Wellness

Among the top Republican alternatives to the Affordable Care Act are bills that focus on price transparency, income taxes changes and tort reform, the Republican National Committee’s Sharon Day told attendees at NAHU’s annual Capitol Conference.

As federal funding for state-run SHOP exchanges runs out in 2015, voluntary benefits may be the key to exchange sustainability, according to Ryan Howells, vice president and general manager of Connecture.

A company with a strong culture of health is more likely to have happy, health-conscious employees than those businesses not promoting wellness, according to a new study’s findings.

Employees treasure their workplace benefits more than ever, yet employers are increasingly asking workers to shoulder more of the costs of providing those benefits, finds a new survey of benefit plan participants and employers.

In the opening keynote at health IT conference HIMSS14, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini painted a grim picture of health care in the U.S. that is plagued by inefficiency and waste.

Health insurers participating in the Medicare Advantage program, including Humana Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc., face a base payment cut of about 3.55% next year, the U.S. government said. The ACA could bring cuts up another few percentage points.

The Affordable Care Act is overcoming its initial problems and is making progress in accomplishing its mission of expanding and improving coverage, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan said.

LIMRA survey finds 70% of advisers predict the ACA will slash group medical sales, with many saying health care reform will drive employers out of the market altogether.

Republicans' alternative to the ACA, the Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility and Empowerment Act, would do away with exchanges and include a cap on employer-provided health insurance that working Americans could exclude from their taxable income.

Employers looking to increase productivity should encourage employees to use their paid time off, an Oxford Economics study released Thursday suggests.