Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Participation in high-deductible health plans and health flexible spending accounts grew at a strong pace, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The findings in “Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January–March 2013” suggest that employees’ interests in consumer-directed health plans is growing, information employers may find useful in […]
An increasing number of employers are examining providing a low-benefits health plan that covers only preventive health services but not high-price major medical claims. Offering this type of low cost or “skinny” plan is allowed under the health reform law. The question is: Will skinny plans trigger a large-employer exodus to de minimis coverage, and if so, […]
Gillihan, who is Counsel in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird LLP, made his suggestions at a recent webinar sponsored by BLR/HRHero. Complying with the Women’s Health Preventive Care Requirement First of all, employers should already be complying with women’s health preventive care requirements, in effect January 1 for calendar plan years, says Gillilan. […]
Participate in this brief survey and see how your health benefits stack up against those of other successful companies. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete. Complete the Survey Now To show our appreciation we’ll send a PDF of the survey results to all participants. (Be sure to include your contact information where […]
Here, for example, is a (brief?) summary of what you and your organization will face in 2013: Health Insurance Administration Simplification During 2013 and on to 2016, HHS is to develop uniform standards to reduce the clerical burden on patients, healthcare providers, and health plans. A health plan must comply with the new requirements by […]
Health reform’s requirement that employers insure work forces will hit the retail and hospitality industries harder than others, because they are staffed with more low-wage and part-time workers, consulting firm Mercer LLC reported on Aug. 8. Forty-six percent of surveyed firms in the retail and hospitality sectors predicted health care cost increases of at least […]
The rules on how expenditures for over-the-counter drugs are reimbursed and governing health flexible spending account balances still unused at the end of the year could change if a bill the House passed on June 7 is enacted. In a 270-146 vote, the House approved H.R. 436, the Health Care Cost Reduction Act of 2012. […]
Employers and plan administrators that find the over-the-counter drug rules put in place by the health care reform law to be onerous may have relief, if the Ways and Means Committee has its way. The committee on May 31 in a 24-9 vote ordered H.R. 5842, the Restoring Access to Medication Act, reported to the […]
Employers and plan administrators that offer health flexible spending accounts have been bracing themselves for Jan. 1, 2013. That’s when the $2,500 limit on health FSA salary reduction contributions provided for in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act kicks in. The IRS on May 30 issued Notice 2012-40, which provides guidance on the limit, […]
Employers with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) that make it possible for employees to open health savings accounts (HSAs) have plenty of lead time to prepare for 2013. The IRS on April 27 issued Revenue Procedure (Rev. Proc.) 2012-26, which contains the HSA and HDHP limits for calendar year 2013. The HSA annual limits and the […]