Missed revenue forecasts could mean more troubles ahead for state … – Newsday
Missed revenue forecasts could mean more troubles ahead for state … – Newsday
FILE – In this May 15, 2009 file photo, Gov. Jay Nixon talks to reporters during a news conference in Jefferson City, Mo. Nixon started the new fiscal year by vetoing or freezing $430 million in spending _ halting college construction projects …
Source: www.newsday.com
[Guidance Overview] Health Plan Insurer Could Not Terminate COBRA Coverage When Qualified Beneficiary Became Covered Under Medicaid
Excerpt: “EBIA Comment: Plan administrators often confuse the rules for Medicare under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA) (which provides health coverage to individuals on the basis of age, disability, or end-stage renal disease), and Medicaid under Title XIX of the SSA (which generally provides health coverage to low-income individuals) and how they interact with employer-sponsored group health plans. As this case illustrates, ERISA broadly prohibits a health plan from taking into account an individual’s Medicaid eligibility. On the other hand, COBRA coverage may be terminated early if, after electing COBRA, a qualified beneficiary becomes entitled to benefits under Medicare. Although this court did not specifically address this distinction, this case is a good reminder that the COBRA early termination rule for Medicare entitlement does not extend to Medicaid.” (Employee Benefits Institute of America)
Source: www.ebia.com
An Analysis of Health Care Spending by Medicare Households (PDF)
16 pages. Excerpt: “In this paper, we analyze health care spending as a share of total household expenditures, rather than as a share of income, to assess how health-related expenditures compare with other spending priorities among Medicare households, including both the elderly and younger adults with disabilities. Using data from the 2006 Consumer Expenditure Survey, we examine spending on health care relative to other goods and services, such as housing, transportation, and food. We also assess the extent to which health care spending as a share of total expenditures varies by household characteristics, such as poverty level and geographic area, and examine the subcomponents of health care spending, including premiums, prescription drugs, and medical services.” (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Source: www.kff.org
8 Tips on Paying for Health Care in Retirement
Excerpt: “1. Don’t count on employer benefits. Most current employees . . . won’t be eligible for retiree health insurance through their former employer . . . . Less than a third of firms with 200 or more workers offered retiree health benefits in 2008, down from the 66 percent that did so in 1988, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.” (U.S. News & World Report via Chicago Tribune)
Source: www.chicagotribune.com
Missed revenue forecasts pose more woes for states – The Sun News
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — With its IOUs and plans to close state offices three days a month, California gets all the attention as lawmakers fight to write a budget set off balance by a $26.3 billion deficit. But the dozens of states that made spending …
Source: www.thesunnews.com
Government Health Plan Would Hurt Quality, Innovation, Choice – Richmond Times-Dispatch
For more than a year, health plans have been working collaboratively with federal lawmakers and key stakeholders to facilitate the ongoing health care reform effort. While there has been remarkable consensus on many fronts, there has not been …
Source: www.timesdispatch.com
[Guidance Overview] Recent Legislation Requires Numerous Changes to Group Health Plans
Material covered includes coordination with SCHIP and Medicaid and New Privacy Restrictions in the Stimulus Package. (Troutman Sanders LLP)
Source: www.troutmansanders.com
Senate Finance Committee Side-by-Side Chart Comparing Tax Provisions of House and Senate Stimulus Measures (PDF)
Excerpt: “This chart indicates notable differences between the Senate-passed and the House-passed versions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This chart includes amendments accepted by the Senate, including the Collins-Nelson (NE) compromise amendment. Additional minor differences, such as the commissioning of various studies in the two bills, may exist[.]” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance via American Benefits Council)
Source: www.americanbenefitscouncil.org
The Stimulus Bill’s Effect on the Health Care Industry (PDF)
5 pages. Excerpt: “[The America Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009] provides significant funding for research on the comparative effectiveness of items and services, increases the reach of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the rules promulgated thereunder (‘HIPAA’), provides incentives to develop and encourage adoption of health information technology (‘HIT’), and makes changes to certain Medicare and Medicaid payments for hospitals and hospices.” (Winston & Strawn LLP)
Source: www.winston.com
Recession Drains Social Security and Medicare
Excerpt: “[The administration said that] the Medicare fund that pays hospital bills for older Americans is expected to run out of money in 2017, two years sooner than projected last year. The Social Security trust fund will be exhausted in 2037, four years earlier than predicted, it said.” (The New York Times; free registration required)
Source: www.nytimes.com