Dive Brief:
- New requirements that ban non-compliant coverage, expand the definition of small business to include up to 100 employees and eliminate "grandmothered" plans were mentioned as harbingers to a chaotic December for the healthcare industry according to a recent panel of experts at a Silicon Valley Business Journal panel on health and business trends in Sacremento, California.
- Employers with 50 to 99 employees will become "small employers" and fall under more complicated rating rules starting Jan. 1, 2016. They will no longer qualify for composite rating, said Shannon Zajec, a panelist at the meeting and a broker and managing partner at Employers Select Insurance Services. "I don't see a lot of benefit for these employers to be squished down to the under-50 market."
- Providers will also face challenges to care for more patients with the same amount or even less money.
Dive Insight:
In addition, the "Cadillac tax" on generous health plans is set to go into effect in 2018. The tax has been purported to potentially wreak havoc on FSAs.
Steve Nolte, CEO at Sutter Health Plus, said: "There will be a major, major disruption in December. It will be one of the biggest moments of activity as we gear up for small group renewals generally spread across the year."
Zajec suggested those in the industry "know what's coming and definitely start early. We are already communicating with our Dec. 1 groups."