To ring in the new year, party like it's 1970! Since that year, January has been recognized as National Blood Donor Month. Being a blood donor saves lives - definitely not a shabby New Year's resolution, not to mention the free post-donation doughnut and cookies.

As many employers navigate their first months of compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, it could be assumed that employees are enjoying the quiet before the storm.

In the voluntary benefits business for more than a decade, Nashville's Karen Quigley knows a tidal change when she sees one. With carriers increasingly entering the core voluntary market and health care reform looming large over the whole industry, Quigley knew it was time to adapt.

Though January is just another month on the calendar, it is filled with hope - and sometimes, with trepidation. So in keeping with that spirit, here are some thoughts on what is likely to happen this year.

In a year replete with bad news, one of the most encouraging pieces of good news in 2010 was an uptick in the rate of growth of consumer-directed health plans. By the end of this year, more than 60% of U.S. employers are expected to offer a CDHP, according to a July 2010 GAO report.

The Department of Health and Human Services recently issued proposed regulations that could require health insurers to publicly disclose and explain substantial health insurance premium increases.

Experts at PwC’s Health Research Institute weigh in on the top issues of 2011 that will take front and center for the health care industry.

In 2010, more employees were asked to do more with less, which can create a work environment where some employees become addicted to work.

The Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance allowing the continued use of flexible spending arrangement and health reimbursement arrangement debit cards for the purchase of prescribed over-the-counter medicines and drugs.

Digital Insurance Inc., which serves small and midsize companies, recently named Wayne Mertel vice president of voluntary solutions.

In a fresh reminder that more change is coming to an uncertain long-term care insurance market, MetLife will no longer sell new such policies and discontinue new enrollments into existing group and multi-life LTC plans.

Is bare-bones health insurance coverage better than no coverage at companies that cannot afford to offer comprehensive benefits?

Voluntary benefits are seen as a palatable alternative to no employer-paid coverage or more costly policies in the individual insurance market, suggests the first in a series of research briefs based on Prudential Financial Inc.’s fifth annual study of employee benefits.

U.S. employers believe that managing the changes resulting from health care reform is a critical business issue, yet few organizations have conducted a full analysis of the legislation’s financial impact, according to a new report from Ernst & Young.

According to a recent report in the Christian Science Monitor, some 17% of you allow dogs in the office. If you’re looking to join the ranks, CSM lists the top five dog-friendly companies.

An executive at a software firm for personal health records recently told federal officials that too often, providers and payers use privacy and security issues as excuses to not permit patients access to their own information.

The number of individuals enrolled in consumer-driven health plans hit 22 million in 2010, reflecting a 1% increase compared to 2009, report researchers from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Mathew Greenwald and Associates.

A Senate panel last week deepened a probe of co-pay based mini-meds that raised pointed questions about the plans' value and transparency for workers, even when employers are unable to sponsor more comprehensive coverage.

Standard Insurance Company, whose group product line includes disability, life, AD&D, dental and vision coverage, now offers the Protector Platinum individual disability income insurance plan in 20 states.

A recent Aflac survey of 1,000 working Americans suggests there will be increased opportunities for brokers and advisers to sell voluntary dental plans, particularly among those between the ages of 35 and 54 in a post-health care reform market.