Reno County employees will see no increase in health insurance premiums next year and no change in deductible limits, the Reno County Commission learned this week.http://www.hutchnews.com/news/20170726/reno-county-employees-escape-health-insurance-hike

 

One of the most dramatic increases is happening in Arizona where numbers are expected to skyrocket by 116 percent. Senator Jeff Flake, (R) Arizona, cited the statistic during an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. http://www.kyma.com/news/arizona-could-see-116-hike-in-health-insurance-premiums/157431745

 Firms with 200 workers or fewer have seen premiums for family plans shoot up nearly one-quarter over the last five years. In Maryland's small-group market, insurers just announced that they'd be hiking prices by up to 30% next year. In Minnesota, new rate filings show small-group premiums up 16% for 2017. Thankfully, these are offers that quite a few businesses can refuse. http://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/for-some-businesses-rising-health-premiums-are-optional/

As more businesses look at self-funding as a way to control their health care costs, it’s not uncommon for stop-loss insurance to be part of the discussion. In fact, according to a recent study from QBE Solutions, 60 percent of self-funded employers now have stop-loss insurance. http://www.sbnonline.com/article/stop-loss-insurance-can-reduce-risk-involved-self-funding/

A joint committee of Senate and House members met recently to study state employee insurance plans and how to better serve the health needs of state and education employees while also controlling health care costs to the state. http://tulsabeacon.com/state-health-costs-skyrocket/

Martin Shkreli. Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Mylan. These names have become big news, but just a year ago, most Americans devoted little time and attention to the question of pharmaceutical pricing. Now, a Kaiser Health Tracking Poll released Oct. 27 suggests many people care more about the increasing prices of drugs than they do about any other aspect of health care reform. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-bring-down-drug-prices-post-election/

Venessa Rodriguez of Endicott is happy with her health insurance. But one thing she's not thrilled about is that it's not always clear what she owes when she goes to the doctor. http://innovationtrail.org/post/more-transparency-health-care-prices-possible-ny

Open enrollment for the insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act kicked off Tuesday, and there’s a good chance consumers logging on to compare plans will face some sticker shock. http://bangordailynews.com/2016/11/02/health/health-care-prices-are-rising-dramatically-in-certain-parts-of-u-s/

 Health insurance companies, employers, and the workforce take a number of different steps to ensure that the best decisions are made in terms of health plan policies and covered benefits. For a variety of reasons, some businesses choose employer-sponsored health plans instead of relying on commercial payers. The employer-payer relationship has struggled in recent years due to increasing costs and a general lack of price transparency. http://healthpayerintelligence.com/news/data-analytics-key-for-strengthening-employer-payer-relationship

By doing this, the plan sends the message to participants that remaining enrolled in the plan may not be the best financial choice. At the very least, a raise in price may cause participants to explore other options. http://www.benefitspro.com/2016/10/26/how-to-avoid-common-pitfalls-when-managing-a-self-?t=employer-paid&slreturn=1477678331&page=3