Soaring gasoline prices prompted the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to adjust its optional standard mileage rates as of July 1, 2022, and for the remainder of 2022. For the final six months of 2022, the special mileage rates will be:
- 62.5 cents per mile for business miles driven;
- 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations (same as before).
Find “special” mileage rates (July 1 – Dec. 31, 2022) here. Find standard mileage rates (Jan. 1 – June 30, 2022) here. Read more here.
Note: “Special” rates have no impact on miles driven between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022 (the special rates will apply only to the final six months of 2022). Employers are required to reimburse employees for work-related mileage, other than the usual commute to and from work. Reimbursement must include all travel-related costs (including fuel, insurance, repairs and depreciation). Providing employees with a fuel card does not cover all required travel costs.
It is much easier to use the established IRS mileage rates, because these rates are deemed to be reasonable and sufficient reimbursement as a general rule. Using the IRS rate saves employers and employees alike from exerting extra time and effort to track and compute the actual costs associated with each employee’s business use of a personal vehicle.
ECONOMY
Recession on the Way This Year — and other forecasts
Predicted by economist Jim Doti and other experts at Chapman U’s Economic Forecast Update
President Emeritus and Professor of Economics
Read more about Dr. Doti
Highlights from the comprehensive report — Chapman Economic & Business Review, Volume 40 — were presented in more detail at the June 23 Chapman University Economic Forecast Update.
Here’s a taste of the California Forecasts
- California, currently at about 17.2 million jobs, is still about 500,000 jobs below the pre-COVID recession high of 17.7 million jobs.
- The sharper loss of jobs in California as compared to other states is mainly the result of stricter governmental constraints (stringency) used by the state to control the spread of the COVID pandemic.
- Now that California’s stringency, as measured by Oxford University, is closer to the U.S. average, job growth this year in California (5.5 percent) will be higher than the average growth in the U.S. (4.2 percent).
- Negative net domestic migration (more people moving out of the state versus those moving in) of almost 300,000 in 2021 has led to a decline in California’s population of almost 200,000 people, about a half percent of the state’s population.
- The Center’s research points to California’s relatively high state and local taxes (2nd highest in the U.S.!) as the major factor causing the out flight from California. The following chart clearly shows that states with higher taxes have more negative net migration.
Watch replay here.
Read press release here
HEALTHCARE COSTS
Need to know the cost of a health procedure? It should be easier soon.
July 1 Deadline for Health Plan Price Transparency
Health plan price transparency helps consumers know the cost of a covered item or service before receiving care. Beginning July 1, 2022, most group health plans and issuers of group or individual health insurance will begin posting pricing information for covered items and services. This pricing information can be used by third parties, such as researchers and app developers to help consumers better understand the costs associated with their health care. More requirements will go into effect starting on Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 1, 2024 which will provide additional access to pricing information and enhance consumers’ ability to shop for the healthcare that best meets their needs. Read more.
Up Up and Away! 13M Marketplace Enrollees May See Premium Hikes in 2023
Premiums could jump 50% or more in 2023 for 13 million Americans who have coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace unless Congress takes action. Enhanced premium subsidies established for 2021 and 2022 are set to end after this year. Full Story: CNBC
Ready for the Boomers? 80M Strong by 2030
As Baby Boomers are set to catapult Medicare enrollment to over 80 million beneficiaries by 2030, they will also reshape traditional post-acute care models. Learn how health plans can begin to establish collaborative post-acute networks to prepare for this impending influx. Download Report from Real Time Medical Systems.
COVID & Kids
Kids can now be protected from COVID-19
CDC Approves Vaccinations for Children Four and Under
Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines for children ages six months through four years old are now recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is welcome news for many parents wanting to protect their young children—a population of approximately 19 million in the U.S.—from the virus and waves of infection through new variants.
Read more here.
CMS to Cover Costs of COVID-19 Vaccines for Youngest Kids
The CMS announced that it will cover the costs of COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 6 months to 5 years who are enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program or Medicaid with no cost-sharing. Almost all Americans with Medicare, employer-sponsored coverage, or individual and group coverage can also get COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for free. Read more here. Resource: CMS Guide to Pediatric Vaccines
INSURANCE AND RACE
Insurers Can Lead Charge in Addressing Health Disparities Head On
No more bandaids! Now that it’s been proven to exist, inequality in healthcare is being exposed and solutions are being sought. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich said during his keynote address at this year’s AHIP conference that (paraphrased) “health insurance providers have the influence and the data to lead the charge in addressing health inequities and disparities and driving critical collaboration among policymakers, health care providers and other stakeholders.”
Health equity was a key topic across different sessions during the conference, and CVS Health chief health equity officer Joneigh Khaldun said health care organizations must “get out of this mindset that disparities are just a way of life.” Full Story: FierceHealthcare
It’s about time! Leaders Aim to Change How Data on Race is Used in Medical Care
Acknowledging a patient’s cultural background and values can be helpful, and preventing racial trauma can have a positive effect on health, but using race as “medical shorthand” and a guiding factor in care decisions is imprecise and even harmful, say some health care and legislative leaders. Dr. Lisa McElroy, a kidney transplant surgeon at Duke University, no longer includes information about race in her patient notes because it “really has no bearing on the clinical care plan or biology of disease.” Read more: Kaiser Health News Listen here on Science Friday.
Finally — Officials admit polluted places make us sick
HHS Office to Address Environment-linked Health Issues
The HHS has formed an Office of Environmental Justice to address environment-related health issues such as lead exposure and insufficient wastewater treatment affecting vulnerable communities. Interim Director Sharunda Buchanan will lead the new office, which will serve as a “hub for environmental justice policy, programming and analysis,” according to the HHS.
Full Story: Becker’s Hospital Review
FINANCE
3 Ways to Boost the Ranks of Female Financial Advisors
Female financial advisors will be in high demand, as research shows women clients prefer working with women while the industry remains dominated by men, writes Meghan Railey of Optas Capital. Railey highlights three ways to grow the ranks of female advisors: consciously recruiting more women to the industry, offering more remote work options, and promoting more role models.
Full Story: Financial Advisor
SOCIAL MEDIA
TikTok – Really?? Not just for dancing!
Social Media Tools for Business
How can you use social media to your advantage? Experts show how to build a brand and profitable prospecting by engaging in the popular venues like TikTok, while staying compliant. Read more.
WELLNESS
Wellness and Telehealth Now Available on Demand at Health Net
Starting Jan. 1, 2022 Health Net launched My Health Pays program for Ambetter from Health Net, and Individual & Family Plans. The program gives members the opportunity to earn up to $200 in rewards. Visit: My Health Pays.
All Health Net Individual and Family Plan (IFP) members have access to Babylon Telehealth services. Babylon offers comprehensive telehealth services, including ordering labs, PCP coordination, and more. Visit: BabylonHealth.com
TRAINING
AHIP Medicare + Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Training
Be more than ready for plan year 2023. Do more than complete your required Medicare + Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (MFWA) training. Gain the information and resources that drive success. $175 AHIP Members and Non-Members.
ENROLL Now QUESTIONS? 866.234.6909 or Support@AHIPInsuranceEducation.org
EVENTS
- SDAHU Day at the Races, Aug. 4, Delmar Races PAC Fundraiser, Early Bird Special by July 4. Register here.
- CAHIP Engage, Statewide Leadership Conference, July 18-19, Universal City, Calif. Register here.
- IEAHU, OCAHU & SDAHU Senior Summit, Aug 23-25, Pechanga resort and casino, Temecula, Calif. Register here. More info here.
- InsurTech Connect: The Future of Insurance is Here, Sept. 20-22, Las Vegas. Info here.
- Women In Financial Services (WIFS) National Conference, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, in person, Phoenix, Arizona. Info here.
- National African-American Insurance Association (NAAIA) 2022 Annual Conference & Empowerment Summit, Oct. 5-7, in person. Baltimore, MD. Info here.