Category: Employee benefits
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11 Ways Congress Can Improve the ACA Right Now
Now that the 2014 elections are behind us, we thought we’d take a look at 11 actions Congress can take to improve the Affordable Care Act. Several of our suggestions have bipartisan support and, even in the 2015 session of Congress, a vote to do away with some of the less popular aspects of the […]
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12 True-False Questions About the Affordable Care Act
With the new health insurance marketplaces open and 2014 approaching, we’ve learned a great deal about the Affordable Care Act. But polls tell us most Americans still don’t know much about the law or are pretty confused. In fact, a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that six of 10 Americans know very little about what the […]
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Faith and the Affordable Care Act Contraceptive Mandate
The Affordable Care Act contraceptive mandate continues as a significant concern for the religious community. In recent weeks, more organizations have sued the federal government asserting the mandate violates the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Central Issue The core issue is a Department of Health and Human Services rule. It states that all health plans […]
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After Dental Care, What’s Left in Your Wallet?
Have you ever noticed that dental pain often finds its way from your mouth to your wallet? In the United States, major dental care can cost anywhere from a few hundred to more than $40,000. When you turn to your dental insurance policy for benefits, you find coverage limits of only a few thousand dollars, leaving you with a […]
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10 Critical Health Insurance Questions You Should Ask Right Now
Health insurance will undergo significant changes in 2014, and many American families are wondering how to plan for them. Whether you have health insurance through an employer or buy it on your own, here are ten questions you and your family should ask right now. Question Why is it important? 1. Will health insurance cover my […]
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An Affordable Care Act Quiz for All of Us
The Affordable Care Act promised to deliver significant changes in health care and health insurance. During the past two years, we’ve learned a great deal about what is included in this sweeping new law. As with most wide-ranging laws, it can be hard to get the real facts and all too easy for misinformation about the law to […]
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5 Must-Fix Items in the Affordable Care Act: Higher Insurance Costs
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act told us the law would make medical care and health insurance less expensive. Advocates said there were several reasons. More people will have insurance, including a lot more healthy young people. Competition created by health insurance exchanges will bring prices down. More people would gain access to preventive care. However, other parts of the […]
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5 Must-Fix Items in the Affordable Care Act: Premium Repayment
The promise of the Affordable Care Act is to make health insurance less expensive for American families. The promise is based on premium assistance from the federal government for people who qualify. But there is a surprise in store for many families. If you didn’t know you might have to repay the premium subsidy you already […]
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5 Must-Fix Items in the Affordable Care Act: The Disappearing Subsidy (or, How Government Budgeting Invaded Your Checking Account)
Affordable Care Act supporters promise health insurance will become more affordable. This promise is largely based on help paying premiums for people whose incomes fall between 100% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (“FPL”). However, lurking within the more than 2,700 pages of the Affordable Care Act are several significant surprises for families who take advantage of this aid. […]
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Five Must-Fix Items in the Affordable Care Act – The Small Business Deductible
Editor’s Note: We initially expressed concern about the impact of the small business deductible cap in September 2012. Since that time, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule on the application of the small business deductible. Under that ruling, the Affordable Care Act provision allowing small businesses to use medical expense […]