House Bill 947 - Thomas Purcell Legislative Chairperson for the local PAHU 

URL’s very own Thomas Purcell was down at the Capitol on Wednesday morning providing testimony in support of HB947. Thomas is the Director of Apollo Employee Benefit Services at URL and currently serves as the Legislative Chairperson for the local PAHU (PA Association of Health Underwriters) chapter, Central PA Association of Health Underwriters. Read more.

The Fed Will Start Winding Down a Program That Saved the Economy 

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will begin winding down a program that purchased tens of billions of dollars of corporate assets to shore up the economy during the pandemic. In a statement, the central bank said the facility was crucial to businesses during the depth of the recession. But as the economy rapidly recovers, the time to start winding it down has begun. Read more. 

IRS Releases Guidance Regarding COBRA Premium Assistance

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released guidance in the form of 86 questions-and-answers (Q&As) concerning the COBRA changes introduced by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). IRS Notice 2021-311 covers a range of topics related to the COBRA premium assistance provisions of ARPA and additional COBRA enrollment opportunities afforded to certain Assistance Eligible Individuals (AEIs) during the ARPA subsidy period beginning April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. Read more.

Highmark | Small Group Update: "Job Loss" Campaign Digital Kit Now Available

We developed a comprehensive marketing campaign featuring a ‘digital kit’ that targets individuals who have recently lost their Highmark Small Group commercial coverage (likely as a result of job termination) and are now eligible for an ACA Individual or Family plan through a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Many of these prospects have never used the marketplace to purchase their own individual insurance before and aren’t sure of who or where to go to get started. The toolkit walks them through all of their options and ensures they find the right one based on their individual and family needs. Read more. 

Principal | Coming Soon: More Benefits for Your CI and Accident Clients

Critical illness* and accident insurance from Principal® help employees protect their financial security in the event of a serious illness or accident. And as of Sept. 1, 2021, the coverages will be even more robust with a new infectious disease benefit and enhanced wellness/health screening benefit in approved states—at no additional cost to policy holders. Read more.

United Concordia | Our Relaunched Website Goes Live Next Week

Soon it’ll be easier to find the tools and information you need to manage your dental insurance. We’ve redesigned UnitedConcordia.com based on your feedback, and our relaunched site goes live on Monday, June 14th. The site has a fresh new look, a simpler log-in experience and more intuitive navigation. Plus, it’s mobile-friendly, so you can work on any device. Read more.

Pennie | What Effective Date Will My Client Receive?  

Check out this Special Election Period Quick Reference Chart. Read more.

Pennie News & Updates

Find out what's new with Pennie on our resources page, including downloads, links, and events. See more.

Highmark SEP Bonus

Check out this incentive program for new to Highmark ACA individual market enrollment with March – June effective dates. Payment will apply to total members, not contracts and will pay in July, 2021. There is no minimum requirement to be eligible and no cap to the incentive. Payout will apply to any SEP submitted with March – June effective dates. Read more. 

7/15 United Concordia | Why Aren't All Dental Claims Paid? 1 CE (FREE), PA Resident Producers (URL)

On Thursday July 15th United Concordia's Oral Wellness Consultant, Valerie Fleming , will host a 1 hour course designated to address consumer concerns regarding the underlying structure of dental benefits. This course will address issues as well as give suggestions on ways to better educate the consumer with regard to their dental benefits. Read more.

7/15 Introducing Beam Dental

Join us for a webinar on July 15th at 2:30pm EST to find out what sets Beam Dental apart, such as:

• Classic dental insurance with a preventive and tech focused twist.
• All members and dependents receive an electric toothbrush. Better brushing = potential savings at renewal!
• Full ancillary suite including dental, vision, and life bundled on one invoice.

Register Now!