Employee benefits

The Affordable Care Act and the troubled launch of the federal insurance exchange have bolstered the business case for data sharing and consumer engagement, according to eHealth Initiative's latest survey of health information exchange systems.

The higher tax rates passed by Congress this year have some top U.S. earners seeking last- minute strategies to lower their tax bite as year-end calculations turn up unpleasant surprises.

Since the institution of 401(k) plans more than 30 years ago, 401(k) providers have escalated the number of plan features to stay competitive within the marketplace. But, in order to be successful today, selling features alone won’t cut it, writes blogger Jerry Kalish.

United Benefit Advisors is the latest group to launch private exchanges, though these are limited to brokers who are UBA members, there is one for small and one for large employers alike.

After Tuesday’s news that CMS wants to recruit more brokers to enroll consumers on Healthcare.gov, the group made the first public announcement Wednesday about a broker-focused website improvement.

Despite taking Healthcare.gov offline for hours a day to make technological fixes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Wednesday the site continued to experience multiple slowdowns and displayed error messages to numerous visitors throughout the day.

Funded ratio equals highest monthly level since 2008.

Leaving on a jet plane for health care abroad? Medical tourism is a booming industry, but employers need to be aware of the potential risks to ensure the safety of their employees and avoid fraud.

Employers and HR professionals will have to come to terms with the most common (but hopefully not absolutely systemic) reality for employees: rates will, in some cases, go up. That’s a simple fact of life, and you can blame the ACA all you want, but the truth is that health care rates were likely to inch marginally anyhow.

If your clients’ plans don’t exhibit these success signs, consider doing an audit before the end of the year.

While the top exchange leader confirmed Tuesday that 70,000 agents have completed federal training, documents obtained by Republicans suggest CMS might begin outreach to get more professionals involved.

The Affordable Care Act did not envision the emergence of private exchanges, noted Larry Boress, president and CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health. “There are no rules or regulations – yet,” he warned.

Up to $500 in a Flexible Spending Account can now roll over from year to year, but making the switch for 2013 could mean employees planning on using the grace period will lose money.

If people with chronic conditions only spend about an hour a year with their physician, how can they stay adherent with medication and their disease education for the 8,759 hours they’re outside the doctor’s office? The most promising answer is through mobile devices.

The race to construct an online insurance exchange by Oct. 1 spurred the Obama administration to use an expedited bidding system that limited its choice of a builder to just four companies, including CGI Group.

President Obama touted this state as exemplary Wednesday in his health care speech, but one broker says there was a loophole for those who were able to enroll.

Seventy percent of midsized businesses – those with between 50 and 999 employees – surveyed said their biggest challenge in 2013 is the cost of health coverage and benefits. ACA legislation came in as the No. 2 concern.

While the thought may not have occurred to retirement and financial planners, one expert says that with the rising cost of health care, it’s a concept that could save their businesses.

As the Obama administration works to fix the technological problems associated with Healthcare.gov, greater issues with the federal health care exchanges remain, said a panel of health care experts Thursday in Washington.

With up to $500 now able to roll over from year to year, will employees flock to Flexible Spending Accounts? Benefits administrators should plan on it.