BCBS Of Massachusetts Will Not Reduce Minimum Employer Contribution To Employee Premiums; State Releases Proposed Rules On No-Cost Care
The Division of Health Care Finance and Policy last summer reduced from 50% to 33% the minimum amount that small companies must contribute to the cost of workers' health coverage. According to BCBS spokesperson Chris Murphy, the insurer recently changed its minimum employer contribution to health plans to 33% in response to "a lot of small businesses" contacting the company, saying that they were "trying to provide insurance for their employees" but could not "meet the 50% contribution requirement."
Under the state's new law, employers that do not contribute to employees' health plans must pay an annual $295-per-employee surcharge to a state fund. Health care advocates and some state lawmakers were concerned that the change could result in employers shifting more health care costs to employees, leading to fewer workers being able to afford coverage (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/9).
The administration of Gov. Deval Patrick (D) believed that if BCBS allowed lower employer contributions, it would have "spark[ed] a race to the bottom in which employers contributed as little as possible to their employees' health care," the Globe reports. Murphy said, "The governor is responsible for the implementation of the health care reform law, and he believed our underwriting guideline change would have an adverse impact in the implementation."
A spokesperson for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care -- the state's second-largest insurer, which also was considering lowering its contribution threshold to one-third of premiums -- on Thursday said that employers' minimum contributions would remain at 50% (Boston Globe, 7/13). Proposed Rules
In related news, proposed rules released on Thursday would require low-income, uninsured patients to pay deductibles and copayments for care received at hospitals as part of the state's effort to encourage all residents to obtain health insurance, the Globe reports. Under the state's health insurance law, hospitals and community health centers will not receive reimbursements for no-cost care provided to patients who are eligible for insurance through Medicaid, the state-subsidized Commonwealth Care or affordable employer-based coverage.
Under the proposed rules, uninsured residents with incomes between 150% and 200% of the federal poverty level would be required to pay a $35 monthly deductible. Those with incomes between 100% and 200% of the poverty level also would be required to contribute a $5 copay for office visits in a hospital and $50 for emergency department visits that do not result in an inpatient admission. People with incomes between 200% and 400% of the poverty level would pay a larger deductible based on income. There would be no copays or deductibles for children or for care received at community health centers, except for a $3 copay per prescription.
Joe Kirkpatrick, vice president of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, said, "Patients should expect more rigorous collection and enforcement efforts" from hospitals if the new rules are imposed. Ellen Murphy Meehan, a spokesperson for the Alliance of Safety Net Hospitals, said, "We're not going to turn people away. But we believe there's a shared burden of responsibility." Free Care Pool
The state has provided $605 million for no-cost care in 2007, and in 2008 will provide $354 million for the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, which will replace the free care pool. According to state Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigsby, the trust fund is meant to serve as a backup for those with inadequate health coverage, rather than appearing "more attractive" than insurance.
Money previously used to provide no-cost care will fund insurance subsidies. State officials said the number of people using the pool has decreased by 20% from last year, largely because 155,000 state residents have obtained coverage through the state's health insurance law.
Under the proposed rules, the state would pay for a "broad range of medically necessary" care for uninsured residents and expand the amount it pays for people faced with "medical bills that pose an extreme hardship," the Globe reports. The state will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule on Aug. 22 and could revise the rules before they are imposed on Oct. 1 (Dembner, Boston Globe, 7/13). Broadcast Coverage
American Public Media's "Marketplace Morning Report" on Monday reported on the Massachusetts health insurance law. The segment includes comments from Stuart Altman, a professor of health policy at Brandeis University, and John Kingsdale, executive director of the Massachusetts Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector (Palmer, "Marketplace Morning Report," American Public Media, 7/16).
Audio and a transcript of the segment are available online.
"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
BCBS din Massachusetts nu va reduce contribuþia minimã de angajare pentru a angajat de prime de asigurare; versiuni propuse de stat nu-reguli cu privire la costul de îngrijire - BCBS Of Massachusetts Will Not Reduce Minimum Employer Contribution To Employee Premiums; State Releases Proposed Rules On No-Cost Care - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate