Industry News

Prescription Drugs Are a Significant Factor in Higher Premiums

Prescription drug costs are a major contributor to driving up health plan premiums according to a recent report by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC). Health plans paid nearly $8....

Benefit Trends for Part-Time Employees

With flexible work arrangements on the rise, more employers are considering benefits for part-time employees. Seventy-nine percent of employers surveyed by the International Foundation of Employee Ben...

EEOC Wellness Rules – Incentive Limits Removed/Vacated

The EEOC recently released final rules, removing the incentive limits from the wellness program rules that must be followed to avoid violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic...

Texas Judge Issues Controversial ACA Ruling

A Texas district court judge has issued a decision in Texas v. Azar, ruling that the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. The judge also argued that the individual ...

Details of the CVS-Aetna Merger and a Possible Roadblock

District Court Judge Richard Leon said he is considering halting the integration of CVS Health and Aetna — even though the two companies closed their merger. He ordered a hearing on December 18. In a...

Consumers Voice Their Health Plan Preferences

A survey by Oliver Wyman reveals that, on average, consumers like healthcare clinics; they value wellness support; and they’d rather pay more upfront to have lower deductibles. More than one-third of ...

IRS Extends Form 1095 Deadlines For 2018 Reporting

The IRS has released Notice 2018-94, which extends the deadline for employers to provide individuals with Form 1095-B/1095-C for the 2018 reporting year. The deadline has been moved from January 31, 2...

Four Things that Separate Great Brokers from Good Brokers

by Kevin Timone This article is based on a PodCast with Dennis Carlson of Benefits Influencer Our industry is full of smart, dedicated people. But, when it comes to higher levels of success, what sepa...

Adding Up Nine of Years Health Care Spending Increases

When you look at healthcare spending on a yearly basis, the increases don’t seem that big. But when you add up nine years of increases, the results are staggering. From 2007 to 2016, there was a 44% i...

Is Cost Sharing Reaching its Limit for California Employers?

Health care costs continue to rise in California with the average health plan now topping $19,200 a year for a family. But employers and workers seem to be reaching their limit when it comes to increa...

What You Need to Know About Employer Reporting – IRS Letter 5699

Most of us are well aware that the IRS is actively collecting employer shared responsibility payments from applicable large employers (ALE) who failed to comply with the Section 4980H offer of coverag...

A Look at Out-of-Network Billing

In more than 15% of inpatient admissions, a patient gets a bill from an out-of-network provider even though they used an in-network facility, according to a national study of large employer plans by t...