Preferred Partners Insurance Agency

All employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must inform their employees by October 1, 2013 about the Exchanges. Last week the Department of Labor (DOL) provided temporary guidance and model notices that can be used by employers to satisfy this requirement. Our friends at Cigna did a nice job summarizing the DOL technical release with links to the model notices. http://tiny.cc/dic1ww

Health care reform update: Last week, the IRS issued more proposed rules clarifying the minimum value calculation for employers. After reading various interpretations of the IRS notice, we think this blog provides the best summary. However, if your eyes glaze over or you get a headache trying to digest this info, please give us a call and we'll be happy to walk you through it. Of special note, it is proposed that premium discounts offered by employers for wellness program pa...rticipation will be excluded in running the affordability test, with the exception of tobacco cessation programs. So, if an employer charges employees a monthly premium of $100 for single coverage if they participate in a wellness program and $125 if they do not, employers would use the $125 premium when determining whether the plan they offer is "affordable". However, if that same premium discount was offered for participating in tobacco cessation programs, employers could use the $100 premium when running the affordability test. http://tiny.cc/c2fsww See more

Wellness and ROI: Ever heard the old adage, "You can't manage what you don't measure"? This blogger isn't advocating throwing metrics completely out the window, but he does rightly point out that measuring the financial impact of wellness programs is anything but easy and objective. What do you think? http://tiny.cc/gs0qww

IRS sets maximum health savings account contributions for 2014: http://tiny.cc/odcoww

Health Care Reform: Are your employees in the know? Most employees expect their companies to educate them about health care reform. However, a recent study shows that most employers don't consider this a priority. We advocate that educating your employees about how best to manage their health care choices is a smart way to keep your workers loyal, happy and healthy. Is your company prepared to play this role?... http://tiny.cc/2r7cww See more

90 day waiting period: Here's a bit more insight for plan sponsors. These proposed rules still need to be finalized. We'll continue to provide updates but in the meantime, be mindful of the need to ensure your plans meet the eligibility requirements of both ERISA and ACA. http://tiny.cc/vzl5vw

Is your company hesitant to tie health insurance premium discounts (or penalties) to employee participation in corporate wellness activities? Maybe it's time to reconsider. http://www.shrm.org//Ar/Pages/Premiums-Wellness-Link.aspx

Employers: Your 2014 summary of benefits statement will look a lot like...your 2013 statement (what a relief!). http://www.businessinsurance.com//201304/NEWS03/130429908|62|63|307|74|278|305|80

We frequently get asked whether the health insurance exchanges will kick off on time (we're about five months away from the proposed Oct 1 launch date). This (month-old) blog does a nice job highlighting how the health plan execs would answer this question. http://healthpolicyandmarket.blogspot.com//six-months-to-g?