By Thomas Cazneau

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act could have varying effects on Americans. Below is a summary of how health care reform could affect you, your family, or your business. For details, click Health Care Reform: Your Options Now and in 2014.

The Uninsured
One of the main mandates of the Health Care Reform is that, starting January 2014, most Americans and legal residents must obtain medical insurance. Otherwise, those who are uninsured will receive a penalty of $95 for one person or $285 per family or 1% of the income, whichever amount is greater. By 2016, the Health Reform penalty would go up to $2,085 per family or 2.5% of the income. For large companies of 50 employees or more, the penalty is $2,000 after the first 30 employees. Small businesses (less than 50 employees) are not required to offer health benefits.
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Posted: August 24th, 2012 under Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Pre-existing Conditions, Small Business, Thomas Cazneau.
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By Thomas Cazneau

Loss of Group Insurance
A loss of group insurance benefits from an employer’s plan can present a hardship to anyone, whether it’s due to a job loss or because you are no longer eligible, or the employer is cancelling the plan. Often, lost group health insurance leads many employees to shop for private health insurance for the first time, and several have no idea where to start. Here are some recommended steps for those seeking individual health insurance.
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Posted: July 31st, 2012 under Health Insurance, Small Business, Thomas Cazneau.
Comments: 1

By Esmeralda Mercado

I work for a health insurance agency that sells Kaiser Permanente Group Health insurance for self- employed people and other small businesses. Recently, Kaiser Permanente introduced a new California group health insurance plan that I’m really impressed with. It shows Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to helping consumers and current members get a medical plan that fits their medical service needs without breaking their pocketbook.

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Posted: February 28th, 2012 under California, Deductible Plans, Esmeralda Mercado, Health Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Small Business.
Comments: 2

By Esmeralda Mercado

The company I work for offers health benefits with Kaiser Permanente. Recently, we learned that California businesses which are currently insured by Kaiser for group health insurance may be able to switch plans effective January 2012, if they qualify. This is a big deal for people who want to lower their premiums and those who want to synchronize their benefits with the deductible reset in January. To switch plans during the limited Special Open Enrollment period, two of the main qualifiers are that the plan switch has to be to a downgraded plan and the paperwork needs to be turned in by the December 15, 2011 deadline.
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Posted: November 15th, 2011 under California, Kaiser Permanente, Small Business.
Comments: 2

As an employer, should you be concerned about an employees’ well-being? Before you answer ‘no’, consider the five ways below on how an employees’ health affects your bottom line:

1. When an employee is out sick, customers end up having to wait. Inconvenienced customers often end up becoming someone else’s customer.

2. When workers are absent, the staff that picks up the extra work frequently end up overworked and stressed. Stress is known to contribute to a number of ailments and complications that could lead to illness. Pretty soon, these employees are taking time off themselves.

3. Stressed workers are more apt to get snappy with customers, which translates to more lost business. As a business owner, your profitability and also your reputation as a business are affected. Sickly employees and absenteeism can lead to bad publicity.
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Posted: April 13th, 2011 under Small Business.
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