Health Insurance Premiums In 2014

The Society of Actuaries released a study on the projected increases for health insurance premiums under the new health care laws. It does not look good. Our health insurance premiums are projected to go up 67% under the new health care laws.  This is a huge jump because of health care reform. We are one […]

Smart Patient by UHC

Health insurance companies continue to create online tools and apps to help insured have better control of their health care. United Health Care has launched a new app call Smart Patient. This app is for either IPhone or Droid. The app will hold of the patient medical information and more. The application tracks 5 numbers […]

Breast Pump Coverage Under Insurance.

Under the new Health Care Reform laws, all breast pumps must be covered at no cost to the insured. As you can imagine this has created some shortages. If you find yourself in need of breast pump, look on the back of your insurance card for a phone number for member services. This number will […]

Essential Health Benefits For Indiana

  The Essential Health Benefits have been released by the federal government. This dictates that Insurers must cover 10 broad categories of care. This includes maternity services, doctor and medical services, mental health and substance abuse, and prescription drugs. Why is this important? All individual and small group will be effected by this ruling. This […]

HHS Delays Basic Health Plan

Kaiser has reported that HHS will delay the “Basic” Health plan until 2015.  The “basic” health plan was to help people that are making 2 times federal poverty level.  This plan is to be designed with very little cost to insured both from a claims and premium standpoint. The other advantage to this plan is if […]

UnitedHealthCare Pharmacy Migration

UnitedHealthCare will be consolidating and managing its pharmacy benefit program in house through OptiumRX. Currently the pharmacy benefit manager has be Medco. UHC will begin migrating members starting in early 2013. They have invested more than $200 million in developing OptumRX. UHC starting using OptumRX back in 2009, when it moved Medicare Part D member […]

Qualified Health Plan (QHP)

Next year all health insurance plans must meet the essential health benefits to be considered a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) These requirements are base on: If the plan is offered inside or outside the exchange IF the plan is fully insured  or a self funded plan Premiums for Individual and small groups will no longer […]

5 Things A Small Business Needs to Know about Health Insurance Reform

Insurance companies are held accountable. The insurance company must spend at least 80% of the premium collected on medical care.  If they don’t, then a rebate check will be issued to the group. Insurance companies are health accountable for large rate increase. Insurance companies must publicly justify any rate increase over 10%. Tax Credits for […]

$63 Fee Hidden in PPACA Regulations

It turns out that everyone that has a health insurance policy will have to pay an additional $63 a year. This $63 is to help fund the health insurance industries risk for in 2014. If you have an individual, small group, large group or self funded plan you have to pay. In 2014, the individual […]

Community Ratings For Small Group Health Insurance

In 2014, we are going to see a major transformation of the small group health insurance market. One of the biggest changes is the community ratings. No longer will a small group premium be based on medical conditions. This means most will groups will have similar pricing. Right now small groups in the area are medical […]