Archive for the ‘Health Care Reform Articles’ Category
Additional Guidance on the New Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)
The Employee Benefits Security Administration issued additional guidance on the new Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) that must be distributed beginning September 2012 in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. The SBC is intended to enable consumers to easily understand their health coverage and determine the best health insurance options for themselves and their families.
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Regulations Require Unique Health Plan Identification Number
The Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule under health care reform that, if finalized, would require health plans to maintain a unique health plan identifier number (HPID). The HPID is intended to reduce plan administrative issues by making it easier to identify the parties involved in electronic health plan transactions.
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Employer Pay-Or-Play: Determination of Minimum Value for Employer Health Coverage
Beginning in 2014, certain large employers will be assessed a penalty if any of the employer’s full-time employees receives a premium tax credit to purchase coverage through an Exchange. An employee will be eligible for a premium tax credit if the employer’s health plan coverage is either unaffordable or does not provide minimum value. The IRS released a notice describing potential approaches for determining if employer group health coverage provides minimum value for purposes of health care reform.
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Clinical Effectiveness Research Fee
Employer sponsors of self-funded health plans, along with insurers of insured plans, will soon have to pay a an annual fee based on the number of lives covered under the health plan. Proposed regulations were issued last week describing the payment and application of this Clinical Effectiveness Research Fee established by health care reform.
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Automatic Health Plan Enrollment
Health Care Reform requires certain employers to automatically enroll employees in health coverage. BAS makes automatic enrollment easy through MyEnroll.com.
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Government Addresses Questions about New SBC Requirement
The government issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions about the new Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) requirement. The FAQs are intended to clarify the SBC distribution rules.
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Regulations Address Health Care Exchanges
While the future of health care will depend, in part, on the Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of health care reform, the government recently issued guidance for states to follow when establishing health care Exchanges.
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U.S. Supreme Court Hears Debate on Health Care Reform
The United States Supreme Court just completed three days of oral argument on the legality of the Affordable Care Act. The justices uncharacteristically questioned the lawyers presenting the case, apparently challenging the individual mandate requirement, which many view as the lynchpin of health care reform.
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Consumers Helped by Elimination of Dollar Limits on Essential Health Benefits
Non-grandfathered health plans must eliminate lifetime and annual dollar limitations on essential health benefits. Studies have shown that this health care reform requirement has benefited consumers.
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Changes to Health Care FSA Contribution Limits
Beginning January 1, 2013, Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (Health FSAs) are subject to a $2,500 limit on salary reduction contributions. Employers should be preparing to implement this new health care reform requirement.
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