For the year ending in September 2010, 26.3% of Americans (or 62.8 million people) volunteered through or for an organization at least once, according to the Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among working Americans, 29.2% volunteered, compared to 23.8% of unemployed persons and 22% of those not in the labor force.

Thomson Reuters, a major vendor of business intelligence services and technology spanning multiple industries, intends to divest its health care operations.

A new report from MetLife suggests that financial advisers need to do a better job of educating their clients about the importance of managing their emotions as well as their spending and investing behavior during and close to retirement just as they did — presumably — when they were younger and saving up for their golden years.

UnitedHealth Group is pushing into managing pharmacy benefits, bucking a trend among U.S. health insurers and threatening the dominance of the three largest companies that help negotiate drug pricing.

Millennials who frequently participate in workplace corporate volunteer programs are more likely to be proud, loyal and satisfied employees, as compared to those who do not, according to a new survey from Deloitte LLP.

WellPoint plans to buy privately held Medicare specialist CareMore to expand its presence in the U.S. government program for the elderly. The deal will advance WellPoint's plans to become a bigger competitor in Medicare.

Two out of three workers would purchase additional health insurance benefits to make sure they are protected, according to a report from Aflac. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they would acquire voluntary insurance.

U.S. employees are not strongly invested in their benefits, and 63% of companies agree that workers need to be more engaged, finds a new Aflac survey. In addition, only half feel their employees take full advantage of the benefits offered. Regardless of whether it’s a failing in communication or actual offerings, 54% of employees would transition jobs for better benefits, despite lower pay.

The Department of Health and Human Services has sent to the Office of Management and Budget an interim final rule to adopt operating rules for the HIPAA electronic eligibility verification/benefit determination and claims status transactions.

The Department of Health and Human Services has sent to the Office of Management and Budget an interim final rule to adopt operating rules for the HIPAA electronic eligibility verification/benefit determination and claims status transactions.

At least 30% of employers are likely to stop offering health insurance once provisions of the U.S. health care reform law kick in in 2014, according to a study by the global management consulting firm.

Group medical premiums continue to increase nationwide, according to the May Employee Benefits Market Survey conducted by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. Since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted last year, many carriers and brokers blame the legislation for the increase rates, states a CIAB news release.

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., has introduced bipartisan legislation that aims to bring parity and equal treatment under the tax code for health plan beneficiaries who are domestic partners and non-spouse dependents.

Plan sponsors say that they “find comfort” in their advisers and the services they deliver, according to preliminary results from a comprehensive study to research the benefits that plan sponsors gain from working with professional retirement plan advisers.

Employers are putting the onus on employees to help curb rising health care costs, and the inability to motivate and change employee habits is prompting concern, according to Aon Hewitt, a global human resource consulting and outsourcing business of Aon Corp.

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has extended the deadline for 401(k) plans to disclose fees and expenses to participants to 120 days after the Jan. 1, 2012 deadline. Originally, the deadline was 60 days after the effective date. As a result, plans now have until April 30, 2012 to provide the information.

Americans' use of medical services has not yet rebounded during the weak economy, health insurers say, in a trend that keeps the companies' costs down and could bolster their profits further this year.

Medco Health Solutions said on Wednesday that the loss of a major pharmacy benefit contract to rival CVS Caremark starting next year did not represent a trend.

Transamerica finds HR concerned that employees don’t have the tools they need to properly prepare for retirement

Chief financial officers at some of the nation's largest banks and financial services firms are downright bullish on the U.S. economy's overall outlook but nagging concerns about health care reform and the uncertainty of those costs are tempering their optimism.