Health care in the U.S. is a mess. Real health care reform is nowhere on the horizon. Not exactly breaking news for the general population. But for advisors it is a clear and present call to arms. Until Washington wakes up, educating clients to become knowledgeable health insurance consumers will help them save on health care expenses and add value to your practice. Here is a primer on what they need to know—and how you can help them. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Helping Clients through the Healthcare Maze.
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In an Era of Reform (Part I of II) As demand for healthcare services continues to grow, the site at which these services are performed is experiencing a simultaneous transformation from the inpatient (e.g., hospital) setting to the outpatient setting. This transformation is being driven by factors such as: (1) technological advancements; (2) an increasingly consumer-driven and convenience-driven healthcare delivery environment; (3) pressure from payors; (4) patient demand; and (5) the entrance and diversification of new and different outpatient enterprises. One such example of a growing subset of outpatient enterprises includes ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). ASCs can be affiliated with…
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Finding Value in the Continuum of Care Under Changing Healthcare Reform
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Changes in the capital markets utilized in financing healthcare transactions have transformed the way that the healthcare providers and enterprises operate within the current transactional marketplace, explains Robert James Cimasi. These changes, particularly in recent years following the “Great Recession,” relate to both the availability of capital sources and the types of financial instruments used. As the healthcare industry faces a changing paradigm, the increased need for healthcare consulting services has been met by professionals who have entered the consulting arena from a diverse array of professional backgrounds, e.g., accounting, finance and economics, insurance, etc.
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Two New Taxes on Net Investment Income and Medicare Will Take Effect on January First At the Wall Street Journal’s Tax Report, Laura Saunders explains. The word is out: Two new taxes on the affluent and wealthy will take effect as scheduled next year as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the health-care overhaul. One is a new 3.8% tax on net investment income, and the other is a 0.9% increase in the Medicare tax on wages and self-employment income. Both levies apply to joint filers with adjusted gross incomes above $250,000 ($200,000 for singles). A recent…