Health Care Reform

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday it has issued long-awaited final regulations on the medical loss ratio provision of the Affordable Care Act.

Grassroots advocacy organization Save Flexible Spending Plans is making a last-ditch effort to get new Congressional leaders to repeal a provision of health reform before the Jan. 1 effective date.

In a recent survey, employers say they are not likely to drop health care once state-run insurance exchanges take effect in 2014, finds consulting firm Mercer.

The Department of Health and Human Services is offering grants to ambitious states that can be the first to produce consumer-friendly technology for health care exchanges.

Restaurants fear new reform mandates will jeopardize their ability to offer affordable health insurance to part-time and full-time hourly workers that participate in a limited medical plan.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Washington, D.C., recently approved a medical loss ratio reporting blank that contains broker commission costs into the administrative expense total - and brokers are reacting.

47 percent of executives say the PPACA may have a financial impact on their business. Most of them - 70 percent - have begun reviewing their health care benefit plans.

A 10 percent cost increase is projected for many popular health plans in 2011, as a number of health care reform provisions go into effect for employer plans.