Article as seen in Benefits Pro on October 12, 2016 written by Cindi A. Slater M.D. Open enrollment is upon us and for the majority of employers, that means offering employees a high deductible health plan. It is also the time of year when benefits professionals are most likely to remind employees to shop around [...]
Beginning in 2014 and continuing through 2016, employers and other sponsors of self-funded health plans, as well as insurance companies offering insured health plan products are subject to the Affordable Care Act’s transitional reinsurance fee. This fee was designed to fund reinsurance payments to health insurance issuers to cover high-risk individuals in the individual market. [...]
As you may recall, with the introduction of Medicare Part D prescription drug benefits, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) imposed specific notice requirements on employers. Each year, employers whose healthcare plans include prescription drug benefits are required to notify all Medicare beneficiaries and the CMS of the “creditable” or “non-creditable” coverage status [...]
The Drug Enforcement Association (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day for this Saturday, October 22nd. Between 10am and 2pm you can take any unwanted, unused or expired prescription drugs to a participating collection site near you for the medications to be safely disposed of. The first Take-Back Day was in 2010 with [...]
Article as seen in Employee Benefit Adviser on October 11, 2016, written by Stephany Verstraete Today widespread confusion persists regarding what is required to unleash the powerful cost savings potential of a robust telehealth benefit. Articles whitewash the landscape with talk of “average utilization rates,” and “check-the-box” options promising to do it all. The reality [...]
In a world of increased convenience, you can do your taxes online, you can get breaking news online and you can make reservations for your favorite restaurant online. In recent years, healthcare has followed suit with online resources and digital mechanisms to make your well-being easier to track and medical treatment more convenient to access. [...]
Article as seen in HHC Group Newsletter distributed from HHC Group. A new study by Johns Hopkins University concludes that hospitals are taking exorbitant markups, mostly in markets in which they face little or no competition. The researchers found no correlation between price and care quality. Published in the journal “Health”, the study quantifies the [...]
Article written by Gregory Seay as seen in HartfordBusiness.com on September 19, 2016 HBJ PHOTO | Gregory SeayConnecticut Spring & Stamping President William “Bill’’ Stevenson on the shop floor of the Farmington manufacturer. In its 77 years as a manufacturing “job shop,” Connecticut Spring & Stamping in Farmington has cultivated a varied 700-client [...]
Summer is upon us and with it comes more outdoor activities, more sunscreen and, for some, more travel. What you may not expect summer to bring is the risk of the Zika virus. But, U.S. health officials warn that mosquitos carrying the virus could hit the mainland’s southern borders, starting with Florida and the Gulf [...]
Article written by Austin Frakt as seen in The New York Times on August 8, 2016 At a time when health care spending seems only to go up, an initiative in California has slashed the prices of many common procedures. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (Calpers) started paying hospitals differently for 450,000 of its [...]
