Employee benefits

Devices and applications are impacting health care, but it’s crucial not to overlook the human aspect of technology, says Healthways’ Chris Dancy.

Communicating health care and other benefits to employees is no simple task, but it is increasingly vital for companies to do it and to do it well.

Benefits professionals have been on a never-ending regulatory road trip since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 and employers everywhere are asking “are we there yet?”

Increased regulatory requirements and rising health care costs have spurred more employers to consider defined contribution health care plans, a trend industry experts at EBA’s Workplace Benefits Summit say is a result of a more transformative approach to health care benefit strategy.

Enrollment season is upon us, making it prime time for benefits carriers to unveil new and different ways to engage employees and help them make their benefits decisions.

As more of the baby boom generation retires, some U.S. companies will face a potentially significant loss of talent and institutional knowledge. Companies ahead of the curve are already looking at ways to avoid the brain drain by encouraging today’s workers over 50 to stay longer.

Despite thousands of dollars spent on marketing, one key item is missing for critical illness insurance sales. What is it and how can four simple questions help improve sales?

Mutual funds continue to be the leading investment choice among self-directed brokerage account participants.

Commentary: Extreme market volatility does not last forever. However, mistakes 401(k) plan participants make by selling out of equity funds at the wrong time can significantly damage their retirement prospects.

Brian Heckert, the new Million Dollar Round Table president, shares the story of how he entered the industry, as well as what he hopes to accomplish and insights on other issues facing the retirement industry.

Adviser help is sorely needed to lessen employer/employee disconnect during open enrollment. Recent research from Aflac shows tools and resources that employees find useful are not always made available by their employers, further complicating an already confusing process.

The House has agreed to pass legislation that makes possible a repeal of the ACA’s controversial expansion of the definition of a small employer — a bill hailed by the benefits industry for protecting the small and mid-size businesses they feel the expansion threatens to harm.

John Engler, president of Business Roundtable, called on Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to consider changes to the fiduciary proposal.

Commentary: it is particularly curious that the DOL’s proposed fiduciary regulation seems to introduce prohibitions that will likely prevent future modernization of such plans, says The Principal’s Aaron Friedman.

Retirement planning is harder than sticking to a diet and exercise program, millennials say.

Offering a supplemental plan for retired military employees can save employers from potential claims — and it also helps brokers add value to their clients and increase their book of business.

Health Republic Insurance of New York, the Affordable Care Act insurer that got $265 million in U.S. loans, will stop selling policies and eventually cease operations under orders from New York and federal regulators.

Asking questions is a vital first step for helping an employee with a medical condition at work, but how do you start that conversation and stay in compliance with ADA regulations?

EY, formerly Ernst & Young, takes an integrated approach with its comprehensive employee assistance program, EY Assist.

Long an afterthought, retirement firms and advisers are pushing their clients to add auto escalation to employer plans.