Minimum Essential Health Plan (MEHP)
Avoid Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act penalties Schedule a ConsultationMinimum Essential Health Plan (MEHP)
Affordable Care Act “Play” or “Pay” Penalty
As of 2015, large employers may be subject to a penalty tax (also called an “assessable payment”) for failing to offer minimum essential health care coverage for substantially all full-time employees (and their dependents). The penalty is equal to $2000 per year, for EVERY full-time employee that is not offered access to Minimum Essential Health Care Coverage.
The Seneca Group’s indemnity-based Minimum Essential Health Plan has been developed as a low-cost plan option for employers to meet the minimum essential health care requirement under Subsection A of § 4980H. The Seneca Group’s MEHP is an ERISA-governed plan that meets all of the minimum essential health care requirements.
What is “Minimum Essential Health Care Coverage?”
The Code § 4980H subsection (a) penalty applies only if the employer fails to offer adequate coverage and at least one employee enrolls for subsidized exchange coverage. If it offers “minimum essential coverage” to substantially all full-time employees, an applicable large employer will not be liable for a subsection (a) penalty. Most employer-provided group health coverage will meet the very broad definition of minimum essential coverage. The definition includes any coverage under an “eligible employer-sponsored plan”—a term that means a group health plan or group health insurance coverage offered by an employer to an employee that is (a) a governmental plan, or (b) any other plan or coverage offered in a state’s small or large group market.
IRS regulations clarify that self-insured employer coverage qualifies as an eligible employer-sponsored plan, and further confirm that there is no requirement that employer-sponsored, self-funded, and self-insured large group health plans offer all essential health benefit categories or conform to any of the essential health benefit benchmarks. An HHS FAQ addressed the impact on self-insured, large group market, and grandfathered health plans that are not required to offer essential health benefits. However, these plans are prohibited from imposing annual and lifetime dollar limits on the essential health benefits they do offer. HHS has indicated that these plans may impose non-dollar limits on essential health benefits and annual and lifetime dollar limits on benefits that do not fall within the definition of essential health benefits.
Seneca’s MEHP Platform
Seneca plans are designed to fit your business needs, maximize your employees’ healthcare savings and improve your bottom line. All plans start with Seneca’s core value platform, including 24/7 no cost Telemedicine, Concierge Customer Service and Transparent Healthcare’s Medical Network. Telemedicine increases productivity by decreasing absenteeism. Employees take care of their health and get better faster with 24/7 no cost consultations where doctors can diagnose over the phone and send prescriptions to the nearest pharmacy. Seneca’s concierge customer service helps your employees get the most out of their MEHP Benefits, including finding providers, making appointments and navigating their healthcare options and claims processes. Transparent Healthcare’s Proprietary Medical network delivers significant savings on claims cost and provides a robust medical network for members and their families. Seneca’s MEHP core value platform is designed to keep your employees and your business healthy.
Sample MEHP Benefits
Benefit | |
---|---|
Daily In-hospital/Surgery Indemnity Benefit Per day over 23 hours (Max of 3 days per plan year) | 75% of Usual and Customary |
Outpatient Physician Office Visit Indemnity Benefit Max vists per plan year | 75% of Usual and Customary 10 Visits Max |
Outpatient Diagnostic X-Ray and Laboratory Indemnity Benefit Per plan year | 75% of Usual and Customary Four-Day Max |
Wellness/Preventative Care Indemnity Benefit Per plan year | Covered 100% of Usual and Customary Up to 120% of the Medicare Fee Schedule |
Prescription Drug Indemnity Benefit Per plan year | 75% of Well Card Discounted Rate |
Plan Benefit Flexibility
As an indemnity-based ERISA benefit Plan, the employer has the ability to customize the benefit levels offered to its employees, as long as the benefits meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The Seneca Group works directly with you and your health benefits broker to develop an MEHP that will meet the needs of your business.
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