Benefit management

Online enrollment for the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) on the federal exchanges will be operational later this year, according to a spokeswoman at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In a harsh rebuke of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s method of attempting to prove that Kaplan Higher Education Corp.’s consideration of credit history for hiring in select positions was discriminatory, the Sixth Circuit issued a decision upholding the federal district court’s order excluding the EEOC’s expert opinion from evidence and dismissing the EEOC’s case.

Benefits administration technology will never replace human interactions, such as the one-on-one new hire orientation, or open enrollment meetings, but the right kind of platform can be an effective tool to reinforce benefits messaging, help employees make smarter decisions, and communicate the overall value of your benefit programs.

It would appear cash is king once again as a long-term incentive of choice for U.S. companies, yet equity-based incentives such as stock options are still an attractive retention tool, according to research.

As health care costs these costs gain increasing focus from benefits managers to the C-suite (not to mention Wall St. to Capitol Hill), ROI questions remain at the forefront. The issue is particularly sharp around wellness plans.

Making sure payroll and benefits enrollment are up to par was not a concern back in 1922 when Diamond Parking Service was first established in Seattle, Wash. Diamond Parking turned to well-known industry source known for its ability to automate data processing.

Northwestern University football players were given the right to form college sports’ first labor union in a ruling that could seismically change the $16 billion business of top-level university athletics.

As consumer-directed health plans proliferate in response to market forces, their success will be contingent upon a workforce that is comfortable with using health savings accounts to pay and save for qualified medical expenses.

Wellness champion networks can help customize wellness communication and programs to smaller worksites.

Form 8822-B is approaching its March 1 deadline and many employee benefit plan and trust sponsors and administrators are not aware if this date applies to them. Find out more about this confusing topic from national business and corporate law firm Porter Wright.

A majority of private company executives say that hiring is still at the top of their “to-do” lists for 2014 despite concerns over the skills available in the workforce, according to a study released by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Health care plan sponsors planning to get in the front of costly services this year may want to consider increasing employee communication, particularly if they have high deductible health plans. New data from Change Healthcare shows wide price variability among some common medical procedures.

As we begin the New Year, educating employees about new benefit programs through innovative, digital communication will be absolutely crucial. Here are five predictions for what 2014 will bring.

To hear it from Vice President Joe Biden, the fight over the Affordable Care Act may be far from over – but he’s certainly interested in recognizing the troops who helped build support for the landmark legislation.

Workers in San Francisco who have caregiving responsibilities now have the right to request changes to their working conditions, thanks to the Family Friendly Work Ordinance. A similar right-to-request law was also passed in Vermont last spring.

Improving employee health while reducing employer health care costs are the dual objectives of supermarket chain Kroger, which has about 130,000 people — employees and dependents — enrolled in one of its three medical plans.

Finding a new job is a top priority for many workers with 83% of Americans saying they plan on switching careers in 2014. Considering the upswing, Allison & Taylor, an employment verification firm, offers 10 employment trends that potential job candidates should consider while searching – ideas that reflect many of the changes and the new normal in the HR world.

Right now is a good opportunity to look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the benefits world in 2013, and to see what we might be able to look forward to in the coming year.

Many organizations aren't taking advantage of the most effective tool to distribute and reinforce messages—benefits administration technology. Technology is extremely useful in automating many of the tactical components of benefits administration while it also enhances your education and communication strategy.

While most employers believe they're somewhat responsible for employees' financial wellness, according to a new survey, less than half of large companies (48%) has a financial wellness strategy in place or plan to add one in the next two years.