Skip to main content

SEARCH

Showing 647 results found

Financial Impact of COVID-19

A Message from EPIC’s Employee Benefits Financial Team We are monitoring the potential impact that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will have on costs for employer-sponsored health plans. The costs associated with the virus are still emerging, so providing a concise percent impact to costs is premature at this time; however, please see the following general facts regarding COVD-19: Per the Society of Actuaries (SOA), initial mortality rates related to COVID-19 range from 3.0% to 4.0%, but these are very dependent on age, with mortality for older groups reaching up to 15.0%. Some …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/financial-impact-of-covid-19/

Compliance Alert: Congress Passes Families First Coronavirus Response Act

QUICK FACTS The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Saturday, which it modified late Monday, to provide certain relief to American workers dealing with the financial fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will, among other things, expand certain protections under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), provide for emergency paid sick leave, and expand state unemployment insurance. The Senate passed the House bill today after rejecting several late amendments. The President has stated his support for the legislation, and is expected to sign the bill into law as …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/compliance-alert-congress-passes-families-first-coronavirus-response-act/

The Future of Wellness – Make it Personal

Viewpoints from Ayana Collins I read a lot of articles on the latest wellness trends in my downtime, and my most recent search results page yielded titles alluding to the end of traditional wellness programs. And I agree – programming with a one-size-fits-all approach has run its course. Wellness providers have responded by creating digital ecosystems with access to multiple resources to make the participant experience more personalized. Employees are more likely to participate if they feel the wellness program aligns with their needs and provides appropriate support. Clients frequently ask me how can they create an engaging …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/the-future-of-wellness-make-it-personal/

Who Pays for Coronavirus?

Vice President Mike Pence, who has been charged with leading the government’s containment efforts on coronavirus, announced that insurance carriers have agreed to waive copays for diagnosis of the illness. Further, telemedicine related to the disease is also to be covered without any cost to the patient. This is important since potential exposure at hospitals or other treatment facilities is not optimal for the patient or others with comorbidities. The administration also stated that there would be no surprise billing related to treatments for the disease. And self-insured employers seem to be following this directive as well. The …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/who-pays-for-coronavirus/

Targeting Dental Care to Address the Opioid Addiction Crisis

For the past few years, insurance carriers have been trying to address the opioid crisis with campaigns targeting inpatient and outpatient programs, mental health counseling, etc. But more recently, efforts have focused on prevention as opioid awareness has grown. Opioid-related deaths have precipitated a host of lawsuits against drug manufacturers and the addiction treatment industry is booming. UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has a new focus, dental care, in a more recent effort to address the opioid epidemic. Analysis from UHC found that dentists prescribe around 12% of opioids nationwide – and they prescribe 54% of the opioids that end up being dispensed …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/targeting-dental-care-to-address-the-opioid-addiction-crisis/

Compliance Alert: IRS Announces that HDHPs Can Cover Coronavirus Testing at No Cost with No Effect on HSA-Eligibility

BACKGROUND As fears regarding Coronavirus continue to envelop the nation, some states have elected to take proactive measures to ensure that their residents have access to cost-free Coronavirus testing.  Insurance regulators in five states (California, Maryland, New York, Vermont, and Washington) have now issued mandates that require insured policies issued in those states to offer Coronavirus testing free of charge.  Specifically, health insurance policies offered in these five states must cover Coronavirus testing cost-free, without application of any deductibles, copays, or coinsurance. Additionally, insurance regulators in Oregon have reached an agreement with several insurance carriers to waive costs …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/irs-announces-that-hdhps-can-cover-coronavirus-testing-at-no-cost-with-no-effect-on-hsa-eligibility/

Coronavirus Is a Major Challenge to Employers and Human Resource Professionals

… departments with new issues, and public policy will further complicate matters for employers. Short-term disability contracts provide income replacement to workers who are unable to work due to illness or injury, and these would apply should an employee contract the disease. But what should an employer do if the employee is unable to work due to quarantine from exposure to illness, and for how long? One major insurance company posed just that question to its self-insured clients: if absence from work is due to disease spread prevention, would the employer authorize short-term disability benefits even if the …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/coronavirus-is-a-major-challenge-to-employers-and-human-resource-professionals/

Health Hubs Are Here

… competitors. There is no question that consumers will be the ultimate beneficiaries as the hubs will likely provide them with improved experiences. One Medical was a pioneer in the movement to “luxurize” the primary care experience and early indications are that these new entrants are investing heavily in providing an enhanced customer experience. But how this benefits the healthcare economy will ultimately depend on the effectiveness of these hubs to reduce spending by providing single points of care for additional services (preventive, pharmacy, etc.) and driving more efficiencies in the subsequent steerage to lower cost/higher quality specialists and facilities.

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/health-hubs-are-here/