Employer Strategies

What health, retirement, technology, voluntary, and wellness issues will benefit professionals be wrestling with next year? The editors of Employee Benefit Adviser and Employee Benefit News have put together a web seminar series with top benefit experts to offer insights on the biggest 2015 trends.

No short-term effects are expected from House GOP’s ACA subsidy lawsuit, but industry experts expect long-term implications on presidential authority and upcoming elections.

HHS is proposing to make some significant changes to the rules governing the Affordable Care Act, including a shortened time period for open enrollment and training requirements for brokers and agents.

Prenatal and postpartum care programs are not only a benefit for employees who are expecting, they can also help employers avoid unnecessary costs related to preterm births.

Wizened consumers who are able to analyze their entire out-of-pocket exposure. That’s the goal of ConnectedHealth’s private exchange, says Joe Donlan, the company’s president. However, he predicts that increased consumer engagement is just part of the wave toward more employers adopting private exchanges. Donlan shares his view on where the industry is headed and how brokers fit into the exchange system.

Smartphone-enabled transportation vendor Uber, in partnership with Vaccine Finder, has expanded its pilots of home-delivered flu prevention packets and free flu vaccinations, to Chicago after an "overwhelming" response to similar pilots in New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

U.S. House Republicans made good on a vote to sue the Obama administration over implementation of the 2010 health-care law with a lawsuit naming the Department of Health and Human Services and the Treasury as defendants in what they claim to be a case of constitutional overreach.

President Barack Obama outlined steps Nov. 20 that would revamp the nation’s “broken immigration system” by allowing undocumented immigrants to play by the rules and gain work authorization – potentially changing the rules for benefit managers.

If brokers and human resources departments worked together, it would bring “peace and harmony” to a difficult process, says Trisha Zulic, of Efficient Edge. But with two strong personalities often unwilling to listen to each other, it creates conflict, she says. Watch as Zulic explains why brokers need to reach out first and listen to their clients – and what that can lead to.

This week, EBN dove into the current trends and future of what benefit managers need to do their jobs. Many are budgeting a boost in spending to get the latest and greatest tools to increase engagement and streamline functionality. Here you can find a detailed recap, highlighting key findings from our tech week coverage.