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BMC Blog
Stay up-to-date with our most recent news and updates.
Group insurance vs. individual insurance
For the past year, we've been getting periodic phone calls and e-mails from our group clients wondering if they should simply disband their group coverage in favor of paying employees' a subsidy and allowing them to purchase their own coverage. At one time, IRS...
Today is the last day to enroll for individual coverage effective January 1st
Just a reminder to anyone who needs individual coverage for January 1st that today is the last day to sign up or to make changes in existing individual coverage. The official open enrollment process doesn't end until February 15th (for a March 1st effective date) so...
CMS: information on individual re-enrollment for 2015
CMS recently launched an outreach effort aimed at helping individual consumers understand the renewal process for marketplace coverage in 2015. As part of this effort, CMS released its 5 Steps to Staying Covered: 1. Review your coverage and look for a letter from your...
Exchange Notifications
Open enrollment in the Marketplace (Exchange) begins on November 15, 2014 for a January 1, 2015 effective date. If an employer offers coverage that meets minimum standards and cost, employees are NOT eligible for the tax credit (subsidy). While anyone can purchase on...
HRA Affordable Care Act Fee due July 31st
This is a reminder that, if you have established a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) that is utilized to fund deductibles or co-insurance under your medical plan, check with your accountant about the mandated annual fee that is due on July 31st. The fee is either...
IBC/Keystone participants: must use LabCorp as of 7/1
The following is the reminder from Independence Blue Cross/Keystone Health Plan East regarding outpatient laboratory services. As of 7/1/14, Quest Diagnostics will be an out-of-network provider. LabCorp will be the official in-network participating provider for...
Keystone RX update and IRS clarification of employer-paid inividua coverage
On May 19, 2014, the IRS reiterated its stance against an employer's reimbursement of individual premiums by publishing a short FAQ. Question 1 of the FAQ reads as follows: Q1. What are the consequences to the employer if the employer does not establish a health...
Keystone change to outpatient laboratory: effective 7/1
Effective July 1, 2014, Quest Diagnostics WILL BECOME AN OUT-OF-NETWORK provider for Keystone HMO and Personal Choice plans. The laboratory of choice for Keystone/Personal Choice members will be LabCorp (Laboratory Corporation of America). There will be additional...
HEALTH CARE REFORM: Delay in employer penalty for employers with 50-99 employees
On February 10, 2014, IRS released final regulations regarding the Employer Shared Responsibility provision under the Affordable Care Act (the employer penalty). While their guidance is lengthy, the key aspects are: The employer penalty will apply to employers with...
a message from Independence Blue Cross/Keystone
As a number of our clients are painfully aware, getting January group cases installed with Keystone has been frustrating. There were tremendous delays in installation, errors in enrollments, mistakes at every level of the installation process, including the...
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