Recent Articles
Illinois Obamacare Rates Still Not Released
With less than three weeks left until a key launch date for the nation's health care law, Illinois residents planning to shop for health insurance on a new online marketplace still don't know which companies will offer plans or what the policies will cost. The...
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois to stop accepting individual applications
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois will only accept applications for new non-temporary short term polices through the end of the day on Friday, August 30th for a 2013 effective date. The last available effective date for any new non medicare individual and family health...
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois to Discontinue Maternity Rider
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has made the business decision to discontinue sales of its maternity rider for new and existing individual policies effective July 15, 2013. Requests for maternity coverage received after July 14, 2013, will not be processed....
Affordable Care Act Postpones Employer Penalty
Obamacare faced another significant setback yesterday when the administration announced it would delay the implementation of the employer penalties by a year until 2015. The Obama team bowed to complaints from business groups about the impact the law would have on...
What the Supreme Court’s Defense of Marriage Act Ruling Means for Employers
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. vs. Windsor to strike down DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) frees employers from a number of financial and administrative burdens, but it raises other issues for employers on how to navigate the patchwork of state laws...
IRS Releases 2014 HSA Limits
The maximum contributions that can be made to health savings accounts in 2014 will rise slightly. The following data for 2014 was recently released by the IRS for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs): The maximum contribution that can be made to an HSA in 2014 is $3,300 for...
BCBSIL to Offer No Enrollment Fee in May to Join Fitness Program
To celebrate National Fitness Month, the BCBSIL Fitness Program will waive the enrollment fee for new members who sign up May 1-31, 2013*. The Fitness Program offers Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) members unlimited access to a nationwide network of...
Mutual of Omaha – 2013 Illinois Medicare Supplement Plan Rate Increases
Mutual of Omaha has released their 2013 Illinois medicare supplement rate increases on both new and current members effective April 1, 2013. Plans A and Plan F: 9% increase Plan G: 5% increase
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Releases Final Ruling on Essential Health Benefits
Essential Health Benefits The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final regulations about essential health benefits (EHB) on February 20, 2013. The guidance defines the benefits that must be included with all fully insured plans sold inside...
Illinois Gets Approved for Health Insurance Exchange
Via Crains Illinois has obtained formal approval from the federal government to operate its health insurance exchange jointly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services next year, officials announced on February 13, 2013. A key part of President Barack...