SEPTEMBER 2017 COMPLIANCE UPDATE PDF HCR – HERE TO STAY FOR TIME BEING The Republican controlled Congress and White House have been unable to repeal and replace Obamacare. Until that happens, the Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land even though President Trump promised to repeal and replace it. ALE determination in five steps One of the most unpopular aspects of the current law is the employer mandate that requires larger employers... Read More
August 2017 Compliance Update pdf Health Care Reform Fails!!!! In a dramatic late night vote, the Republican controlled Senate failed to pass health care reform. Mitch McConnell introduced three separate bills. The first was Repeal and Replace which would have repealed the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. The second was simply Repeal which would have completely repealed Obamacare but with a two year delayed effective date for the repeal. The third attempt was a “Skinny... Read More
July 2017 Compliance Update PDF Normally the newsletter talks about a number of recent topics. However, I wanted to devote this edition to just two topics because they are important and I did not want them to get lost in the shuffle. Form 5500 Filing Deadline The ERISA filing rules applicable to welfare benefit plans are very clear. You have to file an annual report (i.e. Form 5500) if there were at least 100 participants... Read More
June 2017 MB Compliance Update pdf Health Care Reform – Senate Proposal The Republicans in the House, in a close vote with no Democratic support, were able to pass legislation designed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. So the next stop along the way is for the Senate to pass a bill. CAN SENATE GOP GET THE VOTES? WHAT ACHA MEANS TO EMPLOYERS It is again expected no Democrats will support... Read More
May 2017 MB Compliance Update pdf House Passes Version of Obamacare Repeal and Replace Keeping the Republicans’ longstanding campaign promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare, the House in a close vote with no Democratic support passed legislation which would essentially gut President Obama’s signature legislation. AHCA Summary The proposed bill is extremely unpopular with fewer than 20% of the American people supporting the changes. The next step in the process... Read More
The contract between Premier Health Network Physicians and UnitedHealthcare is set to expire on May 14, 2017. The Premier Physician Network recently announced new out-of-pocket fees for their UnitedHealthcare patients. Keep in mind that this does not extend to lab or imaging facilities, where balanced billing could apply. For details, please refer to the following letter from Premier Physician Network: Premier Physicians announce options for UHC patients
DOWNLOAD PDF As you are aware, certain provisions of the contract for services between United Healthcare and Premier Health Network have expired effective April 30 despite ongoing negotiations. What does this mean for UHC policyholders and UMR clients that utilize UHC networks? What do you do if you require medical services? We are directing you to this special website established by UHC that will answer many of your questions. https://www.uhc.com/premier-health-network This issue of health care cost... Read More
Download PDF Trump Administration Tries to Stabilize Exchanges With all the talk and activity regarding the Obamacare repeal and replace, the carriers are nervous about the health care exchanges or marketplaces. The carriers have to decide relatively soon if they want to participate in the exchanges or marketplaces next year and with all the uncertainty, many of the carriers are indicating they may pull out of the program. Repeal, Replace and Watch The Trump administration... Read More
Download PDF And So it Begins Repealing and replacing Obamacare is priority number one for the Trump administration. It will not be an easy or simple process but it has to start somewhere. The House Republicans have taken the first step. Health Affairs Blog: Repeal and Replace Repeal Bill’s Potential Impact Health Care Proposals Key Takeaway Five Things to Know Proposal’s Significant Changes These articles outline the main points of the proposed law. Not surprisingly... Read More
Download PDF Reporting Due February 28th and March 1st We are fewer than 30 days into the Trump administration and a lot has changed, but more on that later. There is a lot of talk about repealing and replacing Obamacare, but as of today’s date the Affordable Care Act is still the law of land and that includes the Form 1094 and Form 1095 reporting requirements. New due dates for 1095b and 1095c The... Read More