Wellness

The U.S. is “drowning” in over-diagnosis and over-treatment and workplace wellness programs are partly to blame, said a wellness industry expert during a debate at the Population Health Alliance conference in Washington, D.C.

Bolstered by the Affordable Care Act, 79% of employer groups now have some type of wellness program, according to a survey by the National Business Group on Health. Along with the opportunities, however, come some regulatory pitfalls.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is issuing a proposed rule today, aiming to clarify how wellness incentives apply to the health information of a spouse participating in an employer-sponsored wellness program.

Several retirement industry experts met on Capitol Hill Wednesday in a continued push to encourage better access to retirement plans for small businesses, championing bipartisan reforms to multiple-employer plans.

Return on investment is no longer the main measuring stick, with employers instead focusing on overall value, new research finds.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 will repeal the Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring employers with more than 200 employees to automatically enroll full-time workers in a health plan if coverage isn't voluntarily chosen or declined by the employee.

Commentary: Employers who move most effectively to address stress and improve their employees' resiliency will find themselves at a competitive advantage in employee recruitment, retention and market performance.

Reasonable cost, leadership support and an investment line-up that meets the needs of all participants are important attributes of a successful 401(k) plan.

Premiums for the second-lowest-cost silver plans are going up by an average of 7.5% next year in the 37 states that use a U.S.-run website, HHS says.

Effective behavior change programs are likely to be based on theory and evidence and built on years of scientific research – not on employer demands, personal preferences or bells-and-whistles technology.