Practice management

Employers continue to express interest in private exchanges, but most are hesitant to be the first to make the jump. What they will do once others switch, however, may surprise you.

Millennials took a big financial hit during the recession, with wounds that are still fresh and unlikely to heal quickly, and a growing, under-utilized industry is hoping to build some new momentum.

The case, EEOC v. Orion Energy Systems, serves as a reminder for advisers and their employer clients, when putting together a wellness plan, to pay careful attention to how the EEOC defines liability.

Commentary: The marketing efforts of independent brokers are “woefully behind,” says consultant Wendy Keneipp, who shares tips on how to keep up with your employer clients’ changing business practices.

Employers from Starbucks to ConAgra have begun partnering directly with academic institutions to create specialized programs for their employees. It’s a new spin on an older system, as benefit managers are trying to evaluate the long-term benefits of helping to pay for their workers’ education.

Company executives are increasingly becoming involved with health care benefit decisions. Benefit advisers hoping to win, and keep, their business must tailor their tactics to the C-suite.

The Department of Labor is evaluating the use of brokerage windows in 401(k) plans and is offering employers, benefit advisers, and other stakeholders an opportunity to weigh in on the subject.

The White House Friday proposed two rules in response to the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision earlier this summer that will allow women to receive contraception coverage if an employer refuses to offer it for religious reasons.

Large employers say they don’t have plans to eliminate health care coverage for active employees in 2015, although 35% say they are considering moving their active employees to a private exchange in 2016 or beyond, a recent survey finds.

Commentary: If you want to be successful at voluntary sales, columnist Nelson Griswold says you should concentrate on selling a solution, not a product — much like the Girl Scouts aim to solve your cookie craving.