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Posts Tagged ‘South Elgin’
Wednesday, July 24th, 2019
The S HR M reports:
“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.
(more…)
Tags: 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
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Obamacare | Comments Off on House Passes Health Care ‘Cadillac Tax’ Repeal Bill
Friday, February 2nd, 2018
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 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.
(more…)
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
Thursday, April 28th, 2016
According 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.
(more…)
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
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016
According 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
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
Friday, October 3rd, 2014
Benefits Pro reports:
“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.
(more…)
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
Thursday, June 12th, 2014
Crain’s Chicago Healthcare Daily reports:
“If UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc. starts selling plans on the state’s health insurance exchange this fall — as reported today — the insurer most likely won’t make a large dent in Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois’ market share.
Still, there are chances for the carrier, an arm of Minneapolis-based UnitedHealth Group Inc., to make inroads in the state.
(more…)
Tags: Chicago, enrollment, health insurance, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, Marketplace, South Elgin, Spring Grove, Streamwood, Tower Lakes, Trout Valley, United Health Care, United Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare
Posted in Exchange | Comments Off on UnitedHealthcare vying for a slice of Obamacare pie?
Friday, April 4th, 2014
Insurance News Net reports:
“Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says health insurance premiums are likely to increase in 2015.
Sebelius’s comments came Wednesday during a hearing of the House Committee on Ways and Means about the White House’s 2015 budget proposal, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“I think premiums are likely to go up, but at a smaller pace than what we’ve seen since 2010,” Sebelius said.
The increases seen in 2015 will likely be smaller than those seen in previous years, Sebelius said.
The number of young Americans signing up for health insurance has been below the level needed to keep premiums stable, the Wall Street Journal reported.
On Tuesday, the Obama administration said about 25 percent of people age 18 to 34 have signed up for Obamacare — lower than a 40 percent target believed needed to keep premiums relatively stable.
Overall, 4.2 million people have signed up for health insurance since October, the administration said.”
Tags: 2015, Health and Human Services, health insurance, health insurance premiums, insurance, insurance news, Solon Mills, South Barrington, South Elgin, Spring Grove, St. Charles, Sugar Grove, Warrenville, Wasco, Wheaton, Wheeling
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on HHS: Health Care Premiums Likely To Go Up In 2015
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
Wednesday, July 31st, 2013
Seattle pi reports:
“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.
(more…)
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
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