Details Found in IRS Explanation Issued Wednesday; $20,000 Figure Based on a Family of Four. In a final regulation issued Wednesday, January 30, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assumed that under Obamacare the cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost $20,000 for the year. Under Obamacare, Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty to the IRS. The news was reported by Huffington Post, CNS News, Catholic News, Investment Watch, Economonitor, Naked Capitalism, Investor Village, and more. The Journal of Accountancy offered detailed analysis of the new regulations, and NPR weighed in…
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Many Physicians Find Personalized Service is Increasingly Popular Among Patients Elizabth O’Brien at CBS Marketwatch writes that plenty of baby boomers have done the math on so-called “concierge” medicine (also known as “boutique,” “personalized” or “private physician” practices) and deemed the investment worthy. In the typical concierge experience, a primary-care doctor accepts insurance for routine services but also charges a non-reimbursable fee that pays for amenities like 24/7 access to the doctor, same-day appointments, longer appointment times and a greater degree of personalized attention. The annual fee for such practices currently averages about $1,800. More:
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Ahead of the new health-care law, small firms worry about crossing the crucial 50-person threshold — and about rising premium rates Emily Maltby at the WSJ Law blog reports on increasing concerns about the forthcoming healthcare laws among small business owners. This seems to be a prominent issue and concern among small business owners, and has been noted in most every major media outlet in recent weeks, from the New York Times to Forbes, CNN, US News & World Report, FoxNews, The Economist, The Hill, the Washington Post, and more:
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2013 California Filings: Aetna: 22 percent. Anthem Blue Cross: 26 percent. Blue Shield of California: 20 percent. Reed Abelson at the New York Times reported last week that health insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the biggest objectives of the Obama administration’s health care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for consumers. More:
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Becker’s ASC Review, a site that provides Practical Business, Legal, and Clinical Guidance for Ambulatory Surgery Centers, recently published an article on benchmarks that ASC administrators often neglect. These are important benchmarks not just for ASCs, but for any physician executives, healthcare practice managers, and the valuators and consultants they work and plan with. An excerpt: Chance Sherer, manager with VMG Health, discusses several benchmarks that ASC administrators often forget to include in their data collection efforts. Q: Could you discuss several benchmarks that surgery center leaders overlook or under-use in their benchmarking efforts? Chance Sherer: All ASCs are different. They…