If you’ve seen our recent press release, you already know that the North Carolina State Health Plan Board of Trustees recently awarded benefits administration contracts to five companies, including COBRAGuard. The state provides benefits for approximately 664,000 people. With this decision, it expects to save $22.4 million, roughly 19 percent, compared to last year.
Tags: cobra administration, cobra for public entities, outsourcing benefits administration, benefits administration outsourcing, direct billing administration
Feel like you’re paying a lot for healthcare now? Well, no downturn in healthcare costs is expected in 2013, but on the positive side, there is no huge upturn expected either. A 2012 survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PWC) Health Research Institute projects a medical cost trend increase of a relatively flat 7.5 percent for 2013. Medical cost trend is an important factor that is used to project and formulate the cost health insurance premiums for employers and consumers.
Tags: cobra administration, health benefit costs, healthcare costs, medical cost trend, COBRA administration outsourcing, outsourcing COBRA
Employers continue struggling to anticipate the evolving regulations of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Staying in compliance with the new law, which is being implemented with staggered deadlines even as regulations are still being written, presents huge challenges and some tough decisions.
Many of you already know that The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Medical Loss Ratio Rule may result in health insurance premium rebates in the coming months. In fact, insurers are required to send rebates relating to 2011 premiums to employers by August 1, 2012. What you may NOT know is how you are going to distribute a portion of these rebates back to current employees, past employees, and COBRA participants. The 2011 rebates will start arriving this summer. The question is, are you ready for them?
Tags: COBRA training, HR issues, COBRA solutions, COBRA participants, cobra info.
With the Supreme Court’s decision on the new healthcare law in place, employers and insurance providers are taking a closer look at what’s ahead in the coming months and years. One thing that’s certain is that both groups will have to adjust to the new landscape to survive.
Tags: ppaca, healthcare reform, health insurance
The verdict is in, but while the Supreme Court ruling on PPACA offers some clarity for individuals, families and businesses on the future of the health insurance industry, the scramble to sort out the details and address unanswered questions is likely to continue for a long time.
Tags: ppaca, cobra administration, COBRA solutions, cobra info.
As the insurance industry continues to prepare for the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on healthcare reform, due out any time, there’s at least one thing everyone agrees on: the rules have changed forever.
Tags: cobra administration, COBRA software, employee benefit brokers
COBRA compliance can be tricky for both COBRA participants and COBRA administrators. Sending the wrong COBRA notices or even the right notices at the wrong time can have costly consequences as the employer in our tale discovered.
Tags: cobra notices
One of the most significant aspects of the new healthcare reform law is the creation of health insurance exchanges. And yet with all of the confusion surrounding the new law, this provision could easily be the one your employees and/or clients know the least about.
Tags: healthcare reform, HR issues
The administration of health benefits is likely one of your biggest headaches, and it’s vital to keep yourself informed and up to date on the changing laws and compliance requirements.
Tags: COBRA compliance, mini COBRA laws, state COBRA, mini COBRA
