URGENT: Only 3 Days Remain for Early Renewal

September 13, 2013

We’re currently offering an early renewal program to all small groups allows groups more time to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Most could see a cost savings, too.

Small groups can request rates for an extended rating period for up to 15 months. For the early renewal process to be in place, the group must submit a 2014 Early Renewal Program form by September 15. The early renewal fact sheet contains more information.

We posted these pieces at Your Health Alliance in the Forms and Resources sections for both brokers and employers.

Below are the early renewal materials for your Health Alliance small groups considering an early or extended renewal with a December 1, 2013 effective date. We will email rate portfolios to you and the group. Note: Rate portfolios will be sent via a secured email which will be accessible for only 30 days from your receipt, so remember to save these documents to your own computer or server within this time period.

Note: We will not provide these materials with the rate portfolios. Instead, you will need to share these materials with your renewing small groups.

It is our priority to keep you informed about employer group health care coverage options, especially those tied to health care reform, so you are able to communicate with your groups and members.

Remember, we must receive decisions about early renewal no later than September 15, 2013 by providing the signed rate sheet, early renewal program form, and EEQ.

Thank you for your continued support of Health Alliance. If you have any questions, contact your client consultant.

Keep an Eye on Your Mail

We mailed 2014 individual plan and rate information this week to brokers who have individual clients. You will receive a letter highlighting important reminders, a list of your members as of September 4, and directions for finding your clients’ 2014 premiums.

Rate notification letters will reach members at the end of the month, along with a helpful Member Guide, which includes:

What to know about health care reform
What to do before December 15
Details on our 2014 plan options
Premium rate charts for 2014 plans
Information about how to change plans should a member find a better-fitting plan than what we’re moving them to

In addition to all these resources being posted for you on Your Health Alliance under Forms and Resources, Individual Plans Marketing, we’ll also post them to HealthAlliance.org. We hope you visit and encourage your individual clients to, as well.

Please review the mailing carefully. If you have questions, contact your individual sales associate.

Also, we’ll let you know as soon as 2014 individual sales materials are available for ordering on Your Health Alliance for brokers.

Employers’ October 1 Deadline for ACA Notice Approaches

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers must give notice to employees about the availability of coverage through the new health insurance exchanges by October 1, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued Technical Release 2013-02 to help employers with the requirement. EBSA released 2 versions of the notice, one for use by employers that offer a health plan and one for employers that do not.

The IRS recently delayed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer pay-or-play (shared responsibility) mandate and related employer reporting requirements by one year. With the extension, employers will not face penalties for failing to offer full-time employees health care coverage meeting certain standards until 2015.

UPDATE: Broker Summit Registration Is Closed

We are expanding our summit into a 2-day session with multiple tracks to provide a greater level of training for all Illinois Health Alliance-contracted producing agents.

The registration for the summit is now closed. We would like to thank the brokers who’ve registered for their interest and quick response.