Benefit plan design

Ranging in size from 100 to 30,000 employees, the exchange’s employers include Petco, Kinder Morgan and the Addison Group.

Eleven days into the federal government shutdown, employee benefits attorneys assess the short-term and long-term potential implications for your business and benefits strategy.

Real estate company Keller Williams is one of the latest big firms to announce it’s offering associates access to a private health care exchange. Keller Williams’ independently owned and operated offices employ about 89,000 real estate agents — many of whom don’t have health insurance — across the country.

Recognizing the challenges (and headaches) involved in taking care of setting up their own benefits plans, a majority of small businesses say they recognize the need for an outside adviser to help.

California said 28,699 people were signed up in the state’s health insurance exchange in the first week, while New York had more than 40,000 sign up. But what did brokers have to say from the front lines?

Insurers are getting faulty and incomplete data from the new federal-run health exchange, which may mean some Americans won’t be covered even after they sign up for an insurance plan.

Exchange prep, however, will go a long way to help employers prepare for the delayed employer mandate. Figure out whether you are an applicable large employer and if you are, start measuring. Otherwise, you could be left scrambling.

While the public exchanges offer a good solution for early retirees and COBRA-eligible participants, at least one expert says the exchanges are not the best option for current employees. Employers are also showing little confidence in public exchanges.

Eager to meet client needs — and keep their business — brokers hunt for information on individual exchanges, but are cautioned not to ignore the SHOP market. HR managers should be aware of the trend.

Eager to meet client needs — and keep their business — brokers hunt for information on individual exchanges, but are cautioned not to ignore the SHOP market.

At issue is the need for updated guidance on the employer mandate. While the mandate has been delayed until 2015, employers need to start preparing for it now.

Even if you aren't planning on involving your workforce in the Obamacare marketplace, this week's rocky debut of the exchanges indicated heavy interest in the system - and need for better communication.

Industry insiders comment on the launch of the public health care exchanges.

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act and turning 50 are both inevitable so employers best prepare.

The strategies of insurers like UnitedHealth Group and WellPoint are under the microscope as data from four of the five largest U.S. states is collected by SNL Financial Group.

Broker specializing in the market predicts widespread adverse impact.

The U.S. government has shut down, but beyond continuing resolution budget debates, the next looming crisis is the federal debt ceiling. Are Affordable Care Act provisions more likely to be taken hostage there?

The ‘Obamacare’ insurance exchanges got off to a rocky start, with many websites meant to provide new access to the uninsured seeing delays or breakdowns.

Some brokers are eager to start enrollment on Oct. 1 and others want to wait and see what happens, but either way, no one expects people to be knocking down their doors on the first day.

While the shutdown won’t stop the roll-out, which is largely funded through mandatory appropriations that can’t be curtailed by congressional inaction, it’s an open question whether it will lessen public enthusiasm to enroll.