Employer Strategies

To show the tangible value of telework, a group that works on telecommuting policies has announced the week of Feb. 14, 2011 as National Telework Week.

Finger Lakes Fire & Casualty, a policyholder owned company represented by about 120 independent agents, will now offer LifeStages identity protection services through Identity Theft 911, a leading provider of identity management and data-breach services.

Their respective names are synonymous with reaching new heights, which is exactly what Ascension Insurance, Inc. hopes to do in the employee benefits marketplace following its recent acquisition of Summit America Insurance.

Unum has unbundled the features of its individual disability insurance so that employers have more flexibility to select options for employees who are not fully protected by their group disability plans.

Proponents of mini-med plans were waiting to exhale until federal regulators showed a willingness to stave off the effect that a key provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would have on these voluntary benefits for employees seeking affordable, baseline health insurance coverage.

Federal officials should consider making intermediary entities providing services to health plans — such as benefits managers, third-party administrators and repricers — eligible for receiving a unique health plan identification number, according to recommendations recently sent to the Department of Health and Human Services.

A report from the Government Accountability Office says using EHRs, operating health insurance plans and employing physicians are effective strategies for integrated delivery systems to enhance patient care.

Women bear the brunt of long-term care insurance cost burdens, according to Lisa Wendt, president and CEO of LifeSecure Insurance Company, which provides LTC and post-hospital recovery insurance coverage.

The Employee Benefits Group division of Sun Life Financial Inc. recently launched a campaign called “YOU” to educate and engage employees about their voluntary benefit choices during the latest open-enrollment season.

Critical-illness insurance is flying under the radar relative to other voluntary benefits, but a new MetLife white paper seeks to raise the product’s altitude among plan sponsors by showing how it adds financial protection and outlining steps to obtain the right amount of coverage.