Open enrollment for 2018 Medicare Part D Rx plans ended December 22, 2017. During this process, seniors evaluated Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) and choose their plans. In these plans there are 4 tiers of coverage: 1) Deductible (no greater than… Continue Reading
The ACA (Affordable Care Act) also known as Obamacare is still the law. One of the most important provisions is what is known as the “mandate” requiring all individuals to have health insurance coverage. The IRS recently released a statement… Continue Reading
One could never say that the world of employee benefits and insurance is dull. Not only must brokers be informed about the different products and insurance company underwriting rules, it’s critical that we stay on top of all the regulators… Continue Reading
If you are an individual Anthem Blue Cross of CA policyholder, you likely received a very confusing letter recently. It stated “Anthem will not offer the plan you have now in 2018” and your rate for the replacement policy was… Continue Reading
I was particularly intrigued when the State of California chose to opt out of the option to have smoker and non-smoker rates for health insurance as allowed by the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The law allows the insurer to… Continue Reading
Employer provided health benefits are alive and well. The main reasons to provide coverage have not changed. The traditional reasons for providing benefits are recruiting and retaining good employees. With unemployment decreasing (5.8% in Shasta County -June 2017) employers find… Continue Reading
Medicare is the US health care plan for the elderly and disabled. It is divided into four parts. Part A covers inpatient hospital facility charges and typically is free for most beneficiaries since they paid taxes throughout their working lives… Continue Reading
Since beginning this column I have consistently referred to “the Affordable Care Act, ACA (aka Obamacare)”. In my insurance practice I avoid using the term “Obamacare” for one simple reason. I believe it is important to avoid politicizing the concept… Continue Reading
It’s interesting to me when someone says that they hate “Obamacare” (the popular name for the Affordable Care Act-ACA). This law is complex and far reaching. Most people simply don’t understand how many areas are affected by the law. Most… Continue Reading
A reader called to ask if I could explain “Single Payer”, so here goes! In its simplest form, single payer refers to the financing of health care. Typically this means that there is only one party that pays for all… Continue Reading
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