Employee benefits

While small employers may understand the benefits of long-term disability insurance to their workforce, many have misconceptions about its cost and may underestimate the desire employees have for this coverage.

Lower income employees present a particular challenge to employers as they seek to get a handle on managing their health plans.

The new reality of health care is here: shopping for benefits online via simple mobile apps; virtual care anytime, anywhere; and games to make chronic care management appealing. Despite that, challenges remain in the move to true digital health and, with it, better outcomes, a top Cigna executive said Monday.

Retirement relates to all other parts of the financial pie, and that’s the conversation advisers should be having with clients.

While employers may recognize that the amount of time employees will spend in retirement is growing, people around the world fail to reflect this trend in their long-term financial planning.

Traditional product labels — core, ancillary, voluntary — are becoming blurred, making education on true risk exposure essential, says Aflac’s Ron Fields.

While many plan sponsors may choose the same firm to audit their benefit plan that audits their company’s financial statements, doing so may not always be the best choice, cautions the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

More brokers are inquiring about the product these days, and industry experts anticipate recent growth to continue as awareness spreads.

Commentary: Changing the course of ongoing consumer engagement will empower consumers to embrace the new consumer-directed health care dynamic and start changing their own behavior.

Commentary: This practice may be eliminating opportunities for investors to purchase products which could greatly improve the emotional and financial well-being of the client in their retirement.

House Republicans yesterday introduced a plan to repeal the ACA and replace key pieces of it with high-risk health pools and tax credits that benefit industry experts oppose, saying it would undermine the employer-sponsored health care system in place today.

Women tend to stress out more than men when it comes to retirement, but they also report more positive experiences in retirement.

Too many barriers currently exist for data to be shared between government agencies and within the medical field, a group of top public officials said Wednesday in Washington.

Chiropractors and other ancillary health care providers are breathing a sigh of relief following an about-face by federal regulators with respect to Affordable Care Act’s coverage of their services.

Commentary: Employers should be vigilant when developing strategies which can run afoul of new rules. The penalties are severe.

Educational programs around retirement have become more robust over the years but retirement plan participants are still not sure what to do with their accumulated wealth once they can access it.

Commentary: When talking about the financial security of all Americans, playing politics is unfortunate. Ideologue mentality prevents meaningful dialogue and instead keeps kicking the can down the road, says The Principal’s Aaron Friedman.

Benefit advisers can be a ‘vital’ resource for low-income earners who, according to new research, need better understanding of and engagement with their employers’ benefit offerings.

Commentary: While these policies can be a win-win for both employers and employees, they are not without some legal risk. Here are the top risks associated with such policies and tips for how employers can mitigate those risks.

If done poorly, the introduction of voluntary benefits can lead to a frustrated workforce that doesn’t have the right insurance.