Quality health plans & benefits Healthier living Financial well-being Intelligent solutions

Transcription

1 Quality health plans & benefits Healthier living Financial well-being Intelligent solutions Understanding how the health insurance providers fee and transitional reinsurance contribution will affect you Health care reform update for insured and self-funded health plans (7/13)

2 Understanding the industry-wide fee and contribution that affect health plans The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a number of provisions that impact insured and self-funded health benefits and health insurance plans. As additional regulatory guidance has become available we have shared information with you. In that spirit, this communication is focused on two of the four ACA-mandated taxes and fees that are expected to directly impact health plans going forward. Health insurance providers fee (HIP fee) Transitional reinsurance contribution (RC) This flyer will help you understand: What each tax is about Which plans are affected How much each fee is and the expected cost to plans Who pays the fees When we expect each fee to affect Aetna plans 2

3 Health insurance providers fee What is it? One key component of the ACA is to make sure everyone has access to health insurance. As a result, an estimated 29 million to 33 million people will enter the insurance market in Many of these new entrants are lower-income families and individuals who may not have coverage today and who will receive federal subsidies toward the purchase of insurance. The ACA established a fee to help fund these subsidies. The fee will be assessed on health insurers beginning in 2014 and will not expire unless federal legislative changes are made. Because the new federal fee will impact the cost of plans going forward, we feel it s important for you to understand this fee. By doing so, you can better anticipate and plan for the expected impacts. Which plans? How much? The federal government will collect these amounts from health insurers to pay for the subsidies 2014: $8 billion 2015 and 2016: $11.3 billion 2017: $13.9 billion 2018: $14.3 billion Years after 2018: preceding year amount increased by the rate of annualized premium growth Under the current law, the fee has no expiration date. Given that this fee will be assessed only on insured health plans, the Secretary of the Treasury, through the IRS, will determine the amount of the fee due from each health insurer based on net premiums written for U.S. health risks, and bill each carrier annually. HIP fee applies to most forms of health insurance This includes: Insured new business and renewals Grandfathered and non-grandfathered plans The federal government will determine the amount to be collected, based on each insurer s portion of total premiums that are affected by the fee. The table below represents our assumptions of what is likely to be included in and excluded from the fee calculation, taking into account the statutory language and proposed regulations issued in March HIP fee applies to* Covering U.S.** health risks including medical, dental and vision Covering U.S. citizens and U.S. residents Covering individuals located in the United States (only during the location period) Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans (FEHBP) Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Medicaid risk Self-insured MEWAs (Multiple Employer Welfare Associations) HIP fee does not apply to* Self-funded business Medicare Supplemental Disability and/or accident-only coverages Long-term care Coverage for specific diseases if offered as independent non-coordinated benefits Hospital indemnity/other fixed indemnity insurance Stop Loss EAP/disease management/wellness Vital Savings by Aetna HRAs integrated with insured health coverage (no additional fee; fee applies to related medical coverage) *Based on our assumption. **U.S. defined as U.S. states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. possessions. 3

4 Here s how independent analysts estimate the HIP fee Research conducted by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB)* in November 2011 suggests that insurance premiums will increase by 2 percent to 3 percent as a result of this fee. The former director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, conducted a study in March 2011** suggesting premium increases of 2.4 percent to more than 3 percent. A letter from the Joint Committee of Taxation to Arizona Senator Jon Kyl in June 2011*** stated, estimated premiums would decrease by 2.0 percent to 2.5 percent if this fee is repealed. A study published by Oliver Wyman in October 2011 found that the HIP fee will, when fully implemented, increase the average cost of family coverage by $530 in the small group market, and $550 in the large group market. Who pays? Health insurance issuers are responsible for paying the fee The Secretary of the Treasury will determine the amount of the fee due from each health insurance issuer and bill each issuer annually. The total annual fee is allocated to each insurer based on its share of aggregated affected premiums. The fee is assessed only on insured health risks, not self-funded plans. When? Our 2014 assessment, which will be payable no later than September 30, 2014 will be spread across all customers whose policies include coverage for some portion of the 2014 calendar year. The extent to which premiums are affected by the HIP fee depends on the fraction of the 12-month policy period that represents 2014 coverage. Your renewal package or plan proposal will include details about how much the fee will impact your specific plans. * Effects of the PPACA Health Insurance Premium Tax on Small Businesses and Their Employers. Michael J. Chow, NFIB Research Foundation, November 9, Available at: Accessed June 17, ** Higher Costs and the Affordable Care Act: The Case of the Premium Tax. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum, March 9, Available at: Accessed June 17, *** A copy of the letter is available at: Kyl pdf. Accessed June 17,

5 Transitional reinsurance contribution (RC) What is it? Under the ACA, health insurance issuers and self-funded group health plans are required to make contributions to raise funds for transitional nonprofit reinsurance entities that will help offset the costs of high-risk individuals in the individual market. The contributions will be in effect from January 1, 2014, through December 31, The RC applies to both insured and self-funded plans. Insured: Beginning with new business and renewal effective dates of February 1, 2013, we will recover the contribution amount through health plan premiums. Self-funded: Each self-funded plan is responsible for collecting and remitting the contribution to the federal government. A self-funded plan can request a third-party administrator (TPA, such as Aetna) to collect and remit the contribution on its behalf. Contributions owed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be collected on an annual basis. Further clarification on excluded plans Expatriate coverage will be excluded from the RC, but we need to wait for HHS to issue further guidance as to the definition of expatriate health coverage. While the RC applies in general to employer-provided health coverage, it does not apply to members for whom the employer-provided coverage pays secondary to Medicare. Additional excluded plans: coverage that consists solely of benefits for prescription drugs; integrated HRAs; HSAs; FSAs; as well as employee assistance plans (EAPs), disease management and wellness programs to the extent they do not provide major medical coverage. Which plans? The RC applies to insured and self-funded plans Insured new business and renewals Grandfathered and non-grandfathered plans Self-funded group health plans The table below represents our assumptions of what is likely to be included in and excluded from the fee calculation, taking into account the final regulations issued in March RC applies to* All major medical products: Insured plans (policies written by U.S.-licensed** insurance companies) Self-funded group health plans Grandfathered plans and non-grandfathered plans State and local government employee plans Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans (FEHBP) RC does not apply to* Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Medicaid State Children s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Medicare Supplement and similar group supplemental coverage Stop Loss Excepted benefits: --Disability and/or accident-only coverages --Benefits offered separately: limited-scope dental, limited-scope vision, long-term care --Specified disease/illness if offered as independent, non-coordinated benefits --Hospital indemnity/other fixed indemnity insurance *Based on our assumption. **U.S. defined as U.S. states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. possessions. 5

6 How much? The contributions will be in effect from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2016 The ACA set an aggregate amount for the overall industry contribution under the transitional reinsurance program. The most recent guidance set the total RC to be collected over the three-year period 2014 through $12 billion in 2014 $8 billion in 2015 $5 billion in 2016 HHS determines the contribution amount on a per capita basis for health insurers and self-funded plan sponsors Under final regulations adopted in March 2013, the contribution amount will be expressed as a per capita rate. The national contribution payment for 2014 will be $63 annually per covered life, or $5.25 monthly per covered life for both insured and self-funded plans.* Insured plans Insurer contributions will be based on the national per capita contribution rate released by HHS, multiplied by insured plan lives subject to the contribution. The fee applies to member months in 2014, but premiums are level throughout the policy year, which (except for policies issued or renewed in January) spans two different calendar years. In order to collect the RC for all policies that cover 2014 risks, we are building this fee into any policy year that includes coverage for Self-funded plans Each self-funded plan s contribution will be based on the national per capita contribution rate released by HHS, multiplied by the self-funded plan s lives subject to the contribution. --Form 5500 Method (using an average of the number of covered lives filed with the U.S. Department of Labor for the last applicable plan year). As reported on the Form 5500, add the total number of participants at the beginning of the policy year with the total number of participants at the end of the year and divide by 2. The regulations state that aggregate enrollee data is needed; state-by-state enrollee breakdown is not required. For customers maintaining two or more group health plans that collectively provide major medical coverage for the same covered lives, the plans may be regarded as one group health plan for determining the RC amount. Customers can retrieve information about their Aetna covered lives from Aetna Health Information Advantage (AHIA). AHIA is available to all self-funded customers with at least 100 members covered by a medical or pharmacy plan administered by Aetna. We will provide the membership counts only for Aetna membership. This standard service is available at no charge and enables customers as well as authorized consultants and brokers to access plan membership information. AHIA can be accessed at Your renewal package or plan proposal will include details about how much the fee will impact your specific plans. Enrollment is calculated using either a daily, monthly or quarterly average of the first 9 months of the year, extrapolated to the full 12 months of The actual enrollment in the fourth quarter of each year will not be factored into the enrollment calculation. HHS has proposed the following counting methods: --Actual Count Method. Add the total number of covered lives for each day of the first nine months of the benefit year and divide by the total number of days in the first nine months. --Snapshot Count Method. Add the number of covered lives on any date or dates during the same corresponding month in each of the first three quarters of the benefit year. Then divide the total by the number of dates on which a count was determined. The date used for each quarter must be consistent. *In addition, if a state decides to operate their own reinsurance program there may be an additional state assessment. 6

7 Who pays and when? Health insurance issuers pay for insured plans. Insurers are required to remit payment to the federal government annually, within 30 days of receiving the annual invoice, which is expected to be issued around December 15. Self-funded plans are responsible for collecting and remitting the contribution to the federal government. The self-funded group health plan s role and the timing and frequency of payments On March 1, 2013, HHS released a final rule that provided, in part, additional guidance on the transitional reinsurance program for self-funded group plans. Third-party administrators (TPAs, such as Aetna) are not legally obligated to collect and remit the RC on behalf of self-funded group health plans. Each self-funded group health plan is responsible for collecting and remitting the RC to HHS. In addition, each self-funded group health plan is responsible for reporting annual enrollment counts. This report is due November 15. The RC is due in one annual payment, instead of quarterly as previous guidance had suggested. HHS will provide an invoice to each self-funded group health plan by December 15 or 30 days after the government receives the annual enrollment count, whichever is later. Self-funded plan sponsors can ask TPAs to report annual enrollment counts as well as collect and remit the RC on behalf of the plan. 7

8 Find more information on our website Visit where you can learn more about the ACA, its many requirements, and how Aetna is preparing for the changes ahead. The website includes: Detailed descriptions of many provisions of the law, including those that are already in effect and those that will take effect between now and 2018 Answers to the most common questions on the law and its requirements Our vision for creating a sustainable health care system We hope you ll find the information on the site helpful. Aetna is the brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of the Aetna Group of subsidiary companies, including Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna). This information is not intended to be legal or tax advice and should not be construed as such. The intent is to provide information only. Consult with your legal counsel and tax experts for legal and tax advice. If you have questions about Aetna health plans, contact your Aetna account representative. Health benefits and health insurance plans contain exclusions and limitations. Information in this document is believed to be accurate as of the publication date; however, it is subject to change. For more information about Aetna plans, visit Aetna Inc (7/13)