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There is a movement afoot to put state governments in the business of offering retirement plans to private citizens, which would ultimately eliminate opportunities and siphon business away from financial professionals. Lawmakers in several states have proposed that states create government-run plans for private sector workers. While the details differ from state to state, every proposal this year would require employers who do not currently offer a plan to adopt a state-run plan, either in…

Communication of benefits isn't easy. It's one of the reasons we pay tribute to the best of internal communication of benefits every year with the i-COMM Awards. Here's how to enter.

Employee benefits lawyers analyze the new health care reform rules, including the five requirements all wellness programs must have.

Sixty percent of workers covered by group health insurance are in a self-funded plan, according to statistics from the Kaiser Family Foundation. It’s a percentage that has gradually increased: The percentage of covered workers in a plan that is completely or partially self-funded has grown from 49% in 2000 to 54% in 2005. Shaun Snyder, a health care analyst for a major insurance carrier, outlines 10 things employers should consider before heading down the path to self-insurance. [Images: Shutterstock]

The Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services issued what are being called final rules on employment-based wellness programs, and advocacy groups immediately weighed in on the changes, which were required under the Affordable Care Act.

American United, The Guardian, NFP and more announce personnel moves. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned today.

Businesses in the U.S. won more freedom to charge higher insurance premiums to workers who don’t meet health goals, or reward those who shape up, under rules released by the Obama administration.

With the ongoing shift in the business spurred by health reform, change itself is not enough to survive, said the head of a networking organization for independent benefit brokerages and consulting firms Wednesday in New Orleans.

Wildly different prices for the same medical procedures are reported across the nation: a knee MRI in Seattle can cost anywhere from $460 to $2,470; a hip replacement in New York runs $13,137 at Coney Island Hospital, or $38,588 at Lenox Hill. And those numbers don’t even take into account differences in quality of care. This month, UnitedHealthcare expanded the availability of its myHealthcare Cost Estimator to nearly all of its employer-sponsored health care plans. The tool, which is free to employers and plan participants, allows for comparison shopping of health care services online and through the Health4Me app. [Image: Shutterstock]

As more companies embrace consumer-driven health care models and prepare for the full implementation of health care reform, employees need voluntary benefits more than ever. This chart pack includes the latest data on voluntary benefits from the Aflac WorkForces Report and UBA’s Ancillary Products Survey.