Health Coverage During Pregnancy Leave - NEW (10-12-11) - Existing law prohibits an employer from refusing to allow a female employee disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition to take a leave for a reasonable time of up to 4 months before returning to work. SB 299, commencing Jan. 1, 2012, would also prohibit an employer from refusing to maintain and pay for coverage under a group health plan for an employee who takes that leave, as specified. CA SB 299 (Evans)
Medicare Eligibility Age Needs to Rise to 67, Health CEOs Say - NEW (9-14-11)
How Long Can We Avoid Long-Term Care? - NEW (10-30-11)
Republicans to HHS: What Did You Do with the CLASS Office? - NEW (9-26-11) - Congressional Republicans are demanding clarification on what the Obama Administration is doing about implementation - or non-implementation - of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act long term care (LTC) insurance program.
States Head to DC with Questions about Health Insurance Exchanges - NEW (9-19-11)
What a Healthcare Ruling Could Mean to the Supreme Court - NEW (10-4-11)
Threshold Raised for HRA Reporting - NEW (10-15-11) - Medicare Secondary Payer: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces that the $1,000 threshold increases to $5,000, effective Oct. 3, 2011. Thus, only HRA coverage with an annual benefit level of $5,000 or more is required to be reported.
More Lawsuits, Anyone? - NEW (10-4-11) - Supreme Court Justices worry a California Medicaid case could unleash a flood of new lawsuits
The Broccoli Case - NEW (9-29-11) - Can the government force us to buy health insurance any more than they can make us buy broccoli? The Obama Administration, PPACA Opponents ask the Supreme Court to Rule.
Maternity Coverage for ALL Plans - Mandated - NEW (10-12-11) - SB 222, commencing July 1, 2012, would require every individual health insurance policy to provide coverage for maternity services for all insureds covered under the policy. This bill would become operative only if AB 210 of the 2011-12 Regular Session is also enacted.
CA Could Pose Problem for Obama's HCR - NEW (9-15-11) - CA was supposed ot be a model that showed the law's promise. But, the state is emerging as 1 of the biggest headaches for the White House.
Hospitals Face Big Medicare Fight Under HCR - NEW (10-1-11) - New Medicare penalties for re-admitting too many patients soon after they are discharged
Will HCR Survive the Courts? - (8-20-11) - The legal battle over the constitutionality of the HCR law.
Appeals Court Strikes Health Insurance Requirement - (8-12-2011) - 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the so-called individual mandate, siding with 26 states that sued to block the law. However, the panel didn't go as far as the lower court....
Republicans Bring Out the Grandfathers - (9-2-2011) - House Republicans plan to craft a bill that could loosen the current rules governing when an existing health plan can keep grandfathered status.
AB 52 Faces Growing Opposition - (8-18-2011) - The bill would allow government to reject or modify proposed health insurance rate increases.
CA Health Benefit Exchange Receives $39 Million Federal Grant - (8-12-2011) - Well, who else did you think was going to pay for this?!
HHS Grants 106 New Healthcare Waivers - (8-19-2011) - And this bring the total to 1,472 waivers.
Compare Health Benefits "In Plain English" - (8-19-2011) - New health insurance rules would let consumers compare plans, "like reading the 'Nutrition Facts' on the package label." The government has saved us again!
The Individual Mandate Cheat Sheet - (8-31-2011) - Your guide to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) most controversial provision.
How Medicare Curbs will Affect Prescription Drugs - (8-19-2011) - Will the Independent Payment Advisory Board really help to alleviate the Medicare crisis? Could the panel make it worse?
How is CA Going to Deal with the Impact of HCR? - (8-11-2011)
CA Attorney General Files Brief in Support of HCR - (8-22-2011)
Health Care Reform Timeline 1 - A one-page document that points out key provisions of Health Care Reform due to transpire over the next several years.
Health Care Reform Timeline 2 - Another 1-pg. document.
Health Care Reform Rules on Dependent Coverage of Children Up to Age 26 - (Legislative Brief) This answers questions about adding dependent children (who are up to age 26) to your new or existing health insurance plan.
Payroll Stuffer - Adding Dependent Children (up to Age 26) to your Health Insurance - FREEBIE FOR EMPLOYERS!!! Use this payroll stuffer to inform your employees that they can add their dependent children to their employer-sponsored health insurance plan.
Early Retiree Reinsurance Program - (Legislative Brief) Key information for large businesses (those with over 51 employees).
Congress Repeals 1099 Reporting Requirements - (Legislative Brief) HOORAY! It's official. You DO NOT have to send a 1099 to every business you send over $600 after all!