After the 2016 election, pundits on all sides swore, “We’re out of the prediction business.” The same declaration should be made for anyone involved in healthcare policy — because while commentary abounds on the future of health insurance under President Trump, nothing has been confirmed. In March, Republicans put together a bill to “repeal and replace” Obamacare. However, until actual legislation gets
Employee retention is a crucial part of reducing company costs. And a key part of employee retention is that your business offers access to quality healthcare coverage. But you’re not a health insurance expert. You’re a small business owner with a small HR department and limited resources to navigate the health insurance industry. How do you offer comprehensive coverage and keep
Under the original provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the term “small business” applied to companies with no more than 50 employees. As of January 2016, that definition has changed. If your firm has 1 to 100 full-time equivalent employees, you are now eligible to purchase healthcare coverage through Covered California. Known as the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP),
Almost two-thirds of insured Americans receive health insurance through their employers. But plenty of Americans — specifically, Americans who work for small businesses — don’t receive health insurance through work. If you’re a small business owner with fewer than 50 full-time employees, you aren’t legally obligated to provide group coverage. Still, could employee benefits give your firm a competitive advantage? One
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made sweeping changes to America’s healthcare system. And for small businesses, those changes have a big impact. If your firm has 50 or more employees, the ACA requires that you provide affordable coverage to your employees. If your firm has fewer than 50 employees, you don’t have to offer health insurance — but you do
It’s that time of year again! Open Enrollment, the annual period in which you can sign up for a health insurance plan for 2018, runs Nov. 1, 2017 to Jan. 31, 2018 in California. This window is your only chance to sign up for 2018 healthcare coverage. (Exceptions will be made, however, for those who qualify for Special Enrollment). So now’s the time
Health insurance in California saw three major changes in 2017. First, PPO plans were phased out in favor of HMO and EPO plans. Second, all Obamacare enrollees had to choose or be recommended to a PCP. Third, most plan premiums increased in price. Because California has the nation’s largest state-run health insurance exchange, its pool of about 1.4 million enrollees helped insurance companies
In 2017, Blue Shield will be the only insurance carrier in California to offer a PPO. Blue Cross offered PPOs in 2016, but next year they’ll convert the majority of their PPO plans to EPOs. By 2018, it’s likely that zero carriers will offer a PPO. How do these changes impact you? Which plan should you choose? We’ll compare each plan type
When it comes to your health, you want to pick the best possible health insurance plan. But how do you decide which parts of a plan are most important? How can you be sure that your policy will cover your medical needs? In short, how do you find a plan that works for you? It’s easier than you think! Here’s a
Health insurance is a pretty straightforward concept: You pay your insurance carrier a monthly premium, and your insurance carrier helps pay for your medical costs. Unfortunately, what’s not straightforward about health insurance is just about everything else. Healthcare coverage varies by plan type, insurance carriers, the network of doctors that carrier offers and state laws. Plus, each plan has its
