Health and wellness

Getting employees to support health savings accounts depends on the way they’re communicated alongside the concept of a high-deductible health plan, which can be a tricky proposition. But there are solutions at hand.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) poses both a moral and business dilemma for worksite wellness programs, but a leading authority suggests that it can be overcome with careful thought and the right strategy in place.

There is no question that the Supreme Court upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in a 5-4 ruling has solidified, for now, the change in the country's health care market that took form when President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law in March 2010.

For decades, health care consumers have been told once you have a problem, then you should go to the doctor. But now, as high-deductible health plans become ever more prevalent, employers are encouraging employees to go to the doctor first - before they get sick - and in turn the employer will often cover the visit at 100%.

Are you pessimistic or are you optimistic about the Supreme Court's June decision to basically uphold all of PPACA? What is your plan in this sea of personal and corporate uncertainty?

In the movie armageddon, Earth faces destruction from a giant asteroid on a collision course with our planet before it is saved by the heroic sacrifice of the character played by Bruce Willis. As 2014 hurtles toward us, brokers across the country helplessly search for a savior from the cataclysmic PPACA disaster. "Help us, Supreme Court!" No? Then, "Help us, Republicans!" Maybe. Maybe not.

After the June 28 Supreme Court ruling that found the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to be constitutional, many group medical producers felt that their business was over. I want to begin by saying that there has never been more opportunity than there is right now and that there will be for the foreseeable future.

Under health reform, state health care exchanges are slated to operate in 2014 - not much time to figure out the role a broker will play in the system. As we await more definitive information on what exactly constitutes a "navigator," one can look toward California, which is further along in setting up its exchange, as a potential model, says Neil Crosby, director of sales at Westlake Village, Calif.-based Warner Pacific Insurance Services.

As health care costs continue their upward trajectory, employers everywhere are left searching for ways to manage their benefit costs, and many are looking to wellness programs as the solution. In fact, a recent Express Scripts study reveals that 81% of employers surveyed intend to offer a wellness plan in the next two years.

With health reform there's a real opportunity for brokers and consultants to truly add value to their client services. It allows them to go above and beyond just the tactical nature of health plans and step up the strategic level of advice and guidance.

While President Barack Obama's open support of same-sex marriage hasn't caused any immediate change in federal law, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled recently that part of the Defense of Marriage Act - which denies federal benefits to same-sex married couples - is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. Noting that a "Supreme Court review of DOMA is highly likely," however, the 1st Circuit put the ruling on hold.

For all employers' focus on curbing obesity statistics through healthy eating and exercise programs, it can be easy to forget that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. One employer, Nelnet, is remaining vigilant about stamping out smoking among its employee population.

As employers move past the anxiety and drama over the Supreme Court ruling on health care reform, there's no escaping the fact that steep employee medical benefit costs remain as a serious concern - not only in the United States, but all over the world.

Last September, after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act gave the Department of Health and Human Services authority to review premium rates in states that didn't have strong enough review programs, the agency began handing down decrees of "unreasonable" premium rates for insurers that proposed increasing rates by an average of 10% or more - meaning HHS can publically shame an insurer.

"The whole onsite clinic thing has been a buzz the last few years," says Michael Troup, partner at Forsite Benefits.

Employers who postponed action on health reform compliance will now be going full tilt to continue meeting the legislation's provisions that take effect this year and beyond. But even larger strategic questions loom over their roles as benefit sponsors.

Ever since the Supreme Court issued its ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in June, family, friends and colleagues have been asking me, "What do you think of the ruling? Is it good? Is it bad? Does it matter?"

Do you work sitting on your butt all day? Yeah, me too - and we're not alone.

You've been thinking about introducing a wellness program and finally feel like you've developed a solid business case. You walk in to your manager's office and barely get these words out of your mouth, "I'd like to talk about wellness ... ," when you hear a combination of: "We don't have the money for it ... you have better things to work on ... only the healthy will use it ... ." You meekly head back to your desk and put your wellness presentation up on the shelf. Is this you? If yes, let the "tree of healthy" be your green thumb of wellness success.

After the Supreme Court upheld the so-called individual mandate and substantially all of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act following a legal challenge led by my home state of Florida, President Obama hadn't finished his victory lap before the political line was drawn in the sand. The battle is over, but war wages on until the American people take to the voting booth in November. I have a feeling this election year will be an interesting one, and with a front row seat in Florida, I'm going to be tuned in and transfixed.