Apr 2, 2021 | Alternative Reimbursement Strategies, Brokers, Comparative Effectiveness, Direct-to-Employer Contracting, MedBen Rx, MedBen University, MedBen WellLiving, Municipalities, Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM), Reference-Based Pricing, Roundtables, Rx Costs, Trend, Wellness
MedBen University (MBU) kicked off its 20th season with the annual Broker Roundtable. Like last year, this event was held virtually, with over 100 in attendance from five states. Topics for the roundtable included cost and utilization trends by industry and product,...
Apr 1, 2021 | Compliance, Fully Insured, Ohio, Regulatory, Self-funding
Good news for fully-insured employers: Under a new Ohio law, insurers are required to provide monthly claims data once a year to groups with 50 or more covered employees (effective July 1, 2021). For fully-insured employers, this new rule provides a better opportunity...
Mar 30, 2021 | COBRA, Compliance, COVID-19, Regulatory
On April 29, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Labor and the Treasury (the Departments) issued the “Final Rule,” which extended deadlines to elect COBRA, pay COBRA premiums, elect HIPAA special enrollments, and file benefit claims, appeals,...
Mar 29, 2021 | COBRA, Compliance, Flexible spending accounts (FSAs), Regulatory
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the ARPA) includes COBRA subsidy provisions aimed at making health plan coverage accessible and affordable. The ARPA creates a 6-month subsidy period (April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021) during which certain “assistance eligible...
Mar 23, 2021 | Alternative Reimbursement Strategies, Cost Savings, Direct-to-Employer Contracting, Reference-Based Pricing, Savings
In 2020, MedBen alternative reimbursement strategies outperformed traditional PPO plans by 23.5%. Strategies like reference-based pricing (RBP) and direct-to-employer (DTE) contracting offer better pricing to employers and members. There are many RBP strategies...
