The Marketplace – Total Benefit Solutions Inc

Final Rules Adopt Administrative Changes to the No Surprises Act

September 26, 2022September 22, 2022Ed MacConnell

On August 26, 2022, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (together, the “Departments”) published final rules on the No Surprises Act, making changes to the administrative duties of insurance carriers, HMOs, third-party administrators, out-of-network healthcare providers, and certain other entities responsible for the Act’s implementation. The new rules, which take effect on October 25, 2022, are narrow in scope, and include the following changes:• During processing of claims under the No Surprises Act, if “down-coding” occurs (i.e., the group medical plan alters or replaces the medical billing codes chosen by the out-of-network healthcare provider, resulting in a lower claim payment), then the final rules impose… Read More

2022 MLR Rebate Checks to Be Issued Soon to Fully Insured Plans

September 23, 2022September 22, 2022Ed MacConnell

As a reminder, insurance carriers are required to satisfy certain medical loss ratio (“MLR”) thresholds. This generally means that for every dollar of premium a carrier collects with respect to a major medical plan; it should spend 85 cents in the large group market (80 cents in the small group market) on medical care and activities to improve health care quality. If these thresholds are not satisfied, rebates are available to employers in the form of a premium credit or check. If a rebate is available, carriers are required to distribute MLR checks to employers by September 30, 2022. Click the link below to download the full bulletin.

Additional Guidance on New Prescription Drug Reporting Requirement

September 15, 2022September 14, 2022Ed MacConnell

As previously reported in 2021, Section 204 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“CAA”) requires plan sponsors of group health plans to submit informationannually about prescription drugs and health care spending to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) on behalf of the Departments of Health and Human Services(“HHS”), Labor (“DOL”), and the Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”). The first deadline is December 27, 2022. CMS recently updated guidance related to this reporting requirement that provides some helpful clarification. Click the link below to download this bulletin. As always please contact your Total benefit Solutions, Inc health insurance specialist at (215)355-2121 if you have any further questions or concerns.

Additional Guidance Issued on Surprise Billing Protections

September 12, 2022September 9, 2022Ed MacConnell

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 introduced numerous protections against surprise billing for plan participants that impact group health plans, health insurance issuers, & providers. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) introduced numerous protections against surprise billing for plan participants that impact group health plans, health insurance issuers, and providers. The federal Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury recently released a document discussing frequently asked questions (FAQs) about these surprise billing protections that provides clarity on a number of topics within the regulations. The key points from this guidance are outlined below. Application to Reference Based Pricing PlansIt has been unclear how the surprise billing rules apply to… Read More

Employer Reporting and Compliance Penalties Chart (2023)

September 9, 2022September 8, 2022Ed MacConnell

Inflation Reduction Act – Health Care Considerations

September 9, 2022September 8, 2022Ed MacConnell

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the “Inflation Reduction Act” into law. The legislation includes key health care, tax, and climate change components. Click the link below to download the bulletin which highlights the health care changes ! As always please contact your Total Benefit Solutions, Inc health insurance expert with any additional questions, (215)355-3121.

IBC: Understanding your network

September 9, 2022July 22, 2022Ed MacConnell

The type of health plan you choose determines the network of providers you can visit. In-network providers are the doctors and hospitals in your plan’s network. You’ll save the most money by visiting network providers. Out-of-network providers are those not in your plan’s network. You may pay more for out-of-network services, and some services may not be covered at all. Know your options — before you need them When you need care and your primary care doctor isn’t available, remember you have other options that don’t involve a trip to the emergency room. Using virtual care, retail clinics, or urgent care centers can save you time and money. https://www.ibx.com/get-care/find-doctors-and-healthcare-providers/where-to-go-for-care Click here for links to your network and more… Read More

How does a Flex Spending Account Work?

August 22, 2022July 23, 2022Ed MacConnell

A Flexible Spending Account Plan (“FSA”) offers an easy and convenient way for you to save money on taxes and make your benefit dollars go further. If you participate in a Health Care and/or Dependent (Day) Care FSA, your employer puts money aside from your paycheck (before taxes are taken out) and you use that money to pay for eligible health care and/or dependent (day) care expenses. Questions about an F.S.A. account? please contact your Total Benefit Solutions group health insurance specialists at (215)355-2121 www.totalbenefits.net

Understanding the Coding of Health Plans from MEC to Metallic

August 15, 2022July 22, 2022Ed MacConnell

Choosing the right insurance plan for you (and your family) is not an easy task. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has introduced major changes to the way carriers traditionally marketed their health plans to the public and introduced a volume of new terms, requirements and complexities, many of which may sound confusing to the general public. From terms like “minimum essential coverage” to the various metallic plan categories of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, a solid foundation of knowledge is essential in order to find the coverage required at an affordable price. The health insurance experts at Total Benefit Solutions Inc are well versed on these terms so when you… Read More

Aetna AFA now allows PEO Employers!

August 11, 2022July 28, 2022Ed MacConnell

From Aetna: We’re now treating small businesses who use the services of a PEO ( Professional Employer Organization) the same as any other group. This excludes any group headquartered in California or New York, or any group currently on an Aetna PEO master health plan. Here are some important details: 1. We no longer require small businesses to terminate their PEO relationship or fill out extra forms for us during the new business process.2.The entire group must move to Aetna –small businesses can’t move some employees to Aetna and leave the rest on the PEO master health plan. What does this mean to groups? If your company is already part… Read More

What is a Qualifying Life Event or QLE?

July 29, 2022July 14, 2022Ed MacConnell

There are 4 basic types of health insurance qualifying life events. (The following are examples, not a full list.) Loss of health coverage Losing existing health coverage, including job-based, individual, and student plans Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP Turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan Changes in household Getting married or divorced Having a baby or adopting a child Death in the family Changes in residence Moving to a different ZIP code or county A student moving to or from the place they attend school A seasonal worker moving to or from the place they both live and work Moving to or from a shelter or… Read More

Case Study Library

July 22, 2022July 22, 2022Ed MacConnell

We present a few case studies to illustrate how we have helped our clients solve their complicated employee benefit challenges. Click here to learn more!

Section 125 Tax-Saving POP plan document

July 21, 2022July 21, 2022Ed MacConnell

In this video, we feature our most popular product, the $99 Section 125 Tax-Saving POP plan document package (Core 125). It explains how employees save up to 40% in taxes while employers eliminate on average 8% of matching payroll tax when the company has a Section 125 POP (Cafeteria) plan document in place, as required by the IRS to pre-tax benefits. As always contact your Total Benefit Solutions, Inc group health insurance specialists at (215)355-2121 to find out more! Click here for more information or to order a document online.

Horizon BSBSNJ to Withdraw HMO Plans From Individual and Small Employer Markets

July 13, 2022July 14, 2022Ed MacConnell

Horizon has announced a change to their product portfolio and have elected to withdraw their HMO plans from the Individual and Small Employer Health Benefits Plan (SEH) markets. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) has given its approval for Horizon to withdraw its HMO plans from the markets under the authority of N.J.S.A 17B:27A-6 and N.J.A.C. 11:20-18.5 (for Individual plans) and N.J.S.A. 17B:27A–23e and N.J.A.C. 11:21-16 (for small employer plans). This withdrawal will affect Individual members enrolled in the Horizon HMO Gold plan, and group clients and their employees who are enrolled in the Horizon HMO Platinum plan. Brokers with affected small group clients, and those affected… Read More

Turning 26: Your Guide to Health Insurance

June 15, 2022June 13, 2022Ed MacConnell

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many young people choose to stay on their parent’s health insurance for as long as possible, and with good reason. The historic healthcare law, also known as Obamacare, allows young adults to stay on their parent’s health plan until they turn 26, no matter what. Download our free easy to read guide to getting your own health insurance here. Contact your health insurance experts at Total Benefit Solutions Inc with any additional questions (215)355-2121

Annual Out-Of-Pocket Maximum Adjustments Announced for 2023

April 26, 2022Ed MacConnell

On December 28, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) published the “payment parameters” portion of its Annual Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2023 (“the Notice”). HHS historically publishes the Notice as a proposed rule and then finalizes the rule. The guidance clarifies that, beginning with the 2023 calendar year, the payment parameters portion of the Notice will be published by January of the year preceding the applicable calendar year. This guidance is considered a final rule that addresses certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). For more information contact your friends at Total Benefits Solutions! Reach out to us at (215)355-2121

New Option for NJ Groups with Out-of-State Employees

March 15, 2022March 14, 2022Ed MacConnell

New Jersey small groups with employees residing out-of-state have few options and brokers struggle to provide viable alternatives for these employers. Horizon has introduced a solution with two new plans that include Blue Card Access on their popular OMNIA platform. Gold & Silver Plans became available in the market July 1 Provides access to 95% of the doctors and 96% of the hospitals nationwide, that includes New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. These plans reduce the benefit gap between Tier One and Tier Two benefits. Horizon also leveraged OMNIA relationships to provide a very attractive price point for national access. Questions or concerns about this bulletin? Please contact your Total Benefit… Read More

Additional Guidance Addresses ACA Preventive Care Mandate

February 1, 2022February 1, 2022Ed MacConnell

As part of FAQ 51, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (together, the “Departments”) issued guidance clarifying severalAffordable Care Act (“ACA”) preventive care coverage issues applicable to non-grandfathered group health plans. As background, non-grandfathered group health plans must cover certain in-network preventive care items and services without cost-sharing. Click the link below to download the bulletin. As always contact your health insurance specialists at Total Benefit Solutions, Inc if you have any additional questions or concerns (215)355-2121 https://www.totalbenefits.net

Tag: The Marketplace