Highmark Inc. is facing its first real competition in the Western Pennsylvania health insurance market.

But the extent to which that competition has resulted in lower costs for employers and lots of new business for four national, for-profit insurance companies has been limited so far, said Elliott Dinkin, CEO of Downtown benefits consulting company Cowden Associates Inc.

"They have their toes in the water, but they're cautious," Dinkin said of the approach to the market by Aetna Inc., Cigna Corp., HealthAmerica and United HealthCare.Read More

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the challenge to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on Monday, November 14, 2011.  Arguments will focus on the constitutionality of the individual mandate and its impact on the rest of the law.  Oral arguments are scheduled for no later than March 2012 with a decision by late June 2012. Read article

The Latest on Wellness Programs:  What Can Employers Legally Do to Increase Participation?

Highlights Include Increases of:

  *  Maximum annual compensation under 401(a)(17) for qualified plans to $250,000
  *  Annual benefit limit for DB plans to $200,000
  *  401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) elective deferrals to $17,000
  *  Total annual DC additions to $50,000
  *  Compensation threshold for HCE to $115,000

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The ongoing battle between Highmark Inc. and UPMC is holding down health insurance premiums in Western Pennsylvania as new insurers try to snap up business here and Highmark fights to hold onto to its customers, said Vince Wolf, executive vice president for Cowden Associates Inc., a Downtown benefits-consulting company. Read article

An informative and educational seminar addressing the latest collective bargaining topics impacting Pennsylvania employers, including an actual negotiation experience with veteran management and union-side negotiators. Read more

It is probably safe to assume that with the most recent news headlines of “Healthcare Costs to Increase in 2012”, “The State Exchanges in Health Care Reform” and “Health Care Compliance”, the majority of employers offering employee benefits programs are focusing their attention on Health Care Benefits while the ancillary benefit programs of Basic Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Short-term Disability (STD) and Long-term Disability (LTD) are often left unattended to.Read More

On August 17, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a “Notice of Pro-posed Rule Making for Uniform Benefit Summaries”. Uniform Benefit Summaries are intended to provide individuals with standard information so they can make decisions about which medical plan to choose. Read more

Only 11 percent of the employers in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and eastern Ohio pay 100 percent of their workers' health insurance premiums, according to a 2010/2011 Tri-State Area Employee Benefits Survey conducted by Cowden Associates Inc., a Downtown-based benefits consultant company. The national percentage is closer to 5 percent. Read article

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Two states operating health insurance marketplaces provide some guidance on the variety of ways in which Pennsylvania could structure its exchange, said Vince Wolf, executive vice president at Cowden Associates Inc., a Downtown benefits consulting firm. Read article