Federal Tax Credits for Small Businesses That Offer Health Insurance
Most provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act won't kick in for several years. But small businesses can look forward to some quick relief: a tax credit to offset insurance premiums took effect immediately.  To get the credit, a business must have fewer than 25 full-time workers or the equivalent (the hours worked by part-timers count), pay an average annual wage of less than $50,000, and cover at least half the cost of health insurance premiums for their workers. More information.

What will federal healthcare reform mean for your business?
Quite frankly, no one has a handle on all the intended, and unintended, consequences of the recently enacted federal healthcare reform.  The new 2,000 page law will impact health insurance for large and small businesses, the delivery of healthcare system, the tax code and much more.

As the law is implemented, NJBIA will provide members with regular updates on its effect - with a particular focus on small businesses.  For those interested in receiving those updates, please sign up for the Health Issues Network.

For more information about the federal healthcare reform law, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation website for a detailed summary of the new law and a timeline for implementation.

Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) focuses on reducing chronic disease occurrences by promoting health and wellness through increasing preventative care.  To learn more, visit the PFCD Web site.

Federal COBRA Subsidy
The federal COBRA health insurance subsidy, originally created by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, is generally available to those who were involuntary terminated between September 1, 2008 and May 31, 2010.  The US Department of Labor published guidelines for employers on how to implement the subsidy which are available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/cobra.html. 

Employers with fewer than 20 employees are not subject to federal COBRA.  However, New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 17B:27A-27) provides for continuation that is comparable to COBRA, so former employees may be eligible for the subsidy as well.  To learn more, please visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_consumers/insurance/arra.html.

New Jersey HMO Report Card
To assess the quality of HMO plans available to New Jersey employers, review the HMO Performance Report Card or request a copy by calling 1-888-393-1062.

2008 Health Benefits Survey
Small Companies Hardest Hit as Health Insurance
Costs Double in Six Years for NJ Employers
Employer health insurance costs rose by an average of 9.4 percent to $7,139 per employee in 2007, extending a period of high health-plan inflation that has seen costs double for many employers over the past six years.

Sign up for the Healthcare Issues E-mail Network
Be the first to learn about legislative and regulatory developments that
will directly impact your cost of providing health insurance. Just as
importantly, NJBIA will ask for your input on these issues, which we will share with legislators. Sign up today.

New Jersey Regional Healthcare Report Card
The New York State Health Accountability Foundation recently released its 2007 Regional Healthcare Report Card, the first edition of the report to include comparative information on commercial health insurance plans and hospitals in New York and New Jersey.

New Jersey Prescription Retail Price Drug Registry
The New Jersey Prescription Drug Retail Price Registry is a searchable database which allows you to compare retail prices for prescription drugs online. The registry contains the prices reported by New Jersey pharmacies for the 150 most-frequently prescribed drugs.

Are Health Savings Accounts for You?
Health Saving Accounts (HSAs) are receiving more press today than almost any other benefits-related issue. Unfortunately, most people still believe that a HSA is a type of health insurance program. The following information on HSAs and their companion, High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs), should help clarify the use of these cost containment tools for benefit decision makers.

Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed workplace safety and health guidance that will help employers prepare for an influenza pandemic.  Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic provides general guidance for all types of workplaces, describes the differences between seasonal, avian and pandemic influenza, and presents information on the nature of a potential pandemic, how the virus is likely to spread and how exposure is likely to occur. Additional up-to-date information is also available through the federal government's Web site for information regarding pandemic flu.

Patient Safety Initiative: 2005 Summary Report
The report reviews the first year activities of the Patient Safety Initiative. The report includes a summary of the 2005 event reports and related RCAs including patient impact and identified causes.  View the report.

NJBIA Health Insurance Agenda
Our comprehensive healthcare agenda offers solutions for making New Jersey’s system of regulated health insurance coverage more affordable for employers. See Agenda.

Hospital Costs Available From CMS
New state-by-state data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Medicare payments for common hospital procedures have been added for FY2005. Payment data for the top five procedures by utilization rate among all Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) -- hip/knee replacement, gallbladder removal by laparoscope, back and neck operations, insertion of a heart defibrillator, and head and neck blood vessel operations -- are now available by state and region. Click here for more information.

New Jersey Health Link
Visit New Jersey HealthLink a central online repository for consumer healthcare resources.

New Jersey Hospital Report Card
The hospital report card includes information on how well each hospital in New Jersey treats patients with pneumonia, heart attack and heart failure using the recognized standard of care. View the report where you can create charts comparing hospitals' performance over the past three years.