Healthcare plans

Eliminating drug plan copays for specific, targeted groups of patients is an easy administrative fix employers can implement to help reduce disparities in care, says the co-author of a study on reducing ethnic disparities in cardiovascular care.

Insurer groups this week shared ACA reform ideas with Congress, including the creation of a copper plan.

Millions of Americans could benefit from expanded coverage of preventive services under health savings account-qualified high-deductible health plans, says new research from the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design and Harvard University Medical School.

Employers concerned about the Affordable Care Act’s excise tax continue to consider adopting high-deductible health plans with health savings accounts.

Employers remain unclear about the benefits and drawbacks of switching their health plans to a private exchange, but the majority of those that will evaluate exchange vendors in the future plan to seek guidance from a benefit adviser.

The Supreme Court will hear a case this fall that holds implications for employers that still offer retiree health benefits.

American workers are increasingly satisfied with their retirement plans and interested in investing in them, a trend advisers and employers use in their favor.

Commentary: Blogger Mark Gaunya discusses a niche way some smaller employers might find appealing as a self-funding strategy to control health care costs. It’s called a captive solution.

Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions signal a need for benefit advisers to review clients’ plan documents and ensure they include thorough enforceable terms.

Obamacare reduced the percentage of U.S. adults without health insurance to its lowest point since 2008 even as the law remains unpopular with the public, separate surveys showed.

Commentary: Guest blogger Rich Fahn, a small business-focused benefit broker, gives advice for the challenging conversations brokers will have to have with many small groups as premium hikes are mounting.

Helping employers with benefits education is often cited as a key advantage of private health care exchanges, and while educating employees on their benefit choices was noted as a top challenge in a recent employer survey, only 2% of those surveyed have opted for a private exchange.

Commentary: Columnist Jack Kwicien notes that the future for benefits brokerages is unpredictable and tough, so one survival strategy might just be the private exchange.

The self-insurance option for small businesses doesn’t seem to be as popular for managing ACA costs and mandates as some in the industry once thought.

Higher consumer spending on health services, increased prescriptions for costly medications and more elective surgeries suggests Americans are using the insurance they gained under Obamacare.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a NAHU-backed bill exempting expatriate health plans from the ACA.

A multi-generational and increasingly diverse workplace, coupled with the ongoing adjustments of the ACA, has led more and more employers to consider the benefits of defined contribution health care models.

Unbeknownst to your clients, prescription drugs are likely costing them a great deal. As their trusted adviser, here’s how you can help.

While benefit brokers applaud HHS efforts to hold ACA exchange navigators to licensing and certification standards, many worry federal regulation will undermine state efforts already in place.

Benefit advisers should be familiar with certain grace periods when employers can avoid penalties.