With the help of mobile chatbot technology, a Phoenix-based network of urgent care clinics is helping patients check in remotely for telehealth and in-person visits with primary care physicians and specialists. By using their computer or mobile device to send and receive conversational messages, patients can complete forms and be directed to an exam room. [...]
With summer comes outdoor activities and plenty of fresh air. But really, how fresh is the air we breathe if we’re wearing a mask? When asked this question in a recent Facebook Live event, a specialist in charge of infectious disease at a Midwest-based healthcare system said wearing a mask outside is fine and there’s [...]
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, one in six high school students admitted to using e-cigarettes in 2015, with use among teens rising. While the media and elected officials have warned Americans of the risks inherent to electronic cigarettes, it is important to be aware of the dangers. E-cigarettes, consisting of a battery, an atomizing [...]
On Thursday, May 7, 2020, the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters final rule. This rule finalizes the CMS’ proposed modification of existing policy relating to how pharmaceutical manufacturer direct assistance (i.e., coupons) accrues with respect to health plan enrollees’ annual limit on [...]
As some state and local governments move to re-open, we’re hearing more about contact tracing. Since many Americans may be unsure of its meaning, we thought it might help to explain how this process may impact us. Massachusetts seems to be out front, already working to hire and train nearly 1,000 people to do contact [...]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued Revenue Procedure 2020-36 which indexes the contribution percentages for 2021 for purposes of determining affordability of an employer’s plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, employer-sponsored coverage will be considered affordable if the employee’s required contribution for self-only coverage does [...]
According to HealthDay News, a study covering millions of children age 17 and younger showed that overall visits to pediatricians in the U.S. fell by 14% from 2008 to 2016, with sick visits dropping by 24%. At the same time, however, well-child preventive visits increased by 10%. Researchers mention increasing out-of-pocket costs and the increased [...]
With businesses operating remotely and personnel working from home, it’s easy to miss certain important deadlines in this COVID-19 era, such as providing your COBRA Administrator with timely termination of coverage notices so that employees who have a COBRA qualifying event, such as termination of employment or reduction of hours, receive COBRA Election notices within [...]
There are many concerns that cause top executives to lose sleep, but the events of the past couple months have tested business owners and decision makers in ways that can only be described as unprecedented. The uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus coupled with a burning desire to get back to business have created an increasingly dynamic [...]
When President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act into law in mid-March, employers with fewer than 500 employees became responsible for providing paid leave to certain employees through Dec. 31, 2020. The benefit extends to employees unable to work or telework due to the need for leave to care for a son or [...]
