Healthcare plans

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.

U.S. policymakers have implemented major changes to the health insurance industry with the goal of improving the experiences and outcomes of patients. Yet there are still many health care consumers who express deep dissatisfaction with their plans

The Obama administration says it will investigate benefit plan designs for discrimination and suspect practices that discourage people with costly medical conditions from enrolling in a plan.

Commentary: Why understanding the impact of health plan costs, employer contribution and employee demographics is vital to sponsoring benefits in 2015.

Commentary: Why understanding the impact of health plan costs, employer contribution and employee demographics is vital to sponsoring benefits in 2015.

In light of recent EEOC actions, what should employers with wellness programs that ask disability-related questions or require medical examinations do to minimize the risk of a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Without a well-conceived distribution strategy and enough methods of distribution, your carriers will find themselves with a dwindling customer base and shrinking revenues. So where does that leave you and your business? This is something brokers seriously need to consider, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Employers are shifting toward one platform to manage their benefits and HR, but communicating plans to employees is more difficult due to the ACA.

Employers are becoming more familiar with the players in the private exchange marketplace but still feel they lack sufficient information about fees and how the exchanges are paid.

For much of the country, Monday was the last day to enroll in health insurance coverage through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, Healthcare.gov, to have a Jan. 1, 2015 effective date. Overall enrollment ends Feb. 15, 2015. Unlike last year’s open enrollment, the system has hit few, if any, snags and is on track to hit or exceed its enrollment estimates.

From the first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act to the unveiling of Apple’s HealthWatch, the health care industry has seen some big advancements and major changes in 2014, making it a year of constant adjustment for benefit advisers.