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Stockton, Calif., Retirees Sue to Stop City from Requiring Them to Pay Health Premiums for First Time

"A group of Stockton retirees has filed suit in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Sacramento asking for a restraining order ... The city informed retirees by letter that they must pay their premiums by July 30 or 'medical coverage will be canceled retroactive to July 1.' The move is part of the city's 'pendency plan' aimed at keeping it solvent while it seeks protections from creditors under federal bankruptcy law.... Dwane Milnes, who was Stockton's city manager from 1991 to 2001, has been widely criticized for giving retirees full retirement healthcare in return for agreements from unions not to seek raises. The unfunded liability for those benefits is $417 million. Milnes now represents the retirees in bankruptcy-related negotiations."

Stop Making 401(k) Contributions -- Fill Up Your HSA First

"HSAs are triple tax-free ... HSA payroll contributions are truly tax-free ... No use it or lose it ... Paying retiree health care expenses ... No age 70-1/2 minimum distribution requirements ... Contribution limits ... HSAs and retirement planning ... Investing HSA contributions important."

Realizing the Promise of Telemedicine for Employers

"The high availability and low utilization of telemedicine by employees, as compared to its potential, means both employers and employees are spending far more on healthcare for non-emergency, primary care treatment and receiving that care less conveniently at a physical location.... With a minimum of 200 million visits annually capable of being diverted to telemedicine, and with First Stop Health's average savings of $216 per visit, telemedicine can deliver ever-increasing value to employers and the healthcare system as a whole."

How to Get Employees to Use Telemedicine

"Before selecting a telemedicine provider, employers should ask whether employee engagement is part of the vendor’s offering. If not, employers must know that they will need to do the majority of the heavy lifting to drive engagement.... HR should consider the message and medium they will use to reach employees, as well as create a timeline for deployment. These messages should account for employee personas, common employee health issues and seasonal health topics."

CMS Sends Clear Message to Plans: Stop Hiding Information from Patients

"[On May 17, CMS] sent a letter to companies that provide Medicare prescription drug coverage in Part D explaining that so-called 'gag clauses' are unacceptable, as part of the Administration-wide 'American Patients First' initiative to lower prescription drug costs."

Statistics You Need to Know About Healthcare and Telemedicine

"Healthcare costs are increasing, burdening both employers and employees. At the same time, accessing care has also become more difficult for a variety of reasons. Statistics demonstrate the scale of these problems, and how telemedicine can address them."

What You Should Expect from the Best Telemedicine Companies

"91% of employers currently offer telemedicine or plan to offer telemedicine starting in 2020.... Here is what employers should expect from a top telemedicine provider.  ... [1] Customized employee communications ... [2] High utilization ... [3] Proven ROI ... [4] Transparent costs ... [5] Physician quality."

What's the Cost of Telemedicine?

"[T]he cost of telemedicine varies greatly among providers, and the true cost — and true benefit — of telemedicine can oftentimes be difficult to calculate. There are several factors to consider when evaluating the real cost of a telemedicine service: [1] Per employee per month (PEPM) fee; [2] Employee, or member, co-pay or consultation fees; [3] Engagement campaign costs; [4] Usage limits, onboarding fees and other miscellaneous costs; [5] Soft costs and soft benefits."

Cost-Saving Strategies: When Employees Fill Prescriptions

"[1] Patients trust pharmacists. Consider an independent, HIPAA-compliant on-site pharmacy.... [2] Copays can be counterproductive. Assess eliminating copays for generic drugs that treat chronic conditions ... [3] Engage separately with high-cost employees. Investigate employing a HIPAA-compliant chronic care management firm[.]"

Are Stop Loss Carriers Subject to Prompt Pay Statutes?