Take your mind off coronavirus and become a better manager with these 10 must read books
Looking for a great book to read this summer? Check out these titles covering topics including management, life lessons — and even the world’s deadliest plague.
Industries
Benefits Think Opioid crisis exacerbated by COVID-19: What employers can do
Seventy five percent of employers reported being directly affected by opioids, often as contributing to workplace accidents, lost productivity, staffing issues, missed workdays, and increased care and leave costs.
Erin Peterson
Integrated Benefits Institute
Benefits Think Specialty drug conflicts of interest: Employers must act now to control the chaos
In order to maximize the plans fiduciary responsibilities, a contract with appropriate terms and definitions must be in place to allow the plan to exercise their right to carve-out prior authorization.
Denise Giambalvo
Midwest Business Group on Health
Benefits Think In uncertain times, flexibility of HRAs help employers maintain benefits
Instead of choosing a one-size-fits-all plan for a group, employers can offer fixed reimbursements that employees can use to purchase their own insurance or use for medical expenses.
Jack Hooper
Take Command Health
Work from home forever? Businesses are divided on that
As some executives extol its virtues, other tech leaders aren’t so sure, opening a growing divide inside the industry over the future of work.
Single-payer healthcare could lead to major employee benefits industry shakeout
If Democrats win in November, single-payer healthcare could still be on the agenda. Its adoption would shake up the benefits industry.
Exclusive survey How businesses are surviving the pandemic
Our second monthly survey found a smooth transition to remote work and digital customer access channels — but technology issues still arose. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of having a strong digital presence across all retail sectors, including financial services.
Benefits Think How to help employees plan for and manage large medical bills
The stress caused by high bills and medical debt can increase employees’ risk of a range of physical and mental health problems.
Dr. Miles Varn
PinnacleCare
Microsoft sales rise as remote working buoys cloud services
Microsoft so far has thrived during the Covid-19 pandemic because of its focus on cloud offerings, like Office productivity tools, Azure services and subscription programs that are less vulnerable to spending slumps.
The coronavirus will make the digital divide even worse
25 million Americans do not have high-speed internet access, and as many as 14 million have no internet access at all.
Employers need to address how inequality affects health
The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions says the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for employers to fight social disparities.
Using self-funded health plans to cut costs for company health plans
Employers in three metropolitan areas will have access to the cost-saving health plan.
Apple, Google bring coronavirus contact-tracing to billions of smartphones
The technology is designed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus by telling users they should quarantine or isolate themselves after contact with an infected individual.
Acquisition simplifies quoting and modeling for self-funded health plans
The tech platform helps producers understand a group’s risk, customize coverage and secure competitive stop loss to match plan designs.
CVS Caremark limits the purchase of essential medication to avoid stockpiling
Drugs used to treat chronic conditions are being tried on coronavirus patients; CVS wants to ensure there’s enough to go around.
Apple tests its secrecy somewhere new: employee homes
The shift from office culture to remote work has been challenging for the hardware-focused company with a passion for secrecy.
Benefits plans are adapting to the demands of a diverse workplace
Employers need to go beyond traditional healthcare to attract and retain top talent, a new report finds.
Advisers should step up when it comes to employee healthcare education
“We need to build health plans that incentivize employees to make better healthcare choices based on quality,” Jim Blachek, CEO of Dynamic Benefit Solutions, says.
Advisers must break away from talking about health insurance
To convince employer clients and prospects of the merits of DPC, advisers must present it in a way that offers a solution to control the total cost of care.
Benefits Think How small businesses can leverage benefits as a recruiting tool
Health care and financial benefit offerings are an opportunity to standout and remain competitive.
Mark Carroll
Trinity Hospice