Archive for the ‘Group’ Category

Changes to Federal COBRA for 2009

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

In February of 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Designed as part of the economic stimulus bill, this also provides some major assistance to COBRA coverage for certain individuals. Some of the major points to this bill are:

  • Will provide for a federal subsidyon the COBRA continuation coverage premiums for qualified beneficiaries due to involuntary termination of employment between Sept. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009 (Assistance Eligible Individuals)
  • Qualified beneficiaries will include the covered employee, the covered employee’s spouse, and covered employee’s dependent children. This means that the spouse or dependents of the involuntarily terminated employee will be eligible for benefits even if the employee does not elect COBRA.
  • There will be a federally provided COBRA subsidy of 65% of the amount owed by the Assistance Eligible Individual (AEI). A payment of 35% made by the AEI is considered payment in full. The remaining amount will be covered by the plan, insurer, or employer and will be reimbursed by the government via payroll tax credits. Note – this subsidy is not offered to health flexible spending account plans.
  • Those qualified beneficiaries that experienced involuntary termination of employment between September 1, 2008 and February 17, 2009 who did not elect COBRA during the initial 60 day period will now be provided another 60 day election period during which to elect COBRA coverage.

Please call or email us with any questions!

Saving Money on Small Group Plans

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Businesses, especially those with fewer than 5 employees, are really bearing the brunt of the rate increases. However, there are still options out there to save you and your employee’s money.

Carriers are constantly revising their portfolios to meet your needs. For example, Anthem Blue Cross expanded its portfolio to include four new HMO options.

Other ways to save on your Group Health Coverage may be to consider adding on the Section 125 Premium Only Plan. This allows employees to pay certain medical expenses (i.e. their portion of the premium) before taxes are deducted from your paycheck. This increases the employee’s take home pay, and reduces Employer taxes.

Carriers are also offering programs to rival their competitors. For example, small businesses with a lower “Risk Adjustment Factor” may qualify for substantial rate reductions by changing to another carrier. Sometimes even just adding dental and life plans to your current group coverage can also aid in reducing your overall premium.

Please call us today to discuss your current group coverage and ways we can help you to save!

Keeping Employees Aware of Benefit Packages

Monday, April 27th, 2009

One of the most important things you need to do as an Employer offering health insurance is to make sure that your employees understand their benefit packages.

Here are some frequently asked questions that employees may have about their group health insurance plan:

How much do they have to pay?
As the employer in a group health insurance policy, it is your responsibility to provide at least some payment for monthly premiums for the policy.

It is important that your employees know exactly how much you will provide and what they will have to pay on the policy. Ideally, this should be answered before an employee signs up for your group health plan to avoid any confusion.

How high is their deductible?
In addition to their monthly premium amounts, your employees should have a clear idea of what their annual deductible will be.

This will help them decide on which plan will best suit their needs, and will be necessary if they plan on using a health savings account to help pay for their premiums.

Is the insurance plan HSA eligible?
With the popularity of health savings accounts growing, your employees will need to know if your group health policy is HSA eligible.

Are there any exclusions in the policy?
Group health insurance is just like any other type of insurance. There will be specific exclusions in your group health plan that your employees will need to know about.

For example, dental care may be excluded from coverage, or preventative screenings may be excluded. It is important to get a list of exclusions for your policy from your health insurance provider.

Will they have coverage for a pre-existing condition?
If your employees have pre-existing conditions, this can affect their group health coverage. They will need to discuss this with your insurance company representative to make sure that they will have the kind of coverage that they need.

These are just some of the important topics you will need to address. As your agent, we will also be happy to answer such questions on your behalf.


© 2009 Abrams California Health Insurance Agency. All rights reserved.
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