Eighty-five percent of large employers who offer health insurance now include a wellness program in their suite of employee benefits. These programs are designed to help people stop smoking, lose weight, and add other health actions, according to a 2017 survey by Kaiser Family Foundation. In recent years, many of these programs include medical screenings… Continue reading Is Workplace Wellness Sick?
That depends. When HSAs became available in 2004 as a complement to high deductible healthcare plans, the premise was that individuals and families could make tax-deductible contributions and use the funds to pay unreimbursed medical expenses. With the increase of high deductible health plans as an option, and in many cases the only option for… Continue reading HSAs: Health Care or Retirement Savings?
The first version didn’t have enough support in the Senate, so it was back to the drawing board. Now we have a new bill—but will this one get the necessary votes? Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky) have already said it doesn’t do enough. Can it squeak through the Senate? Let’s look at… Continue reading It’s Back! A New BCRA. But Will It Be Enough?
The door has finally opened and the Senate draft bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, has emerged. So far, a host of conservative and moderate Senators have indicated that they won’t vote for it. The draft is broadly the same as the House bill with some notable modifications. What make the BCRA different and what… Continue reading ACA, AHCA, BCRA: What’s In It For Me?
The Republicans have repeatedly said that they intend to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with better health care for everyone. But just exactly what is the difference between Obamacare and the new GOP plan? Will it really benefit anyone? It will benefit adult children under the age of 26. As is currently the… Continue reading What’s Repealed and What’s Replaced?
The dust is settling on last Friday’s embarrassment and House Republicans are vowing to come with a new plan that will pass muster with all Republican groups, including the Freedom Caucus. Speaker Paul Ryan has urged members to refocus their energy on finding an acceptable alternative. But what does this mean for us? Will Obamacare… Continue reading No Repeal, No Replace: Still Talking
That depends on how and where you obtain your health insurance. Or if you purchase health insurance. This bill is shorter than Obamacare (so far, anyway) 166+ pages versus 2000+ pages, but there will be some significant impact on individuals and business owners. First, let’s see what the Act retains that will benefit individuals. One… Continue reading How Does the American Health Care Act Impact Me? Obamacare Lite?
It’s abundantly clear that it is going to take time to repeal and/or replace the Affordable Care Act. And, despite the fact that the republican draft would sunset the ten essential benefits in 2019, it would require a change in the law and therefore 60 votes in the Senate to eliminate these provisions entirely. While… Continue reading Repeal and Replace: “Watering” Down Ten Essential Benefits?
It’s clear that Republicans want to get the Obamacare repeal headed in the right direction. There’s one big problem, however. Too many different competing plans have been introduced to replace the law. Several plans have been presented or are expected, however none appear to have the necessary support to achieve Congressional approval. And it’s unlikely… Continue reading Repeal, Replace: Too Many Options, Too Little Consensus
For today we do. And probably for the rest of this year, anyway. It’s impossible to read any news either in print or online, or watch news on TV, without hearing about a repeal of Obamacare. Repeal, repeal and replace, leave around 18 million people stranded without health care…. it goes on and on. … Continue reading It’s Inauguration Day: Do We Still Have Health Care?
