As you have no doubt heard by now, on April 15, 2013 - two bombs were detonated just before 3 P.M. Eastern Standard Time in the Copley Square area of Boston, MA. 

Since the news broke, many of you have reached out to us to ascertain our situation and confirm our wellbeing.  I am pleased to advise you that our entire team is whole and healthy.  The outpouring of support from you, our industry partners, has been moving. 

Thank you once again for your care and support.  It is appreciated. If you would like to support the victims of this horrible tragedy please visit https://teespring.com/staystrongboston.

  

Phia Blood Drive

  

A day after the event, The Phia Group participated in a blood drive with The American Red Cross. Many "Phians" took time out of their busy days to donate blood for a great cause.We are always finding new ways to get involved in the community and we vow to continue those efforts.

To see the rest of the pictures click HERE.

Craig C. Schmidt

Director

Star Line Group

What is TX HB 1869?

TX HB 1869 is a bill (a proposed law) presently being considered by the State's legislature, which would seriously impact the subrogation and reimbursement rights of those health benefit plans and health insurance policies that are regulated by State law.  Its purpose is threefold:

(1) Implement a statutory common fund doctrine;

(2) Implement a statutory made whole rule;

(3) Prohibit recovery from "1st party" policies.

Who is Impacted?

Private, self-funded health plans enjoy what is called "Federal preemption" of State law, thanks to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, ("ERISA").  ERISA states that State law cannot limit or control a private, self-funded health plan's ability to implement and manage its health plan.  As long as the plan is in compliance with Federal law, the single plan will be enforced in accordance with the terms of its plan document, nationwide. 

Self-funded municipal plans and self-funded plans managed by houses of worship are exempt from ERISA.  While this results in many benefits, it does also nullify the Federal preemption described above; meaning that these self-funded plans are regulated by State law.  As such, if HB 1869 were to become law, these types of plans would need to comply with it.

Finally, insurance (programs where an insured pays a premium to an insurer, and the insurer takes on the responsibility of paying claims) are also regulated by State law.  As such, anyone who purchases insurance rather than self-fund their benefit plan, will be impacted by HB 1869.

What is Subrogation?

Subrogation occurs when a benefit plan or insurance carrier pays medical bills, but later discovers that a third party caused the injury or illness.  If another entity (such as another insurance program, workers' compensation, auto insurance, or negligent third party) is actually

Subrogation recoveries are an important factor in calculating the cost of premiums (if you buy insurance) or contributions (if you fund a self-funded plan).  HB 1869 places significant limitations on a health plan's ability to coordinate benefits and ensure the responsible party pays the claims, which will likely increase health insurance premiums and limit how many employers can afford to purchase coverage for their employees.

Read On

by Rebecca Meyrick

This past Monday, Vermont became the first state to unveil the insurance exchange rates. This preliminary look allows Vermonters to gauge how the health insurance overhaul will impact their wallets come January 2014, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Vermont Health Connector, as Vermont's exchange is known as, will open this coming October 2013 for enrollment. Vermont's exchange was designed primarily to offer coverage for individuals without access to employer-sponsored health care.

According to the Associated Press, a family of four making $32,000 per year will pay $45 per month out-of-pocket and a single person making $40,000 per year will pay about $317 per month out-of-pock et.

Vermont's insurance exchange will be supported by two insurance companies (1) MVP Health a third party administrator based out of Schenectady, New York, and (2) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont.

The long term goal of Vermont's state legislature is to be the first state in the United States to have a single-payer health care system from which the government pays all of the residents' medical bills and virtually nullifying the need for private insurance companies in the Green Mountain State.

Single-payer health care systems are currently in place in Australia, Canada, and Taiwan. This progressive plan was passed into law in 2011 with hopes of having full implementation by 2017.

The question to be considered as Vermont moves towards the single-payer system is what could this mean for self funded health plans in Vermont?