Individuals

Posted January 13th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Nothing has changed yet. Nothing will change until after Donald Trump is sworn in as President on January 20th.
Posted January 10th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Significant changes to short-term medical plans (STM plans) have been finalized for 2017. 
 
STM insurance plans with effective dates:
 
  • Prior to April 1, 2017, may be issued for longer periods of time so long as the length of coverage does not extend beyond December 31, 2017. 
  • On or after April 1, 2017, must be limited in duration to periods of less than three months, and that duration includes any renewed coverage.
 
Posted January 4th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
The deadline to make HSA contributions for the 2016 tax year is April 18, 2017. The deadline would normally be April 15th, which is the usual deadline to file federal tax returns, but that day falls on a Saturday this year so the IRS has announced they will allow a few extra days to submit 2016 tax returns. 
 
Posted December 30th, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Last week, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (collectively the “Departments”) issued new guidance as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to evolve.
 
 The guidance has been summarized into three different categories shown below:
 
1. Group Health Plans
 
Posted December 20th, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
The health insurance industry saw quite the year in 2016. Here are some of the highlights:
 
  1. ACA reporting had to be submitted for the first time which was an administrative struggle for several employers, but most were able to find a way to get it completed.
     
  2. Several Co-Ops, including Land of Lincoln Health, were forced to shut down due to solvency problems. 
     
  3. Most insurers reduced or eliminated commissions on the sale of individual health insurance plans as a result of profit losses.
     
Posted November 28th, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Exciting News!
 
Flexible Benefit Service LLC (Flex) is now in our new office, located at:
 
8700 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Suite 1010S
Chicago, Illinois 60631
 
The new office space includes an open plan design and is enhanced for greater workplace collaboration and operating efficiencies. We look forward to serving you from this new location!
 
Our phone/fax numbers, emails and web sites will remain the same.
 
Posted November 22nd, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Last week, we posted a blog on the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That blog focused on what types of things could potentially be repealed under President-elect Donald Trump. In this blog, the focus is on when things could start to get repealed, with an understanding that this is all speculation.
 
Posted November 15th, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Several Republican political leaders indicated their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would end if Hillary Clinton were elected as President, but the exact opposite happened. Donald Trump has been elected to serve as the 45th President of the United States and is set to take office on January 20, 2017. Trump has said on numerous occasions that the very first thing he’ll do is repeal “Obamacare.” Could this actually happen?
 
Posted November 1st, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
The 2017 contribution and reimbursement limits for consumer-driven accounts (CDAs) are now available and have been provided below:
 
Health Care Flexible Spending Account (Health Care FSA)
 
The salary reduction limit is $2,600 ($50 increase from 2016) for the 2017 plan year. Employers may also contribute the greater of $500 or up to a dollar-for-dollar match of the employee’s salary reduction. The maximum carryover amount remains unchanged at $500.
 
Posted September 26th, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
The cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is arguably the Health Insurance Marketplaces, also referred to as the Exchanges. Effective 2014, previously uninsurable individuals could start enrolling in a health insurance plan without regard to their medical history, and people who had trouble affording coverage could receive subsidies to reduce their out-of-pocket costs and/or premiums if certain requirements could be met.  
 

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