Most of your employees understand that if they lose their jobs, they have options available that will allow them to continue their health care benefits. But if an employee faces a long-term disabling injury or illness and must stop working, the options may be less clear. There are critical time limitations when it comes to maintaining their health care coverage—especially when applying for Social Security Disability benefits.
Tags: cobra administration, cobra blog, COBRA solutions, COBRA outsourcing, cobra coordination, cobra disability extension benefits
Effective in 2014, the new health care reform law will implement an individual health insurance mandate, requiring most Americans to carry health insurance. Once the mandate goes into effect, most Americans will be required to purchase health insurance or face paying a fine.
Tags: ppaca, HR issues, Health reform, individual mandate
While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) continues to be an unsolved puzzle for employers and insurance providers, the law is moving forward and the pieces are slowly beginning to come together.
Tags: ppaca, cobra administration, cobra blog, HR issues, cobra notices, COBRA administration partner, COBRA outsourcing COBRA administration, Essential Health Benefits
While you’re making your list and checking it twice – don’t forget to consider your business and specifically your HR team. Are COBRA struggles bogging you down or placing your business at risk?
Tags: cobra administration, cobra blog, cobra notices, COBRA administration partner, COBRA education, COBRA bookkeeping, COBRA continuing education, outsourcing COBRA administration, COBRA efficiency
Today we feature a guest blog written by Robert A. Browning of Spencer Faine Britt & Browne LLP. The article was originally published in Spencer Faines' Insights Library.
Tags: cobra administration, healthcare reform, cobra blog, HR issues
This week, we feature a guest blog written by Angela Bohman of Leonard Street and Deinard. The article was originally published in Health Plan.
Tags: cobra administration, COBRA notice, cobra notices, COBRA continuation
With the November elections behind us, the way has been paved for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to be fully implemented. For states and federal agencies, that means they have only 11 more months to prepare for millions of uninsured people to start signing up for coverage under the new healthcare exchanges, with open enrollment scheduled to begin October 1, 2013. Coverage under the new exchanges will be effective January 1, 2014, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 22 million people will buy coverage through the public exchange system by 2016.
Tags: ppaca, cobra administration, COBRA software, health care reform, HR issues
With open enrollment underway, many employers are once again feeling the strain of rising health care premiums. Some are exploring cost-shifting opportunities, others are looking at employee-directed options and wellness education and the rest are just tightening their belts.
Tags: cobra administration, COBRA software, COBRA participants, cobra eligibility, Health care premiums, census, health care strategy, COBRA mistake, COBRA participation
Every year during open enrollment a few unsuspecting companies make a big HR mistake: They unwittingly allow their COBRA administration program to change along with their benefits plans. Sometimes it’s because the carrier recommends a different COBRA administrator. Sometimes it’s because a broker is offering free COBRA software. And sometimes, the broker and the HR team aren’t even conscious that the change is occurring because the COBRA administration was a free service provided by the old health insurance carrier.
Tags: cobra administration, cobra administrator, COBRA software, open enrollment, COBRA system, COBRA administration program
According to a workplace survey by HR consultant Mercer released last year, employer provided benefits are increasingly vital to the employer-employee relationship. For 91 percent of those employees, having benefits through their employer is just as important as being paid a salary.
Tags: cobra administration, HR issues, COBRA participants, benefits communication, benefit campaigns, open enrollment
