Group Health Plan Compliance Requirement Due 10/15

Employers (of any size) providing prescription drug coverage benefits must distribute an annual notice to all Medicare-eligible individuals by October 15th – including both employees and dependents.

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Many Preventive Medical Services Cost Patients Nothing. Will a Texas Court Decision Change That?

A federal judge’s ruling in Texas has thrown into question whether millions of insured Americans will continue to receive some preventive medical services, such as cancer screenings and drugs that protect people from HIV infection, without making a copayment.

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Molina Scores Huge Win with State Medi-Cal Contracts

Last month, a strategic decision paid off in spades. Molina Healthcare scored its largest Medicaid win ever as the California Department of Health Care Services on August 25 announced it intends to award the company new or additional contracts in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego counties.

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It’s Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Rebate Check Time Again

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires group health plans to spend a minimum percentage of premium dollars on members’ health care expenses and services. Likewise, it sets a threshold on the maximum amount of premium dollars that can be spent on other administrative costs, such as marketing, profits, salaries, agent commissions, etc.

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Consumers Say They Are Willing To Pay More For Healthcare Services Based On These Factors, Survey Finds

Quality of care, care team choice, location and speed all play a role in how much consumers are willing to spend on their healthcare, according to new survey responses from more than 2,000 American adults. Fifty-seven percent of those polled in mid-March said they would be willing to pay more based on the quality of ...

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Hospitals Divert Primary Care Patients to Health Center ‘Look-Alikes’ to Boost Finances

A growing number of hospitals are outsourcing often-unprofitable outpatient services for their poorest patients by setting up independent, nonprofit organizations to provide primary care. Medicare and Medicaid pay these clinics, known as federally qualified health center look-alikes, significantly more than they would if the sites were owned by hospitals. Like the nearly 1,400 federally qualified health ...

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Passage Of Inflation Reduction Act Gives Medicare Historic New Powers Over Drug Prices

Medicare is poised to renegotiate the prices of some of its most expensive drugs through a historic expansion of its power, which could reduce costs for many seniors as well as federal spending on its prescription drug plan. The changes are tucked inside a massive spending-and-tax bill in Congress that includes $433 billion in investments ...

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Aetna To Enter ACA Exchanges In 4 More States; California

Aetna will enter the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) exchanges in four more states, bringing its total footprint to 12 states, the insurer announced late last week. The CVS Health subsidiary will begin offering plans in California, Delaware, Illinois and New Jersey for the 2023 plan year. Aetna already offered plans in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, ...

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CA Legislature Expands Pay Transparency and Data Reporting Requirements; Extends COVID Supplemental Paid Sick Leave

California employers should take note of two significant bills recently passed by the state Legislature that are now awaiting likely approval by Governor Newsom. The first, Senate Bill 1162 (SB 1162), would further expand California’s already progressive requirements for employers regarding pay transparency and data reporting. The second, Assembly Bill 152 (AB 152), is expected ...

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Opposition in Final Days of Legislative Session Stops Onerous Requirements for Businesses

In the closing days of the legislative session, strong opposition from the California Chamber of Commerce and allied groups, including many local chambers of commerce, prevented the passage of a number of harmful proposals. The CalChamber-opposed bills stopped include the following: • SB 260 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) Increased Regulatory Burden. Imposes a mandatory climate tracking, auditing, and cap on climate ...

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