Q2 commercial P/C survey, House advances bills for ACA reforms, and more

July 23, 2018

Q2 Commercial P/C Survey Now Open

According to Q1 2018 results, average premiums increased for the second consecutive quarter in three years, by 1.7 percent. What trends have you noticed in Q2? The Council’s Q2 2018 Commercial P/C Market Survey is now open, and your feedback will help uncover market trends in underwriting, claims and pricing. Brokers, carriers and industry analysts use the results from this survey track market conditions—and you can use them with your clients. The survey will be open until July 27.

Take the survey.

House Committee Advances Bills to Improve HSA Flexibility and Coverage Options; Other ACA Reforms

On July 13, the House Ways and Means Committee approved several bills related to HSA reform, many of which are consistent with Council policy recommendations. The legislative package would, among other things:

Delay implementation of the Cadillac tax until January 1, 2021
Provide retroactive relief from the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate by suspending the mandate until January 1, 2019
Allow for provision of certain high-value, low-cost services like telehealth, chronic disease management, and onsite clinics below the deductible
Allow HSA dollars to pay for direct primary care arrangements without losing HSA eligibility;
Increase maximum contribution limits and allow spouses to make catch-up contributions to the same HSA
Expand access to HSAs for working seniors
Allow for purchase of over-the-counter drugs with HSA and FSA dollars
Allow HSAs and other pre-tax health accounts to pay for sports equipment and other exercise costs
Treat bronze and catastrophic health plans as high deductible health plans

The bills were passed mostly along party lines. The full House is scheduled to vote on the legislation in the coming days. Senator Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has long championed many of the same HSA reforms, but it is unclear whether any of these measures will be enacted this year.

The Committee also passed bills to:

Make catastrophic “copper” plans “qualified health plans” eligible for premium tax credits and allow anyone in the individual market to purchase such plans
Allow excess money in FSAs to roll over to the following year

ACA Reform Legislation Tracker

Our legal team at Steptoe & Johnson is tracking healthcare reform bills as they are introduced in Congress. Recent updates are noted in the top box on the first page of the document. This tracker is updated as of July 19.

Get the tracker.

Don’t Burn Out Top Talent

High performers give your firm an edge, but they are often overused and overworked. Burnout not only hurts productivity and creativity but it can lead to physical and mental illness.

Here’s how to treat your top talent like they matter.

Leader’s Edge Wins Six AM&P EXCEL Awards

The Council’s very own Leader’s Edge magazine recently took home six distinguished awards from the 38th annual Association Media & Publishing EXCEL Awards Gala. The publication earned three gold, two silver and one bronze in the categories of general excellence, single topic issue, design excellence and feature article design. Association Media & Publishing is the organization that serves association, nonprofit and alumni publishing and communications professionals.

Read the press release here and listen to the podcast here.

World Class Insurance

One of the world’s largest sporting events just concluded with France taking the title at the FIFA World Cup held in Russia, and the insurance industry was a heavy participant.

YELLOW ALERT

Q2 P/C Market Survey

Legislative Summit 2025

The Insurance Professional School

Q2 Commercial P/C Survey Now Open

ACA Reform Legislation Tracker

Don’t Burn Out Top Talent

Leader’s Edge Wins Six AM&P EXCEL Awards

World Class Insurance