Employee benefits

Consultants hired by the Obama administration told top officials at the White House and U.S. health department as early as March that construction of the government’s insurance website was at risk of failure, according to a document released by congressional Republicans.

Wellness is not just about fitness or smoking cessation anymore.

The executive benefits market is off and running again after the economic downturn.

Flexible spending account advocates expect most employers to embrace rollover provision.

Resolution of government shutdown, debt ceiling deal had positive effect on capital markets.

Expenditures in the $2.7 trillion U.S. health care system have doubled since 1980, growing to 18% of gross domestic product and leading to financial success for drugmakers, hospitals and insurers.

Exchange leaders in the Golden State, Connecticut, New York and Oregon share solid numbers on exchange-registered brokers.

The technology issues plaguing the federal exchanges have hampered enrollment in state-run exchanges — which are largely free of glitches — causing some states to modify their marketing techniques.

The ACA's pediatric dental requirement brings increased attention to this popular benefit.

Wayne Sakamoto of Naples, Fla. works hard to keep up with the ACA.

Adoption of target date funds and managed accounts grow in workplace retirement plans.

President Barack Obama pressed top U.S. insurers to help consumers cope with the rocky start of his health care law as the Republican-led House passed a bill that would let Americans keep their current policies through 2014.

What the lessons of retail marketing can teach benefit professionals about selling and engaging employees in benefit decisions, resulting in more buy-in on health exchanges.

The announcement that insurance carriers can offer one-year renewals for plans that were cancelled for not being compliant with the Affordable Care Act will have no effect on large employers, most of whom are currently in the middle of open enrollment. Small group plans, however, could be affected.

A broker and former Golden State-exchange staffer say that enrollment numbers do not reflect billing or payment.

A NAHU representative testified Thursday on Capitol Hill about the positives and negatives of self-funding before a committee interested in touting it to small business owners.

An agent explains the difficult steps that would need to be taken to renew canceled plans, while a health insurance trade group says the president’s announcement Thursday could “destabilize the market.”

America’s Health Insurance Plans issues a statement about President Obama's remarks today on the Affordable Care Act.

With the decision, state governors and insurance commissioners would have the authority to keep would-be canceled plans active until the end of 2014.

The decision, which helps live up to a promise Obama made when pushing for passage of health reform, is couched as an administrative fix that says following ACA will not require insurance companies to upgrade their plan for individuals who have been in these existing plans so far.