Hi,

As we celebrate the HCR Newsletter’s 4th Anniversary, I think back over the last four years and can only be thankful for how far we have all come in both our understanding of what the Affordable Care Act is and the way we adapted to doing business under the new rules. I can’t help but remember how difficult it was to get answers and how impossible the first roll-out of healthcare.gov was to maneuver. Things have certainly changed and for some challenges…I dare to say, even improved. 

However, we are once again at the precipice of change with the introduction of the American Health Care Act and/or the Better Care Reconciliation Act. How will business be submitted? What new guidelines must we, as producers, follow in order to secure coverage? Will the onerous requirements on employer ease? Will individuals and families have affordable coverage options with more than one insurance carrier to choose?  

These questions all beg answers and just as URL Insurance Group has been here throughout the last 4+ years to offer answers and support, we will remain committed to assisting our agent partners in getting the much needed answers needed to succeed in this ever changing industry.

Thank you for your continued loyalty and your continued commitment to your clients and this industry.

Deb

Leg Reg Review #24 - 07/10/2017

Medicaid Oversight:House Bill 1354 (Grove-R-York) seeks to rein in Medicaid expenditures by creating the Office of Independent Medicaid Director. Read more.

Mark Your Calendar! Upcoming MLMS Closure

Take note! The Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS) will be closed starting July 21 at 12:01 PM ET until training for plan year 2018 goes live in August. Read more.

UPMC Health Plan July 2017 Your Choice formulary updates

The Your Choice formulary changes for July 1, 2017, are now available. UPMC Health Plan looks for ways to maximize the value of its benefits, which sometimes involves adding or removing medications to the formulary. Read more.

The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic

Register for our next informational webinar: The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic. Read more.

Aetna Keep What You Have (KWYH) strategy in Pennsylvania

Beginning with 10/1/2017 renewal dates, our HMO KWYH plans will no longer be available in Pennsylvania. We will continue our POS and PPO KWYH plans. Read more.

McConnell delays start of Senate's August recess

The Senate will delay the start of its annual August recess to give lawmakers more time to work on “important legislative issues” and winnow the backlog of President Trump's pending nominations, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. Read more.

PinnacleHealth CEO eyes growth as hospital acquisitions commemorated

Rain may have dampened the ceremonies marking PinnacleHealth's acquisition of four midstate hospitals on Thursday, but its leaders saw only blue skies ahead. Read more.

How an ACA ‘repeal now, replace later’ strategy could benefit employers

President Trump recently revived calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a ready replacement, a move that could offer some upsides for employer-sponsored health plans. Read more.

McConnell taking a risk with talk of bipartisan healthcare bill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is taking a risk by calling for a bipartisan healthcare plan if the Republican-only bill fails: While his comments may encourage conservatives to fall in line with his approach, party moderates may be emboldened to abandon the GOP legislation. Read more.

The Hidden Subsidy That Helps Pay for Health Insurance

As Republican senators work to fix their troubled health care bill, there is one giant health insurance subsidy no one is talking about. Read more.

Individual Health Enrollment Falls 11%

Plan withdrawals and rising premiums led to a sharp drop in individual and family major medical plan use in the first quarter, according to Mark Farrah Associates. Read more.

Would employers drop coverage without a mandate?

While few Republicans in Congress thus far have been able to agree on all of the elements of an Affordable Care Act replacement package to send legislation to President Trump to sign, there appears to be unanimity on one point: The employer mandate should be scrubbed. Read more.

July 25th | 10am EST
How to Enrich Your Medicare Sales with Senior Ancillary

Join URL and George Pelekanos, Regional VP of Sales with Aetna Supplemental Insurance for a seminar at our office on July 25th at 10am. Register now.

August 23rd | 8:30am EST
Top 10 Items to Review for Health Care Compliance

Join us on August 23rd at 8:30am for a 2 hour CE course at our office to receive a general overview of what the employer needs to address in the current year for ACA compliance. Register now.

September 7th | 8:30am EST
Leaders' Conference

Join us on September 6th and 7th for our Medicare Connections and Leaders' Conferences at the Hershey Lodge. You can expect two exciting days of networking with fellow top brokers, all while learning invaluable sales tips from the leading insurance carriers in the market! Register now.

Health Care Reform Webinar

*There will be no Health Care Reform Webinar on July 27th.

Since the passage of the ACA in 2010 and the recent passage of the AHCA through the House and the pending release of the BCRA through the Senate, it's important to stay informed so you can better serve your clients in the group health and under 65 individual markets. The weekly Health Care Reform Webinars are your resource to stay close to the proposed law and to ask questions that may be important to your livelihood and to your clients. Register now.

Health Care Reform Webinar Archives

Click here to view the archived videos of the Health Care Reform Webinars.