Employee benefits

U.S. health care spending barely rose in 2010 from record-low recession levels, as high unemployment and the loss of employer-sponsored health benefits forced many Americans to delay or forego medical treatment, government officials said.

HR’s role in merger and acquisition deals is growing, say M&A experts at management consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Walgreens is going through "the worst" part of not being in Express Scripts Inc.'s network and, while the transition is difficult now, the drugstore should rebound as the year progresses, its top pharmacy executive said on Monday.

The majority (56%) of employers say they are likely to continue to offer employer-sponsored health insurance after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act largely goes into effect in 2014, according to a new survey conducted by GfK Custom Research North America.

Last week's report on unemployment shows that the economy continues to gather steam - payrolls grew by 200,000 and the jobless rate ticked downward again, to 8.5%.

When it comes to health care, small business owners aren't making any fast moves. Faced with higher premiums again in the year ahead, many business owners have found themselves in a holding pattern. They're concerned about the rising costs and the possible impact of health reform, but unsure about making any changes until they have more clarity or options.

Birds of a feather flock together, and it seems the saying also rings true for small business owners looking for a financial advisor. According to a new study released yesterday by The American College, small business owners prefer to speak to financial advisors of the same sex, with men exhibiting a stronger gender bias than their female counterparts.

Planners have been hearing about and preparing for the baby boom ever since the first 1946er became a client. Yet their single-minded focus on boomers may mean they've missed another demographic trend: the singles surge.

In the last four years, a new and highly effective service, Telemedicine, has evolved that can reduce medical claim costs by $70 per month per employee. Unlike wellness programs, where employers attempt to change the employees’ and their dependents’ lifestyle, the Telemedicine results start immediately and is quite simple. History of broker efforts to reduce claim costs …

Spurred by its $16.2 billion acquisition of American Life Insurance Co., MetLife Inc. moved into the top five while American International Group Inc. slid from third to fifth in A.M. Best’s rankings of the top 25 global insurers based on nonbanking assets.

In this rough economy consumers look to credit cards, an IRA or 401(k), even under the couch cushions for emergency cash. Many may be overlooking life insurance as a potential source of immediate funds, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Creating a safety net for your social-media activities has never been more important.

Small businesses created 55,000 jobs in December and increased working hours for employees, further evidence the labor market was strengthening.

Americans, particularly baby boomers, are more nervous about and unprepared for their retirement today than at any time in history.

Chief Justice John Roberts expressed confidence on Saturday in the decisions by his Supreme Court colleagues on when to recuse themselves, an issue that has emerged in the legal battle over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law.

Should an employer allow an employee to work on a side business? The question is fraught with ethical issues. The word thorny comes to mind, which is why we called on Gregory Fairchild. As an associate professor of business administration at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, Fairchild teaches strategy, entrepreneurship and ethics. He says the outside-work question can often be distilled to a fairly simple equation: "To what degree is there an implicit versus an explicit agreement about working on a side business?"

Walgreens said last Friday it will increase staffing at its call centers and offer discounts as it tries to hang onto customers once it stops filling prescriptions for Express Scripts Inc. members.

One week after new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of children with insurance increased by 1.2 million since President Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act in 2009, more than $296 million was awarded to states for ensuring more children have health coverage.

Arranging and financing long-term care is an issue everyone will face yet no one wants to talk about. However, following the Health Department's move to table the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, planning for long-term care is becoming part of the national conversation - and that presents opportunities and challenges for employers.

As employees take on more responsibility for paying for health care, voluntary benefits can provide much-needed additional coverage. EBN spoke to a number of voluntary benefits providers to get their thoughts on the major trends they see coming in 2012. Not surprisingly, all the trends and influences in the HR world at large - health care reform, employer cost-shifting, technology and communications - affect the voluntary benefits industry as well. Here, we provide a summary of key trends, along with charts and data to help employers plan their voluntary benefits strategy going forward.