Last week Microsoft announced its new joint venture with GE, an open tech platform that would allow for “better population health management”. The as-yet-unnamed venture plans to develop clinical health care applications that would bring various healthcare IT products together. Microsoft will be providing technologies such as Amalga, expreSSO, and Vergence, while GE will be contributing Qualibria and its eHealth health information exchange. An interesting pairing: two multinational conglomerates, one joint health care venture.

The Department of Health and Human Services has detailed the parameters for qualification as a medical expenditure, though these rules are still being “fine-tuned”.

Yesterday the Supreme Court confirmed that, as expected for this year’s term term, it will rule on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Court plans to hear 5.5 hours of arguments on the case by March of next year; a ruling is expected in June.

The ruling aims to answer two essential questions: is the individual mandate, which requires individuals to purchase health insurance, is constitutional? And if not, should the entire piece of legislation be nullified?

The federal government has pushed through various consumer protection and premium regulation pieces in the act; the law also provides a number of options for individuals to get insured, such as the new federal and state-run health exchanges. Florida, leading a coalition of 26 states, is spearheading the case against the law on the grounds that the government cannot mandate the purchase of health insurance.

Update: Shortly after the confirmation of the hearing White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer released a statement saying, “We know the Affordable Care Act is constitutional and are confident the Supreme Court will agree.”

While the programs will remain voluntary, employees will likely find that utilizing them will be beneficial in the long run. From lowered premiums to employer bonuses to HSAs, the financial rewards for taking advantage of the programs are likely to be a big push for employees. For example, Union Pacific employees can currently receive up to $300 in employer contributions to their HSAs if they complete a provided health assessment, don’t use tobacco, and go in for an annual physical.

According to Reuters almost 40 percent of employers will begin hiking premiums for unhealthy employees in 2012, more than doubling the 19 percent of employers using the penalty strategy this year.

• Many employees will face increased out-of-pocket expenses, which are the charges they pay for health-care services. Notably, there will be a jump in the use of high deductibles—the upfront sums employees pay before coverage kicks in. To help workers defray those costs, some employers are offering financial incentives to those who make efforts to track and improve their health.

• Employees also will likely see at least small upticks in their monthly premiums for coverage, while some employers are trimming costs by offering a smaller array of doctors and hospitals.
• Even if employees opt for the same plan they had last year, they should watch for changes that might not be obvious, such as having to pay more to use medical providers that are outside the insurer’s network.
• You should delve into the details of plans’ charges before you choose one. Keep an eye out for where you will owe co-insurance, which is a percentage of the cost of care and tends to be more expensive than a flat co-pay, and for fees that may not count toward your out-of-pocket maximum.
• For consumers, a health savings account—which can be set up by people whose health plans meet certain requirements, such as high deductibles—has some advantages over other types of accounts. Unlike a flexible spending account, which is another type of tax-free account linked to health expenses, an HSA’s contents can be held over from year to year. Moreover, an HSA stays with you if you move to a different employer, and it can be used to save for medical expenses in retirement.

Health care costs have been risins across the board, both for providers as well as consumers. As a result, employers are likely to increase health insurance premiums by almost 12 percent according to consultancy Towers Watson, as well as switch from co-pays to coinsurance for doctor’s visits. Employers also plan to offer more high-deductible plans, which have lower premiums and up-front costs but can cost much more down the line.

Opening an HSA could be a great way to save should out-of-pocket expenses shoot up, and some companies contribute to employee HSAs each month. Many employers also offer wellness incentives, which could add up over the year. On the whole providers and employers are pushing wellness and preventive care to encourage healthy practices.
Be sure to get insured this enrollment season!

Califonia gov. Jerry Brown made his way through approximately 140 proposed laws in time for a midnight deadline. Among the new CA laws passed are the following:

• Insurers are required to provide autism coverage.
• Children aged 12 and above are given access to STD-preventive care sans parental consent.
• Cancer-causing tanning beds are now illegal for use by teenagers under the age of 18, in an effort to curb early-onset skin cancer and exposure to known carcinogens.

via Health Insurance and You