Healthcare Legislation (92)
The American Health Care Act (AHCA) revised bill designed to repeal/replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed on the House Floor on May 4, 2017. The revised bill included several amendments from the original bill, including changes to limits on Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions, age-ratio limits, coverage for pre-existing…
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Healthcare Legislation
There is much uncertainty around what will happen with the Affordable Care Act, and the Individual Exchanges created by the ACA have suffered from: carriers exiting the marketplace (in part due to the uncertainty over subsidies and enforcement of the mandate); skyrocketing prices in many areas; and concerns over the…
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Healthcare Legislation
Wednesday, 29 March 2017 08:48
Breaking News – Healthcare Repeal & Replacement Bill Denied
Written by Juliet Fitzgibbons
After weeks of intense ACA repeal and replacement efforts, House Republicans withdrew the American Health Care Act (AHCA) bill on Friday, March 24th, when it was clear they lacked the votes for it to pass. The AHCA would have kept a few key components of the Affordable Care Act, such…
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Healthcare Legislation
Monday, 27 February 2017 13:29
Will the DOL Fiduciary Rule be Delayed? Maybe, Maybe Not.
Written by Juliet Fitzgibbons
Guest Article by Kristen Deevy, Managing Director of Strategic Retirement Partners On Feb. 3, 2017, President Trump drafted a memorandum to the DOL, directing that they delay implementation of the Conflict of Interest Rule (The Rule) for at least 180 days. The Rule, which was set to take effect on…
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Healthcare Legislation
Although there is much speculation about the future of The Affordable Care Act (ACA), it’s still the law of the land for now. For all large employers and small employers that are self-funded, the deadline of March 2nd to distribute 1095-Bs and 1095-Cs to employees is fast approaching. If your…
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Healthcare Legislation
Tuesday, 10 January 2017 23:43
21st Century Cures Act and Small Employer HRAs
Written by Scott Nitowski
The 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law on December 13, 2016 by then President Obama. The bulk of the Cures Act covers areas such as medical research and drug and device approvals. This new law also revokes a ban in effect since 2014 on small employer pre-tax funding…
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Healthcare Legislation
Wednesday, 25 January 2017 20:13
Update on ACA Repeal and Replace Strategy
Written by Juliet Fitzgibbons
It was no secret before President Trump signed the executive order that he wanted the Affordable Care Act (ACA) repealed, and now he has made his intentions clear. His first signed executive order requires federal agencies to ease the economic burden of the ACA “to the maximum extent permitted by…
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Healthcare Legislation
Tuesday, 08 November 2016 15:06
Required Changes to Your Transgender Benefits in 2017
Written by Tonya Young
If your company administers a self-funded medical plan, you need to be aware of benefit changes that should be made in 2017 to comply with Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Section 1557 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, age, race, color, national origin, and disability. The regulations…
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Healthcare Legislation
Amendment 69: Know Before you Vote By now you’ve most likely heard of Amendment 69, but maybe don’t know much about it. Amendment 69 will be the first option on the November ballot, so now’s the time to educate yourself and your employees about this important healthcare bill! The Amendment…
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Healthcare Legislation
Sunday, 28 August 2016 18:03
Proposed 5500 Revisions Create Burdens for Small Businesses
Written by Juliet Fitzgibbons
On July 11, 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a proposal to implement significant changes to the forms and regulations that govern annual employee benefit plan reporting on Form 5500. Most notably, the revisions would require companies of any size or funding arrangement to…
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Healthcare Legislation
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By now many employers have received notices from CMS stating that they are subject to a penalty under the Employer Mandate (for groups over 50) created by the ACA. If you are one of them, you may be wondering why you’re getting these and what your next steps are. Remember…
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Healthcare Legislation
Tuesday, 05 July 2016 12:31
Medicaid Now Rebranded to Health First Colorado
Written by Juliet Fitzgibbons
Effective June 27, 2016, the Colorado Medicaid program is now called Health First Colorado. The new name reflects the significant changes that have been made to modernize Colorado’s Medicaid program to engage members and improve the quality and coordination of care. The name itself – Health First Colorado – aims…
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Healthcare Legislation
Tuesday, 24 May 2016 21:45
Understanding the Single-Payer Health Care Initiative “ColoradoCare” Amendment 69
Written by Juliet Fitzgibbons
THE FACTS What is Amendment 69? Also known as ColoradoCare, Amendment 69 is a single-payer healthcare initiative that will create a government run, universal healthcare system in Colorado. Due to appear on the 2016 general election ballot, the passage of Amendment 69 would eliminate private health insurance and subsidies provided…
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Healthcare Legislation
On Friday, December 18th, Congress passed and the President signed a very significant Omnibus spending bill. This bill includes several tax relief measures related to the ACA: A two year delay (from 2018 to 2020) on the Excise Tax, commonly known as the Cadillac Tax A two year moratorium (2017-18)…
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Healthcare Legislation