This Obamacare Winner Will Save $78,420!
Thanks to President Obama's promise of keeping their current plan my client is seeing his premiums increase by 13% for the upcoming plan year. Annual premiums for this company's 15 employees are going from $129,684 to $146,508.They offer a very rich plan design (Platinumesque) and until October of 2010 they paid 100% of the premiums. Back then the company was spending $100,164. With a tough economy the owner made a difficult but necessary decision: employees would have to pay a portion of their premiums. They were asked to contribute 10% of the premium. Now they pay 15% of the premium.You migh...
Source: InsureBlog - August 28, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Medical ID Theft Revisited
Back in February, we again sounded the alarm about Medical Identity Theft:"Most identity theft in the United States is medical-related ... In 2012 alone, medical identity theft increased by nearly 25 percent, affecting 1.85 million Americans"And things haven't really improved since then.So what's the big draw for hackers looking to steal your records?How about $50 a pop? Multiply that over thousands - or tens of thousands - of unsuspecting victims, and you've got quite the successful business model.On the other hand, there may are some common sense ways to protect yourself from this risk (or at least mitigate it). A securi...
Source: InsureBlog - August 27, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
And Now a Word From Our Sponsor
Did you buy one of those brand spanking new Obamacare plans? If you did, you may get an email from (Carrier) that reads something like this:Immediate attention is needed to keep your health coverage. Take action before Sept. 5, 2014.Carrier wants to help you keep your current insurance coverage and maintain your current monthly payment amount.IMPORTANT: The federal government-sponsored Health Insurance Marketplace (also known as the “Exchange”) has been attempting to reach you. At the request of the federal government, we are reaching out to you because you are at risk of losing your current Carrier coverage or any fin...
Source: InsureBlog - August 27, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
IRS Form 1095-A
Obamacare fans, here is what you have been waiting for.If you bought an Obamacare plan through hc.gov and received a premium subsidy or APTC, you will need to file form 1095-A with your taxes.Here is your link to a DRAFT of 1095-ABut wait, there's more.You (and your tax adviser) might also be interested in form 8962And you thought this was going to be easy.Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - August 26, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Who Do You Believe
According to CNN, the Inspector General is expected to release a report that claims there were no deaths due to excessive wait times or denied access to care at the Veterans Administration facilities.Link to CNN storyOriginal content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - August 26, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
(Sex) Ch-ch-changes
Well, it took some time, but the future is finally here:"Then Payne, who had a wife and four children, realized she could no longer live as a man."Wait, what?Demonstrating the mother (er, father?) of all "pre-existing conditions," Ms Payne (and what a gloriously appropriate moniker) waited until her wife died of alcohol-related liver disease (gee, who could have seen that coming?) and then went shopping for a surgeon.Thing is, this is expensive (if entirely elective) surgery, and she didn't think it was fair that she shoulder that burden alone. Her Blue Shield-issued ObamaPlan (and we taxpayers who foot some - maybe all - ...
Source: InsureBlog - August 25, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Two Timely P&C Notes
■ Now that things seem to have down a bit in Ferguson, it's worth noting that the clean-up from all the looting and rioting will take some time, but that it's unlikely any of the damage will be covered by business owners' insurance policies.According to P&C Guru Teresa S, "riots are not covered, therefore anything resulting from a riot is not covered. It usually goes back to the government. Looting, I would say is not covered due to it being part of the rioting."So of course, you and I will become the insurers.■ Now that school's starting back up, lots of student athletes will also be warming up on and ...
Source: InsureBlog - August 25, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Has Medical Tourism Jumped the Shark?
Over the years, we've written many times about medical tourism: from folks traveling to the US for treatments to folks who found better options abroad.But this, this boggles the mind:"The number of foreigners traveling to Switzerland to commit assisted suicide doubled over a four-year period"Europeans made up the bulks of their "customers," the article didn't mention how many Yankees participated.Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - August 22, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Tax Form 1040(OY)
Let's suppose that, against all odds, you've successfully navigated the 404Care.gov site and enrolled in an ObamaPlan. And let's further suppose that, against all odds again, you're deemed eligible for a subsidy.Now - and bear with me here - let's suppose even further that you're gainfully employed and need to file your taxes. Piece of cake, right?Um:"Obamacare customers won’t be able to file their tax returns next year until the government sends them a form detailing their coverage and tax credits"Well, we're all familiar with the prompt, efficient and accountable IRS, so no problem, right?Well:If you're due a refund, w...
Source: InsureBlog - August 22, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Carefree, or Free to Care?
Dr Rob Lamberts (whom we interviewed a few short years ago, when he dove into the concierge medicine pool) has a touching, sad but ultimately hopeful post on end of life care, and the compassion one can bring to the table:"Thank you, sir, for letting me into your home. Thank you for trusting me when you didn't want to trust a doctor. Thank you for letting me help you stay at home and live out your last days as you wanted them to be."Read the whole thing.Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - August 22, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
What's Old is New: The AMA, Medicare and Value
Almost four years ago, we wrote about a little known committee, nestled deep in the bowels of the American Medical Association (AMA), that exercised outsized power over how much money doctors will receive in Medicare reimbursements:"Three times a year, 29 doctors gather around a table in a hotel meeting room. Their job is an unusual one: divvying up billions of Medicare dollars"As reported at the time in the Wall Street Journal, "the influence of the secretive panel, known as the Relative Value Scale Update Committee, is enormous ... the impact of the decisions made by the doctors on the RUC goes well beyond physician fees...
Source: InsureBlog - August 21, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Wednesday Potpourri
■ Craig Gottwals has the scoop on the latest Golden State efforts to come into line with the new group waiting period requirements:"A year and a half ago, California decided that the 90-day waiting period limit imposed by PPACA ... was too long and cut that period to 60 days via a series of confusing state laws."After driving benefits folks nuts trying to comply with conflicting federal and state requirements, the state's finally shelved their own ill-advised rule. Click on through for why this is so critical.■ Speaking of small groups, the news on the alleged SHOP (small group marketplace) isn't promising for the folk...
Source: InsureBlog - August 20, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Facebook for Physicians
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Wellpoint and Blue Shield of California are partnering to create a Health Information Exchange, or HIE.An HIE is a federally-funded network designed to “allow patients’ records to be shared digitally among the providers caring for them.”HIE’s already exist in several parts of the country. The Journal article cites an HIE in Indiana in which more than 100 hospitals and 25,000 physicians participate. There is an HIE in my state, Connecticut.According to the article, the California HIE will - for example - ensure that physicians will have imme...
Source: InsureBlog - August 19, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Transparency redefined
We've long been fans of transparency in health care, both its delivery and its financing. That is, the ability of the consumer to pre-determine how much a given procedure or med may cost, in order to make an informed decision.But transparency only works well when both parties participate: providers and insurers offering useful and informative tools (generally on-line) and consumers taking advantage of them.But what happens when the biggest provider and financer of health care refuses to play?Well, then, you get this:"The White House has rejected a request to publicly disclose documents relating to the kinds of security sof...
Source: InsureBlog - August 19, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Cavalcade of Risk #215 – Dog Days of Summer Edition is up
Paul Dzielinski makes his CavRisk debut (a day early, how's that for promptness!) with an excellent round-up of interesting posts, and his own helpful insights on each one.Bravo, Paul! Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - August 19, 2014 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
