‘In The News’ Archives
Acupuncture Added As Essential Health Benefit in California
On Sept. 30, Gov. Jerry Brown signed measures SB 951 and AB 1453, which included acupuncture to be covered under federal health reform. The two measures included acupuncture as an essential health benefit that the state can begin to offer through federally subsidized plans for individuals and families as well as unsubsidized plans. During the [...]
Most Workers Don’t Make Good Use of 401(k)s
The 401(k) system has come under a lot of criticism since the financial crisis hammered workers’ nest eggs. About two thirds of employers believed employees had ‘adequate’ retirement and investment planning resources. At the same time only 15% thought employees “made good use” of the resources and only 22% thought employees made [...]
Consumer Group Fighting Insurance Rates Draws Fire
A consumer group that has reaped millions of dollars in fees from insurance companies thanks to a state initiative it wrote is facing a new wave of criticism from Democratic and Republican political consultants and lawmakers. Critics note that the advocacy group, Consumer Watchdog, profits from the special insurance regulation process it not [...]
Insurance Commissioner Backs Eye Care in California Health Exchange
Rancho Cordova's Vision Service Plan has a top government ally in its corner in its fight with a state agency over a new insurance program. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is urging the California Health Benefit Exchange to change the rules in VSP's favor. The ruckus is over who gets to sell coverage through the exchange. In August, [...]
Employers Expressing Doubt in Retirement Readiness of 401(k) Plan
The Towers Watson survey of 371 U.S. employers that offer a 401(k) plan as their primary DC retirement plan found that more than half of respondents (56%) reported employee participation levels at or above 80% this year, compared to 50% two years ago. The higher participation rates are primarily the result of employers using automatic enrollment, [...]
Why Advisers Should Root for Small Biz 401(k) Reforms
There's a lot of talk in Washington these days about the deficiencies of the 401(k) system. There is already sufficient agreement on Capitol Hill—regardless of who wins the White House or who controls the House and Senate—to approve legislation that would allow small businesses to join newly created multi-employer retirement plans. So far, [...]
Millions Will Fall Through ACA Cracks in California, Report Predicts
Up to four million Californians could remain uninsured after all national health reforms are in place, and about half of them will be eligible for subsidized coverage but not enrolled. National reform will bring health coverage to millions of previously uninsured Californians through the expansion of Medi-Cal and creation of subsidized insurance [...]
Vision Service Plan Puts 150 Jobs on Hold Amid Insurance Dispute
The Rancho Cordova based eye-care insurer Vision Service Plan said it's putting 150 new jobs on hold until a controversy is resolved involving the California Health Benefit Exchange governing board's ruling that the stand-alone eye insurer would be allowed to sell coverage to small businesses but not individuals. That excludes VSP from the [...]
How is Money Shaping California Health Policy?
Over the last 10 years the amount of money being spent on state legislative campaigns from health interests has gone up significantly. There’s been a big shift of money in favor of Democratic candidates. This is a bit of a puzzle, at this point in my reporting, because Democrats have only slightly increased their majorities in the state [...]
How Family Ties Shape Retirement Success
Practical retirement advice needs to include the fact that we live in the real world and have diverse needs and challenges. One factor that contributes to large differences in retirement planning and needs is a person's family situation. MetLife's Mature Market Institute, in partnership with the Society of Actuaries, recently studied how [...]
