Healthcare

As Healthcare.gov procrastinators gear up for the nail-biting final weeks of 2014 enrollment, some lucky part-time or seasonal workers will be able to ride the coattails of their employer’s customized portal for assistance.

A potential loophole in the Affordable Care Act could spell trouble for the HIX marketplace if enough group health plans are able to steer sicker employee populations to public exchanges while holding onto healthier lives.

Compliant cost management is crucial for self-funded plans dealing with end-stage renal disease

Health insurers participating in the Medicare Advantage program, including Humana Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc., face a base payment cut of about 3.55% next year, the U.S. government said. The ACA could bring cuts up another few percentage points.

The Affordable Care Act is overcoming its initial problems and is making progress in accomplishing its mission of expanding and improving coverage, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan said.

LIMRA survey finds 70% of advisers predict the ACA will slash group medical sales, with many saying health care reform will drive employers out of the market altogether.

Last year, Miami Children’s Hospital shifted its wellness focus from participation to accountability and partnered with Interactive Health to offer a new biometric screenings initiative. For the program’s first year of implementation, the hospital encouraged employees and spouses to receive a blood draw for metrics across six areas, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and tobacco use.

A large part of the millennial population is still cooped up in their parent’s basements, but more are saying they are growing up by making more financial decisions following their first job. This blooming adult group, however, is missing out on the benefits of protecting their health through voluntary insurance, according to new survey findings from The Hartford.

A contribution strategy is the foundation of a benefits program and is a major factor in determining plan satisfaction. Therefore, it’s imperative that the benefits administrator and their insurance broker develop a sustainable contribution strategy that makes sense for the employer and workforce.

Republicans' alternative to the ACA, the Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility and Empowerment Act, would do away with exchanges and include a cap on employer-provided health insurance that working Americans could exclude from their taxable income.