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It's strange that the American Lung Association is against the ACA tobacco surcharge.
Fact Sheet: http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/to...rces/2013/factsheet-tobacco-surcharges-v2.pdf
Maybe the surcharge would reduce donations from smokers?
ac
Is It True that the ACA is Waiving Smoker Surcharge for 2014?
- Thread starter yogooglethis
- Start date
It's strange that the American Lung Association is against the ACA tobacco surcharge.
Fact Sheet: http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/to...rces/2013/factsheet-tobacco-surcharges-v2.pdf
Maybe the surcharge would reduce donations from smokers?
ac
- 4,716
Man,.. come on guys......really?
Really???
They don't want any deterrents to young people signing up!
- 8,448
Yo..I think you're referring to the GROUP regulation. It's been clarified this year to the point of incomprehension.
Excerpt:
"If a group health plan provides a reasonable opportunity to avoid a tobacco use surcharge at the beginning of a plan year (e.g., a tobacco cessation educational program), the plan is not required to provide another opportunity to avoid the surcharge that year to a participant who declined the initial opportunity. The FAQs note that nothing prevents the plan from providing another opportunity that year for a participant to avoid the surcharge, or for prorating rewards for those who complete the reasonable alternative later that plan year after having declined it initially. As a reminder, group health plans that impose a surcharge on tobacco users may do so only as part of a wellness program that complies with the Final Regulations."
Source: Recent Guidance on Wellness Programs Clarifies Premium Surcharges for Tobacco Use | Proskauer's ERISA Practice Center Blog
ac
- 2,127
These were the seminar's by corp office last september.
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You can call anything you want BS, it's a fact and I have slides, that are company specific I will not share.
- 1,304
Ok, so the client you enroll under NON Tobacco status ends up being diagnosed with Lung Cancer due to smoking during the duration of the policy.
Will the carrier call BS and not pay the claim?
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Mistakes can be made from even a corporate training level. Just look at the US government and the whole ACA roll out debacle.
You can call anything you want BS, it's a fact and I have slides, that are company specific I will not share.[/QUOTE]
So. You posted on a public forum information that goes against what we have heard and sold that you were given this fact. There are slides. Its company specific. And you won't share the slides or company.
I wish you the best of luck.
So. You posted on a public forum information that goes against what we have heard and sold that you were given this fact. There are slides. Its company specific. And you won't share the slides or company.
I wish you the best of luck.
- 2,127
It could be company specific, we were also told that if they said they smoked 4 or less cigarette's a week they were non smoker's or for ceremonial purposes, but maybe they knew something we did not know, just found the following:
The ObamaCare Smoker Glitch
In the short term, Williams will get a break thanks to "the ObamaCare Smoker Glitch". The Smoker Glitch is an anomaly in the government's computer payment computer systems that won't process the tobacco surcharge correctly and won't be fixed until at least 2015. While the smoking surcharge can be up to three time the non-tobacco rate, programmers cannot get the system to make the calculations.
Advocates of the working poor think the glitch should stay in place. They argue that workers who could quit easily have already done so thanks to high cigarette taxes and bans in workplaces on smoking. A long-time smoker like Zack is hard-core. To quit smoking he will need more expensive nicotine replacement therapy. Insured people who continue to smoke will put a financial strain on the entire system, if penalizing them helps to reduce the numbers of smokers everyone gains, the insured, health care providers and health care insurers.
Employees covered under an employer based health plans do not face a tobacco penalty if they enroll in an insurance company sponsored smoking cessation program.
ObamaCare Smoking Cessation Therapy
Zack says he want to quit and take care of himself by taking his medications properly. He agrees that the tobacco penalty may be an incentive to quit. But, coverage for him does not include smoking cessation as, if he buys insurance, it will be through the state exchange. Already 10 states have placed ceilings on premium penalties for individual health insurance coverage.
But, with his first year of coverage, he will be entitled to ObamaCare's new benefits which include smoking cessation therapy. If he succeeds, he will enjoy the non-penalty rate in his second year of coverage. Look for more articles coming soon which address the ObamaCare smoker glitch and make sure to check out the Health Insurance Marketplace to understand how you can save money on your health insurance as a smoker.
Going through the company website I simply asked if they smoked, I did ask if they were in a smoking cessation program I simply put yes.
The ObamaCare Smoker Glitch
In the short term, Williams will get a break thanks to "the ObamaCare Smoker Glitch". The Smoker Glitch is an anomaly in the government's computer payment computer systems that won't process the tobacco surcharge correctly and won't be fixed until at least 2015. While the smoking surcharge can be up to three time the non-tobacco rate, programmers cannot get the system to make the calculations.
Advocates of the working poor think the glitch should stay in place. They argue that workers who could quit easily have already done so thanks to high cigarette taxes and bans in workplaces on smoking. A long-time smoker like Zack is hard-core. To quit smoking he will need more expensive nicotine replacement therapy. Insured people who continue to smoke will put a financial strain on the entire system, if penalizing them helps to reduce the numbers of smokers everyone gains, the insured, health care providers and health care insurers.
Employees covered under an employer based health plans do not face a tobacco penalty if they enroll in an insurance company sponsored smoking cessation program.
ObamaCare Smoking Cessation Therapy
Zack says he want to quit and take care of himself by taking his medications properly. He agrees that the tobacco penalty may be an incentive to quit. But, coverage for him does not include smoking cessation as, if he buys insurance, it will be through the state exchange. Already 10 states have placed ceilings on premium penalties for individual health insurance coverage.
But, with his first year of coverage, he will be entitled to ObamaCare's new benefits which include smoking cessation therapy. If he succeeds, he will enjoy the non-penalty rate in his second year of coverage. Look for more articles coming soon which address the ObamaCare smoker glitch and make sure to check out the Health Insurance Marketplace to understand how you can save money on your health insurance as a smoker.
Going through the company website I simply asked if they smoked, I did ask if they were in a smoking cessation program I simply put yes.
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slimjim
New Member
- 3
I attended a seminar for Humana where the Smoker Surcharge was addressed. ACA allows the carrier to charge up to 50% extra for tobacco use. Humana was holding it to around 10%.
I asked about e-cigs (my wife's only vice). The explanation was that the definitions for tobacco use will be carrier determined and carrier specific. As long as the surcharge does not exceed 50%, then the carriers set the parameters for their own product.
Mind you, this was last August.
I asked about e-cigs (my wife's only vice). The explanation was that the definitions for tobacco use will be carrier determined and carrier specific. As long as the surcharge does not exceed 50%, then the carriers set the parameters for their own product.
Mind you, this was last August.
- 1,745
I was told about the smoking cessation thing in an agent seminar also, within the past month. Will ask my FMO which carrier said this, or were they quoting an HC.gov situation, was it group or individual. On or off exchange. Don't recall which.
Good memory, Slim Jim, I am drinking at the fire hose of insurance details, have to rely on others to confirm some things.
Good memory, Slim Jim, I am drinking at the fire hose of insurance details, have to rely on others to confirm some things.
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- 2,127
It was in something from HHS, I can't find it, but we were given a slide show by the carrier and it was also plain as day. It was on or off exchange. It was individual.
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