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HealthCare.gov to get overhaul The administration is working to revamp, and even scrap, significant parts of HealthCare.gov to avoid similar problems that plagued the site’s launch last fall, The Wall Street Journal is reporting. Officials met with carriers to talk about the website flaws and potential fixes, according to the report. Click here to read more. New O-Care delay allowed for 18 states The Obama administration is permitting more than a dozen states not to implement part of ObamaCare's small business health insurance exchange until at least 2016. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) granted requests for lenience from 18 states in their effort to enact "employee choice" on the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP exchange. Click here to read more.
Banet's Bullet: IBxpress for the Group Administrator IBxpress for the Group Administrator. Good Afternoon. We wanted to make you aware that due to the transition to the new Highmark computer system. There is a new procedure for groups who would like to obtain portal access through Ibxpress. A spreadsheet has been created that needs to be completed. Click here to read more. Capital BlueCross Communication 660 Consumer Transparency Tools-Search and Save Center Effective July 1, 2014, Capital BlueCross will add an additional 1230 service/procedure codes to the treatment cost look-up tool with the Search and Save Center. Members will have a catalog of 1,588 codes for which they can compare costs online. Click here to read more.
FFM Alert: Agent and Broker Registration for the 2015 Plan Year This e-mail contains important announcements for agents and brokers in the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM). Agent and broker registration for the 2015 plan year will be available beginning in early July 2014! At that time, agents and brokers may begin completing their FFM registration requirements for the 2015 plan year. 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. IRS Premium Tax Credit Information Click here to download the Presentation Slides. Click here to download the Resources.
Employee Rules and Rights Does an employee have to take an employer’s insurance if offered? What is the minimum coverage that everyone is required to carry? Is there a “bare-bones” option? Can employees still waive coverage if not covered under another program? Click here to read more. Obtaining Information on Marketplace Health Plans: Websites Dominate but Key Groups Also Use Other Sources After the highly publicized troubled start,1 enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) health insurance Marketplaces exceeded 8 million by April 19th of the extended open enrollment period (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 2014).2 Despite many early problems, by the end of December 2013, the vast majority of people who looked for Marketplace information had either used or tried to use a website to find it, and most had found the website they used very or somewhat easy to use (Blavin et al. 2014). Click here to read more. Ancillary plans get a new spin Employers struggling with new mandates for basic health care programs probably don’t even want to think about offering their employees ancillary benefits like vision and dental insurance. Click here to read more. Uninsured Down To 13.4 Percent U.S. adults without health insurance may have leveled off at 13.4 percent since open enrollment for subsidized health insurance via the Affordable Care Act ended in April. Click here to read more. Witnesses: PPACA income verification is a mess Trying to give the new public health insurance exchange system complete, accurate information about household income is difficult and potentially dangerous, witnesses told lawmakers today. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, presented a colorful, full-page income verification flowchart with seven major sections and three paths that lead to a step labeled "honor system." Click here to read more. Small Employers Need Guidance On ACA Four years after the ACA’s enactment, less than one-third (27%) of employers with fewer than 50 employees state that they understand health care reform “very well” or better, according to Aflac’s latest WorkForces Report. Click here to read more. LEG REG REVIEW #15 - 06/09/2014 Medicaid expansion moves through committee. In somewhat of a surprise, the House Human Services Committee reported a bill 12-11 to expand Medicaid coverage in line with the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to 133% of the Federal Poverty Level. Click here to read more.
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