Health Industry News

08/30/2010

Wellness Programs as Cost-Containment Strategies

Wellness Programs: Universally Acknowledged – Financially Misunderstood:   White paper released today explores steps that employers can take to improve the health of their employees and generate a positive return on investment that can lead to lower health care benefit costs. As the benefits from a properly executed wellness initiative are becoming more universally understood, employers are learning that the way a program is launched and how it is supported over time is just as import...View More

07/23/2010

Interim Final Regulation Relating to Improved Fee Disclosure for Pension Plans

Attached is a fact sheet released by the U.S. Department of Labor on July 15, 2010 explaining the new pension plan regulations....View More

07/15/2010

Compliance Alert- Regulations Issued on Lifetime and Annual Limits

REGULATIONS ISSUED ON LIFETIME AND ANNUAL LIMITS Close on the heels of their regulations concerning grandfathered plans, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Treasury have now released interim final regulations relating to preexisting condition exclusions, lifetime and annual limits, rescissions, and other patient protections under the Affordable Care Act (the "Act").  This article focuses exclusively on the guidance relating to lifetime and annual limits. Lifeti...View More

04/26/2010

Compliance Alert- COBRA Extended!

COBRA PREMIUM SUBSIDY EXTENSION AGAIN  As many of you are aware, on April 15, 2010, President Obama signed the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 that extends the COBRA premium subsidy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to individuals who are involuntarily terminated from employment for reasons other than gross misconduct through May 31, 2010.  All provisions of the extension apply to federal COBRA as well as to the state continuation laws.Eligible qualifying event...View More

04/06/2010

Plan-Related Health Insurance Reform Provisions

The attached presentation shows Health Insurance Reforms That Will Impact Private Health Insurance that are Plan-Related.  ...View More

04/06/2010

Non Plan-Related Health Insurance Reform Provisions

The attached presentation shows Health Insurance Reforms That Will Impact Private Health Insurance that are Non Plan-Related.  ...View More

04/05/2010

Healthcare Reform 2010

This notice addresses the new law signed by the President on Tuesday, March 23 as well as the Reconciliation Bill passed by the House.  Some of the actual implementation timelines and exact rules remain unclear, but we will keep you informed as things progress. We have tried to summarize, instead of going into excruciating detail, those items that will not take place for three or more years, as there could certainly be modifications to those items prior to their implementation dates. Please...View More

04/05/2010

Employer Mandate Flowchart

PowerPoint slide that shows a generic employer decision process regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act....View More

03/08/2010

Compliance Alert - COBRA & CHIPRA!

CHIPRA Model Notice Release-Employer Action Required On February 4, 2009, President Obama signed the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009. CHIPRA included a requirement that the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services develop a model notice for employers to provide employees of potential opportunities available in the State in which the employee resides for group health plan premium assistance under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Prog...View More

01/15/2010

Compliance Alert: Model COBRA Notices

DOL UPDATES MODEL COBRA NOTICES As we reported in December, Congress and the President have extended the 65% COBRA premium subsidy enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("ARRA").  The maximum subsidy period is now 15 months (rather than 9), and the subsidy will now apply to COBRA coverage attributable to involuntary terminations occurring on or before February 28, 2010 (rather than December 31, 2009). Now comes the task of administering the extended subsidy...View More