Recent Articles
FAQ: Illinois Dependent Age Limit Change
1) What is the effective date of changes mandated by Public Act 95-0958? The changes need to be reflected in individual and group health insurance policies and HMO contracts as they are delivered, issued, or renewed on and after June 1, 2009. Policies in force prior...
Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance: Bridging the Gap between the Insurable and Uninsurable
Every day, thousands of individuals are rejected by insurance companies because of pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and heart problems. Now with the Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance offered by Homeland HealthCare Plans, people who are...
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 – Frequently Asked Questions
The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requires that group health plans and group health insurers apply the same treatment and financial limits to mental health and substance use disorder benefits as they do to...
Employer FAQs – COBRA Premium Reduction Under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Q1: What is the new COBRA subsidy provision contained in the stimulus package signed by the President? The stimulus package, which was enacted as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) temporarily reduces the premium for COBRA coverage for eligible...
How Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) Group Health Plans
On February 4, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) was signed into law. CHIPRA allows states to subsidize premiums for employer-provided group health coverage for eligible children, but it also imposes certain requirements on...
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois increases dependent age to 26
Effective for new groups issued on or after June 1, 2009, or upon renewal dates on or after June 1, 2009, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) group plan members – will have the option to cover non-military dependents to age 26 and returning military...
Illinois Division of Insurance Publishes Revised Information for small groups subject to Illinois State Continuation regarding the Recovery and Reinvestment Act
On March 9th, the Illinois Division of Insurance published revised information regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and how it affects groups that are subject to Illinois state continuation, but not subject to federal COBRA continuation....
Poll: Three Quarters of Americans worry about Health Care Costs
More than three-quarters of adult Americans who have health insurance say they still worry about paying more for their medical care, and nearly 50 percent say they're "very" or "extremely" worried about the issue, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll shows. More...
Study Finds U.S. Health Care System has Competitive Disadvantage
Original Article from Businessweek U.S. workers and employers get 23% less value from their health-care spending than those in Britain, Canada, France, Germany, or Japan, and 46% less value than in Brazil, China, or India, according to a Business Roundtable study that...
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois membership declining for 1st time in 25 years
In an ominous sign for the health industry, Illinois' largest insurer said its business may not grow for the first time in 25 years. The top executive at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois said the recession and rising number of unemployed consumers will lead to...