The Way Forward – SIIA Conference 2021  We are excited to once again participate in the SIIA conference this year happening in Austin, Texas. The Way Forward is the theme for this year and post-pandemic, it’s a great choice. We’re all excited for the future of benefits administration. Complete Health Systems to provide solutions to […]

Unvaccinated May Pay More for Insurance As employers look for ways to mitigate exposure to Covid while returning workers to offices, some are considering higher premiums for unvaccinated employees. The higher premiums could cost $20-$50 more per paycheck and could incentivize employees to get vaccinated. Some employers see this as a step to prevent mandatory […]

Federal Government Increasing Fines for Hospitals Hiding Pricing Info The hospital pricing transparency rule, which was created by the Trump administration and went into effect on Jan. 2, 2021, says that hospitals must provide an easily accessed place on their website for pricing information for consumers. Currently, hospitals are fined $300 per day for noncompliance. […]

Court Rules ERISA Plans Can’t Exclude Autism A California court ruled that a company with an ERISA plan covering autism, cannot limit coverage for the therapies that applied to that condition. The court determined that an employer who had an ERISA plan that covered autism but limited treatments was in breach of the Parity Act […]

Long-Haul Covid and Worker's Compensation Approximately 50-76% of Covid survivors, including 35-54% of those with mild Covid, have reported persistent symptoms after their initial recovery. Some of these symptoms are the same as when they had an active viral load, and some of them are new. As workplaces reopen, Covid precautions remain an important part […]

Creating Wellness Programs for Remote & On-Site Workers Working remotely has benefits, but one of the challenges is keeping remote team members feeling connected to on-site employees. You can keep remote employees engaged with some of your wellness benefits. Here are some ways to encourage participation and promote team building. Find more ideas about this […]

Hospitals Caught Hiding Pricing Data in Search Results Hospital pricing transparency has been a hot topic since last fall. Last year the Trump administration set a rule in place to require consumer access to hospital pricing on health care system websites. The Wall Street Journal did an investigation into whether or not hospitals were complying […]

Health Care Consolidation Consolidation of health care delivery systems may be good for hospitals, however, it can cost private payers and employers 6-10% in price increases each year. Consolidation reduces competition and that increases prices for consumers and plans. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has increased the number of mergers including hospitals merging with other hospitals, physician groups […]

New Disclosure Requirements for TPAs that Contract with ERISA Group Health Plans New transparency laws included in the latest Covid-19 relief act in December affect third-party administrators and other providers who work with ERISA group health plans. Included in these new regulations is the requirement for “covered service providers” to disclose their direct or indirect […]

Updated PCORI Released  The IRS announced the PCORI fee for some self-funded plans that end on or after Oct. 1, 2020, and before Oct. 1, 2021. The fee is $2.66 and is intended to help fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute as a part of the Affordable Care Act. This fee will expire in 2029 […]