health coverage

Health insurance giant Empire pulls out of NYC’s controversial Medicare plan for retired city workers

July 29, 2022 Billie S. Dickenson

A major insurance company has pulled out of a deal to administer New York City’s new Medicare Advantage Plan — the latest setback in the city’s effort to shift roughly 250,000 retired municipal workers onto the controversial health coverage.

Empire BlueCross BlueShield, one of the country’s largest health insurance providers, notified Mayor Adams’ office that it’s not going to help roll out the Advantage plan after the city failed to provide a start date and benefit specifics as requested by July 15, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

“This timeline was important because delaying any further would not give retirees enough time to fully understand their options, benefits, and coverage in advance of open enrollment,” the statement read. “Given the level of uncertainty at this time, we informed the city that (Empire) is not able to participate.”

In light of Empire’s withdrawal, City Hall spokesman Jonah Allon said

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New Study: Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Produces +47% Return on Investment for American Businesses

June 30, 2022 Billie S. Dickenson

Washington, D.C. — Employers in the United States this year will earn an average return on investment (ROI) of 47% from their employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) programs, according to a new study from Avalere Health. This means for every dollar spent on ESI, employers get back $1.47 in financial benefits. The analysis from the health data firm finds that the average ROI is projected to grow to 52% in 2026, and that businesses that invest more in their ESI programs tend have a higher ROI. 

While providing employees high quality health insurance is the right thing to do for workers, the report shows how it makes business sense. Avalere attributes the direct financial return for employers to lower direct medical costs, increased productivity, lower recruitment costs, stronger retention, lower short- and long-term disability costs, as well as tax benefits. More than 155 million Americans currently get their health insurance

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Millions could lose health coverage if premium subsidies expire later this year, officials say

June 23, 2022 Billie S. Dickenson

Absent Congressional action, many consumers will see health-coverage costs skyrocket next year, Biden administration officials warned Wednesday. 

The American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March 2021, temporarily expanded premium tax credits available to consumers signing up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Those expanded tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year, and extending them would require Congressional legislation. 

“Time is of the essence,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said on a call with reporters Wednesday. As this fall’s open enrollment for 2023 marketplace coverage draws near, “we want to make sure that people know the subsidies will be in place,” she said. 

A record 14.5 million people signed up for coverage through the marketplaces during the open enrollment period that ended in January. The average monthly 2022 premium for HealthCare.gov enrollees was $111. Without the

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