As in-person appointments have been replaced with video conferences and other virtual mediums, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has launched Right2You, a virtual care benefit that aims to assist the approximate 48 million people in the U.S. living with hearing loss. The initiative builds on the home-delivered hearing healthcare model developed by UnitedHealthcare …
ACA Special Enrollment Period Extended to August
On March 23, 2021, President Joe Biden and his administration reported that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is extending the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) — which was originally available through May 15, 2021 —for an additional three months, allowing eligible individuals to enroll in …
ARPA COBRA Subsidy Provisions
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law March 11, 2021, provides a 100% subsidy of applicable COBRA premiums for eligible beneficiaries and their dependents, for the time period beginning April 1, 2021 and ending no later than September 30, 2021. Who is Eligible? An Assistance Eligible Individual (AEI) …
What You Need to Know About the American Rescue Plan
The $1.9 trillion relief bill, known as the American Rescue Plan, was signed by President Biden on Thursday, March 11, 2021. Additional information surrounding Emergency Paid Leave and Health Insurance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is included in the bill and outlined below. Emergency Paid LeaveSigned into law on …
COVID-19 Relief Extends COBRA, HIPAA & Other Plan Deadlines
On April 28, 2020, the Departments of Labor (DOL) and the Treasury issued deadline relief to help employee benefit plans, plan participants and plan service providers impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Thereafter, on February 26, 2021, DOL Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 clarified the duration of this relief. The deadlines were …
Biden Administration Urges Supreme Court to Uphold ACA
The Biden administration has told the Supreme Court to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In a letter to the Supreme Court, Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler clarified that the current U.S. Department of Justice views the ACA as constitutional. “Following the change in administration, the Department of Justice …
HHS Extends Transition Policy for Non-ACA Compliant Health Plans
Since 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has continuously extended a transition policy for certain health plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On January 19, 2021, the HHS continued this tradition by extending an existing transition policy for certain health plans that …
Health Plans Must Cover COVID-19 Vaccine
On December 12, 2020, an independent panel of scientific advisors — the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — approved recommended use of Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older. A day later, Pfizer began shipping …
Temporary Special Rules for Health and Dependent Care FSAs
Included in the Stimulus Package passed by Congress on December 21, 2020 are changes pertaining to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Dependent Care Accounts (DCA). The package is expected to be signed into law by President Trump. We have outlined notable changes below for your review, which include but are …
Innovative Liquid Biopsy Assay Approved by Highmark
Over the years, finding easier and more effective ways to identify appropriate treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been a major focus for liquid biopsy developers. After more than two years of diagnostic evaluation, Biocept’s Target Selector liquid biopsy assay was approved by health insurance carrier, Highmark. …
Employer Strategies to Reduce 2021 Benefit Costs
Due to COVID-19 and the current state of economic uncertainty, employers may be facing limited budgets. Seeking new ways to structure employee benefit plans could put your organization in a better financial position heading into the new year. To reduce healthcare spending, employers can consider several benefit design strategies opposed …
New Aetna Plan to Steer Members to CVS Health
To increase member engagement and combat rising healthcare costs experienced in today’s market, healthcare company Aetna has designed a new innovative insurance plan. The Aetna Connected plan, which will be available in January 2021, will permit members to access appointments at CVS Health’s MinuteClinic and newer HealthHUBs for no copay; …
Highmark to Provide Students & Staff with Safety Tool Kits
As schools across the nation open, the health and safety of students and staff remains a top priority amid the current pandemic. With that said, schools have been experiencing a large shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning products. Therefore, health insurance company, Highmark, has decided to launch a …
Federal Court Blocks Rule on LGBTQ+ Healthcare Discrimination
On August 17, 2020, a federal district court blocked a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulation which was intended to allow healthcare and insurance discrimination based on sex stereotyping, gender identity and pregnancy-related conditions. The U.S. District Court Judge found that the planned regulation, which was announced in …
Laid-Off Workers Granted More Time to Sign Up for COBRA
According to a recent federal rule, individuals who have been laid off or furloughed will now have additional time to decide whether to continue with the same employer-sponsored health insurance. With the new rule’s extended timeframe, individuals will have at least 120 days to decide whether they want to elect …
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