Unum has unbundled the features of its individual disability insurance so that employers have more flexibility to select options for employees who are not fully protected by their group disability plans.

Proponents of mini-med plans were waiting to exhale until federal regulators showed a willingness to stave off the effect that a key provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would have on these voluntary benefits for employees seeking affordable, baseline health insurance coverage.

Federal officials should consider making intermediary entities providing services to health plans — such as benefits managers, third-party administrators and repricers — eligible for receiving a unique health plan identification number, according to recommendations recently sent to the Department of Health and Human Services.

A report from the Government Accountability Office says using EHRs, operating health insurance plans and employing physicians are effective strategies for integrated delivery systems to enhance patient care.

Women bear the brunt of long-term care insurance cost burdens, according to Lisa Wendt, president and CEO of LifeSecure Insurance Company, which provides LTC and post-hospital recovery insurance coverage.

The Employee Benefits Group division of Sun Life Financial Inc. recently launched a campaign called “YOU” to educate and engage employees about their voluntary benefit choices during the latest open-enrollment season.

Critical-illness insurance is flying under the radar relative to other voluntary benefits, but a new MetLife white paper seeks to raise the product’s altitude among plan sponsors by showing how it adds financial protection and outlining steps to obtain the right amount of coverage.

The federal government's plans to build a national database of health care claims data covering tens of millions of individuals are on hold, at least temporarily, after privacy advocates protested the idea and the brief public comment period.

American CEOs are getting an earful on whether to keep or drop health insurance because of the health law, but Chris McSwain, director of global benefits at Whirlpool, said a business case on health coverage should also occur on the employee-family member level.

National Business Coalition on Health issued yesterday its annual findings that evaluate the quality and efficiency of U.S. health plans.

The American Medical Association has adopted a new policy that gives guidance to physicians using social media.

The growing number of limited medical plans that are receiving waivers from the Department of Health and Human Services for 2011 — a number that nearly quadrupled in the last couple of months, rising from 30 in September to 117 by Nov. 1 — now face some additional reporting requirements.

AARP and the Consumer Reports Health publication have launched a Web site for consumers to compare price, effectiveness, safety and convenience of medications.

One of the nation’s leading group legal plan providers recently acquired a lesser-known player, while a rival firm considered this avenue as one of several strategic moves to enhance shareholder value – proving the adage about strength in numbers may be particularly compelling in this business climate.

Two recent indicators of small-business activity have found that the nation’s economic engine is chugging along with a more optimistic outlook than previously believed – developments that could expand the number of voluntary benefit plan participants.

Humana Inc. recently expanded its digital footprint in the worksite market by launching an interactive, Web-based resource that shows how critical illness, disability and accident coverage offer financial protection in the event of an injury or illness.

Various months are designated throughout the year to educating consumers about the need for a particular insurance product line or service to ease financial burdens.

One-third of recently surveyed physician practices and 14% of surveyed hospitals do not conduct a regular security risk analysis of their electronic health information.

Whether an employer continues to offer health insurance once state-run insurance exchanges take effect in 2014 will largely depend on the size of the employer, according to a survey by Mercer.

Although voluntary turnover has dipped significantly this year, a new PwC Saratoga study says employers are giving more attention to career development and performance management in anticipation of increased turnover as the economy improves.