Melissa A. Winn

Although some employers are considering and even implementing a private exchange option for their employees, many remain skeptical of the immaturity of the marketplace and employee readiness.

In a final rule published today, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services say employers can require employee orientation periods to become eligible for health benefits, but say they cannot last longer than one month.

The ACA has increased incentives for employees to quit smoking, but employers are wondering where e-cigarettes fit into the equation.

Early health plan rate filings for 2015 signal premium rate hikes that could force individuals to consider switching plans. Confused consumers will be looking for help from benefit brokers and agents well-versed in plan options.

How the ACA has drawn attention to vision care coverage and prompted employers to ask advisers about this voluntary benefit.

Commentary: Blogger Aaron Friedman reports good news for benefit advisers interested in working with employers on 403(b)s

Advisers can help employers boost employee benefit enrollment with better employee education and communication.

The accessibility of specialty prescription drugs may be as elusive on the Affordable Care Act’s health care exchanges as it typically has been off of the exchanges, and trusted advisers need to be able to navigate both discussions with clients.

Insurance carriers are proposing a series of solutions to make the ACA exchanges more consumer-friendly, but not all brokers and agents agree with the ideas.

CMS has granted 18 states a delay in enacting employee choice on the SHOP exchange, which some advisers feel is the only incentive for employers to enroll on the exchange at all.

Employees living paycheck to paycheck need solutions from their employers to meet financial emergencies, yet most employers aren’t aware financial wellness programs and lending solutions exist or that they’re credible.

Millions of ACA application inconsistencies come as no surprise to benefit advisers and could trigger an influx of business to brokers from confused 2015 ACA enrollees.

Although most employers review retirement plan costs annually, many are not assessing fees evenly across all asset classes — and that’s where benefit advisers come in.

Advisers are key to crafting retirement plan communications and educational materials that their employer clients can use to increase plan participation.

Online enrollment for the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) on the federal exchanges will be operational later this year, according to a spokeswoman at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

CMS says benefit brokers and advisers are expected to be able to enroll their small business clients on the federal SHOP exchange online by sometime later this year.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced training and registration dates, along with requirements, for benefit advisers and brokers who want to enroll small business employers on the federally facilitated SHOP exchange.

Benefit insiders predict a steep decline in small business group health insurance sales in the coming years, which could prove harmful for many independent brokers and agents.

The IRS this month clarified for benefit advisers and their clients that employers cannot escape ACA penalties and taxes via pre-tax premium reimbursement plans.

With interest rates near record lows, employers are increasingly seeking new retirement investment options for their employee participants. Advisers should be prepared to discuss absolute return assets, industry experts say.