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2014 Benefit Changes in response to the ACA. HR Pros - April, 2013 Office of Human Resources. The “Affordable Care Act”. …by any other name… ACA Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Health Care Reform Obamacare …may, or may not, be a rose. Is the ACA a good thing?.
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2014 Benefit Changesin response to the ACA HR Pros - April, 2013 Office of Human Resources
The “Affordable Care Act” …by any other name… ACA Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Health Care Reform Obamacare …may, or may not, be a rose
Is the ACA a good thing? • Many more Americans will have coverage • but not everyone • Many with poor coverage have better coverage • but many won’t have quite as good coverage as now • This will come at a cost • More out-of-pocket costs in our plan. More taxes going to the Feds. • It may take longer to get an appointment with a provider. • Health care delivery in America does need reforming! • Costs more and produces worse outcomes. • Why? Providers get paid for the wrong thing: Services instead of Results. • In the end, you will have to decide whether it’s a good thing.
Will it effect the UPlan? HCR has already affected the UPlan… …but not as much as many other employer plans! 2011: • Adult child coverage to age 26 • That’s currently costing roughly $2M a year 2013: • Health Care Exchanges begin Enrollment • Challenge for us to help employees understand what’s happening • Healthcare Flexible Spending Account limited to $2,500 • Some minor changes in benefits • Changes in the way that appeals are handled • Value of your 2012 tax-exempt medical insurance shows on W-2
Effects on UPlan 2014: • January 1: Exchanges deliver coverage • Like most large employers, we will “play” (pay or play) • Benefits remain a key component of our employee value proposition • Requires a complicated way of determining Full Time eligibility 2015 (2016?): • Auto-enrollment required • New employees will automatically be enrolled for employee-only coverage. They will have to enroll their dependents to get coverage, and can opt out if desired. • Overrules MN State Law 2018: (here’s the “biggie”) • An Excise (“Cadillac”) Tax will be imposed on “high value” plans
UPlan is a “High Value” plan “Plan Value” is defined by the ACA as the sum of: Employer contribution to premium + Employee contribution to premium + any Health Flexible Spending Account amounts Out-Of-Pocket costs are not included! A “High Value” plan is any plan that exceeds these annual amounts in 2018: • $10,200 for individual; $27,500 for family • UPlan has options at $8,000 individual; $21,000 family now!
When the “Cadillac Tax” hits… • A tax rate of 40% of the Plan Value in excess of the maximum allowed will be imposed. • Five year (2018-2022) estimate of UPlan exposure: $48,000,000 • Assumes we do nothing • The University must not pay this tax! • For financial reasons • For political (public relations) reasons
Our Goals… Maintain quality, affordability, and choice in the UPlan Avoid the Excise Tax Continue to manage healthcare trend
Changes begin in 2014 Why this early? Must have plan value calibrated before 2016 to ensure safe harbor Need a minimum 18 months of experience to measure impact of changes, plus time to make adjustments prior to 2016 Also, high risk of making changes for 2015 because of overlap with ESUP Pushes us to January 1, 2014
We must reduce Plan Value • Three strategies • Ongoing cost-effective care initiatives • Adjusting the benefit design • Miscellaneous other changes
2014 medical changes Increase Out-Of-Pocket costs. • In ‘traditional’ plans: • Introduce deductibles on all non-copay items • $100/$200 on Medica Elect Essential • $200/$400 on Medica Insights and Choice • Increase primary care and related copays by $10 • Primary, internal medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics • Also chiropractic, acupuncture, physical, occupational & speech therapy, MH/SA • Introduce higher copays for specialty care • $15 higher than primary care ($10 higher in ACO plan)
2014 medical changes • In Health Savings Account Plan • $250 / $500 reduction in HSA account • $500 / $1,000 increase in out-of-pocket maximum
2014 medical changes • Introduce a new, ACO (Affordable Care Organization) Plan in our choices • High-quality, cost effective, but restrictive • Benefits slightly higher than Base Plan • Costs slightly lower – a “buy down” plan • Four Twin Cities ACOs within this plan • Fairview, HealthEast, Park Nicollet, Ridgeview • Fairview currently includes UMP specialists, but not UMP primary care • Park Nicollet does not include HP primary or specialty • Some potential to include Duluth care system
2014 medical changes • ACO Plan continued • Annual Elections - Employee & all family members must be in same ACO for the full year • No referrals needed within ACO network. • BUT referrals outside the ACO highly unlikely! • Travel benefit covers care outside service area • Emergency, urgent & non-emergency care • Care within service area, but outside of ACO, is out of network • Expect providers to reach out to new members
2014 pharmacy changes • Increase Tier 3 – Non-formulary brand copay to $75 • Encourages use of Tier 1 and Tier 2 clinically appropriate, cost effective medications • Current appeals & Prior Authorization provisions remain in effect
Shift some costs out of the rates • Move costs for internal administrative costs, and Wellness Incentives, out of the premiums • Costs charged to fringe pool, but not to UPlan Medical program • Reduces cost of all plan options
Combining base plans helps • Combining the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Greater-MN base plans into one reduces the excise tax exposure. • Same benefits, total cost, and employee cost for new single base plan • Networks will differ • Non-metro costs will come down; very slight increase for Twin Cities costs
Combining tiers helps • Spouse/SSDP and Family tiers are combined. • This reduces exposure to the Excise Tax by pulling down the cost of the Family tier. • However, this significantly increases cost for employees currently in the Spouse/SSDP tier.
Concluding notes • We are consulting with BAC now • Negotiating with Labor Represented groups • Planning massive communication campaign, including: • Facts of ACA • Clear message that Obamacare is the driver • Impact on UPlan