Headlines about "Health plans - policy"
Gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com.
Inaugural Health Care Cost and Utilization Report Summarizes National Trends in Health Care Utilization and Cost
"Key findings from this report: Per capita health spending among people under 65 is growing moderately, up 3.3 percent from the previous year but still nearly three times the rate of general inflation. Higher spending was mostly due to price increases, rather than changes in the use of health care services: Prices for hospital admissions, outpatient care and prescription drugs all grew at a much faster rate than general inflation in 2010. Health care spending grew fastest among those who are 18 and younger." (Health Care Cost Institute)
What Could Revolutionize Health Care? This Database
"This morning a new nonprofit called the Health Care Cost Institute will roll out a database of 5 billion health insurance claims (all stripped of the individual health plan's identity, to address privacy concerns). Researchers will be able to access that data, largely using it to probe a critical question: What makes health care so expensive?" (The Washington Post; free registration required)
[Opinion] Broken Promise: Why ObamaCare Will Force Americans to Lose the Health Care Coverage They Have and Like (PDF)
"[N]ew analysis of the health care costs of Fortune 100 companies indicates the Democrats' health care law threatens the stability and sustainability of the employer-based health insurance system -- even among the nation's most prosperous companies. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) asked for and received, on a confidential basis, information on the cost and coverage of the health insurance plans for the Fortune 100 companies." (U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means)
[Opinion] Links to Witness Testimony at House Hearing on 'Health Care Consolidation and Competition after PPACA'
From the statement of Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith: "I expect the testimony at today's hearing will demonstrate how the Administration's regulatory approach reduces competition and leads to higher medical costs and lower quality care. The first victim of Obamacare's regulations will be the small, independent and innovative insurance companies and health care providers." (U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet)
DOL Releases Preliminary 2009 Versions of Pension and Health Plan Bulletins and Form 5500 Data
"Statistical summary of Form 5500 data on Direct Filing Entities (DFEs) including counts of DFEs, counts of private pension plans invested in DFEs, and asset counts." See the various links entitled "2009 - Preliminary," which appear under these headings: "Reports", "Excel Tables" and "XML Tables." (U.S. Employee Benefits Security Administration)
Health Care Costs Reported in Recent Milliman Medical Index Incite Fear, Car Comparisons
"The Gaston Gazette compares the cost of healthcare in Atlanta to the cost of a Honda Civic. Forbes (which already has one car comparison on the books) compares healthcare costs to a new Chevrolet Cruze, with a caveat...." (Healthcare Town Hall)
Health Reform Would Bring a Windfall for Insurers
"Health insurers will gain $1 trillion in new revenue over the next eight years under the 2010 health care law, assuming it is upheld by the Supreme Court, according to a Bloomberg Government study.... About 9 percent of the insurance industry's total revenue from 2013 to 2020 hinges on whether the health law stands, according to the study." (Kansas City Star)
Health Tax Credit Could Mean Big Savings for Small Firms
"Of firms with fewer than 50 workers and that offer health benefits, 65 percent last year said they had not explored their eligibility for the tax credit, according to a national survey by ... Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Of similarly sized firms that don't offer health insurance, 48 percent said they were not aware of the tax credit, the survey said. The tax break will expand to cover 50 percent of health premium costs in 2014[.]" (Crain's Chicago Business)
[Opinion] Text of Memo to Republicans on Status of Congressional Investigation on Obamacare Negotiations with Drug Makers (PDF)
"This investigation has confirmed the existence of a deal between the White House and [the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of America, or 'PhRMA'] that explicitly bound both parties to certain commitments.... [The deal] was so clearly understood to be binding that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina made direct contact with PhRMA's chief lobbyist for the negotiations regarding the deal to express his displeasure with an apparent violation of the agreement more than two months before the legislation was given final approval by Congress." (Majority Staff of Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives)
[Opinion] USCCB Submits Comments on Proposed HHS Rulemaking, Urges Re-Opening of Final Rule Defining Mandate, Exemption
"'We believe that this mandate is unjust and unlawful - it is bad health policy, and because it entails an element of government coercion against conscience, it creates a religious freedom problem,' wrote Anthony Picarello, USCCB associate general secretary and general counsel, and Michael Moses, associate general counsel. 'These moral and legal problems are compounded by an extremely narrow exemption that intrusively and unlawfully carves up the religious community into those that are deemed 'religious enough' for an exemption, and those that are not.'" (The Sacramento Bee)
GOP Prepares Reform Plan for Ruling on Health Law
"If the law is upheld, Republicans will take to the floor to tear out its most controversial pieces, such as the individual mandate and requirements that employers provide insurance or face fines. If the law is partially or fully overturned they'll draw up bills to keep the popular, consumer-friendly portions in place -- like allowing adult children to remain on parents' health care plans until age 26, and forcing insurance companies to provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Ripping these provisions from law is too politically risky, Republicans say." (Politico)
[Official Guidance] Text of IRS Notice of Meeting of Advisory Group for the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division (PDF)
The Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT) will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. [in Washington]. An ACT subgroup will provide analysis and recommendations regarding the scope of the employee plans examination process. (Internal Revenue Service)
How Does Health Reform Affect Rural America?
"The Rural Health Panel analyzed federal health reform proposals,[ACA], and related government papers and documents and produced nine reports for federal policy-makers and stakeholders. The reports analyzed the impacts of the various coverage proposals and of the ACA on rural people, places, and providers. The project informed the ideas in the ACA through discussions of its provisions and ways to implement the law." (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Proskauer ERISA Litigation Newsletter, May 2012
Articles include: Health Care Reform Remains Alive and Well as DOL Enforces ACA through Plan Audits; Class Warfare -- ERISA Class Litigation in Light of Wal-Mart v. Dukes; and Rulings, Filings, and Settlements of Interest. (Proskauer Rose LLP)
[Official Guidance] Text of General CCIIO Guidance on Federally-Facilitated Health Exchanges (PDF)
"This document outlines the [HHS] approach to implementing a Federally-facilitated Exchange (FFE) in any State where a State-based Exchange is not operating. In addition to describing [the] high-level operational approach, [the document discusses]: 1. How States can partner with HHS to implement selected functions in an FFE, 2. Key policies organized by Exchange function, and 3. How HHS will consult with a variety of stakeholders to implement an FFE. Subsequent guidance documents will include additional policy and operational details intended to inform State decision-making and preparation for Exchange participation, roles and responsibilities, and potential areas of collaboration." (Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
More States Working to Implement Health Insurance Exchanges, HHS Announces
"[Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee and Washington will receive more than $181 million in grants to help implement the new health care law by helping] states establish Affordable Insurance Exchanges. Starting in 2014, [the Exchanges will help consumers and small businesses in every state] choose a private health insurance plan. These comprehensive health plans will ensure consumers have the same kinds of insurance choices as members of Congress. [34] states and the District of Columbia have received Establishment grants to fund their progress toward building Exchanges." (Department of Health & Human Services)
Animated U.S. Map Showing Year-by-Year Increase in Obesity Among State Populations, 1985-2010
An effective use of animation to show a trend that substantially raises the cost of providing health care. "The number of states with an obesity prevalence of 30% or more has increased to 12 states in 2010. In 2009, nine states had obesity rates of 30% or more. In 2000, no state had an obesity prevalence of 30% or more." (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
RAND Study of Effect of ACA on Enrollment and Premiums, Either With or Without the Individual Mandate (PDF)
The authors predict the effects of a possible Supreme Court decision invalidating the individual mandate while keeping the other parts of the law intact. They predict the effects of such a decision on health insurance coverage overall and for subgroups based on income. They also estimate where people will obtain insurance in scenarios with and without the mandate. Finally, they estimate how the elimination of the individual mandate will affect insurance premiums. (RAND)
[Official Guidance] Text of Official Corrections to Final HHS Regs on Standards for Reinsurance, Risk Corridors, and Risk Adjustment (PDF)
"This document merely corrects technical and typographic errors in the Health Insurance Premium Stabilization final rule that was published on March 23, 2012 and becomes effective on May 22, 2012. The changes are not substantive changes to the standards set forth in the final rule." (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
[Opinion] Looking at Single-Payor Health Care Efforts in Vermont, Montana and California
"In May 2011, [the Vermont governor] signed the single-payor bill into law, which laid the groundwork for creating a publicly funded health system in which the state would act as the main insurer by 2017. [Montana's Governor] also asked the federal government for a waiver this past September so Montana could set up its own single-payor health system based on what is used by its northern neighbor, Saskatchewan, although no waiver has been granted. Even California lawmakers proposed a bill in January that would have established a single-payor healthcare system, although it was ultimately defeated." (Becker's Hospital Review)
Resource Page on Implementation of Health Insurance Medical Loss Ratios by the States, Updated May 11, 2012
"The N.H. insurance department released its first health insurance premium rate report in April 2012, a study mandated by legislation enacted two years ago. According to the report, premiums grew 14 percent between 2009 and 2010, driven primarily by claims costs, as well as new medical technologies and the growth in outpatient facility costs." (National Conference of State Legislatures)
GAO Testimony on Unemployed Older Workers Facing Long-Term Joblessness and Reduced Retirement Security
Testimony by Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, May 15, 2012. "This testimony discusses the status of unemployed older workers. The most recent recession, which began in 2007 and ended in 2009, was the worst since the Great Depression, and has been characterized by historically high levels of long-term unemployment. While it is crucial that the nation help people of all ages return to work, long-term unemployment has particularly serious implications for older workers (age 55 and over). Job loss for older workers threatens not only their immediate financial security, but also their ability to support themselves during retirement." (Government Accountability Office)
Many Experience Challenges Regaining Employment and Face Reduced Retirement Security
"The number of workers age 55 and over experiencing long-term unemployment has grown substantially since the recession began in 2007. This raises concerns about how long-term unemployment will affect older workers' reemployment prospects and future retirement income.... GAO examined (1) how older workers' employment status has changed since the recession, (2) what risks unemployed older workers face and what challenges they experience in finding reemployment, (3) how long-term unemployment could affect older workers' retirement income, and (4) what other policies might help them return to work and what steps the Department of Labor has taken to help unemployed older workers." (Government Accountability Office)
[Opinion] Provisions in Health Reform Law and Regs Will Reduce Access to Health Savings Accounts
"[1] ObamaCare's essential health benefits package contains new restrictions on deductibles and cost-sharing, which will prevent at least some current HSA plans from being offered. [2] ObamaCare's medical loss ratio regulations also impose new restrictions that studies show will hit HSA plans particularly hard, and could force individuals to change their current form of coverage. [3] The ObamaCare statute does not specify that cash contributions made to an HSA will be counted towards the new federal actuarial value standards. And a February bulletin released by HHS in advance of upcoming rulemaking indicates that under the Administration�s approach, not all contributions into an HSA will count towards the new minimum federal standards -- meaning some HSA policies will not be considered 'government-approved.'" (National Center for Policy Analysis)
ML Strategies Health Care Reform Update, May 14, 2012 (PDF)
Weekly update on federal and state health care reform legislation, regulations and initiatives. (ML Strategies)
Federal Guidance and Regulation of State Health Benefit Exchanges
"[Information on the Final Rule which i]mplements standards for states related to reinsurance and risk adjustment, and for health insurance issuers related to reinsurance, risk corridors, and risk adjustments consistent with the ACA. These programs will lessen the impact of potential adverse selection and stabilize premiums in the individual and small group markets as insurance reforms exchanges are implemented, starting in 2014. The rule becomes effective May 23, 2012." (National Conference of State Legislatures)
Arizona Now Allowing Some Religious Employers' Health Plans to Opt Out of Contraceptive Drug Coverage Mandate
"[The new law] applies only to 'religiously affiliated' employers, which are defined as non-profit groups that primarily employ and serve individuals of the same religion or religiously motivated organizations with articles of incorporation clearly stating that religious beliefs are central to the organization's operating principles." (The Arizona Republic)
[Opinion] Health Care Reform: What Employers Should Be Considering Now
"As employers anxiously await the Supreme Court's decision on health care reform (expected by late June), there are many things employers should be thinking about now. The Supreme Court will most likely make one of four decisions on health care reform. [This article describes] how each of those possible decisions may affect employers." (Faegre Baker Daniels)
Deloitte Health Care Reform Memo, May 14, 2012
Describes recent developments in various health plan and health insurance matters at the federal and state levels. This issue includes a discussion of the ACA Primary Care Provisions and a chart of the provisions by section number. (Deloitte)
[Opinion] Slippery-Slope Logic, As Applied to Health Care Reform
"The idea is that while Policy X may be acceptable, it will inevitably lead to the terrible Outcome Y, so it is vital that we prevent Policy X from ever being enacted. The problem is that such arguments are often made without any evidence that doing X makes Y more likely, much less inevitable.... Justice Scalia is arguing that if the court lets Congress create a mandate to buy health insurance, nothing could stop Congress from passing laws requiring everyone to buy broccoli and to join a gym." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Massachusetts May Impose 'Luxury Tax' on the State's Most Pricey Hospitals
"The penalty is not included in the Senate's version of health-care reform, which instead calls for a special commission to determine acceptable and unacceptable factors contributing to price variation. [One state senator] has said the House's fee could 'force those folks that are higher cost to make decisions that aren't well-thought-out.' But [a state representative] said steps must be taken to address the differences in how hospitals are paid." (lowellsun.com)
[Opinion] Techniques Used by Obamacare Could Support Proposed Taxation of Employer-Provided Health Care Benefits
"On November 4, 2011, [two Congressmen] sent a letter to the Congressional Supercommittee on federal debt reduction, urging the committee 'to oppose new taxes on employer-sponsored health benefits.' ... The letter argues that [imposing taxes on] employer-sponsored insurance ... is unfair, because it disproportionately affects those who, by virtue of being older or living in the Northeast, face higher health costs ... Obamacare's 'Cadillac tax' on high-value health plans* worked out a number of these issues. Let's go through them[.]" (Forbes)
[Opinion] Why Employer-Paid Health Insurance Drives Up Health Care Costs
"Stanford Nobelist Kenneth Arrow famously described third-party insurance as one of the principal flaws in America's health-care market. That is to say, because patients don't pay for their health care directly, they're insensitive to the cost and value of that care. But the 155 million Americans with employer-sponsored insurance in fact have fourth-party insurance. Not only do they not directly pay for their care, but they don't directly pay for their third-party insurance." (Forbes)
Workplace Wellness Programs: Trends, Changes in the Law Starting in 2014, and Issues to Watch
"Employer wellness programs must comply with a number of federal and state requirements, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The issues discussed in this brief relate mostly to HIPAA provisions that prohibit employer health benefit plans from discriminating against individuals based on any factor connected with their health status." (Health Affairs)
[Guidance Overview] Connecticut's Group Health Plan Would Lose Governmental Plan Status by Covering Employees of Non-Profit Contractors
"[T]he DOL concluded that a group health plan sponsored by the State of Connecticut for state employees, retirees, and dependents would lose its ERISA exception as a governmental plan if it extended eligibility to employees of nonprofit entities providing public services through state contracts or funding.... [T]he 175,000 nonprofit employees estimated to become eligible under the new law (compared to 100,000 state employees and retirees currently in the plan) would far exceed the 'de minimis' number of private employees permitted under prior DOL guidance addressing the governmental plan exception." (Thomson Reuters/EBIA)
The Small Business Tax Credit in the ACA Is Good Business Sense
"[The] analysis found that more than 3.2 million small businesses, employing 19.3 million workers across the nation, will be eligible for this tax credit when they file their 2011 taxes. In total, these small businesses are eligible for more than $15.4 billion in credits for the 2011 tax year alone, an average of $800 per employee." (Families USA)
[Opinion] Even If Obamacare Survives Supreme Court Scrutiny, Employers May Do It In
"How big employers now control costs will depend on two giant decisions. First is the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of the individual mandate. If the justices give it a thumbs-down, employers are in a quandary. They like a mandate because it could lower their insurance costs by forcing more people into the risk pool, and in a world where everyone is legally required to maintain insurance, employers may feel less pressure to offer it. If the mandate is upheld, then everything depends on the second big decision: the voters' choice in November. A Republican sweep would probably mean Obamacare's repeal, while a more muddled election result probably wouldn't. Either of the two big decisions could kill Obamacare." (CNN Money)
New Jersey Governor Vetoes Health Insurance Exchange
"Democrats in the Legislature had billed the exchange as one-stop shopping for people or businesses seeking health insurance, allowing consumers to compare the benefits and the costs of participating plans. The Web site it proposed would have also allowed people to apply for tax credits or other subsidies toward the cost of insurance. In his veto message, the governor said he was concerned about the potential costs of the exchange." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Massachusetts Politicians Taking Different Tacks Pursuing Containment of Health Care Costs
Provides an interesting list of proposed programs, technologies, expenditures and tax relief. "The current legislative session's policy focus has been health care payment reform, and the Massachusetts Senate, House of Representatives and governor have each proposed their own unique approach to transition the market away from fee-for-service and to contain cost growth." (ML Strategies)
[Opinion] Where's the Fire? Administration's Implementation of Health Care Regs Is Disorderly Mess
"In a series of papers [the authors] provide evidence to suggest that 'the involvement of both White House and high-ranking agency staff' suggests that 'the administration likely got the [ObamaCare] rules it wanted written.' To do this, it overrode the normal checks and balances used to ensure that federal regulations impose the smallest possible burden on the private sector. Rather than posting required regulatory impact analyses ... with interim rules and allowing time for analysis and comment, the White House and its agency heads dictated the rules that would be written, curbed the Office of Management and Budget ... review function, and then simply declared that the interim rules were final." (National Center for Policy Analysis)
Plan Management Issues for State, Partnership and Federally Facilitated Health Insurance Exchanges (PDF)
"Based on [their findings, the authors] conclude that exchanges' plan management responsibilities represent a considerable expansion of states' oversight of insurers. The law requires oversight that in some cases expands on what states currently do and in other cases represents a wholly new activity. However, to fulfill their responsibilities, state exchanges can leverage the authority and skills of multiple state agencies, including departments of insurance, departments of health, and Medicaid agencies." (National Academy of Social Insurance / The Center on Health Insurance Reforms)
Bill Introduced to Make Health Care a Right in New York State
"More than 70 state lawmakers are co-sponsors.... The proposal would provide comprehensive health coverage for all New Yorkers. Every New York resident would be eligible to enroll, regardless of age, income, wealth, employment, or other status. There would be no premium, deductibles, or co-pays. Coverage would be publicly funded. The benefits will include comprehensive outpatient and inpatient medical care, primary and preventive care, prescription drugs, laboratory tests, rehabilitative, dental, vision, hearing, etc." (Physicians for a National Health Program)
The ACA Small Business Tax Credit Makes Good Business Sense
"[This analysis finds] that more than 3.2 million small businesses, employing 19.3 million workers across the nation, will be eligible for this tax credit when they file their 2011 taxes. In total, these small businesses are eligible for more than $15.4 billion in credits for the 2011 tax year alone, an average of $800 per employee." (FamiliesUSA)
Couples Retiring in 2012 Will Need $240,000 to Pay Medical Expenses Throughout Retirement
"Fidelity has calculated an annual estimate of medical expenses for retirees for more than a decade.... The estimate ... does not include any costs associated with nursing-home care and applies to retirees with traditional Medicare insurance coverage." (MarketWatch)
The Morning Line: Most Are Betting Health Reform Law's Mandate Will Be Thrown Out
"Over at Intrade, a 'prediction market' for current events, the betting Tuesday morning gave chances of about 58 percent that the court will disallow the mandate, which requires people to obtain health coverage or pay a fine." (National Public Radio)
[Opinion] Time to Control Runaway Military Personnel Costs
"[W]hile the military's retirement program serves only a small minority of the force, it provides an exceedingly generous benefit, often providing 40 years of pension payments in return for 20 years of service. As a result, the program now costs taxpayers more than $100 billion per year, an exceedingly steep price tag for a program hampered by serious flaws. This number is projected to double by 2034." (Tuscon Sentinel)
[Opinion] Innoculate the Budget Deficit from Health Care Reform
"As we work to restrain health care cost growth, we must, at the same time, inoculate the future deficit from the inevitable failures of health reform. We can do this by choosing a federal health care spending level and stipulating that any spending above that amount must be financed on a current basis with a tax. For example, if federal health care spending were allowed to grow at the rate of GDP plus 0.5 percent (a rate proposed by both President Obama and Rep. Ryan), any health spending in excess of that growth rate would be financed with tax revenues in the next year." (Brookings)
In Japan, All-Payer Rate Setting Under Tight Government Control Proving to Be Effective at Containing Costs
"Japan's single payment system contains spending while retaining the advantages of multiple health insurance plans. Combining hospital and physician fees -- not typically done in the U.S. -- also helps achieve these objectives. Applying a single rate to U.S. providers, a growing number of whom are employed by hospitals, would simplify billing, provide incentives for physicians to practice more efficiently, and possibly encourage more physicians to locate in medically underserved areas." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Washington State's 1993 Experiment with Health Insurance Reforms (PDF)
"In 1993, Washington adopted one of the most extensive health care reforms ever enacted by a state. The law promised the grail of near-universal coverage while controlling costs. But the law was not implemented as intended, and as Washington residents soon discovered, unless [reforms such as premium caps] are paired with an effective personal coverage requirement, real problems emerge for employers, families and individuals." (America's Health Insurance Plans)
[Opinion] How to Fix Our Enormous, Inefficient Health Care System
"[C]hange will require new structures and institutions, not tweaks to the current system. That's the only way to disrupt the wasteful habits of the status quo. [The author offers] two specific proposals for new frameworks. The first ["Create Special Heath Care Courts"] is now broadly accepted by health care thought and political leaders of both sides ... but has been stymied so far by a powerful special interest. The second [" Replace Public Health Care with Comprehensive Providers"] is radical, and would be considered politically suicidal. It would also solve much of the problem of misaligned incentives." (The Atlantic)
Essential Health Benefit Packages Under Health Care Reform Have Employers Wary
"Employers and consumer groups are tracking state efforts to craft insurance benefit packages for individuals and small businesses as required under the federal health care reform law.... Large and small employers have banded together to form the Essential Health Benefits Coalition to voice concerns in Washington and statehouses across the country on the issue.... 'Employers want to make sure the benefits aren�t so expensive that they can�t cover the cost,' [said a spokesman] for the Essential Health Benefits Coalition. " (Workforce)
How Supreme Court Vote Could Affect Health Industry's Cash Flow
"[T]he net effect of a thumbs-up decision is likely to be a brighter free-cash profile (FCP) for the industry and many of its individual companies, according to [the] professor of accounting at Georgia Tech who invented the metric. The FCP is designed to forecast the ability of a company or an industry to produce cash as it grows.... 'If national health care goes through, I view it as a positive for the health-care industry, because we'll have more people covered by insurance,' .... 'If they were to get more care, better care, I would think that somebody's got to provide that care -- and it's the health care industry.'" (cfo)
Critics Say Health Insurance Industry Should Be Replaced by Single-Payer System
Dr. Arnold Relman, a former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, spoke at an event sponsored by two advocacy groups: Mad As Hell Doctors, and Physicians for a National Health Programs. 'We run our healthcare system as if it's a business in the free market... and not like the social service it ought to be.... [and we] believe in the myth that the private market -- private capitalism -- can work as well in healthcare as it is reputed to work in other areas [of the economy].'" (The Lund Report)
House Ways and Means Panel Mulls FSA Coverage for OTC Medicines
"The House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee ... considered a $5-billion provision ... in the [ACA] that prohibits using certain tax-favored spending plans to reimburse taxpayers for the cost of over-the-counter ... medicines. GOP lawmakers said requiring taxpayers to visit a doctor is tantamount to a tax increase that would clog physicians' offices, thereby reducing health care access for millions of American families." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business / CCH)
Health Care Access Already in Steady Decline for Past Decade, Could Get Worse If Health Care Reform Repealed
"This paper's analysis of national survey estimates found that access to health care and use of health services for adults ages 19-64 -- the primary targets of the ACA -- deteriorated between 2000 and 2010, particularly among those who were uninsured. More than half of uninsured US adults did not see a doctor in 2010, and only slightly more than a quarter of these adults were seen by a dentist." (Health Affairs)
Reinhart Employee Benefits Update, April 2012 (PDF)
Articles include: Clarification on Reasonable Interest Rate for Participant Loans; Final Interim Rule on Health Insurance Exchanges; Adoption of Preapproved Defined Benefit Plans; and Departments Issue New FAQs on SBC Requirements. (Reinhart)
Health Care Reform Timeline for Employers
Timeline of employer action items having effective dates during 2010-2018. (Mercer)
Health Care Reform: What If They Throw the Whole Thing Out?
"[If the Supreme Court finds the individual mandate is not constitutional and that it is not severable from the rest of PPACA, it] would mean that the entire law would be voided and employers would no longer have to continue to comply.... [The situation would then be that] employers will no longer have to comply with any of the PPACA mandates, and various PPACA provisions that affect employers will no longer apply. This includes portions of PPACA that are already effective, as well as those that are becoming effective over the next several years." (Jones Day)
Deloitte Health Care Reform Memo, May 7, 2012
Describes recent developments in various health plan and health insurance matters at the federal and state levels. This issue includes a discussion of the Senate Committee on Finance announcement of a bipartisan effort to combat waste and fraud. (Deloitte)
[Opinion] The Health Care Mandate Is Clearly a Tax and Therefore Constitutional
"The mandate is an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code, and it is calculated based on a percentage of adjusted gross income or a fixed amount, whichever is larger. Starting in 2014, it will be collected on your form 1040 just like your other taxes.... [Justice] Roberts and [Justice] Kennedy are no doubt aware of the political meaning of a 5-4 vote along party lines that gives Republicans what they could not get through the democratic political process. That concern, and the long history of deference to Congress on economic legislation, give the justices strong reasons to uphold the act. The tax argument offers them a way out. " (The Atlantic)
The links shown above have been gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com. Each article's publisher is shown above in parentheses. Opinions expressed in each article are those of the article's publisher, not necessarily those of BenefitsLink.com, Inc. or any web site that displays these headlines in a "frame." You should contact the listed publisher for copyright information about any particular article or to inquire into the right to use the article in any manner.