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Anthem Blue Cross is pleased to announce they have reached an agreement Providence St. Joseph Health. This agreement encompasses all business product lines across the board. Providence St. Joseph Health has rescinded its notice of termination while we finalize the agreement. The current contracts remain in full force and effect.\ The multi-year agreement is effective January 1, 2025. For More Information or Help Quoting Anthem, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Covered California continued its “Let’s Talk Health” campaign at the Beale Memorial Library today with the 2025 open-enrollment period underway. Regardless of the results of the 2024 election, open enrollment is ongoing and coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces throughout the nation, including Covered California, is unaffected for 2025. “Our doors are open, and now is the time for Californians to sign up for health insurance,” Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman said. “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land, and the election results do not affect the financial assistance available to enrollees through federal and enhanced state subsidies next year. The most financial assistance ever offered to Californians to help pay for health care coverage remains available for 2025.” Open enrollment — which began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, 2025 — is when Californians can sign up for, renew or shop for a new health insurance plan. Over 5.9 million Californians have had health insurance through Covered California since the exchange opened its doors in 2014, including nearly 1.8 million who are currently enrolled. This is the 12th open-enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act, which has helped provide health insurance to tens of millions of Americans and now features increased and expanded financial help for consumers through the Inflation Reduction Act. California’s enhanced cost-sharing reduction program, which will be available to all Covered California enrollees in 2025, is making coverage even more affordable for Californians. To Read More Click Here

Health Net has announced it has agreed to continue their partnership with Optum. They have successfully agreed on a new two-year contract, which ensures all participating products will remain in-network through December 31, 2026. This partnership also allows us to enhance our service offerings and continue to provide you h quality healthcare coverage options. For More Information or Help Quoting Health Net, Please Contact Your Dickerson Sales Rep.

(December 12, 2024) IRS Releases PCORI Fee For Plan Years Ending Before October 1, 2025 The IRS has released Notice 2024-83, which sets the applicable PCORI fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, at $3.47 per covered life. The PCORI fee helps fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust, which was established as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of medical treatments, procedures and strategies that treat, manage, diagnose or prevent illness or injury. Under the ACA, most employer sponsors and insurers were required to pay PCORI fees until 2019 or 2020, as it only applied to plan years ending on or before September 30, 2019. However, the PCORI fee was extended to plan years ending on or before September 30, 2029, as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020. The amount of PCORI fees due by employer sponsors and insurers is based on the number of covered lives under each “applicable self-insured health plan” and “specified health insurance policy” (as defined by regulations) and the plan or policy year end date. The fee must be paid on or before July 31 each year. The fees due by July 31, 2025, are for plan years ending in 2024 and are as follows: For plan years ending between January 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024, the fee is $3.22 per covered life. For plan years ending between October 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, the fee is $3.47 per covered life. Insurance carriers are responsible for calculating and paying the PCORI fee for fully insured plans. The employer is responsible for paying the fee on behalf of a self-insured plan, including a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). In general, health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) are not subject to the PCORI fee. Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans must report and pay PCORI fees using the second-quarter IRS Form 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return. The second-quarter form is generally not released by the IRS until the second quarter of the applicable filing year (usually in or around May of the applicable filing year). Therefore, the Form 720 used for the 2024 filing deadline will not likely be available until around May 2025, and employers who sponsor self-insured group health plans subject to the PCORI fee must wait to file until the correct Form 720 is available. The average number of covered lives for the plan year is generally calculated using the snapshot, snapshot factor, actual count or Form 5500 method. These counting methods will be described in more detail in a future alert as we approach the 2025 filing deadline. Also note that because the PCORI fee is assessed on the plan sponsor of a self-insured plan, it generally should not be included in the premium equivalent rate that is developed for self-insured plans if the plan includes employee contributions. However, an employer’s payment of PCORI fees is tax-deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. To Read More Click Here