Whitaker Insurance

05/17/2023

Employers are focusing more and more on employee benefits in their job listings...

Mentions of employee benefits in job postings on recruiting website ZipRecruiter reached the highest rates on record. This News Brief explains further.

05/17/2023

More and more companies are embracing a hybrid work environment...

A recent survey from employment and labor law firm Littler found that 71% of U.S. employers currently operate hybrid work arrangements in 2023, with just 16% of surveyed companies requiring in-person work.

09/23/2020

New California Leave Law impacts companies with as few as 5 employees.

New California Leave Law Impacts All Companies with 5 or More Employees; And New COVID-19 Law for Large Employers Labor & Employment Alert 09/21/20 James Y. Wu Share this page: On September 17, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation greatly expanding family and medical leave of ab...

09/01/2020

Which of these bills do you think should become law?

Here are some of the most interesting decisions Gov. Newsom faces. Keep checking back as we update this article throughout the bill-signing period.

08/28/2020

Californians could see the most dramatic expansion of mental health and addiction coverage under state law in decades, if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill that is likely heading to his desk in coming weeks.

The bill – SB 855 by Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco – would significantly expand what treatments are considered medically necessary for health insurance coverage. Current state law requires health plans to cover medically necessary treatment of just nine serious mental illnesses; the new law would expand that coverage to include a much broader array of mental health issues, notably substance use disorder and addiction, among others.

A bill expected to clear the Legislature this week would expand what treatments are considered necessary for health insurance coverage.

03/10/2020

OAKLAND, Calif. — The California Department of Insurance issued a Cease and Desist order effective immediately against Aliera Healthcare, Inc., and Trinity Healthshares, Inc., for violating California law by misleading California consumers regarding their products and transacting insurance business without a certificate of authority from the Insurance Commissioner.

The Department warns consumers that these misleading lookalike health plans marketed as “health care sharing ministries” do not comply with California laws to protect consumers. These plans were marketed as cheaper alternatives to traditional coverage when, in reality, they do not provide comprehensive coverage for pre-existing conditions and other coverage as required by state and federal laws. Up to 11,000 Californians may belong to unapproved plans offered by these two entities.

“Consumers who bought these plans thinking they purchased comprehensive health insurance deserve the full protection of our laws,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “Consumers should know they may be able to get comprehensive coverage through Covered California that will protect their health care rights.”

Consumers who purchased coverage through Aliera Healthcare, Inc. or Trinity Healthshares, Inc. should contact Covered California at 855-295-2023, to determine if they have experienced a qualifying life event that entitles them to a special enrollment opportunity. Consumers are encouraged to contact the Department of Insurance’s Hotline at 800-927-4357 to learn about their options or to file a complaint if they were faced with unexpected costs or other problems with Aliera Healthcare, Trinity Healthshares, or any other health care sharing ministry plan.

The Department’s Cease and Desist Order alleges that Aliera and Trinity provided misleading training to sales agents, promoted misleading advertisements to California consumers, and sold products that do not cover preexisting conditions, abortion and/or contraception, or comply with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which is in violation of Insurance Code section 10112.27, Insurance Code section 10198.7, and the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Deceptive marketing practices may have pressured some consumers to purchase a health sharing ministry plan, thinking they had missed the deadline for purchasing coverage through Covered California.

The Cease and Desist Order prohibits Aliera and Trinity from immediately transacting insurance in California, including advertising or receiving any money, commission, fee, rebate, payment, remuneration, or any other valuable consideration whatsoever, in connection with any insurance transactions.

03/06/2020

In support of International Women's Day on March 8th, (and everyday) let's support all women in our workplace!

"Even in 2020, the reality is that women still tend to have more responsibilities outside of the workplace than men. To alleviate the stress that comes with these additional responsibilities, I urge you to create a work environment that feels supportive. This means understanding the importance of work/life balance, setting reasonable expectations on workloads and deadlines, and distributing tasks evenly among employees—or redistributing them if you notice individuals working incredibly early or late to complete their projects."

Although mental health issues affect millions of Canadians each year, women are considered twice as likely to suffer from severe depression than men.

02/24/2020

If countries can slow the virus down enough to get through flu season, it will provide "massive positive benefits," the WHO said.

08/02/2019

The 2020 Democratic presidential debate has brought up a number of issues ranging from immigration to equal pay, but there's been one topic that's been at the center of the race — health care. While many candidates support a universal health care…

06/10/2019

33% of all Californians are already on Medicaid. And now this - at an annual cost of $93 million.

California will become the first state to pay for some adults living in the country illegally to have full health benefits as the solidly liberal bastion...

06/05/2019

Smarter dental benefits

06/05/2019

In ’s city of Loma Linda, residents live up to 10 years longer than those in other parts of the country. What’s their secret? Here’s why living in a may boost its residents’ lifespans. http://bit.ly/2Wbgo1J