Date post: | 20-Aug-2015 |
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Health & Medicine |
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� Director of Compliance for Neace Lukens Employee
Benefits
� 20+ years experience in the healthcare field
� Extensive clinical and management background
� Experience with both public and private sector funding
� RN degree from University of Miami
� Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality
� From now until 2016, states can define the size of
small groups:
◦ Small employer can be either 50 and under or 100 and under
� Beginning in 2016, the definitions in the federal
reform law will apply:
◦ Small employers are those who had, on average, 1-100
employees in the preceding calendar year and at least 1
employee on the first day of the plan
◦ Definitions are not applied consistently throughout the law, as
noted throughout this presentation
� Existing Plans = Grandfathered Plans
◦ A group health plan or health insurance coverage in which an
individual was enrolled on the date of enactment of the health
care reform legislation (March 23, 2010)
� Regulations provide guidance on changes that could
take a plan out of “grandfathered” status
� Health Insurance Changes – Prohibitions on:
◦ Lifetime and annual limits
◦ Pre-existing condition exclusions
◦ Rescissions
◦ Excessive waiting periods
� Required coverage of adult children up to age 26
� Summary of benefits and coverage
� Reporting medical loss ratio
� Qualifying small employers that provide health care coverage to employees are eligible for tax credit
◦ Have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
◦ Pay wages averaging less than $50,000 per employee per year
◦ Has a “qualifying arrangement” (pays premiums for each employee in a uniform percentage that is at least 50 percent of the cost of coverage)
◦ tax-exempt 501(c) organization also eligible
� Credit based on premiums paid by employer
� Claimed on employer’s annual income tax return
� Amount of credit
◦ Up to 35 percent of health (includes dental & vision) premium
costs paid in 2010 (25 percent for tax-exempt employers)
◦ On Jan. 1, 2014, increases to 50 percent (35 percent for tax-
exempt employers)
� Depends on employees and wages
◦ The credit phases out gradually for:
� Employers with average wages between $25,000 and $50,000 and
� Employers with the equivalent of between 10 and 25 full-time
workers
� Employees taken into account
◦ Employees who perform services for the employer during the
tax year
◦ Exceptions:
� Partners and certain owners (and family members)
� Seasonal workers
� Employers not eligible
◦ Government employers
� Federal
� State
� Local
� Indian tribal
◦ Unless the employer is a tax-exempt 501(c) organization
� Temporary federal program for insuring high-risk
individuals
◦ $5 billion funding
◦ Expires Jan. 1, 2014
� High-risk individuals = pre-existing conditions and
no creditable coverage for 6 months
� Cannot have employees drop coverage to join high-
risk pool
◦ Sanctions/reimbursement requirement will be imposed
� Plans that cover dependent children must make
coverage available until child turns 26
◦ Includes grandfathered plans, unless child has own employer
coverage (before 2014)
◦ Covers married and unmarried children
◦ Children of covered adult children do not have to be covered
� State mandates above this level continue to apply
� Insurers complying early to avoid coverage gaps
� Definition of dependent restricted
◦ Can only be defined by relationship
◦ Other factors (financial dependence, residency, student status,
employment, eligibility for other coverage) generally can’t be
used as basis for denial
� Qualified dependents must be:
◦ Offered same coverage as similarly-situated individuals
◦ Given the same rates for coverage
◦ Provided with a 30-day special enrollment opportunity and
notice
� Apply to new and grandfathered plans
� No lifetime limits on essential benefits
� Restricted annual limits on essential benefits
◦ Allowed for plan years beginning before Jan. 1, 2014
� Essential benefits generally include: ◦ Ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and
newborn care, mental health and substance abuse services, prescription drugs,
rehab services, lab services, wellness and disease management, pediatric care
� Some regulations issued, waiting on others
� No rescission of coverage
◦ Applies to group and individual coverage
◦ Applies to new and grandfathered plans
◦ Exception for fraud or intentional material misrepresentation
◦ Individual must be given prior notice of cancellation for
permitted reasons (including nonpayment of premium or plan
termination)
� No pre-existing condition exclusions or limitations
for children under age 19
◦ This prohibition will apply to everyone in 2014
◦ Applies to new and grandfathered group plans
� Apply to new plans
� Limits on preauthorization and cost-sharing
◦ No cost-sharing for some preventive care (including well-child
care) and immunizations
◦ No preauthorization or increased cost-sharing for emergency
services (in- vs. out-of-network)
� Patients can chose any available participating
primary care provider (or pediatrician)
◦ No preauthorization or referral for ob/gyn care
� Apply to new fully-insured plans
� Fully-insured plans must follow rules regarding
nondiscrimination in favor of highly-compensated
employees (HCE)
◦ Cannot discriminate with respect to eligibility or benefits
� HCE:
◦ 5 highest paid officers, more than 10% shareholder, or highest
paid 25% of all employees
� Apply to Health FSAs, HRAs, HSAs and Archer
MSAs
� Medicine or drugs only treated as qualified medical
expense for tax exclusion if they are prescribed or
are insulin
◦ This means no reimbursement for OTC medicine or drugs
without a prescription (except insulin)
� Applies to expenses incurred after Dec. 31, 2010
� Grants for health education, screenings, and
wellness programs
� Available only to eligible employers who implement
the programs after March 23, 2010
◦ Employers with up to 100 employees
� Employers must disclose aggregate cost of
employer-sponsored health coverage on Forms W-2
� Optional for 2011 tax year; mandatory for later
years
� Includes group health plan coverage, whether paid
by employer or employee
� Health FSA Limits: $2,500 per year
◦ Currently no FSA limit, although many employers impose
limit
◦ Limit is $2,500 for 2013; indexed for CPI after that
◦ Does not apply to dependent care FSAs
� Jan. 1, 2014: individuals must enroll in coverage or
pay a penalty
� Amounts indexed for CPI after 2016
� States will receive funding to establish health
insurance exchanges
� Individuals and small employers can purchase
coverage through an exchange (Qualified Health
Plans)
◦ Qualified employees use vouchers to buy coverage through
exchange
� Individuals can be eligible for tax credits
� Large employers subject to “Pay or Play” rule
� Applies to employers with 50 or more full-time
equivalent employees in prior calendar year
� Penalties apply if:
◦ Employer does not provide coverage and any FT employee
gets subsidized coverage through exchange ($2000 Penalty)
◦ OR
◦ Employer does provide coverage and any FT employee still
gets subsidized coverage through exchange ($3000 Penalty)
� Employers will have to report certain information
to the government
◦ Whether employer offers health coverage to full-time
employees and dependents
◦ Whether the plan imposes a waiting period
◦ Lowest-cost option in each enrollment category
◦ Employer’s share of cost of benefits
◦ Names and number of employees receiving health coverage
� No pre-existing condition exclusions or limitations
◦ Applies to everyone and all plans
� Wellness program changes
� Limits on out-of-pocket expenses and cost-sharing
� No waiting periods over 90 days
� Coverage of clinical trial participation
� Guaranteed issue and renewal
� Community Rating
◦ Insurers can vary premium only on self-only or family
enrollment, rating area, age and tobacco use
� 40 percent excise tax on high-cost health plans
� Based on value of employer-provided health
coverage over certain limits
◦ $10,200 for single coverage
◦ $27,500 for family coverage
� To be paid by coverage providers
◦ Fully insured plans = health insurer
◦ HSA/Archer MSA = employer
◦ Self-insured plans/FSAs = plan administrator
� More guidance expected
� Neace Lukens Compliance Information
◦ www.neacelukens.com
� US Department of Health & Human Services
◦ www.healthcare.gov
� Kaiser Foundation
◦ www.kaiserfoundation.org
� Small Business IRS tax credit FAQ
◦ www.irs.gov
� Model Notice Requirements
◦ www.dol.gov