At the end of this post you will find a newsletter that United Health Care has put together about Immunizations. I found this very helpful because there is an awful lot of information out there about vaccinations, and how some are harmful while others aren’t. Hopefully this will shed some light on this subject.
Anthem
Brand Name Drugs vs. Generic Drugs
One of the driving factors for the increase of medical insurance premiums is the cost of prescription drugs. There is a prescription for everything. Twenty years ago, we weren’t walking into our doctor’s office asking for a prescription by name. Today we know the names of the prescription we want to take, and we ask our doctor WHY we’re not already on that prescription. If we can use generic drugs whenever the opportunity presents itself, [Read more…] about Brand Name Drugs vs. Generic Drugs
60% of Parents May Opt NOT to keep Recent College Grads on their Health Plan
In a new survey from Kelton Research released Monday, roughly 60% of parents are going to opt NOT to carry their recent college graduates on their health plan. The reasons are vast – some say they want their children to get it on their own, others say it’s too expensive to keep their children on their plan.
Here’s the link to the study:
http://www.benefitspro.com/2011/05/16/survey-many-grads-may-not-get-health-coverage-from
The reason this is such an issue right now is because of the recent Health Care Reform laws. This shouldn’t be an issue for the majority of families out there. Most 21-26 year olds are healthy enough to obtain their own insurance. I will concede that paying for it is entirely different matter, but there are inexpensive major medical plans available to this population of Americans.
Most parents aren’t aware of how inexpensive it is to buy a policy for their adult aged children. There are plans out there for as little as $50 a month. This plan may not be the “Cadillac” of medical plans, but it will bridge the gap until these recent college graduates get hired.
If you would like to pursue this option, we have the capability to request an online quote, and to apply with the company. There are links on our website that will take you to either Anthem’s individual website, or Humana’s individual website. If you don’t feel comfortable with this method, please feel free to contact us either via phone or email.
Small Business Tax Credit
With April 15th right around the corner, here’s some information about the Small Business Tax Credit that is available to employers that have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees. This tax credit is available to employers that maintained a “qualifying arrangement” under which the employer pays a certain percentage of the premiums (generally a minimum of 50%) for each employee enrolled in the employer’s health plan. The logic behind this credit is that it encourages employers to continue to offer a group medical insurance plan, instead of dropping coverage altogether. This was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us. If your accountant or CPA has any questions about this, please feel free to have them contact us as well.