|
Special Enrollment Periods and Hardship Exemptions for Persons Meeting Certain Criteria This guidance provides information related to three types of special enrollment periods (SEPs ) for persons seeking to enroll in qualified health plans (QHPs) through the Federally - facilitated Marketplace (FFM). State - based Marketplaces (SBMs) are encouraged to adopt similar special enrollment periods . The document also contains information about two hardship exemptions available for eligible consumers in FFM and SBM states. Click here to read more. HHS widens O-Care penalty exemptions People who obtained health plans off the marketplaces after March 31 will not automatically face a penalty under the individual mandate, the Obama administration said Friday. In a bulletin, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created a temporary hardship exemption for people who purchased coverage that was effective on Thursday of this week or beforehand. Click here to read more. Reconciliation Process to Recoup Excess Subsidies Now that tax season is over, Uncle Sam will be turning his attention to another pressing matter. The task at hand involves recapturing from 2014 federal income tax returns any excess premium subsidies that were advanced to enrollees in public health insurance exchanges based on lower-stated income. Click here to read more. Labor Department Proposes Regulations Pushing Obamacare For People Leaving Jobs The Department of Labor proposed regulations Friday that would require employers to notify workers leaving their jobs that they’re eligible to purchase Obamacare exchange coverage. Click here to read more.
HealthAmerica PA Small Group Customer's Can Now Renew Existing Plan The Pennsylvania Insurance Department recently approved the extension announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to allow small employers to keep their current plans for two years, with the possibility of adding a one-year extension. Click here to read more.
FFM Alert: Spring Webinar Invitation for Agents and Brokers Though the first Marketplace Open Enrollment Period is now closed, enrollment in the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) continues on a monthly basis throughout 2014. To ensure agents and brokers have the latest information on SHOP and other health reform topics impacting small businesses, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Small Business Administration (SBA), and Small Business Majority invite you to participate in the Affordable Care Act 101 webinar series occurring throughout the month of May. Click here to read more. Weekly PPACA Update Conference Call In a continuing effort to assist our agent-partners in getting the information needed to flourish within the under 65 group and individual markets in Pennsylvania, we are holding weekly live webinars. They will serve as a place to get your questions answered and discuss topics and strategies 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.
The Barletta Bulletin During the second week of March, I voted for passage of two bills designed to rein in executive overreach and promote transparency and honesty among government officials expected to obey laws passed by Congress. Click here to read more. IRS completes PPACA tax form rules The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has given the new public health insurance exchanges rules for reporting on the private health coverage they have sold. Click here to read more. PPACA exchanges promoted in place of COBRA With the federal and state exchanges now up and running, the Obama administration on Friday said it wants to help clarify any confusion that might exist about whether workers who lose their jobs are still eligible for insurance through COBRA. Click here to read more. Shift to public exchanges could save employers $3 trillion The nation’s employers could save a whopping $3.25 trillion over the next decade by shifting most of their employees from workplace health plans to the public exchanges. Click here to read more. Employers using medical history in hiring decisions take notice Two recent victories for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission should remind employers that rejecting a job applicant over a medical condition, even when the condition appears directly related to job performance, can expose the employer to serious legal consequences under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Click here to read more. Massachusetts Starts Over on Health Website After Troubles Massachusetts will stop trying to fix its deeply flawed health insurance website and instead buy new software to help its residents enroll in coverage, officials there said Monday. But the state will also prepare to join the federal insurance marketplace by the next enrollment period, which starts in November, in case the new system is not working in time. Click here to read more. Insurers Say Most Obamacare Customers Paid First Premiums Three large health insurers including WellPoint Inc. (WLP) and Aetna Inc. (AET) say that a high percentage of their new Obamacare customers are paying their first premiums, undermining a Republican criticism of enrollment in the program. Click here to read more.
| |||||
