by Tom Barrett | Feb 24, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Reform, Insurance, National News
The Transitional Relief Provision has been extended as expected at least through December 31, 2018. We reported on it last week here. Small employers with non-ACA compliant or “grandmothered” plans will once again have the option to keep those plans in...
by Tom Barrett | Feb 10, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Insurance, Uncategorized
While we wait to see what happens with the New Trump Administration’s plans to repeal and replace…………. In a recent field communication pertaining to Small Group renewals, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced that they were making provisions for small employers with...
by Mike Barrett | Jan 25, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Insurance, Managed Care - Group Health
What do we see? Our opinion was that if Hillary Clinton had won, ACA would have gotten the heavy lift it would have needed to advance. The difficult regulations would have been imposed (vs delayed further) and the money would have been allocated from general funds to...
by Tom Barrett | Nov 9, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, National News, News and Events, Uncategorized
Highly respected industry expert Bob Laszewski provides an ongoing review of health care policy activity and the health insurance marketplace. We have followed his takes on healthcare reform for some time and have always found them to insightful, balanced, realistic...
by Mike Barrett | Sep 14, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Medicare Medicaid, Pharmacy Costs, Pharmacy, PBMs and Pharma Costs
We have all heard jokes that begin with “Three guys walk into a bar….” I thought it might make sense to use that model to explain why “referenced-based pricing” and general consumer awareness in healthcare are important to consider. Here...
by Tom Barrett | Jul 29, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Uncategorized
The “Controlled Group” question is popping up for many employers with much greater frequency as part of various and sundry regulatory applications, audits, surveys, reporting requirements and underwriting questionnaires. Netting it out in layman’s terms — at...