05/04/2018
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05/04/2018
Stanford Health Hospital Contract Terminates While Negotiations Continue With Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California and Stanford Health (Stanford) are engaged in discussions to renegotiate the terms of Stanford’s hospital agreement (HMO/PPO) for Stanford Medical Center/Stanford Healthcare-...
05/03/2018
ACA Gains in Health Coverage Are Beginning to Reverse
by Ken Doyle Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, there were marked gains in the number of Americans with health insurance coverage. But those gains are starting to reverse with ...
05/02/2018
Compliance Alert – HSA Requirements—2018
Issue Date: May 2017 Last week the IRS released the 2018 health savings account (HSA) annual contribution limits, as well as the corresponding high-deductible health plan (HDHP) deductible and out-...
05/02/2018
Higher HSA Family Contribution Remains for 2018
Great news! The IRS has re-established $6,900 as the 2018 Health Savings Account (HSA) maximum contribution limit for individuals with family coverage under a high deductible health plan (HDHP). Th...
05/02/2018
Health Net and Dignity Health Reach New Agreement in California
Health Net and Dignity Health entered into a new two-year contract renewal, effective May 1, 2018 with these lines of business: Commercial HMO/PPO/POS Medicare Medi-Cal Cal MediConnect ...
05/01/2018
Market Consolidation Drives Up Prices and Premiums
Market consolidation in California is driving up prices for hospitals and physician services as well as ACA premiums, according to a report from UC Berkeley. The comparison is stark between the highly...
04/26/2018
Healthcare Consumerism Is On The Rise
Consumers are increasingly taking action to reduce costs and get better value for their health care dollars. But many are not fully prepared to manage financial responsibilities when it comes to their...
04/24/2018
Health Net Q3 Rate and Plan Update
Health Net reports a statewide quarterly rate change average of -0.4% for full HMO plans and -1.0% for limited HMO and HSP plans. Their PPOs have a rate pass. Health Net is rolling out two new HMO pla...
04/24/2018
What Younger Workers Want in Health Benefits
Millennials have distinct preferences when it comes to their health benefits, according to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Compared to older generations, Millennials are more like...
04/23/2018
Bill Would Establish Commission to Control Health Care Prices
Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) introduced a bill that would allow a state-appointed commission to set prices for medical services — AB 3087, the Health Care Price Relief Act. The commission wou...
04/18/2018
Anthem Blue Cross Q3 Rate and Plan Update
Anthem Blue Cross is delivering some great news with their Q3 Rate and Plan Update. Plans are easier than ever to sell with competitive rates, a robust provider network, underwriting promotions, quick...
04/18/2018
Sharp Health Plan Rate Update Q3 2018
Sharp Health Plan has announced a rate update for their HMO plans effective July 1, 2018. All HMO plans will increase 1.3% compared to Q2. The 2018 small group plan designs were recently approved w...
04/18/2018
Final Rule Gives States More Flexibility Under the ACA
CMS published a final rule April 9 that generally gives states more power to regulate their insurance markets. However, there are more restrictions when it comes to the advanced premium tax credit. Th...
04/18/2018
Blockchain is Coming to Health Insurance
by Ken Doyle he health insurance industry is under extreme pressure to regulate costs while providing quality care. A saving grace may come in the form of a new technology that all started with Bit...
04/18/2018
Groups Launch Universal Coverage Campaign
The new Care4All California campaign includes a coalition of 50 organizations including consumer advocacy organizations, community groups, labor unions, progressive organizations and health care group...
04/16/2018
HDHPs and Voluntary Benefits Are Hot in the West
High deductible health plans (HDHPs) and voluntary benefits are becoming more and more popular in the Western United States, according to a report by Benefitfocus. Since 2016, HDHP offering rates incr...
04/11/2018
The Difference Between EDI and API
When you’re talking to a software vendor, you may hear the words “EDI” (electronic data interchange) and “API” (application programming interface) thrown around. These are two major methods that busin...
04/11/2018
The IRS is Assessing ACA Penalties
The IRS is sending penalty Letter 226-J to applicable large employers (ALEs) for not complying with the ACA’s employer mandate requirements for the 2015 tax year. Letter 226-J notifies these employers...
04/10/2018
Walmart and Humana Discuss Partnership
Walmart is in talks to strengthen their partnership with Medicare giant Humana. A merger has been discussed as a possible option. Pundits say that it’s more likely that the two companies will boost th...
04/09/2018
