Telehealth benefits gain wider acceptance
Remote access to care is expected to soar as telehealth offerings prove to be major time and money saver for employers.
Benefit plan design
As risk tolerance rises, more employers consider self-funding
Smaller companies and non-profits are among the organizations that are contemplating a switch in how they manage employee benefits.
Individual market growth forcing small-group broker changes
Explosive growth in the individual market is forcing brokers who work with very small groups to change their business models and often receive less commission in the process.
Benefits Think Poor dental coverage takes a bite out of profits
Forty percent of Americans arent receiving regular dental care and its costing employers.
UnitedHealthcare opens up telehealth coverage options
As technology and health care become more intertwined, a visit to the doctor can be as easy as a touch of an app. UnitedHealthcare Thursday announced an expansion of telehealth coverage options for virtual physician visits.
Plan design changes required to curb rising Rx drug prices
Prescription drug prices continue to rise in 2015, compelling employers and their advisers to take action through innovative plan designs.
Generic drugs beat explosive price trends in health plans
Generic pharmaceuticals have maintained their laggard status compared to branded and specialty drugs with respect to rising prices.
Employee savings buoyed by better plan participation
Retirement account balances reached a record high $91,800 in the first quarter of 2015, and more than 1 million people increased the rate at which they are putting money aside for the future.
Pension funding deficits continue to increase
The funded status of the 100 largest corporate pensions dropped by $6 billion in March, increasing the deficit to $349 billion, according to the Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index.
Benefits Think Is your plan adviser the right fit? 5 questions to help employers decide
The reality is that monitoring your service providers is an essential component to fulfilling your fiduciary duty as an employer. The tangible tasks that you must take on, such as, reviewing performance and educating participants, are easily executed. The confusion lies in the intangibles.
Benefits Think EEOC issues proposed wellness program amendments to ADA regulations
The EEOC released its highly anticipated, proposed regulations setting forth the EEOCs interpretation of the term voluntary as to the disability-related inquiries and medical examination provisions of the American with Disabilities Act.
Incentives becoming the major push for wellness programs
In a sign of increasing employer urgency for results, the percentage of wellness program sponsors offering incentives for various forms of employee engagement with those efforts rose to 87% last year, up from 77% two years ago.
Benefits Think Top 6 qualities of exceptional employee benefits consultants
The right employee benefits consultant partners with you to remove obstacles and help simplify todays complex benefit issues so that you can focus your core business objectives. The time you invest up front can pay off enormously if you find a consultant who understands your needs and can help you build a strategy around them.
Younger workers want in-person education
Generations X and Y prefer an adviser to give retirement information face-to-face rather than searching online, survey finds.
What happens when public and private exchanges come together?
There may be a convergence of public and private exchanges and if that happens carriers need to adopt a more holistic approach and consider multiple retail channels to distribute their products as part of a multi-carrier approach or alliances such as those seen within the CO-OP market.
Corporate pensions plans bleeding through falling interest rates
The past year was not a good one for the top 100 corporate pensions, according to research by Towers Watson. Falling interest rates and increased liabilities from updated mortality assumptions combined in 2014 to eradicate most of the gains from the previous year, Towers Watson found. The average funded status of the Towers Watson Pension 100 fell from 89% to 81% in 2014, even though plan assets gained in value. One bright note was that plan sponsors
Benefits experts debate long-term impact of fiduciary rules on employers
The much-anticipated rule that provides a new definition of who is a fiduciary was released by DOL this week to much fanfare. And while most people agree there wont be much impact on plan sponsors, there are passionate groups on both sides of the aisle fighting for or against this new proposal.
Benefits Think Determining whether a private exchange is the right move
Although interest in private exchanges is growing slowly among large employers, many still have reservations about whether exchanges will offer more value than the plans they already offer. So, how does a large employer determine if a private exchange is the right move?
Jody Hunter
Pacific Resources
AXA targets underserved market with U.S. product launch
Its not often a company finds itself in a market position where it has the flexibility and agility of a newcomer, along with a storied history that provides name recognition and a solid base of existing expertise. Global financial services giant AXA is in this sweet spot as it enters the U.S. employee benefit business for the first time.
Benefits Think Overcoming retirement challenges in the non-profit sector
Anyone who works with people knows the positive effect offering high-quality employee benefits can have on a workforce. They attract the best potential candidates for new jobs and foster a sense of loyalty and support among current staff, in addition to other things.