Melissa A. Winn

The fate of the ACA’s excise tax notwithstanding, employers continue to look at an array of options to rein in their healthcare costs.

The number of employers offering a healthy living/incentive program grew in 2015, and is one of several trends to watch as the year 2016 unfolds, analysts say.

Concerns about the ACA’s excise tax remain, but high plan expenses are the bigger problem

Employers this year seen turning more to advisers for health incentive and private exchange guidance

Will the startup’s broker-licensing compliance issues, which were a factor in Parker Conrad’s stepping down as CEO, affect its employer-clients?

In the wake of CEO Parker Conrad resignation, new management says it plans to focus on small business, creating more competition for the brokers and consultants targeting that market.

More employers embracing growing benefit distribution alternatives in an effort to reduce employee healthcare costs.

Early career counseling opportunities contribute to long-term success, not only for producers, but also for the firms that hire them, new research shows

Leslie Straus leads a fast-growing division of The Benefit Companies that focuses solely on helping employers tackle the problem of tracking, monitoring and analyzing employee data.

Leslie Straus leads a fast-growing division of The Benefit Companies that focuses solely on helping clients and fellow advisers tackle the problem of tracking, monitoring and analyzing employee data.

Panelists at EBA’s Workplace Benefits Renaissance in March will share success stories and tips for growing your agency faster than you thought possible.

The IRS has expanded preferential tax treatment for identity theft benefits, further incenting employers to offer this in-demand voluntary benefit.

Employer clients using an ACA compliance solution vendor may have already received, or will be soon receiving, surveys or questionnaires requesting information about the employer’s workforce. Industry experts say the surveys often use technical jargon or request data that some employers are unsure of where to find, highlighting a real need for adviser help with the process.

Employers and employees should be considering the benefits of health savings accounts as a retiree benefit, industry experts say. HSAs offer cost-shifting benefits for employers and employees that advisers should be educating clients about.

The ACA allows states, beginning in January 2017, to ask the federal government to waive almost every major coverage requirement of the health care reform law, including the employer mandate. Employers and other benefit industry stakeholders hoping to be relieved from ACA requirements may consider state waivers the elixir they’ve been waiting for, but are they?

The business of benefits continues to shift, with industry mergers and acquisitions filling news feeds this year. Meanwhile, brokerages remain committed to meeting clients’ needs through innovative ideas that also stole headlines in 2015.

The IRS on Monday extended the deadline for 2015 ACA information reporting, giving employers subject to the requirements some highly-sought after relief.

The popularity of voluntary benefit offerings continued to grow this year as employers seek solutions for employees strapped by rising healthcare costs and, especially this year, increased financial burdens.

Regulatory clarifications about wellness incentives lifted a “big cloud” of confusion for employers this year, while new technologies have increased engagement and opportunity. Here's what happened this year in wellness, and what to expect in 2016.

The future of a brokerage lies in its up-and-coming talent. Top firms know it, and are investing heavily in grooming young advisers who show fortitude. EBA knows it as well, and for the 6th year in a row, we are looking for rising stars who are making a difference in the employee benefit industry.