from our friends at: UCLA Health Feb. 5, 2024 – UPDATE Anthem Blue Cross and University of California Health have reached a preliminary agreement on a contract that will preserve access to UC health care for patients with Anthem health insurance, as Anthem and UC Health finalize the details in the coming weeks. This means UCLA Health will remain in-network … Read More

Anthem Blue Cross has terminated its agreement with UC Health, including UCLA Health, jeopardizing in-network access to care for millions of Californians. It is Anthem’s decision alone to terminate the agreement without cause. If a new agreement is not in place by February 29, 2024, UCLA Health will be considered out-of-network beginning March 1, 2024, for the following Anthem-covered patients:Patients … Read More

from our friends at: www.aetna.com Young children, a demanding job, a friend in need ― many things can cause preventive health care to fall by the wayside. Until a nagging symptom reminds you it’s been a while since your last checkup. It’s tempting to put off seemingly minor dental issues until your schedule lightens up. But the warning signs below … Read More

from our friends at: www.benefitspro.com Here’s a surprise: The No Surprises Act (NSA) passed by Congress in 2020 is working. That’s the word from a research report from the Urban Institute. Several researchers from the Urban Institute and Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms (with backing from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) conducted interviews with 32 regulators and stakeholders representing … Read More

from our friends at: www.cahealthadvocates.com Tips for Advocates to Help People Keep Their Medicaid or Enroll in Other Quality Health Coverage Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many changes were made to support continuous Medicaid enrollment and coverage. For example, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which was signed into law on March 18, 2020, provided states with … Read More

from our friends at: www.consumerfinance.gov Some health care providers offer financing options to pay your medical bills, including medical credit cards or payment plans that allow you to pay in installments. These financial options can have downsides. Here’s how they work and what to consider. If you’re unable to pay a medical bill, you have a few different options to … Read More

All financial plans are important, but Social Security benefits play a profound role in preventing elderly poverty and are paid out at an important stage in a worker’s life. With that in mind, it pays to know when you can start receiving your monthly payments and how continuing to work while collecting Social Security will impact your benefits. As the … Read More

From our good friends at: www.ltcipartners.com Introduction Most employees planning for retirement have three major concerns – an unexpected health event, outliving their income, and passing away financially unprepared. Life Insurance programs and retirement savings programs such as 401(k)’s can address two of these major concerns. Many serious health events are covered by Medicare or supplemental private health insurance policies. … Read More

From our friends at: www.benefitspro.com Unless you’ve been underwater holding your breath for the past several months, you know by now the voluntary benefits industry made a big splash last year. The industry woke from its pandemic-induced slumber to produce an overall growth rate of 11.3% and $8.307 billion in sales. The “basics” — voluntary life and disability insurance — … Read More

From our good friends at: www.npr.org The new rules will help people get upfront cost estimates for about 500 so-called “shoppable” services, meaning medical care they can schedule ahead of time. Consumers, employers and just about everyone else interested in health care prices will soon get an unprecedented look at what insurers pay for care, perhaps helping answer a question … Read More