Practice management

Commentary: The more companies we come in contact with, the more we hear this statement and the more we realize how much employers are relying on their broker, says Beverly Beattie.

Acquired by Towers Watson in November 2013, private exchange provider Liazon is navigating a unique space. It is both owned by a consultancy and used by that firm’s competitors. Alan Cohen, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Liazon, discusses how all brokers fit into the exchange equation and what, in his view, makes an exchange, an exchange.

The Supreme Court is set to decide the question of whether plan sponsors bound by a collective bargaining agreement have to provide medical benefits for the duration of a retiree’s lifetime, even after the collective bargaining agreement expires.

Michael Kapustin is a senior vice president with Brown & Brown’s Alpha Benefit Division outside of Philadelphia, Pa.

Despite the past two decades of employer efforts to improve gender diversity and equality in the workplace, women remain underrepresented at most levels in the workforce and are not progressing in their careers.

Open enrollment season is designed to not only allow employees to make changes to their plans, but also to educate them. Likewise, employers and advisers should use the fourth quarter as an opportunity to stay abreast of the latest changes in health care plans. Here are six trends to watch for during the 2014-2015 open enrollment season.

It was anticipated. It happened. The Republicans have taken control of the Senate. So what can benefits managers tell employees who are concerned of possible changes surrounding the Affordable Care Act?

A little-known special enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act allows for small employers to pick up group health care coverage regardless of whether they meet minimum participation or contribution requirements.

In a decision that’s being hailed as a victory for employer-sponsored wellness programs, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota yesterday denied the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Honeywell International Inc.

Aetna’s planned acquisition of private exchange operator bswift may signal the start of more insurers acquiring private exchanges, experts in the industry say.