Benefit Briefs from Total Benefit Solutions Inc

IBC: Individual Dental and Vision Now Available!

Independence Blue Cross (IBC) is offering a new portfolio of Dental and Vision Care plans for adults (aged 19 and older) featuring low out-of-pocket costs and access to a large network of providers.

Click here to get the benefit plan designs and rates from the Total Benefit Solutions website.

Call us today at (215)355-2121 if you have questions or need assistance.

Important Reform Bulletins for 2014

In an effort to keep you informed about the many changes in health insurance we have recently posted the following bulletins to our website:

Individual Health Plans as Employee Benefits Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Released on September 13, 2013, IRS Notice 2013-54 addresses the viability of individual health insurance plans as a tax-advantaged employee benefit under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Unfortunately, the news was not good for employers wanting to offer such plans to their employees: the IRS determined that such plans are prohibited under the ACA...click for more

SHOP for Small Group Customers Buying a plan through SHOP versus direct Buying plans through the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, provides an advantage only for employers with fewer than 25 employees...click for more

Law Repeals Deductible Limits for Small Group Plans The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, legislation extending the "doc fix" for Medicare payments, also includes a provision that repeals the maximum deductible limits applicable to many small group health plans...click for more

Find out if you qualify for an exemption You may be exempt from the requirement to maintain qualifying health insurance coverage, called minimum essential coverage, and may not have to make a shared responsibility payment when you file your next federal income tax return...click for more

Healthcare.gov Users Prompted To Change Passwords Because Of Heartbleed Risk "visitors to the to Affordable Care website are being advised to take steps to protect themselves" from Heartbleed, the online security flaw...click for more

Stay updated on the key ACA issues

We have centralized all of our reform information on our website. Just click here.

REQUIRED NOTICE FOR ALL EMPLOYERS! Updated guidance on the REQUIRED Exchange Notice

Total Benefit Solutions Offering New Services

At Total Benefit Solutions Inc., we are always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance your benefit offerings and experience. Beginning in 2014 we have formed strategic alliances with the following programs and services:

GAP Plans: GAP or supplemental health insurance products are becoming more popular as employers move away from offering traditional health benefits and provide a real value to the employee at an affordable cost to the employer. Click here to learn more.

Benefit Vault: If you want to stop offering benefits because of the ACA or stop administration because you wish you could; or even offer more choices but not more headaches, then BenefitVault is your Solution. Click here to learn more.

H.S.A. Limits for 2015 Released
The IRS has released the 2015 cost-of-living adjustments affecting HSAs and HDHPs. The 2015 IRS HSA limits are increasing for 2015.
Click here to learn more.

Many Small Groups Are No Longer Eligible for Group Coverage

Effective January 1, 2014 small groups that are made up of family members only are no longer eligible for Small Group coverage. Click here to read the story

IBC: New Lab Provider Effective July 1-IMPORTANT NOTICE

Effective July 1, 2014, Quest Diagnostics laboratories will be an out-of-network provider for Personal Choice and Keystone Health Plan East. IBC will continue to contract with certain local and regional laboratories...click here for more

Client Corner

Recently we received this e-mail from Mike Hilbert, our client from Sales Pros 4 Hire:

Ed, thank you for your recent endorsements. And especially thank you for helping my wife and I sail through the new Affordable Care Act. You and your team made the complicated seem simple and select the plan best suited for our health insurance needs. Click here for more.

We try to keep this newsletter brief and to the point to respect your time and inbox space. Thank you for subscribing!

Regards,

Edward T. MacConnell CBC, CHRS
www.totalbenefits.net

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