1 min read

'Pay or Play' Delayed

By Gibson on Feb 11, 2014 2:30:00 PM

On February 10, 2014 the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service announced that the Affordable Care Act's health coverage mandate for some employers will be delayed another year until 2016. The impact is to employers with 50 or more employees, but fewer than 100 employees, working at least 30 hours per week. 

Topics: Employee Benefits Health Care Reform
3 min read

Why the U.S. Spends 17% Of GDP On Health Care

By Gibson on Jan 29, 2014 1:00:00 AM

This content is used with permission from John Torinus who is headlining this year’s Human Capital Summit on March 13, 2014.

A comparison of health costs between Europe, Canada and the U.S. by Sue Davis, chair of the political science department at Denison University, Granville, Ohio, surfaced a major insight on why other countries spend far less on care as a percentage of GDP than America.

Topics: Health Care Reform Health Risk Management
3 min read

5 Steps To Control Health Costs

By Gibson on Jan 27, 2014 3:31:00 AM

In great anticipation of John Torinus headlining this year’s Human Capital Summit on March 13, 2014, we are sharing his blog content on the 5 Steps To Control Health Costs. This content was derived from his book The Compay That Solved Health Care. In addition to this topic, John will bring new insight during our event from his latest book Opt Out On Obamacare, Opt Into The Private Heath Care Revolution.

Any organization can take immediate steps to tame the hyperinflation of health care costs and premiums. Innovators in health care delivery in the private sector have paved the way to proven methods for cutting costs. Not surprisingly, managing costs and improving health go hand in hand. Here are the basic steps that managers can take to not just curtail costs, but to reduce them:

Topics: Employee Benefits Health Care Reform Health Risk Management
2 min read

Don’t Let Diabetes Control You – Take Control & Make A Choice

By Gibson on Nov 6, 2013 5:37:00 PM

November is American Diabetes Month. For those of you who know me well, you are probably aware that diabetes prevention and education is a subject about which I am very passionate.

Topics: Health Care Reform
2 min read

The Affordable Care Act Individual Mandate: What It Means For You

By Gibson on Oct 21, 2013 1:27:00 PM

Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most individuals to obtain acceptable health insurance coverage for themselves and their family members or pay a penalty. This provision is widely known as the “individual mandate.” If you are covered under a health plan offered by your employer, or if you are currently covered by a government program such as Medicare, you can continue to be covered under those programs and will not be impacted by the individual mandate.

How much will the individual mandate penalty cost me?

The penalty for not obtaining acceptable health insurance coverage under the ACA will be phased in over a three-year period. The amount of the penalty is the greater of two amounts—the “flat dollar amount” and “percentage of income amount.”

In 2014, the penalty will start at $95 per person, or up to 1 percent of income. For 2015, the penalty increases to $325 per person or up to 2 percent of income. In 2016 and after, the penalty increases to $695 per person or up to 2.5 percent of income. “Income” for this purpose is your household income minus your exemption (or exemptions for a married couple) and standard deductions. Families will pay half the penalty amount for children. The penalty is charged annually but calculated on a monthly basis - assessed for each month in which you go without coverage. There is no penalty for a single lapse in coverage lasting less than three months in a year.

Because this provision has the effect of “requiring” individuals to have coverage, it is often referred to as the “individual mandate.”

Topics: Health Care Reform
5 min read

HIPAA Enforcement: Compliance Issues and Solutions

By Gibson on Oct 14, 2013 4:12:00 AM

In light of the increased HIPAA enforcement activity, covered entities and business associates should review their existing HIPAA Privacy and Security safeguards to determine if you sufficiently protect Protected Health Information (PHI). If applicable, the safeguards should address how to protect PHI taken off your premises either on paper or electronically (for example, on a laptop computer). Also, covered entities and business associates should confirm that any employees with access to PHI have received the necessary HIPAA training. In addition, to avoid HIPAA’s breach notification requirements, PHI should be secured (that is, encrypted or destroyed), to the extent possible.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), is responsible for enforcing the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Although OCR has been enforcing HIPAA’s rules since 2003, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, significantly enhanced OCR’s enforcement authority.

Topics: Employee Benefits Health Care Reform
3 min read

Will Pricing Transparency Lead To A Reduction Or An Increase in Healthcare Costs?

By Gibson on Sep 18, 2013 7:15:00 AM

Topics: Health Care Reform
3 min read

Patient Centered Care

By Gibson on Aug 13, 2013 11:33:00 AM

The IOM (Institute of Medicine) defines patient centered care as: "Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions."

Topics: Employee Benefits Health Care Reform
2 min read

The Emphasis On Preventive Care

By Gibson on Jul 16, 2013 6:35:00 AM

Preventing disease is important to leading a healthy life. Detecting disease early is a key component to disease management and recovery. As Ben Franklin said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

Achieving this “pound of cure” will be easier now than ever before with the new provision

Topics: Health Care Reform Health Risk Management
3 min read

Health Care Reform: Next Steps for Employers

By Gibson on Jun 24, 2013 7:24:00 AM

As the countdown to January 1st continues, employers must continue to prepare for the changes that must be made to comply with the Health Care Reform.

Topics: Health Care Reform