Employee benefits

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is issuing a proposed rule today, aiming to clarify how wellness incentives apply to the health information of a spouse participating in an employer-sponsored wellness program.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, passed Wednesday by the House of Representatives, is causing concern in retirement circles after a pension provision was added that raises the amount of money employers must pay to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. for pension insurance.

Commentary: Most large employers screen applicants for substance abuse and randomly screen existing employees — testing that’s cost-prohibitive for most small businesses.

Several retirement industry experts met on Capitol Hill Wednesday in a continued push to encourage better access to retirement plans for small businesses, championing bipartisan reforms to multiple-employer plans.

A more competitive health insurance market is favorable, but not always possible. Brokers operating in a market controlled by only a few carriers need to offer a wide variety of services in order to retain clients and increase sales.

Just four years after exiting the pharmacy benefit management business, Walgreens is getting back into it with the acquisition of pharmacy retail chain Rite-Aid.

ADP has agreed to drop its defamation lawsuit against Zenefits after a months-long dispute fought in the public eye. What does the Zenefits win mean for established industry stakeholders and the benefit startups that threaten their way of business?

The DOL recently won judgments against two employers who failed to remit employees’ 401(k) contributions. Here are three tips for plan sponsors to follow when remitting workers’ elective deferrals to the retirement plan.

Commentary: By cutting cash-outs among 401(k) plan participants, sponsors can help more savings stay in the overall retirement system.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 will repeal the Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring employers with more than 200 employees to automatically enroll full-time workers in a health plan if coverage isn't voluntarily chosen or declined by the employee.

Insurers believe value-added services such as tools and advocacy programs, in addition to being an incumbent carrier, make a consumer choose them. But, a new analysis reveals what really drives choice.

Commentary: Employers who move most effectively to address stress and improve their employees' resiliency will find themselves at a competitive advantage in employee recruitment, retention and market performance.

Reasonable cost, leadership support and an investment line-up that meets the needs of all participants are important attributes of a successful 401(k) plan.

Premiums for the second-lowest-cost silver plans are going up by an average of 7.5% next year in the 37 states that use a U.S.-run website, HHS says.

Effective behavior change programs are likely to be based on theory and evidence and built on years of scientific research – not on employer demands, personal preferences or bells-and-whistles technology.

Employers can play an influential role in shaping their benefit design so that it encourages employees to look at high-value providers and use tools that help make the health care decision-making process more transparent.

Every senior benefits executive knows almost exactly how much health care is directly costing their business. But do they know how much health care is costing them indirectly in lost productivity, even when employees are on the job?

The professional employer organization industry is experience massive growth, but the co-employment arrangement isn’t right for everyone. Here are the benefits of a PEO and the red flags to watch out for.

Commentary: As college costs continue to rise and student loan debt reaches unprecedented levels, a 529 plan can offer a valuable benefit for employees looking to meet their college savings objectives.

The ACA’s 2018 Cadillac tax looms large in the minds of employers and benefit experts have already begun to see trends in the plan design options and benefit offering changes employers have made to avoid the hefty excise tax.