Nearly three-quarters of the public (73%) think prescription drugs costs are unreasonable, and place the blame on pharmaceutical companies rather than health insurance companies, aKaiser Foundation poll found. Asked for…
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By a margin of 55% to 38%, Americans believe the Supreme Court should not block federal subsidies in the states that do not operate their own health insurance exchange, an…
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A Republican Congressman has introduced to help individuals who would lose their insurance subsidies if the Supreme Court rules in favour of the plaintiffs in the “King v. Burwell” case.…
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The decision by 22 states not to expand Medicaid under the will ACA will result in 5,200 avoidable deaths each year, according to a White House Report, along with hundreds…
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Unpaid bills, better known as “bad debt,” declined at non-profit hospitals in states that expanded during 2014, according to a study by Moody’s Investors . Hospitals in the 29 states…
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ACA Resource
Employer’s Guide to Coding The 1095-C Forms
Head into the ACA filing season with the guide that makes it crystal clear how to complete Forms 1095-C. Including real world scenarios and a code glossary, the Employer’s Guide to Coding ACA Form 1095-C has you covered with everything you need to know to file with confidence.
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The House Ways and Means Committee approved H.R. 160, which would repeal the 2.3% excise tax on medical device manufacturers imposed under the Affordable Care Act and intended to help…
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Officials from at least 16 states met in early May for a confidential, unannounced meeting to discuss options available to their states if the Supreme Court rules against the Obama…
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The CVS Health pharmacy chain will carry information about healthcare and preventative services, by the U.S. Department and Human Services (HHS), the company’s MinuteClinic.com and CVS.com websites. CVS is using…
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Companies seem to have enjoyed excellent financial during the Act’s first year implementation, despite being forbidden by the law to turn down individuals with pre-existing medical conditions or charge them…
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Uncategorized
HHS Awards $112 Million To Improve Local Cardiac Health Care
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Department of and Human Services announced awards of $112 million regional cooperatives about 5,000 primary physicians in 12 states, aimed at improving the heart health of their nearly 8…
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Although some insurance companies had expected the Affordable Care Act to create operationalproblems, an industry study found that the financial and administrative performance of payers actually improved for plans offered…
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Almost one out of four American adults, or 31 million people, were underinsured in 2014, a study found. High deductibles or out–pocket costs made medical coverage unaffordable for many, and…
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Affordable Care ActApplicable Large Employer (ALE)IRS
IRS Explains Definition of ‘Large Employer’
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS has issued an explanation of how companies can determine if they are an ”applicable large employer” or ALE, and how that affects their obligations under the Affordable Care…
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PenaltiesUncategorized
Most Consumers Satisfied With Marketplace Plans
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenMost people who purchased their own health insurance plans through an Affordable Care Act marketplace say they are satisfied with their plan’s coverage and features, according to a Kaiser Family…
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The Affordable Care Act has resulted in higher health care costs for many employers, and a new survey finds that seven out of 10 companies believe even larger cost increases…
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Some employers choose to reimburse employees for the cost of individual health insurance coverage rather than establishing a group medical plan. But these plan don’t comply with the Affordable Care…
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Affordable Care ActPharmaceutical
Rules on Contraception Coverage Tightened
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Obama administration issued tighter rules on contraception offered by insurance companies, requiring insurers to pay for at least one form of birth control. The guidance, issued as a set…
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Visits to hospital emergency rooms are going up according to a poll ER physicians, despite the reforms implemented by the Act aimed at reducing the inflow to these – treatment…
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LegislationMinimum Essential CoverageRegulations
Article: Reporting 2015 Coverage of “MV-lite” Plans
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenSome employers have used “MV-lite” plans that offer very limited hospital and doctor benefits, yet technically satisfy the “minimum value” calculations of the government’s online calculator. These plans have been…
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Affordable Care ActLegislation
Appeals Court Bars Challenge to ACA Mandates
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a challenge to the individual and employer mandates of the Affordable Care Act. The court ruled that the taxpayer who filed the lawsuit…
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A reference tool to help understand what is required for them to comply with the Affordable Care Act, and the timeline for compliance, has been prepared by the law firm…
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Montana’s Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock signed into law a Medicaid expansion bill that had been drafted by a Republican member of the state legislature. Under the new law, Montana will…
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Robert S. Sheen, Editor-in-Chief The ACA Times and President Trusaic, Inc., will speak about the Affordable Care Act at the 2015 NNAHU Expo, May 13 in Reno, Nevada. The conference,…
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The nation’s individual insurance market grew 46% to 15.5 million people in the first year that plans could be purchased through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, according to a study by…
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Researchers at UCLA found that about 59% primary care and specialty physicians in California support the Affordable Care Act, and 61% believe the law will either help their practice or…
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California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Anthem Blue Cross failed to justify premium increases averaging 8.7% on individual health insurance policies grandfathered under Affordable Care Act rules. According to the…
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Because of the Affordable Care Act, employers may face a 40% excise that tax on health insurance plans that provide “excess” benefits – commonly known as “Cadillac” plans. Employers should…
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Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Many Employers Are Covering Part-Time Workers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenMany large and mid-size companies are extending health insurance coverage beyond their full-time workers to include part-timers in their plans, according to a study by the ADP Research Institute. About…
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A poll tracking Americans’ views the Affordable Care Act shows public opinion holding steady and closely divided, with 43% expressing a favorable view and 42% with an unfavorable view. The…
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who include wellness programs as their will get guidance the privacy rights participating employees in new rules proposed by the US Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC). The proposed rules, published…
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The Senate and House approved a permanent repeal to a widely disliked formula used to pay doctors for services, and President Obama has indicated he will sign the bill. This…
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Health Care CoverageMedicaid
Minorities More Affected By Medicaid Gap
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenLow-income Black and Hispanic Americans are much more likely than Whites to be affected by a “ gap” in the 22 states that have not expanded Medicaid, declining funds for…
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The The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has barred Missouri from enforcing a law that would have required anyone giving advice about the Affordable Care Act to…
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The rate among U.S. adults declined to 11.9% in the first quarter 2015, a drop one percentage point from the previous quarter and 5.2 points since before the Act went…
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The global firm Accenture says private exchanges, which enrolled 6 million people in 2014, will double that number next year and reach 40 million enrollees by 2018. The growth in…
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Americans’ views about the Affordable Care Act are more positive now than. A poll was taken last November, just after the midterm elections, found only 37% approved of the law,…
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Physicians have been accepting a smaller percentage of new Medicaid patients than patients on Medicare or with private insurance, according to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics…
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Low-income Americans will have greater access to mental health and substance abuse treatments under a new rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The proposal applies…
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Editorials
First Capitol Featured in Business Journal Article on ACA
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenCompanies with fewer than 100 employees who think they don’t have to worry about the Affordable Care Act until 2016 “missed the fine print,” says an article in the Los…
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The Affordable Care Act has substantially increased the percentage of Latinos who have healthcare coverage, although more than half of Latinos surveyed said they had heard little or nothing about…
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The Treasury Department has expanded for taxpayers who received incorrect 1095-A from the government after purchasing Affordable Care Act health insurance through a state online marketplace. The agency gave these…
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Final regulations on employer-provided wraparound coverage under the Affordable Care Act were issued by the IRS and Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor. Wraparound coverage is employer-sponsored coverage…
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RAND Corp. analysts who looked at the likely effects of eliminating the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate determined that the likely result would be an increase in premiums and a…
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A new report shows that a year after the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion provisions took effect, physicians have not experienced a sharp increase in visits by new or sick…
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About one out five U.S. employers are reducing for part-time workers as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new survey by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)…
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The cost to hospitals uncompensated care was reduced by an estimated $7.4 billion in 2014, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency also found that expansion…
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An article by ACA TimesEditor-in-Chief Robert Sheen providing CEOs with a brief “Guide to Obamacare” has been published by CEO Magazine. The article is also available on the magazine’s website.…
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As the Act marks its fifth anniversary, a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundationfinds the gap between favorable and unfavorable opinions about the law has narrowed to the closest margin…
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The Affordable Care Act has resulted in a 16.4 million increase in the number of Americans having insurance coverage, according to the White House. The administration released the figure in…
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President Obama announced the creation of a new advisory panel charged with improving the ability of the Veterans Affairs Department to meet the healthcare needs patients and beneficiaries. The 14…