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Archive for the ‘Health News’ Category

The Key to Reducing Health Care Costs – Have We Found It? | NY Benefits Broker

May 22nd, 2015   |   by admin   |   in Health News, PPACA, Wellness

By Elizabeth Kay Compliance & Retention Analyst AEIS Advisors A UBA Partner Firm Self-funding is a very hot topic these days for a number of reasons. For small group employers offering a self-funded plan this means they can charge a composite premium rate based on the employee population versus the community rates that are based […]

Region Matters When It Comes to HSA Funding, CDHP Adoption | New York Employee Benefits

May 12th, 2015   |   by admin   |   in Health Insurance, Health News

By Bill Olson Chief Marketing Officer at United Benefit Advisors We’ve already discussed Health Savings Account (HSA) activity at length, looking first at the correlation between generous HSA contributions and increased enrollment in consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs). Second, we looked at how HSAs have performed in recent years across different industries. Now, we’ll look closer […]

Stroke Awareness month | Brio Benefits

May 7th, 2015   |   by admin   |   in Health News

April 2015 is Stroke Awareness month. About 795,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means, on average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds. Stroke kills more than 137,000 people a year. That’s about 1 of every 18 deaths. It’s the No. 4 cause of death. On average, every 4 minutes someone […]

Wraparound Excepted Benefits to Launch with Two Pilot Programs | NY Employee Benefits

April 27th, 2015   |   by admin   |   in Health Insurance, Health News

By Danielle Capilla Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors Health plan sponsors would be permitted to offer wraparound coverage to employees purchasing individual health insurance in the private market, including the Marketplace, in limited circumstances, under a new Final Rule issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) and other federal agencies. The Final Rule, […]

Hand Washing Helps Defeat the Flu | NYC Benefits Broker

December 22nd, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News, Wellness

www.thinkhr.com H3N2 influenza viruses led to record numbers of deaths in 2004, 2008, and 2013 flu seasons. Doctors are concerned because this type of virus appears dominating the 2015 flu season. Employers should stress optimal health and hand-washing behaviors in that workplaces to avoid the threat of flu and keep their workplaces healthy and germ-free. […]

Medicine Safety Reminders for Cold and Flu Season | New York Benefits Broker

December 11th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News

(NewsUSA) Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds each year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20 percent of people in the U.S. will get the flu this cold and flu season. A majority of people (seven in 10) will use over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to treat their symptoms, and […]

Group Health Plans That Do Not Cover Inpatient Hospital or Physician Services | New York Benefits Broker

November 28th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News, Industry News

Posted by Linda Rowings Beginning in 2015, large employers must offer affordable, minimum value coverage to their full-time employees or potentially pay a penalty. Some companies have been marketing a plan that they state satisfies the minimum value requirement (an actuarial value of 60%), based upon a calculator provided by the Department of Health and […]

Timing of Wellness Reward Screenings | NY Benefit Brokers

November 20th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News

Question: Are we required to have employees complete wellness reward screenings which impact health care premiums, prior to the new plan year beginning? Answer: While some employers do take this approach, it may be possible for employers to apply premium reductions for those who complete the required screenings mid-year. The challenge relates to compliance with […]

Self-Funded Plans Must File Transitional Reinsurance Fee Form by November 15 | Brio Benefits

November 7th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News, Industry News

Posted by Linda Rowings The transitional reinsurance fee (TRF) applies to fully insured and self-funded major medical plans for 2014, 2015, and 2016. The purpose of the fee is to provide funds to help stabilize premiums in the individual insurance market in view of uncertainty about how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) […]

Top Health Care Statistics | NY Employee Benefits

November 3rd, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News

Nov 3, 2014 Posted by briobenefits in Health News, Surveys | Comments Off Top Health Care Statistics | NY Employee Benefits By: Peter Freska, MPH, CEBS, Benefits Advisor The LBL Group A UBA Partner Firm We field many calls to review, speak, and comment on a variety of topics. Of course, the generally pertain to […]