Where we’re going

Self-insured health plans are under pressure from every direction. Medical inflation is rising, high-cost therapies are becoming more common and provider charges remain opaque and inconsistent. Employers that sponsor these plans face a growing challenge, how to protect their health plan’s assets without compromising care or compliance. That’s where aequum comes in. aequum doesn’t just … Continued

The No Surprises Act (NSA) was designed to protect plan members from some but not all unexpected medical bills. What the NSA did not do was protect employer-sponsored plans from escalating disputes over covered charges, procedural abuse and rising Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) costs. Providers regularly claimed more than what the NSA allowed participants to … Continued

The Independent Dispute Resolution report covering 2024 from the Congressional Research Service echoes what plan sponsors have sensed for months. A process that was supposed to bring order to out of network payment disputes is now crowded, driven by provider actions and far less predictable. For self-insured employers, the takeaway is straightforward: Do not expect … Continued

The connection between health and wealth has never been more obvious or more dangerous. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), over 15 million Americans currently have medical debt over $500 that’s more than a year old. That debt doesn’t just sit on a spreadsheet. It destroys credit, drains savings, limits access to loans … Continued

As we enter a new year, self-insured employers are taking stock of what they’ve faced, what they’ve learned and what lies ahead. At this past Self-Insurance Institute of America National Conference, the conversation wasn’t just about what’s happening now, it was about what’s coming next. From artificial intelligence to fiduciary litigation, the sessions and sidebars … Continued