US Supreme Court Upheld ACA

Thursday morning the US Supreme Court released its ruling on the Affordable Care Act.  Most of the law was upheld. The most important part of the law, the mandate to buy health insurance, was ruled as constitutional.  So what does that mean for you?  Most of what it means it yet to be seen.  Much of the law's details have yet to be written. 

If you live here in California the law will benefit you.  Our state legislature has passed laws that incorporate most of the strongest mandates from the ACA into state law and many more are on the way.  All these mandates add up.  Premiums will rise when carriers are forced to cover more.  So the mandate adds bodies to pay for these new covered expenses.  The more bodies in the "premium pool" the less we all have to pay.  Will our premiums go down?  No! But they would have risen at a rate we have never seen before had the "force to buy" mandate not been upheld.

In the coming year we will know so much more about the practical end of the law.  There will for sure be good that comes out of it, and there will for sure be so much more bureaucracy that comes out of it.  We will see how cumbersome it is to work with.  Please stay tuned to the practical side of your health care.  We will continue to update as information becomes available.  As always, if you have specific questions please call Lisa Boyajian or Angela Gambino at (714)680-5900 or check us out at our website at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .  We work with all major health insurance carriers in California.

Affordability is the Most Important Factor

In a survey done by eHealth on small groups that provide health insurance, affordability in the most important factor in health plans.  When surveyed, employers were asked to rate the top two most important factors in picking a plan.  Ninety five percent of employers listed affordability as the number one factor.  To clarify there is no other concern as important to employers as the cost of the plans! The other factors ranked were richness of benefits with 68% reporting, access to  physicians receiving 25%, reputation of carrier 6% and HSA's and "other" receiving the last 10%.

In addition to the above, 74% of employers were willing to consider other strategies to save on costs.  As it is now 59% of employers contribute over $300 a month to each employee's health plan.  It is easy to see why employers are struggling with what their options are.  It is important for employers to spend some extra time figuring out what is out there, what it costs and what can they change to save on the overall premiums. 

These are complicated times with complicated solutions.  If you would like to receive a complimentary market comparison on your health plan, please contact Angela Gambino at (714)680-5900 or you can find us at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .  We specialize in bridging the gap between what is needed and what is affordable.  Value is are target.  One plan may be of great value to one group, and of no value to another.  We believe that through communication and research we can find the best value for your dollar.

Informational Presentation

There is so much information on health care and changes within the industry that we have decided to put together a informational presentation to give to our clients and to anyone that may be interested in getting more details on the up and coming changes.  If you are interested in attending one of these presentations, please let us know.  You can contact us at (714)680-5900 or email Lisa at lisa@ansainsuranceservices.com or find us at our website at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

An educated consumer is a happy consumer.  Don't be left in the dark, find out what you and your loved ones need to know.  We will be presenting the information from a general perspective.  Because we are brokers and therefore work with multiple carriers, we will look at the market on the whole.  This will not be a sales presentation, simply and informational presentation.

New Technologies in Health Care

It is simply amazing that through all the talk of health care reform major advances are still taking place in the treatment of disease.  Take radiation therapy for instance, hospitals are implementing so many new ways of treating tumors and cancer.  These new radiation treatments target tumors like never before so higher doses of radiation can be delivered to one exact location so as to not damage the surrounding tissue. 

And the advancements are not just in therapies that are available.  Think about the hospitals in your area.  Just a quick thought of hospitals under construction in my area and I come up with CHOC, Hoag, St. Jude's, PIH and Kaiser.  I often drive by one or more of these facilities every day.  They are retrofitting, expanding and modernizing these facilities.

As we look to make health care more affordable we can see that on a whole we don't want to give up on improving our health system.  We want to get more and pay less.  We are a creative group of people and lets hope that is where we find ourselves at the end of the day.

We look to health insurance carriers (Aetna, Anthem, Blue Shield, Cigna, Kaiser, HealthNet, and United - to name a few) to help bridge the gap between what we want out of health care and what we can afford to pay.  If you would like help figureing out what is the best option for you, contact us at (714)680-5900 or check us out on the web at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

Moving Forward with Health Care

Here in California the health care system is moving forward with changes to the system.  We are seeing carriers all take different approaches to the future, but all making those changes they see as necessary for the future.  The state is moving forward on the exchange and health care providers are searching for networks to stay with.  No one knows what it will look like for sure, but there will be something there.  I know I have posted in the past a helpful website that can aide in decision making, but here it is again www.healthcare.gov . 

It is just one tool, but it is a good tool.  As reform takes place we will all need the best tools we can to navigate through these changes.  Whether we are trying to figure out penalties for not having coverage or penalties for having coverage that costs too much, we will need to have simple answerer's to the many questions that will arise.  Employers and employees will have questions, as will self-employed on non-employed individuals.  Here at Ansa Insurance Services, we take the approach that it is better to educate our clients from the get go, then to have to educate them after the fact. 

If you are interested in having us conduct an informational seminar for your employees, friends, or acquaintances please call us at (714)680-5900 or email us at angela@ansainsuranceservices.com and lisa@ansainsuranceservices.com .  We represent a broad group of carriers and any program we put together would be an over view and not from any one carriers standpoint.  To check out some of the carriers we represent see our website at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

CBO on Long Term Budget for Medicare and Medicaid

Two weeks ago the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released it's 2012 Long-Term Budget Outlook.  In it, they predicted that the spending for Medicare and Medicaid would double over the next 25 years.  Twenty five years may sound like a long time, but it will be here before we know it.  And the consequences of 5% of the economic spending going to Medicare and Medicaid increasing to 10% are unimaginable.  Just take a moment and think about it. Ten percent of all spending in our economy will go to just Medicare and Medicaid.  Think of all the other programs and institutions out there.  What else we will be able to do when so much of our economy is devoted to just these two things?  Remember, this is not all health related spending.  This is just for Medicare and Medicaid.  Keep this in mind as we move forward these next twenty five years.

Any day now we will be hearing from the Supreme Court in response to the Affordable Care Act.  What happens next will affect all of us in one way or another.  If all or parts are overturned there will be consequences and if none of it is overturned, there will be even more consequences.  Stay tuned for the updates.  We will continue to keep our readers informed of all mandates and requirements as they present themselves. 

If you would like to reach us you may contact Lisa Boyajian at lisa@ansainsuranceservices.com or call us at (714)680-5900.  As always please check us out on the web at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

Big Rate Hikes for Small Business Just on Horizon

Nearly 3 million Californians get their health insurance from small businesses employing under 50 employees.  The number of people getting insurance from employers of small business have dropped dramatically in the last two years.  In 2009 73% of small business offered health insurance benefits to their employees.  In 2011 that number dropped down to 63% of small businesses offering health benefits to their employees. The 10% drop is attributed to the recession and the higher premiums.

This is about to get worse.  It was recently announced that Aetna is looking at raising its premiums on small businesses an average of 10%-24% this coming July. Anthem is looking at an average increase of 13% and Blue Shield is looking at 6% increase.  Of course, not all companies will see these rate increases.  Depending on changing RAF's (Risk Adjustment Factors) some companies may see a smaller increase to no increase at all.

Now more than ever it is vital that small companies look into their insurance needs and find creative ways to keep their employees insured.  We at Ansa Insurance Services specialize in preforming market surveys for companies to find out if the cost of their insurance is a good value for them.  What is a value to one company may not be a value to another. Value is more than just dollars.  Value is what you get compared to what you put in (or pay).  If you would like a market survey done for your business or know someone that would like on, please contact Lisa Boyajian or Angela Gambino at (714)680-5900.  You can also find us on the web at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

Governor Brown's Plans to Enroll 627,000 in Managed Care Plans

Governor Jerry Brown plans to move some 627,000 people into a managed care system.  These people are those that qualify for both Medi-Cal and Medicare and are also known as "duel enrolled" patients.  They tend to be poor and either elderly or disabled, hence they qualify for both plans.  According to an article from The Orange County Register on June 9th, the Governor will save an estimated $663.3 million in the fiscal year 2012-13 alone.

He plans on starting with eight counties (Orange being one of them) and then eventually moving all 1.1 million duel enrolled patients over to a managed care system resulting in even greater savings. The plan is coming under criticism from many sources.  Some worry that people will be moved away from long term doctor/patient relationships without being notified.  Many physicians worry that they will lose most of their patients if they are not allowed into the managed care system or that even if they are allowed to be part of the managed care system that they will loose money being a part of it. There are some that think that this move will actually be good for patients because they will be part of an integrated system that incorporates all their benefits. 

Time will tell what will happen with this plans, but with the state's budget in such trouble you can be sure something will be done to save money.  Stay tuned for the follow-up on this proposal and on all health care related items.  Many changes are just around the corner and even more are right behind.  If you would like to contact us regarding anything related to health insurance or life insurance you can find us at www.ansainsuranceservices.com or call us at 714-680-5900.  Lisa and I are committed to keeping informed of all changes in the industry.

Any Day Now: US Supreme Court will Rule on ACA

Any day now the United States Supreme Court will be ruling on the Affordable Care Act.  Whether they strike all, some or none of the law down, there will be side affects to follow.  An article from Yahoo News tries to explain some of the problems that arise from the outcome (no matter what the outcome is) of the ruling.  Read below for a taste of what's to come...

http://news.yahoo.com/un...fTmV3LVByb21vYmFy;_ylv=3

As you see the world of health care and health insurance will permanently be changed.  Whether we are taxed more for benefits or we have benefits reduced to keep costs down changes are on the way.  Stay tuned to find out more.  We at Ansa Insurance Services are committed to keeping you updated on the issues.  If you have any questions or would like to reach us for comment please call us at (714)680-5900 or look us up on the web at www.ansainsuranceservices.com . 

New FSA Guidelines

This just out, new guidelines for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) have been issued.  Starting after December 31, 2012 the maximum contribution to a individuals FSA account for a given plan year is $2,500.  It is important to note that the new rules are discussing plan years and not calendar years.  If contributions to the FSA exceed the $2,500 amount it will not be considered to be under the section 125 cafeteria rule.

If you currently have a FSA and are making contributions, be sure to discuss this with your HR department.  If you have other questions regarding this or any health and life insurance issues, please call Lisa Boyajian at (888)800-5855 or check us out on the web at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

California Health Benefit Exchange

It looks like the California Health Benefit Exchange will be moving ahead despite not hearing from the Supreme Court yet.  In an article from the Los Angeles Times, by Chad Terhune, it is reported that California plans to pay Accenture $360 million to build and operate an enrollment system for the Exchange.  They hope to have everything up and running for enrollments in October 1, 2013 for a January 1, 2014 start date. The contract still needs to be approved by the federal government.

Exactly how the exchange will look and the amount of subsidies available are still up in the air. Of course, much of what will take place depends on Federal Subsidies, and if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is overturned by the Supreme Court than all bets are off.  California still plans on moving ahead with the Exchange, but without the subsidies it may not be a strong program.  As more information becomes available we will post it on this blog. 

For questions on the exchange or health care in general please contact Angela Gambino at (714)680-5900 or check out our website at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

Did You Vote?

Today is election day!  It is our chance to vote for the things that matter to us.  It is one of the most important tools we as citizens have to control our destiny.  If you are happy with where are local, state, and federal government is taking us, great!  Let them know.  If you are not happy with where they are taking us, even better!! Let them know.  You can always write letters and send emails to your elected officials.  That is a very effective way of being heard.  But it is your duty to express your feelings at the polls. 

We are seeing the effects of our state officials on our health care system.  If you like it, fine, but you should still vote.  If you don't like it, then you definitely need to vote.  But it is important to know who and what you are voting for.  I personally believe that many of our elected officials never bother to learn about what they are voting for when they cast their votes.  Do not be like those elected officials, find out what the issues are and the consequences of the propositions and measures before you actually pull the lever (so to speak).  Find out if you representatives bothered to find out about the bills that they were voting on before they voted for or against them.  We need to be more vigilant or we will find ourselves in a very bad place. 

I have written many times about the new laws governing health insurance specifically and health care in general that are coming into effect.  If you would like to get more information on some of these topics please call us at (714)680-5900 or check out our website at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

Autism and Your Health Insurance

On July 1, 2012 here in California another health care law will take affect.  It is SB 946, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and it sets new standards for health insurance carriers in regards to the treatment of Autism. It will lead to an expansion of networks that provide behavioral treatment for autism as well as many other mandates relating to the treatment of autism.  This law applies to both individual as well as group policies, so the expanded rate increase should be seen simultaneously in both groups.

If you would like to get more information on this new law or if you would like to know about specific health insurance carriers and their networks, please feel free to call Angela Gambino at (714)680-5900 or check us out at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .  We will continue to update this blog as new laws pass and take affect and as the Supreme Court rulings come down.   

Inforamtion on the New Woman's Guidlines

Below are some of the new rules put in place by the New Health Care Mandate.  Here in California it will not matter whether the mandate gets struck down or not, these services will be be upheld in our state. For a complete list of guidelines check out www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines .

well-woman visits;screening for gestational diabetes;
human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for women 30 years and older;
sexually-transmitted infection counseling;
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and counseling;
FDA-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling;
breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling; and
domestic violence screening and counseling.

As the health care field changes we are working hard staying on top of the new rules and mandates that will be set in place.  As you watch the news be sure to realize that some of what is discussed will not pertain to California.  We are unique to say the least and what health care will look like for the rest of the country, may not look like out system at all.  If you would like to contact us about Health Care and your concerns, please call Lisa Boyajian or Angela Gambino at (714)680-5900.  You can also find us on the web at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .