Announced November 28, 2018, CVS Health, the nation’s premier health innovation company, has completed its acquisition of Aetna. This venture is speculated to have transformative impacts on the industry and the way consumers access health care. In an announcement released yesterday, Aetna revealed that the goal of the acquisition is …
Under the Affordable Care Act, certain health insurance carriers and health plan sponsors are required to pay fees based on the average number of lives covered by welfare benefits plans. These fees are commonly referred to as Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) fees. The applicable fee was $2.39 for plan …
The IRS has announced the 2019 maximum contribution limits for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Commuter Reimbursement Accounts (CRA), and Qualified Small Health Reimbursement Arrangements (QSEHRA). Please see the chart below which compares 2018 contribution limits to the adjusted contribution limits for 2019. For additional information regarding plan limit changes for …
On Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, President Donald Trump signed two bills into law that ban the “gag clauses” that can result in consumers overpaying for their prescriptions. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, said this action is the first of a series that will be …
Over 700,000 people were estimated to have been admitted to the hospital during the 2017-18 flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network. What’s even more alarming is the fact that epidemic levels of influenza or pneumonia persisted for 16 consecutive weeks. …
The UPMC Health Plan and network, primarily utilized throughout Western and Central Pennsylvania, is continuing its rapid expansion into the Eastern region of the state. Effective January 1st, 2019, UPMC’s insurance product lines will now be available throughout the majority of Pennsylvania, with the exception of the 5 counties of …
Everybody uses their health savings account (HSA) a little differently, and that’s OK. In fact, flexibility is one of the many advantages of an HSA. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind to make sure that you’re utilizing your HSA as efficiently as possible. Be Smart …
Each year, Medicare Part D requires group health plan sponsors to disclose to individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part D and to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) whether the health plan’s prescription drug coverage is creditable. Plan sponsors must provide the annual disclosure notice to Medicare-eligible …
You might enjoy going on a long bike ride on a nice day, but you may not have the time after the workday ends. If that’s the case, consider fitting biking into your existing schedule. An estimated 50 million people live within 5 miles of their workplaces. If you are …
As health care costs continue to rise, so has the value of voluntary benefits. Voluntary benefits allow employers to offer benefits that are attractive to employees without added cost to the company. Many employers consider expanding their voluntary benefits to compensate for employees’ increasing health care costs. Employees benefit because …
Founded by a small group of students, clergy, and local residents in response to the death of Stanley Biddle, a local homeless man, the University City Hospitality Coalition came together in 1984 to “confront the bleak and tragic realities of homelessness in their own community.” With over thirty years of service …
The FDA has announced a voluntary recall of medications that contain valsartan, which is a popular drug used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure (HBP). The recall was issued after a possible carcinogen (a substance that could cause cancer) was found in the recalled medications. What exactly was …
On June 1, 2018, New Jersey Gov. Murphy passed the Out-of-Network Consumer Protection, Transparency, Cost Containment and Accountability Act (the “OON Act”). In general, the OON Act applies to emergency services and other care provided by out-of-network physicians in in-network settings (i.e. hospital-based physicians). It takes effect on September 1, …
The American Cancer Society recommends that adults undergo colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45, opposed to the long-observed threshold of age 50. The new guidelines were published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. This shift affects nearly 22 million Americans who fall within the 45-to-49 age range. Like …
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released draft 2018 forms for reporting under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Sections 6055 and 6056. 2018 draft Forms 1094-C and 1095-C were released July 11, 2018, and will be used by applicable large employers (ALEs) to report under Section 6056, as well as for combined …
