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Obamacare employer mandate delayed to 2015

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Businesses won't be penalized next year if they fail to provide workers health insurance after the Obama administration decided to delay a key requirement under its signature 2010 health care law. The decision pushes the issue past the 2014 midterm congressional elections, as Republicans have sought to make the health law a symbol of government overreach. Two Obama administration officials, who discussed the move before the announcement on condition that they not be identified, said the administration decided to wait until 2015 before enforcing the employer mandate in order to simplify reporting requirements and give businesses more time to adjust their health care coverage. Recognized 'obvious'Randy Johnson, senior vice president of labor, immigration and employee benefits at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business lobby, praised the move. The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allows the Obama administration to set the starting date for the employer coverage reporting requirement that's the linchpin of the mandate. Reported by SFGate 6 hours ago.

Small victory: BART, unions both negotiating

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Service Employees International Local 1021, BART's largest union, held a press conference outside bargaining to release what it called an "investigation" into BART's chief negotiator, outside labor attorney Thomas Hock. BART held a press conference at MacArthur Station to unveil a wooden mockup of the interior of its new rail cars - and to promote its need to buy 1,000 new rail cars, modernize its train control system and build a larger and upgraded train maintenance center. Main differencesThe dispute centers on pay, contributions to pensions and monthly health insurance payments, and safety concerns. BART officials say they need to contain costs to raise the billions needed in system improvements by avoiding unaffordable pay raises, having workers begin paying a share of their pension contributions and increasing employees' monthly $92 health insurance premium. Union officials say their employees went without raises for five years and made $100 million in concessions four years ago when the transit agency was struggling through the recession. Reported by SFGate 5 hours ago.

Railroading the health care law

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Some voters oppose Obamacare because it doesn't go far enough. If the new health care law collapses, they may insist on another look at Clinton-style, single-payer national health insurance. Reported by KansasCity.com 4 hours ago.

Nation's top insurer won't join Ariz. exchange

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The nation's largest health-insurance company won't join the government-run marketplace in Arizona when the new U.S. health-care law requires mandatory coverage for most consumers. Most major commercial health-insurance companies that now sell policies in Arizona have signaled their intent to sell insurance over the new marketplaces, called exchanges. Reported by azcentral.com 3 hours ago.

Advanced Patient Advocacy Announces Role in Colorado’s State Healthcare Exchange

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The Connect for Health Assistance Network combines the federally required navigator program and the optional in-person assistance program into one program.

Richmond, VA (PRWEB) July 23, 2013

Advanced Patient Advocacy, LLC (APA) announced today that they have been selected by Connect for Health Colorado to serve as an Assistance Site and provide essential navigator duties to the citizens of Colorado as part of their state sponsored healthcare exchange. The announcement came in early June after APA submitted a collaborative proposal on April 19th with client facilities in the greater Denver area.

The Connect for Health Assistance Network combines the federally required navigator program and the optional in-person assistance program into one program. The program is designed to maximize and build on existing expertise and resources that currently provide related health and health coverage services, or serve target populations such as the uninsured.

Health Coverage Guides will be one component of Connect for Health Colorado’s overall customer service strategy that includes self-help (online decision support tools), Customer Service Center Representatives (phone and online chat support) and licensed and certified health insurance agents and brokers.

“This is very exciting news. APA has been selected because of the hard work and dedication of our team and our experience in providing enrollment services. We are perfectly positioned to accept this opportunity and look forward to expanding our mission in Colorado and in other states,” said Wendy Bennett, President.

Advanced Patient Advocacy, LLC is a privately owned company that provides a comprehensive suite of enrollment services to healthcare organizations to assist patients in navigating and connecting to payer solutions which include Medicaid, Workers Compensation, Motor Vehicle, Disability and General Liability. APA services healthcare organizations on a nationwide basis and has built its reputation by revolutionizing the way screening and enrollment services are provided.

# # #

For more information regarding this announcement or Advanced Patient Advocacy services, call 877.272.6001, visit http://www.aparesults.com or email Rodney Napier at rnapier(at)apallc(dot)com. Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

Coalition Will Not Support Labor's FBT Hit On Cars

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“There’s been the carbon tax, the changes to the private health insurance rebate, the increased superannuation taxes, the increased child care costs, the loss of promised family payments and now changes to the arrangements for the FBT on cars.


COALITION WILL NOT SUPPORT LABOR’S FBT HIT ON CARS


Ricardo Balancy, Candidate for Holt said the Coalition did not support Labor’s $1.8 billion hit on the car industry.

“This tax hike will cost thousands of local families an average of $1,400 per year”, said Ricardo Balancy.

“It has been estimated that 75 per cent of drivers with salary packaged vehicles earn less than $100,000 - so this is another hit on families.

“The policies of the Rudd-Gillard Government have but enormous pressure on families.

“There’s been the carbon tax, the changes to the private health insurance rebate, the increased superannuation taxes, the increased child care costs, the loss of promised family payments and now changes to the arrangements for the FBT on cars.

“If you are a sales rep with a company car, a nurse or a teacher with a salary-packaged vehicle then this decision is bad news for you and your family.

Ricardo Balancy said he promised that if elected, a Coalition government will not proceed with these changes.

“Once again, this is another Kevin Rudd rush-job.

“This is a rushed decision that won’t just hit families, it will also damage the economy, particularly those in the car industry.

“It is estimated that 35 per cent of all salary packaged vehicles are made by local manufacturers Toyota, Ford and Holden.

“Mr Rudd is all talk and no action, but when he finally does act he ends up destroying people’s jobs.”

Ricardo Balancy said the changes also meant more red tape for small businesses and an impact on small businesses.

“Small business is carrying much of the burden of 21,000 new regulations as well as the carbon tax and this decision has come at the worst possible time.”

Ricardo Balancy said this is another decision by a government that does not understand the pressures on families, does not understand the pressures on small businesses and that is making it up as they go along.

Company Contact Information
Ricardo Balancy Liberal Candidate for Holt
Ricardo Balancy
PO Box 5100 Hallam
Vic
3803
0424 190 078

News and Press Release Distribution From I-Newswire.com Reported by i-Newswire.com 52 minutes ago.

Apollo Munich- A Pure Health Insurance Company

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Indian health insurance sector has much to offer. There is immense variety to make healthcare easy and uncomplicated for people. Making a significant contribution in the field, Apollo Munich has made a mark of reputation.


Apollo Munich is a pure health insurance company in India. Apollo Group of Hospitals and Munich Health, joined hands to form a joint venture for people of country. It is a pure health insurance company that simply concentrates on the healthcare needs of people. All its plans are incorporated with certain unique features.Coming up with the variety of flexible products, Apollo Munich has been the choice of millions.It has served people with the required kind of healthcare coverage.

With an aim to demystify health insurance for citizens of country, Apollo Munich formulate plans as per the need of people. It functions with an objective to take out the fear from faces, the jargon from words, the bitter from medicines and the trouble from treatment. Apollo Munich, being a pure health insurance company, works with a vision “to be a trusted leader in health insurance by providing innovative solutions to the citizens of India”.

Health insurance has been considered as a complicated product by people in India. It has been the reason of large number of people being uninsured. So to increase the ratio of insured people as compared to the uninsured, Apollo Munich devises the plan that can be easily purchased by people. Taking care of the premium, it has formulated plans in varied sum insured options. This makes easy for all income groups to buy the plan easily. Without disturbing the personal savings account, all can get insured and enjoy quality healthcare devoid of any fiscal stress.

Apollo Munich offer
• Individual Health Insurance plan
• Family Floater Insurance
• Travel Insurance
• Personal Accident Insurance plan

Beginning its journey in health insurance sector with one plan, today it has number of them to offer. It understands the changing healthcare needs of people, it formulate plans that can fulfill the needs of people. It believes in analyzing the customer’s need first and then designing the products accordingly. Offering affordable healthcare, it makes an attempt to make quality healthcare feasible for all. In this way, the company resolves the issue of budget limitation for all. Thus it fulfills the health requirements of all and aims at reaching the customer satisfaction.

Time and again Apollo Munich has emerged out with innovative strategies. It has offered people with comprehensive plans that can help them take good care of their wellbeing.

All its products come with a promise of great customer service, lifelong renewal, simple policy wordings, tax benefit and fastest claim settlement. Moreover, at affordable cost all can claim maximum healthcare benefits in times of need. The health plans differs as per the specific health risks. Consequently the medical insurance rates also vary as per the plan. They cater to varied healthcare needs of people.

Making its roots stronger in health insurance industry, Apollo Munich maintains a long network chain with around 4500 hospitals in over 800 cities. This enable its clients/ policy holders to seek treatment on cashless basis from a reputed hospital. Secondly, there is a provision of additional coverage for critical illnesses. This extends the coverage allowing the insured to claim insurance services while facing any major health mishap.

Apollo Munich health plans not only assist during hospitalization but are also available in case of regular health check- ups. The feature of day-care procedure provide coverage against certain specified ailments that does not require hospitalization. In this way, there are several other beneficial features that its products are comprised of.

In order to spread awareness in this regard, Apollo Munich provides authentic information through its information rich website. All of us can access the readily website of the company to get an idea about the products offered. All policy details like premium, premium chart, online premium calculator, policy quotes, renewal procedure, claim process and other related provision of the policy can be understood by visiting the site of the company. Through this mode, the company develops a smooth communication network with customers. All can get in touch with the insurer and get all the doubts clarified. This ensures right move by the buyer.

Introducing innovative and effective options from time to time, Apollo Munich has made health insurance coverage faster and simpler for people. The provision of ‘buy online’ has simplified the process to a great extent. So, to curb down on personal expenditure get insured today with such effective means available.

For More Information related to Insurance visit:- http://www.apollomunichinsurance.com

Company Contact Information
Health Insurance Company
Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company Ltd.
10th Floor, Tower – B, Building No. 10
DLF Cyber City, DLF City Phase II, Gurgaon, Haryana
122002
+91-124-4584333

News and Press Release Distribution From I-Newswire.com Reported by i-Newswire.com 52 minutes ago.

Planning Road Trips - America's Favorite Vacation - Made Easy with New Book, Packing Lists and To Do Lists from PlanningRoadTrips.com

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Planning Road Trips is a practical guide to planning, preparing and packing, for a fun drive and living in hotels. It's the essential "How to Road Trip" for safe and happy vacations.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) July 23, 2013

Planning Road Trips by Michael Campbell isn't a glamorous list of roadside attractions, like all the other planning guides, because there's thousands of books and websites like that. This book covers what they don't. It's practical guide to planning, preparing and packing, for a fun drive and living in hotels. It's the essential "How to Road Trip" for safe and happy vacations.

So get ready to head out for the weekend, the annual two week vacation, or a six month journey. No matter how long the trip, this planning guide, written from personal experience and dozens of road trips, will prepare everyone from weekenders to road geeks, for a safe and happy vacation.

Some of the key areas the book covers are:


· Preparing your car and home
· The best time of the day to drive
· How to save both gas and money
· Making hotel rooms safe & sanitary

Plus the book answers questions like:

· Choosing the right luggage and coolers
· Driving through customs and borders
· Doing virtual tours before you arrive
· Inspecting the room and getting upgrades

Plus there are essential sections on:

· Traveling with spouses, kids and pets
· Travel, accident and health insurance
· What to pack for each kind of roadtrip
· Sleeping well, even if you’re a light sleeper

For journeys and working vacations there's:

· Choosing a long term stay hotel
· Automating payments, banking and bills
· How to get work done while on the road
· Running a business with digital documents

Why road trip? In a single word… freedom. Things like air travel, cruises, camping and RVs are fun, but no vacation is as hassle free and worry free as a road trip. You can make your own rules. Go at your own pace. Decide what to see. Stay where you want. And choose when to drive. That’s why a road trip is the best vacation ever!

Pricing and Availability

Title: Planning Road Trips
Subtitle: America's Favorite Vacation
Author: Michael W. Campbell
Publisher: Dynamic Media Corporation
ASIN: B00DQH8IGW

The Planning Road Trips Book is available from Amazon.com now for only $4.95 US. The packing lists and planning lists are available for free, on the companion website at PlanningRoadTrips.com.

A complimentary PDF version of the book is available for reporters, travel bloggers, producers, columnists, journalists and other really cool people upon request. Please email Michael Campbell for a review copy.

Media Contact

Michael W. Campbell, CEO
Dynamic Media Corporation
Phone: +1 (360) 450-5880

About the Author

Michael W. Campbell is an internet marketing consultant. He and his wife Amy, have gone on dozens of road trips, including six month long working vacations, driving across Canada and around the USA, picking up hundreds of tips to share with you.

He has written this planning guide from experience, to help you prepare for your road trips. With it, you'll enjoy the entire journey, not just the destinations. It will help you have a great vacation, with hundreds of memories to share with friends and loved ones for years to come.

Have a safe and happy road trip!

Amy & Michael Reported by PRWeb 41 minutes ago.

Zane Benefits Publishes a New Guide on Creating Affordable Employee Health Benefits

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New guide helps businesses create lovable employee health benefits.

Park City, Utah (PRWEB) July 21, 2013

Today, Zane Benefits, the online alternative to group health insurance, published a new guide on creating affordable employee health benefits

According to Zane Benefits’ website, the new 12- paged eBook helps business owners and HR managers understand how defined contribution health benefits can reduce the cost and time associated with traditional health insurance, while maintaining all of the benefits employees love.

The landscape of small business health insurance is changing and the cost of group health insurance is no longer sustainable. Businesses need new ways to offer the same or better health benefits at a controllable cost, because finding and retaining the best employees is top priority in order to thrive in today’s economy.

Because of this, businesses are transitioning to a defined contribution health benefits approach.

Small Business Owners, CEOs, and Human Resources Managers should download this guide to learn how defined contribution health benefits create controllable costs for the business, and quality health benefits for employees.

The free eBook covers the following topics:

-How to design affordable health benefits that employees love

-The top 3 reason businesses are transitioning to defined contribution

-How defined contribution compares to group health insurance

-Strategic ways to free up more time for meaningful work

Click Here to download the eBook.

About Zane Benefits

Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about ZaneHRA, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.

Internal Divisons Spark GOP Uncertainty On Key Issue

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WASHINGTON -- Three years after campaigning on a vow to "repeal and replace" President Barack Obama's health care law, House Republicans have yet to advance an alternative for the system they have voted more than three dozen times to abolish in whole or in part.

Officially, the effort is "in progress"– and has been since Jan. 19, 2011, according to GOP.gov, a leadership-run website.

But internal divisions, disagreement about political tactics and Obama's 2012 re-election add up to uncertainty over whether Republicans will vote on a plan of their own before the 2014 elections, or if not by then, perhaps before the president leaves office, more than six years after the original promise.

Sixteen months before those elections, some Republicans cite no need to offer an alternative. "I don't think it's a matter of what we put on the floor right now," said Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, who heads the party's campaign committee. He added that what is important is "trying to delay Obamacare."

Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, who leads a committee with jurisdiction over health care, said, "If we are successful in ultimately repealing this legislation, then yes, we will have a replacement bill ready to come back with."

Divisions were evident earlier this year, when legislation to make it easier for high-risk individuals to purchase coverage died without a vote. It was sidetracked after conservatives, many of them elected with tea party support, objected to any attempt to improve the current law rather than scuttle it.

With the rank and file growing more conservative, some Republicans acknowledge that without changes, they likely couldn't pass the alternative measure they backed when Democrats won approval for Obama's bill in 2010. Among other provisions, it encouraged employers to sign up their workers for health insurance automatically, so that employees would have to "opt out" of coverage if they didn't want it, and provided federal money for state-run high-risk pools for individuals and for reinsurance in the small group market.

The current state of intentions contrasts sharply with the Pledge to America, the manifesto that Republicans campaigned on in 2010 when they took power away from the Democrats. That included a plan to "repeal and replace" what it termed a government takeover of health care.

It promised "common-sense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs," including steps to overhaul medical malpractice laws and permit the sale of insurance across state lines. Republicans said they would "empower small businesses with greater purchasing power and create new incentives to save for future health care needs." They promised to "protect the doctor-patient relationship, and ensure that those with pre-existing conditions gain access to the coverage they need."

But Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., said, "We never did see a repeal and replace bill last time," referring to the 2011-2012 two-year term that followed the Republican landslide. "I hope we can this time, and I'll keep fighting for it."

Broun, running for the Senate from Georgia in 2014 as a conservatives' conservative, has drafted legislation of his own that relies on a series of tax breaks and regulatory changes such as permitting insurance companies to sell coverage across state lines to expand access to health care.

Other Republicans are at work on different bills, in the House Energy and Commerce Committee headed by Upton, and elsewhere.

Rep. Steven Scalise of Louisiana, who leads the conservative Republican Study Conference, said the organization is working on legislation to reduce health care costs "without the mandates and the taxes" in the current law.

Like others involved with the issue, he provided no timetable and few specifics.

At the same time, the other half of the 2010 pledge to "repeal and replace" is getting a workout.

The House voted last week to delay two requirements, the 38th and 39th time they have gone on record in favor of repealing, reducing or otherwise neutering the system that bears Obama's name.

In the case of one of the rules, a requirement for businesses to provide insurance to their workers, the administration announced a one-year delay earlier this month.

Democrats and even some Republicans say the intense focus on repealing the health law is wide of the mark.

"Every voter knows what Republicans are against. They don't know what they're for" on health care, said Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who heads House Democrats' campaign committee. He said the strategy would haunt Republicans next year among moderate and independent voters who want changes, not outright repeal.

The fate of legislation to put more funds into high-risk pools demonstrated a belief among some Republicans that they should advance alternatives. Polling presentations make the same point but are not uniformly persuasive among the rank and file, according to officials, and lawmakers' speeches sometimes make it sound as if the health law is disintegrating on its own.

Yet one prominent conservative, Ramesh Ponnuru, warned recently that it was a "perverse complacency" to do nothing while assuming the health law will implode.

"We can be sure that the Left would respond to any such collapse by making the case for a `single payer' program in which the federal government directly provides everyone insurance," he wrote on May 30 in National Review Online.

Ponnuru added that in some Republican circles, "the idea that an alternative is necessary is seen as a mark of wimpiness, a weakness for big-government programs that are just slightly" weaker than what Democrats possess.

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Online:

GOP site: http://www.gop.gov Reported by Huffington Post 3 days ago.

Health insurance spike is misleading

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The average health insurance plan in Indiana will increase by 72 percent next year and hit $570 a month under the 2010 health care law, the state announced Friday. What does that tell us. Reported by Journal Gazette 2 days ago.

Bankers Life and Casualty Company Named to the 2013 Ward's 50 List of Life-Health Insurance Top Performers

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CHICAGO, July 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bankers Life and Casualty Company today announced that it has been named as one of the country's top 50 performing life-health insurance companies in the 2013 Ward's 50 ranking— an honor bestowed to only 50 of the 800 life-health insurers... Reported by PR Newswire 2 days ago.

Workshop Being Held on Health Insurance Exchange in CT

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The Nonprofit Assistance Initiative (NAI), a joint program of the Connecticut Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Waterbury, teams up with the Universal Health Care Foundation to offer a workshop: “Connecticut’s Health Insurance Exchange.”

Waterbury, CT (PRWEB) July 22, 2013

The Nonprofit Assistance Initiative (NAI), a joint program of the Connecticut Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Waterbury, teams up with the Universal Health Care Foundation to offer a workshop: “Connecticut’s Health Insurance Exchange” on Monday, July 29 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Silas Bronson Library Auditorium, 267 Grand St., Waterbury, CT. There is no charge to attend the workshop, but you must register because seating is limited.

Lynne Ide of the Universal Health Care Foundation will present an overview of the federal Affordable Care Act and discuss what the new state Health Insurance Exchange means for nonprofits and their clients. There will be significant change for the uninsured, under-insured and state Medicaid programs as well as for employees of nonprofits. The exchange is scheduled to start January 1, 2014 with registration beginning October 1, 2013, so now is the time to learn the basics and prepare for the changes in the future.

“In the NAI service area, there are over 23,000 uninsured and over 34,000 receiving Medicaid assistance so this information is crucial for nonprofits. There has been confusion about the details of the state’s health insurance exchange, Access Health CT, and we are glad to have the expertise of the Universal Health Care Foundation on this topic.” said John Long, NAI program officer.

To register, go to the Connecticut Community Foundation at http://www.conncf.org/workshops and follow the links for further information and registration.

For more information, contact John Long, NAI program officer at jlong(at)conncf(dot)org, 203-753-1315, or visit http://www.conncf.org/nai.

About the Connecticut Community Foundation:
Founded in 1923 as the Waterbury Foundation, the Connecticut Community Foundation was the first community foundation in the state. Serving 21 towns in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills, the Foundation administers more than 420 charitable funds established by local donors. Funds reflect a variety of philanthropic interests and support a range of giving opportunities in the arts, environment, health care, education, human services and women’s and children’s initiatives. With this support, the Foundation provides grants and services to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to students. Volunteers and staff offer their expertise by serving on committees and supporting special initiatives that effect positive change, growth and improve the quality of life in our region. For more information, go to http://www.conncf.org. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

Brad Burd: Buying Health Insurance in 2014 and the Difference Between a Private Marketplace and a Public Marketplace

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It's amazing how time flies by. We are now less than three months from the first open enrollment period, which starts October 1 and consumers will be given their first opportunity to purchase health insurance with the new rules of Obamacare in place.

With open enrollment just around the corner, it is very important that consumers understand how they will be able to shop for and purchase health insurance.

*Do you qualify for financial assistance?*

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides for the possibility of financial assistance (referred to as the health insurance premium tax credit) for individuals and families whose household incomes are below 400 percent of the poverty level. This tax credit will be available to purchase health plans called "qualified health plans" that have been approved and are available on a state or federal marketplace.

To determine how much financial assistance a consumer will receive, the consumer will be required to complete an application with the federal government.

*How do consumers access plans and apply for subsidies?*

The ACA mandated the creation of online public marketplaces, sometimes called "exchanges." For the first open enrollment, it is expected that 35 states will utilize an individual marketplace created by the federal government and 15 states plus the District of Columbia will create their own online marketplaces. The marketplaces, whether state-run or federally run, will offer consumers the opportunity to comparatively shop for qualified health plans available in the consumer's geographic area and apply for a subsidy. The government-run marketplaces, however, will not necessarily offer every available health insurance option available to a consumer.

Private companies will also run private marketplaces, or exchanges, that may offer the same qualified health plans, but may also offer additional "off-exchange" health plans. The private online platforms are called web-based entities, or web-based brokers. A "web-based entity" (WBE) is a government-approved phrase to describe online websites where consumers will be able to shop and purchase health insurance on the private market.

The services of WBEs have been around for a long time in the individual health insurance market. The biggest players have already enrolled millions of consumers in individual plans and have created shopping experiences that may differ slightly from how the government-run marketplaces operate. The WBEs offer their service free to consumers and they generally receive their compensation straight from the insurance carriers.

Most, if not all, WBEs will also offer off-exchange health insurance policies that provide consumers different health care benefits at different prices than the qualified health plans and the off-exchange plans will also satisfy a consumer's obligation under the ACA to maintain health insurance.

A well-run WBE will offer the same qualified health plans available on the government run marketplaces, at the same prices, plus additional products such as off-exchange products and ancillary products, including dental and vision insurance. If a consumer decides to purchase a qualified health plan, then the WBE can still integrate with the government-run marketplace to assist the consumer in applying for a subsidy and the information that the consumer gives regarding the subsidy calculation will be collected and maintained solely by the government.

Because of the experience in the market and the unique products they offer, it makes sense that these already established web-based entities should play a role in the state and federal marketplaces.

*What if a consumer has questions or needs assistance?*

Regardless of whether a consumer accesses available plans via a public government-run marketplace or a privately run marketplace, there will be assistance available should the consumer have questions. The government-run public exchanges will utilize trained staff known as "navigators" or "assisters" to help consumers through a portion of the process.

It should be noted, however, that these navigators and assisters are likely not going to be licensed health insurance agents and not necessarily have the same training. In fact, many states have mandated that navigators will not be permitted to provide advice regarding policy benefits.

Consumers should be aware that licensed agents will still be available and ready and willing to assist with any policy questions that each consumer may have, however, it is not clear whether the government will facilitate the contact with the licensed agent or whether the consumer will be responsible for locating an agent.

One of the benefits of using a private exchange marketplace is that many of these companies will employ trained and licensed health insurance agents to walk consumers through the process from start to finish, should the consumer request the assistance and without requiring the consumer to take any additional action.

With October 1 approaching, there will be an overload of information hitting consumers regarding open enrollment and purchasing health insurance. It is important that consumers know their options and know what assistance is available to them. Reported by Huffington Post 2 days ago.

Zane Benefits Publishes New Information on The Difference Between Defined Contribution and HRAs

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A Concise Description of the Similarities and Differences Between a Defined Contribution Plan and a Health Reimbursement Arrangement

Park City, UT (PRWEB) July 22, 2013

Today, Zane Benefits, the online alternative to group health insurance, published new information on The Difference Between Defined Contribution and HRAs.

According to Zane Benefits’ website, simply put, defined contribution is a health benefits strategy, whereas a health reimbursement arrangement is a health benefits tool.

Pure defined contribution is a type of employer-sponsored health benefit where the employer decides an amount to contribution to employees' health benefits. Employees then use their defined contribution allowances to purchase an individual health insurance plan. With defined contribution, the employer defines an amount (a "defined contribution"), as an alternative to offering a specific group health insurance plan (a "defined benefit").

A health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) is a tool that allows an employer to offer defined contribution health benefits tax-free and as a formal employee health benefit. HRAs are one of the only IRS-approved vehicles allowed to reimburse employees' individual health insurance premiums, and therefore are a critical part of any defined contribution health plan strategy. A health reimbursement arrangement is not health insurance, but it allows the employer to make tax-deductible contributions to employees' eligible individual health insurance and medical expenses.

Click here to read the full article.
--

About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about ZaneHRA, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

Franchot promotes health insurance tax credit to small businesses in Howard County

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A little-known federal tax credit to help small businesses cover some of the costs of providing health insurance to their workers is being promoted in Howard County by Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, the Baltimore Sun reported. On Monday, Franchot sent 5,000 letters to small businesses in the county encouraging them to take advantage of the break. Reported by bizjournals 1 day ago.

MAXIMUS to Provide Customer Service Training and Health Literacy Assessments for California’s Health Insurance Exchange

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MAXIMUS to Provide Customer Service Training and Health Literacy Assessments for California’s Health Insurance Exchange RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MAXIMUS has signed a new $7 million contract with the California Health Benefit Exchange to provide training and literacy services for the state’s health insurance exchange, Covered California. Reported by Business Wire 1 day ago.

Brevard cuts some workers' part-time hours to avoid Obamacare rules

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Some part-time Brevard County workers are getting their hours cut so the county would not be forced by federal law to pay for their health insurance.

Local 6 News partner Florida Today reports the affected workers currently do not get county-provided health insurance. But they would in 2015 — if they worked an average of at least 30 hours a week — under a provision of federal health care reform commonly known as “Obamacare.”

Brevard County human resources officials recently informed county department heads about the new rules and the potential impact on their budgets, and department heads are formulating responses.

Brevard County Insurance Director Jerry Visco said every employee added to the county’s health insurance program could cost the county about $10,000 a year, and “that money is not there” in the county budget.

A spot check of a recent payroll week showed that 138 of the county’s 342 part-time employees worked at least 30 hours that week, according to Brevard County Personnel Manager Karen Conde.

Using, Visco’s estimate, providing health insurance to 138 part-time workers would cost the county $1.38 million a year.

Brevard County Library Service Department Director Jeff Thompson said 37 of his department’s employees have had their hours cut as a result of the health care issue.

“Obviously, what I’m hearing is that people are unhappy,” Thompson said. “They naturally were very concerned. It is regrettable.”

Thompson said he tried to minimize the impact of the staff cuts by reducing the hours of affected workers to 28 hours a week, rather than the suggested 25.

In a memo to part-time library staff, Thompson wrote: “Due to recent changes in the definition of part-time work, part-time employees working for Brevard County must work no more than 25 hours per week. However, in an attempt to limit the adverse impact of this reduction on you, all part-time staff members who are currently working in positions that are 29 hours per week or more will be reduced to 28 hours per week. Only vacant part-time positions will be lowered to 25 hours per week or less.”

Thompson said he is reworking staff schedules so that the changes do not affect library hours or services.

Visco said federal regulations released earlier this year in conjunction with the health care reform defined full-time employees as those working an average of at least 30 hours a week.

Initially, employers with at least 50 full-time employees were required to provide them with health insurance as of January 2014. But, earlier this month, implementation of that provision of health care reform was delayed until January 2015.

In order to comply with the 2015 implementation date, the county plans to monitor and report to the federal government the hours of part-time employees from Oct. 1, 2013, to Oct. 1, 2014, Visco said.

Visco said 25 hours a week or less is a “good target” for part-time employees, so departments avoid exceeding the 30-hour-a-week threshold in case there is a staffing issue that forces part-timers to work more hours than expected.

But he said there has been no formal directive issued to county department heads, and department managers will determine how to deal with their scheduling challenges for part-timers.

Visco said the change in hours for part-time county employees is an unintended consequence of federal health care reform.

Brevard County’s “part-time employees have never been eligible for benefits,” Visco said.

Conde said the county has 1,986 full-time and 342 part-time employees. Most of the part-timers work either in library services (137) or parks and recreation (78).

Those figures do not include the departments run by the elected charter officers, such as the sheriff, clerk of courts and property appraiser, who will set their own policies on how to schedule part-timers in their departments. Reported by Click Orlando 1 day ago.

Poll: Working Americans 2-to-1 Want To Choose Their Health Insurance Company

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Results Come As Obamacare Eliminates Most Distinctions Between Individual and Employer Markets SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new HealthPocket health insurance survey finds that working Americans overwhelmingly prefer to be the decision makers about... Reported by PR Newswire 23 hours ago.

Hospitals Readying For Big Obamacare Push

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Millions of Americans walk through the doors of a hospital for medical care every year. Starting this fall, many of them will walk back out with something new: health insurance.

Hospitals across the country are preparing to help uninsured patients learn about and apply for coverage and financial assistance available on the health insurance exchanges under President Barack Obama's health care reform law. Staff are being trained to understand Obamacare, and health fairs and other events are planned in local communities.

As often the main point of contact with the health care system for uninsured and poor Americans, hospitals are poised to play a crucial role in connecting their patients to new benefits. Hospitals commonly have programs already in place to help qualified uninsured patients apply for Medicaid and other programs, and they have a strong financial incentive to cut down on the unpaid bills on their books by maximizing the number of patients they get enrolled into health care coverage.

So big chains, publicly owned safety-net facilities and local hospitals are ramping up their efforts to be ready for the six-month open enrollment period for 2014 health insurance that begins Oct. 1, when the health insurance exchanges for people who don't get health benefits at work are due to open for business. How well they do could go a long way to determining the success of Obamacare's first year.

"It's going to take a massive, sustained effort for a period of time to get people educated and informed," said Cynthia Taueg, vice president of ambulatory and community health services for St. John Providence Health System, a six-hospital chain headquartered in Warren, Mich., outside Detroit.

Hospitals are part of a huge nationwide education, outreach and enrollment effort surrounding the beginning of Obamacare enrollment. The Obama administration, states including California, Oregon and Kentucky, private non-profit groups like Enroll America and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, labor unions, community health centers and private health care companies all are trying to get the word out to the uninsured, said Ethan Rome, executive director of Washington-based Health Care for America Now.

"We are going to have the largest collaborative effort to achieve a common purpose that we've really ever seen," Rome said.

Hospitals will be a key player, especially because their emergency departments -- which are prohibited by federal law from turning away patients who can't pay -- are a vital source of care for the country's nearly 49 million uninsured. People without health insurance were responsible for more than 15 percent of almost 130 million emergency room visits in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Connecting with patients while they're inside the hospital will be crucial, especially for those people who don't regularly interact with the rest of the health care system, said Mary Ellen Payne, senior vice president for advocacy at St. Louis-based Ascension Health, St. John Providence's parent company. "A lot of our hospitals are in communities where there really is no other place to go for health care," she said.

"We've always seen it as part of our job -- frankly, as part of our mission -- to educate people and get them signed up," Payne said. Ascension Health, a Catholic organization with more than 1,400 locations around the U.S., is the third-largest hospital chain in the country and the biggest non-profit health system, according to the company.

Boosting Obamacare enrollment could be good for hospitals' bottom lines, especially those facilities that treat high numbers of uninsured patients, said Bruce Siegel, the CEO of America's Essential Hospitals, a Washington-based trade association for municipal facilities. (It changed its name from the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems last month.)

"The safety-net hospitals are going to have the lion's share of low-income patients and so they're going to be at the epicenter of getting these folks enrolled," Siegel said. "For safety-net hospitals who have lower margins and far more uncovered patients, this is absolutely critical."

U.S. hospitals provided $41.1 billion in so-called uncompensated care to patients who didn't pay their bills in 2011, according to the most recent data available from the Chicago-based American Hospital Association.

Hospitals use a variety of strategies to help patients learn whether they qualify for health benefits and to assist them with gathering the documentation they need and filling out applications, and provide follow-up services for those whose cases are too complicated to resolve the day they leave the hospital, Siegel said.

"Hospitals have been doing this for a long time," he said.

That experience will come in handy during the first year of Obamcare's health coverage expansion, which the Congressional Budget Office projects will extend private health insurance to 7 million people, many of whom will qualify for tax credits, and Medicaid benefits to 8 million more.

Hospitals also must look outside their walls and toward outreach in their local areas, Ascension Health's Payne said. "Everything we do out in the community needs to be seen now as an opportunity to find the uninsured and sign them up," she said. Ascension Health is planning to attend events like health fairs, farmers markets and temporary clinics for the uninsured and will work on partnerships with community groups and national organizations like Enroll America and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, she said.

St. John Providence Health System is scaling up its existing patient-assistance programs for Obamacare and may hire additional workers devoted to helping patients enroll, Taueg said. (The American Hospital Association arranged for Taueg's interview with The Huffington Post.)

St. John Providence is working with community health centers, school-based clinics and local non-profits like Michigan Consumers for Health Care on outreach and enrollment programs, Taueg said. Last year, St. John Providence got 60 percent of the eligible uninsured patients they counseled signed up for health benefits like Medicaid, according to the company.

The American Hospital Association, the Catholic Health Association and other industry groups endorsed the health care reform legislation in 2009. Although the law will cut their Medicare and Medicaid payments by $155 billion over a decade, hospitals calculated that decreasing the number of patients without health insurance -- and thus the amount of bad debt on their books and charity care provided -- made the deal worth it.

Since then, additional Medicare payment reductions brought about by federal budget cuts and other policies have further squeezed hospitals, leading to calls for delaying some Obamacare cuts. Moreover, expectations for the first year of Obamacare have diminished, largely because Republican officials in nearly half of states won't adopt the law's expansion of Medicaid to more poor adults.

"I wouldn't anticipate that all of the people that are eligible will by signed up by the end of the enrollment period March 31," said Martha Leclerc, vice president of corporate contracting at Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, which operates facilities in eight states and has a health insurance division that will sell products on the health insurance exchanges.

"I would hope that we could get at least 20, 25 percent of them signed up," Leclerc said. "Seriously, if we do that, I think that'll be a huge success." Reported by Huffington Post 21 hours ago.
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