Healthcare plans

Commentary: Research shows that three quarters of health care costs are related to the lifestyle choices of human beings. Adviser Joseph Appelbaum shares his D.C. firm’s cost-cutting success story.

Mid-sized and larger organizations are still struggling with at least three key ACA compliance requirements: exchange notice management, annual health care reporting and penalty management.

Stay current with this checklist of 2015 contribution limits for retirement and health care benefit plans.

Commentary: Post-Affordable Care Act increases should be setting off fiscal alarms, says Frenkel Benefits’ Craig Hasday, who predicts more expansion to come.

Despite worries about increasing health care costs for individuals, employee contributions to their health care plans are actually dropping, but employer cost and employee contributions also vary widely based on an employer’s industry, new research from UBA finds.

There’s little evidence that wearable fitness tracking device technology alone can change behavior and improve health for those that need it most, according to University of Pennsylvania researchers.

Congress’ first week was a busy one, as new lawmakers worked to make changes to the Affordable Care Act — changes employers should bear in mind as they develop their benefit plan and ACA compliance strategies in the coming year.

Stagnant wages and cost-shifting are putting more financial burden on employees, study says.

Brokers and employers applaud the recent push by Congress to revise the ACA 30-hour work week definition, but the change could mean an immediate workload increase for benefit advisers.

The New Year marks a start for ACA compliance, and while many employers struggle to comply with the specifics, it’s a good reminder to focus on where you are now and how you plan to move forward.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services had reported a drop in hospital medical mistakes, and many point to better use of health information technology - a trend employers may also take advantage of.

The growth of part-time faculty as a mainstay of many college staffs has made providing appropriate benefits to academics more of a challenge.

Some still confused by the ACA and look to advisers for guidance, help implementing plans.

When employers are searching for new coverage options, they will encounter some big name insurance companies, familiar hospital/provider systems and new insurance companies all offering coverage options. How does one sort out who’s who?

On Jan. 1, 2015, the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility rules went live for many employers. Despite final rules and regulation from the government, here is a partial list of unresolved items that would benefit from additional guidance.

CMS has released the 2015 list of counties where health plan carriers and some employers must provide information in a language other than English.

Voluntary benefit options gained popularity in 2014, providing solutions for employers and employees, as well as a business opportunity for benefit advisers.

Oregon officials are pledging to avoid 2014’s enrollment nightmare, which prevented the state-run HIX from fully launching online and led to the departure of six top officials connected to the exchange.

The HIX market has undergone a facelift over the past year in some states where hopes are running high that a 2.0 reboot will be just what the doctor ordered.

Commentary: Why employers need benefit advisers more than ever to fight rising generic drug prices.