BY Bob Wesselkamper   In the past, it was typical for a company to provide all employees with access to the same group benefits — regardless of their age, demographics or education level. From health insurance to retirement plans and paid time off, these uniform benefit packages were designed to meet the needs of the […]

BY Allison Bell   Durable medical equipment, home health care, doctors and hospitals could do more to drive up U.S. health spending this year than prescription drug costs, according to a team of actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS team is predicting that overall U.S. national health expenditures (NHE) […]

BY CONNER INSURANCE   OVERVIEW On March 7, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule that would change the salary thresholds for the “white collar” overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under the proposal, the minimum salary level for executive, administrative and professional employees would increase from $455 to […]

BY CONNER INSURANCE   On Jan. 24, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2020. This proposed rule describes benefit and payment parameters under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would be applicable for the 2020 benefit year. Proposed standards included in the […]

BY CONNER INSURANCE   The workers’ compensation (WC) insurance system is a no-fault method of paying workers for medical expenses and wage losses due to on-the-job injuries. While the majority of WC claims are truthful, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that billions of dollars of false claims are submitted each year. To help you […]

  The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee for policy or plan years that end between Oct. 1, 2018 and Oct. 1, 2019 is increased to $2.45 for payments due July 31, 2019. This is an increase from the $2.39 payment that was due in 2018. The PCORI fee is assessed […]

BY IBJ   “Medicare-for-all” makes a good first impression, but support plunges when people are asked if they’d pay higher taxes or put up with treatment delays to get it. The survey, released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, comes as Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace the idea of a government-run health care system, considered […]

INDIANAPOLIS – Ben Conner, CEO of Conner Insurance has been named to the 2019 class of Rising Stars in Advisors by trade publication Employee Benefit Advisor (EBA). This designation recognizes young advisors, spanning in age from 20 to 35 years old, who represent the “next generation of leaders” from around the country. Conner, along with […]

BY SCOTT WOOLDRIDGE   A new survey suggests that high deductible health plans (HDHPs) can be a good news/bad news proposition: although they succeed in making plan enrollees better-informed consumers, they also are associated with negative outcomes such as delaying care because of cost concerns. The survey, conducted by Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald & Associates, […]

BY EMILY PAYNE   Starting in January, hospitals across the country were required to post their chargemaster prices online for patients to see. Unfortunately, thus far the change is causing more confusion than clarity. What’s ultimately billed to the patient is determined the insurance company’s negotiated rates with the facility, and that varies greatly from one individual to another. […]