Employer Strategies

Expansion of consumer-directed health plans and investment in health management programs produced the lowest average annual employer cost increase since 1997, according to the National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, conducted annually by Mercer.

Rumor has it that the Department of Labor recently hired a lot of new field auditors, which could only mean one thing — more audits. Which Principal Financial's Aaron Friedman says means it is safe to say that more 403(b) plans will be put on the firing line as well. Just what we need, right? Well, a little work now and some knowledge may help, so keep reading.

Eric Greitens — Navy SEAL, Rhodes scholar and founder and CEO of The Mission Continues — delivered a Veterans Day keynote address to HR/benefit professionals at the annual conference of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Greitens sought to remind practitioners of the unique and valuable skills, training and commitment veterans can bring to the civilian workforce once their military service is complete.

The health care industry will change its focus from expanding the insurance market to reining in medical costs now that the presidential election has been decided, says the CEO of the main lobbying group for health insurers.

The same law that allows employers to sue employees over sharing or destroying proprietary information could just as well go the other way with workers seeking damages after personal information has been compromised on dual use devices.

The president’s re-election probably spells doom for any short-term efforts to overturn PPACA, and industry professionals who waited to implement health care reform changes can wait no longer.

Health insurance company stocks fall Wednesday after Obama’s re-election affirms PPACA will move forward. Health reform’s product standardization and transparency will “pressure margins,” insurers say, offsetting any potential for increased profits from a larger client base.

Businesses can help the thousands of children who need parents by offering adoption benefits — which are relatively simple and affordable — and by raising awareness in their communities

Up to 20% of those who take currently available medication to lower bad cholesterol suffer from side effects, but new medicines may take unusual forms — engineered tomatoes and yogurt.

The president’s re-election probably spells doom for any short-term efforts to overturn PPACA, and industry professionals who waited to implement health care reform changes can wait no longer.