The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created a federally financed subsidy, known as the premium tax credit (PTC), to help eligible individuals and families with low to moderate incomes afford health insurance purchased through an Exchange. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress temporarily enhanced the PTC by eliminating the income cap for eligibility and increasing the subsidy … Continued
Improving your health care literacy is one of the most empowering steps you can take toward better health. Health care literacy refers to your ability to understand, access, and use health information to make informed decisions about your care. From interpreting medical terms and navigating insurance plans to asking the right questions during appointments, strong … Continued
How Much Will Health Care Costs Rise in 2026? Health care costs have been growing at an alarming rate in recent years, and they’re not slowing down. As such, surveys project that health care costs in the United States are likely to increase by 6.5% to, in many cases, as much as over 10% in … Continued
Insurance Costs Expected to Rise A new report from Mercer, a consulting firm specializing in human resources and financial services, predicts that health insurance costs will increase by an average of 6.5% in 2026. This is the most significant jump in 15 years. While health care spending has drastically increased over the last few years, … Continued
Tips to Save on Health Care Expenses Once again, healthcare costs are expected to rise this year. However, there are ways that you can reduce your spending. Consider these four tips: Brush up on your health plan knowledge. Knowing what your health plan does and doesn’t cover is critical for reducing your spending. Understanding terms … Continued
ERISA Fiduciary Breach Claims Dismissed in Prescription Drug Lawsuit On Jan. 24, 2025, a U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed two claims in a class-action lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which alleged that the company breached its fiduciary duties under ERISA by mismanaging its prescription drug benefits plan and … Continued
Early Preparation Is Crucial for 2025 Open Enrollment With the 2025 open enrollment season around the corner, employers have an opportunity to develop attractive benefits offerings and proactively communicate with employees to win them over. Early preparation can help show employees they are valued, convince top performers seeking job changes to stay in their current … Continued
Report: Health Care Costs Are 254% Higher for Privately Insured Patients Than Those With Medicare A new RAND report revealed that in 2022, private insurers paid hospitals an average of 254% more than what Medicare would have paid for the same services, a jump from 224% in 2020. The study found that 2022 prices for … Continued
HSA/HDHP Limits Will Increase for 2025 The IRS released the inflation-adjusted limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high deductible health plans (HDHPs) for 2025. The IRS is required to publish these limits by June 1 of each year. These limits vary based on whether an individual has self-only or family coverage under an HDHP. … Continued
Prescription Drug Report Is Due by June 1, 2024 Group health plans must annually submit detailed information on prescription drug and health care spending to the federal government. This reporting is referred to as the “prescription drug data collection,” or the “RxDC report.” The next RxDC report is due by Saturday, June 1, 2024, covering … Continued