Everything You Need to Know About 2016 Marketplace Open Enrollment

November 12, 2015, 11:11 am

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Marketplace open enrollment for 2016 health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act is now in full swing. For many, evaluating health care coverage options is a really big decision, as it affects both health choices and finances, but with the right information and tools at hand, the process of signing up for and later reporting health care coverage on tax returns is simpler than ever. Here are some important things to know.

*New Open Enrollment Dates *
For 2016, open enrollment for Marketplace health insurance coverage through healthcare.cov or your state exchange will be running through Sunday, January 31, 2016. However, if you would like your coverage to take effect on January 1, 2016, it is important to make sure to select your plan by December 15, 2015.

Even if you are already enrolled in a plan through your Health Insurance Marketplace, make sure to check that the plan you selected last year still works for you and your family in 2016 (premiums and coverage details can change from year to year).

*Helpful Tools for Open Enrollment *
Selecting an insurance plan is an important financial decision and you should carefully weigh your options. Luckily, there are free tools and calculators out there to give you the information you need to choose the level of health care coverage that makes the most sense for you.

If you shop around on healthcare.gov, you will see a new website feature that will help you get an estimate of your total costs under different health plans, depending on whether you expect to use a low, medium or high volume of medical services.

You can also easily estimate your household 2016 income with TurboTax Health Care Income Estimator to determine how much assistance you may be eligible for in the Marketplace to help you pay for health insurance.

Once you have your estimated income, you can even obtain a personalized estimate of out-of-pocket costs for 2016 through Get Covered Plan Explorer. This free tool will allow you to sort and filter plans, so you can pick the plan that suits all your health care needs.

*Understand the Implications of Going Uninsured
*As a reminder, the fee for not having health coverage in 2016 has increased to $695 per adult or about 2.5 percent of your household income, whichever is greater. If you choose to go without health insurance for 2016, TurboTax also has a Health Care Penalty Calculator, which allows you to see how much penalty you may face. It might be wise to shop for a plan that works best for you and your family, rather than paying a fee.

Remember that this is also a good time to see if you might also be eligible for an employer or government-sponsored plan, such as Medicare or Medicaid, depending on your circumstances.

These easy-to-use free tools can make shopping for a health care plan a breeze. Open enrollment is open -- it's time to start exploring your options for you and your family!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.

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How to Fast-Track Your Business Dreams

November 12, 2015, 11:58 am

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*Many mums I speak with ask me how I got the courage to quit my cushy corporate job and embrace the financial uncertainty of starting my own business.*

The truth is that I did not make the transition overnight. I took baby steps toward my goal.
I knew for a very long time that I wanted to be my own boss one day. I wanted the freedom to do something that I truly loved on my own terms, create financial prosperity, and have the flexibility to enjoy time for myself and my family.

*Still, I stayed in the corporate world for nearly 7 years before finally making the leap. I'm quite risk averse, you see, so I decided to first investigate what it actually means to build and run a business.*

As a former equity research analyst covering Small & Midcap companies, I had gained good insights on how to grow a profitable business. But I still felt that I was lacking in-depth knowledge of business day-to-day operations, and so I decided to do an MBA.

*It was around that time that I became very interested in the coaching and information products industry. With a lifelong passion for personal development, packaging my expertise as a coach and online marketer felt like the natural next step in my career.*

I started avidly purchasing and studying online trainings and coaching programs from other successful entrepreneurs, teaching me how to create my own business from scratch.

*After thousands of dollars spent, I knew it was time to leap from the ladder, but I was scared. I had just had my daughter, and leaving the safety net of my corporate salary gave me the chills.*

On the one hand, I felt it would be selfish and irresponsible to let go of my financial security. On the other hand, I felt guilty to drop-off my baby at daycare to spend my days in an unfulfilling job.

Invariably, I would return home frustrated and exhausted. Worse, I was beating myself up for the not setting an empowering example for my daughter that she can be and create whatever she desires in the world and enjoy the life of her dreams.

*Eventually my stress levels got to a point that I needed to make a choice. I knew that unless I removed the safety net, I would never find-out what I could achieve...*

So I hired my first business coach to give me confidence, and I nervously handed-in my notice, leaving behind the certainty of a corporate salary.

It wasn't a sudden decision. It was a well-calculated risk that both my husband and I chose to take. But we both knew that the emotional and financial rewards from starting my own business exceeded by far the perks that a corporate job could ever offer me.

If you've been thinking about becoming an entrepreneur but you're afraid of losing your financial independence, the good news is: you don't have to wait 7 years, like I did. You can fast-track your business dreams by taking these 3 essential steps.

*Step 1: Research your market*

Before writing your resignation letter, get crystal clear on your business idea and research your market thoroughly. Many people skip this step, and that's why 90% of startups fail, according to Forbes.

Start by listing at least 10 industry peers and google them thoroughly. Understand their business model and their positioning. What do they sell? What's their message? How are they making money?

Leverage your network and reach-out to them if you can. Request an interview. Ask them what sort of capital they needed to launch their businesses. What kind of rates can a beginner expect to charge? Enquire about any pitfalls and ask for their advice.

Then, if you still wish to venture in that sector, list at least 10 potential customers and tell them about your business idea. Ask them what their biggest frustrations and aspirations are regarding your chosen topic. What would be an ideal solution they'd be willing to pay almost anything to get their hands on?

*Step 2: Map-out your finances*

By now, you should have a pretty good picture of how much money you'll need to invest to get your business off the ground, and how much money you'll realistically be able to make at the beginning. Time for some number crunching!

In order to quit your corporate job feeling calm and confident that you will succeed, it's important to be grounded in reality.

You must know exactly what income you need coming-in on a monthly basis to support yourself and your family, as well as invest in your business.

Open a new spreadsheet and list all your personal and household monthly expenses. If a certain amount isn't recurring (e.g. health insurance, gifts or travel), break it down to a monthly allowance based on how much you would spend over a year.

Then, list all your expected monthly business expenses in a separate sheet.

Add-up all the numbers.

This will give you a rough, conservative approximation of how much money you'll need to generate in your business post-tax.

Armed with this information, you can make a financial plan for your career transition from a more informed and responsible place.

Importantly, this number will also keep you on your toes as a new business owner, giving you a clear target to work toward every single month.

*Step 3: Find a mentor*

Although I knew a lot about business building by the time I quit my job, I still felt like I needed someone to hold my hand as I ventured in entrepreneurial waters for the first time.

That's why I decided to hire a business coach: to help me come-up with a plan to replace my corporate salary as soon as possible and ease my career transition.

By giving you honest feedback, support and advice, a more experienced mentor can save you precious time -- and money!

I know it can be scary to invest in yourself and your business at a high level when you're just starting out. But consider the return on your investment... What's the intrinsic value of your vision?

Ultimately, you need a certain level of hunger to to succeed in business and create the life you desire for yourself and your family. If you don't confront your fears and take calculated risks, you'll never achieve your lifestyle and business dreams.

You'll become a hobbyist, not a thriving businesswoman. Which one will you choose to be?

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 14 hours ago.

Obama orders 2nd emergency board for NJ Transit labor talks

November 12, 2015, 3:24 pm

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has signed an executive order to create a second emergency board to investigate the dispute between New Jersey Transit and its labor unions. NJ Transit had offered a 10-percent pay increase over 7.5 years, but that would be offset by an increase in health insurance costs. Reported by SeattlePI.com 11 hours ago.

Republicans Realize Taking Obamacare Away From Their Voters Maybe Isn't A Great Idea

November 12, 2015, 4:35 pm

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WASHINGTON -- Republicans have enjoyed big electoral wins over the past year that put them on the verge of being able to do major damage to Obamacare. Only now, some of them seem a little anxious about taking the next, big step.

It's a truism in politics, espoused by Republicans and Democrats alike, that it's awfully hard to take away government benefits once they've been offered. In the case of the Affordable Care Act, repeal would mean yanking health coverage from more than 16 million people who didn't have it before, between those who now get subsidies for private health insurance and those who gained access to Medicaid coverage via the law's expansion of that program to more low-income adults.

It's the Medicaid expansion that now appears to be complicating the ceaseless, noisy and heretofore ineffective "Repeal Obamacare!" movement. The House has voted dozens of times to get rid of Obamacare (or at least cripple it) since 2011, but the Senate has been in GOP hands for almost a year and a repeal bill is still on a winding path through the sluggish upper chamber. It may eventually wind up on President Barack Obama's desk, finally giving congressional Republicans the veto they've so long craved.

But wait! New obstacles have appeared, in the form of Republican senators who aren't so sure they want their names associated with an effort to magically transform millions of their constituents from insured people to uninsured people.

Here's Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), as reported by The Hill's Alexander Bolton:

“I am very concerned about the 160,000 people who had Medicaid expansion in my state. I have difficulty with that being included."

And here's what Montana's freshman Republican senator (who succeeded Democrat Max Baucus, the chief author of the health law) had to say:

“I respect the decision of our Legislature and our governor on Medicaid expansion,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R) of Montana, which has a Democratic governor. “I’m one who respects their rights and voices.”

A mystery senator summed up the whole problem for the GOP leadership, The Hill reported:

Another Senate Republican, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that states that expanded Medicaid would be penalized by billions of dollars if Congress repealed the federal assistance.

“Repealing the Medicaid expansion is not going to be in there because it’s too problematic for many Republicans,” said the lawmaker, adding, “I don’t want to stick the state with the bill.”

It's almost as though the concept of repealing Obamacare is more appealing as a talking point, a fundraising pitch and an electoral strategy than it is as an exercise in public policymaking.Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Medicaid expansion, which allows anyone who earns less than 133 percent of the poverty level -- about $16,000 for a single person -- to enroll. The Supreme Court ruled three years ago that states could opt not to take up the expansion, and 19 holdouts have done so. The federal government is covering the full costs of the expansion through the end of next year, then will gradually dial down its share until states are responsible for 10 percent of the expenses in 2022 and later years.

There are 20 Republican senators representing 15 states that have expanded Medicaid. A whole lot of their constituents are on the program now.

Medicaid enrollment data is messy, but here's where things stand. In 10 of those 15 states, 2.5 million people gained Medicaid coverage because of Obamacare as of March, according to the most recent report from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That tally undercounts the number of people with Republican senators who'd be affected, because Alaska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota and Nevada didn't submit data to the agency.

Adding more recent numbers from those five states, obtained by The Huffington Post Thursday, we're looking at more than 3 million people. Considering that nine months have passed since the last federal report and that enrollment in the Medicaid expansion didn't start in Alaska until September and in Montana until this month, the total likely is higher.

That's a lot of potentially angry voters. And there's probably a lot more who aren't on Medicaid, but might think it'd be really mean to jerk around people getting by on incomes below or near the poverty level.

Of course, another way to frame the issue could be to simply deny these beneficiaries exist, as Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina did during the debate Tuesday, but that only works for so so long.
This reluctance to liberate poor people from their health care isn't limited to weak-kneed U.S. senators, though.

In Kentucky last week, GOP businessman Matt Bevin won a historic victory when he defeated his Democratic opponent, state Attorney General Jack Conway, in a landslide that will put a Republican in the governor's office for just the second time in four decades.

Matt Bevin hates Obamacare. He hates Obamacare so much that he tried to take away Mitch McConnell's seat last year by saying the longtime Senate Republican leader -- who really hates Obamacare -- didn't hate it enough. It didn't work, but Bevin made an impression.

When Bevin started running for governor, he said he'd undo the state's health insurance exchange, Kynect, and its Medicaid expansion. As the campaign advanced, however, Bevin started to change his tune.

Sure, he still wants to scrap Kynect and have Kentuckians use the federally run exchange at HealthCare.gov. But on Medicaid, Bevin has begun to sound a little like Capito and Daines. It's not clear what he's actually going to do when he takes office next month, but it seems more in line with putting conservative window-dressing on the Medicaid expansion rather than repealing it. Almost 418,000 Kentuckians were enrolled in Medicaid under the expansion as of March.

There's some precedent for this in other states. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson each succeeded chief executives who had expanded Medicaid, although neither Republican made campaigns out of vows to roll back the program. Both enjoy GOP majorities in their legislatures. In Arizona, 64,359 people signed up via the Medicaid expansion, and 239,936 did in Arkansas, according to the federal report from March. Both men have talked about "reforming" the expansions, but they haven't given any comfort to Republican allies, who hold fast to the idea of erasing them.

Republicans have been railing against Obamacare since it was mere legislation in 2009, and have spent the past five-plus years screaming for its repeal and promising increasingly angry conservative voters that was just around the corner. But apart from all those risk-free votes taken in the House, the GOP is no closer to its goal than it was in March 2010, when Obama signed the law. (And that's to say nothing about the party's failure to coalesce around a "replacement" for Obamacare.)

All of this could change if a Republican is president in 2017. Then, the weight of the White House theoretically could be put behind a repeal-and-replace effort, with one centralizing plan rallying the GOP together, perhaps something that could be described as "terrific."

But, in reality, things won't be that much easier for the Republican Party by then, because even more people will be benefitting from Affordable Care Act health coverage. And while conservatives will always find a million reasons to hate Obamacare, it could be they'll find several million more reasons to leave it alone.

*Also on HuffPost:*

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.

Key U.S. healthcare woes to watch, as government grapples with solutions

November 12, 2015, 7:01 pm

≫ Next: Pulse8 Presents Linking Risk Adjustment and Quality Measures on November 16th at 3:15 pm at The Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale

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Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Managing Editor Leia Parker participated in the Nov. 8-10 healthcare economics symposium at the American Institute for Economic Research in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, through a fellowship from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. With open enrollment underway for 2016 health insurance plans, speakers at the symposium addressed ongoing problems with U.S. health insurance after the adoption of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Since… Reported by bizjournals 7 hours ago.

Pulse8 Presents Linking Risk Adjustment and Quality Measures on November 16th at 3:15 pm at The Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale

November 13, 2015, 12:02 am

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Erin Montgomery, Director of Customer Engagement at Pulse8, will be presenting at the upcoming Risk Adjustment Forum on “Effective Risk Adjustment Strategies across the Healthcare Spectrum,” sponsored by Healthcare Education Associates and RISE.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (PRWEB) November 13, 2015

Linking Risk Adjustment and Quality Measures

Ms. Montgomery, with co-presenter Hiro Arai, Staff Actuary at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, will discuss how to align quality measures to achieve the most impactful results with the minimum number of touch points. By efficiently engaging providers through the use of Dynamic Intervention Planning (DIP™), gaps in the following areas can be simultaneously closed without generating assessment fatigue or provider resentment:·     Risk Adjustment
·     HEDIS®
·     CMS Star Ratings
·     Case Management
·     QRS

Pulse8 Risk Adjustment and Big Data experts will be onsite to offer health plan and provider attendees:·     Interactive demonstrations of its revolutionary Risk Adjustment analytics;
·     Insight into how big data and advanced analytics can be used to find more opportunities, intervene more precisely, and obtain superior financial results; and
·     Real-time visibility into individual member and provider activities that allow health plans and providers to drill down and move quickly in order to deploy the most cost-effective and appropriate interventions.

About Pulse8
Pulse8 is the only Healthcare Analytics and Technology Company delivering complete visibility into the efficacy of Risk Adjustment and Quality Management programs. We enable health plans and at-risk providers to achieve the greatest financial impact in the Health Insurance Exchange (HIX), Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid markets. By combining advanced analytic methodologies with extensive health plan experience, Pulse8 has developed a suite of uniquely pragmatic solutions that are revolutionizing risk adjustment. Pulse8’s flexible business intelligence tools offer real-time visibility into member and provider activities so our clients can apply the most cost-effective and appropriate interventions for closing gaps in documentation, coding, and quality.

About Healthcare Education Associates
Healthcare Education Associates is a division of Financial Research Associates, LLC. HEA is a resource for the healthcare and pharmaceutical communities to improve their businesses by providing access to timely and focused business information and networking opportunities in topical areas.

About RISE
RISE is the first national association totally dedicated to enabling healthcare professionals working in organizations and aspiring to meet the challenges of the emerging landscape of accountable care and health care reform. We strive to serve our members on four fronts: Education, Industry Intelligence, Networking and Career Development. Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.

Beware of HIPAA-Related Text Messaging Risks, Warns LeClairRyan Attorney

November 13, 2015, 12:02 am

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Recent blog post by Melissa (Lisa) Thompson offers tips to healthcare providers to safeguard patient confidentiality

Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 13, 2015

The ease, speed and efficiency of mobile device-based text messaging has made it a primary communications tool among doctors and other health care providers, covered entities, and business associates. But this convenience can also lead to security risks, cautions Melissa (Lisa) Thompson, a shareholder in national law firm LeClairRyan's Boston office.

“Unless preventive measures are employed, anyone with access to the mobile device will have access to the text message,” writes Thompson in a recent blog post at Information Counts, which focuses on the legal issues that arise from considerations of privacy, data security, information technology, outsourcing, e-commerce, the Internet and social media, cloud computing, big data and information management. “The text can be accessed when the device is lost, stolen, or even when it is returned or recycled. Additionally, the protections implemented by information technology and other departments of covered entities and business associates, such as firewalls, may not cover texts, which can be intercepted and decrypted.”

Issues like these fall squarely under federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), which not only protects patient information from being accessed, but requires certain patient health information (PHI), to be accessible to patients and their authorized representatives.

“When text messages are used in patient care decision-making, there is a potential risk of noncompliance if the provider is not able to accommodate the individual who requests access to their record,” adds Thompson, a member of the firm’s Healthcare and BioPharma & Life Sciences industry teams. “There is no single, easy answer when it comes to addressing texting concerns, but at a minimum, to satisfy the HIPAA-required risk analysis and management, a covered entity or business associate should include an analysis of mobile phones and other devices on which PHI and texts are created, received, maintained or transmitted.”

Healthcare entities can consider, among other options, adopting policies that require the deletion of all texts within a period of time, and using technology that can wipe information or remotely disable mobile phones if they’re lost or stolen, she advises. Other approaches include encryption and password protection, and implementing policies or guidelines limiting the type of information that texts contain: for example, not using patient names or other identifiers.

Thompson notes that organizations can also consider switching to secure messaging applications; requiring that texted PHI be added to the medical record, while providing a mechanism for doing so; and training workforce members about required texting policies and procedures. They should also impose sanctions for workforce members that violate the policies.

“Organizations may identify different levels of risk and institute different types and levels of controls,” writes Thompson. “Implementing controls related to texting can be difficult for an organization. The important thing is to take affirmative steps right now to analyze the risk and manage texting, rather than considering the risks and implementing appropriate controls only after a problem develops.”

She notes that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers suggestions regarding mobile devices on its HealthIT.gov website.

To read Thompson’s full blog post, visit: http://informationcounts.com/hipaa-and-text-messaging/

About LeClairRyan
As a trusted advisor, LeClairRyan provides business counsel and client representation in corporate law and litigation. In this role, the firm applies its knowledge, insight and skill to help clients achieve their business objectives while managing and minimizing their legal risks, difficulties and expenses. With offices in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C., the firm has approximately 380 attorneys representing a wide variety of clients throughout the nation. For more information about LeClairRyan, visit http://www.leclairryan.com.
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Press Contacts: At Parness & Associates Public Relations, Bill Parness, (732) 290-0121, bparness@parnesspr.com Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.

Integrity Data’s Affordable Care Act Awareness E-book Praised as the Right Information at the Right Time

November 13, 2015, 3:05 am

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As the first filing season approaches for intensely detailed employer returns, many business owners remain unaware of how complex the preparation process is for meeting IRS requirements under the health care law. A new e-book covers what needs to be done so U.S. businesses can simply Affordable Care Act compliance and avoid missteps.

Lincoln, Ill. (PRWEB) November 13, 2015

Integrity Data, a payroll and human resources software company that has developed Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting systems, announces publication of an e-book for U.S. businesses that have yet to prepare for the inaugural filing season of ACA returns.

“The new forms that some employees must have in their hands at the same time they get their W-2s are the most detailed returns ever required. Yet many employers who must produce these forms and then file copies with the IRS, still don’t know their first deadline is February 1. Nor what to do for it,” says Helen Karakoudas, ACA Education Director at Integrity Data. "In plain English that's a 4-minute read, we break down the rules and how to avoid missteps."

The publication is titled "Affordable Care Act: Employer Essentials for IRS Reporting."

To simplify Affordable Care Act compliance, Integrity Data covers in seven quick-to-follow pages what needs to be done, the possible challenges, and how significant the financial consequences can be for not complying with federal requirements to report – in monthly detail – what, if any, health insurance a business offers. Information is presented in a range of engaging ways, including links that lead to such extras as a quiz, cartoons and a decision-tree flowchart.

Among Integrity Data’s affiliates, the presentation – and its timing – are much appreciated.

“The No. 1 question we get from our clients now is ‘Do we have to do anything around the ACA?’ This e-book is a great, easy-to-understand resource for us to turn to. When we have a client who can’t focus on one thing for more than a few seconds, we direct them to the link for the flowchart. Guaranteed to get their attention long enough to answer ‘What do I need to do to be compliant?’” said Donna Krizik Parsons, Director of Marketing at Crestwood Associates, a firm in Mount Prospect, Ill. that ranks among the top 100 resellers of accounting software in 2015.

“At this late stage in the year, employers must find what they need soon enough to get ready ASAP. Affordable Care Act compliance is serious business. With this resource, businesses get guidance from subject matter experts who followed ACA employer must-knows from the get-go,” said Dennis L. Day, a CPA in Birmingham, Ala. whose business consulting and software implementation firm is DLD Business Solutions.

"Affordable Care Act: Employer Essentials for IRS Reporting" is available on Integrity Data's site as a complimentary download.

ABOUT INTEGRITY DATA

Integrity Data is a longstanding leader in development of software that improves business processes centered on payroll and human resources data. Headquartered in Lincoln, Ill., and founded in 1996, Integrity Data serves over 7,500 organizations worldwide. Integrity Data’s leadership in technology for Affordable Care Act reporting compliance includes being the first software company to meet the IRS testing requirements for electronic filing of ACA returns by employers.

Corporate Headquarters

Integrity Data
125 N. Kickapoo
Lincoln, IL 62656
http://www.integrity-data.com
info(at)integrity-data(dot)com
888.786.6162 Reported by PRWeb 23 hours ago.

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2 new initiatives call for benefits, safety net for gig workers

November 13, 2015, 3:13 am

≫ Next: Research and Markets: Health Insurance Information Technology: US Overview and Outlook, 2014-2020 - Changing IT Priorities for Next Generation Health Plans

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2 new initiatives call for benefits, safety net for gig workers [...] laws haven’t kept pace with the economy’s rapid evolution, depriving many freelancers of the benefits and protections of full-time jobs. [...] momentum is building for broad-based nationwide efforts to improve the lives of independent workers. Two initiatives unveiled this week — a call for portable benefits and a Good Work Code — seek to provide a social safety net and guarantees of stability alongside flexibility. “This is a moment when there’s an opportunity to meaningfully move the conversation forward,” said Greg Nelson, a former top Obama adviser leading a new coalition that backs portable benefits for contract workers. “Everyone, regardless of employment classification, should have access to the option of an affordable safety net that supports them when they’re injured, sick, in need of professional growth, or when it’s time to retire,” they wrote. Benefits like workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, paid time off, retirement savings and training are now linked to traditional employment. The Affordable Care Act decoupled health insurance from employment. “It’s time to explore modernized, portable systems for people who do not have access to traditional benefits,” said Lyft CEO Logan Green, one of the signatories, in a statement. In a separate but related effort, an initiative called the Good Work Code on Friday launched a campaign to guide online companies into espousing eight values of ethical contract employment, such as a livable wage, safety, stability and opportunities for advancement. Initially 12 companies, ranging from Care.com, a public company with 7.7 million workers, to VetPronto, a startup that arranges house calls from some 20 vets and 25 veterinary assistants, signed on, but the backers hope it will spread widely. “The Good Work Code is a commonsense framework for companies,” said Palak Shah, who is leading that initiative in her role as social innovations director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance. While the code aims at the high-profile on-demand tech startups, its origins are in the alliance’s more traditional constituency of house cleaners, nannies and caregivers. Neither the portable-benefits backers nor the Good Work Code tackle the hot-button issue of whether drivers for Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Caviar and other on-demand services should be reclassified as employees, rather than independent contractors. Handy.com CEO Oisin Hanrahan, who signed the flexible-benefits letter and faces a lawsuit over worker status, said he’d like to offer more for Handy’s 10,000 cleaners and fix-it folks, but feels hamstrung by current laws that provide only black-or-white choices of employee or independent contractor. “We’d love to see a form of safe harbor to allow platforms like ours to offer benefits, education and training,” he said. “Flexible work should not come at the expense of economic security,” said Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, applauding the concept and the wide spectrum of supporters. Good work is made possible when workers are not anxious about life demands they are unable to meet, whether it’s making an unexpected doctor’s appointment or making enough money to pay the bills. Reported by SFGate 23 hours ago.

Research and Markets: Health Insurance Information Technology: US Overview and Outlook, 2014-2020 - Changing IT Priorities for Next Generation Health Plans

November 13, 2015, 3:46 am

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kvt5c2/health_insurance) has announced the addition of the "Health Insurance Information Technology: US Overview and Outlook, 2014-2020" report to their offering. Healthcare payers are grappling with a number of significant challenges that are upending their traditional business models and operational processes. To tackle these many challenges, health insurance organizations are actively looking at informa Reported by Business Wire 23 hours ago.

United States: HHS Appeals Adverse Decision On Fixed Indemnity Attestations - Foley & Lardner

November 13, 2015, 4:09 am

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Fixed indemnity health insurance products provide limited and fixed medical benefits, and thus are not designed or intended to provide comprehensive medical coverage and do not satisfy the individual mandate contained in the ACA. Reported by Mondaq 22 hours ago.

Why You're Losing Substantial Money At Work

November 13, 2015, 7:18 am

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Prepare to give thanks, my friend, because that special time of year is here: open enrollment season, when employers let you make changes to your health insurance coverage. If you're thinking major snore, think again. Companies are constantly tweaking their offerings, and that affects your bottom line. Carve out some time to make sure you have the right coverage at the right price. You might reap substantial savings.*Get Flexible*
If your employer offers a flexible spending account (FSA), you are crazy not to look into it. FSAs are available for healthcare expenses and dependent care. Both let you put pretax money into a separate account: Money from a health FSA can cover insurance co-pays, deductibles and medication, while a dependent-care FSA can be used for childcare (under age 13) and adult care for someone you claim as a dependent.
*Give Your Health Insurance a Checkup*
Employers today are laser focused on managing their costs, and increasingly that involves shifting more of them onto you. But you have a few money-saving moves at your disposal:

· *Look past the premium*. You also want to factor in the cost of your deductible, office visit co-pays, coinsurance and charges for covering a spouse (see figures below). Know your plan's out-of-pocket maximum. While I hope you have eight months' living expenses in an emergency fund, you should, at the very least, have enough tucked away to cover that amount.· *Keep your doctors in network.* Some plans are moving toward narrower networks in an effort to manage costs. Check to see whether your favorite docs are still in network; if not, now is the time to interview new ones. Hate to switch? Find out what your maximum out-of-pocket will be if you go out of network. If that amount reduces your emergency savings to less than four months of living costs, I'd urge you to reconsider.· *Consider a steeper deductible.* Many employers now offer high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) as a way to control rising costs. Yes, they may sound scary, but these plans let you set aside pretax money in a Health Savings Account (HSA) that you can use to cover many healthcare expenses (however, you are not eligible to contribute to a healthcare FSA in the same year). Unspent funds keep growing tax-free year after year. Even better: most employers "seed" employee HSA accounts; the average contribution last year was nearly $950.

*Also on HuffPost:*

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 19 hours ago.

Rise Up America: Meet Robby Wells

November 13, 2015, 7:43 am

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Everyone at some point in their life has faced or will face a midnight experience; whether it be the death of a loved one, an unexpected job loss, or a divorce. Their ability to overcome these obstacles is proof that you can rise up out of the ashes and come back stronger than before.
"The good thing to know is that a midnight experience doesn't last long."
- Robby Wells
Forty-seven years ago a gorgeous and talented young lady of Georgia found herself in a midnight experience when she learned that she was in fact pregnant by a married man with a family. With a bright future ahead of her she felt she had no choice but to abort her unborn child and scheduled the abortion. The young lady decided shortly after that she didn't want to terminate her pregnancy. Upon the birth of the child she put the baby boy up for adoption.

At six weeks old the beautiful baby boy was adopted by a minister and his wife. At a young age his father was appointed by Governor Jimmy Carter to a committee that oversaw special needs kids of Georgia which was a great fit for his father because his older sister was special needs.

Shortly after Jimmy Carter became the 39th President Of the United States. It was then when Jimmy Carter told the now Democratic Presidential candidate Robby Wells that he would one day become President of the United States. Jimmy Carter's words left a stamp on Robby Wells and inspired him to one day run for president. Who would have known that the unborn child that his birth mother carried would one day run for President of the United States?
Pictured here is Robby Wells as a kid with his mother,father, and Jimmy Carter the 39th President of the United States.

"I have been through a midnight experience from divorce to the loss of a job. I know what the people need and I believe that they desire that new car smell and my plan for the American people is the solution that will cause our country to rise up," said Robby Wells.

The Democratic Presidential candidate says that for the past eight years our country has experienced a collapse in our economy with 50 million people living in poverty and over half the population living in low income. With the millions of manufacturing jobs over seas. Wells plans to restore the economy and bring prosperity back to our country. We have a plan that will create millions of jobs and improve our infrastructure," said Wells. With many Americans out of work, they can't afford health insurance and Wells' plan will offer free health insurance for all Americans.

"America is sick and tired of being sick and tired," said Robby Wells. Many can relate to the rising cost of college tuition, so he plans to offer free College education up to a Bachelor's degree. Robby Wells' plan is to fight for equal opportunity for all Americans regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, and/or sexual orientation. He promises to stand up and take responsibility for everything that goes on in this country.Robby Wells believes that we are all very unique and that we can celebrate our differences because we have one common bond; we're all Americans. Recently Robby Wells took a trip to South Carolina for the removal of the Confederate flag and by surprise he realized he was the only candidate there showing his support. Wells says that in 2012 roughly half the voting population didn't go to the poles because there wasn't a candidate that they could relate to. Robby Wells is determined to change the current state of our country and lead this country in excellence. He is dedicated to the people and desires to elevate our country to new heights."I've taken a strong stand for the people and now it's time that the people RISE UP with me."
-Robby Wells*To fund Robby Wells Presidential Campaign go to:
*
Text "Wells" to 243-725 to donate to the Robby Wells Presidential Campaign

https://www.gofundme.com/2016RobbyWells
Disclaimer: I, Tenille Livingston am not endorsing neither political party nor giving my personal opinion. These are the words of Presidential Candidate Robby Wells.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 19 hours ago.

Main Street Morning: Fewer small businesses are offering health insurance

November 13, 2015, 9:02 am

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Welcome to Main Street Morning, The Washington Post’s daily collection of news affecting entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses with a special focus on policy and government.Here’s what’s affecting my small business, my clients and other entrepreneurs today. Reported by Washington Post 17 hours ago.

Deep In The South, Alabama Considering Medicaid Expansion

November 13, 2015, 10:16 am

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An estimated 139,000 Alabamians would gain health insurance coverage if the state expanded Medicaid. Reported by IBTimes 16 hours ago.

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Beshear: 'Facts show' Kentucky can afford Kynect, Medicaid expansion

November 13, 2015, 10:25 am

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Gov. Steve Beshear defended Kentucky's expansion of Medicaid and the state-based health insurance exchange, Kynect, during a press conference Friday. Gov.-elect Matt Bevin has said he wants to overhaul or dismantle those programs, partly because he believes the state can't afford them. But Beshear, speaking about Kynect, said that "not only could we afford it, but it would be stupid to turn our backs on it, because it would lose us money." He said it could cost $23 million to dismantle the exchange,… Reported by bizjournals 16 hours ago.

Are Growing Benefits Slowing Wage Growth?

November 13, 2015, 10:57 am

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Wages have been growing slowly for years. Theories abound for why wage growth has flattened, from sidelined workers holding wages down to fears that "secular stagnation" is ushering in an era of permanently gloomy pay growth.

But there's another explanation that's getting less attention: Growing reliance on benefits, or what economists call "non-wage compensation." These are things like health insurance, paid vacation, free meals and more. Recent anecdotes suggest many employers are offering benefits to workers rather than wage gains. Is this trend behind the apparent slow down in wages?

*Why Benefits?*
When it comes to compensation, pay and benefits are two sides of the same coin. Workers can take their pay in cash, employer-provided benefits or -- as for most workers -- some mixture of the two. To most employees, these various forms of compensation are substitutes: more of one makes people willing to accept less of the other.

Bottom line: If companies are offering better or more expensive benefits to workers, economists predict that should pull down wage growth.

*The Evidence*
Aside from anecdotes, there's some evidence that employers today are shifting from wages to benefits. The best data come from the Employer Costs for Employee Compensation survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It shows benefits used to make up 29 percent of total compensation in 2004. By 2015, benefits had risen to 31.5 percent of total pay - a 2.5 percent jump.

That's a small percentage shift. But with roughly $9.5 trillion dollars per year in total U.S. compensation, that's a shift of nearly $240 billion from wages to benefits - the equivalent of $750 for every man, woman and child in the U.S.

*Common HR Practice*
This shift from wages to benefits will come as little surprise to experts in the recruiting world. The link between wages and benefits is well known among hiring managers, who commonly recommend boosting benefits as a way to attract talent during company salary freezes.

There's also plenty of historical precedent. Our current system of employer-provided health insurance is partly the result of a giant shift from wages to benefits. Before WWII, employer-provided health insurance in the U.S. was rare. During the war, economy-wide price and wage controls prevented companies from competing for workers by raising wages. Instead, they turned to offering workers health insurance. Congress struck a deal to make those new benefits tax-free, and our current system was born.

*Survey Says*
Interestingly, many workers today welcome the shift toward benefits. In Glassdoor's most recent Employment Confidence Survey, nearly 80 percent of workers we surveyed said they would actually prefer new or additional benefits to a pay increase. This preference for perks rather than pay was especially strong among younger workers aged 18-34 (89 percent). But even among older workers, two-thirds said they'd prefer a raise in benefits rather than cash.

*Tax Reasons*
Why might workers prefer benefits to pay? One reason is tax benefits. Because wages are taxed but most employer-provided benefits are not, there are strong economic incentives to pay workers in-kind -- especially in high-tax states like California and New York.

For example, a married couple in Silicon Valley earning $250,000 per year can face a marginal income tax rate of 47.2 percent (9.3 state, the rest federal). That means they can either accept $10 in free meals, parental leave or other benefits from their employer, or just $5.28 in after-tax salary. That's a powerful reason to take benefits rather than cash.

*Health Care Cost Shifting? *
But not all shifting from wages to benefits is great for workers. One example of a negative effect is the rise in health insurance costs. In recent decades, skyrocketing health care costs have boosted insurance premiums for companies. That rise can be thought of as workers getting "more" health benefits - even though it's the same insurance, it's much more valuable. And those rising health costs crowd out what's left over for companies and workers to bargain over, putting downward pressure on wages.

There's been a lot of academic research on the link between rising health care costs and wage growth. (For example, the Progressive Policy Institute provides an excellent backgrounder.) Taking a more academic approach, a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds a 10 percent rise in health insurance premiums leads to a 2.3 percent drop in wages - an example of substitution between pay and benefits that has likely harmed workers in recent years.

*Bottom Line*
Wage growth has been notoriously slow in recent years, hovering around 2 percent compared to the 3-4 percent annual growth of normal times. Many factors are behind the slowdown, from slack in the labor market to stubbornly weak productivity growth. But there's mounting evidence today that the gradual shift from wages to benefits may also be a contributing factor - something economists will be watching closely in coming years.

This post first appeared on Glassdoor Economic Research.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.

Ky. governor defends health programs to be cut by successor

November 13, 2015, 12:09 pm

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Gov. Steve Beshear touts expansion of Medicaid and kynect, the state's health insurance exchange.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Reported by USATODAY.com 14 hours ago.

As Calif. weighs Medicaid expansion, study finds half of illegal immigrants qualify

November 13, 2015, 12:42 pm

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Over half of all illegal immigrants in California earn incomes so low that they would be eligible for Medi-Cal – the state’s Medicaid system, a new study has found – just as the California legislature is poised to extend health insurance of children in the country illegally. Reported by FOXNews.com 14 hours ago.

Medicaid Advisory Group helps uninsured millenials

November 13, 2015, 12:56 pm

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As a full time student at the College of Staten Island, Amanda Courtright, 21, deals with a significant amount of stress. She balances a demanding course load, commuting to and from school, and helping her mother with the household bills. With the stress of all of her obligations, one very important thing fell by the wayside. “Health insurance,” admitted Amanda.  “I didn’t have it for a long time, about two years I didn’t have it at all.” Amanda’s mom’s health insurance plan dropped her […] Reported by PIX 11 13 hours ago.