Health Insurance


Looking for an Alternative to a Group Health Plan?

Cardinal Services Now Offers a QSEHRA Plan Oregon employers now have another option to assist employees in paying for health coverage and other medical expenses. This new coverage option is called a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement. The catchy acronym, QSEHRA, is sometimes pronounced by saying the letter Q followed up with the name Sarah. While the original plan was rolled out at the national level in 2016, it took Oregon some time to […]


Ask HR: Do I continue Health Insurance coverage during extended Jury Duty leave.

Dear HR, One of my employees was selected for service on a trial which may potentially last several months.  Am I required to continue the employee’s health care insurance? HR Answer: In Oregon, there is a small-employer exemption, and the requirements do not apply for employers with nine or fewer employees.  The continuation the employee’s health, disability, life or other insurance coverage would be up to a small employer’s benefits policy to define when and […]


Legislative Alert: Employer Penalty for Employees Enrolled in Oregon Health Plan

The Oregon House of Representatives recently introduced House Bill 4105 which would require employers to pay a monetary penalty if an employee enrolls in the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). The OHP extends Medicare to more people than the federal law requires; this is a legacy of a former governor trying to be innovative in delivering better health care to more of those in need. The OHP is a significant portion of the Oregon’s budget—a budget […]


The Affordable Care Act and the Future of Health Insurance

Cardinal’s Bird’s Eye View In November we looked at What Employers Need to Know – Choosing a Health Plan, the price of health insurance, compared small and individual market plans and costs—and made some predictions. It was not a stretch to predict that health insurance carriers who were not making a profit would continue to raise rates. Predicting what the Trump Administration and Congress will do now is more problematic.


Lock in 2016 Health Insurance Prices

Plan Ahead – Lock in 2015 Health Insurance Prices for most of 2016. If you are a small business owner who offers your employees health insurance, or you have looked into offering coverage, you know that health insurance premiums have a bad habit of only going up and shopping for insurance can be difficult. In prior years you had to compare pricing of health insurance Company A to health insurance Company B while trying to […]