|
You Know Health Benefits Matter. But Did You Know How Much?
"73% of workers report that health insurance is one of the top three most important benefits influencing their employment decisions. That's significantly higher than the 57% reporting that a retirement savings plan is in the top three.... [W]hen asked to name the most critical issues facing our nation, healthcare was picked by more workers -- 26% -- than any other issue. And one-half of workers describe the health care system as poor (22 percent) or fair (28 percent)."
Mercer
|
|
California Law Will Put Limits on PBMs, Add Notice Requirements
"The law bars 'gag clauses' that have prevented pharmacies from telling consumers when they would save money by paying cash for a prescription instead of obtaining it through insurance with a higher co-payment. Under the California law, if the customer pays the retail price, the pharmacy can still put the claim through the insurer and credit the amount paid toward the customer's deductible and out-of-pocket maximum."
American Journal of Managed Care
|
|
Health Plan Trends (PDF)
11 pages. "[This report] compares the results of MMA-MI's 2018 Southeast Michigan Mid-Market Group Benefits Survey to our national benchmark, Mercer's 2017 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans. Mercer reflects large employer data (500 or more employees). Both sources provide specific data on what employers are currently doing to keep health plan costs in check."
Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC
|
How Smartphone Apps Could Help Keep Health Records Accurate
"[W]hile patient harm is the primary risk posed by inaccurate records, cost is no small consideration. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology reported that each instance of a misidentified record cost the Mayo Clinic roughly $1,200 -- and that's just within the Mayo system. These administrative costs are magnified when data are exchanged on a nationwide scale."
RAND Corporation
|
Benefits in General
|
The Fiduciary Duty of Loyalty (PDF)
"While there is consensus chat the duty of loyalty is derived from the common law of trusts, and the restatement of trusts states that the duty of loyalty is an objective standard, case law has generally taken a different approach based upon the language of ERISA Section 404(a)(l) (which is framed in terms of acting for an exclusive purpose). Note, however, there was a recent difference of opinion on this issue between District Courts."
The Wagner Law Group
|
Selected Discussions on the BenefitsLink Message Boards
|
ACA/PHS Act Section 2706: Provider Non-Discrimination Rule Ever Enforced?
Has anyone ever heard of any enforcement of this provision by any agency? It's well established that no private cause of action exists to enforce it. I can't find that HHS has ever taken enforcement action to enforce it. In theory, being out of compliance triggers the excise tax under IRC 4980D, but I can't find that IRS has ever sought it, or any guidance from IRS. Has there been any consequence for failing to remove exclusions of certain types of provider from a self-insured health plans?
BenefitsLink Message Boards
|
|
|
|
|
Most Popular Items in the Previous Issue
|
|
|
|
|
BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
1298 Minnesota Avenue, Suite H
Winter Park, Florida 32789
(407) 644-4146
Lois Baker, J.D., President
David Rhett Baker, J.D., Editor and Publisher
Holly Horton, Business Manager
BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter, ISSN no. 1536-9595. Copyright 2018 BenefitsLink.com, Inc. All materials contained in this newsletter are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of BenefitsLink.com, Inc., or in the case of third party materials, the owner of those materials. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notices from copies of the content.
Links to web sites other than BenefitsLink.com and EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com are offered as a service to our readers; we were not involved in their production and are not responsible for their content.
Unsubscribe |
Change Email Address |
Privacy Policy
|