• A checklist of required actions,

• A summary of new regulations on preventive services and appeals processes, and

• Model notices.

As you will see, many actions must be taken before your fall open enrollments. Also, notices should be sent to participants by November 1.

Contact Nancy Welber or Tony Hart to follow up.

Official Application Available on HHS Website
For the official application and other helpful information (see list below), visit the HHS website: http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/index.html#early_retiree.

• Regulation
• Official ERRP Program Application (New)
• Official ERRP Application Instructions (New)
• Frequently Asked Questions (Updated)
• Application Submission Dos and Don’ts (Updated)
• Fact Sheet
• Presentation

Program Summary
For those of you not familiar with the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, it was established as part of the Affordable Care Act. The program reimburses plan sponsors of participating employment-based plans for a portion of the cost of health benefits for early retirees (prior to Medicare eligibility) and their spouses, surviving spouses, and dependents. Plan sponsors may be reimbursed for 80% of certain claims between $15,000 and $90,000 (as indexed) while funding lasts.

Race to the Finish Line?
Congress appropriated funding of $5 billion for this temporary program, which became effective June 1, 2010, and ends no later than January 1, 2014. But some observers doubt the money will last that long. Accordingly, there has been a mad rush to be one of the first sponsors to submit an application. Based on some new HHS FAQs, it looks like plan sponsors may have more time to file an application. According to the FAQs, claims will be processed in the order in which the claims are received (vs. in the order in which the applications are submitted). Don’t wait too long though to file your application. HHS has the authority to stop accepting new applications if it appears that the $5 billion in federal funding is insufficient as claims are paid out.

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding the retiree reinsurance program. We would be happy to assist you.

The recording is available via replay for 90 days.

Replay Dial-in Access: 888-496-6260 or 480-629-9053

Participant Code: 11544869

Confirmation Number: 92561

The accompanied slides are available here.

You will likely have follow up needs to this. Please let us know if we may assist.

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to find out what you have in store if you receive the Questionnaire and what you may do even if you do not receive the Questionnaire this time around.

The healthcare law is enormous. We will provide a high level overview shortly. However, from a true strategic standpoint, we intend to parcel information to you in digestible pieces, as it’s needed.

1.  Healthcare plans in existence on March 23, 2010 are exempted (”grandfathered”) from some but not all of the law’s requirements.

2.  Other than adding new enrollees and dependents, any changes to these plans may destroy their grandfathered status, thus subjecting the plan to all of the new requirements. You should balance the benefit of changes against the additional compliance burdens that may result. (We don’t yet have sufficient guidance on what changes won’t disturb grandfathering.)

3.  Healthcare plans maintained pursuant to collective bargaining agreements are fully exempt from the new requirements, until the last applicable bargaining agreement which existed on March 23, 2010 expires. 

Click here to read the entire article. 

Click here to read the entire article.