eNews from Cypress Benefit Administrators 11-18-09

We enjoy bringing you information and reminders to help you stay abreast of new Cypress developments and industry compliance requirements. Please let us know how Cypress Solution eNews can be of further service to you.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULES:

Cypress Solution eNews will be distributed only once during the months of November and December.
Cypress Business Hours for November will remain the same, except that our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, for the holiday.

We wish you and your families a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!

In This Issue:

NEW ARGUS Advantage Series
NEW Cypress Web Site Launched
Senate Health Care Reform Bill Released
Bone Density Testing: Routine vs. Medical Need Coverage Differences
Revenue Procedure 2009-29: 2010 HDHP & HSA Deductible and Out-of-Pocket Amounts Reminder

ARGUS Advantage Series:

ARGUS Claim Review - a division of Cypress Benefit Administrators - guards against costly healthcare billing errors, issues with medical claims processing and other claim system deficiencies. Learn more about how this industry-leading system works via this series of occasional articles.

Understanding More About CMS Guidelines

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Outpatient Coding Guidelines are a major benchmark used in determining allowable amounts for claims. Learn more... <back to top>

Cypress Benefit Administrators
Launches New Web Site

We're happy to announce that we've just launched our new Web site, and we invite you to take a look! The site contains all of the tools and information that our former site did, but now has a freshened look, updated content, re-organized content and login features for easier access, and a few new items, including a newsletter archive and ARGUS case studies.

NOTE: You can use the same username and password you have been using to log in to your account. Access to logins can all be found in the left-hand menu bar, under the title ACCOUNT ACCESS.

Please let us know what you think or if you have suggestions for content. <back to top>

Senate Health Care Reform Bill Released

The much-awaited Senate Health Care Reform Bill was released yesterday. Find more information on this timely topic:

Actual Reform Bill text
For a review of highlights published by AAPPO
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the AAPPO article and Web site do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cypress Benefit Administrators.

Bone Density Testing:
Routine vs. Medical Need Coverage Differences

Bone Density Testing has received national attention through shows like Oprah, which recommend routine screening if risk factors are present. While it is excellent that these shows bring the importance of this testing into the national spotlight for those who need it, these recommendations do not correlate with the current guidelines of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) regarding routine bone density testing. Learn more about coverage guidelines for routine vs. medically needed screenings. <back to top>

2010 HDHP & HSA Deductible and Out-of-Pocket Amounts Reminder

The Internal Revenue Service issued Revenue Procedure 2009-29, which announced the indexed High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) amounts for 2010. See details. <back to top>

If you have any questions or are looking for solutions, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to help!

Sincerely,

Cypress Benefit Administrators