This summer marked a milestone in the battle for transparent health care costs. In June, a Trump administration policy requiring hospitals and health insurers to publish their negotiated prices for health services was brought to federal court by the American Hospital Association.
Simpara Welcomes Lauren Greenstein to the Team!
Unemployment: Why the Decision to Return to Work is Anything but Black and White
Real Deal or Placebo: Clinical Trial Reveals Impact of Corporate Wellness Programs
Simpara Partners with Large Health System to Bring Greater Transparency
Simpara, an HR and health benefits advising company in St. Louis, Missouri, announced today a direct-to-employer contract with SSM Health, one of the largest regional health systems in the US.
From Startup to Standout: Simpara's Founder Honored as a Broker of the Year Finalist
Our founder and president, Adam Berkowitz, was recently announced as one of five finalists for the BenefitsPro Broker of the Year title.
BenefitsPro, a trusted source for employee benefits news, trends and sales tips, selects five finalists for the award each year. Finalists get selected for standing out from the crowd, helping to shape the industry and providing extraordinary client service. This year’s finalists have a passion for progress and an aptitude for navigating change that sets them apart as industry leaders. It’s a group Simpara is honored to be included in.
It’s not only incredibly humbling but just a wonderful group of advisors to be named alongside. We’ve worked hard from the outset to provide a fantastic experience for our clients, employees, and their family members. This is further validation that Simpara and our team are making great strides in providing sustainable and affordable healthcare.
Adam’s feature in the May issue of BenefitsPro speaks to his journey from startup to standout, highlighting his ability to reshape an industry and deliver incredible results for his clients. Congratulations to all of the finalists including our own - well done Adam!
IRS Releases New Rules for FSA and Mid-Year Plan Changes
BREAKING: New COBRA Guidelines Issued
On April 29, 2020, the U.S. Departments of Labor (Employee Benefits Security Administration, “EBSA”) and Treasury (IRS) published a final regulation, and EBSA issued a package of guidance and relief, for employee benefit plans affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. New rules regulating COBRA and the offer of coverage to those laid off or who experienced a loss of coverage are impacted. Please read below:
Walmart Welcomes Primary Health Care
Walmart has been in the business of giving customers what they need when they need it for years, but now the popular retail store has plans to bring their one-stop-shop approach to health care in a major way. If test locations in two rural Georgia towns prove successful, one can expect to start seeing Walmart Health clinics pop up across the country.
Not all RBP is the Same
We began working with a financial services firm in Q4 of 2019. The company had fired their PPO the year prior and transitioned to a Reference-Based Pricing (RBP) approach paying providers a percentage above Medicare allowable rates. Using RBP leverages transparency, defensibility in pricing medical services, and cuts out a lot of the waste inherent in opaque PPO pricing.
COVID -19 -- Key Health Insurance & Benefit News
This blog is an attempt to provide up-to-date information related to coronavirus and its impact on health insurance and benefit plans. Information is evolving rapidly and we will do our best to keep the information as current as possible. This blog will be pinned to the top of our page an updated continuously.
The COVID–19 Conversation: Why Education is Your Best Defense
COVID–19 has taken over. The news. Daily conversations. The workplace. The classroom. Even impacting how we interact. COVID–19 has earned its pandemic status because there is currently no vaccination or treatment for it. However, the best defense against these unknowns and the continued spread is education – getting to know the virus, the risks and actionable steps for prevention.
