Starting on January 1, 2020, employers will be able to help their employees pay for qualified medical costs–such as premiums for an Individual Marketplace plan–through a new individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (ICHRA). An ICHRA is an alternative to a traditional group plan that allows employees to select their own plan on the individual market.
Posts Tagged ‘Village of Lakewood’
New Tool To Determine HRA Affordability
Tuesday, October 29th, 2019Tags: Broker, Costs, Employers, exchange, individual, Marketplace, Medicaid, Medicare, UnitedHealthcare, Vergil, Villa Park, Village of Lakewood, Walt Disney Co., Warrenville, Wasco
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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
Posted in Health Insurance Cost | Comments Off on New Tool to Contain Employer Healthcare Costs
Amazon Takes Aim at Disrupting the Healthcare Industry
Thursday, February 1st, 2018“The e-commerce giant becomes the latest corporation trying to tackle the high cost of employee medical care
Tags: employees, Employers, Harvard, health, health insurance, Health insurance exchange, IRS, Massachusetts, Village of Lakewood, West Dundee, Westchester, Wheaton, Wheeling, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Wilmette, Winfield, Wood Dale, Woodridge, Woodstock
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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…)
Tags: 2015, 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, Arlington Heights, Atena, aurora, barack obama, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Batavia, BCBS, BCBSIL, Bucktown, budget cuts, buffalo grove, Bull Valley, buy health insurance, buying insurance, California healthline, cancer coverage, care reform legislation, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, College Grads, commerce clause of the constitution, Commonwealth Care Health Insurance, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, Deerfield, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Dundee, DuPage, DuPage County, Elburn, enroll, enrollment, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Geneva, Gilberts, Glen Ellyn, government regulations, Hampshire, Harwood Heights, 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, Herbron, Highland Park, Humana, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual, individual health insurance, individual insurance, Individual Mandate, Individual Shared Responsibility, Individuals, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Itasca, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Lakewood, Lincoln Park, Maple Park, Marengo, Marketplace, McCullen Lake, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Naperville, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Niles, North Aurora, North Barrington, North West Suburbs, Northwest Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, Producer, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, self-insurance, single payer health care system, South Barrington, special enrollment, state health insurance, Streamwood, Sugar Grove, the affordable care act, Tower Lakes, Village of Lakewood, Warrenville, Wasco, West Chicago, Wicker Park, Wood Dale, young adults
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Individual Health Insurance | Comments Off on Humana to Record 2016 Obamacare Shortfall, Membership Drops
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
CMS Proposes Health Insurance Exchange Changes for 2017
Monday, January 11th, 2016California Healthline Reports:
“On Friday, CMS released a proposed rule that would require minimum network standards for health plans sold through the federal exchange in 2017, Modern Healthcare reports.
Proposed Rule’s Network Standards
Under the rule, states would be required to implement CMS-approved quantitative measures to ensure that individuals with exchange plans have adequate access to health care providers. States could either:
- Adopt default network adequacy standards set by CMS; or
- Draft their own network adequacy standards and submit them for HHS approval.
Such standards could measure a plan’s network adequacy based on policyholders’ maximum travel distances and times to access providers. According to CMS, minimum adequacy standards for the plans will be determined at a later date. HHS would then notify insurers of the standards in each state (Herman/Dickson, Modern Healthcare, 11/20). (more…)
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, Advisor, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, Arlington Heights, aurora, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, bronze plan, Bucktown, buy health insurance, buying insurance, California healthline, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, Darien, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, Des Plaines, Desplaines, Downers Grove, DuPage County, East Dundee, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, exchange, Forest Park, Fox River Grove, Franklin Park, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, government regulations, Hampshire, 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 premiums, health insurance reform, health plan, health programs, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Hoffman Estates, Huntley, IL, individual, Individuals, insurance broker, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake View, Lakewood, Lincoln Park, Long Grove, Marengo, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Medicare, Montgomery, Naperville, Navigator, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Niles, North Barrington, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northlake, Northwest Suburbs, notices, Oakwood Hills, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, Prairie Grove, Roselle, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Self Employed, self-insurance, SHOP, Skokie, small businesses, Spring Grove, St. Charles, state health insurance, state legislatures, Streamwood, the affordable care act, Tower Lakes, Village of Lakewood, Wasco, West Chicago, Wheeling, Wicker Park, Winfield, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Open Enrollment | Comments Off on CMS Proposes Health Insurance Exchange Changes for 2017
With Michigan Closure, More Than Half of Obamacare CO-OPs Have Now Failed
Monday, January 11th, 2016“WASHINGTON, DC – The number of failed Obamacare CO-OPs grew to one dozen today as Michigan became the latest to announce it was closing. To date, 12 of the original 23 CO-OPs have closed, bringing the total cost to taxpayers at more than $1.23 billion. This Thursday, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on “Examining the Costly Failures of Obamacare’s CO-OP Insurance Loans.” (more…)
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Algonquin, barack obama, Barrington, Bartlett, Bensenville, Bull Valley, buy health insurance, buying insurance, Carol Stream, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Des Plaines, Desplaines, Downers Grove, DuPage County, enroll, Government, government regulations, health, 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 programs, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual health insurance, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake View, Logan Square, Long Grove, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Naperville, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North Barrington, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, Prairie Grove, revenue measures, Riverwoods, Saint Charles, Schiller Park, Skokie, Spring Grove, state health insurance, state legislatures, Tax, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, Village of Lakewood, West Chicago, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Wilmette, Wood Dale, Woodstock
Posted in Health Insurance Cost, Health Insurance News, Heath Care Costs | Comments Off on With Michigan Closure, More Than Half of Obamacare CO-OPs Have Now Failed
Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare return to Illinois Obamacare exchange
Monday, January 11th, 2016Crain’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.
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
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Blue Cross, Advocate team up on new health insurance plan
Monday, January 11th, 2016Crains Chicago Business Reports:
“Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois and Advocate Health Care are teaming up to offer a health plan that will be one of the cheapest options the insurer offers on and off the Obamacare exchange.
The plan, called BlueCare Direct, is a marriage of two giants. Blue Cross is the largest health insurer in the state, and Downers Grove-based Advocate is the largest health care system, with 12 hospitals and more than 4,000 doctors.
The BlueCare Direct network will include 250 of Advocate’s sites of care in Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane and Will counties, including nine of its hospitals and a children’s hospital with two campuses. Enrollees can stick with their primary care doctor outside of Advocate’s system, but the plan will not cover it, said Dr. Lee Sacks, chief medical officer for Advocate.
Tags: 2015, 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Andersonville, barack obama, Barrington Hills, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, buffalo grove, buy health insurance, buying insurance, Carpentersville, Cary, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, Deerfield, DeKalb County, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Dundee, DuPage, DuPage County, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, exchange, Forest Park, Glenview, Government, health, 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 premiums, health insurance reform, health plan, health programs, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Hebron, Highland Park, Hospital, IL, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kaneville, Lake, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Lakewood, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Long Grove, McHenry County, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northlake, Northwest Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, PPO, premiums, Prospect Heights, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schiller Park, Skokie, Stone Park, Streamwood, Sugar Grove, the affordable care act, Village of Lakewood, West Chicago, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Health Insurance News | Comments Off on Blue Cross, Advocate team up on new health insurance plan
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
