The world of pharmacy benefits continues to get more complicated, and that is unfortunately not an accident. Pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs, such as Optum, CVS Health, and Express Scripts, cover more than 80% of the American public’s pharmacy needs. Due to their size and control over the pharmacy industry, they can negotiate […]
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The world of pharmacy benefits is not transparent by design — pharmacy benefit managers do not want you to look into where your costs are truly going. Join Blue & Co., LLC on Tuesday, April 13 from noon to 1 p.m. for a webinar where our team of Pharmacy Consultants will explain how pharmacy benefit […]
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by Mickie Murphy, Blue Benefits Consulting | This article was originally published on March 24th and was most recently updated on June 4th. It is being updated as new information becomes available. We have answers to questions employers are asking about their plans: Changes to Plan Contributions Can employees stop their deferral contributions? Employees may […]
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If you’re a small business owner or you’re involved in a start-up, you may want to set up a tax-favored retirement plan for yourself and any employees. Several types of plans are eligible for tax advantages. 401(k) Plan One of the best-known retirement plan options is the 401(k) plan. It provides for employer contributions made […]
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Small businesses now have more options available to them related to retirement plan participation. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released a final rule which should make it easier for smaller businesses to provide retirement plans to their employees. According to the DOL, the rule will enable more small and midsize unrelated businesses to […]
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The IRS has announced its 2019 cost-of-living adjustments to tax items that might affect you. Many of the amounts increased to account for inflation, but some remained at 2018 levels. As you implement 2018 year-end tax planning strategies, be sure to take these 2019 adjustments into account in your planning. Bear in mind that under […]
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For 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) increased several plan limitations to reflect cost of living adjustments. Below are some of these limits for 2018: Elective deferrals to 401(k), 403(b) and most 457 plans increased from $18,000 to $18,500 The defined contribution limit increased from $54,000 to $55,000 The defined benefit limit increased from $215,000 […]
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CARMEL, Ind. (May 5, 2022) – Blue & Co., LLC is excited to announce our new partnership with Vsimple, a workflow management software company based in New Albany, IN. Blue & Co and Vsimple will be working closely together to address the workflow and process improvement challenges of manufacturers throughout the Midwest. “At Blue & […]
It is that time of year again! The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the proposed rule that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for the fiscal year (FY) 2023’s Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). The Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) was implemented on October 1, 2019. This […]
One of the most challenging conversations in any multi-physician practice or specialty-based hospital employed group is about how to create a fair distribution of on-call and/or inpatient hospital service coverage while balancing the duties of an outpatient practice. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to clinician burnout, and physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) place significant […]
