Practice management

Final regulations implementing the ACA’s nondiscrimination rules for wellness programs became effective in January, but many employers are still unclear about how the regulations have changed. The changes are subtle, but noncompliance can carry heavy penalties.

With lack of information and resources deterring most of the uninsured who did not enroll for coverage on the exchanges in 2014, advisers are poised to play a pivotal role in 2015.

“Poor money management” has become the number one reason for consumers to seek financial counseling, overtaking “reduced income” for the first time in five years.

Workplace stress is a worldwide issue, with new data indicating stressed-out employees are a contributing factor to the global rise in health care costs.

After a backlash from the broker and agent community, final rules on this topic show some changes from the government agency.

Variable hour and other part-time employee determinations are tough. Here’s how to advise your employer clients on what to do and what not to do.

Commentary: Break through the mold of using the usual benefit adviser website model. Blogger Wendy Keneipp walks you through the mistakes and fixes for a better sell on the World Wide Web.

While the uniform definition of marriage and clarification that, for all federal purposes, the terms spouse, husband and wife will be defined on a gender-neutral basis, questions have remained with regard to the effects of the post-Windsor guidance on qualified retirement plans and other employee benefit programs.

After the exchange board moved this week to switch their state-run marketplace to the Feds’ model, brokers were cautiously optimistic about the next step because the last open enrollment experience was a “nightmare” and “fiasco.”

While pension cash outs for former employees are sometimes attractive to employers, several common concerns otherwise deter them from the option.