Wellness

In a surprise move, CMS has delayed its enforcement of the use of health plan identifiers in HIPAA transactions. What does this mean for your employer clients and HIPAA compliance?

Do workplace wellness programs really work, or don’t they? The truth is nuanced. It all depends upon how you define a comprehensive health promotion program and the metrics used to measure its effectiveness.

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.

Despite the efforts of patient safety and advocacy groups, hundreds of Americans die each day because of preventable hospital errors, accidents and injuries. Addressing and improving that safety for sick workers should be a top priority.

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?

The IRS said Tuesday it plans to close a major loophole in the ACA by banning employers who offer medical plans without hospitalization coverage from qualifying as minimum value plans under the health reform law.

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.

With employer-sponsored wellness programs facing increased scrutiny from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the debate over wellness incentives may also heat up.

Wellness programs that focus on biometric screenings and incentive-based outcomes are signs of a shifting health care system.