Category: Health Insurance
-
Questions about a QSEHRA?
(This inform is not updated to reflect 2019 proposed regulations so should be presumed to be partially obsolete). Yesterday I was hired for a single consultation engagement for a small business in Silicon Valley to answer a few simple questions about setting up a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA). This is a simple,…
-
How health care became a human right
When I started in the health benefits advisory business more than 30 years ago (1987) through the predecessor of Freedom Benefits I strongly disagreed that health care was a “right”. My opinion was shared by the majority of Americans. But three things have happened since then and public opinion has shifted: 1) The wealth gap…
-
More Q&As on the Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSERHA)
(This inform is not updated to reflect 2019 proposed regulations so should be presumed to be partially obsolete). I normally offer a free mini-consultation by telephone for prospective clients1. This allows us to get to know each other, prove that value provided will exceed the costs incurred, and lower risks of misunderstanding and miscommunication. But…
-
The Basics of Medicaid Planning
This blog post lists key issues in bullet format and is not intended as a complete discussion of any issue. A more thorough consideration is helpful for any aspect that may pertain to your family’s situation. Definition: “Medicaid planning” refers to the specialized field of financial planning that recognizes that it is possible to simultaneously keep financial assets while,…
-
The latest on small business health plans
With all of the tax hubbub lately small business owners and their advisors have had a tough time keeping up with all of the changes. Small business health plans have evolved through a rapid succession of changes over the past year and a half. Yet relatively few employers have taken the time to sort through…
-
How to cope with out-of-network medical providers
A friend asked a question about coverage with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. This is not a carrier I run into often in the areas I work but it is a major insurance in the region. A description of Highmark Blue Cross plans and 2018 rates is published online. The question was what to do when…
-
The market for health insurance advice (revisited)
Yesterday a peer in a closed online business discussion group asked me about the viability of health insurance advice and this triggered a recount of my prior experience in this field and a reexamination of my conclusion on the topic. There is actually quite a history behind my conclusion that health insurance advice is not…
-
Friday October 13 nightmare delivered by the president
Until now, The federal government provided financial help to working class people who earn too much to qualify for state Medicaid programs but earn too little to pay for the cost of health insurance. In this case the federal government pays 20% of the cost of coverage directly to insurers to cut premium costs. The president…
-
Annotated Health Care Executive Order
This is an annotated copy of the executive order signed by president Trump October 12, 2017 likely affecting the markets for short term medical insurance, limited benefit medical insurance, association health plans, out-of-state insurance purchase, telemedicine and uninsured health plans (Health Savings Accounts, Health Reimbursement Arrangements, Flexible Spending Accounts, Section 125 cafeteria benefit plans. Portions of the executive order…