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New Nonprofit Wants To Give Patients A Voice In Surprise Medical Bill Debate

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As the debate over surprise medical bills intensifies, Action for Health announced today its formation. The organization will be addressing new legislative proposals in Congress to solve surprise medical bills that are attempting to fix the price for a doctor’ s treatment. Unfortunately, some lawmakers in Washington want to solve this issue by setting…

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Surprise medical billing is a source of anger and frustration to consumers. Now, two House committees are releasing their proposals to protect consumers from the practice.

Creating an effective benefits communication and enrollment strategy isn’t something you toss together a few weeks before the annual enrollment begins. It takes knowledge of employee behavior as well as your clients’ company demographics and culture, plus time to map out key steps. That’s why it’s a good idea to start now to ensure your fall enrollments deliver optimal results.

The Secure Retirement Institute surveyed consumers who save in a retirement savings account to find out how they preferred to get their retirement plan information.

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Ernst and Young, an assurance, tax, transaction and advisory service, issued the following news release on Feb. 25:. The rise of the multigenerational workforce brings significant opportunities for organizations and employees alike, especially when it comes to benefits offerings. To better understand the sentiments of today's workforce around workplace…

ATLANTA The Georgia Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow the state teacher retirement fund to invest in “alternative investments” that critics view as potentially too risky. Senate Bill 294 would let the teacher pension fund diversify by up to 5% in alternative investments, which is same percentage available to other government-backed retirement…

The Trump administration made the Affordable Care Act one of its biggest targets.

As the number of baby boomers head into their retirement years, Medicare will be under pressure to continue providing benefits while being financially stable. Still, despite challenges, a panel of health care experts said Medicare is here to stay.

The poor have more sickness, but they get less medical care, “so said the president of the United States in a message to Congress. Shortly after Truman's proposal, Republicans gained control of Congress and, along with the powerful American Medical Association, quashed any prospects of national health insurance. In a 1961 debate between United Auto Workers union…

The American health care system is failing those who need to access life-saving treatment, according to author Den Bishop, the author of “The Voter’s Guide To Healthcare.” He spoke at the National Association of Health Underwriters 2020 Capitol Conference.

Democratic candidates all endorse plans to provide health care for all Americans.

The head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reinforced today the Trump administration’s opposition to replacing the current health insurance system with a public option or a single-payer plan.

According to Paul Starr, a Pulitzer Prize-winning health economist who worked on the failed Bill Clinton health-care plan in the 1990 s, the answer is: not any time soon. For one thing, extending the program for older and disabled Americans to everyone would consume so much of the federal government's resources, it would require massive tax increases and turn the…

Seema Verma, administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will be one of the keynote speakers as the National Association of Health Underwriters gathers in Washington for their annual Capitol Conference Monday and Tuesday.

Feb. 21– The Sacramento Bee State Worker Inbox finds answers for common questions about public employment in California. Email reporter Wes Venteicher at [email protected] California state workers soon will face higher fees and have fewer investment options in the retirement savings plans many use to supplement their pensions.

—Severalstates have begun picking up the tab for family planning services at clinics run by Planned Parenthood, which last year quit a $260 million federal funding program over a Trump administration rule prohibiting clinics from referring women for abortions. Ned Lamont earmarked $1.2 million for Planned Parenthood in his new budget proposal.

Almost half of Latin American consumers consider it their responsibility to plan for retirement and do not want to depend on the government or family members, the study finds. Yet 55% of Latin America adults do not work with a financial professional to help them with their households’ financial decisions.

Authorities have arrested a convicted felon-turned-counselor who they said collected more than $100,000 from bogus Medicaid claims– including some for sessions with a client who had died. Inspectors from the Office of the Chief State’ s Attorney arrested Ethel R. Bethea, 56, of Rosette Street in New Haven Tuesday, a spokesman said. She posted $150,000 bail and…

Abortion rights advocates said insurers that cover maternity care should have to reimburse consumers who terminate a pregnancy. The Women’s Reproductive Health Parity Act of 2020 is New Hampshire’s response to two rules that President Donald Trump’s administration has been crafting that create more government restrictions on abortions.

Feb. 19– A Hialeah woman convicted in a massive Medicare fraud scheme a decade ago had her 35- year prison sentence commuted Tuesday by President Donald Trump as he announced 11 pardons and commutations in high-profile cases. Judith Negron, now 48 years old, was sent to prison for aiding in a $200 million fraud case in what was then the country's biggest mental…

Many families are struggling to make ends meet despite the strong economy.

The proportion of people in families struggling to pay medical bills is down, but the number isn’t dropping like it used to, according to a big government study. In a 2018 national survey, just over 14% of people said they belonged to a family struggling with those bills, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

President Donald Trump’s federal budget plan for fiscal year 2021, which begins in October, includes close to $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid that analysts say could hurt access to health insurance and care for the millions of people covered by the safety-net program. “I'm not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I'm not going to…

Employers are offering more wellness programs than ever before.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute issued the following news release:. A new study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute finds that 43.6 percent of employers expressing at least some interest in offering financial wellness programs said they offer or intend to offer an emergency fund/employee hardship assistance as a financial wellness…

BOYNTON BEACH- Twenty minutes after the second World Trade Center tower collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001, Richard Alles was at Ground Zero, scraping for survivors. >>BOYNTON READERS: Sign up for The Post's weekly Boynton Beach newsletter here. Alles and about 400 retired New York City police officers met Thursday in Boynton to catch up with one another, an annual…

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and 20 other attorneys general filed a reply brief on Wednesday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the Texas case to repeal the Affordable Care Act this term. Back it up– Becerra is leading a group of liberal states to defend the law against Texas and a crew of red states that are challenging the individual mandate of…

Coming into Nevada's caucus Feb. 22, however, “Medicare for All,” the Vermont senator's signature health care policy proposal, may sink his support from one of the most powerful Nevada constituencies: organized labor. The Culinary Union, a 60,000- member group of mostly Las Vegas casino workers, released a statement today from Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda…

State regulators appear to be approving more long-term care insurance rate increases than in the past, even as work continues to establish a consistent national rate review process. Genworth and Prudential appeared before South Carolina regulators and residents last week to explain its rate-hike requests there.

Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union are representing Planned Parenthood in the lawsuit. They say the rule released in December by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would force insurance companies in the Obamacare exchanges to send two separate bills to customers for abortions.

–Private insurance claim lines 1 for sexually transmitted diseases rose 76 percent nationally from 2007 to 2018, according to a new study of STDs from FAIR Health, a national, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information. Among the results of the FAIR Health study:.

Feb. 11– A key Senate committee approved a bill Monday aimed at erasing the state pension system's $6.6 billion unfunded liability after an emotionally charged moment in which the chairman cut off a speaker in the audience. George Muñoz, a Gallup Democrat and the bill's sponsor, suggesting legislators needed to guard against a potential economic downturn.

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Surprise medical billing is a source of anger and frustration to consumers. Now, two House committees are releasing their proposals to protect consumers from the practice.

–Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today released the results of its latest Pension Funding Index, which analyzes the 100 largest U.S. corporate pension plans. In January, steep discount rate declines caused the PFI funding deficit to swell by $73 billion; the funded ratio for these plans subsequently dropped from 89.0% to 85.7% for…

PROVIDENCE, R.I.– Last winter, James Mark was a 2018 James Beard Award finalist. But in 2018, the chef and restaurateur spent almost double his personal income on health insurance for his employees: $54,000 to cover a dozen or so people, compared with the $35,000 he paid himself. That’ s why Mark, who studied at nearby Johnson and Wales University and trained in…

Feb. 6– HIGH POINT– Health insurer Aetna is solidifying its status as one of High Point's largest employers through an ongoing expansion that will create at least 380 jobs by the end of the year. Tonya McLendon, executive director of operations for Aetna' s customer-service center on Piedmont Parkway, said hiring has been steady as the company has expanded its…

A Second Circuit judge recently sided with Aetna insurance company in a case brought by a nurse who handled claims for the company and argued she was eligible for overtime pay. The decision sets further precedent that exemptions from the “professional” designation will be drawn narrowly by the court, one legal expert says.

Feb. 6– After more than two years of suffering steep financial losses and battling state officials and corporate pharmaceutical giants, Gregg Henry finally called it quits. After losing $5,000 in January, Henry, the owner and pharmacist at Sacramento Pharmacy, decided Sunday to close the store. Instead, Henry and his staff started helping customers transfer…

Feb. 5– GLENS FALLS– Democratic congressional candidate Tedra Cobb got personal at a roundtable discussion about health care on Tuesday. Speaking to a crowd of more than 100 people, packed into a small room at Crandall Public Library, she described her family's health care nightmares and explained why she now supports a way in which anyone could buy a Medicare…

Democratic candidates all endorse plans to provide health care for all Americans.

A nonpartisan Washington, D.C.- based think tank estimates that Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s “Medicare for All Who Want It” plan would actually grow the nation’s economy by $450 billion during the next decade. What about the other candidates?

—Iowa Democrats came to the state’ s caucuses Monday with key issues dominating their thoughts: health care, climate change and a fierce motivation to unseat President Donald Trump. More than the economy, immigration or foreign policy, Democrats in the nation’ s opening round of presidential primaries were mostly focused on access to medical treatment and the…

Exclusive

Creating an effective benefits communication and enrollment strategy isn’t something you toss together a few weeks before the annual enrollment begins. It takes knowledge of employee behavior as well as your clients’ company demographics and culture, plus time to map out key steps. That’s why it’s a good idea to start now to ensure your fall enrollments deliver optimal results.

The SECURE Act opens up many news possibilities for advisors to better serve clients.

Principal Financial Group was among financial services firms lobbying for passage of the SECURE Act, but few are better positioned to take advantage of the changes in the law. The company discussed why during a conference call this week to discuss fourth-quarter earnings.

The U.S. Capitol.

During their annual visit to Washington, Health Agents for America looked to lawmakers to help their clients save money on health care while being able to choose the right products for their needs.

The administration says it will strengthen Medicaid, while Democrats say the block grants amount to cuts in the program. The proposal was outlined Thursday by Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in a letter to state Medicaid directors.

American voters consistently name health care as one of the issues they care about most heading into the presidential election. That’ s bad news for President Donald Trump, who gets bad marks on health issues after his party’ s attempt to gut the Affordable Care Act failed and backfired. Instead of changing strategies, though, he is doubling down on unpopular…

Jan. 30– Two men associated with a Fountain Valley business face multiple felony counts of insurance fraud, money laundering and unlawful referrals in connection with what prosecutors say was a kickback referral scheme that bilked insurers out of more than $20 million. Bradley Dean Groscost, 59, operated five workers' compensation clinics across Southern…

The program — labeled “Healthy Adult Opportunity” — will allow states to ask permission to end their traditional, open-ended Medicaid program and put hard caps on how much money states and the federal government will spend on the poor and disabled.

The U.S. Capitol.

One of most significant changes incorporated in the SECURE Act surrounds the transfer of legacy wealth through IRA trusts that benefit non-spouses who inherit IRA accounts. But it is far from the only change in this significant law.

Genetic testing is a hot issue for insurers and legislators.

Florida legislators moved closer Wednesday to banning life-insurance, long-term care insurance and disability-insurance companies from using customers’ genetic information in changing, denying or canceling policies. The House passed a bill, which now moves to the more difficult state Senate.

The Trump administration has a Medicaid deal for states: more control over health care spending on certain low-income residents if they agree to a limit on how much the feds kick in. It's unclear how many states would be interested in such a trade-off under a complex Medicaid block grant proposal unveiled Thursday by Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare…

The prevailing crisis in health care, a financing issue at its core, has dominated our national conversation lately. History buffs may recall the 14 points in President Woodrow Wilson’ s plan to end the First World War a century ago, eliciting French leader Clemenceau’ s remark:“ Even God Almighty has only 10 points! ”Wilson was also the first president to propose a…

The 15- page report, endorsed by the Edwards-created Protecting Health Coverage in Louisiana Task Force, outlines the consequences Louisiana would face if Barack Obama's signature health law is invalidated by the courts, something being sought by a group of Republican attorneys general including Landry. “This new report makes it clear: the people of…

What would you rather have – free universal health care or total student loan forgiveness? LendEDU surveyed 1,000 Americans and found 60% opted for the free health care as opposed to 40% who want to see the nation’s $1.61 trillion in student loan debt erased.

The Blue Cross- Blue Shield insurer expects earnings adjusted for one-time items to be greater than $22.30 per share in 2020. Analysts on Wall Street expect earnings of $22.72 per share, according to FactSet. Indianapolis- based Anthem Inc. runs insurance plans in several states, including big markets like California, New York and Ohio.

Jan. 28– A Gainesville doctor and his former wife were sentenced Monday to multiple years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for filing more than $4.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Harris and Schabert were convicted by a Gainesville jury in October. Schabert, a licensed osteopathic physician, and Harris, a…

The Chicago- based parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is eliminating about 400 middle management positions, the company confirmed Tuesday. Health Care Service Corp. is eliminating the jobs this week from“ various company locations to reduce organizational redundancy and improve decision making efficiency,” spokesman Greg Thompson…

Mr. Sanders and other Democrats running for the 2020 presidential nomination say new taxes on the rich would go a long way toward funding their costly policy proposals. Mr. Sanders and his allies have been unapologetic in advocating for his pricey policy agenda, which estimates have pegged at costing anywhere between $60 trillion and $100 trillion over 10…

The Affordable Care Act continues to draw fire from conservatives. Will Democrats be able to go further?

The Trump administration is finalizing a block grant plan that targets the Medicaid expansion brought about under the Affordable Care Act, Politico reported Friday.

New York has the best policies in the nation for keeping out-of-pocket health care costs affordable, according to a recent state scorecard on health care affordability. New York ranked fifth overall on the health affordability scorecard, which looked at both policies and outcomes in four areas of cost containment, according to Altarum's Healthcare Value…

The savings were to be passed on to insurance companies to keep premiums down, said Steven Szydlowski, Ph.D., director of the University of Scranton's graduate health administration program. PBM officials say the industry is living up to that expectation and cite a study from their trade organization, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which…

The Affordable Care Act continues to draw fire from conservatives. Will Democrats be able to go further?

America’s Health Insurance Plans wants the U.S. Supreme Court to decide quickly on whether the Affordable Care Act is valid. Arguments center on the Republican-led Congress’ passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, which eliminated – or zeroed out – the ACA’s penalty for people who did not have health insurance.