Month: March 2013

Medicaid Expansion in Michigan and the Challenges that Will Inevitably Remain

It is common to find in life that many disparate people, communities, businesses, and societal interests share the self-professed desire to reach the very same destination, yet often disagree how to get there. Thus it is with health care and the means of providing access to it. Near universal agreement exists across the political, business, medical, and faith communities that all people have a right to access quality medical care. Yet, strong disagreement persists on the best legislative, market, and government avenues to secure that access.

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Health Insurance Exchanges: The Participation Paradox

As state and federal agencies work to create operational health exchanges, one critical question remains unanswered: How will the key stakeholders participate in the new health exchanges?

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Employers Be Wary of Upcoming Health Plan Fees

Through the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Act”), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (“Institute”) was created to promote research to advance the quality of evidence-based medicine.  The Institute is funded through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund, which is financed, in part, by fees paid by plan sponsors of applicable self-insured health plans and issuers of specified health insurance policies.  For the first year of applicability, the fee is $1 per covered life and increases for later years.

The first deadline for payment of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee is this July 31, 2013.

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Client Alert: Final PCORI Rules – Payment Due July 31st

Please remember that $1/covered life under your health plans must be reported and paid by July 31, 2013.  This is applicable for any plan with a plan year that ended on or after October 1, 2012.  Please see below for more details.

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Michigan Moves One Step Closer to a Federal-State Partnership Health Exchange

On February 27, 2013, the Michigan House Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved $30.67 million in federal grant money to establish a State Partnership Exchange.  A day later, House Bill 4111, which permits the state to accept the federal grant, passed the Michigan House of Representatives with a vote of 78 to 31. The bill now moves to the Michigan Senate.

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