Employee benefits

Continued lawsuits over excessive 401(k) fees are on track to force providers to change the way they deliver products and end a practice that appears to be a “showcase of impropriety.”

Commentary: It depends, says Borislow Insurance’s Mark Gaunya, who points to the Massachusetts system. The national model must evolve first.

Aetna has agreed to reduce out-of-pocket payments for most HIV and AIDS medicines after pressure from an advocacy group, revising coverage that had some patients paying $1,000 a month for the drugs.

Enrollment goals fall short when key points get lost or the message itself fails to connect with the employee.

Not every budget vote in Thursday's Senate marathon is particularly telling. The vote on SA 798, one of Washington Senator Patty Murray's amendments, is an exception.

After two enrollment seasons under the Affordable Care Act's exchanges, the easily accessible and amenable are signed up for health care. With year three starting this fall, the task will be tougher to target the remaining uninsured, who are harder to reach. Who better to drive the message home, Washington state thinks, than brokers?

As employers face the threat of EEOC investigations into their wellness programs, Congress contemplates legislation in support of financial incentives for wellness programs. But are employers focused on the wrong issue?

Commentary: There isn't one right answer to what a plan should look like, but there’s no harm in asking around to see what other employers consider reasonable.

Michelle Capezza, a member of law firm Epstein Becker Green, highlights new changes to the ACA's Summary of Benefits and Coverage and what steps plan sponsors should be taking to prepare.

Commentary: Some of the nation’s most comprehensive health care cost transparency requirements going into effect in New York are setting a solid precedent for other states to follow, says FAIR Health’s Robin Gelburd.

The amount of money socked away in retirement accounts jumped up 6% with U.S. retirement assets totaling nearly $25 trillion at the end of December 2014.

The DOL has stayed true to a planned increased in enforcement and investigation of ERISA criminal violations, including indictments of employers and service providers, that should serve as a cautionary tale for any individual involved with the administration of these plans.

New Jersey’s public-pension managers are proposing more investment in hedge funds and distressed real estate to protect against risks in the bond market should U.S. interest rates rise.

Commentary: Self-policing, self-reporting and self-correcting before there is an investigation gives plan sponsors and administrators a better opportunity to control the costs and mechanisms of the corrective process.

NAPA’s Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor credential gives advisers a formal means to show they have the expertise needed to serve as a plan fiduciary, or help plan fiduciaries with their responsibilities.

Employers and benefit professionals are urging Congress to pass legislation that would allow employers to offer financial incentives for wellness program participation, despite recent opposition from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Commentary: Making the “people and profits” case for integrated safety, health and wellness.

Commentary: In response to confusion over the IRS’s role in verifying employers are meeting minimum essential coverage and employer shared responsibility requirements, dozens of ACA reporting have entered the market in the last two years. EmployeeTech’s Michael Weiskirch shares how to find the right tracking solution for your clients.

The 401(k) industry may be the next slice of the financial services industry to be targeted by technology disruptors.

At current savings rates, Americans are on track to replace over half of their current income in retirement. Having access to a workplace-sponsored retirement plan, meanwhile, is the No. 1 factor in determining retirement success.