by Mike Barrett | Oct 23, 2017 | Employer Issues, Healthcare Costs, Uncategorized
The ACA imposes a maximum dollar limit on employee contributions to health flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Although the ACA set this limit at $2,500, the limit is indexed for cost-of-living adjustments each year. On Oct. 19, 2017, the IRS announced that, for...
by Tom Barrett | Oct 16, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Insurance
Some folks may think that Friday’s Executive Order did away with Obamacare subsidies altogether. It didn’t. There are two subsidies. One was cut. One wasn’t. In a nutshell, one subsidy lowers the cost of premium (aka premium tax credits) for those qualified...
by Mike Barrett | May 3, 2017 | General Insurance Issues, Insurance, Uncategorized
Medicare can be tricky when it is coordinating with Group Health Coverage. This is especially true when Medicare enrollees WAIVE Part B coverage, thinking that they don’t need it because they have Group Health Coverage. Our message to those people is BE CAREFUL....
by Tom Barrett | Feb 17, 2017 | General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Issues, Insurance, Medicare Medicaid, Uncategorized
Can’t tell you how many calls and emails we get from panic-stricken employees nearing that magic 65th birthday and Medicare eligibility. It happens a lot. A whole lot. Some folks think if they don’t sign up three months before they turn 65 they’ll be in trouble....
by Tom Barrett | Jul 25, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Pharmacy Costs, Research
There’s plenty of cost related analytics available to support the disproportionate cost premise that medical expenses are highly concentrated among a very small proportion of enrolled employees. These highlights, for example, from a Agency for Healthcare Research and...
