Marriage ruling streamlines benefits administration
Fridays landmark ruling on gay marriage poses both challenges and benefits to employers.
Benefit plan design
HDHPs cut employer costs but for wrong reasons
High deductible health plan sponsors, as well as employers considering making that switch, should review their employees health care purchasing patterns and their communication campaigns to encourage appropriate use of the plans.
Regulators back off on implied potential limits for non-MD care
Chiropractors and other ancillary health care providers are breathing a sigh of relief following an about-face by federal regulators with respect to Affordable Care Acts coverage of their services.
HR tech firm wants to partner with advisers as brokerage business grows
HR technology company Namely has launched an internal benefits brokerage as part of its goal to be an end to end HR solution for growing startups. But the company wants to work with other brokers, not in competition with them.
ACA contraceptive coverage mandate disputes continue
Although the U.S. Supreme Courts 2014 ruling in the Burwell v Hobby Lobby Stores case addressed in broad terms how exceptions to the Affordable Care Acts mandate for contraceptive benefits coverage can be granted in the private sector, it left some unresolved questions both in the for-profit and in the nonprofit world.
Benefits Think Stop-loss coalition development
Commentary: When executed efficiently, this strategy can bring a variety of benefits, says AmWINSs Sam Fleet.
Samuel Fleet
AmWINS Group Benefits
It’s time to move client conversations away from the ACA
Brokers need to change the conversations they are having with clients away from the Affordable Care Act and toward other topics, including voluntary, since little will change with the law until the next presidential inauguration, a carrier rep says.
Benefits Think Understanding the connection between accommodations and productivity
Commentary: Providing accommodations for workers will disabilities can help reduce employee absenteeism and presenteeism, the type of productivity loss associated with employees working through medical conditions.
Brian Kost
Standard Insurance Company
Benefits Think Disability insurance is evolving the industry
Commentary: This is due in large part to improvements in health care, more ways to accommodate people with disabilities and changes in the workplace itself especially the growing acceptance of telework, says Aetnas Liz Incze.
The voluntary enrollment process must change, LIMRA data show
Multiple signs point to growth in voluntary benefits sales, but employers would like to see a change in how their employees sign up for the benefit, according to new LIMRA data, released Tuesday.
Benefits Think Benefit offers solution to seasonal worker retention problem
Commentary: Many executives find themselves having to choose to either pay salary continuation or administer seasonal layoffs. Whats needed in this scenario is an alternative benefit that supports both the interest of the employee and the organization.
Benefits Think Focus on short-term savings in HIX decision deemed unwise
For many benefits professionals, the different private exchange offerings and the varied value propositions they present can be overwhelming. So lets take a step back and examine the issues one at a time.
Bruce Sherman
Buck Consultants at Xerox
Benefits Think Are analytics and reporting tools relevant for benefits admin?
Commentary: Such tools stimulate enhanced benefits administration for corporate clients, particularly within these four aspects of coverage.
Daniel Freund
Common Census
Benefits Think A quarter of large employers in tough spot with ACA forms
Commentary: Countless conversations with brokers struggling with 6055 and 6056 concerns show many find their applicable large employer clients are challenged to find practical solution for this reporting, says EmployeeTechs Michael Weiskirch.
Michael Weiskirch
Employee Tech
Employees need basic guidance in health plan selection
Does giving employees multiple choices of health plans drive competition and empower them pick plans offering the greatest value and highest quality care the theory underlying the Affordable Care Act and many employers benefit plan designs?
Employers committed to health benefits, despite cost fears
Whatever employers have spent to comply with the Affordable Care Act so far, some feel the costliest years are yet to come.
How to maintain compliance for retiree-only plans
Multi-employers that continue to offer health care benefits to retirees are embracing retiree-only plans as a cost-saving measure. While retiree-only plans are not subject to all of the rules of the ACA, there are still requirements employers and advisers should be aware of.
Wide knowledge gaps on HSAs and HDHPs remain
Employers may need to redouble their efforts to help employees understand the opportunity presented by a high deductible health plan with an accompanying health savings account.
Workplace culture a benefits differentiator
When looking to attract and retain employees and when benefit programs are mostly comprised of standard health plans and standard 401(k) programs employers should consider workplace culture as a key differentiator.
Benefits Think Why its time to shift the wellness ROI conversation
The benchmark for demonstrating return on investment of population health management programs has been medical cost savings. But that's notion is changing as employers are discovering that several other measures of program success are also in their grasp.
Seth Serxner
Optum