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In Acquiring Aetna, CVS Health is Aspiring to Become “the Trusted Front Door to Health Care”. What’s the Impact on Current Aetna Customers?

by | Dec 8, 2017 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Issues, Insurance, Managed Care - Group Health, National News, News and Events

In a letter to the broker community Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini provided a glimpse of where the combined CVS/Aetna entity hopes to head once everything is completed. If approved, the blockbuster transaction is expected to close late in 2018. Here’s what Bertolini had to...

Using An Old Opening Joke Line To Illustrate Costs In Healthcare

by | Sep 14, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Issues, Medicare Medicaid, Pharmacy Costs, Pharmacy, PBMs and Pharma Costs

We have all heard jokes that begin with “Three guys walk into a bar….” I thought it might make sense to use that model to explain why “referenced-based pricing” and general consumer awareness in healthcare are important to consider. Here...

Definition of Predicament: People Who Don’t Have Access to Employer Coverage, Aren’t Medicare Eligible, and Don’t Qualify for Subsidies

by | Jul 1, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Medicare Medicaid

Yes, this is a bit anecdotal. Nevertheless, I think it’s  worth reporting and some may find it interesting. First, recently our team managed the annual open enrollment process for the group health plan of one of our employer clients. After a quick but thoughtful...

The HHS Move to Curtail the Availability of Short Term Health Coverage Will Hurt Consumers In Need of an Affordable Bridge To Other Coverage……

by | Jun 10, 2016 | Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Medicare Medicaid, National News, News and Events

………Like Medicare or Other Employer-Sponsored Coverage. Yesterday the Obama Administration and HHS announced they were significantly curtailing the availability and use of short-term health insurance. Their reasons? Not exactly sure. Maybe it’s due to the myriad of...

Letters From CMS (Medicare) to Employers Regarding Group Health Plan Reporting Are Causing Some Confusion

by | May 6, 2016 | Employer Issues, General Health, General Insurance Issues, Health Policy, Healthcare Issues, Healthcare Reform, Medicare Medicaid, Providers

Many employers are receiving letters from CMS (Medicare) requesting information and it’s causing some confusion. The actual title of the letter reads “Requirement to Submit the Group Health Plan Report for the IRS/SSA/CMS Data Project”. Here’s an overview that may...