Tag Archives: June 2020 Newsletter

As your trusted advisors, you rely on our team to guide you in all things health insurance. For decades, one of our biggest challenges has been the rising cost of healthcare.

Now, we have an unprecedented, mysterious health crisis, dramatic unemployment and financial losses, and a mandate to reset how we live our lives and treat each other.   We know that healthcare utilization has temporarily decreased due to “stay at home” rules and that, thanks to legislation removing red tape, telehealth visits are more accessible and at an all-time high, and here to stay. Just this week, during my first telehealth visit with my PCP, my doctor told me as much as 50% of all his visits could be done by telehealth, saving everyone time and money.

This should translate to favorable health insurance renewal rates, right? (This article takes a deep dive on the cautious optimism by insurers.)  MAYBE, but many of the same problems persist in driving health care costs (expensive prescription drugs, lack of cost transparency and confusing medical bills preventing consumers from making informed decisions, powerful industry stakeholders protecting their own financial interests, lack of access to affordable healthy foods driving highest number of preventable chronic diseases in history, etc., etc…).  

Where do we go from here? As we are forced to rethink how we do business, how we educate our children, how our institutions must radically change to properly serve all people, we have an opportunity as a health care industry, as employers, as a nation, to become change makers that not only reduce costs, but improve the health and well-being of everyone.

DDI stands with our Black community and all diverse communities and is adamantly opposed to all forms of bigotry, racism and social injustice. We are committed to our vision of Grace, Care, and Freedom for all those we serve and our community.. 
 
Following are important updates since our last newsletter to take note of and contact us with further questions. We are here for you and ready to help as you navigate these many changes.

• COVID Resources and Coverage
• Updating Employee Benefits Plan Documents due to FFCRA changes.
• Temporary relief to FSA changes.
• Benefit Enhancements to H.S.A.’s, HRA’s and FSA’s due to CARES Act.
• COBRA – allowing participants 60 days after the emergency period is over to elect COBRA.