Starting Jan. 1, 2020, employers can establish accounts for their employees to help them pay for individual health insurance policies they purchase, as well as for other health care expenses. A new regulation expands on how health reimbursement accounts can be used....
Rebate
Large PBMs Balk at Push to Reduce Drug Prices
In a move that exemplifies the potential conflict of interest that some large pharmacy benefit managers have, the nation’s largest PBM earlier this year said it would demand that rebates remain unchanged when drug makers roll out new price cuts. Drug makers earlier in...
New Rules Aim for Hospital, Insurer Transparency
The Trump administration on Nov. 15 announced two rules that would require more transparency in hospital pricing and health insurance out-of-pocket costs for enrollees. The final rule on hospital pricing will require hospitals to publish their standard fees both...
How to Get the Benefits of Self-Funding without the Risks
There are typically two approaches to securing health coverage for your staff – group health insurance or self-funding. Self-funding, however, can be costly and risky and is usually only done by larger organizations with thousands of employees. But there is a hybrid...
Average Family Plan Cost Hits $20,000 for First Time; What Can You Do to Cut Costs?
A new study has found that the average annual premium for a group family health plan has exceeded $20,000 for the first time in 2019, up 5% from 2018. The average premium for single coverage plans in 2019 is $7,188, up 4% from the year prior, according to the Kaiser...
The ‘Cadillac Tax’ May Finally Be Repealed
The much-maligned “Cadillac tax,” which was supposed to be implemented as a tax on high-value group health plans with premiums above a certain level, may finally be seeing the end of the road. Already the implementation of the tax, which was created by the passage of...
How to Get the Benefits of Self-Funding without the Risks
There are typically two approaches to securing health coverage for your staff – group health insurance or self-funding. Self-funding, however, can be costly and risky and is usually only done by larger organizations with thousands of employees. But there is a hybrid...
As Specialty Drug Costs Bite, Employers Have Options
A new study has found that while group health plan costs will continue growing at the same rate as in the last few years (about 4% a year), the increases would be far less were it not for the spiraling costs of high-cost specialty prescription drugs. The 2020...
Trump Administration Decides Not to End PBM Rebates
The Trump administration has decided not to pursue a policy that would have put an end to rebates paid to pharmacy benefit managers, which could put the focus again on how drug companies set their prices. The proposal would have barred drug companies from paying...
TCHP Brokers Direct Contracting, Now Available with Holland Hospital
Through a unique collaboration with Holland Hospital, Holland PHO, TCHP and Sisco, an independent third party administrator, employers in West Michigan will have access to direct contract pricing and affordable self-insurance. Learn more...