Archive for the ‘Benefits General’ Category
PPACA Interim Final Regulations Issued Today June 14, 2010
HHS Releases Final Interim Guidance on “Grandfathering”
Today, the Departments of Health & Human Services, Labor, and Treasury issued long-awaited interim final regulations that specify how “grandfathered” status will be defined and maintained. Regulators spelled out which actions or changes will (and will not) cause a plan to lose its “grandfathered” status.
These interim final regulations will still require analysis by carriers, consultants and employers relative to their implications and effect on employer-sponsored healthplan change decisions. We expect substantial industry opinions in the next day or so. HR and benefits professionals should keep a close eye on these developments.
Please contact us via email if you have questions about the interim final regulations. BBCG will be receiving guidance from carriers, and their attorneys, which may be valuable to you.
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PPACA Cautions for Employers from BBCG
Two items about which employers need to be aware as they make healthplan policy decisions:
1. It appears unlikely that the COBRA subsidy will be re-implemented retroactively. There is serious opposition on the part of budget-conscious Democrats in Congress to extend the subsidy, making its passage problematic. At least for the time being, those going into a COBRA status need to be charged the full amount. In the unlikely event that the subsidy is retroactively implemented, COBRA participants can be reimbursed.
2. It is critical that employers keep up to date on rules that are about to be promulgated relative to what changes are allowable relative to retaining the “grandfathered” status of their existing employer-sponsored plans. Plan changes that add cost or reduce benefits to employees may cause a plan to loose its “grandfathered” status thus making it required to immediately abide by all PPACA provisions (i.e., as opposed to the 2014 statutory date). Information on these rules will likely be public shortly.
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Will Someone You Know or Employ Be Traveling Abroad — What Happens to Health Coverage?
Click On the Below Graphic for Auto-Browse/Purchase Service
Free and Non-Binding Unless User Actually Makes Application
Most people are not aware that the vast majority of health care coverage (i.e., health insurance policies, employee sponsored plans, Medicare, etc.) actually stops at the U.S. border. Many people are virtually “bare” (i.e., without insurance) during their stay overseas – although admittedly, most think otherwise. In some cases, there is minimal emergency or medevac coverage via a domestic plan. However, when substantial services are required immediately in a foreign country often the result is significant out-of-pocket costs. The suprise is often daunting to the traveler, family and/or friends.
There are many different categories of persons abroad, from the tourist, to the short-term business traveler, to the long-term expatriate. Within those categories there are often specialized needs for diffent groups depending on their length of stay and purpose abroad. For a broader discussion of the different sub-groups click here.
For an employer with personnel deployed abroad and promising extended health coverage, the cost of using a domestic employer sponsored health plan to pay the costs incurred in a foreign country rarely is the most cost-effective method of providing coverage for those individuals. [Note: for employers with 3 or more persons deployed abroad and 50 or more active employees in the U.S., BBCG has another portfolio of long-term and short-term international healthcare products provided by CIGNA International. We have found that those products may have more appeal to the corporate purchaser.]
For tourists, there is often a false sense of protection perceived in the typical travel insurance provided via their travel/tour operator. Rarely are the limits high enough to offset a major medical event. They are designed for emergency care with limits that rarely reach $50,000. An emergency heart by-pass procedure in Rome is going to cost a lot more than that!
IMG Global, as the managing general underwriter for Sirius International Insurance Group, has developed a uniquely high level of specialized expertise in meeting the needs of different types of travelers abroad. Please click on the graphic above for detailed information on international insurance designed for various travelers. You can also make application directly from that link for most products.
If you have additional questions, please click here for a direct email link to BBCG.
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Health Care Reform (PPACA) Update Web Meeting June 17, 2010
If you are an employer or senior management person trying to keep up with the provisions of PPACA, you are likely very frustrated as are many others. It is a moving target with interpretations and interim rules emerging almost daily. I noted in today’s St. Pete Times comments made following a seminar hosted by the Tampa Chamber on the details of PPACA. Even the normally informed “experts” are a little behind the curve and major employers are struggling with decisions due to incomplete guidance.
CIGNA has been holding a series of web meetings hosted by both their own employees and outside experts. The last one had two attorneys who specialize in PPACA as presenters and who were excellent in terms of their level of knowledge and current information. Following the presentation, a web conference operator moderates individual telephone questions directly to the presenters for specific questions and answers.
You do not need to be a CIGNA client to take advantage of this resource. Even if you just “lurk” without asking any questions, you will be brought up to speed on many details that might not otherwise be available to you. BBCG encourages you to register via the below link and join the web meeting at 2 P.M. June 17, 2010.
Click here for the CIGNA registration web page and link to additional health reform information available from CIGNA.
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United Healthcare Individual Medical Auto-Quote Function at BBCG
For those persons who prefer to do business with a long-established insurance carrier in the individual healthcare market, BBCG offers United Healthcare’s “UnitedHealthOne” (f/k/a Golden Rule) products. Various traditional, high deductible, point-of-service and HSA products are available. Please feel free to use this service to explore options that you feel might meet your needs.
Please click on the above Golden Rule icon to open the auto-quoting page. This is a free and non-binding service unless the user actually submits an application.
This service is in addition to the similar auto-quote function provided by BBCG via the CIGNA individual/small group market segment per our earlier blog entry at http://bocabenefits.com/blog/?p=588.
Both CIGNA and United Healthcare offer individual products as solutions to the “To Age 26” gap many college seniors may face while waiting for eligibility under one of their parent’s health plans.
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CIGNA Individual Plans Now Available Via Auto-Quote Function
In addition to the UnitedHealthOne (f/k/a Golden Rule) individual products auto-quote function from United Healthcare , BBCG now has a similar auto-quote function available for CIGNA products. Just click on the CIGNA logo above to open the quoting window.
Like the UnitedHealthOne products, CIGNA products also address the “To Age 26” issue for graduating college seniors.
This is a free and non-binding process unless an application is actually submitted by the user.
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Cost Example: Short Term Health Coverage for Graduating College Seniors
I am sending this along as an example of minimal costs to cover a 22 year old, male graduating college senior, aging out of parents’ plan(s), living in Clearwater, Florida, selecting the better of the two short term options available. The $1,000 deductible option costs $391.74 for six months of coverage. Most seniors will need seven months for $616.99 (yes… there is a big step in premiums from six to seven months) if they can enroll on Jan 1st in one of parent’s plans. See http://bocabenefits.com/short_term_med_examp.pdf for the cost details. See https://www.goldenrulehealth.com/PDF/38491-G200906.pdf for a product brochure.
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United Healthcare’s “UnitedHealthOne” Web Site Goes Down
United Healthcare’s “UnitedHealthOne” web site is down right now. Guess you guys overwhelmed them with quote requests! The auto quote function on http://bocabenefits.com/ind_health.htm won’t work until they have their scripts up and running again.
If you are attempting to get an individual healthcare quote, please re-try later.
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Update on the “To Age 26” PPACA Provision / BBCG Solutions
Yesterday I read the results of a survey conducted by a large national HR consulting company which indicated that only 16% of employers intend to implement the “To Age 26” provision of PPACA early to accommodate graduating college seniors. Most existing plans, which are “grandfathered” by definition (i.e., in existence on March 23, 2010) will defer making the offering until the first anniversary/plan-year date following the mandatory statute date of September 23, 2010.
The Impact
1. Many graduating college seniors will not be eligible until January 2011 when the majority of plans have plan-year dates.
2. Some will have to wait even longer if plan-year date is later than January 1st.
3. Some could have to wait as long as August 2011 if the plan has an odd summer/fall plan-year date.
4. Same goes for other “adult children” up to age 26 who thought they would become eligible immediately.
BBCG brokers permanent individual coverage. However, we also have short-term temporary coverage for this type of situation. If you know anyone who falls into the above categories, please have them go to http://bocabenefits.com/ind_health.htm where they can access a self-directed quoting service from United Healthcare’s “UnitedHealthOne” (f/k/a Golden Rule) products. The second screen following the initial zip code screen allows for selection of the short-term product.
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You Can Now Forward BBCG Blog Posts Directly to Your Facebook Account
As we indicated in a prior post, Twitterfeed.com will send all copies of posts here directly to our @bbcgbenefits Twitter account and to the Facebook account for Bob Murphy.
However, we understand that you may want to send certain posts to your own Facebook page and to your network of friends without first accessing the above accounts. To facilitate your ease of sharing we will be adding the below Facebook icon to the bottom of our posts. By clicking on it, you can share any post directly to Facebook.
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