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August 2015 Monthly Newsletter
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Always the star of the show, ACA is again a prominent topic this month. While we feel the "dust is settling", there is still much to be aware of and understand. Read below for some important updates and as always, contact a member of the BDR team with any questions.
- CMS: Cost Of New Medicaid Enrollees Under ACA Higher Than Anticipated
- Affordable Care Act Reporting Penalties Increase
- CoveredCA Premiums Rise in Sacramento
- Check Those Monthly Statements Every Month
- SEAC August Workshop: When An Employee Complains
BDR is proudly supporting the upcoming
Sacramento Area Human Resource Association Annual Conference to be held September 23, 2015 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Please visit us at booth #4. Visit
SAHRA for conference information.
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Cost of New Medicaid Enrollees Under ACA Higher Than Anticipated
The Wall Street Journal reported that Federal actuaries said that the cost of covering qualified Medicaid recipients under the Affordable Care Act was substantially higher than expected last year. According to the Journal, actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the ACA's expansion of Medicaid to include low-income Americans resulted in average medical costs of $5,517 incurred by those newly eligible, roughly $1,000 higher than anticipated, as the new enrollees had built-up needs for healthcare.
In its coverage,
Modern Healthcare reported that costs were "19% greater than non-newly eligible adults' average benefit costs of $4,650, according to a new report from the CMS' Office of the Actuary."
Source: National Association of Health Underwriters
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Affordable Care Act Reporting Penalties Increase
When President Barack Obama signed the Trade Preferences Extension Act (the Act) into law this past June, it included language that significantly increased penalties for incorrect information returns, including those required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The penalties may be imposed on employers by the IRS for both failing to file and filling incorrect or incomplete information. These penalty provisions apply to a variety of information reporting requirements including Forms W-2 and 1099, and now more recently to Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C relating to compliance with the ACA. The final ACA regulations do provide that penalties will not be imposed on employers that show they made good faith efforts to comply with the reporting requirements for 2015.
Your BDR team has a number of resources to help you understand and comply with the reporting requirements.
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Covered California Premiums Rise in Sacramento
Covered California recently announced
2016 rate increases. While the statewide average increase is slightly lower than 2015, Sacramento area residents could face an increase of over 8 percent. The regions participants will have the same five plans offered by four insurers: Western Health Advantage, Kaiser Permanente, Anthem, and Blue Shield of California.
Anisa Cook, BDR's Individual Account Manager is a licensed insurance agent and is standing by to help you navigate all the individual insurance choices. Reach Anisa directly at 800-482-1817 ext. 218 or by email to [email protected].
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Check Your Monthly Premium Statements
We can help if you ask!
One of the many things our Account Management and Client Services team can do on your behalf is solve issues that could arise on your monthly premium statements. With many insurance companies, it can take multiple billing periods for changes to your account, such as a terminated employee, to be reflected on the bill. BDR does not automatically receive a copy of your monthly statements, so please check them closely each month and notify us immediately if you have questions or see any discrepancies.
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What To Do When An Employee Complains
We invite you to attend the Sacramento Employer Advisory Council's next event on Wednesday, August 19,
"When an Employee Complains: Strategies for Avoiding and Responding to Retaliation and Wrongful Termination Claims."
 This informative workshop will cover topics including: The prevention of complaints through the effective use of policies and sound management practices; Responding to employee complaints and managing the work environment following a complaint; Addressing performance problems of complaining employees, and disciplining and terminating employees following a complaint; and Preparing for and responding to complaints to administrative agencies and legal actions.
The workshop begins with breakfast and networking starting at 7:30 a.m. with the workshop wrapping up at 12:30 p.m. at the Sac State Alumni Center in Sacramento. Click here to register for the event or contact [email protected] for more information.
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