Chamber of Commerce drops ACA repeal effort, then slams law

By Christian Schappel

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce just announced it’ll be ending its feverish efforts to repeal Obamacare, but that doesn’t mean it’s done an about-face on the law.

Just recently, Chamber President and CEO Tom Donahue announced during a speech the business federation will cease its efforts calling for the repeal of President Obama’s signature law, which reshapes the health insurance landscape.

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Why Your Disability Insurance Audit is So Important

By Terry Allard

For most employers, looking at the health insurance plan every year is a tradition.  The numbers are reviewed, a bid is suggested (or not), and an analysis of the performance and incoming numbers is performed.  Unfortunately, other ancillary lines are often overlooked, renewed as-is because they aren’t used as much or there’s a rate hold.  This can lead to dire consequences, especially for an employer’s group disability insurance.

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Another way to dissuade health plan participants from going to the ER

By Christian Schappel

Of course, if an employee on your health plan has an emergency, you want him or her to go to the ER — no questions asked. The problem is, many people unfamiliar with the inner-workings of the health system think it’s acceptable to visit the ER for more routine care — and that costs health plans plenty.

A key contributor to rising healthcare costs: Health plan participants utilizing uber-expensive ER services for non-emergency services.

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Tip Tuesday! Dodging spousal health coverage policies may hurt employers

By Michael Giardina

Employers looking to avoid expensive spousal health coverage may be tipping the bill for more employees under their respective health care offerings as the uncovered married population opts in, a new study says.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute finds that spouses will begin to take up their own health care policies with their employers, which should worry benefit professionals. The Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan organization says that the ACA may be to blame.

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Report: Employers get extended reprieve from ACA nondiscrimination rules

By Christian Schappel

Another Obamacare mandate that was supposed to have kicked in by now has been delayed indefinitely. Why? The IRS is having difficulty writing guidance for it.

The mandate in question is the reform law’s nondiscrimination requirement, which is supposed to prevent health plans from discriminating in favor of highly compensated employees by offering them benefits not open to their lesser-paid counterparts.

In a nutshell, the intent of the law was to create equal coverage for everyone under the same employer.
The problem, however, is that the feds have yet to release guidance on the mandate and have been saying for years that the nondiscrimination rules won’t kick in until the guidance has been issued.

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3 things you need to know about the feds’ new Obamacare guidance

By Jared Bilski

To usher in the new year, the feds’ wasted no time rolling out new guidance on the finer points of the health reform law: the 18th installment of its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Affordable Care Act implementation. And this FAQ guide covers quite a diverse range of benefits issues.
In FAQs about Affordable Care Act Implementation (Part XVIII) and Mental Health Parity Implementation, the DOL addresses questions about:

• the coverage of preventive services and limits on cost-sharing rules
• wellness programs, and
• the Mental Health Parity Act.

It also answers questions regarding expatriate plans and fixed indemnity insurance.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the FAQs most important clarifications for HR pros:

1. Wellness plans

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Dec 1 Early Renewal Plans have Jan 29 Deadline to Notify CMS of Medicare Part D Notices

By Lisa Klinger

For small group plans that renewed early on December 1, 2013, the deadline for online notice to CMS regarding Medicare Part D creditable coverage and notices will be January 29, 2014, rather than March 1.

Health plan sponsors must notify the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) within 60 days from the beginning of the plan or policy year as to whether their group health plan Prescription Drug coverage is “creditable coverage” under Medicare Part D. For calendar year plans, this deadline is March 1st. For small group plans that renewed early on December 1, 2013, however, the deadline will be 31 days earlier, which would be January 29, 2014. If a plan renewed early but kept its prior plan year, the CMS deadline will not change. For small plans that do not file Form 5500s and so do not specify a plan year, however, the contract date or renewal date will apply rather than the plan year. Thus, their CMS deadline will be January 29, 2014. This notice can only be made by using the Online Disclosure to CMS Form on the CMS website. See below for additional details. The website also requires the plan sponsor to report the date they sent the Medicare Part D notices to Medicare-eligible plan participants.

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Tip Tuesday! Prepare for 2015's play-or-pay penalties today: 4 places to start

By Peter Marathas

Employers should already be focusing on getting ready for 2015 and it’s an adviser’s job to tell them this. The play-or-pay penalties will be enforced next January. Benefits lawyer Peter Marathas, of the firm Proskauer Rose and its Health Care Reform Task Force team, says there are four areas advisers need to sit down to prepare their clients for today.

We don’t need to remind this audience that the employer mandate was delayed, on July 2, 2013, to January 2015. Many of you were already in detailed discussions with your clients about play-or-pay and can pick back up on those right now. Marathas, who spent time working on the implementation of the Massachusetts health law, says affordability, full-time hours, employee status and nondiscrimination are the first things you should revisit with existing clients or begin discussing with new clients.

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Tip Tuesday! Major health law changes begin in 2014

By Tony Pugh

WASHINGTON -- After more than three years of piecemeal implementation, the Affordable Care Act reaches an important new phase in 2014, when most of the law’s major provisions finally kick in.
For consumer advocates who’ve championed health care reform, the wait is over.

“Wednesday is not only the start of the New Year, it also ushers in a long-awaited era of affordable health coverage and care for families across America,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a consumer health advocacy organization. “At long last, much-needed help is on the way.”

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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/30/3844614/major-health-law-changes-begin.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/30/3844614/major-health-law-changes-begin.html#storylink=cpy

5 things you need to know about health cost comparison tools

By Jared Bilski

Healthcare cost transparency — the ability to compare medical providers’ care costs — is beginning to gain traction among employers. And in recent years, an assortment of products and tools have hit the market, all claiming to make it easy for employers and employees to compare doctors.

But not all of these tools are created equal.

That’s why the folks at Catalyst for Payment Reform, a nonprofit that advocates for high-value health care, have devised a list of features employers should look for in price transparency tools.

From ease of use to chronic condition help

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What can HR expect in 2014? Regs, rulings, reform and more

By Dan Wisniewski

This year was no walk in the park for HR pros — and there looks to be plenty to keep everyone busy in the coming year.

Here’s what should be on HR’s radar in 2014, courtesy of Fisher & Phillips’ Jim Holland and Much Shelist’s Sheryl Jaffee Halpern.

Criminal background checks

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) hasn’t earned a boost in popularity since it publicized its new guidance on criminal background checks in 2012

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