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November 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The election results are in and the Republicans have retaken the House of Representatives.

Talk about the healthcare bill will once again be brought to the forefront of Congress. The Congress will attempt to change the present Health Care Initiative and this will put the entire Health Care system in turmoil again.

The new initiatives from the first bill have mixed reviews and have caused carriers to increase premiums. Options to employers have minimized while the premiums charged continue to escalate.

My clients ask me what they can do and I try to give them viable options to maintain the healthcare programs for their companies.

There will come a point where the choice will between giving a healthcare program or keep an employee working. The healthcare plan for that company will end. There will be a time when a small employer with less than 50 employees will NOT offer health plans.  It will be simply unaffordable.

So what steps do you take now as an employer?

Get the employees involved!  Either have them all in on the meetings or have them choose an employee representative to hear what the plans and costs are.

Most companies believe that they alone need to choose a plan.

This will not reduce the costs from the carriers but you might be surprised at the input from the employees.

Get the employees involved.

Editor’s note: This is a special post from insurance broker Alan Levenson.

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Filed Under: Employee Benefits, Health care reform Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
October 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Like it or not, healthcare reform has passed and the first portion of the bill, the patient protection portion is implemented.

New group health insurance plans that are started after September 23rd of this year will have a whole set of new protections that will expand coverage, but unfortunately may increase your rates. The costs of the added protections have to come from somewhere.

The second portion of the bill, the affordability portion is set to go in to effect in 2014. So what can your business do now with the outlandish increases and high rates that you are facing?

Two words. Shop now.

There are insurers out there that offer alternatives to traditional coverage and may be able to offer you immediate relief in the way of lower premiums. These insurers may not be right for every company out there, but it is worth looking in to. Some of these insurers are also exempt from the added costs of state regulation.

You have a choice right now. You can either take your increases and high premium costs and hope that in 2014 you will see relief, or you can take a hard look at your  current group health insurance plan and come up with a strategy to contain costs.

I recommend that you develop a strategy now with an insurance broker who specializes in health insurance.

If your broker just hands you a couple of spreadsheets, you owe yourself, your company, and your employees the appropriate due diligence that a broker from CG Benefits Group and Technology Insurance Associates can provide. The plan that your company has, may not be the best option for you and the traditional marketplace may not be best either. Either way, you need to have your benefits reviewed.

Here’s what you need to do now:

  • Gather your employee census information to get ready to submit to a broker
  • Get copies of current plan benefit summary and rates
  • Prepare to take a serious look at your contributions as an employer and how much your employees contribute
  • Contact us now and a licensed insurance broker who specializes in health insurance will contact you to start getting quotes from all available carriers. You will discuss your strategy, goals, and needs with the broker to assist him or her in getting a proposal that meets all of your company’s requirements.
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Filed Under: Healthcare refom and your business Tagged With: , , , , ,
August 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The state of New Jersey has released pricing and plan information about their pre-existing conditions program for uninsured residents.

As you may recall from my original post about the new health insurance exchange, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was started nationwide to provide subsidized insurance for American citizens that do not have insurance due to a pre-existing medical condition.

Each state has the choice to run their own plan or go under the federal plan. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance has decided to run their own plan with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield as the sole provider of healthcare.

To be eligible for PPACA coverage an applicant must be a US citizen, a resident of New Jersey, been uninsured for at least six consecutive months, and have a pre-existing medical condition.

The plan in New Jersey will now be called, NJ Protect, and have premiums ranging from $212.63 to $767.95 for a single person depending on the age of the applicant and design of the policy.

Plans offered provide in and out of network benefits similar to a PPO plan. Treatments for pre-existing conditions are covered from the start of the policy and also offer preventive care with no additional cost to the policyholder.

Do you think healthcare reform will continue to provide affordable healthcare for un-insured Americans?

Post a comment or email me at blog@insureyourcompany.com.

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Filed Under: Health care reform, Health Insurance, pre-exisiting conditions Tagged With: , , , , , ,
August 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Avastin, a popular cancer treatment drug may have its approval revoked by the FDA after studies have found that the drug may not extend patients lives beyond a month, according to The Daily Telegraph. This about face has provoked fears that the FDA is starting a death panel as insurance carriers will likely drop coverage for the costly medication.

The FDA advisory panel has now voted 12-1 to drop the endorsement for breast cancer treatment. The panel unusually cited “effectiveness” grounds for the decision. But it has been claimed that “cost effectiveness” was the real reason ahead of reforms in which the government will extend health insurance to the poorest.

The New York Times has stated that the original trial showed that tumor progression halted for five months, but in new trials that used a combination of different chemotherapy drugs the tumor progression halted for less than a month to three months.

Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, a pace-setter in evaluating medical advances, issued draft guidance this month against using Avastin for advanced breast cancer patients in the National Health Service. It called the clinical trial data “disappointing” and the cost “too high for the limited and uncertain benefit it may offer patients.”

I don’t believe that this results in Palin death panel rationing as some publications would have you believe.

If a drug does not work as intended, the FDA is within their rights to deny approval for the drug. If someone wants to use a drug that is not approved, then can do so and pay out of their pocket. If someone want to spend $8000 a month on Avastin, then they have every right to do so. I hope this issue is not used as a political weapon by politicians on either side of the aisle in the US.

What do you think? Is the FDA starting a death panel to ration healthcare? Do you think healthcare reform will make the country worse or better off?

Post some comments or email me at blog@insureyourcompany.com. I want to hear your opinion!

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Filed Under: cancer treatment, Health care reform, Health Insurance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
August 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

An explanation of why health insurance is expensive in America and an overview of current health care reform and other possible fixes that may alleviate high prices.

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Filed Under: Health care reform, Health Insurance Tagged With: , , , , ,
July 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Last week Healthcare.gov launched as a portal for U.S. citizens to explore the American health insurance market in an easily navigated and concise website. The website includes ways to find insurance coverage options, learn about preventive care, compare quality care, and ways to understand the new insurance laws.

First of all, finding insurance coverage options is a very easy process of selecting options that apply to your unique situation. Whether you are a small employer, an individual with an illness, unable to get health insurance, or a young adult under 26, the website directs to state specific resources for finding coverage.

For example, for a small IT consulting firm in New Jersey, I was informed that New Jersey is a guaranteed issue state for health insurance. An insurance carrier cannot turn a small business down for coverage if it meets the qualifications of small employer. I was then directed to Department of Banking And Insurance where I could read their online New Jersey small employer’s buyers guide to health insurance.

The preventive care section of the website partners with healthfinder.gov where you can enter your age and gender and recommended tests, immunizations, and other health tips tailored to your information is presented. This is a great feature to include in the website and I found it very helpful.

Next, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ hospital compare tool allows users to search hospitals by zip code and offers the ability to compare hospitals in your area by patient care surveys, care outcomes, medical imaging statistics, their Medicare coverage, and volume. This tool is an excellent addition to healthcare.gov and provides an easy way to compare hospitals.

Lastly, the website includes information about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in an easy to understand format. A timeline for establishment of reform changes is included to easily reference when certain provisions of the bill will go into effect.

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Filed Under: Health Insurance Tagged With: , , , , ,
April 23, 2010 By 2 Comments

Millions of small businesses will receive postcards from the IRS beginning the week of April 19 that alert them to the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credit and encourage them to check their eligibility. Even if you don’t receive a postcard, your business still may be eligible.

Here’s how to determine if you are eligible:

Eligibility Rules

  • Providing health care coverage. A qualifying employer must cover at least 50 percent of the cost of health care coverage for some of its workers based on the single rate.
  • Firm size. A qualifying employer must have less than the equivalent of 25 full-time workers (for example, an employer with fewer than 50 half-time workers may be eligible).
  • Average annual wage. A qualifying employer must pay average annual wages below $50,000.
  • Both taxable (for profit) and tax-exempt firms qualify.

Amount of Credit

  • Maximum Amount. The credit is worth up to 35 percent of a small business’ premium costs in 2010. On Jan. 1, 2014, this rate increases to 50 percent (35 percent for tax-exempt employers).
  • Phase-out. The credit phases out gradually for firms with average wages between $25,000 and $50,000 and for firms with the equivalent of between 10 and 25 full-time workers.

Three Simple Steps for Employers to Qualify

To determine if your small business or tax exempt organization qualifies for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, follow the three simple steps on the IRS’ fact sheet.

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Filed Under: Health Insurance, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,
April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Many small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that provide health insurance coverage to their employees now qualify for a special tax credit under the Obama health reform legislation that just passed. This credit is designed to encourage small employers to offer health coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they already have. If you pay at least half the cost of the health insurance (employee only) you might be entitled to a 35 percent credit of those premiums. This credit is effective now (2010). The credit increases to 50 percent in 2014. The IRS has all the information on how to apply for the credit on your 2010 tax return. This is a great opportunity to use your health plan to recruit and retain the best people for your positions. You can structure multiple plan designs and with the credit pay an affordable amount for coverage. Contact me for more info. alan@cgbins.com.

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Filed Under: COBRA, Health Insurance, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,