The Benefits Brief

Back in September, HHS released a set of proposed rules dealing with broker compensation disclosure in the individual and short-term limited duration markets, as well as surprise billing requirements for air ambulance providers. As we do with all relevant proposed regulations, NAHU submitted comments to the Administration with our questions and concerns. In addition, CMS and OSHA issued interim fi...

The White House released a new framework for Democrats’ reconciliation package this week that cuts back many of the health insurance provisions initially included in early House versions of the bill. What is still included? What has been cut? How does this framework relate to what will be included in the final version of the Build Back Better Act? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hou...

Last month, federal agencies published a proposed rule regarding requirements created by the No Surprises Act, a section of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. That proposed rule deals with broker-compensation transparency requirements for individual and short-term limited duration plans as well as information regarding surprise billing of air ambulances. This proposed rule did not deal with comp...

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Michelle Barki, Senior Legal Counsel at Medcom Benefit Solutions, and member of NAHU’s Compliance Corner committee. As some listeners may know, Medcom is an NAHU affinity partner. We discuss what sorts of benefit solutions Medcom offers their clients, how folks can leverage NAHU’s partnership with Medcom for some tremendous reso...

Last week federal agencies published an interim final rule regarding requirements related to surprise billing. This much-anticipated IFR, considered “Part 2” of the administration’s surprise billing ban regulations, deals with the process to settle out-of-network payment disputes that will arise between providers and payers in addition to outlining requirements for healthcare cost estimates for un...

NAHU allies in the House introduced H.R. 5318 last week, better known as the Commonsense Reporting Act. This bill deals with ACA employer reporting requirements under section 6055 and 6056. In addition, things are heating up on Capitol Hill as Democrats continue infighting regarding what to include in their reconciliation package. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Vice Pr...

Late last week HHS and the Treasury Department released a final rule on the 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, or NBPP, updating several areas and finalizing standards for issuers, marketplaces and navigators for the 2022 plan year. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses what changes this final rule makes. Additionally, we will also discuss a co...

This week HHS published a proposed rule regarding requirements created by the Consolidated Appropriations Act. This much-anticipated proposed rule deals with broker compensation transparency requirements for individual and short-term limited duration plans as well as information regarding surprise billing of air ambulances. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s senior vice pr...

As August recess comes to an end, Congress will be back to work on the two major legislative packages that NAHU has discussed for the past few months – the $1 trillion bipartisan INVEST in America Act, and Democrats’ $3.5 trillion dollar reconciliation package. On the July 30 edition of the podcast, we discussed the status of these packages prior to August recess. On this week’s episode of the Hea...

Federal agencies recently released an interim final rule, “Part One” of the highly anticipated regulation regarding the ban on surprise billing included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This week, NAHU submitted comments to the administration with our thoughts and concerns about the rule. If you want to hear a detailed analysis of what’s included in this interim final rule, you can...

Late last week, the Department of Labor released new guidance regarding the implementation of the Transparency in Coverage final rule and sections of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, or CAA. The guidance, a series of FAQs, provides an updated timeline for when these policies will go in to place, just as NAHU requested. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner revie...

The coronavirus pandemic has obviously altered many aspects of our society, but one in particular has been the way in which consumers think about healthcare and receive healthcare services. With millions of healthcare consumers looking for a way to see their physician without needing to leave their home, telemedicine has become a crucial conversation. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy...

Did you know that NAHU has a brand-new Medicare and Medicare Advantage certification course? If you are looking for a new way to complete your annual Medicare Advantage training, NAHU should be your first stop. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s senior vice president of education Farren Baer is here to discuss the course and the value it can bring.

August recess has already begun for the House and is poised to begin this weekend for the Senate. Now is the time to get on the calendars of your representative and senators to talk with them about NAHU’s legislative priorities. What are those priorities? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner is here to discuss them.

With August recess rapidly approaching, the Senate voted to move forward Wednesday on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal with over $550 billion in new spending. Meanwhile, Democrats internally debate provisions of their own package, expected to top $3 trillion, which they plan to pass via the reconciliation process. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s vice preside...

Last week we discussed the balance-billing ban included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed at the end of 2020. This week, we’re discussing another provision that was included in the CAA – a request for information regarding reporting on pharmacy benefits and prescription-drug costs. Marcy M. Buckner explains the RFI and our response to it, as well as some upcoming comment letters t...

Federal agencies recently released “Part 1” of the highly anticipated regulation regarding the ban on surprise billing included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The 2,000-plus-page CAA encompassed many provisions, including a ban on surprise billing referred to as the No Surprises Act. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner reviews what is included in...

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Brian Luciani, partner at Blueprint Benefit Advisors and vice chair of the Board of Directors at United Benefit Advisors. We discuss UBA, Brian's experience during the pandemic at UBA and his personal business, their Annual Health Plan Survey, and more.

NAHU allies in Congress introduced bills that would address the three-day stay requirement for Medicare beneficiaries who are considered to be under observation status while being hospitalized. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Vice President of Congressional Affairs and resident Medicare policy expert John Greene discusses these new bills and how they seek to resolve this issue...

The Supreme Court finally issued a long-awaited decision in California v. Texas case, the case that could have struck down the entirety of the ACA. Ultimately the Court ruled 7 to 2 to effectively uphold the ACA as law of the land. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the ruling and its implications moving forward.

On last week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we discussed NAHU’s letter to federal agencies regarding concerns about the implementation of the surprise billing provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This week, Marcy M. Buckner is back to talk about another comment letter we submitted last week – this one concerning the hot-button issue of broker compensation disclosure....

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour we are revisiting an issue that we have not discussed in detail in some time – balance billing, also known as surprise billing. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, passed at the end of 2020, included a ban on surprise billing, with much of the implementation left up to regulatory bodies. NAHU submitted a letter this week to the relevant...

Last month, NAHU began publishing the State Update, a member-exclusive newsletter highlighting all the relevant political and regulatory health insurance news at the state level. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Husni Abdelaziz, NAHU’s director of government affairs. Husni monitors legislative and regulatory issues in 30 states, and works closely with NAHU’s No...

The Treasury Department and IRS released long-anticipated guidance regarding the full subsidization of COBRA premiums that was included in the American Rescue Plan Act. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, our friends from Compliance Corner -- COO & Compliance Officer of Kirby Employee Benefits Carol Taylor and CEO of MZQ Consulting Jennifer Berman – join us to provide an overview...

In January, President Biden established a new special enrollment period via executive order from February 15 to April 15, since extended to August 15. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are highlighting the milestone of 1 million consumers covered on the ACA exchange since the beginning of the SEP. In addition, we preview the next episode of the President’s Perspective podcast...