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Industry Updates

This broad category includes articles concerning health insurance costs, carrier and health plan news, changing benefits technology, and surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation and others on employee benefits.

California Legislature Ramps Up For Final Week

The California Legislature is in its (sometimes) frantic final week, racing to pass bills by the Saturday deadline. Monday, lawmakers pulled some last-minute maneuvering to extend the time allowed for floor amendments.

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Insurance Brokers Face Increased Pressure To Deliver Affordable Costs

Nearly 86% of respondents indicated that they were either satisfied, or very satisfied with their insurance broker's services.

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Employers Embracing Direct Contracting And Bypassing Insurers: Survey

Employers are actively seeking out alternatives to curb rising health benefit costs by sidestepping traditional carriers, a new report from Brighton Health Plan Solutions shows. Of the 150 health benefit respondents cited for the report, 75% said they are actively having conversations about direct contracting. A significant segment, 41%, which are not already in direct ...

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HRSA, Hospitals Say J&J’s Plan For 340B Discounts Via Rebate Not Supported By Statute

A major drugmaker’s plan to trade out upfront 340B discounts for rebates has found swift pushback from both hospitals participating in the drug subsidy program and the government administration that oversees it. Friday, Johnson & Johnson issued a notice that beginning Oct. 15 it would no longer be processing wholesaler chargebacks for two of its ...

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States Ranked By Total Residents With Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage

Eight states have at least five million residents that receive health coverage from their employer, according to AHIP’s 2024 “Coverage at Work” report published in July. States ranked by total residents with employer-sponsored health coverage: California: 17.95 million Texas: 13.85 million New York: 9.05 million Florida: 8.74 million Illinois: 6.53 million Pennsylvania: 6.39 million Ohio: 5.89 million ...

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Government Announces More COVID-19 Tests Can Be Ordered Through Mail For No Cost

On the heels of a summer wave of COVID-19 cases, Americans will be able to get free virus test kits mailed to their homes, starting in late September. U.S. households will be able to order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests when the federal program reopens, according to the website, COVIDtests.gov. The U.S. Health ...

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Biden Admin’s Final Unified Agenda Includes Release Dates For Several Health Care Regulations

Surprise billing requirements release date has been delayed until November, and final regulations regarding air ambulance services have been pushed back to March 2025.

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Biden Administration Blocks Two Private Sector Enrollment Sites From ACA Marketplace

Federal regulators have blocked two private sector enrollment websites from accessing consumer information through the federal Obamacare marketplace, citing “anomalous activity.” The unusual step comes as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is under the gun to curb unauthorized enrollment and switching of Affordable Care Act plans by rogue agents. The agency received more ...

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Aon Projects Employer Health Costs Will Rise 9% Next Year

The analysts estimated that the average cost for employer-sponsored care would top $16,000 per employee in 2025. This is notably higher than the increase employers felt between 2023 and 2024, which was 6.4% after they deployed cost-saving options like increasing employee cost-sharing.

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How To Manage Employee Benefits Compliance Post-Chevron

The Chevron deference framework was overturned less than two months ago, reshaping the relationship between federal agencies and the judiciary. This ruling has implications for benefits professionals tasked with ensuring their organizations remain compliant in an evolving regulatory environment.

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