Tech

If employers only look at wellness from a 9-to-5 point of view, they are missing valuable opportunities to engage employees. Wellness doesn’t end at 5 p.m., said one expert at the National Business Coalition on Health’s annual conference.

Acquired by Towers Watson in November 2013, private exchange provider Liazon is navigating a unique space. It is both owned by a consultancy and used by that firm’s competitors. Alan Cohen, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Liazon, discusses how all brokers fit into the exchange equation and what, in his view, makes an exchange, an exchange.

Aetna’s planned acquisition of private exchange operator bswift may signal the start of more insurers acquiring private exchanges, experts in the industry say.

Commentary: There is more to Aetna’s announcement that it will acquire exchange provider bswift than meets the eye, says health technology consultant Joe Markland. In fact, it’s another signal that brokers need to recognize the benefits world is changing around them, he says.

Aetna announced Monday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire private health insurance exchange operator bswift for $400 million.

In a new series, EBA goes one-on-one with the heads of private exchanges. What makes one exchange different from the rest, and how do brokers fit in the mix? First up: Don Garlitz, bswift's executive director of exchange solutions.

EBA’s first-ever technology survey reveals where benefit agencies plan to invest their IT dollars.

One would expect technology companies such as Google and Twitter to be at the forefront of using electronic signatures when recruiting talent. But increasingly, other industries are realizing the potential time and cost savings of using esignatures to increase hiring efficiency.

Commentary: The industry is scrambling to keep pace with technology-fueled demands for speedy claims turnover. Aflac’s Laree Daniel explains how customer expectations are molding the industry response.

Employers that are considering incorporating wearable fitness devices into their wellness programs are facing important decisions about the cost of those devices, and must also be prepared to allay employees’ concerns about data security.