On September 8, 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond, Virginia issued rulings on two appeals. They dismissed lawsuits by the State of Virginia and Liberty University that challenged the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (PPACA) individual mandate. Both cases were dismissed on procedural grounds, so...
On September 1, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an amendment to the rate review provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The amendment extends the rate review process to coverage sold to individuals and small groups through associations effective November 1, 2011. No other changes to the...
On August 17, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Uniform Benefit Summaries under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The intent of Uniform Benefit Summaries is to provide individuals with standard information so they can review medical plans, compare insurers and make decisions about...
Is it the end of “use it or lose it” for Flex Spending Accounts? Employee Benefit Advisor reports there is a bill being presented that would allow employees to keep unused Flexible Spending Account funds. Here’s the link to the article: EBA – Senators Introduce FSA Improvement Act
Yesterday, the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Medco announced an agreement to merge with Express Scripts. At the same time, Medco indicated that it will not renew its contract to provide pharmacy benefits administration services to UnitedHealthcare customers. The UHC/Medco contract ends December 31, 2012 and includes a transition period thereafter. United Healthcare is prepared to transition...