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The Validation Institute certifies individuals as competent to review, analyze, and produce health program measures. Given the high stakes – millions of dollars in savings – it’s comforting that not just any 11-year-old could pass.

Commentary: What would you do differently if you knew you were going to sell or merge your business with another agency in the next 10 years? EBA Advisory Board member Andy Torelli shares lessons learned.

One of the nation’s premier business groups whose mission is employee health promotion is embroiled in a controversy involving $184 million in contracts awarded by Covered California without competitive bidding.

Well-informed employees make smarter choices and providing the tools needed during open enrollment is essential.

Employers that are considering incorporating wearable fitness devices into their wellness programs are facing important decisions about the cost of those devices, and must also be prepared to allay employees’ concerns about data security.

Commentary: Take this small step now, says consultant Wendy Keneipp, and become the feared competitor in your market.

With mental health and substance abuse disorder services deemed an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act, employee assistance program providers are taking on a new role – helping employers and health plans sniff out fraudulent health care activity among substance abuse and mental health treatment facilities.

While pharmacy benefits utilization was roughly the same during the first half of 2014 for individuals enrolled in public health insurance exchanges and traditional insurance market plans, a new analysis shows the utilization of specialty drugs is much higher in the HIX marketplace.

Earlier this year, the Employee Benefits Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor, outlined initiatives to educate and protect 401(k) plan participants. Along with those initiatives comes an increased risk of a DOL audit for companies that don’t take the necessary steps to ensure their benefit plans are compliant and being properly administered for their employees.

Volatility has returned to the equity markets with a vengeance. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fluctuated by hundreds of points on many recent trading days. During these times your 401(k) plan participants can become very nervous.

CMS promises better, but brokers expect more disconnected phone calls, incorrect information and a difficult time processing applications for enrollment on Healthcare.gov.

Although the ACA’s excise tax doesn’t go into effect until 2018, employers are already fearful — benefit advisers should be offering ideas and solutions to calm their fears.

For employers fighting to maintain grandfathered status, consultants and benefit managers predict the Affordable Care Act’s ongoing implementation will mean the end of these health plan structures in the near future.

A large majority of workers prefer signing up for benefits online, a PlanSource survey finds.

Commentary: Employers and advisers that embrace the full concept of wellness by implementing programs with these four elements have the ability to improve the physical health of employees and put corporate productivity and profitability back in the black.

With companies granting over $110 billion in equity each year to employees, the stakes are very high for employers to demonstrate a strong return on investment from their equity compensation plans. And yet, there appears to be a disconnect in how these companies and their employees perceive equity awards.

Benefits firm WorkforceTactix and tech company Digital Health Innovations are using data analytics and an innovative health app to predict and prevent clients’ high-cost claims, increase transparency and rein in health care costs.

Companies are waking up to the fact that supporting the emotional, physical and cognitive health of their employees makes sense — and affects their bottom line.

Employee purchases have increased $18 billion in the past decade, Unum study finds

Commentary: Blogger Kevin Hilst shares tips for benefit advisers and professionals on how to make sure a vision RFP zeroes in on what distinguishes a great product from a commodity.