Insurance

Supreme Court asked to fast-track decision on health reform law

10/04/2011

The Obama administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act health care reform law—the administration’s hallmark domestic legislative achievement—paving the way for a fast-tracked decision that, regardless of which way it goes, will affect HR professionals for years to come.

HRAs Off the Hook for Annual Waiver Limits

10/01/2011

For plan years beginning Sept. 23, 2011, unless the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grants a waiver, group health plans that impose annual or lifetime limits on the dollar value of essential benefits are restricted to imposing an annual limit of $1.25 million.

HHS bans co-pays for birth control, other services

09/12/2011

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued new guidelines in August that require health insurance plans to cover eight different kinds of women’s preventive services without charging a co-payment or deductible.

Small business? Use tax credit to help pay for insurance

08/23/2011

One goal of last year’s federal health-care reform legislation was to make it more affordable for small business owners to offer health insurance benefits to employees. So, tucked into the Affordable Care Act is a little-noticed but potentially invaluable provision that could save small businesses thousands of dollars per year.

New law clarifies leave for organ, bone marrow donors

08/18/2011

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation that spells out insurance and time-off requirements related to California’s new law that guarantees paid leave for employees who donate organs and bone marrow.

Since the economy tanked, what have you done to control health care costs?

08/16/2011

About 60% of respondents to our HR Weekly poll say they have taken specific steps to address rising health insurance costs.

Worker can’t return from FMLA leave? Beware demanding repayment of health benefits

08/11/2011

It’s expensive to cover an absent employee’s health insurance premiums when he is on FMLA leave—especially if he has family coverage. However, the law requires employers to do so. What happens if the employee doesn’t return? In some cases, employers can demand reimbursement for the premiums it paid. That’s true except if the employee doesn’t come back because he or she is still sick or has to continue to care for a sick relative.

New HHS rules ban co-pays, deductibles for women’s health services

08/09/2011

Starting next year, employer-provided health insurance plans will have to offer a variety of women’s preventive services—such as well-woman visits, breastfeeding support, domestic violence screening, and contraception—without charging co-pays, co-insurance fees or deductibles. Find out what the new rules cover and when your health plan must comply.

3 ways to tell if your wellness program is paying off

07/21/2011

Congratulations! You’ve cleared the first wellness hurdle: Executives have finally agreed to implement a wellness program. But now they’re asking for hard evidence that the company’s financial investment in the program will pay off. If measuring your program’s ROI seems akin to scaling Mount Everest, take comfort in the fact that more and more employers are successfully making the climb.

How to keep health-plan grandfathered status

07/11/2011

Under interim final regulations for the Affordable Care Act that were issued last year, grandfathered group health plans—those in place on March 23, 2010, when the law was enacted—don’t have to comply with substantial portions of the health care reform law. But there’s a catch: Those plans are limited in the changes they can make.