Displaying items by tag: group health insurance broker
Senate Repeal and Replace Bill is Released, then Stalled
The American Health Care Act (AHCA) bill was passed by the House of Representatives on May 4, 2017. (To catch up on the content of the House bill, click here). Instead of agreeing with The House proposal, Senate Republicans instead drafted their own bill, released on June 22, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA).
This BCRA bill includes features such as:
Filing Deadline for PCORI Fees 7/31/2017
The Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee is due July 31, 2017 for employers with any type of self-funded plan and/or a Health Reimbursement Arrangement.
The fee helps fund unbiased research that evaluates the clinical effectiveness of medical treatments regardless of the profit potential. This fee is also known as the Comparative Effectiveness Research Fee, or CERF.
Finally, a Little Relief on Drug Trends
According to an article released by Optum, recent data shows Hepatitis C medications are positively contributing to specialty drug trend reductions and achieving lasting clinical results.
FDA approved medications for Hepatitis C, such as Sovaldi and Harvoni, started entering the market in 2013, and with great controversy. These medications have been effective, but at a huge cost. The initial price (which has since moderated) of a single course of a typical drug could run $85,000 – 95,000 in just three months.Frustrated with Your Healthcare Costs?
Are you tired of seeing your benefit costs skyrocket year after year? Frustrated about having little or no control over the cost of healthcare? These frustrations make some employers worry about the future of their benefits package, and thus, their ability to attract and retain the right workers.
Updates on ACA Reporting and Repeal
2018 HSA Limits Announced
Introducing an Online One-Stop HR Solution
Fall River is excited to announce that our clients will now have complimentary access to HR360, a comprehensive online Human Resources portal designed to help you comply with employment and benefit laws in all 50 states. With HR360, you’ll find easy, step-by-step guidance on a broad range of laws and policies. Even non-clients can check it out at no cost!
The Final Market Stabilization Rule
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 risk pool the market is attracting.
Stabilizing the individual and small group markets is a top area of concern, and HHS issued final regulations for market changes on April 13, 2017.