Healthcare benefits

Commentary: Proactive case management is the first step to creating a process for disability leave management that clients can count on, says The Standard’s Sandy Johnson.

The federal government has delayed implementing proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act’s Summary of Benefits and Coverage until January 2016.

As health evaluations move further center stage – be it via celebrities pushing for cancer screenings or companies including health assessments in wellness programs – it is becoming clear that to take full advantage of the health opportunities available, employees need to know as much as possible about their current health status.

Lawmakers are pushing through several pieces of legislation that encourage better health information technology, especially interoperability, which will help reduce medical errors.

UnitedHealth Group’s $12.8 billion purchase of pharmacy benefit manager Catamaran Corp. continues a trend of PBM acquisitions, and there’s more to come, industry consultants say. In the long term, that may mean lower costs and more data availability for employers.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. agreed to buy Catamaran Corp. for about $12.8 billion, bulking up its drug-benefits business to get better negotiating power in talks with pharmaceutical companies over prices.

As the Affordable Care Act last week celebrated its five-year anniversary, the majority of employers say they have not considered reducing hours for part-time employees as a result of the law’s mandate that employees working 30 hours a week be offered health care coverage.

A federal district court granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday ordering the Department of Labor to postpone the application of a rule that would have extended Family and Medical Leave Act benefits to same-sex married couples even in states that do not recognize same-sex marriage.

As employers face the threat of EEOC investigations into their wellness programs, Congress contemplates legislation in support of financial incentives for wellness programs. But are employers focused on the wrong issue?

Commentary: Some of the nation’s most comprehensive health care cost transparency requirements going into effect in New York are setting a solid precedent for other states to follow, says FAIR Health’s Robin Gelburd.

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: Making the “people and profits” case for integrated safety, health and wellness.

The push for accountable care organizations is driven in large part by the Affordable Care Act and its emphasis on quality care and downward pressure on overall health costs. But how viable are they, and should your organization consider using one?

The “profoundly evil” impression the fastest growing small-group employee benefit brokerage in the country has made on some firms is wrong, says Zenefits’ Parker Conrad. The outspoken CEO shares where Zenefits is headed — and why he wants you to work for him.

Commentary: Critical considerations that make a stop-loss plan successful for clients of all sizes, according to Sun Life’s Brad Nieland.

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.

California's struggling to pay for health care for retired state employees, with an estimated $72 billion in medical costs coming in the next 30 years. Gov. Jerry Brown's solution: Make workers start contributing money to pay for the health care they'll need after retiring.

Aflac says it will now pay out certain voluntary benefit claims in one business day, an announcement that industry experts say will likely force competitors to follow suit.

It’s time to talk about something that most benefits professionals have left on the backburner for the last couple of years: the impending Cadillac tax.

Premera Blue Cross, serving the Northwest and Alaska, was hacked beginning last May, and even more sensitive data was exposed than in the Anthem hack.