Healthcare

“This is a blatant and shameful attempt to intimidate groups who will be working to inform Americans about their new health insurance options and help them enroll in coverage,” says one spokeswoman.

A recent delay on out-of-pocket spending could be complicated for those who think they have a single-vendor system, should their health care provider and pharmacy be considered separate internally.

Supporters of the U.S. health care overhaul are criticizing a House panel’s scrutiny of nonprofit groups set to help enroll people in new insurance plans, saying it’s part of a Republican effort to impede the law.

The U.S. Department of Labor has provided guidance on Family and Medical Leave Act protections for same-sex couples. The guidance follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which fundamentally changed how the federal government treats same-sex marriages.

Despite the modest increase “rising health care costs remain a serious concern for U.S. employers,” said Helen Darling, the group’s president and CEO.

With 33 days and counting until online health insurance exchanges must open for business, states are racing to fine-tune computer systems, educate consumers and manage expectations.

The number of Fortune 500 companies offering health care benefits to same-sex partners has surged in a decade, to about 62% last year from 34% in 2002, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign.

More than a third of survey respondents plan to make a change to their HR structure before the end of 2014. Towers Watson says that among those organizations planning change, 74% say it’s to improve operational efficiencies.

A new poll shows a large gap between the amount of life insurance necessary and what consumers think they have.

The bill passed Monday would require pharmacies to notify doctors and sometimes patients when a cheaper biosimilar drug is substituted for a brand-name medicine. It also would forbid a pharmacist from substituting the biosimilar drug if the physician says no.