Health and wellness

Michelle Capezza, a member of law firm Epstein Becker Green, highlights new changes to the ACA's Summary of Benefits and Coverage and what steps plan sponsors should be taking to prepare.

Employers and benefit professionals are urging Congress to pass legislation that would allow employers to offer financial incentives for wellness program participation, despite recent opposition from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Commentary: In response to confusion over the IRS’s role in verifying employers are meeting minimum essential coverage and employer shared responsibility requirements, dozens of ACA reporting have entered the market in the last two years. EmployeeTech’s Michael Weiskirch shares how to find the right tracking solution for your clients.

Commentary: From mournful reflection to birthday celebration, the bottom line is your attitude about health reform affects your clients, says David C. Smith

Although most employers who move to private exchanges are seeing some cost savings below trend in their initial years, that is not sustainable over time, says Rob Harkins, practice leader, private exchanges at Willis Group. For Willis, the exchange is not designed to be a long-term money-saving product on its own, but rather part of a larger program for its clients to manage health and wellbeing.

The fight over the Affordable Care Act in Washington is as fierce as ever, with a Republican budget plan that would repeal the health care law Democrats passed five years ago. In the rest of the country, opposition to the law appears to be easing.

An Affordable Care Act-fueled surge in self-insurance for medical benefits among smaller employers appears to have leveled off somewhat, but not due to any disenchantment with the cost-management strategy.

Senate Republicans are also seeking a repeal of the medical device tax.

Although employee “well-being” programs remain highly popular, few employers actually have a strategy behind them.

Commentary: CMS has issued a special enrollment period for certain individuals to sign up for health care coverage on the exchanges. Blogger Craig Hasday wonders if the administration's leniency is also hurting its credibility.

Controlling rising health care costs is crucial for all employers, and conducting regular dependent eligibility audits can help.

Increased utilization of EAP and wellness services, the emergence of fatigue management programs and more demand for mobile health applications are a few of the predictions for this year, according to Chestnut Global Partners.

In a last-minute push before a special enrollment begins Sunday, officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Treasury Department Friday wanted to remind consumers to sign up for coverage and avoid noted fees seen in this year’s tax season.

Proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act’s summary of benefits and coverage and uniform glossary are coming under fire from business groups who say the implementation time frame does not give them enough time to comply with the new requirements.

Year two under the ACA saw improved user experience, more choices for consumers and millions of Americans qualified for subsidies, Kevin Counihan says.

The patchwork of marriage laws across the country imposes an administrative and financial burden on employers, says a recent amicus brief filed on behalf of large employers in an upcoming Supreme Court case.

More employers are making disability income benefits available to employees, at the same time that the proportion of those employees who have access to disability income DI coverage choosing to take advantage of it is edging downward.

A strong relationship will lead to a better health care system and more informed consumers, HHS secretary says.

The Affordable Care Act does not appear to have seriously eroded employees’ appetite for and confidence in receiving health benefits from their employer.

Is the end of employer-provided health insurance near? The heads of Zane Benefits say it is and claim a paradigm shift is moving the benefits industry toward defined contribution employer-funded health care, instead.