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As most global employers plan to send more employees on short- and long-term jobs around the world in the next two years, they should be aware of what it takes to manage costs and run international programs. In light of the challenges employers face managing the global work force, Mercer offers 10 tips on handling this growing mobile population.

Learning curve for exchange-traded funds is steep, yet interest grows

In hoping for expanded access to health insurance, proponents of the emerging HIX marketplace have had to make a few Faustian deals along the way to realizing their objectives. One such tradeoff under the Affordable Care Act involves narrower provider networks – an old strategy used to rein in runaway costs that’s rooted in the managed care era.

With the economy slowly gaining ground and employees able to take their pick of job opportunities, employers are finding it increasingly important to pack extra benefits to attract the best hires. But according to SHRM’s new State of Employee Benefits in Workplace Survey, the story changes a bit when workers are on the job – as HR professionals less frequently use benefits as a retention tool.

While employers expect to continue implementing cost-sharing measures in their health care plans in 2014, most plan on keeping group coverage for the next year. And just 5% of employers anticipate moving employees to a private exchange, according to the 2013/2014 Verisight and McGladrey Compensation, Retirement and Benefits Trends Survey.

In what can be viewed as a victory for plan sponsors, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that statute of limitation periods written into plan documents are valid, as long as those periods are “reasonable.”

The most recent LIMRA survey reveals that approximately 60% of Americans who have used health exchanges so far to try to shop for health coverage say they sought out assistance when actually buying their health insurance plan.

High enrollment numbers increase phone hold times on state exchanges, as computer enrollment keeps pace

2013 was a pinnacle year in health care with the opening of the Affordable Care Act’s health care exchanges. But what can we expect in 2014? EBA spoke with experts across the spectrum to find out. [Photos: Fotolia]

Much concern had been voiced about the ability for consumers and insurers alike to execute billing and payment between Dec. 23 and Dec. 31 for coverage effective Jan. 1. AHIP offered to extend that deadline to Jan. 10 on Wednesday.