July 2012  |  Volume 3, Number 7

Enlighten
Tagline
Contracts, Compliance and Research Updates   

 

HHS Provides Updated Benchmarks for Essential Health Benefits

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an updated list of the three largest, small-group insurance products ranked by enrollment for each state; the three largest, nationally-available Federal Employment Health Benefit Program plans; and the largest, federal-employee dental and vision plans. Starting in 2014, non-grandfathered plans in the individual and small-group markets must cover Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) under the Affordable Care Act. The updated lists are provided to illustrate acceptable benchmark options to define EHBs. The lists complement HHS's December 16, 2011 bulletin on EHBs.

  

To view the updated lists, click here.

For the December 16, 2011 bulletin, click here. 

Health Care Reform Update

Following the historic June 28th Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, legal experts, insurers and health care systems have weighed in on the likely consequences. Enlighten has collected a sampling of these articles, all of which reach the same general conclusion: health care reform continues its march forward, presenting employer group health plans with critical decisions in the months ahead.

Upcoming BSG Events  

 

2012 Las Vegas Mid-Sized Retirement Healthcare Plan Management Conference

September 9-12, 2012 ---- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

BSG is a proud sponsor of the University Conference Services (UCS), LLC Mid-Sized Retirement & Healthcare Plan Management Conference series. The Las Vegas event showcases industry experts' thoughts on the PPACA Supreme Court ruling, high health care costs, retirement plan fees, the "tax expense" issue, and much more. BSG representatives will speak about the following:

 

Anticipate, Understand and Leverage the Quickly Emerging Health Care Market (Monday, September 10, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.) presented by Peter Garner

 

Keynote Address: How Employers Can Deal with Transformation in the Health Care Delivery System  (Tuesday, September 11, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.) presented by Gerald ("Jerry") W. Frye

 

Beyond Health Fairs: Developing Wellness Plans that Improve Employee Health and Change Culture (Tuesday, September 11, 2:15 - 3:15 p.m.) presented by Michelle Spehr

 

For more information, view the conference brochure or visit the UCS website.

In This Issue
Contracts, Compliance and Research Updates
Health Care Reform Update
BSG Events

 HR360

More information regarding Health Care Reform and other benefit resources is available on the HR360 website, available to BSG clients under the "Resources" menu of their HR Express website. HR360 includes new features such as step-by-step interactive guides which make the processes of hiring, termination, COBRA and FMLA so much easier. In addition, there are new online tools such as a job description builder and salary benchmarking tool.

BSG subscribes to this service for your benefit. If you would like more information regarding this resource please contact your account management team at BSG.
Enlighten is published by The Benefit Services Group, Inc., (BSG®) and is provided free of charge to select BSG client representatives and associates.

By providing links to other sites, BSG does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to BSG.

The preceding is not intended to be and is not offered as legal advice. We are prohibited from the practice of law. Compliance is the responsibility of the employer or Plan sponsor and affected employees who should seek their own legal counsel regarding questions about information presented in this newsletter.

Copyright© 2012 The Benefit Services Group, Inc. BSG® is a registered trademark of The Benefit Services Group, Inc.

 

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