News Bulletins

Via The Washington Post: Enrollment records for close to 15,000 HealthCare.gov shoppers were not initially transmitted to the insurance plans they selected, according to a preliminary federal estimate released Saturday…click here to read the story on The Washington Post

Brokers are reporting that some of their clients are in insurance limbo as they wait for the error to be corrected by HHS or their states. From USA Today… The federal health care exchange is incorrectly determining that some people are eligible for Medicaid when they clearly are not, leaving them with little chance to get the subsidized insurance they are entitled to as the Dec. 23 deadline for enrollment approaches. Read the story on USA Today

Health Care Reform Bulletin: Exchange Enrollment Periods   Under the Exchange (also known as the Marketplace), there are three enrollment periods:  the initial, the annual and the special enrollment periods. Click the link below to download the latest bulletin covering enrollment dates. Exchange Enrollment Dates – 120213R

Zane Benefits December 2, 2013 at 7:30 AM Today, less than 50% of small businesses offer employees health insurance, largely because of the cost. That’s over 2.3 million small businesses that don’t offer health insurance. Under ObamaCare, small businesses (<50 employees) aren’t required to offer health insurance, but most want to. And, there are new advantages of individual health insurance such as the premium tax credits and guaranteed-issue coverage. All of these factors leave many small business owners asking “Can I just reimburse employees’ individual health insurance in 2014?” Under ObamaCare, small businesses (<50 employees) aren’t required to offer health insurance, but most want to. And, there are new advantages of… Read More

Despite Improvements, HealthCare.gov Still Marked By Technical Issues. via nahu,org: HealthCare.gov’s first full day after its overhaul generated very little unambiguously positive coverage from nonpartisan news outlets, and a great deal of reporting highlighting the technological obstacles that continue to confront those attempting to use the site to purchase health insurance. The site and its improvements, however successful, garnered nearly six minutes of network news coverage and prominent placement in many of the nation’s major newspapers. Scott Pelley, on the CBS Evening News, reported that on Monday, HealthCare.gov “faced its first big test…since the Obama Administration said that it met its deadline to make” the site “work smoothly for the… Read More

Small Employers Must Continue to Apply Offline Until November 2014 Online enrollment for small employers to purchase employee health coverage through the federally-facilitated Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace has been delayed for one year, until November 2014. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services previously announced that all SHOP functions would be available this month. Until online functionality for SHOP is available, small business owners who wish to purchase a SHOP qualified health plan may work with an agent or broker to enroll. For 2014, the federally-facilitated SHOP Marketplace is open to employers with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees. Employers located in a state which is operating its… Read More

story per nahu.org Several media outlets, including two national newspapers, covered the Obama Administration’s announcement over the holiday weekend of a one year delay to small business exchange enrollment on the Federal health insurance marketplace. Some sources focused on the mechanics of the policy shift while others centered their coverage on the political implications of the latest setback to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The New York Times (11/28, Pear, Subscription Publication) reported that the Obama Administration announced on Wednesday a delay of one year to small business enrollment in Federal health insurance exchange. The delay applies to small businesses in states using the Federal government’s exchange. The… Read More

At around 10:00 p.m. on November 21st, a HHS spokesperson, who asked to remain anonymous because the announcement is not yet official, divulged that the 2015 open enrollment period will be delayed one month, ostensibly to give insurers more time to set rates and to give consumers more time to shop for plans. The open enrollment period change, which does not impact this year’s open enrollment at all, means that people will begin being allowed to enroll in exchange plans November 15, 2014, and the enrollment window will end on January 15, 2015.   Click here for entire story

From NAHU.org One of the biggest concerns NAHU has had with the whole roll out of healthcare.gov is the lack of a reliable and easy path for certified agents and brokers to take their clients through the enrollment process. This week, we may have had delusions or seen a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. First of all, as a result of media and political pressure NAHU and coalition partners have been placing on the Administration, they made a public statement that from this point forward, brokers who place a three-way call with clients to the call center should always be able to receive credit for helping their… Read More

Source: NAHU.org During a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, Henry Chao, deputy chief information officer and deputy director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Office of Information Services, delivered a bombshell — 40% of the IT systems supporting the federal exchange still need to be built. While Chao alluded to this during a House Oversight and Government Reform committee hearing last week, he went into more detail on Tuesday. Specifically, the financial management tools (the process that will deliver payment to insurers) still hasn’t been built… Click here for entire story

Yesterday, as part of a press conference held to address recent issues related to the Affordable Care Act, President Obama announced that some major medical customers — both individual and small group — may be allowed to keep their current 2013 plan for another year. We are carefully evaluating the announcement and awaiting further guidance in determining how this may change the law’s requirements that all non-grandfathered individual medical and small group fully insured health plans must comply with certain benefit changes in 2014. We understand that you probably have many questions right now. While we do not know all the answers, we do know that our efforts to work… Read More

Many small business owners are still confused about ObamaCare. In fact, one survey found that 56% of small businesses are confused about the employer mandate and 62% of small businesses cannot confidently explain the health insurance exchanges to employees. And unfortunately when there is confusion and fear, there are scammers looking to take advantage. According to The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud and the BBB, state officials across the country are seeing an increase Obamacare scams in order to obtain Social Security, credit card, and bank account numbers. The type of scams include fake navigators, false health insurance exchange websites, email pitches, Medicare scams, and various ObamaCare health insurance signup cons.… Read More

The Treasury and IRS released guidance modifying the use-it-or-lose-it rule. Effective with the 2013 plan year, plan sponsors, at their option, may now allow employees to carryover up to $500 of unused FSA funds to the next plan year. Please click the link below to download the updated bulletin. FSA _Use it or Lose it_ – 110613R

Starting in 2014, most people must have health coverage or pay a fee (the “individual shared responsibility payment”). If you think you qualify you will want to know how to apply for an exemption. Click the link below to learn how to apply for exemptions: The Shared ResponsibilityHow to apply for an exemption

  Like many small to mid size employers with a fully insured or self insured plan, you probably have questions about the changes due to the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act (PPACA). Use this GPS for help in finding the answers you need about healthcare reform. Provided by Starmark plans and Trustmark Life Insurance. Click here to visit the Healthcare Reform GPS 

Starting in 2014, most people must have health coverage or pay a fee (the “individual shared responsibility payment”). You can get an exemption in certain cases. The individual shared responsibility payment If you can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it, you must pay a fee known as the individual shared responsibility payment. Click the link below to learn more… What is the shared responsibility payment?