Employee benefits

In his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama said that “already, the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs.” Is it? EBN asked one health care expert to help fact-check the claim.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who is preparing to retire, extended benefits such as child care, commissary privileges and transportation to military bases to same-sex partners of service members.

The number of Americans projected to gain insurance from the U.S. health care law is eroding, by at least 5 million people, as the Obama administration struggles to implement the $1.3 trillion overhaul amid Republican opposition.

As many as 8 million people will lose health care plans now offered through their employers, the Congressional Budget Office now estimates, up from a previous estimate of 5 million.

Lawmakers from Michigan and Wisconsin were among those who called PPACA a good “first step” toward health care coverage for all Americans at a Families USA conference in Washington.

The number of Americans projected to gain insurance from the U.S. health care law is eroding, by at least 5 million people, as the Obama administration struggles to implement the $1.3 trillion overhaul amid Republican opposition.

Almost 40% of boomers are obese, compared with 29% a generation ago. Fifty-two percent said they got no regular physical activity versus 17% of their parents, according to the study released this week.

The Family Medical Leave Act was signed into law 20 years ago today, offering an opportunity to dissect its successes and stumbles in offering workers expanded access to protected leave.

How many Gen X and Gen Y consumers are saving for retirement? Not nearly enough, according to LIMRA, an industry-funded research group.

The government said the rules announced last week would broaden the types of organizations eligible for an exemption from the birth-control mandate and make it easier for them to escape it.

A study released Monday morning from the ADP Research Institute indicates that while 77% of eligible full-time workers select health coverage, only 15% of eligible part-time workers do the same.

Payments from drugmakers and medical device companies to doctors must be disclosed to the U.S. government beginning next March, regulators said.

Among the noninsurance products available to help employee stress are education programs and credit counseling.

The death of employer-sponsored health care coverage is largely exaggerated, says Robert Galvin, CEO of Equity Healthcare.

The cost of prescription medication used to treat aging-related conditions has been steadily increasing over the past five years and could soon overtake spending on chronic conditions.

CDHPs control health care inflation with no deleterious effects on members’ health or financial position, maintains contributing editor Andrew Sykes.

Focusing on cost alone ignores an important half of the health care equation: good health, says Truven’s Dr. Ray Fabius.

As high-deductible health plans become more popular, employers should take special note of gaps in employees’ understanding to make sure the plan is utilized as intended.

There’s no end in sight to rise of voluntary critical illness insurance benefits.

While a tax-exempt retirement plan might look good on paper, it could likely use a little work in order to hit the right notes with employees. Aaron Friedman, national practice leader at The Principal Financial Group, provides some best practices to aid in creating a proper, effective participant education plan.