While many health benefits advisers have been recommending that employees with health savings accounts use them as savings vehicles that can be tapped for future medical care, a new study finds that most people are spending the bulk of the funds. The study by Willis Towers Watson found that 65% of workers were using their […]
Few Employees Get the Most out of Their Health Savings Accounts Read More »
As group health insurance costs continue rising every year, more employers are embracing a new plan model that aims to both cut costs and improve outcomes for patients. This trend, known as value-based primary care, is a bit of an umbrella term for various models that involve direct financial relationships between individuals, employers, their insurers
A New Health Care Model Tackles Costs, Quality Care Read More »
In the final rules that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released for 2019, it also covered annual cost-sharing limits for group plans, rules on SHOP exchanges, and grandfathered plans, among other items we’ve covered earlier. Here we break down some of the focuses of the 2019 rules: Annual cost-sharing limits for group plans
New Rules Lay Down Law for Group Plans in 2019 Read More »
Under the Affordable Care Act, group health insurance costs have been rising at a much slower rate than they had during the decade preceding its passage. In fact, the rate of annual premium growth in the group market has hovered around 5% – more than half of what it was between 2001 and 2010. Also,
Drug Costs Starting to Drive Group Plan Inflation Read More »
The Trump administration has taken another step in its effort to roll out short-term health insurance plans by extending the amount of time such plans can be in effect. Under the new rule, which was issued August 1, short-term plans can be purchased for up to 12 months and policyholders can renew coverage for a
New Rules Allow Short-term Plans to Last up to Three Years Read More »
An investigative report by the Washington Post has uncovered an alleged cartel among generic drug manufacturers to fix the price of some 300 medications, adding new fuel to the debate about raging price increases in the pharmaceutical industry. While a number of name-brand drug makers have been named and shamed for their massive price increases
Huge Investigation Uncovers Possible Generic Drug Pricing Cartel Read More »
The US is experiencing a prescription drug pricing epidemic, and some drug companies are driving a wedge into the health insurance model by severely jacking up pharmaceutical prices to astronomical levels. Unfortunately, the cost of some drugs has become so extreme that by paying for one prescription it could take decades to recoup the cost
Skyrocketing Drug Prices Threaten Health Insurance Model Read More »
The Department of Labor in June issued its final rules for expanding employers’ access to association plans, a move that could result in some increases in premiums for other plans, including Affordable Care Act-compliant small group health plans. The rule in its essence allows more small businesses and self-employed workers to band together to buy
DOL Issues Final Rules for Association Health Plans Read More »
The IRS has released the inflation-adjusted amounts for 2019 used to determine whether employer-sponsored coverage is “affordable” for purposes of the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility provisions. For plan years beginning in 2019, the affordability percentage has increased to 9.86% (from 9.56% in 2018) of an employee’s household income or wages stated on their
DOL Employers Expect 6% Hike in Health Costs for 2019 Read More »
In 2015, spending on prescription drugs grew 9%, faster than any other category of healthcare spending, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The report cited increased use of new medicines, price increases for existing ones, and more spending on generic drugs as the reasons for this growth. Increasingly, though, observers of
Pharmacy Benefit Managers: A Break On Rising Prescription Costs Or a Cause of Them? Read More »
This is the face you make after a minor mishap with filming!
My introduction before Craig Lack is now long lost footage.
That’s show biz, right?!
The good news is that Craig is talking about the strategies we’re both using to help organizations liberate the dollars trapped in their health spend.
I’m available after you watch and learn to talk the nitty gritty – how it works, implementation, executive buy-in and employee adoption.
Happy Watching!
