Employer Strategies

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.

Commentary: There are a few major culprits behind the challenges women face, and advisers must be mindful of the best ways to address them.

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 service is designed for plan sponsors that want to manage their stock plan records in-house but are looking for employee servicing, guidance and brokerage services.

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.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, passed Wednesday by the House of Representatives, is causing concern in retirement circles after a pension provision was added that raises the amount of money employers must pay to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. for pension insurance.

While the presidential election is still a year away, employers must be mindful of smaller elections that take place across the state and municipal levels. Elections, however small, may trigger an employer’s obligations to give employees leave to vote.

Commentary: Most large employers screen applicants for substance abuse and randomly screen existing employees — testing that’s cost-prohibitive for most small businesses.

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.

A more competitive health insurance market is favorable, but not always possible. Brokers operating in a market controlled by only a few carriers need to offer a wide variety of services in order to retain clients and increase sales.