Employee benefits

Exchange choices mean broker value opportunity

IFEBP research confirms majority will offer insurance coverage in 2014

Insurance Reform

Looking at the Department of Labor’s 408b2 rules six months later.

With PPACA implementation in full swing, NAHU, NAIFA, IIABA, CIAB talk exclusively with EBA on 2012 and looking toward 2013.

EBA Contributor Barry Cohn is being kept busy with questions about MLR reimbursements, with clients wondering what to do or asking how much they would be receiving.

McCutchen case raises the issue of whether a plan administrator is entitled to full reimbursement for payments made to a plan participant who is injured and recovers damages from a third party.

At the National Business Coalition on Health’s annual converence, CEO of Equity Healthcare says PPACA won’t kill employer-sponsored health insurance.

By reaching out to its Latino population to educate workers and provide resources tailored to their specific needs, Pitney Bowes significantly reduced health care disparities in its workplace.

Employee Benefit Research Institute releases its estimate of how much money seniors might need to be confident of covering their health care costs in retirement.

Women make up about half of the workforce and are becoming breadwinners of their families yet many don’t take advantage of group life insurance.

Rewards expert Bob Nelson discusses why employers struggle with employee reward and recognition, why old-school strategies like years-of-service awards don’t work and why Generation Y seems to need so much feedback.

Two Midwestern employers, Twin City Pipe Trade Services Association and the Midwest Employee Benefit Funds Coalition offer suggestions for building engaging health fairs for employees

Workplace difficulties faced by the hearing impaired highlight the need for corresponding benefit coverage

Pediatric dental and orthodontic coverage could see significant changes under health care reform, particularly in terms of reimbursement. Evelyn Ireland, the executive director of the National Association of Dental Plans, talks about regulations that might or might not have people smiling.

Rules for the six state insurance exchanges that won conditional approval from the Obama administration Dec. 10 are split evenly between those with strict criteria for companies that want to participate and states that have opened their exchanges to all comers, a scenario supported by the insurance industry. A high bar for inclusion could limit the number of insurers offering health plans in some states.

Many states led by Republican governors have already said they won’t build their own insurance exchanges. That puts the onus on the Obama administration.

With the cost of a private nursing home room running $90,000 a year, many retirees are considering giving all their money to their children in order to qualify for Medicaid. Aside from being a serious financial risk, it shines a bright light on the lack of awareness of long-term care insurance.

While adoption of consumer-driven health plans by employers continues to increase, the perceived risk of CDHP’s high deductibles still makes employees hesitant to switch from the traditional PPO. However, such fears may be unfounded, according to Change Healthcare.

Under health care exchanges, many employees will be selecting benefits previously decided by an employer — providing a chance for brokers and consultants to show their true value, said a panel of experts at the Workplace Benefits Transitions conference December 5.