Employer group releases diabetes management guide
The Northeast Business Group on Health says digital tools can make a difference in controlling chronic conditions among employees.
Healthcare benefits
Benefits Think How the ACA is squeezing benefit brokers
Affordable Care Act’s loopholes and inefficiencies are creating losses among carriers and they, in turn, are pressing advisers, says Sally Pipes, president and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute.
Sally C. Pipes
Pacific Research Institute
Benefits Think What’s at stake for employers in ACA contraception case
The key issue for benefit plan sponsors in Zubik v. Burwell is whether the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive-coverage mandate requirements and its accommodation violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Amy Gordon
Winston & Strawn LLP
Benefits Think Why your clients should care about patient safety
Employers can take immediate steps to help hospitals ensure that employees, dependents — and all patients — are in better shape after they leave the hospital than when they went in.
Jan Peter Ozga
Medical Business Exchange
HSA enrollment up, employer contributions down
The looming Cadillac tax is causing clients to be cautious when it comes to contributing to workers’ health savings accounts.
Voluntary benefits evolving to meet needs of diverse workforce
Employers and advisers expect the importance of supplemental benefits to grow, fueled in part by the changing demands of employees.
Benefits Think Hospital patient safety lags, adding to employer healthcare costs
Plan sponsors can take immediate steps to help hospitals ensure that employees, dependents — and all patients –are in better shape after they leave the hospital than when they went in.
Jan Peter Ozga
Medical Business Exchange
UnitedHealth takes on CVS, Express Scripts with drugs deal
UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s OptumRx unit struck an agreement to ease customers’ access to drugs through Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.’s drugstores, a move to help the business compete with rival pharmacy benefit managers.
Antea Group launches online cognitive behavioral therapy benefit
The international environmental consulting team offers employees access to mental health therapy 24/7 through its online Learn to Live system.
Planning more effective benefit engagement strategies
How advisers and employers can fine-tune communications to better educate workers about plans and perks.
Are incentives the key to reducing healthcare costs?
How the concept of paying employees to encourage certain behaviors is making its way into other areas of benefits that advisers need to know about.
Benefits Think The real reason healthcare costs keep rising
Hospital market power, not technologies or regulation, is behind escalating prices, says benefits expert Joseph Jenkins, M.D.
Joseph Jenkins
Physician Care Direct
Voluntary benefits evolving to meet needs of diverse workforce
The majority of employers expect the importance of non-traditional benefits to grow over the next three to five years, fueled in part by the changing demands of employees.
Planning more effective benefit engagement strategies
How advisers and employers can fine-tune communications to better educate workers about plans and perks.
How Express Scripts is looking to hold down drug prices
Steve Miller, the pharmacy benefit manager’s chief medical officer, addresses the key cost drivers and what the PBM is doing to guard against increases.
Benefits Think The real reason why healthcare costs keep rising
Hospital market power, not regulation or new medical technologies is behind escalating prices, says benefits expert Joseph Jenkins, M.D.
Joseph Jenkins
Physician Care Direct
Benefits Think Why digital eye strain is a concern for employer clients
Nearly nine in 10 adults spend more than two hours each day using a digital device, all the more reason for employers to promote their vision plans.
Linda Chous
UnitedHealthcare
10 drugs to watch this year
Generic drugs are usually significantly cheaper for plan sponsors than brand-name drugs. Here’s a look at 10 drugs coming off patent in 2016. And although the FDA hasn’t yet approved generics for many of the following blockbuster drugs that are coming off patent this year, in most cases there are generics in the pipeline, according to Dickson Data Blog.
How Express Scripts is looking to hold down drug prices
Steve Miller, the pharmacy benefit manager’s chief medical officer, addresses the key cost drivers and what the PBM is doing to guard against increases.
Benefits Think Why advisers should review Service Organization Control reports
Looking over SOCs will help assess what controls are in place and ensure a client’s benefit plans meets ERISA guidelines.
Edward Westenberger
WeiserMazars LLP