The Basics Spouses who are covered under a group health plan on the day before a qualifying event have an independent right to elect COBRA. Six qualifying events apply to spouses: (1) employee’s termination of employment, (2) employee’s reduction of hours, (3) an employer’s bankruptcy, (4) death of the employee, (5) divorce or legal separation, Read the full article…

Currently, Medicare beneficiaries who are not officially admitted to a hospital may be classified under “Observation Status,” which is treated as an outpatient procedure for billing purposes. Unfortunately, the common practice of placing a beneficiary on “observation status” can have significant financial consequences for Medicare beneficiaries, since Medicare Part A and its related coverage rules Read the full article…

COVID-19 Health Emergency Order Extends No-Cost Coverage of Tests and Vaccines Employer plans should continue meeting all emergency-order requirements The Biden administration on Oct. 13 extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for an additional 90 days, keeping emergency measures in place through Jan. 11. The public health emergency was first declared in January 2020 and Read the full article…

Signs of trouble – and progress – as Obamacare 2019 open enrollment nears Jayne O’Donnell, USA TODAYPublished 6:00 a.m. ET Aug. 19, 2019 | Updated 6:04 p.m. ET Aug. 19, 2019 Ashley Candler of Austin was able to get in-patient addiction and mental health treatment thanks to the Affordable Care Act. (Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Candler) Read the full article…

IRS RELEASES NEW ACA ADJUSTED FEES FOR 2017 The IRS has released its adjusted figures for certain fees coming into the new year. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee being one of them. The fee was started under the ACA for advancements in comparative clinical effectiveness research, and while the fee increases have been Read the full article…

Employer health coverage at all-time high Photo: Getty Images Employers, for better or worse, are investing in more in health care for their employees, according to a new survey commissioned by the Transamerica Center for Health Studies and conducted by Harris Poll in August. The survey, which included 1,500 business executives across the country found Read the full article…

ACA penalties will cost more than health coverage for millions(Bloomberg) — The Affordable Care Act is about to test how well people respond to economic incentives. About 3.5 million Americans who are uninsured today could get health coverage in 2016 for less than what they’ll pay in penalties under the ACA, according to a new analysis. Read the full article…

August 11, 2015 Draft Instructions and Revised Draft 2015 Forms for IRS Reporting Requirements On August 7, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released draft instructions and revised draft 1095-B and 1095-C forms to be used for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) and Large Employer reporting in 2016. The IRS has posted the Read the full article…

IRS SECTION 6056 Q & A May 20, 2015   Today, the IRS released Q&As on Reporting of Offers of Health Insurance Coverage by Employers (Code Section 6056).  The Q&A’s include the following topics:   [1] Basics of Employer Reporting: Questions 1-4;   [2] Who is Required to Report: Questions 5-12;   [3] Methods of Reporting: Questions 13-17; Read the full article…

DOL RELEASES NEW FMLA FORMS May 27, 2015   The Department of Labor posted the new model FMLA notices and medical certification forms over the weekend, Their expiration date is May 31, 2018!   In the instructions to the health care provider on the certification for an employee’s serious health condition, the DOL has added the following simple instruction: Read the full article…