Benefit Strategies | Health Care Reform

Welcome the 116th Congress

January 10th, 2019

“Probably the best solution for the country would be . . . bipartisan legislation that loosens the federal grip on benefit design, increases choices, covers more Americans, gives states meaningful incentives to manage their Medicaid populations, and attacks the true drivers of medical costs.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance Jan. 10,.. Read more

Reform Prospects in the 116th Congress

November 29th, 2018

“[W]e’ll see a lot of activity at the federal and state level as politicians and special interest groups formulate their political plans for 2020 and beyond.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance Nov. 29, 2018 Although the 116th Congress won’t be seated until early January, it’s not too early to speculate about.. Read more

A Better HSA Option for Seniors

October 4th, 2018

“If the program ends up depriving the federal treasury of tax revenue, it’s only because older couples are allowed to keep a little more of their resources to pay for . . . retirement medical expenses. . . With concerns about the financial pressures on so many senior citizens who live on fixed incomes,.. Read more

In Defense of the Cadillac Tax

September 6th, 2018

“What to do? US Sen. John Kerry came up with perfect answer: Preserve the employer exclusion and impose a 40% excise tax on the amount of the premium that exceeded a particular threshold set by the government. Impose the tax on insurers and position it as punishment to insurers . . . for offering high-cost.. Read more

Getting to 60 on HSA Expansion

August 22nd, 2018

“Democrats will point to statistics showing that most HSA owners don’t accumulate large balances because they don’t have sufficient discretionary income to contribute to the current statutory limits. . . But for many, an HSA is merely an alternative to a Health FSA. . . No one criticizes Health FSAs because participants don’t build balances.. Read more

Texas v. Azar: The Next ACA Battleground

June 20th, 2018

“It turns out that this shift to save the law may have reduced the threshold to amend it from the 60 votes normally required in the Senate for regular legislation to 51 through the reconciliation process, depending on what several courts say during the next year or two.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy.. Read more

The AV Solution

March 28th, 2018

“As a result of this law, no one with fully-insured HSA-qualified coverage in Maryland, (even women!) would be able to contribute to HSAs in 2018 because their plan covers vasectomy in full.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance March 29, 2018 A new idea floating in Washington DC could have a dramatic.. Read more

An Omnibus and Three Priorities

March 14th, 2018

“Those folks need to answer to working families with extraordinarily high medical bills and tell them why Congress can’t find room in a $4 trillion (that’s $4,000,000,000,000) federal budget to provide them with an extra $2,000 or $3,000 of tax relief to pay their bills more easily.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and.. Read more

The ACA, It Is a-Changin’

March 1st, 2018

“In this scenario, the government would conclude that if it allows Idaho to offer non-ACA-compliant plans, soon all “red” states will join the bandwagon and increasingly “push the envelope” to move more individuals from the ACA essential health benefits and other consumer protections.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance March 1, 2018.. Read more

Constructing a Better HSA

February 14th, 2018

“And in perhaps the least visible effort to date, the administration is sifting through dozens of “innovation” proposals submitted late last fall designed to improve patient care, control costs and otherwise offer new approaches to delivering care.” By William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance February 15, 2018 Health Savings Accounts have experienced.. Read more

Category: Health Care Reform