Total Benefit Solutions Inc. Partners with Remodel Health: A New Era of Health Benefit Advocacy

Ed MacConnellNo Comments

At Total Benefit Solutions Inc., we have spent decades serving as a lighthouse in the often-foggy world of health insurance. Our mission has always been simple: to act as your tireless advocate, navigating the complex rules of state and federal programs to ensure you get the benefits you deserve. We’ve built our reputation on a personalized approach and a refusal to ever accept "no" as an answer when fighting for our clients. Today, we are thrilled to announce a significant evolution in our ability to serve you. Total Benefit Solutions Inc. has officially entered into an agreement to represent Remodel Health, a pioneer in modern health benefit technology. By becoming… Read More

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You Can’t Enroll in October , But Your Health Problems Don’t Wait Either

Ed MacConnellNo Comments

It’s a Tuesday morning in mid-October. You’ve finally found a moment to sit down and tackle that "to-do" list that’s been staring you in the face for months. At the very top, circled in red, are the words: "Sort out health insurance." You head over to the official sites, maybe click around a few marketplace portals, and then you see it, the digital equivalent of a "Closed" sign. The bold text informs you that Open Enrollment doesn't actually begin until November 1st, and even then, your coverage won't start until January 1st. A cold knot forms in your stomach. You’re a freelancer, a gig worker, or a small business owner.… Read More

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Can an ICHRA Be Used to Pay Medicare Premiums? What Employers Need to Know

Ed MacConnell

As an employer or business owner, designing a competitive health benefits package while accommodating employees of varying ages can feel like walking through a regulatory minefield. One of the most common questions we hear at Total Benefit Solutions Inc. from employers looking to modernize their benefits strategy is: Can an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) be used to pay Medicare premiums? The short answer is yes. When structured correctly under federal guidelines, an ICHRA can reimburse Medicare premiums on a tax-advantaged basis, offering incredible flexibility for both your business and your Medicare-eligible staff (including older workers transitioning to retirement or business owners remaining active past age 65). However, navigating… Read More

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The 30% Hammer: What to Do When Your Health Insurance Renewal is a Disaster

Ed MacConnell

It happens every year, but this July feels different. You open the envelope from your health insurance carrier, expecting the usual 5% or 8% “cost of living” increase. Instead, you’re hit with a number that feels like a physical blow: a 30% premium hike. If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone. Recent data from July 2026 shows that 1 in 5 small businesses across the country are facing renewal increases of 30% or more. For a company with ten employees, that isn’t just a budget adjustment, it’s a threat to your ability to hire, grow, or even stay in business. At Total Benefit Solutions Inc, we call this “The 30%… Read More

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Arizona’s New Health Insurance ‘Gold Rush’: Why Sole Proprietors No Longer Have to Go It Alone

Ed MacConnell

For years, if you were a sole proprietor or a "group of one" in Arizona, your health insurance options were often frustratingly limited. You were stuck between the individual marketplace, where costs can skyrocket and networks can feel narrow, or going without coverage altogether. But as of July 2026, the landscape of Arizona healthcare has fundamentally shifted. A new law, Arizona House Bill 2693 (HB 2693), has officially taken effect, and it is being hailed by industry experts as a "Gold Rush" for entrepreneurs, gig workers, and small business owners across the Grand Canyon State. At Total Benefit Solutions Inc, we’ve been tracking this legislation closely because it represents one… Read More

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The 2027 Open Enrollment Patchwork: Tracking Deadlines in PA, NJ, and AZ

Ed MacConnell

If you feel like the rules for health insurance are changing faster than the seasons, you aren’t alone. For the 2027 plan year, we have witnessed a significant "regulatory whiplash" that has left many individuals and business owners scrambling to update their calendars. At Total Benefit Solutions Inc, we have been tracking these developments closely to ensure our clients are never caught off guard by a shifting deadline. The headlines for the upcoming 2027 Open Enrollment (OE) season have been dominated by a legal tug-of-war. What was originally planned as a shortened, more restrictive enrollment period has been largely overturned by a recent lawsuit. This means that for many of… Read More

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ACA Controlled Group Penalties: What Happens When the IRS Finds Out You’re an ALE

Ed MacConnell

You manage your business with precision. You know your payroll numbers, your overhead, and your staff count. You have 35 full-time employees, which, in your mind, keeps you safely under the 50-employee threshold for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employer Mandate. You aren't an "Applicable Large Employer" (ALE), so you don't think you need to worry about offering group health insurance for employers or filing complex IRS forms. But what if you also own 85% of a secondary boutique firm with 20 employees? Or what if you and your two business partners own three different LLCs, each with 18 employees? Suddenly, the IRS doesn't see three small businesses. They see… Read More

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Pennie’s 2027 Open Enrollment Shift: You Just Got More Time (But Don’t Waste It)

Ed MacConnell

If you have been keeping a close eye on the calendar for your 2027 health insurance planning, you probably noticed some conflicting information recently. For months, the buzz around Pennsylvania’s state-based exchange, Pennie, suggested that the Open Enrollment window was going to be significantly shorter than in previous years. However, we have some major news that will change how you approach your year-end planning. Pennie has officially reverted to its original, extended Open Enrollment dates. While many expected a condensed window, you now have until mid-January to finalize your coverage for the 2027 plan year. At Total Benefit Solutions Inc, we make it our mission to stay on top of… Read More

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Do You Own Multiple Businesses? The ACA Controlled Group Trap That Could Cost You

Ed MacConnell

If you’re an entrepreneur with your hands in several different pots, you probably feel like you’ve mastered the art of the "small" business. You might own a local restaurant, a residential cleaning company, and a boutique retail shop. In your mind, these are three separate entities with three separate payrolls. Because each business employs fewer than 50 people, you likely believe you are exempt from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer mandate. You might think that group health insurance for employers is a choice, not a requirement, for your specific situation. However, there is a technicality in the tax code that the IRS uses to "aggregate" your employees across all… Read More

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