• Will Health Care Reform Close the Medicare Donut Hole Coverage Gap?

    Right now, Medicare Part D coverage applies to the first $2,970 of retail prescription drug costs for a Medicare recipient with a Part D plan.  This included the portion paid by the recipient in the form of deductibles and coinsurance/copays as well as the portion covered by the insurance company.  Once the recipient hits $2,970…

  • Will Health Insurance Premiums Skyrocket In 2014?

    If you do not get health insurance through an employer (and nobody in your family does either), you will likely be getting health insurance on the Exchange.  In Pennsylvania, there is no state exchange, so you would use the Federal Exchange.  In getting coverage on the Exchange, you could be eligible for a tax subsidy…

  • Why is the Employer Mandate being delayed?

    The Employer Mandate is the portion of Health Care Reform that penalizes large employers for not offering affordable health-coverage to its full-time employees.  The penalties apply to employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees. On July 2nd, President Obama announced that the Employer Mandate would be delayed until 2015.  The reason given was to…

  • What Is Going To Happen With UPMC And Highmark?

    Currently, UPMC and Highmark have an agreement through December 31, 2014. This means that any Highmark member (except those with Community Blue) will be able to use all UPMC facilities and doctors at in-network rates through the end of 2014. In June, UPMC announced that, because of Highmark’s recent acquisition of the Allegheny General/West Penn…