Insurance

An Affordable Care Act-fueled surge in self-insurance for medical benefits among smaller employers appears to have leveled off somewhat, but not due to any disenchantment with the cost-management strategy.

Senate Republicans are also seeking a repeal of the medical device tax.

Aflac says it will now pay out certain voluntary benefit claims in one business day, an announcement that industry experts say will likely force competitors to follow suit.

Commentary: All retirement plan sponsors should be working with investment advisers who have signed on to their plan as fiduciaries.

It’s time to talk about something that most benefits professionals have left on the backburner for the last couple of years: the impending Cadillac tax.

Like the Obama administration, agency chair calls for a new regulation that would make brokers put the interests of their clients ahead of their own.

While the Affordable Care Act bans pre-existing condition exclusions, cherry picking and higher premiums for sicker individuals, a 2014 federal discrimination complaint and new study suggest that some public exchange plans have jacked up certain prescription drug prices.

Premera Blue Cross, serving the Northwest and Alaska, was hacked beginning last May, and even more sensitive data was exposed than in the Anthem hack.

Worksite clinics and private exchanges might appear to be mutually exclusive approaches to rising cost pressures, yet they can be integrated to achieve the same goal – improved health outcomes and lower health care cost trend.

Controlling rising health care costs is crucial for all employers, and conducting regular dependent eligibility audits can help.