Insurance

New law: You must report any payments to Medicare beneficiaries

01/14/2010

Failing to comply with a new law could wind up costing some employers lots of money—if they’re self-insured or pay deductibles on Employment Practices Liability Insurance coverage. As of Jan. 1, entities that pay Medicare-eligible individuals to resolve claims involving medical expenses must report those payments to Medicare. The penalty for noncompliance: $1,000 per day.

How should we reconcile competing demands of insurance plan, COBRA?

01/07/2010

Q. Our health maintenance organization contract calls for terminating coverage for anyone who moves outside the HMO service area. COBRA requires us to offer continuation coverage to qualified beneficiaries even if they move outside the HMO service area. How do I comply with these requirements?

IBM ponies up 100% of employee premiums

01/06/2010

Starting this month, IBM will begin paying all of its employees’ primary care health costs—with no co-pays or deductibles. At the same time, the organization is offering new cash incentives to encourage employees to eat healthier and exercise. Employees can receive up to $300 in cash a year.

Health insurance cost-shifting expected to accelerate this year

01/05/2010

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to an average $13,375 annually for family coverage and $4,824 for single coverage in 2009, and employers are likely to pass even more of the cost to employees this year, according to an annual benchmark survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Health insurance cost-shifting expected to accelerate in 2010

01/04/2010

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

01/01/2010

HR Law 101: The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), signed into law in May 2008, prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against job applicants or employees based on their genetic information in hiring, firing, compensation or any other terms of employment.

On-site health centers a boon for Highmark

12/24/2009

Pittsburgh-based health insurance provider Highmark opened two new employee health centers in November and estimates the on-site facilities could save it several hundred thousand dollars the first year. Employees can visit an on-site doctor for primary care, vaccinations and physical therapy, and will be able to have prescriptions filled there as well.

How can we find out whether employees are poaching health coverage for partners?

12/23/2009

Q. A few of our employees have added their spouses to our health benefits plan. We’ve heard through the grapevine that some of these couples aren’t actually married. Can we check on this without being discriminatory?

Obama signs COBRA subsidy extension; workers—and HR—breathe easier

12/22/2009

Just in time for the holidays, President Obama on Dec. 21 signed legislation to extend the government’s popular 65% subsidy of COBRA benefits. Laid-off workers are breathing a little easier—and so are HR pros, who would have had to untangle a logistical knot if the extension hadn’t been enacted.

Will Congress bite on COBRA subsidy extension?

12/15/2009

With federal COBRA subsidies for laid-off workers set to expire Dec. 31, Congress is getting ready to consider an extension—and HR pros are getting ready for administrative headaches. Timing is everything on this issue, and when Congress decides to act will affect laid-off workers and benefits administrators alike.