Live Insurance News

Health care reform mandate delayed yet again

February 13, 2014February 11, 2014 Julie Campbell

The White House has now put off employer fines until 2016 after continued rollout struggles. According to the latest large delay issued by the Obama administration for the health care reform, the majority of employers will still not face a fine next year if they do not offer insurance benefits to their employees, yet. The timing of the implementation of this element of the health insurance law has now been pushed back. According to the Affordable Care Act’s regulations, the Treasury Department has stated that businesses that have between 50…

UPS drops health insurance coverage for 15,000 working spouses

August 27, 2013August 24, 2013 Logan B.

UPS makes health insurance cuts citing financial concerns The United Parcel Service (UPS) of the U.S. has announced that it will be cutting the health insurance coverage it provides to approximately 15,000 spouses of full-time employees. The company is one of the largest employers in the country, but has been expressing concern regarding how the health insurance sector will be affected by the Affordable Care Act. According to UPS, the move is due to the rising costs of health care in general as well as the provisions associated with the…

Health insurance trends among employers defining themselves across the country

April 16, 2013April 30, 2013

Though the overall direction seems to be a decline, this is not so in Massachusetts. The results of a newly released report on health insurance sponsored by employers from one state to the next, has revealed some interesting trends occurring across the country as well as in some specific states. The data has indicated a change in direction for much of the country, though not in some states. The State Health Access Data Assistance Center’s study, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, showed that while employer sponsored…

Health insurance policies are becoming stricter through employers

April 9, 2013April 30, 2013

The trend is angling toward tougher rules as companies fear that higher costs are on their way. As the concern of employers increases concerning the possible rise in health insurance costs, these companies are beginning to adopt stricter policies in order to try to keep their employees more healthy, lest it impact the wallets of those workers. Employers are starting to make it more expensive for their employees to live unhealthy lifestyles. These companies are taking on a number of different efforts to try to encourage their workers to keep…

Healthcare reforms could benefit from dropped employer coverage

February 21, 2013April 30, 2013

The quality and cost of medical services could improve without their participation. Although the 2010 Affordable Care Act from President Obama promises workers that if they enjoy their health insurance coverage from their employers, they will be able to keep it under the healthcare reforms, there are some in the industry that are now wondering if the system would be more effective and less expensive if employers dropped the coverage that they provide. The intention of the law is actually to expand the coverage from employers across the country. However,…

Health insurance exchange may not draw as many employers as hoped

February 19, 2013March 15, 2014 Logan B.

Businesses are expected to opt out, which could lead the cost to rise for those who are participating. Both state and federal officials, as well as consumer advocates, are now beginning to voice concerns that businesses that have workers that are relatively young and healthy will choose to opt out of the health insurance marketplace. This will be done to help to avoid the minimum standards for coverage as prescribed by the healthcare reforms. Though these businesses may choose to try to avoid this health insurance regulation in order to…

Health insurance exchange requirement delayed indefinitely

January 30, 2013April 30, 2013

The regulation for employers to notify their workers in writing by March 1 has been put on hold. Federal regulators have just announced that there will be an indefinite delay to the part of the healthcare law that would have required employers to provide a written notification to their workers by March 1, which would inform them of the availability of the health insurance exchanges in their states. The regulation has been delayed until a time that they will “become applicable”. The Department of Health and Human Services, of Labor,…