Blue KC: 2023 member guides and handbooks now available

Ed MacConnell

The 2023 commercial and ACA member guides and Medicare Advantage member handbook are now available. Clients will receive these documents through a variety of touchpoints. Please keep them handy as a quick reference to Blue KC plan benefits and features and to share them with clients as needed. Employer/Group Medicare Advantage ACA Individual and Family Plans Have any questions regarding this notice? Don’t hesitate to contact your Total Benefit Solutions health insurance specialists today at (215)355-2121.

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Final Rule on ACA Reporting and 2022 Forms and Instructions

Ed MacConnell

On December 12, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) released final regulations with respect the ACA reporting requirements. These rules are substantially similar to the proposed rule issues in November last year. The final rule: Applicable large employers (“ALEs”) have until March 2, 2023 (rather than January 31, 2023) to furnish Forms 1095-C for calendar year 2022 to full-time employees and other individuals. The final rule does not extend the deadline to file completed Forms 1094-C and 1095-C (and Forms 1094-B and 1095-B) with the IRS. The due date remains March 31, 2023 (or February 28, 2023 for paper filing if filing fewer than 250 forms). On December 15, 2022,… Read More

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How ACA Marketplace Premiums are Changing by County in 2023

Ed MacConnell

Premiums for ACA Marketplace benchmark silver plans are increasing on average across the U.S. in 2023 after four years of slight declines. However, premiums changes vary by location and by metal level, with premiums decreasing in some cases. As most enrollees receive significant premium subsidies on the ACA Marketplaces, the net premium amount an exchange enrollee pays depends on their income and the difference in the cost between the benchmark plan (second-lowest-cost silver plan) and the premium for the plan they choose. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) increased and expanded subsidies temporarily in 2021 and 2022 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) extends those enhanced and expanded subsidies through… Read More

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Understanding the Health Care Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act

Ed MacConnell

The Inflation Reduction Act includes several landmark health care provisions that would lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare, reduce Medicare drug spending and extend enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage. On Thursday, August 11, a panel of KFF experts held a web briefing to explain these provisions and how they would affect people and federal health spending, followed by a Question and Answer session. Click here to open article and view Web Event video. The legislation for the first time would require the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers over the price of some high-cost drugs in the Medicare… Read More

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HealthCare.gov Notices New Class of Individual Employer Policies

Ed MacConnell

hCare.gov managers are signaling that they think individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements matter. The regulators in charge of the federal Affordable Care Act public exchange system today gave ICHRAs official attention, by adding an ICHRA use reporting requirements for the insurers that sell coverage through HealthCare.gov. Click here for the full story on Think Advisor.com

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Winter Action Plan to Battle COVID-19

Ed MacConnell
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Judge blocks Trump’s small-business health insurance plan

Ed MacConnell

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has struck down a small-business health insurance plan widely touted by President Donald Trump, the second setback in a week for the administration’s health care initiatives. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates wrote in his opinion late Thursday that so-called “association health plans” were “clearly an end-run” around consumer protections required by the Obama-era Affordable Care Act. Click here to read the story

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New Jersey Small Employer Stop Loss Bill

Ed MacConnell

A bill has been introduced in New Jersey in both the Senate and Assembly that, if passed, would prohibit insurance carriers or other insurers subject to the insurance laws of New Jersey or any other state from offering, issuing or renewing any stop loss insurance policy of any kind to small employers. Stop loss insurance provides reimbursement for catastrophic, excess or unexpected expenses and is used by small employers to self-insure part of the health insurance coverage they provide for employees. Under New Jersey law, in connection with a group health plan, a small employer means an employer with 2-50 eligible employees on business days during the preceding calendar year. If passed,… Read More

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“I’m paying for Health Insurance I don’t even use!”

Ed MacConnell

You hear it all the time: “I’m paying for Health Insurance I don’t even use!” But, Health insurance isn’t only for when you’re sick!  You can use it to maintain your healthy status, you can use it for Preventative Care and you can also use this time to learn how your coverage works before you get sick. Also, many Health Insurance Plans offer things such as discounted gym memberships and rewards for healthy lifestyle choices (such as quitting smoking). Some plans even offer vision or dental benefits, so you can take advantage of an eye screening or 6 month dental check-up. Take advantage of free insurance benefits anytime Get preventive services,… Read More

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“Can I use my HSA for…….?”

Ed MacConnell

Health Savings Accounts and You Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) aren’t new. They’ve been around since late 2003. Initially they were created along with the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act  to replace the Medical Saving Account System. Initially these plans were designed to help with Drug Costs under Medicare policies; However, as Insurance Premiums increased, more and more Employer and Individual Policies offered High-Deductible Plans to help curb costs. Due to that, HSAs were thrown into the spotlight as a way to use Pre-Tax Dollars to cover out-of-pocket Medical costs. In 2017, a reported 22million Americans have an HSA. Each year, that number continues to climb. Many people still have a… Read More

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President Trump Signs Prescription Drug Gag Clause Legislation

Ed MacConnell

President Trump Signs Prescription Drug Gag Clause Legislation On Wednesday, President Trump signed into law S. 2553, the Know the Lowest Price Act, and S. 2554, the Patient Right to Know Drug Price Act. The legislation was passed by the House and Senate last month with bipartisan support and will ban “gag clauses” that prevent pharmacists from telling customers when they can save money on their prescriptions by paying out of pocket for the retail price of the drug, rather than using their insurance and making the co-payment. These bills comprise portions of President Trump’s “America First” prescription drug initiative that were released as part of a blueprint to lower drug prices in May.… Read More

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Social Media Drive Winner Announcement!

Ed MacConnell

  Back in August we announced an End of Summer Social Media Drive Contest. The rules were very simple: If you left us a review, you were eligible to be entered into a drawing for an Amazon gift card valued from $25-$100… For each review you left us on one of our platforms (Google, Yelp, Facebook, Angie’s List, Linkedin, etc) you earned $25 towards that giftcard (up to four review max per person). The contest ran from August 1st, 2018 until September 30th, 2018, but today we finally got our winner. Our Front Office Coordinator, Samantha, joined me for the  random drawing. Please watch the short video below to find… Read More

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How to Protect Yourself from Medical Bankruptcy

Ed MacConnell

According to a CNBC report, an estimated 2 million people were adversely affected by bankruptcies due to medical costs. In 2009, President Obama declared that someone files bankruptcies every 30seconds (or  about 1million people are affected per year!). A popular Facebook meme, shown to the left said the number was 643,000 people a year. Healthcare costs make any of these stats seem realistic, but why are they so different? One reason is that people gather information from different studies made during different years. Even though most of the information comes within the last decade, there are tons of factors that affect our economy. In 2007, 822,590 consumer bankruptcies were filed, but for 2010,… Read More

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5 Affordable Self-Employed Health Insurance Options When You’re on a Budget

Ed MacConnell

5 Affordable Self-Employed Health Insurance Options When You’re on a Budget When you are self-employed, finding affordable health insurance options isn’t easy. There are more types of insurance policies now more than ever; However not all of those choices are affordable.  So, how can you find good coverage when you’re on a budget? Continue reading below for some great options to make sure you get the benefits you need at a price you can afford!   1. Telemedicine Services and Secure Doctor Consultations A budget-friendly health insurance alternative that’s gaining popularity are Telemedicine Services.  Telemedicine services are just like they sound, it’s a medical service that allows you to speak to… Read More

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House Passes Legislation to Change HSAs

Ed MacConnell

The House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation that, among other things, purport to improve and “modernize” health savings accounts (“HSAs”). While the bills call for significant changes to the current rules affecting HSAs, the specific details are very different. Both pieces of legislation have been sent to the Senate for consideration. Whether the Senate will take up these bills, let alone approve them “as is,” remains uncertain. There appears to be some bi-partisan agreement to loosen the current HSA rules, which means it is possible that we may see changes to these arrangements, which could be effective as early as January 1, 2019. When more information is available, we will… Read More

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Trump Administration Expands Access To Short-Term Plans That Do Not Meet ACA Requirements

Ed MacConnell

The New York Times  (8/4 Pear) reports that on Wednesday, the Trump Administration unveiled “a final rule…that clears the way for the sale of many more health insurance policies that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act and do not have to cover prescription drugs, maternity care or people with pre-existing conditions.” These new options “will help people struggling to afford coverage under the 2010 law, said James Parker, a senior adviser to” HHS Secretary Alex M. Azar II.         On its front page, the Washington Post  (7/31, A1, Goldstein) reports that these policies, which are intended “to fill brief gaps in coverage, will be available for 12 months at… Read More

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