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Stay up to date on the latest News on our industry.Oxford Preventive Health Guidelines Worksite Poster
2012 NY Oxford Preventive Care Flyer
Empire Leaving Small Group – delayed 1 year
In a pleasant surprise, Empire will delay their April 2012 decision to "simplify" small group plans 1 more year from April 2012 to April 2013 instead. The Nov 4th Empire announcement to leave the NY Small Group Business was truly shocking after being in business for...
Empire Leaving Small Groups
As per todays Crains article, Empire Blue Cross will be exiting the majority of small group health plans effective April 1, 2012. The news was swirling earlier this week with official Empire communication going out today. This affects 1/3 of New York Small Businesses...
What Does Medicare Cost?
Yes! it has begun Medicare Open Enrollment Period which opened Oct 15th - Dec 7th is in full swing. This is year 1 of Baby Boomers Generation applying for Medicare Benefits. This couldn't come at a better time with all changes in the market place. Many businesses...
Additional Medicare Resources
People with Medicare, their families and other trusted representatives can review and compare current plan coverage with new plan offerings, using many proven resources, including: Visiting www.medicare.gov, where they can get a personalized comparison of costs and...
Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans (Medigap)
Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans (Medigap) Medicare Supplements or Medigap are private insurance policies designed to cover the gaps in Medicare coverage. It is important to research and shop for the best rates in your area. All plans are "standardized" and must...
Healthy NY Slashed!
As reported by Crains, the Healthy NY program will be undergoing significant cuts. Beginning January 1 2012, the high deductible health plans (HDHP) option will only be offered by Healthy NY. With rates averaging 30% below market and reasonable benefits such as $20...
Healthy NY FAQ
Healthy NY FAQ FULL Rate and Benefits: 2014 Healthy NY The goal of the Healthy NY program is to promote and provide affordable insurance coverage to eligible small businesses that are not currently offering health insurance coverage to their employees. It is also...
Healthy NY Slashed!
HEALTHY NY SLASHED! As reported by Crains, the Healthy NY program will be undergoing significant cuts. Beginning January 1 2012, the high deductible health plans (HDHP) option will only be offered by Healthy NY. With rates averaging 30% below...
Lost Jobs
"Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of...
CLASS In or Out? – Long Term Care
In another downsizing move of the Health Care Reform ACT - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) the office responsible for the new Long Term Care Act claus have been reassigned. This portion of the law is known as CLASS (Community Living Assistance...
UnitedHealthcare Buying Medical Groups?
UnitedHealthcare Buying Medical Groups? Optum Health owned by UnitedHealth Group Today's WSJ reports UnitedHealth Buys California Group of 2,300 Doctors may be a signal of future trends in healthcare where there is blurring of the lines between insurers and providers....
The NYS Surcharge on Health Insurance
Ever Wonder why in a Metropolis of 25 Million there are maybe 5 insurers left? New York Taxes - As published with the NYS Insurance Dept. New York adds more insurance taxes than any other state in the country. These consist of both direct taxes and a number of...
U.S. Budget Deal’s Effect on Private Insurance
After balancing the budget and announcing $2.4 trillion in government spending cuts over ten years, politicians and media pundit are insisting that it is only the beginning of the attack on health care, pensions and other social programs. So why is balancing the...
Map of State Exchanges Status – July 2011
Map of State Exchanges Status – July 2011
Contraceptives Free Next Year
Under Health-Care Reform Insurance Coverage for Contraception Is Required - NYT; The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an arm of HHS, developed the women’s services package to implement the preventive health services provisions of the Patient...
Happy July 4th – Summer 2011
Healthcare Reform - Year Later Hello. It’s been awhile, hope you’re all well. To all who have inquired, my thanks for your concern, but all’s good. Hectic, but good. Lot’s going on and an awful lot of travel. I’ve had a chance to meet and talk with with...
Wellness plans pay for themselves
Although employers continue to use cost shifting to control health insurance expenses, many companies are also making wellness programs part of the overall strategy to keep costs down by keeping staff members healthy. "Our entire health care system is organized around...
SPONY Winter 2011
Small Business Tax Credit
Small Business Tax Credit. From our blog http://alexmillers.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/president-kills-new-1099-reporting-of-ppaca/ More small businesses are providing health insurance to their employees in 2011 as a result of the tax credit of up to 35% and 25% for...
Reform Video – Kaiser
Health Reform Hits Main Street - Kaiser Health Reform
Health Care Reform Glossary
Accountable Care Organization (ACO) – These organizations coordinate patient care and provide the full range of health care services for patients. The health reform law provides incentives for providers who join together to form such organizations and who agree to be...
HSA 2012 Limits
The IRS has announced the Health Savings Account (HSA) limits for 2012. In 2012, HSA limits are as follows: HDHP Minimum Annual Deductible (No change from calendar year 2011): Single - $1200 Family - $2400 HDHP Out-of-Pocket Maximum: Single - $6050 Family - $12,100...
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The Employer Mandate under Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
Larger employers that don’t offer minimum essential health coverage to full-time workers may face penalties under health care reform if any full-time employees receive a government premium credit or subsidy to buy their own insurance through an exchange. The so-called...
What does FTE(Full Time Equivalent) mean?
To determine the FTE (Full Time Equivalent) you must count FT and PT employees. Full Time Employees are those working 30 hours+/week.* The number of full-time employees excludes those full-time seasonal employees who work for less than 120 days during the year.4 The...
HTTPS is your friend
At times a non related health care themes needs posting. This one is an important security measure that ought to be applied by all users whenevr possible. HTTPS connections are often used for payment transactions on the World Wide Web and for sensitive...
Massachusetts: 5 Years after Health Reform
This month on April 12th, 2011 marked the five-year anniversary of Massachusetts 2006 State Health Care Reform. The reform was signed into law by then-governor Mitt Romney with the goal of providing affordable health insurance coverage to the estimated 6% of...
President kills new 1099 reporting of PPACA
A taxing provision for small businesses was officially repealed last Thursday. The widely unpopular provision would have had businesses report transactions to IRS of $600 in a year paid to ALL businesses for goods and services. Suddenly businesses would have to...
New Fed. Labor Laws by #of Employees
Aside from the many health care related questions that are popping up with the new Health Care Reform Act otherwise known as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act there are also new Labor Law changes that affects businesses of all sizes. For the latest info...
Tax Credit Boosts Small Business Health Plan Enrollment
More small businesses are providing health insurance to their employees in 2011 as a result of the tax credit of up to 35% and 25% for non-profits offered through PPACA starting in 2010. Several insurers have reported significant increases in small group enrollments....
Health Reform News: Fed. Judge Rules on Individual Mandate
Yesterdays ruling on Individual Mandate by Florida Federal Judge on buying a health plan is unconstitutional changes everything. More importantly, Judge Vinison also struck down the entire bill as unconstitutional. According to Politico, the health reform law lacks...
IRS Will Not Enforce Non-Discrimination Clause….For Now.
The IRS issued On December 22, 2010 a Notice http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-11-01.pdf which states compliance with the non-discrimination provisions of the Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) are suspended for insured group health benefit plans....for now....
Health Reform Hits Main Street – Kaiser Health Reform
[vodpod id=Groupvideo.7904996&w=450&h=325&fv=] Discovered Health Reform Hits Main Street - Kaiser Health ... via adamsorensenFollow my videos on vodpod
HSA 2011 Limits
The Internal Revenue Service has released the 2011 limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), to which HSAs must be linked. The amounts for 2011 are unchanged from 2010. In Revenue Procedure 2010-22, issued on May 24, 2010,...
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