Content about Healthcare

While employers have been focused on making sure that their healthcare plans meet the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), new interim whistle-blower provisions under that law recently went into effect.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an interim final rule and request for comments on Feb. 22, 2013, that establishes the procedures the agency will use to handle whistle-blowers’ retaliation complaints under the health care law.

As key provisions of healthcare reform under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) move closer to implementation, employers need to consider how they will respond. More specifically, employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees need to decide whether they will “play” by continuing or beginning to offer affordable health benefits to employees working an average of 30 hours or more per week in a month, or “pay” the penalties for not offering affordable benefits.

The percentage of U.S. workers in private-sector self-insured health plans has been increasing. In 2011, 58.5% of workers with employer-provided health coverage were in self-insured plans, up from 40.9% in 1998, according to a November 2012 report by the not-for-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

Satisfaction levels are rising among Americans enrolled in consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs), while they are declining among those in traditional health plans, according to a new report by the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

In particular, satisfaction rates for out-of-pocket costs appear to be trending downward among those with traditional coverage and upward for those with consumer-driven plans, according to the report.

In its landmark decision issued on June 28, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the health care reform law’s individual coverage mandate, rejected a provision intended to force states to expand Medicaid coverage, and left virtually all other parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) intact.

On the legality of healthcare reform

“Small businesses need healthcare reform to lower costs. If Obamacare is thrown out, something needs to replace it. Romney needs to address what he would replace it with.

“Responsible small businesses offer health care to their employees. The current system keeps increasing costs at double digits each year. That cannot last.”
— Dick Wegner
Portland, Ore.

Across the home improvement industry, small businesses confront some of the same human resource issues faced by their larger competitors. But the big players have human resource professionals on their payroll. Oftentimes, the small businesses don’t.

Finally, the fight against the 1099 form expansion built into the nation’s healthcare reform package — and ridiculed as “The Paperwork Salvation Act of 2010” — has reached a satisfying conclusion. It was repealed last month.


Banning the bulb


The following letter is a response to the article “California says goodbye to 100-watt bulb.” 

New Britain, Conn.-based Stanley Black & Decker announced it has entered into a deal to acquire Hatboro, Pa.-based Infologix, a provider of enterprise mobility solutions for the healthcare and commercial industries.

According to Stanley, the total transaction value is approximately $61.2 million, including the assumption of debt, of which approximately $22.1 million is currently outstanding and a portion of which is convertible into shares of common stock of InfoLogix.