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HSA Plans May Discourage Utilization

We’ve heard it for years: HSA-qualified high deductible health plans help reduce unnecessary utilization. Ever since their inception back in 2004, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have been characterized as the ultimate consumer-driven product. People spend their own money differently than they spend somebody else’s money, proponents say, and having some “skin in the game” encourages people to act with discretion when spending their health care dollars. Ultimately, being responsible for the cost of up-front expenses like doctor visits and prescriptions, instead of having those costs covered by a flat-dollar copayment, creates better health care consumers by encouraging them to “shop around” for health care services and only engage the health care system when truly necessary.
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Mental Health and Medicare

After more than two years of COVID-19, mental health is understandably a big topic of discussion. People across the country have struggled with isolation, disruptions to their normal routines, the worry about getting sick, and the loss of loved ones. This has definitely taken a toll.
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Can Biden Really Fix the Family Glitch?

Back in April, we reported on a plan by the Biden administration to fix the ACA’s “family glitch.” As a reminder:
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Medicare Part B Premiums Could Actually Go Down in 2023

A universal truth is something that is widely accepted and agreed on as fact, something that does not change over time and location. For instance:
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Appealing an Income-Related Medicare Adjustment

If you sell Medicare supplements or Medicare Advantage plans, you probably know that the standard Medicare Part B premium for 2022 is $170.10.
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HSA Limits for 2023

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the 2023 deductible, out-of-pocket, and contribution limits for Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Here they are:
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New Requirement: Agents Must Record MA and Part D Calls

On April 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule and accompanying fact sheet relating to calendar year 2023 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.
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4 Million Individuals Could Get MLR Rebates This Year

The Kaiser Family Foundation has published two articles recently about the MLR rebates that will be sent out this fall. The first article, from June 1, explains that “insurance companies are expecting to pay out $1 billion in rebates to consumers this fall under” the ACA’s minimum Medical Loss Ratio provision, which requires individual and small group plans to spend 80% of the premium they collect on medical claims and large group plans to spend 85%. If they fall short of these numbers, the excess premium must be returned to their policyholders.
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Three Medicare Resources to Share with Clients

Agents who sell Medicare-related products like Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plans know that they need to be careful about creating their own marketing material. Medicare has very strict guidelines, and most information that agents put in front of clients needs to be pre-approved.
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More Evidence You Should Be Selling Dental Insurance

A recent article from DentistryIQ reports on a new CareQuest Institute survey that concludes, among other things, that Americans are not getting the dental care they need. The survey, according to the article, “is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind, with more than 5,000 participants and 170 questions.”
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