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Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Agency Action Alert - Oct. 22, 2014 This week's Agency Action Alert covers the following topics: Tips on using the producer portal, New -- Producer Hotline reference guide, Updated small and mid-large group forms now available. Click here to read more. Highmark Blue Shield Agency Action Alert - Oct. 22, 2014 This week's Agency Action Alert covers the following topics: Tips on using the producer portal, New -- Producer Hotline reference guide, Updated small and mid-large group forms now available. Click here to read more. Independence BlueCross Individual customers will receive a communication to prepare for open enrollment this week Independence Blue Cross (Independence) will be sending letters to individual customers to remind them about 2015 Open Enrollment dates, inform them how they can prepare now, and let them know we will send additional details in the coming weeks. Click here to read more. Are your group clients ERISA compliant? The ERISA Compliance Checklist is a tool for plan administrators to conduct a quick evaluation of a plan’s compliance with important ERISA laws. Click here to read more. New at PrimePay: ERISA Wrap Services! Contact us today to get appointed Your clients can now improve legal compliance & simplify administration with PrimePay's new ERISA Services! If your clients provide employer-sponsored benefits, they may be at risk for enforcement action by the DOL and plan participants. In light of this issue, PrimePay is proud to provide you with a solution to one of the most important compliance requirements that your clients will face – ERISA. Click here to read more. Highmark Individual Products Talking Points Talking points are now available to assist you in discussions with your individual clients regarding their 2015 benefit options. Click here to read more. Register for URL's seminar for Capital BlueCross Individual Plans for 2015! Capital BlueCross is coming to market in 2015 with a competitive edge! They’ve streamlined their product lines and are excited about their offerings for the upcoming 2015 selling season. Click here to register now.
Nahu Update: Administration Announces how Agent Information will be Handled in Open Enrollment 2014 Speaking of open enrollment, this week the Obama Administration made a number of assurances to NAHU directly and also publicly at the AHIP meeting that the processing of agent and broker NPN data by the federal exchange will be a lot smoother this coming open enrollment season than it was last year. Click here to read more. Geisinger Health Plan Network Update Pinnacle Health has notified Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) that it plans to terminate our relationship effective January 1, 2015. An ad ran in the Harrisburg Patriot on October 16 announcing the termination. This termination applies to GHP’s commercial lines of business and does not apply to our Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage plans. Click here to read more.
Register Now for BCNEPA's Individual Market Webinar You're invited to a webinar about BCNEPA's individual market. The webinar will cover January 2015 renewals, medically underwritten Direct product withdrawals, 2015 products, 2015 commissions and much more. Click here to read more. Register Now for 2015 Individual Product Training from Capital BlueCross Register now. Select the date that is most convenient for you below. Once registered, you will receive an email confirming your registration. Click here to read more. PrimePay Broker Webinar Series - October 2014 Last October, the IRS made an announcement that would cause an enormous, positive impact for Flexible Spending Plans - the addition of the $500 Rollover Provision. Numerous employers have taken the necessary steps to add this provision into their plans, but many employers will need to make this decision before their Plan Year comes to an end. Click here to read more. Register Now for 2015 Group Product Webinar from Capital BlueCross Join us for a 90 minute course designed to get you familiar with our newest products. From the comfort of your home or office, learn about the changes to the Capital BlueCross family of companies 2015 group benefit offerings for medical, Rx, dental and vision products. Additionally, we will cover group communication and renewal mapping. 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.
Consumers willing to share wearable data in exchange for break on insurance premiums Employers that are considering incorporating wearable fitness devices into their wellness programs are facing important decisions about the cost of those devices, and must also be prepared to allay employees’ concerns about data security. Click here to read more. Administration Signals Doubts About Calculator Permitting Plans Without Hospital Benefits Insurance consultants were shocked recently to learn that Obama administration rules allow large companies to offer 2015 worker health plans that don’t include hospital benefits. Now the administration is concerned too. Click here to read more. PPACA risk system may get 9 billion claim records per year The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is cranking up a major new health record collection and analysis effort: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) risk-adjustment program. Click here to read more. Cadillac tax begins to influence plan design The 2018 implementation of the so-called Cadillac tax is shaping employer health plans. But the excise tax, part of the funding mechanism of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, doesn’t appear to be causing panic in the C-Suite. Click here to read more. Voluntary benefit spending surges There’s been a surge in voluntary benefits the past decade. During that time, employees have increased purchases by $18 billion — voluntary spending jumped 24% last year alone — according to Unum’s recently released benefits buyers study. Click here to read more. Small Group Composite Rating Explained for 2015 On Mar 11, 2014, HHS published a final rule (101 pages) that addressed how carriers could “composite rate” in 2015 and beyond. The cure is worse than the disease. HHS’s definition of composite rating is not composite rating at all. HHS is allowing states to define their own version of “composite rating” subject to approval by HHS. Click here to read more. Q&A about Contributions for Plans with Per-Member Rates The Q&A below addresses how an employer should handle employee contributions and coverage continuation amounts when the medical carrier invoices premium using per-member rates. Click here to read more.
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