Reality Check: The Price Of Not Buying Health Insurance

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesotans have until Feb. 15 to sign up for health care insurance or pay a tax penalty. Click here for the full story Still need insurance? Click here!

Continue Reading

2014 Compliance Bulletin Compilation

Download our 2014 Compliance Bulletin Compilation, featuring all of our released compliance bulletins for the entire year!  Topics include, Health Savings Accounts, The Individual Mandate, Employer “pay or play” mandate, exemptions, FSA carryovers and much, much more. All of the bulletins are in an easy to search format for your convenience. 2014 Compliance Compilation – Download As always please contact your Total Benefit Solutions account manager at (215)355-02121 if you have any further questions or concerns.

Continue Reading

HR 360: How to Calculate Pay or Play Penalties

HR 360: How to Calculate Pay or Play Penalties: Make sure you are ready for 2015 with our basic step-by-step guidance on calculating pay or play penalties. This attorney-reviewed guide, provided by our partner HR360,  makes it easy to understand how to calculate ACA penalties. HR360 is provided as a service to Total Benefit Solutions clients. If you have any additional questions regarding this bulletin, or the Affordable Care Act, please contact your Total Benefit Solutions account manager at (215)355-2121 Download How to Calculate Pay or Play Penalties    

Continue Reading

IBC: Effective January 1, 2015, HIPAA Certificates of Creditable Coverage are no longer required

On February 24, 2014, the United States Departments of Health and Human Services issued a final rule that addressed the requirement to provide HIPAA Certificates of Creditable Coverage (HIPAA Certificates) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As the ACA prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions, the new rule eliminates the requirement to provide HIPAA Certificates beginning December 31, 2014. What does this mean for members?  Previously, when coverage was terminated for a member or his/her dependents, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) issued a HIPAA Certificate. Because the ACA prohibits the application of pre-existing condition exclusions, which applies to both grandfathered and non-grandfathered health plans, these certificates are no longer required. Effective January, 1,… Read More

Continue Reading

CMS: New Transparency Tool Launched

   Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) increased transparency and oversight of health insurance premiums by launching a new tool designed to help consumers easily review rate increases requested by insurance companies in every state.  Under the Affordable Care Act, every premium rate increase of 10 percent or greater for non-grandfathered coverage in the individual and small group markets must be reviewed and made available for public scrutiny.  Consumers can visit https://ratereview.healthcare.gov  and enter a state or insurance company name into the new consumer friendly tool to find out about proposed or finalized health insurance company rate increases.  The tool currently contains information on rate increases for… Read More

Continue Reading

IBC: Important information about member outreach for IRS reporting

From Independence Blue Cross: As you may know, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all health insurers to report certain information about health care coverage to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for individuals with fully insured commercial health plans. This information includes an individual’s Tax Identification Number, which is typically the Social Security Number (SSN). The purpose of the IRS reporting is to help ensure that Americans have minimum essential coverage as required by the ACA. This is commonly referred to as the individual mandate. Independence Blue Cross (Independence) has determined that we do not have SSNs on file for some of your customers’ employees and/or their covered dependents. The… Read More

Continue Reading

Additional requirements for 90-day waiting period

Additional requirements for 90-day waiting period   Group health plans and health insurance issuers cannot impose waiting periods greater than 90 days. This 90-day waiting period is effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014. It does not apply to HIPAA Excepted Benefits or retiree-only plans.   These regulations allow for a one-month orientation period to determine if the employee is eligible for health coverage. Once the employee is determined eligible, he or she must receive health benefits in no more than 90 days.   The start date of an eligible employee, marks the beginning of the one-month maximum orientation period. The orientation period is determined by… Read More

Continue Reading

Health Reform: Guidance Issued-Employer Reimbursement of Individual Policies

  Previously, the Departments of Labor (“DOL”), Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”) explained that  HRAs and employer payment plans cannot reimburse individual policies. On November 6, the Departments issued their twenty-second set of FAQs which make clear that: An employer cannot offer employees cash to reimburse the purchase of an individual policy, without regard to whether the employer treats the money as pre-tax or post-tax to the employee. Such arrangements are subject to the market reform provisions of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), including prohibition on annual limits and the requirement to provide certain preventive services without cost sharing with which it cannot comply. Such… Read More

Continue Reading

Health Reform: Healthcare.Gov Sneak Preview

Healthcare.Gov Sneak Preview Announced Yesterday, Affordable Care Act customers can peek at 2015 prices for the program’s health plans today after the government released a “window-shopping” feature overnight Here is a direct link to the 2015 “sneak preview”: https://www.healthcare.gov/see-plans/ If you have any questions or concerns about your 2015 enrollment, please contact Total Benefit Solutions at (215)355-2121

Continue Reading

Total Benefit Solutions is your Marketplace Navigator

What do you get with Total Benefit Solutions as your Marketplace Navigator? A broker who is Unbiased and objective  Trained Local Certified Licensed Insured Up to date Representing you Part of a team of dedicated professionals Click here for more information and to see our “Marketplace Navigator” brochure: Individual Enrollment Navigator Brochure  

Continue Reading

2015 Health Reform: Prepare for Health Insurance Open Enrollment

Preparing for 2015 Open Enrollment Getting prepared for open enrollment 2015 has been a major challenge. Total Benefit Solutions is dedicated to serving all of our clients throughout this second annual open enrollment period. With that in mind our offices will be open on the weekend of November 15th 2014 to help you get enrolled. Open enrollment for individual plans begins November 15th, 2014 and ends February 15th 2015. Anyone who enrolls prior to the 15th of the month will be effective the 1st of the next month. This is important because you must enroll by December 15th in order for your plan to be effective on January 1st, 2015… Read More

Continue Reading

IRS Derails Use of MV Plans Without Hospitalization

As you may know, in order to avoid penalties under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), large employers must offer their full-time employees coverage that is affordable and meets minimum value (“MV”). Some vendors exclude certain core benefits, such as in-patient hospitalization and/or physician services from their plans (referred to as “Narrow MVPs”) and use the MV Calculator to determine that the Narrow MVPs meet MV under the ACA. The vendors claim the Narrow MVPs insulate employers from penalty exposure and preclude employees from accessing subsidies in the Marketplace. There has been much controversy as to whether the Narrow MVPs do, in fact, satisfy the MV requirement. On November 4, 2014,… Read More

Continue Reading

IRS Coordinates Cafeteria Plan Rules with the ACA:Two New Election Changes Allowed

Two New Election Changes Allowed Existing cafeteria plan rules make it difficult (if not impossible) for participants to revoke pre-tax salary reduction elections mid-year and enroll in qualified health plan coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace (the “Marketplace,” sometimes referred to as the “Exchange”).  To provide additional flexibility, the IRS issued Notice 2014-55, creating new opportunities for a participant to change mid-year an otherwise irrevocable cafeteria plan election. Click here to Download the Entire Bulletin      

Continue Reading

Health Reform: CMS finalizes auto-enrollment process for current Marketplace consumers

CMS finalizes auto-enrollment process for current Marketplace consumers CMS finalized its policy regarding how current Health Insurance Marketplace individual customers will renew their plans in 2015. Individuals who do not make an active 2015 plan selection will be auto-enrolled in the same plan with the same premium tax credit and other financial assistance, if applicable, as the 2014 plan year. Individuals are encouraged to return to the Marketplace to determine their current and accurate 2015 premium tax credit or cost-share reduction financial assistance.   Click here to read the entire release.   As always if you have any questions, concerns or need assistance enrolling, contact your Total Benefit Solutions ACA… Read More

Continue Reading

Heath Reform: 5 States Will Have Early Access to Online Functions of the Federally-Facilitated SHOP Marketplace

‘SHOP Early Access’ Available in Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, and Missouri Starting in late October, small employers, agents, and brokers in Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, and Missouri will be able to experience some of the key new online functions of the federally-facilitated Small Business Health Options Program (FF-SHOP), according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The online SHOP Marketplace is expected to be available nationwide on November 15, 2014. SHOP Early Access During the “SHOP Early Access,” small employers in the five selected states will be able to use HealthCare.gov to take several initial steps in the enrollment process, including: Establishing a Marketplace SHOP account; Assigning an agent or… Read More

Continue Reading

HR360: Employers Must Provide Exchange Notice at Time of Hiring

Employers are required to provide an Exchange Notice (also referred to as a “Notice of Coverage Options”) to each new employee at the time of hiring as of October 1, 2013. For 2014, the notice can be provided within 14 days of an employee’s start date. Click below to read the bulletin from HR360: HR360_notice at time of hiring   If you have any questions about the HR360 subscription, or exchange notices, please contact your Total Benefit Solutions account manager at (215)355-2121.    

Continue Reading

What is Critical Illness Insurance?

Why Critical Illness as a “wrap” plan Because: They’re more affordable than you might think. They’re available for employer  groups, individuals and seniors. They make selecting a health plan easier. They provide peace of mind against a catastrophic event and large out of pocket expenses. They’re person and portable, it doesn’t matter where you get your health insurance from, having your own critical illness plan makes it better. Many clients have asked how they can supplement their employees coverage when they get enrolled through the affordable care act healthcare.gov marketplace. Employers are permitted to offer wrap plans that consist of “excepted benefits”, meaning they are not regulated by the affordable… Read More

Continue Reading