Employee benefits

Benefits administrators have an important role in informing employees of coverage offerings and how multiple benefits can work together. But oftentimes, especially in these days of employer cutbacks and cost-saving measures, that role falls to the employee benefit broker or adviser.

Employers nationwide - both big and small - are watching and waiting to see whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's state exchanges will succeed when they open for business in 2014. Small employers and those with low-paid or part-time employees are especially interested in finding out whether funneling their employees into an exchange or finding coverage for them through one would be beneficial.

When it comes to addressing end-of-life needs and services, most people know it's important to plan ahead, but many put it off because they would rather not have to think about the topic. It's the aim of companies such as Everest and Hyatt Legal Plans to make those necessary preparations and subsequent requirements as simple and beneficial as possible.

In the candid words of Dr. Becky Hoover, interim director of human resources with the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, "mediation works."

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that may not show symptoms, and most importantly, no two types of the disease are the same. So, employers may find it difficult to effectively engage and accommodate employees with MS. However, with a comprehensive case management program that also focuses on specialty pharmacy and simple accommodations, employers can foster a welcoming workplace atmosphere while saving on insurance and pharmacy costs.

This is the second article in our Open Enrollment Boot Camp series, in which we are featuring readers' advice for improving this perennial event. The first article focused on OE communications, and is available on our website at ebn.benefitnews.com. Here, we present some of the advice we received from brokers and providers on increasing enrollment in and satisfaction with voluntary benefits.

The flowers are blooming. The mad rush of lost ID cards and questions about new benefits has faded into distant memory. That means that it's time to start planning for next year! Your insurance carriers are calling you to schedule a lengthy meeting to review your annual data from the prior year and attempting sell you additional products and offerings.

Last October, President Obama signed into law the Plain Writing Act, which calls for communications from the federal government that are clear, concise and well-organized. An associate professor of English recently talked to EBN about how employers can incorporate plain language principles into their benefits communications.

Health insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may pose a threat to COBRA.

Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials audited the popular burrito chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., which fired hundreds of illegal workers as a result. Using Chipotle as a cautionary tale, employers cannot turn a blind eye to illegal workers, as Chipotle allegedly did - one woman claims she gave the company two false social security numbers when applying for positions within the company.

The adoption of guaranteed living benefits fell in the first quarter of 2011 to their lowest rate since the third quarter of 2008—and improved confidence in the stock market may be the reason.

Medco Health Solutions Inc. will lose a major pharmacy benefit contract to CVS Caremark Corp. starting next year, sending Medco shares down almost 11% and CVS up nearly 4% Friday.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) has signed into law a bill that allows state residents to purchase individual health insurance policies across state lines.

Vermont became the first state to lay the groundwork for single-payer health care on Thursday when its governor signed an ambitious bill aimed at establishing universal insurance coverage for all residents.

Chief financial officers at some of the nation's largest banks and financial services firms are downright bullish on the U.S. economy's overall outlook but nagging concerns about health care reform and the uncertainty of those costs are tempering their optimism.

Compared to the rest of the world, Americans generally receive a pitifully low amount of paid vacation. Americans seem to want to live a life of work, based on our lack of paid vacation laws as well as the number of vacation time off the average American employee gets.

Cash balance plans are becoming increasingly popular with small businesses as well as Fortune 500 companies, says Dan Kravitz, president and CEO of Kravitz, Inc., an independent firm of retirement consultants headquartered in Southern California.

Ordering fewer tests and prescribing fewer antibiotics will not only curb health care spending, but also improve the quality of primary care, a large group of U.S. doctors said Monday.

Despite the widely held belief that younger investors have become tremendously risk-averse due to the economic crisis, Vanguard is finding that younger investors have increased their equity exposure considerably.

This summer, health improvement company Healthways plans to launch premium software that will help employees take many daily steps toward a healthier lifestyle.