Healthcare plans

Each year, benefits professionals around the country spend months determining the plan of action for the next year's health care. Numbers are crunched. Alternatives are explored. Numbers are crunched again. Finally, all of the information is compiled and presented to the executive team. While we don't think of it as presenting a business case, that is essentially what we do each year - and we can learn a lot from our peers in marketing, product development and finance about building an effective business case.

Hundreds of National Association of Health Underwriters members attending the organization's 81st annual convention June 26-29 were treated to a round of "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey as the convention kicked off in San Antonio - setting the stage for the positive outlook promoted by NAHU throughout the event.

Due to the economic recession and the potential for increased health insurance costs brought about by health care reform, many employers are beginning to view self-funded health care plans as a more attractive option than fully insured plans.

Rural Americans are more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart problems and cancer, and face greater difficulty getting quality health care than their urban counterparts, according to a report released Wednesday.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is nearly ready to issue a proposed rule requiring health insurers to develop standardized, consumer-friendly summaries of benefits and coverage under their health plan packages.

A new bill introduced in the Senate last week could help consumers keep their employer-sponsored flexible spending account funds at the end of the year.

Nationwide Better Health, part of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, will close its doors in September after five years in the wellness and productivity business.

Health insurer Aetna will double the size of its business of administering consumer health care accounts with a $202 million acquisition of PayFlex Holdings, which does business as PayFlex Systems.

While recent legislation has sparked debate about suitability versus fiduciary standards, a majority of investors do not understand the difference between the two, a survey by J.D. Power and Associates finds.

As major market changes loom, one report says health insurance providers that wish to access this giant pool of potential customers will need to shift toward a consumer-focused model.

U.S. deficit-reduction negotiators are looking at imposing new limits on existing tax breaks for employer-provided health insurance, a senior Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives said Friday.

Your participants want to sue you! Yep, that's right. Apparently there is a whole cottage industry springing up relating to participants suing for hidden fees.

Eastbridge’s annual U.S. Worksite Sales Report found that voluntary sales in 2010 were $5.243 billion, down about 3% compared to 2009. Although the number dipped slightly not all companies saw a decrease. The consulting firm recognizes Wellpoint and CIGNA as leading the industry in voluntary sales growth.

Self-insuring is an attractive concept because of the flexibility it offers an employer to design a health plan that falls within its budget and meets the unique needs of its employees. The potential for cost savings is greater when an employer pays claims directly instead of paying premiums to an insurer, as in a fully insured plan.

Plan sponsors can raise the level of participation in voluntary benefits by providing live assistance to explain options to their employees, according to a recent survey.

President Barack Obama and U.S. congressional leaders hope to reach a budget deal in the coming weeks that would narrow stubborn budget deficits and extend the country's borrowing authority.

Many Americans age 50 and older worry about funding their long-term care, don’t feel financially prepared, and would strongly prefer to receive long-term care at home rather than in a nursing home, according to a recently released survey.

The New Jersey Assembly on June 23 approved a bill that will require 750,000 government employees and retirees to contribute substantially more for their health insurance and pensions.

Rep. Mike Rogers told the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee last week that health insurance agents and brokers are in a "desperate situation," due to medical loss ratio determinations.

Advisers should work closely with health insurers to improve service fundamentals that drive employer satisfaction and commitment to benefit sponsorship, suggests new research that also identifies the best-performing vendors.