A new streamlined application for insurance was unveiled yesterday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Essentially, the initial 21 page application (many more if the appendices are included) was converted into three separate applications – two for individuals and one for families. Interestingly, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a new survey yesterday as [...]
CMS publishes the Marketplace Consumer Applications
April 30, 2013 By
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the much anticipated revised Marketplace Consumer Applications. There is an Individual Short Form, which is just 3 pages long (as compared to the previous 21 page version), a Family Form, which is just 7 pages long, and a 3 page application for those not seeking financial assistance. [...]
If family health insurance through your employer is prohibitively expensive, will you be able to get more affordable family coverage on the Exchange?
April 30, 2013 By
The answer, which may be surprising to some, is in today’s Kaiser Health News. The answer depends on what kind of coverage your employer offers, and if the self-only coverage is affordable — the answer does not depend on the cost of family coverage. If, for example, a family of five has a house-hold income of about 200% of the federal poverty level, [...]
Moving Forward: Federal Government Awards $28M Contract for Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center
April 29, 2013 By
Kaiser Health News reports that the federal government recently awarded a $28 million contract to operate a call center to handle questions about the new Health Insurance Marketplaces to Vangent, a subsidiary of General Dynamics. This call center will be responsible for handling all questions from consumers about purchasing insurance coverage through the new Health [...]
Congress Continues to Question Sebelius Over “Rate Shock” and Opening of Affordable Insurance Exchanges
April 26, 2013 By
Ignited by Senator Max Baucus’ recent comments to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, lawmakers continue to question Sebelius regarding the readiness of the Exchanges and significant rate hikes as pre-existing condition exclusions fall by the wayside. Secretary Sebelius was questioned again on Thursday when she spoke on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers [...]
Treasury, IRS Hold Public Hearing on Employer Shared Responsibility Penalties under PPACA
April 24, 2013 By
On Tuesday, April 23, 2013, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) held a public hearing at the main IRS building in Washington, DC. The hearing began at 10am and lasted nearly all day, with over 20 organizations listed on the agenda scheduled to present in front of a panel of [...]
DOL Releases New Healthcare Reform FAQ, Updated SBC Template
April 24, 2013 By
The U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury have released a new set of healthcare reform FAQs posted to the Department of Labor’s website. This new set of FAQs addresses the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) requirement in the second year of applicability. Group health plans are required to distribute SBCs [...]
On your marks, get set, go! CMS issues marketplace timeline
April 23, 2013 By
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published a timeline for getting the insurance exchanges, or marketplaces, up in running by October 1, 2013. The timeline includes anticipated market rules, operations and IT deadlines, among others. Of particular interest to consumers is the projected June 2013 re-launch of Healthcare.gov, the portal for purchasing insurance on [...]
Is Governor McCrory good for North Carolina business?
April 23, 2013 By
The answer depends on who you ask, where you ask, what time of day it is, if the sun is shinning, and a host of other factors. There is some argument, however, that when it comes to McCrory’s decision not to expand Medicare, he brought more financial pain down on North Carolina businesses. This article by the [...]
Say What? HHS Enlists Help from PR Firm to Educate the Public on Exchanges
April 22, 2013 By
On the heels of a public scolding by Senator Max Baucus, the Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new contract with a public relations firm to promote the Affordable Care Act Exchanges. Last week, Senator Baucus, D-Mont., took HHS Secretary Sebelius to task for failing to adequately inform the public of the [...]