February 8, 2012
Legislative Update
Summary of benefits and coverage compliance on hold
The Affordable Care Act requires all insurers and group health plans to provide consumers with a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) at certain times, including upon request for information, at the time of application, at enrollment and annually upon re-enrollment. As the March 2012 implementation date for this provision approaches, many of you still have concerns about compliance.
On Nov. 17, 2011, the Department of Labor issued a Q&A regarding the SBC provision. Two main concerns – the March 2012 implementation date and the timeline for further guidance – were addressed in the Q&A.
In that update, it was stated that until final regulations are issued and applicable, plans and issuers are not required to comply. A new date has not been determined or confirmed. The Department of Labor anticipates that final regulations, once issued, will include an applicability date that gives insurers and group health plans sufficient time to comply.
Final rules are currently in the Office of Management and Budget. We are monitoring the activities around this provision and will update you when new information becomes available.
House votes to repeal CLASS Act
The House voted last week to repeal the Community Living Assistance Service and Supports (CLASS) Act, a part of the Affordable Care Act. Republicans have been working to repeal the health reform law since December, a few months after the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services deemed the program unworkable.
Members voted 267-159 in favor of the bill, H.R. 1173, which garnered support from 28 Democrats. Parties have been divided on whether to revise or repeal CLASS. The bill has now been passed on for a vote in the Senate.
The planned benefit from the 2010 health care law was intended as affordable long-term care insurance for all working Americans.
Announcing AskBlue
The recent launch of the AskBlue Healthcare Reform Tool, a personal online guide to understanding reform, is helping people learn more about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The AskBlue tool is now on the Health Care Reform (HCR) Resource Center, accessible from the bcbstx.com home page.
AskBlue places ever-changing health care reform information at users’ fingertips in a way that is clear and easy to understand. AskBlue allows users to click, watch, listen and learn as a virtual assistant provides a general overview of certain aspects of reform. Created by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association for all Blues Plans, the eight minute tutorial is designed for both individuals and those who run businesses. Users are asked a series of simple questions that allows the tool to build a specific list of provisions that apply to their situation and needs. At the end of the interactive lesson, users are given a summary of how ACA impacts them. There is also an opportunity to explore other unrelated ACA provisions.
In addition to the AskBlue tool, our HCR Resource Center includes information on all the ACA provisions affecting individuals and businesses, and has an interactive timeline of key date changes through and beyond 2014. You can access the HCR Resource Center and the AskBlue tool by clicking on the AskBlue widget in the bottom right corner of the bcbstx.com home page.
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