The Value of Staying Grandfathered

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A perspective for California and Arizona brokers by Scott St. Clair

Discuss the options with your clients

The next couple of years are going to be big for health care reform. The potential is huge, the unknowns many.

We may not have a crystal ball but Health Net does have options. We’re keeping our grandfathered plans open so your clients have more time to decide whether to keep what they know or make a change.

The ACA does expand benefits and offer other advantages. On the other hand, keeping a grandfathered plan can mitigate uncertainty and provide rate and benefit stability.   Continue reading →

May22

Enhanced Tools for Arizona Brokers!

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Coming soon! HealthNet.com redesign, with new features for Arizona brokers

The new HealthNet.com is almost here, and it will feature a valuable tool for Arizona brokers.

Effective May 31 through June 27, 2013, Health Net will be previewing the new, redesigned HealthNet website, with improved navigation and a clean, modern design. During this preview period, both the current HealthNet.com and the redesigned site will be available. On June 28, the redesigned site will permanently replace the current site.

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May20

Reform Update: Are HSA’s Subject to Annual Limits on Benefits?

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How do provisions apply to HSAs?Lifetime and annual limits on benefits

 

On June 28, 2010, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury released an interim final rule (IFR) implementing provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that address application of lifetime and annual limits on benefits.

What are the basic rules concerning lifetime and annual limits on benefits?

The interim final rule prohibits group health plans and group and individual insurers from establishing any lifetime limit on the dollar amount of benefits for any individual.

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May16

California’s Mental Health Parity Law Update

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Prohibition of annual visit and dollar limitations for treatment of Autism and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)

 

Effective March 11, 2013, the California Department of Insurance adopted emergency regulations pertaining to California’s Mental Health Parity laws (Insurance Code sections 10144.5 and 10144.51). The emergency regulations are set to expire on September 10, 2013.

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May14

Feeling the Pinch? Tips to Keep You on Budget

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Keeping a budget journal

Although the U.S. is no longer in a recession, many Americans still face financial stress, the Pew Research Center reported in April. As such, your clients and their employees may benefit from this article. (And so may you!)

With the cost of food and energy up, many of us are feeling the pinch. If you find your strapped for cash, or if you’re looking for ways to target your budget, start using a spending journal to reduce your expenditures.

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May13

Reform Update for California Exchange

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Covered California approves model contract for health plans

 

The board at Covered California approved a model contract for health plans Tuesday, with an objective to address health plan performance approval in their May 23 meeting.  May 23 is also the date when the health benefit exchange for individuals and small businesses will announce a tentative lineup of health plans that will participate in the program in 2014. Final approval will be announced around July 1.

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May10

A Healthy Pregnancy Starts Before a Woman is Pregnant

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Health Net stresses importance of preconception health

Healthy eating is key during pregnancy

Sunday, May 12, is Mother’s Day, and Health Net is marking this global commemoration by helping to increase awareness regarding the importance of preconception health for women planning to become mothers.

“The first step toward having a healthy baby is for the future mom herself to be healthy before conception occurs,” says Jonathan Scheff, M.D., chief medical officer for Health Net, Inc. “That’s why Health Net stresses the crucial role that preconception health plays for women who are actively planning a pregnancy, or who intend to become pregnant in the next few years.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preconception care can improve birth outcomes, including reducing the number of babies born prematurely or who have low birth weights.

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May08

Coming Soon! The New Healthnet.com!

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We’re refreshing our award-winning website, www.healthnet.com, and it’s almost ready to share with you!

 

The next generation of the site will contain some new features, including a more robust ProviderSearch that places key provider details at your fingertips and in-depth information just a click away.  It will also include additional new features.

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May07

Straight Talk from Health Net

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Providing the way forward with Tailored NetworksWith midyear approaching, it’s important to acknowledge the success of our tailored networks.

 

Our tailored networks offer comprehensive health care benefits at a cost-savings to employers and members, and have proven to be a popular way to save money without sacrificing benefits. For example, we’ve added a wellness incentive to some of our tailored network plans that offers members an opportunity for a $50 gift card.1

And our numbers are improving! We now have 37% of our commercial membership in tailored networks, up from 30% in September 2012!

 

May06

Reform Update: Essential Health Benefits

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What are “essential health benefits”?What are Essential Health Benefits?

The ACA requires HHS to define an “essential health benefits package,” (EHB) which health insurance issuers in the individual and small group market must comply with. Under proposed rules, each state may select a “base benchmark” plan to serve as the basis for determining EHBs within that state. The coverage in this base benchmark plan will be supplemented as necessary to create a benefits package that provides 10 statutorily specified categories of benefits.

What are the EHB benchmarks currently proposed in each state?

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May03