Practice management

Stomach, headache claims rise significantly following the Super Bowl, study shows.

Department of Labor audits of employee benefit plans are on the rise and experts agree benefit advisers should be preparing their employer clients now for that impending knock on the door.

Brokers cite rate increases, increased complexity and poor plan quality as top concerns with the health care law.

When it comes to private exchange operators, Array Health differs from most, in that the technology company powers many insurers’ private exchanges, including Highmark Blue Shield in Pittsburgh and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. The company’s CEO shares how private exchanges are changing the way health care is sold in the United States.

Automatic features in 401(k) plans have proved highly effective at increasing employee engagement in saving for retirement, so why are some employers still not offering them?

Any new regulations must address ‘real problems in the marketplace,’ NAIFA says.

Russ Blakely’s partnership with a Tennessee physician network is strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and saving scores of money in the process

Regulatory changes continue to challenge health and life insurance carriers to meet new market demands and stay competitive. Benefit advisers also looking to remain relevant should watch closely carrier reaction to these key issues in 2015.

It was just a year ago that VSP Global and Google, Inc. teamed up to offer Google Glass prescription lenses and frames at a subsidized price. But Google Glass’s announcement last week that it was halting sales of the product raises questions about VSP’s future role.

Commentary: Boomers are redefining what it means to be aging in the workforce, and redefining senior benefits in the process.

Communication — customized for your listener — is one of the most critical elements of leadership. Here are some strategies to demystify the process at your brokerage.

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.

In a defined contribution world, cash balance plans continue to gain popularity, study says.

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.

Commentary: Half of HR managers don’t know how to help employees return to work from a disability, according to research from The Standard.

Advisers share why they entered the private exchange business and key players detail how to help employer clients chose the right exchange.

Commentary: To survive the ongoing thinning of the herd, columnist Nelson Griswold asks what are you planning to do differently in 2015 to remain relevant to your clients and grow your business?

Commentary: There are a lot of innovative options that have been implemented by those who are being proactive and who are changing their roles as employee benefit advisers. Columnist Jack Kwicien shares their competitive advantage.

The advent of private and public health care exchanges has expanded employers’ horizons to consider subsidizing pre-Medicare eligible retiree health benefits through the individual market.