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Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Antitrust Settlement Update

Quick Facts A recent Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust lawsuit resulted in a proposed settlement of $2.67 billion dollars. The final hearing on the settlement will be held on October 20, 2021. Multiple different damages classes including fully insured and self-funded plans are eligible to receive payment under the settlement. Individuals and plans who wish to seek payment must take action to file a claim or opt out to retain the right to sue. Introduction Many individuals and employers have recently received a postcard informing them of a proposed $2.67 billion settlement stemming from a 2012 class …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/blue-cross-blue-shield-bcbs-antitrust-settlement-update/

Vaccine Incentive Programs

… Prevention’s (CDC’s) recent guidance on promoting vaccination in the workplace. The primary exemptions to consider include those exemption requests arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The available guidance recommends that employers develop voluntary vaccination campaigns and employee incentive plans to promote employee vaccinations. Employers implementing vaccination programs should follow the recommended guidance offered by the federal and state agencies. The currently available CDC, Department of Labor (DOL) and EEOC (collectively “Agency” or “Agencies”) guidance advise employers that to maintain a permissible vaccine program, they

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/vaccine-incentive-programs/

Are You Ready for Healthcare Disruption? It’s Coming

Anthem, the nation’s largest health insurance carrier, warned of higher medical costs to come in their recent earnings forecast – due in part to more rapid than expected vaccine administration and bounceback of medical expenses as non-COVID 19 expenses are in greater demand. This sentiment was also shared by UnitedHealthcare in their earning report. There is no doubt that the negative medical cost inflation seen in COVID-stricken 2020 was an aberration. Medical cost trend is reemerging and the nation’s largest retailers clearly see the potential. Viewpoints from Craig Hasday Amazon, the most valuable company in terms of …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/are-you-ready-for-healthcare-disruption-its-coming/

The Other Health Insurance Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has provisions that give individuals relief related to healthcare coverage. Perhaps the healthcare coverage provision most pertinent to employer plans, including self-insured plans, is related to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation coverage premium subsidies. It instructs employers to cover 100% of the cost of COBRA premiums for qualified individuals. COBRA subsidies are not the sole option that the ARPA provides to those seeking affordable healthcare coverage. The ARPA also includes other provisions that provide subsidies and relief for healthcare coverage. The ARPA offers enhanced Marketplace premium subsidies. The ARPA reduces …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/the-other-health-insurance-provisions-in-the-american-rescue-plan-act/

Boost Employee Engagement in a Tech World

Viewpoints from Jodi Perry Engaging employees is hard. I’ve watched employee engagement trends evolve over the years, and hands down, technology is the way to go for this monumental task. One reason digital solutions are so wonderful is their ability to lead the user to a precise location when they have questions. And we know employees are utilizing digital solutions from the analytics we monitor for our clients. Employees don’t stay long – they get in, get what they need and get out. It’s a win-win. How do you currently communicate your benefits offerings? A benefits guide …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/boost-employee-engagement-in-a-tech-world/

Webinar Recording Now Available: Way to Wellness: Return-to-Office Webinar

Webinar Recording Now Available! Returning employees to an office setting presents a new set of challenges We recently hosted a client panel on return-to-office (RTO) protocols and considerations. This session was moderated by Bob Simpson, Sr. Director Benefits Solutions Group and Craig Schmidt, Director, Wellness & Health Management, who led a discussion with a panel of our valued clients to get their input on: Incenting and/or mandating vaccines Requiring masks or COVID testing Helping employees with mental health Other challenges impacting their workforce We also discussed valuable tools and resources that can guide you in creating your own …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/return-to-office-protocols-considerations-webinar/

California Court Rules Plans Must Cover ABA Therapy to Comply with the Mental Health Parity Rule

… coverage for certain benefits. The MHPAEA sets minimum standards for group health plans regarding parity requirements. The provisions of the MHPAEA apply to applicable large employers (ALE) with a group health plan (GHP) providing mental health and substance abuse (MH/SUD) benefits in addition to medical and surgical (M/S) benefits. If a GHP covers MH/SUD benefits and other essential health benefits, the MH/SUD benefits coverage cannot be more restrictive than the M/S benefits. This is commonly referred to as providing MH/SUD benefits in parity with M/S benefits or the Mental Health Parity Rule. A …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/ca-court-rules-plans-must-cover-aba-to-comply-with-mhp-rule/

Is Government-Run Healthcare Better? Maybe Not

… 41.3 weeks). And the Canadian economy lost productivity and wages of almost $2.1 billion in 2019 according to a Fraser Institute study. An estimated 30,000 Canadians had treatment delayed for conditions such as diabetes and cancer from the end of March to December 2020. And employer-sponsored benefits costs in Canada are expected to increase by 7% this year. I suspect the U.S. will not fare as badly, since because of higher capacity, our country will catch up much more quickly. And certainly, before the pandemic, we didn’t show the same backlogs as our neighbor …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/is-government-healthcare-better-maybe-not/