Healthcare

Commentary: On Friday, September 26, Bill Gross, the portfolio manager of the PIMCO Total Return Bond Fund, left the company for another job. Many financial advisers, including me, believe that his departure is a positive for the Fund and PIMCO. Why is this important to you as a retirement plan sponsor?

Health care reform has presented employers plenty of new challenges to grapple with when it comes to offering health care coverage, and, many say, has expanded the critical role of benefit advisers who heed the call.

In a world where instant gratification and customization are a way of life, workplace wellness programs haven’t kept pace, says Scott Haverlock, senior manager, talent & total rewards with Niagara Bottling, Inc. and a keynote speaker at this year’s Benefits Forum & Expo.

Communication will be a critical component of benefits administration in the future, according to Aflac’s Teresa White, who outlines benefit and HR trends for the upcoming year.

Commentary: Health insurance companies, health care professionals, politicians, academics and public health advocates all have opinions about what health care reform in America should look like.

With the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility reporting requirements for 2015 quickly approaching, benefit advisers should already be working with employer clients to implement benefit administration systems to ensure compliance with the law, industry experts say.

A focus on retirement has been key recently, with a push for younger generations to begin investing into 401(k)s, along with recent calls to Congress to empower savings among employees. Employee Benefit News has remained on top of the coverage and has packaged it for you here.

A new self-service tool for employers and brokers aims to make the RFP process for pharmacy benefit plans a little easier.

Motorola Solutions is incorporating a new group annuity and lump sum payment plan into the makeup of its traditional defined benefit plan that will help the communications company shave $4.2 billion in growing liabilities and benefit payments off its balance sheet.

Both the Third and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeal issued decisions last month reminding employers that providing proper notices to employees is key to administering the Family and Medical Leave Act.