2021 AEP Medicare Connections Conference
There is only one place where you'll get to virtually network with your peers while bringing what's hot for Medicare in 2021 by industry experts... Our 7th annual Medicare Connections Conference. Join us for a true virtual, fun-filled experience on September 9th, 2020 for our 2021 Medicare cram session. Register now.
8/12 Meet Pennie: PA's New State-Based Health Insurance Exchange
Join Deb Wilkinson and special guests from the PA Health Insurance Exchange Authority on August 12th at 10am for a webinar to learn more about PA's new state-based health insurance exchange. Register now.
8/12 Demo Pennie: PA's New State-Based Health Insurance Exchange
Join Deb Wilkinson and special guests from the PA Health Insurance Exchange Authority on August 12th at 11am EST for a webinar to see a demo of Pennie, learn more about what is required to register, and ask your questions for 2021 <65 open enrollment. Register now.
UPMC Health Plan | Legislative and Regulatory Updates Related to the Health Care Industry, August 3, 2020
CMS Releases Early 2020 Health Insurance Exchange Effectuated Enrollment Snapshot; Study Finds Few High-Deductible Health Plan Enrollees are Utilizing HSAs; Employers Give Insurers Average Grade on Driving Value, and more! Read more.
Pennie (PA’s New State Based Exchange) Pre-Registration
Current Healthcare.gov registered producers: As part of our efforts to ensure a seamless transition, we will migrate current customer data from HealthCare.gov to Pennsylvania’s Exchange, including their designated producer (as long as they have an active 2020 enrollment). Read more.
Bravo Group | Covid-19 Update
An update on COVID-19 actions by the PA Legislature and Wolf administration. Read more
NAHU | Washington Update
President Signs Executive Orders Aimed at Lowering Prescription-Drug Costs; Senate Republicans unveiled the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools Act (HEALS Act) earlier this week; NAHU Submits Comments to DOL on Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Self-Compliance Tool and more! Read more.
A COVID-19 Vaccine Reality Check - The Atlantic
Nearly five months into the pandemic, all hopes of extinguishing COVID-19 are riding on a still-hypothetical vaccine. And so a refrain has caught on: We might have to stay home—until we have a vaccine. Close schools—until we have a vaccine. Wear masks—but only until we have a vaccine. During these months of misery, this mantra has offered a small glimmer of hope. Normal life is on the other side, and we just have to wait—until we have a vaccine. Read more.
COVID-19 At-Home Testing Kits Can Make Returning to Work Safer
While access to wide-spread coronavirus testing is still a barrier for millions of Americans, computer software company Appian is partnering with Everlywell, a digital health company, to offer COVID-19 at-home testing kits for employees returning to the workplace. Read more.
5 ERISA Cases To Watch This Fall
Attorneys who deal with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act should keep a close eye on proposed class actions against retirement plan record-keepers and universities in the last quarter of 2018, as well as a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve a circuit split on when traditional pension plan participants can sue for breach of fiduciary duty, experts say. Here, Law360 breaks down five cases worth watching this year. Read more.
Benefits Startup Offers Apps Like Uber Eats and Netflix as New Must-haves During Pandemic
As office perks such as catered lunch and in-house yoga have become obsolete, employers are changing their benefits approach to better meet employee needs in the work-from-home era. That’s why Fringe, a platform that delivers lifestyle benefits to employees, is offering a personalized benefits marketplace where employees can pick and choose services from popular apps like Uber Eats, Kiwi Box, Headspace, Instacart and Netflix. Read more.
HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: Obamacare Surge Boosts State Exchanges
Surging Obamacare enrollment during the pandemic will likely be a boon for states that are launching their own health insurance marketplaces. Obamacare sign-ups spiked after millions of people lost their jobs and work-related coverage due to Covid-19. Read more.
Amazon Plans to Launch 20 Employee Health Centers
Amazon employees won’t have to go far for relief if they throw out their back while shipping packages across the country. The online shopping giant plans to provide primary care to its workforce through 20 new health centers. Read more.
White House Considering Unilateral Actions With Coronavirus Aid Bill Stuck in Congress
The Trump administration is considering taking "a number of options" without congressional approval as negotiations on the fourth coronavirus stimulus relief package are stalled between the White House and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Read more.
Certainty for Hospitals and Uncertainty for Health Insurers
Before the pandemic, hospitals and insurers were locked in bitter contract negotiations, as consumers became frustrated with the high costs of health insurance. Since then, the American Hospital Association estimates that hospitals and health systems will collectively lose $36.6 billion on COVID-19 hospitalizations, even after accounting for insurance reimbursements. Read more.
Merck Aims to Start 'Large Pivotal' Studies on Coronavirus Treatment in September
Merck has scheduled "very large pivotal studies" for its oral coronavirus treatment in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics as early as September, a company executive said Friday. The experimental oral therapeutic, known as MK-4482, that would fight against Covid-19 is currently in phase two trials. Read more.
Scared That Covid-19 Immunity Won’t Last? Don’t Be
Within the last couple of months, several scientific studies have come out — some peer-reviewed, others not — indicating that the antibody response of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 dropped significantly within two months. The news has sparked fears that the very immunity of patients with Covid-19 may be waning fast — dampening hopes for the development of an effective and durable vaccine. Read more.
