Healthcare is a major focus of President Biden’s proposed $6 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2022. The funding request includes a 23.4% increase in the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget, raising it to 133.7 billion. Numerous other agencies and programs...
As of this past Tuesday, April 5, 2021, Biden announced that he is moving up the deadline for states to make the Covid-19 vaccination available to all U.S. residents 18 and older. The President stated, “No more confusing rules, no more confusing restrictions.”...
Billing for COVID-19 vaccine administration has become a critical revenue source for health departments and community-based organizations throughout the nation. As more organizations are delivering the COVID-19 vaccines to high-risk minority and rural individuals, it...
The American Rescue Plan, which became law on March 11th, makes buying healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) more affordable for a lot more people. The law expands the premium tax credits available for everyone, including those in higher income...
By: Rachel Cullor Upon researching different resources and updates for the carriers, we have compiled the following information that we feel may be helpful to our clients. Most carriers are offering Telehealth services right now, and most ACA plans include wellness...
By: Rachel Cullor There are many things that health insurance carriers are doing right now to ensure that their members are well taken care of during this pandemic. The providers in our area include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Ambetter, and Cigna who are all...
By: Rachel Quinn Telehealth, a term taking the nation by storm due to recent Covid-19 related events, is becoming an important part of many American’s everyday vocabulary. Healthcare professionals have urged people to stay in their homes as the spread of...
By Rachel Quinn Open Enrollment is an annual forty five day window that Americans have to enroll into Affordable Health Care or Marketplace Health Insurance. During this period you can go over your health care options for the upcoming year and enroll into a plan that...
Understanding Common Insurance Terms By: Rachel Quinn Open enrollment is an important time for many Americans, especially those with health related issues. This short window of time is when everyone has the opportunity to enroll in a Marketplace Health Insurance...
By: Rachel Cullor With every state in the United States affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and millions of people under self-quarantine or under orders to stay at home, it is definitely a scary time for the country. Doctors, nurses, and other medical experts are...
CMS released an announcement Wednesday, March 25th, that they will allow issuers of qualified health plans and stand-alone dental plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace and State Based Exchanges to extend binder payment and ongoing premium payment deadlines during...
By: Rachel Cullor March 17th, 2020 2020 has started out much differently than 2019. With the detection of the COVID-19 virus and efforts to slow the spread, a lot of measures have been taken that disrupt our normal routine. The first US case of COVID-19 appeared in...
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is expanding their coverage area for 2020, offering individual Marketplace plans in Memphis and Nashville for the first time in a couple of years. Other TN carriers such as Cigna, Oscar, and Ambetter are also expanding which proves...
Health Reimbursement Accounts have specifically been utilized up until now by employers as a way to help employees offset deductibles, coinsurance, and sometimes, the copays they incur when using their group health plan. Employers were barred from offering HRAs to...
Pharmacy Benefit Managers, PBMs, are firms that negotiate prices between drug manufacturers and insurance companies. Amazon is looking into bypassing this step by negotiating with the insurance company themselves and potentially lowering costs for their customers....
Obamacare is expanding in a good way. Employers will now have more options to provide employees with more customized benefits. Traditionally, Health Reimbursement Accounts, commonly known as HRAs, involve employees being reimbursed by the employer as a way for the...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) know that navigating Medicare coverage can be frustrating. A lot of beneficiaries need to call someone to find out if a suggested procedure or treatment is covered prior to having it performed. CMS has put a focus...
Expect modest to no rate increases for the 2020 plan year on the individual market as well as increased competition! Politico recently stated: "The era of annual eye-popping Obamacare rate hikes appears to be over. Premium increases in the law’s marketplaces are on...
High premiums in 2018 could mean rebates for consumers from some carriers as required by law. A recent Star Tribune article says:"When carriers set premiums in the individual market that are too high, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires them to pay rebates that...
As a Medicare beneficiary, you are entitled to these services at no cost: Abdominal aortic aneurysm screeningAbdominal aortic aneurysm screeningAlcohol misuse screenings & counselingBone mass measurements (bone density)Cardiovascular disease...
