New COVID-19 Group Health Plan Regulations Released
In preparation for the widespread and rapid introduction of COVID-19 immunizations and other coronavirus preventive services, the Tri-Agencies (Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and Health and Human Services) have issued interim Final Regulations updating...
MedBen “ACA by the Numbers” Summary Available for Download
To help clients keep track of the various limitations associated with health care reform, the MedBen Compliance team has compiled "ACA by the Numbers," a downloadable summary of the key financial components under the Affordable Care Act. The limitations listed in the...
Pandemic Spurs Rise in Mental Health Visits
A recent poll found that 78 percent of adults say the pandemic is adding more stress to their lives, and 19% percent feel their mental health is worse than it was a year ago. Based on the MedBen Analytics COVID-19 Impact Dashboard, our block of business saw mental...
Employers Are Looking for Plan Alternatives, and MedBen Delivers
Three-quarters of employers plan to adopt alternatives to traditional health plans over the next three years, a new study finds. For our clients, this change is already well underway with MedBen delivering cost-saving solutions. Alternative reimbursement strategies...
IRS Announces Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Health FSAs, Small Employer HRAs
The IRS has announced 2021 cost-of-living adjustments for certain tax provisions related to consumer-driven plans: The limit on voluntary employee salary reduction contributions to a health flexible spending account (FSA) remains unchanged from 2020 at $2,750. The...
MedBen ISO 9001:2015 Standards Help Maintain Seamless Service During Pandemic
At MedBen's most recent ISO 9001:2015 audit, we showed our commitment to maintaining high quality standards... and as the following excerpt notes, these standards played a crucial role when the pandemic hit: "Transition to work at home went very well from review of...
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...