News Briefs

Fewer workers enroll in employer health plans

Three million fewer workers elected to enroll in their employer's health insurance plan between 1998 and 2003, a period when the cost of individual premiums increased 42%, according to a recent study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

More than half of all adults without health insurance cite the high cost of coverage as the reason, the study notes.

"This report should be as alarming to Congress as it is to the American people, because employer-sponsored health insurance is the backbone of America's health care system," said Risa Lavisso-Mourey, MD, RWFJ president and CEO. "If trends continue, this could dramatically increase the number of working but uninsured people in this nation."

IRS sends questions to tax-exempt hospitals

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun sending tax-exempt hospitals a detailed inquiry known as a compliance check questionnaire seeking information about their operations.

The questionnaire includes sections on uncompensated care policies, community care programs, compensation practices, and board organization. The compliance check is not an audit, but an examination of the tax-exempt entity's compliance with rules and regulations. However, the IRS has noted that some examinations have resulted in audits.