Healthcare benefits

Commentary: When executed efficiently, this strategy can bring a variety of benefits, says AmWINS’s Sam Fleet.

Is your PBM contract up for renewal? Here’s what you need to know.

Brokers need to change the conversations they are having with clients away from the Affordable Care Act and toward other topics, including voluntary, since little will change with the law until the next presidential inauguration, a carrier rep says.

Health care consumers in some parts of the U.S. may face higher premiums next year if some insurers struggle to cover their costs and Congress continues to require that the risk-corridors program established under the ACA be self-sustaining.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield first learned in May 2014 of malware on an information system that was hacked a month later, according to two health information security consultants. But the Blues plan apparently did not realize the malware was not completely eradicated and the system was hacked a month later.

Commentary: Expatriate health plans are — here are key definitions and relief as well as the recent IRS guidance on calculations for the 2014 and 2015 fee years.

Commentary: Providing accommodations for workers will disabilities can help reduce employee absenteeism and presenteeism, the type of productivity loss associated with employees working through medical conditions.

They're more common than ever, but some company initiatives don’t have the intended effect.

CVS Health Corp., the biggest U.S. retailer of prescription drugs, agreed to acquire nursing-home pharmacy Omnicare Inc. for a total enterprise value of $12.7 billion.

It’s not enough to simply post a summary plan description on an employer’s intranet to satisfy the ERISA requirement that such information be “furnished” to plan participants.

Covered California’s Small Employer Health Options Program (SHOP) is growing, but a private-sector competitor to the state-run HIX is growing even faster.

Commentary: While an employee assistance program may be promoted to employees when it’s launched, it quickly becomes lost in the collection of employee benefits and is rarely utilized. To maximize its value, ask whether your prospective vendor includes some of the following services.

Commentary: This is due in large part to improvements in health care, more ways to accommodate people with disabilities and changes in the workplace itself — especially the growing acceptance of telework, says Aetna’s Liz Incze.

Transparency and flexibility are among the attributes brokers look for when implementing a wellness program, EBA survey shows.

Now in their 24th year, the Benny Awards recognize excellence in the employee benefits/human resources field. Here's how you can nominate a deserving benefits professional.

Startup introduces solutions to help organizations better manage employees and to provide company leaders with HR analytics reports.

What happens if the U.S. Supreme Court decides next month to eliminate federal subsidies for as many as 10 million consumers in 37 states and carriers are unable to cover claims based on rates they've already submitted to Healthcare.gov?

Commentary: Many executives find themselves having to choose to either pay salary continuation or administer seasonal layoffs. What’s needed in this scenario is an alternative benefit that supports both the interest of the employee and the organization.

Commentary: Smart brokers provide awesome service, killer expertise and modern technology solutions that can compete with any online platform.

For many benefits professionals, the different private exchange offerings and the varied value propositions they present can be overwhelming. So let’s take a step back and examine the issues one at a time.