coverage into 2015, as well as those with BCBS employer-based group health insurance.
Tags: 60006, 60018, 60024, 60039, 60067, 60072, 60116, 60131, 60134, 60162, 60165, 60183, 60204, 60304, 60522, 60599, ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Andersonville, Barrington Hills, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Bucktown, buy health insurance, buying insurance, Campton Hills, Changeing Health Care, Cicero, Cook, Cook County, Costs, Crystal Lake, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Downers Grove, DuPage, DuPage County, Elgin, Evanston, Fox River Grove, Glenview, government regulations, Harvard, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance reform, healthcare reform, Huntley, individual health insurance, individual insurance, insurance industry, insurance news, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Key Findings ACA, Lake County, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Mr. Obama, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, pre existing conditions, Rolling Meadows, Sleepy Hollow, South Elgin, Sugar Grove, the affordable care act, West Chicago, Will, Will County, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Blue Cross and Blue Shield | Comments Off on Blue Cross Blue Shield Confirms Obamacare Death Spiral
Feds tighten when people can enroll in Obamacare plans
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to USA Today:
“Bowing to pressure from insurers, federal officials on Tuesday tightened the conditions under which people can sign up for plans on the HealthCare.govexchange outside open enrollment.
The move by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services comes after complaints by health insurers that it was too easy for people to wait until they were sick to sign up and to drop coverage after they got treatment. Earlier Tuesday, UnitedHealth announced a 19% drop in profit and downgraded its earnings forecast citing concerns about its Obamacare enrollment and the flexibility people had to change insurance plans. (more…)
Tags: 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Andersonville, Arlington Heights, Barrington, Bartlett, BCBS, Berwyn, Blue Cross, Bucktown, budget cuts, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carpentersville, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, Deer Park, Deerfield, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Desplaines, Dundee, DuPage, DuPage County, ebola, Elgin, Elmwood Park, enroll, enrollment, exchange, Forest Park, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Franklin Park, Geneva, Gilberts, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glendale Heights, Government, government regulations, group rates, health, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance premiums, health insurance reform, Health Marketplace, health plan, health programs, health reform, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, High deductible health plan, Hinsdale, Holiday Hills, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual health insurance, individual insurance, insurance, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Lakewood, Lincolnwood, Logan Square, Maple Park, Marengo, Massachusetts, McCullom Lake, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Medicaid, medical expenses, Medicare, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North Aurora, North Barrington, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northlake, Northwest Suburbs, Oak Park, Oakbrook Terrace, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, Penalty, Prairie Grove, Ringwood, Riverwoods, Roselle, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, sign up, Skokie, Sleepy Hollow, South Barrington, South Elgin, special enrollment, St. Charles, state health insurance, Streamwood, Sugar Grove, Tax, the affordable care act, timeline, Trout Valley, Villa Park, Village of Lakewood, Warrenville, Wasco, West Chicago, West Dundee, Wheaton, Will, Winfield, Wood Dale, Woodridge, Woodstock, young adults, young people
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Open Enrollment | Comments Off on Feds tighten when people can enroll in Obamacare plans
Canadian Health Care: Patients Waiting Longer Than Ever For Treatment
Monday, January 11th, 2016Investors Business Daily Reports:
“Socialist Medicine: Canadians love their hockey and have historically been happy with their government-run health care system. Hockey is thriving. The country’s health care system, though, is a wreck and getting worse.
It could be said the words “Canada” and “health care” really don’t go together because some Canadians never make it to the doctor.
Too many die untreated due to extended wait times to see a doctor, and those wait times have increased again this year. They are now almost twice as long as they were in 1993, the year Hillary Clinton tried to force government health care on Americans. (more…)
Tags: 2015, ACA, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Algonquin, Arlington Heights, aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Bucktown, buy health insurance, buying insurance, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, Cook, Cook County, Crystal Lake, Deer Park, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, doctors, Downers Grove, Dundee, East Dundee, Elgin, employer health insurance, enrollment, Fox Valley, Franklin Park, Government, government regulations, group health plans, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance reform, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Hoffman Estates, Hospital, Huntley, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual health insurance, individual insurance, Kane, Kane County, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Lincoln Park, Long Grove, McHenry, McHenry County, medicaid programs, Morton Grove, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, pre existing conditions, premiums, Prospect Heights, River Grove, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Sleepy Hollow, social security and medicare, South Barrington, special enrollment, Streamwood, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, United Healthcare, Village of Lakewood, West Chicago, West Dundee, Will County, Woodridge, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Family Health Insurance, Health Insurance News, Heath Care Costs | Comments Off on Canadian Health Care: Patients Waiting Longer Than Ever For Treatment
How the Obamacare Penalty Will Affect Your 2014 Taxes
Monday, January 12th, 2015“Ever since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, critics have cited the penalties that the law imposes on those who don’t have qualifying healthcare coverage. Yet, with those provisions not taking effect until this year, no one has yet seen exactly how Obamacare penalties will work. As the 2014 tax season approaches, though, the IRS has started to provide some guidance on what to expect from the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and how they’ll affect your 2014 taxes.
Tags: Affordable Care Act, Government, health insurance, health insurance marketplace, Marketplace, ObamaCare, Richmond, Ringwood, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Sleepy Hollow, the affordable care act
Posted in Health Reform, Heath Care Costs | Comments Off on How the Obamacare Penalty Will Affect Your 2014 Taxes
Benefits Selling’s 2014 Employer Survey
Friday, October 3rd, 2014“The implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has made most employers “rethink” their employee benefit offerings, including increasing employees’ share of cost even more via consumer-driven plans.
According to Benefits Selling’s 2014 Employer Survey, 70 percent of employers said PPACA has made them rethink their employee benefit offerings, compared to 30 percent who said the health care reform law hadn’t had any impact on their offerings.
Tags: affordable care, dental, health insurance, long-term, Marketplace, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Skokie, Sleepy Hollow, Solon Mills, South Barrington, South Elgin, Spring Grove, St. Charles, Stone Park, Streamwood, Sugar Grove, Sycamore, Voluntary Benefits
Posted in Health Reform | Comments Off on Benefits Selling’s 2014 Employer Survey
ACA Out-of-Pocket Max Clarity
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013“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
New health insurance markets: Not like Travelocity
Wednesday, July 31st, 2013“You may have heard that shopping for health insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul will be like using Travelocity or Amazon.
But many people will end up with something more mundane than online shopping, like a call to the help desk.
Struggling with a deadline crunch, some states are delaying online tools that could make it easier for consumers to find the right plan when the markets go live on Oct. 1.
Tags: enrollment, exchange, Health and Human Services, insurance plan, Marketplace, premiums, SHOP, Skokie, Sleepy Hollow, small businesses, Solon Mills, South Barrington, South Elgin, Spring Grove, Stone Park, Streamwood
Posted in Exchange, Insurance Reform | Comments Off on New health insurance markets: Not like Travelocity
Labor Unions to Pelosi, Reid: Obamacare Healthcare Reform Hurts Us Too
Friday, July 19th, 2013The Washington Free Beacon reports:
“Three major unions wrote a letter to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) asking them to fix major flaws in Obamacare that “will destroy the very health and wellbeing of our members,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
The letter, sent on Friday by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a hotel workers union, and a food workers union, notes the unions’ strong support for Democrats, but argues that the Obama administration’s signature accomplishment will devastate them.
Tags: Affordable Care Act, exchange, healthcare reform, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Sleepy Hollow, South Barrington, South Elgin, St. Charles, the affordable care act, Union
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on Labor Unions to Pelosi, Reid: Obamacare Healthcare Reform Hurts Us Too