BenefitsPRO Magazine-August 2013

‘I love deadlines.’

Denis Storey

I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

A model of efficiency

Nathan Solheim

In the long and often contentious debate leading up to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the spotlight fell on Grand Junction, Colo.a bustling town of 58,000 people nestled on the Centennial States Western Slope.

Resilient vision

Ingrid Case

Executives at Bailey Lauerman & Associates, an advertising agency in Lincoln and Omaha, Neb., see big value in offering a vision plan to its employees.

Higher costs for PPACA’s bronze plans

Peter Westerman

Consumers who think they might be scoring a cheap health plan under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act might be in for a rude awakening.

Stay the course

LaRea Albert

Many of us in the industry are evaluating our positions and client recommendations after the recent announcement on the delay of PPACAs employer mandate penalty.

I’ll never motivate you

Brian Hicks

Ive been a student of personal development my entire life.

Too much of a good thing?

Marty Traynor

Whats the optimum number of voluntary products to offer in an enrollment?

America no longer world’s fattest country

Kathryn Mayer

America has finally been outdonebut not by much.

Comply. or. else.

Gentrie Pool

Along with many other goodies (sarcasm implied), the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has brought ERISA compliance to the forefront, and if youre a broker or employer, listen up.

The dog days of fiduciary

Christopher Carosa

No, Dog Days of Summer doesnt refer to the string of blockbuster megaflops Hollywood pumped out this season.

Self-funded plans and PPACA: Is this the new normal?

Joshua Sutin, Jillian Gordon

In the wake of the upcoming (though slightly delayed) employer shared responsibility (or play or pay) requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, theres been increased interest in self-funded health plans, particularly among those employers who will be subject to the requirement.

It’s not just about the price

Michael Kemp

As brokers and consultants have been developing strategies for their small- and medium-sized employers to prepare for the full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2014, theres been a growing interest in moving these clients to self-funded health plans.

Most Americans flunk health insurance test

Peter Westerman

How well do most Americans do on a health insurance knowledge test?

CDHP enrollment surged in 2012

Kathryn Mayer

Enrollment in consumer-directed health plans grew 19 percent in 2012, increasing from 33 million in 2011 to 39 million last year.

Projected effects of PPACA employer mandate delays

Denis Storey, Joe Schlue

An Urban Institute Study suggests the results of the employer mandate delay might be minimal, while eliminating the individual mandate could be significant.

Vision Source List

Charlene Harris

Dental-related ER visits straining health care system

Kathryn Mayer

A record number of Americans are going to emergency rooms for dental treatment, a problem the dental industry says is straining the nations health care system and increasing its costs.

What I’ve learned

Denis Storey

No one with a working knowledge of the statute or the avalanche of regulations promulgated in its wake is at all surprised that the scope of this component exceeded the time budget allotted and advertised by the administration.

Delayed

Kathryn Mayer

A quiet week usually reserved for barbecues, family get-togethers and a day or two off from work turned more complicated than anyone expected when PPACA stalled out on the way to full implementation.