IRS Extends Employer 1095 Due Date
The Internal Revenue Services (IRS) has extended the deadline for distributing IRS Form 1095 to employees from January 31, 2021 to March 2, 2021. Now is the time for self-funded employers to start thinking about and complying with a critical health care reform...
Pandemic Drives Office Visits Down, But Preventive Care Rebounds
Using data from the MedBen Analytics COVID-19 Impact Dashboard, a review of office visit activity in 2020 shows that: The pandemic led to a steep decline in office visits, with a 47% decrease from January to May. Routine care dropped 49%, while preventive care fell...
MedBen Saving Solutions Counter Affordability Concerns
A National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions survey asked employers what they thought were the greatest threats to coverage affordability. Their responses... and how MedBen counters these concerns with proven saving solutions: Drug prices are a threat to...
Plans Focusing on Preventive Care Improve Health and Save Money
Preventive care and better lifestyle choices could reduce annual U.S. health spending by $730 billion, according to a new report. The study found modifiable health costs were largely due to five risks: overweight/obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, poor...
Hospital & ER Utilization Down Substantially During Pandemic
The MedBen Analytics COVID-19 Dashboard based on MedBen's overall business block shows the pandemic’s effect on hospital, urgent care, and emergency care utilization. As of August 31: Inpatient hospital claims saw a significant decrease in May, going down 32% from...
Fraker, Fargus Featured Speakers at Healthcare Innovation Conference
MedBen Vice Presidents Caroline Fraker and Brian Fargus were among the featured speakers at the Sherrill-Morgan 7th Annual Healthcare Innovation Conference on Thursday, October 1. In her presentation, Senior Vice President Fraker discussed the potential problems of...
MedBen Delivering Big Savings to Clients through Alternative Reimbursement Strategies
A new RAND study finds privately-insured patients pay, on average, 247% more at hospitals than Medicare patients for the same care, The study also indicated that outpatient services are priced at about 267% higher than what Medicare reimburses, according to Healthcare...
Dentists Safeguarding Against COVID-19
If you've been nervous about visiting your dentist during the pandemic, extra measures have been put in place to protect patients – and an expert suggests that you not wait too long before your next exam. "Untreated dental disease is only going to get worse. And we...
COVID-19’s Effect on MedBen Block
As of August 31, 2020, MedBen’s block of business has seen the following COVID-19 results: 6.33% of the total population had a COVID-19 test, including antibody testing. The average cost per test was $83.14. Only 0.25% of MedBen's total population has tested positive...
MedBen Employees Honored at Annual Event
At this year’s annual employee recognition event on September 11, MedBen employees who reached anniversary benchmarks in 2020 were honored. Among those celebrating – Five-year anniversaries: Sara Burton, Bethany Peters, Betsy Rainbolt, Daryl Roudebush and Pamela...
“Wasteful Drugs” Cost Employers $6 Billion Annually
Employers could save billion of dollars every year by avoiding "wasteful drugs," according to BenefitsPro. Guidelines from Pacific Business Group on Health and and researchers from Johns Hopkins University identified 49 high-price medications with less costly...
2021 Summary of Benefits & Coverage (SBC) Changes
The Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor have issued updated templates for Summary of Benefits & Coverage (SBC). The Affordable Care Act requires self-funded health plans and insurers to provide an SBC every year to help employees make informed plan...