Employee benefits

Employers remain unclear about the benefits and drawbacks of switching their health plans to a private exchange, but the majority of those that will evaluate exchange vendors in the future plan to seek guidance from a benefit adviser.

The Supreme Court will hear a case this fall that holds implications for employers that still offer retiree health benefits.

American workers are increasingly satisfied with their retirement plans and interested in investing in them, a trend advisers and employers use in their favor.

The President, Washington lawmakers and state legislators are all trying to chip away at the backbone of employee retirement benefits. Benefits managers hoping to reinforce the successes of their 401(k) programs need to take action now to help protect the system.

Commentary: Blogger Michael Klachefsky shares ways that disability insurance providers and absence management vendors can help with some unexpected consequences of the health law.

Start by constructing an employee education policy statement for your 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Many plan sponsors never put together this document and, as a result, have no idea if they are achieving any worthwhile education objectives.

Commentary: Blogger Mark Gaunya discusses a niche way some smaller employers might find appealing as a self-funding strategy to control health care costs. It’s called a captive solution.

Modest equity market gains last month weren’t enough to offset the growth in pension liabilities among defined benefit plan sponsors in the S&P 1500.

Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions signal a need for benefit advisers to review clients’ plan documents and ensure they include thorough enforceable terms.

Obamacare reduced the percentage of U.S. adults without health insurance to its lowest point since 2008 even as the law remains unpopular with the public, separate surveys showed.

Commentary: Guest blogger Rich Fahn, a small business-focused benefit broker, gives advice for the challenging conversations brokers will have to have with many small groups as premium hikes are mounting.

Helping employers with benefits education is often cited as a key advantage of private health care exchanges, and while educating employees on their benefit choices was noted as a top challenge in a recent employer survey, only 2% of those surveyed have opted for a private exchange.

Commentary: Columnist Jack Kwicien notes that the future for benefits brokerages is unpredictable and tough, so one survival strategy might just be the private exchange.

While many in the industry think voluntary sales is a no-brainer for benefit advisers and employees alike, there's one type of product that hasn't seen a boost thanks to the ACA.

Average contribution rates for small business retirement accounts have continued to climb since the recession – with an 18% increase since last year and 88% over the past six years, according to a Fidelity Investments analysis of more than 200,000 401(k)-type and individual retirement account plan options under its administration.

The self-insurance option for small businesses doesn’t seem to be as popular for managing ACA costs and mandates as some in the industry once thought.

This insurance rule, referring to the grouping of companies owned by the same person, hasn’t applied to medical coverage until now. One broker is concerned that benefit advisers and small business owners alike aren’t up to speed on this requirement and could be vulnerable to liabilities via penalties and lawsuits.

Many employers have yet to update their work policies to reflect the 90-day waiting period rule, a possible landmine for employee confusion and lawsuits.

Higher consumer spending on health services, increased prescriptions for costly medications and more elective surgeries suggests Americans are using the insurance they gained under Obamacare.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a NAHU-backed bill exempting expatriate health plans from the ACA.