COBRA CONUNDRUMS reprinted from the February, 2012 issue of Health Insurance Underwriter Magazine featuring our very own Robert Meyers.

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As part of the new regulatory expansion regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office issued its final ruling regarding the modification of the act’s security, privacy, and breach notification requirements. The final rule, which came into effect on March 26, 2013, requires that all employers, vendors, and health care providers become compliant by September 23rd or face significant financial penalties up to $50,000 per violation and $1.5 million for multiple infractions of the same kind.

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Tags: ppaca, cobra administration, cobra blog, PPACA update

With our economy ever in flux, it’s not unusual for a small business to be juggling several COBRA participants at any given time. As your HR department has probably surmised by now, communicating with former employees and retirees is not the easiest task - and getting them to make their COBRA payments in a timely manner can be especially time consuming.  

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The changing landscape of health care has many employers redefining their health care management strategies. A growing majority are turning to wellness incentives and penalties to proactively keep their employees healthy. In fact, the number of employers planning to implement wellness programs next year is expected rise considerably according to a forthcoming 2013 health care survey by Aon Hewitt due out in April.

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The Health Insurance Exchanges required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are beginning to show signs of interest among Americans—nearly half—according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Plan Study released just last week.

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The Pre-Existing Condition Plan (PCIP) — which allowed those with pre-existing health conditions the ability to obtain insurance if they had been denied coverage — has cut benefits for enrollees and suspended the processing of new applicants in 23 states effective immediately.   

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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.  

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