“The U.S. House of Representatives voted on July 17 to abolish the so-called “Cadillac tax” on employer-sponsored high-value health plans, set to take effect in 2022. If the Senate passes the measure and the president signs it into law, the threat employers have faced from the tax would disappear.
Posts Tagged ‘South Barrington’
House Passes Health Care ‘Cadillac Tax’ Repeal Bill
Wednesday, July 24th, 2019Tags: affordable care, Affordable Care Act, Broker, employees, Employers, flexible spending account, health plan, health savings account, Schaumburg, short term insurance, Solon Mills, South Barrington, South Elgin, the affordable care act
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New Tool to Contain Employer Healthcare Costs
Wednesday, July 24th, 2019“Background
Healthcare coverage became an employer-offered benefit during World War II as the result of the federal government’s wage and price controls[1]. Since that time, Medicare has become an important part of how healthcare is provided to individuals who reached the age of 65, who became disabled, or who were diagnosed with end stage renal disease. When Medicare entered the mix, a number of additional rules to protect those eligible for Medicare were also added to protect the Medicare system. Now, an employer seeking to contain health benefit costs must consider not only tax considerations, but Medicare and ERISA and other requirements. Thus, when the federal government agencies started designing a new way to facilitate the purchase of individual health insurance, they had to design around decades of rules, regulations, and policy considerations in the move back to a pre-World War II individual obligation to purchase health insurance to avoid violating the interim changes in legal requirements.
Tags: Bensenville, Defined Contribution, Government, health savings account, High deductible health plan, Mental Health, PPO, premiums, private exchange, South Barrington, United Healthcare, Village of Lakewood, Wicker Park, Woodridge
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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
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The Federal Government’s $146 Billion Obamacare Boo-Boo
Thursday, April 28th, 2016According to The Motley Fool:
” Bad things can happen when a government forecast proves to be way off.
There are mistakes, and then there are big mistakes. What the Congressional Budget Office’s latest report on federal subsidies revealed was a mistake of monstrousproportions on the part of the federal government.
Here’s what a forecasting error looks like
The Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, has been making projections on the future of Obamacare, and healthcare in general, for years. Initially, the CBO had projected that up to 21 million people would sign up for private health insurance using Obamacare’s transparent marketplace exchanges by 2016. However, that estimate has been substantially reduced to just 12 million. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Obamacare enrollment totaled “about 12.7 million” as of the end of third enrollment period (Jan. 31, 2016). Ultimately, the CBO foresees private health enrollment via Obamacare topping out at between 18 million and 19 million people between 2018 and 2026.
Why such a huge difference in actual enrollment versus initial projections? To begin with, the government appears to have overestimated just how many people would sign up on private exchanges versus being enrolled via their employer. The data has thus far shown that nowhere near as many people as expected dropped out of employer-sponsored insurance to sign up on Obamacare’s marketplace exchanges, meaning there was a considerably smaller uninsured pool than initially anticipated. (more…)
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How Obamacare Makes Tax Filing Trickier
Thursday, April 21st, 2016According to Time Inc.
“Many Americans will get new tax forms for the first time. Here’s what to do with them.
This year, you may be receiving tax forms you’ve never seen before, all thanks to the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. For the most part, these documents won’t make tax filing too much harder—with one big exception. Here’s what you need to know about this paperwork, depending on what kind of health insurance you had in 2015.
If you had health insurance from your employer all year…
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Illinois Obamacare plan crippled by losses
Thursday, April 21st, 2016According to Crain’s Chicago Business
” The operating losses continue to mount at struggling Land of Lincoln Health, totaling $90.8 million for the Obamacare health plan in 2015.
That net loss is almost five times greater than the Chicago-based startup reported in 2014, when it totaled $17.7 million. The insurer lost about $40 million in just the last three months of 2015, according to a new financial statement filed with national insurance regulators.
Jason Montrie, Land of Lincoln president and interim CEO, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Kevin Scanlan, chairman of the insurer’s board of directors, said in a statement: “Land of Lincoln Health, like other insurers across the market, continues to adjust its business model as we learn how to best adapt to the new marketplace. . . .The board is confident in its long-term viability and will continue to evaluate and invest in the needs of our members.”
Tags: affordable care, Affordable Care Act, Blue Cross, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, Dundee, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Government, health care costs, health care reform, health insurance costs, health reform, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, IL, Illinois, Illinois health insurance exchange, insurance, Insurance Reform, Kane County, Kendall, McCullom Lake, McHenry, Mr. Obama, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Northwest Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, Saint Charles, Schiller Park, South Barrington, state health insurance, Tax, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, West Chicago, Wicker Park
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IRS Grants Extension for 6055 and 6056 Reporting
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to United Healthcare, Broker Connection Special Edition:
“On Dec. 28, 2015, the IRS announced that it is granting an automatic extension for the 2015 information returns required of insurers, employers and certain other providers of Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) under Section 6055 and 6056 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).
Coverage providers that need more time now have until March 31 to get Form 1095 to individuals and until June 30 to electronically file with the IRS. For providers not filing electronically, the deadline is May 31, 2016. (more…)
Tags: 2015, 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Andersonville, barack obama, Barrington, Bartlett, Broker, Bucktown, buffalo grove, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Cary, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Contact Us, Cook, Cook County, Costs, Deerfield, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Dundee, DuPage, DuPage County, East Dundee, Elgin, Employers, enroll, enrollment, Fox Valley, Geneva, Glendale Heights, Government, government regulations, health, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health exemption, 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, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Hinsdale, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual, individual health insurance, individual insurance, Individual Mandate, Individual Shared Responsibility, Individuals, insurance, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, IRS, Johnsburg, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Key Findings ACA, Lake, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, Logan Square, Long Grove, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Minimum Essential Coverage, Mount Prospect, Naperville, Navigator, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North Aurora, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Penalty, PPO, pre existing conditions, Richmond, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, self-insurance, single payer health care system, South Barrington, special enrollment, Streamwood, Sugar Grove, Tax, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, timeline, UHC, United Health Care, United Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, Villa Park, Warrenville, Wasco, Wayne, West Chicago, Wheaton, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Wood Dale, Woodstock
Posted in Individual Health Insurance, Open Enrollment | Comments Off on IRS Grants Extension for 6055 and 6056 Reporting
Healthcare.gov CEO says insurance marketplace’s complexity argues for agents
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to The Advocate:
“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.
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, advice, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, Arlington Heights, Atena, aurora, barack obama, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Broker, Bucktown, buffalo grove, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carpentersville, Cary, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, deductibles, Deer Park, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Downers Grove, DuPage, DuPage County, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, family plan, Fox Valley, Hampshire, Harvard, health, 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 Marketplace, health plan, health programs, health reform, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Humana, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Lake, Lake County, Lake View, Logan Square, Marketplace, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Navigator, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North Aurora, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, notices, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, PPO, Producer, Schaumburg, sign up, Skokie, South Barrington, state health insurance, state legislatures, the affordable care act, UnitedHealthcare, Villa Park, West Chicago, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, workplace
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News | Comments Off on Healthcare.gov CEO says insurance marketplace’s complexity argues for agents
Coming soon to your mailbox: An Obamacare tax form
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to The CT Mirror:
“Even if you don’t get your health insurance through Obamacare, you’re likely to get something related to the health law in the mail in the coming weeks: A new tax form.

The 1095-A form exchange customers will receive. Others will get different versions, depending on the source of their health care coverage.
Known as Form 1095, it’s part of the way the federal government verifies whether people are complying with the mandate that requires nearly all U.S. residents to have health care coverage. This year is the first time most people will be getting those forms, and officials are anticipating a fair amount of confusion. In part, that’s because what you need to do with that form depends on the type of coverage you had.
Here’s what you need to know. (more…)
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Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Heath Care Costs | Comments Off on Coming soon to your mailbox: An Obamacare tax form
Humana to Record 2016 Obamacare Shortfall, Membership Drops
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to Bloomberg Business:
“Humana Inc. is the latest insurer to run into trouble in Obamacare’s individual health-insurance markets.
The health insurer said that it probably won’t collect enough money to cover costs for some customers who bought individual plans, and will set aside what’s known as a premium deficiency reserve. The shortfall is for 2016 plans that comply with new rules under the Affordable Care Act, Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana said Friday.
UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest U.S. health insurer, said in November that it might stop participating in the Obamacare next year after taking losses. One analyst predicted that Humana would follow suit.
(more…)
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Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Individual Health Insurance | Comments Off on Humana to Record 2016 Obamacare Shortfall, Membership Drops