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 .

SB1431 - The California Bill to Slow or Stop Small Groups from Self Funding

It has been pointed out to me several times in the past month just how inept our California State Legislature is.  Recently Lisa Boyajian went to Sacramento and was appalled by what she witnessed.  State Senators were acting in the most inappropriate manner; ignoring other Senators, ignoring proceedings and being plain rude. Well apparently Lisa is not alone.  On a separate trip Dorothy Cociu attended hearings on SB1431 (a stop-loss bill aimed at small groups that self-insure).  The people testifying in opposition to this bill were completely ignored by the bill's authors and proponents.  Our legislature should be ashamed of themselves.  When you are sitting in on hearings, you should be listening to all sides.  But to blatantly ignore and be disrespectful is not statesmanlike in any form.  We have to live with all the laws they pass, not just on health insurance, but all laws.  They should take the time to at least be completely informed on what they will be voting on. Shame.

If you would like to find out more about this topic or any other topic relating to health and life insurance please feel free to call Lisa at (888)800-5855.  Or you can check us out on our at www.ansainsuranceservices.com .

The State of California's Health Care

So much can be said about the state of California's health care system.  For better or worse it is a giant beast ripe with it's own set of rules and regulations unlike anywhere else in this country or any other country for that matter.  On May 15th Governor Jerry Brown had to cut $2.5 billion to health care programs in California.  These cuts cover most sectors of the health care system.  It is part of the ever growing problem with our system.  We expect the state and insurance companies to cover more and more each year, while at the same time we cry because cost keep going up. We have made the system so complicated that there is no easy way out.  July 1st two new mandates will become effective hear in California.  The first being mandatory maternity benefits for all individual plans and the second being Autism Behavioral Therapy benefits.  Every time a new mandate goes into place you can expect an overall increase on every one's insurance premiums of 3% to 5%.   It may not sound like much, but because we add new mandates every year, it has taxed our system.

We will try and keep you updated on the other changes coming (whether they are Federal or State imposed changes).  So keep an eye out for those posts.  If in the mean time you have any specific questions regarding health insurance or life insurance please contact us at www.ansainsuranceservices.com or at (714)680-5900.