[Guidance Overview] CHIPRA: How it Affects Your Group Health Plan
[Guidance Overview] CHIPRA: How it Affects Your Group Health Plan
Excerpt: “On February 4, 2009, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) was signed into law by President Obama. CHIPRA allows states to subsidize premiums for employer-provided group health coverage for eligible children, but it also imposes certain requirements on plan sponsors. . . . Plan sponsors should notify their employees with regard to their special enrollment rights as soon as possible, but no later than April 1, 2009. They should provide disclosures to employees once HHS issues its model notice, and provide disclosure to state agencies once HHS and the Department of Labor issue model forms.” (McDermott Will & Emery)
Source: www.mwe.com
GAO Testimony: Overview of Approaches to Control Prescription Drug Spending in Federal Programs
June 24, 2009. 16 pages. Testimony given by John E. Dicken, director, health care, before the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
Source: www.gao.gov
[Guidance Overview] Preparing for and Understanding the New Medicare Reporting Requirements
Excerpt: “Because most companies have already developed reporting policies in workers’ compensation cases, they simply need to formalize and expand those policies to include group health plans, liability insurance (including self-insurance), and no-fault insurance as well. The sooner a Medicare eligible claimant or covered individual can be identified by an Insurer, the easier it will be to coordinate with CMS and guarantee that Medicare’s interests are protected in the settlement — thereby relieving the Insurer of any liability to Medicare.” (Troutman Sanders LLP)
Source: www.troutmansanders.com
2009 Medicare Trustees Report
Excerpt: “The Boards of Trustees for Medicare . . . report annually to the Congress on the financial operations and actuarial status of the program. Beginning in 2002, there is one combined report discussing both the Hospital Insurance program (Medicare Part A) and the Supplementary Medical Insurance program (Medicare Part B and Prescription Drug Coverage). . . . The Boards of Trustees issued their most recent report on May 12, 2009.” (Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund via Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Source: www.cms.hhs.gov
Details on health care legislation taking shape in Congress – Minneapolis Star Tribune
Gov’t plan would offer cut-rate medical premiums Senators say compromise key to health care bill 60 votes not so super for Obama, Senate Democrats Group Sotomayor advised fought job tests Under Senate health care plan, either way you pay A look at …
Source: www.startribune.com
Walgreens extends Medicaid deadline by 30 days in effort to resolve impasse with state (The Delaware Business Ledger)
Delaware’s Medicaid participants who get their prescriptions filled at Walgreens now have an additional 30 days to do so, if they choose.
Source: www.ledgerdelaware.com
Medicare Poised to Take Bigger Chunk of Social Security Checks Next Year
Excerpt: “CBO estimates the basic premium will rise to $119 next year and to $123 in 2011 for those not protected by the law. In addition, the Times reports that millions of beneficiaries also could experience higher premiums for drug coverage under Medicare Part D because there are no laws that prevent such an increase.” (California HealthCare Foundation)
Source: www.californiahealthline.org
[Guidance Overview] Requiring Older, Medicare-Eligible Retirees to Pay Larger Portion of Premium Contribution Under Health Plan Did Not Violate ADEA
Excerpt: “EBIA Comment: There have been few decisions to date applying the 2007 final EEOC regulations regarding Medicare coordination. Although not completely clear, it appears that this court found the Medicare coordination regulations and the equal benefits/equal cost rule to be sufficient, independent grounds for dismissing the retirees’ claims. While that may explain the court’s limited analysis of the equal benefits/equal cost rule, it would have been helpful if the court had revealed more about why it thought benefits for older and younger retirees were considered equal, given the premium differences.” (Employee Benefits Institute of America)
Source: www.ebia.com
Federal government to pay good share of state’s Medicaid’s costs (Arkansas News Bureau)
LITTLE ROCK — The federal government will pay a larger share of the cost of Medicaid in Arkansas, thanks to increased funding in the economic stimulus package.
Source: arkansasnews.com