SIIA Delivers Key Messages to Federal Regulators

As part of its ongoing initiative to educate federal regulators about self-insured heath care plans, SIIA has delivered targeted key messages to senior officials at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). These two agencies are working on separate studies focused on self-insured health plans in the context of the new health care reform law.

SIIA’s message to HHS is that self-insured health plans will not contribute adverse selection when health insurance exchanges come on-line in 2014 as scheduled. Critics of self-insurance have contended this is a real concern.

Communicating to the DOL, SIIA has countered the contention that smaller employers should be restricted from self-insuring their health benefits due to financial solvency concerns.

The association will also be meeting soon with IRS officials to deliver the important message that stop-loss insurance should not be confused with health insurance given that the new health care law limits the tax deduction companies that sell fully-insured health insurance products may take for the compensation they pay to their employees.

To support this communications initiative, SIIA has produced three separate white papers addressing the topics noted above. These white papers can be accessed through the members’ only section of the SIIA web site at www.siia.org. You can also request these white papers by contacting Marissa Strickfadden at 202/463-8161, or via e-mail at mstrickfadden@siia.org.

“We are taking a very proactive approach to engage with federal regulators early and often,” said SIIA Chief Operating Officer Mike Ferguson. “The reality is that the health care reform process did not end with the passage of PPACA. In fact, there is much more our industry needs to stay focused on in the months and years ahead.”

Learn more about these developments at SIIA’s Legislative/Regulatory Conference, scheduled for March 14-16, 2011 in Washington, DC. Complete conference information, including registration forms, can be accessed on-line at www.siia.org.

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