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On COBRA? New Announcement from HHS Could Save you Thousands of Dollars


In mid-April, I received a call from a 62-year-old woman named Alice who had been laid off from her job quite a while back. She was paying around $650 each month to maintain her COBRA coverage. Turns out she got my number from her brother, Carl, whom I had helped enroll into a Marketplace plan. He, too, was paying a lot of money each month for COBRA coverage after his employer had cut his hours in half, making him ineligible for employer-offered coverage. By enrolling into a subsidized Marketplace plan, Carl saved more than $400 a month in premium costs. He hoped I could also help his sister. Unfortunately, she called me just a few weeks after open enrollment had ended.

Normally, this would mean that she would have to wait until the next open enrollment period or until she exhausted her COBRA coverage before she could qualify for a Special Enrollment Period which would allow her to enroll into a much more affordable Marketplace plan. It seemed she had missed this window of opportunity – that is until HHS announced new Special Enrollment Periods for folks currently enrolled into COBRA coverage.

As I mentioned, normally a consumer has four options regarding COBRA coverage:
  • Decline an initial offer of COBRA coverage
  • Get a Special Enrollment Period and enroll in marketplace coverage
  • Switch from COBRA coverage to marketplace coverage during open enrollment
  • Wait until the exhaustion of COBRA coverage to get an Special Enrollment Period

Well, HHS recognized that folks just like Alice were confused about their options. So they decided to offer COBRA enrollees a Special Enrollment Period. If you or someone you know is on COBRA, he or she can qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to shop for a plan on the Marketplace until July 1 of this year.

Simply call the Marketplace call center at 1-800-318-2596 and tell them you are currently on COBRA and that you would like to explore your options in the Marketplace. Then fill out an application at healthcare.gov to see if you’re eligible for financial help. This could very well save you hundreds of dollars each month in premium costs. You have nothing to lose. I’ve already called Alice.

Jillian Phillipsr
Chicagoland Organizer
Campaign for Better Health Care

For more info on qualifying events:
http://illinoishealthmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Special-Enrollment-Periods-Explained.pdf

Can Non-Profits leverage the ACA to bring down health insurance costs?

The non-profit sector is a leading source of job growth in the United States and currently employs just under 11 million people nationally.[1]  Locally here in Illinois, we see  direct growth in this sector – now holding 10.6% of the private employment, up from 9% in 2005.[2]   However, in a recent survey of 600 national non-profit organizations, recent increases in employee turnover are indicated to be an ongoing concern.[3]  One of the greatest tools that organizations have available to them to attract and retain high quality employees is the compensation and benefits package.  Providing high value, yet affordable benefits is part of the ethos of most non-profit organizations.  However, as the cost curve of health insurance continues to rise, this proposition has become increasingly more challenging.  The Affordable Care Act created a small employer tax credit to help offset some of these costs – but many non-profits are left wondering how this might benefit them.

The ACA includes a provision that gives small employers, including nonprofits with fewer than 25 employees (with average salaries below $50,000), the right to access a tax credit for insurance premiums paid by the employer for their employees' health insurance.  For tax-exempt nonprofits the credit is treated as a refund on quarterly payments that the nonprofit has made to the IRS for income tax withholdings or Medicare withholdings from employee wages. For 2010-2013 the refund is 25% of the expenses paid by the employer towards employees' health insurance premiums; the refund increases to 35% after January 1, 2014.[4]  Non-profits should know that they are still able to retroactively apply for previous year’s tax credit if they meet all of the eligibility guidelines.
            To better understand the tax credit and available provisions under the ACA, you may want to explore the new small business page of Illinois Health Matters.  Here you can find additional information about the small employer tax credit and other key resources.
            Beginning in 2014, to obtain the tax credit – employers must enroll in a qualified health plan through the SHOP Marketplace.  These plans are competitively priced and cover all of the EssentialHealth Benefits that are important to you and the employees you are trying to retain. The Illinois SHOP Marketplace can be found at GetCoveredIllinois.gov.  Here you can find additional information about the plans available – but more importantly through their Get Help feature you can search for registered brokers in your neighborhood.  Brokers can assist you in applying for the small employer tax credit, evaluate your health insurance and employee benefit package, and assist you in enrolling in a plan that qualifies for the tax credit reduction.
The ACA offers two important tools to assist small employers – the SHOP marketplace, and the small business tax credits. Together, these two strategies can help non-profits begin or continue to offer quality benefit programs at an affordable price. As nonprofit organizations continue to play an integral role in the workforce and in the communities they serve – finding business partners that can assist in helping to leverage these resources will continue to be paramount for long term workforce and budgetary planning. Creating stability and financial sustainability in these areas will ultimately allow non-profits more freedom to focus on what’s important – fulfilling the mission of their organization and continuing to serve the community around them.


Michele Thornton, MBA
Insurance & Benefits Consultant
[1] Salamon, LM, SW Sokolowski and SL Geller. Holding the Fort: Nonprofit employment during a decade of turmoil. Nonprofit Employment Bulletin 39, Johns Hopkins University. January 2012.

[2] Salamon, LM, SW Sokolowski and SL Geller. Illinois Nonprofit Employment: An Update.  Nonprofit Employment Bulletin 21, Johns Hopkins University. January 2005.

[3] 2013 Nonprofit Employment Trends Survey Report. Nonprofit HR Solutions. Accessed at: http://www.nonprofithr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-Employment-Trends-Survey-Report.pdf

[4] Small Business Healthcare Tax Credit for Small Employers. IRS (2014).  Accessed at: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Small-Business-Health-Care-Tax-Credit-for-Small-Employers

CPOE Humor Memes. (Laugh Q 1 Hour PRN Scheduled Routine Stat)

If you're looking for a little CPOE humor, look no further.   CPOE stands for Computerized Physician Order Entry.   CPOE provides a perfect opportunity for good humor. Their ain't nothin' funnier in this world than watching emotional breakdowns in middle-aged 1%ers as they try to navigate C-B-C on a standard English keyboard that hasn't changed in centuries.   No matter what your position is on physician order entry, we can all agree on one thing:  If you can't laugh at yourself, the Happy Hospitalist will do it for you. What you'll find here is a fine assortment of original (and not so original)  CPOE humor memes to help bring joy to your daily grind.  Please enjoy these memes Q 1 hour prn scheduled routine stat.

"Stat orders?  Ain't nobody got time for that!"

Stat orders? Ain't nobody go time for that! medical humor meme photo.


"You didn't really mean stat. Did you?"

You didn't really mean stat. Did you? Medical humor meme photo.


"The next phase of CPOE is here: Computerized Physician Order Empathy"  (Stage 3 Meaningful Use)

The next phase of CPOE is here! (Computerized Physician Order Empathy) photo.


"The leading cause of death among doctors is CPOE:  Computerized Physician Order Exacerbation"

The leading cause of death among doctors is CPOE (Computerized Physician Order Exacerbation) ecard meme humor photo.


"'Round these parts, when our CPOE system dies, we call that a Computerized Physician Order Execution."

'Round these parts, when our CPOE system dies, we call that a Computerized Physician Order Execution CPOE ecard meme humor photo 18f19e7f-c4fa-4e41-a220-4e319208d151_zps850a48fb.jpg


"I don't always do CPOE. But when I do it's called computerized physician order errors."

I don't always do CPOE. But when I do it's called computerized physician order errors CPOE humor meme photo.


"I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, they serve cake and I scream."

I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, they serve cake and I scream CPOE humor meme photo.


"I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, AKDHT ALCKE BALDK THBOEK EOE!!!"

I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, AKDHT ALCKE BALDK THBOEK EOE!!! CPOE humor meme photo.


"I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, expect shock and awe....f**k!"

I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, expect shock and awe....f**k! CPOE humor meme photo.


"I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, expect 5 more meetings on your agenda."

I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, expect 5 more meetings on your agenda CPOE humor meme photo.


"I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, shit hits the fan Q 1 hour am scheduled prn."

I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, shit hits the fan Q 1 hour am scheduled prn CPOE humor meme.


"I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, I imagine lots of people saying 'WTF was that order'."

I don't always do CPOE. But when I do, I imagine lots of people saying 'WTF was that order CPOE humor meme photo.


"Oh you hate putting in your own orders. Tell me again about your excellent penmenship." (source unknown)

Oh you hate putting in your own orders. Tell me again about your excellent penmenship CPOE humor meme photo.


"Facebook humor"

Penmanship MD humor


FACEBOOK HUMOR:
The FDA, CMS, CDC, AMA and ABIM has just put out an urgent alert today recommending all physicians wear SCDs and take Lovenox shots while rounding. A rash of CPOE (Computerized Physician Order Embolism) related deaths is to blame. The most at risk are suspected to be physicians sitting for hours trying to figure out how to enter a standard garden variety 5-way if/then order involving pharmacy, lab, nursing and housekeeping. These eClots are for real. Take action now! 
An exciting Novartis news release today says they are now selling Computerized Physician Order Excedrin. This proprietary CPOE formula promises to counteract headaches from any CPOE system on the market. It's available only be e-prescription. Unfortunately, no physician can figure out how to enter the order.