February 20, 2021
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Part 5: Advance EOB, Patient/Consumer Protections, and Reporting
On December 27, 2020, former President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Appropriations Act). The Appropriations Act amends Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), Part 7 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and Chapter ...
February 20, 2021
Compliance Recap | January 2021
January was a busy month in the employee benefits world. President Biden issued a memorandum putting a regulatory freeze on new rules. President Biden also issued an executive order on strengthening Medicaid and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Department of Labor (DOL) ...
February 20, 2021
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Part 4: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits Parity
The Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 (Appropriations Act) signed into law on December 27, 2020, includes several provisions requiring that group health plans and health insurance insurers provide comparative analysis regarding utilization and compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete ...
February 10, 2021
Advocacy in Action | Dentist Billing Refund
A member knew that something wasn’t right with how her dentist was billing. She thought she was due a refund but her provider would not give it to her and she needed help…Purple Card help! Her patient advocate reviewed her bills, her explanation of benefits and stayed in communication with her ...
January 21, 2021
Final 2022 Benefit Payment and Parameters Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a final rule along with a fact sheet and press release for benefit payment and parameters for 2022. According to CMS, the proposed 2022 benefit payment and parameters rule intended to reduce fiscal and regulatory burdens ...
January 17, 2021
Networking: What’s Mine is Yours
Over the last year, LinkedIn has been painted green – the color of the “open to work” profile frames that pepper our newsfeeds. It seems as if everyone knows someone who has been affected by job loss, underemployment, or furlough. Job search strategy evolves at a rapid speed – what worked years ...
January 17, 2021
Exit Interview Gold
Departing employees are a wealth of information. Unfortunately, exit interviews are often treated by HR as a box to be checked rather than a treasure trove of insights. In today’s technology-heavy corporate world, it has become commonplace for employers to skip this important conversation with ...
January 17, 2021
Healthcare Deductible & Definition Drama
Do you search for a discount code before confirming an online purchase? Or cut coupons out of the weekly paper? If you are shaking your head yes, you are akin to the 92% of respondents in a 2019 Valassis study who reported using coupons. Let’s be honest…It feels good to get a deal. For some,... ...
January 17, 2021
The She-Cession: An Unwanted “Ladies First”
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic affected our work lives in unprecedented ways…workers furloughed, jobs lost, businesses closed, bedrooms converted to home offices. While the Great Recession of 2008 more negatively affected men’s employment rates, the numbers reported last year tell a ...
January 12, 2021
Compliance Recap | December 2020
December was a busy month in the employee benefits world. President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which includes the No Surprises Act and other group health plan provisions. The Centers for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued two ...
