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Grassley Scolds HHS Over Health Law Guidance Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) sent a blistering letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius accusing her agency of stonewalling about its guidance on a key question in the health law. “Although your response took three months to compose, it utterly failed to address the questions and information requests in my letter,” the senator said in a letter dated Feb. 12. Click here to read more. Corbett Submits Obamacare-Required Medicaid Waiver to Feds HARRISBURG — After a public comment period that lasted months, the Corbett administration on Wednesday asked the federal government for a waiver of Medicaid rules under the Affordable Care Act. Gov. Tom Corbett's proposal to expand Medicaid to more poor adults cuts benefits and imposes work requirements on some enrollees. If approved, the plan would go into effect in January, allowing single adults earning between $5,745 and $11,490 to use government subsidies to purchase insurance through the private marketplace . Click here to read more. Highmark Inc., Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania Seek Merger Highmark Inc. and Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania are seeking approval for a merger, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department announced today. "The highest priority in our review of this application is to see that consumers will be protected and the impacted health insurers remain financially strong and the market competitive," Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine said in a news release, adding that the department's review process will be as transparent as possible. Click here to read more. Many Pennsylvanians Fail to Pay First Premiums Under Obamacare At least one in 10 Pennsylvanians who selected coverage through Healthcare.gov never paid their first premium, according to insurance companies, which extended deadlines at the urging of President Obama on the troubled rollout of his signature health-reform law . Click here to read more. Geisinger Health Plan Individual Marketplace Form By completing this form you are confirming that the agent indicated assisted your electronic enrollment through GeisingerMarketplace.com. Click here to read more. Federally Facilitated Marketplace Section Added to URL Site Basic Insurance Terms Videos The following are links to some basic insurance terms videos. All four short videos go over common terms used in the marketplace, and explain what each term means and how it is used.
Upcoming Chartered Benefit Consultant Class You have attended the Chartered Benefit Consultant (CBC) class and many of you received the CBC designation. Because of receiving many requests from members looking for a "refresher", we wanted to notify you of the next CBC class. Do you have associates who you feel would benefit from the same training you received? Do you want to update yourself on the many changes, particularly those that have come about due to the health reform law?. Click here to read more. Weekly PPACA Update Conference Call We recognize that many of you have questions that need answered in regards to the PPACA Law (Obamacare) and the opening of the Marketplaces on 10-1-2013. So, in a continuing effort to assist our agent-partners in getting the information they need to flourish within the under 65 group and individual health market, we are implementing a weekly telephone conference that will serve as a place to get your questions answered and discuss topics that will lead to your continued success in the health insurance market. Click here to register. Weekly PPACA Conference Call Archives Click here to view the archived recordings of the PPACA Conference Calls.
Obamacare Rewrites Rile Republicans (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama’s repeated postponement of deadlines in the rollout of his health care overhaul has sparked accusations from Republicans that he’s straying into dangerous territory by rewriting the law. Click here to read more. Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility Standards Chart Depicted are the eligibility levels in effect as of January 1, 2014 based on information current as of September 30, 2013, provided to CMS by states either for purposes of FFM programming of state - specific Medicaid/CHIP rules, through state plan amendments, or by direct request from CMS. These levels are subject to change. Click here to read more. Compass – The Fast and Easy way to Apply for Benefits If you want to find out if you qualify for Pennsylvania health and human services, apply for new benefits, finish your application or check your status, you're in the right place. By using COMPASS you can apply at any time during the day or night from home, a library or any location with Internet access. COMPASS is an online application for Pennsylvanians to apply for many health and human service programs. Click here to read more. Analysis Questions Value of ACA Deductible Cap In a sign of just how difficult it is to rein in out-of-pocket costs, 35% of 2014 bronze-level plans in the Small Business Health Options Program exchange had deductibles that exceeded suggested annual caps under the Affordable Care Act. The conclusion was based on a HealthPocket analysis of government data from small group health plans in 32 states. Click here to read more. The Forgotten Penalty: Health Care Reform Excise Taxes Could Devastate Employers As many of you are likely well aware, this summer, the federal government postponed, until 2015, the enforcement of federal health care reform’s so-called “pay or play” mandate, which requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to offer affordable health insurance to all full-time employees and their dependents. Failure to comply with this mandate can trigger significant penalties – up to $3,000 per employee, per year. Vince Phillips, PAHU Lobbyist – Leg-Reg Review 4th Issue LEG REG REVIEW is a periodic newsletter produced by PHILLIPS ASSOCIATES, a professional lobbying and consultant firm located near the State Capitol. It contains news on the legislative and regulatory scene in Pennsylvania that may be of interest to the Insurance and Business Communities. Click here to read more. Employer Shared Responsibility Q&A On Feb. 10, 2014, the IRS and Treasury issued final regulations on the Employer Shared Responsibility provisions under section 4980H of the Internal Revenue Code. They issued the following questions and answers to provide helpful information about the guidance. Click here to read more. Drug Fees Surge Under PPACA, Report Says Brace yourself for soaring drug spending costs — and feel free to blame Obamacare. A HealthPocket study released Thursday finds that copayments and co-insurance fees for drugs increased an average of 34 percent under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. And enrollees who use brand-name drugs and specialty drugs are getting hit much harder with rising costs. Click here to read more.
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