With the release of the draft IRS forms for reporting advance premium tax credits and reconciliation with the household MAGI, health insurance agents might be called upon to know another part of the ACA, the dreaded tax forms. The variety of reporting statements individuals and families may receive from employers and the exchanges will require […]
Archives for July 2014
IRS releases draft ACA tax credit reporting forms
The IRS has released drafts of the tax forms that will be used to reconcile the amount of Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) received from an insurance exchange against how much the individual or family was entitled to based on their modified adjusted gross income. The various components used to determine the APTC (income, household size, dependents, employer sponsored insurance, […]
August enrollments delayed through Covered California
For Certified Insurance Agents enrolling clients into health plans through Covered California for an August 1, 2014 effective date, many have been asking why it is taking so long for the enrollment data to be transmitted to the carrier. Customer Service Representatives at Anthem Blue Cross and Covered California acknowledged on July 28th that enrollment […]
Granite Bay water consumption drops without price hikes
As if to defy traditional market economics, the water consumption in the Granite Bay retail division of the San Juan Water District dropped without the advent price hikes. This water conservation, solely at the behest of the water districts and California officials, illustrates that consumers can change their consumption based on good information and awareness […]
Searching for George Reppert’s grave site at Folsom Lake
From the shoreline of Granite Bay Beach Park at Folsom Lake you can probably see where Mr. Reppert was buried in 1849 in an unmarked grave far away from home and family. The death and burial of this gold rush miner comes to us from a fellow traveler and miner who wrote about his experiences in the […]
HSA double deductible health plans
A little known provision of health plans that also are designated as being a Health Savings Account (HSA) require a single member of a family to meet double the deductible amount of an individual before coinsurance is applied to health care services. Unlike traditional family plans where any one member of the household can transition […]
IRS mid-year ACA tax credit check up
The IRS issued a mid-year ACA tax credit check up advisory to remind individuals and families to report household changes if they are receiving Advance Premium Tax Credits to lower their monthly health insurance premiums. Most notable is the admonition that if the household income exceeds 400% of the federal poverty lineas reported on their […]
Tiny town of Forks loves Twilight vampires
Half the fun of a vacation is being pleasantly surprised by unexpected experiences. As we drove into the small hamlet of Forks, Washington, you could tell the local merchants had adopted the teenage vampire saga Twilight as their claim to fame. Even the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at was on a mission to incorporate […]
Anthem Blue Cross to experiment with online doctor visits
The Anthem Blue Cross of California provider network just got larger as of July 1st when Blue Cross members can enroll in LiveHealth Online to consult with a doctor through the Internet using a regular computer, tablet or smart phone. The cost for the doctor visit or online consultation, in lieu of actually visiting a […]
Lightning strikes twice for one Covered California family
One would assume that the probabilities of a second Covered California enrollment nightmare would be less than being struck by lightning. But for one family, lightning has struck not once, but twice. Covered California and Blue Shield have teamed up to disenfranchise all but one family member because the mother delivered a healthy baby boy in […]