Healthcare reform

Have your say on the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill

Retrieved on: 
Friday, November 16, 2018

Call for written evidence

Key Points: 
  • Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament?
  • If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.
  • The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence.


* In the last Parliamentary Session, the following Public Bill Committees concluded their consideration of the Bill earlier than scheduled: Criminal Finances, Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts), Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs), Neighbourhood Planning, Savings (Government Contributions), Technical and Further Education, Commonwealth Development Corporation, Children & Social Work, National Citizen Service, and Bus Services.

Aims of the Bill

  • The Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill 2017-19 would give the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care powers to bring in regulations to:
    • fund, arrange and make payments in relation to healthcare outside the UK;
    • give effect to any healthcare arrangement between the UK and other countries, territories or international organisations (such as the EU); and
    • make provision in relation to data processing, which will be necessary to underpin these arrangements and agreements.
  • The Explanatory Notes for the Bill provide information on each clause but a short summary is provided below:
    • Clause 1 provides the Secretary of State with a power to make payments, and arrange for payments to be made, to fund healthcare outside the UK.
    • Clause 2 provides the Secretary of State with a discretionary power to make regulations that make provision: a. in relation to the payments and arrangement for such payments in respect of healthcare outside the UK made under clause 1, b. for and in connection with the provision of healthcare outside the UK, and to give effect to healthcare agreements.
    • Clause 3 defines “healthcare” which is used in clause 1 and clause 2, and “healthcare agreement” which is used in clause 2. The definition of “healthcare” is modelled on, but not confined to the definition contained in, the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The additional element of “ancillary care” is included to enable the Secretary of State to provide, where considered necessary, for ancillary costs such as travel costs which do not strictly fall within the definition of healthcare.
    • Clause 4 provides a legal basis for processing data to facilitate reciprocal healthcare after the UK leaves the EU, whether as part of an agreement with the EU, an agreement with a country outside of the EU, or in connection with contingency plans. It also provides that “appropriate safeguards” are in place in relation to data transfers. For example, the clause provides a basis for facilitating data processing to support the making of payments for healthcare outside the UK.
    • Clause 5 provides that regulations made under this Bill are exercisable by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument. Its provisions include that regulations made under Clause 2 may amend, repeal or revoke primary legislation. This use is restricted to regulations made for the purpose of conferring functions or to give effect to a healthcare agreement, and that any such regulations will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. This clause also provides that regulations under the Bill may amend repeal or revoke retained EU law.
    • Clause 6 relates to the Bill’s extent, commencement and short title; the Bill extends to the whole of the UK and its provisions will come into force on Royal Assent.


    The Bill is an enabling measure, it contains 6 clauses and does not provide detail as to the operation of future reciprocal healthcare arrangements. The Bill’s primary function is to allow the UK to implement arrangements in various different Brexit deal scenarios
    Follow the progress of the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill

Have your say on the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill

Retrieved on: 
Friday, November 16, 2018

Call for written evidence

Key Points: 
  • Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament?
  • If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.
  • The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence.


* In the last Parliamentary Session, the following Public Bill Committees concluded their consideration of the Bill earlier than scheduled: Criminal Finances, Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts), Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs), Neighbourhood Planning, Savings (Government Contributions), Technical and Further Education, Commonwealth Development Corporation, Children & Social Work, National Citizen Service, and Bus Services.

Aims of the Bill

  • The Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill 2017-19 would give the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care powers to bring in regulations to:
    • fund, arrange and make payments in relation to healthcare outside the UK;
    • give effect to any healthcare arrangement between the UK and other countries, territories or international organisations (such as the EU); and
    • make provision in relation to data processing, which will be necessary to underpin these arrangements and agreements.
  • The Explanatory Notes for the Bill provide information on each clause but a short summary is provided below:
    • Clause 1 provides the Secretary of State with a power to make payments, and arrange for payments to be made, to fund healthcare outside the UK.
    • Clause 2 provides the Secretary of State with a discretionary power to make regulations that make provision: a. in relation to the payments and arrangement for such payments in respect of healthcare outside the UK made under clause 1, b. for and in connection with the provision of healthcare outside the UK, and to give effect to healthcare agreements.
    • Clause 3 defines “healthcare” which is used in clause 1 and clause 2, and “healthcare agreement” which is used in clause 2. The definition of “healthcare” is modelled on, but not confined to the definition contained in, the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The additional element of “ancillary care” is included to enable the Secretary of State to provide, where considered necessary, for ancillary costs such as travel costs which do not strictly fall within the definition of healthcare.
    • Clause 4 provides a legal basis for processing data to facilitate reciprocal healthcare after the UK leaves the EU, whether as part of an agreement with the EU, an agreement with a country outside of the EU, or in connection with contingency plans. It also provides that “appropriate safeguards” are in place in relation to data transfers. For example, the clause provides a basis for facilitating data processing to support the making of payments for healthcare outside the UK.
    • Clause 5 provides that regulations made under this Bill are exercisable by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument. Its provisions include that regulations made under Clause 2 may amend, repeal or revoke primary legislation. This use is restricted to regulations made for the purpose of conferring functions or to give effect to a healthcare agreement, and that any such regulations will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. This clause also provides that regulations under the Bill may amend repeal or revoke retained EU law.
    • Clause 6 relates to the Bill’s extent, commencement and short title; the Bill extends to the whole of the UK and its provisions will come into force on Royal Assent.


    The Bill is an enabling measure, it contains 6 clauses and does not provide detail as to the operation of future reciprocal healthcare arrangements. The Bill’s primary function is to allow the UK to implement arrangements in various different Brexit deal scenarios
    Follow the progress of the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill

HealthyCapital Recognized as One of Healthcare & Wellness Industry's Most Innovative Companies

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 12, 2018

The data and tools incentivize individuals to adopt healthy behaviors to increase life expectancy, reduce personal and employer healthcare costs, and encourage additional savings for retirement.

Key Points: 
  • The data and tools incentivize individuals to adopt healthy behaviors to increase life expectancy, reduce personal and employer healthcare costs, and encourage additional savings for retirement.
  • "Drawing upon more than a decade of experience in providing retirement healthcare data to financial services' clients and employers, and Mercy's experience in innovative condition management, HealthyCapital reveals the cost of poor health at an individual level," said Ron Mastrogiovanni, CEO of HealthyCapital.
  • HealthyCapital has issued several white papers including " Building Wealth Through Wellness: Incentivizing Healthy Behaviors To Reduce Healthcare Costs & Increase Retirement Savings " and " Health & Retirement Savings: Leveraging Health Care Costs to Drive 401(k) Contributions & Improve Health ."
  • Employer savings from improved condition management with employee populations and how healthcare savings can be using to reduce the cost of healthcare in retirement are covered.

FAIR Health Launches Expanded Spanish-Language Consumer Website

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 17, 2018

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairhealthconsumidor.org , a free, newly expanded Spanish-language healthcare cost transparency website, is being launched by FAIR Health, a national, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairhealthconsumidor.org , a free, newly expanded Spanish-language healthcare cost transparency website, is being launched by FAIR Health, a national, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information.
  • With generous support from The New York Community Trust (The Trust), the mobile-optimized FAIR Health Consumidor has been redesigned and augmented to include all the features of FAIR Health's free, award-winning, recently revised English-language consumer website, fairhealthconsumer.org .
  • FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd commented: "The Hispanic/Latino community is disproportionately uninsured and faces linguistic and cultural barriers to understanding health insurance.
  • FAIR Health is a national, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support.

MyMedicalShopper: CDHPs Saving Companies Billions, But Employees Still Need Help Comparing Healthcare Costs

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Many companies view CDHPs, with their lower premiums and accompanying tax-advantaged accounts, as a way to help protect the company's bottom line while still offering health benefits to employees.

Key Points: 
  • Many companies view CDHPs, with their lower premiums and accompanying tax-advantaged accounts, as a way to help protect the company's bottom line while still offering health benefits to employees.
  • These tools help employees comparison shop for their healthcare, allowing them to find the best services to fit their personal budgets.
  • According to one study, CDHPs could be key in saving as much as $118 billion in healthcare costs.
  • (2) It's thought that these types of plans increase employees' personal accountability for keeping healthcare costs down by putting them on the hook for much of their healthcare expenditures.

Who needs pharmacare? Study shows that of 36.3 million Canadians in 2016, 23.2 million had a private drug plan and 13.1 million had coverage under public drug plans.

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Pharmacare is proposed to be a publicly-funded program that would entirely replace Canada's existing public drug plans and employment-based private drug plans.

Key Points: 
  • Pharmacare is proposed to be a publicly-funded program that would entirely replace Canada's existing public drug plans and employment-based private drug plans.
  • Advocates for pharmacare claim that millions of Canadians are not covered by any type of drug plan.
  • The study examined prescription drug plan coverage across Canada to determine how many people were insured, under-insured or uninsured.
  • Almost 23.2 million people were covered by a private drug plan, while the remaining 13.1 million people had first or second payer coverage under public drug plans.

Taxing Health Benefit Plans Would Hurt Majority of Canadians

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 24, 2018

"Taxing health benefits would raise health care costs for low and middle-income earners dramatically and put their highly valued benefits plans at risk," states Stephen Frank, CLHIA's President and CEO.

Key Points: 
  • "Taxing health benefits would raise health care costs for low and middle-income earners dramatically and put their highly valued benefits plans at risk," states Stephen Frank, CLHIA's President and CEO.
  • "To sum up, taxing employer-provided health benefits, would increase the tax burden on middle and low-income Canadians and put the majority of Canadian workers and their families at risk of losing access to health benefits.
  • This would ultimately result in significantly worse health outcomes for all Canadians," concludes Mr. Frank.
  • The CLHIA is a volunteer association whose member companies account for 99% of Canada's life and health insurance business.