February 2013 – DGB Group Scoop
Greetings!
We hope this newsletter finds everyone doing well in 2013. We know you are all busy running your business and we understand the following topic can be annoying, but please bear with us. ACA is in full speed. We hope you will take the time to look through the Group Scoop as this newsletter is one of several ways we use to get out to you helpful information that impacts your health plan. If you are a bottom line type of person, don’t miss our last paragraph in this letter where we give you a hint on how to get around all this and control the COST OF CARE.
We are planning a series of presentations and communications to help everyone stay on top of all the ACA topics. Keep your eyes open for our email notifications. And review the Group Scoop carefully; we will put as much as we can into this publication for your review as well. Read More….
2013: The Year of the Snake
According to the Chinese calendar, 2013 is the year of the water Snake. They say 2013 is meant for steady progress and attention to detail, all of which will be imperative when dealing with the complexities of health care reform. 2013 (and 2014) will give us a lot to think about and to do in regard to your health plan. We know there is A LOT of information coming at you from all directions, please know we are here as a resource and we’re prepared to help guide you through the process.
In addition to sharing information and keeping you updated via email, during mid-year review and renewal meetings, we are planning special Health Care Reform Review meetings for clients and brokers in March and April 2013. We’ll be sending out information in the next couple of weeks, we hope to see you there! (See right column for more information).
We have also prepared the attached 2013/2014 ACA Timeline that can be used as a quick reference guide of upcoming ACA requirements happening in 2013 and 2014. We feel this will give you a good idea of what you should be thinking about and planning for as we move forward.
As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at (888) 322-2524.
Compliance Corner: To Play or Pay? That is the question….
Employers will soon be faced with this decision, when in 2014 certain large employers may be subject to a penalty tax (also called an “assessable payment”) for
1) failing to offer minimum essential health care coverage for all full-time employees (and their dependents); or
2) offering eligible employer-sponsored coverage that is not “affordable” (exceeds a specific percentage of the employee’s household income) or does not offer “minimum value” (the Plan’s share of the total cost is not at least 60%).
The penalty tax is due if any full-time employee is certified to the employer as having purchased health insurance through an Exchange with respect to which a premium tax credit or cost-sharing reduction is allowed or paid to the employee. These requirements are also referred to as the Shared Employer Responsibility Provisions.
The Society of Professional Benefit Administrators recently released a Play or Pay flowchart that we have found very helpful and wanted to share with you. Please click here to download the flow chart.
New Opportunities for Wellness in 2013!
Wellness programs are one of the benefits supported by the Affordable Care Act that employers are leveraging to empower their health benefits strategy and enhance the health of their workforces. In November, Health & Human Services recommended raising the incentive limits that employers can utilize to incentivize participation in wellness programs. The recommendation was to raise the limit from 30% to 50% of the total cost of the health plan, as long as the wellness program meets some basic criteria and guidelines.
In 2013 Corporate Fitness & Health (CF&H), Diversified’s Wellness Subsidiary, will be working to enhance many of their programs and services. These enhancements will provide a better user experience, offer a greater diversity of online and mobile applications, provide a greater depth of programs and most importantly continue to offer our customers leading edge services and compliance.
You will receive further information throughout 2013 about many of these enhancements, or feel free to call your DGB Sales Representative with questions at (888) 322-2524.
2012 Diversified Employees of the Year!
At the end of each year we like to recognize employees who have exceeded expectations throughout the year. We are pleased to announce our 2012 Employees of the Year:
Heidi Tully, Senior Claims Analyst: We were very pleased to welcome Heidi back to Diversified in 2011 and after a few weeks it was like she never left! Heidi was recognized for her wonderful work ethic and because she takes on every project with pride, determination, and a positive attitude. Heidi is one of our top producers and maintains a high quality rating.
Dorothy Munroe: Dorothy has been with us for over 13 years working behind the scenes managing provider updates which allows our medical claims analysts to process claims accurately and without delay. Dorothy’s IRS expertise and attention to detail allows Provider 1099’s to be complete and error free. Dorothy is a team player and is always willing to assist other departments. Dorothy is a very dedicated, conscientious employee who demonstrates a strong work ethic.
Winter Edition
In This Issue
Greetings!
2013: The Year of the Snake
Compliance Corner: To Play or Pay? That is the question!
New Opportunities for Wellness in 2013
Helpful Links
WELCOME NEW CLIENTS!
Accutech Insulation & Contracting
Baystate Dental, PC
Booth Waltz Enterprises, Inc.
Coburn Technologies, Inc.
Island Creek Oysters
UPCOMING EVENTS:
March/April 2013
We are in the process of scheduling special Health Care Reform Review meetings for our clients and brokers.
They will be held in late March/early April and we expect each session to last about 2 hours. We will cover the issues that specifically impact our clients. Issues like Play or Pay, Cost sharing limitations, Reporting of health insurance coverage, and more…
Our goal is to educate and prepare you with the information and tools you need to successfully prepare for and navigate these complex issues.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION!
Click on the links below for more information on the following topics:
State of CT Childhood Immunization Vaccine Assessment Information
Questions? Comments? Let us know!
We love your feedback, please let us know how we are doing!Email us today!
Our employees are why so many of you are comfortable doing business with us. Please join us in congratulating recent employees who have been recognized as Employee of the Month:
October 2012: Alison Searles was our Employee of the Month in October. Alison is an Employee Benefit Specialist with 15 years experience. She is one of our go to people for all questions pertaining to new group set ups and benefit expertise. One of Alison’s major projects for 2012 was our Client Seminar held in September. The seminar was a great success and we received many compliments from clients, brokers, and employees. The 2012 Seminar was attended by more people than any other in the past. Alison handled the entire event with such professionalism, we were all proud to be part of the Diversified team.
November 2012: Jeannie Fellows was our Employee of the Month in November. Jeannie just celebrated her 15th anniversary with Diversified. Many of you know Jeannie through your employee benefit meetings. Employee benefits are not always interesting or easy to understand but Jeannie has a way to put everyone at ease and with her knowledge, is able to answer all your benefit questions. Jeannie is the consummate professional.
December 2012: Debbie Boone was our Employee of the Month in December. Debbie has been with Diversified for over 12 years. She is always willing to take on new responsibilities and does so with a positive attitude. She is very thorough and makes sure she understands her duties completely. Debbie assists in the Admin/Eligibility Department, Claims Department, QA Department as well as the Stop Loss Unit. She is a team player and is always willing to assist her co-workers.
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