A slew of hot-button topics, from health care to retirement, are being discussed in Washington –both on Capitol Hill and in the halls of the Supreme Court. As a result, it is imperative employers remain focused and aware of the looming decisions that could change the benefits community. “We’re all kind of waiting with bated […]
bernard
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Should the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in King v. Burwell go against the Obama administration, the fallout will hit small businesses especially hard. This is what Linda Blumberg, senior fellow at the Urban Institute, planned to tell a U.S. Senate committee today, according to the news portal The Hill. While 7.5 million will likely lose insurance […]
Controlling health care costs is important for employers, but it’s not their No.1 concern. Retention was cited as the main objective of employee benefits by 41% of employers surveyed in MetLife’s 13th annual employee benefit trends study. In the past, cost was the primary concern, says Meredith Ryan-Reid, the head of accident and health/worksite benefits at MetLife. […]
Emergency room visits have increased under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act despite the law’s promises and efforts to curb them, ER room doctors say. Three-quarters of emergency physicians say that emergency visits are going up, according to a new poll by The American College of Emergency Physicians. It’s a significant jump from just […]
Commentary: Consumers are beginning to see some direct effects of the Affordable Care Act. Many have shopped the exchanges and see that they need to confirm health care coverage as part of filing their federal income tax returns, and a growing number continue to see the structure of medical benefits offered by employers shifting to […]
A funding mechanism included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is gaining steam in the House of Representatives, leading to a round of huzzahs from the small business community. Because affordable care for all will only be affordable if someone underwrites its true cost, the law includes various taxes and assessments designed to […]
Rep. Joe Crowley, D-NY, vice chair of the Democratic Caucus unveiled a plan this week that would address the savings and retirement security crisis in America by giving families better ways to save for the future and retire with dignity. Crowley’s “Building Better Savings, Building Brighter Futures” plan would create new financial options that encourage […]
The Affordable Care Act has had one unintended consequence for small businesses. It has prompted employers to beef up their retirement benefits as a way to attract and retain good employees, according to The Nationwide Retirement Institute. With implementation of the ACA came a requirement for small businesses with 100 or more full-time employees to […]
When it comes to retirement, the 4 percent rule just doesn’t cut it for most people. That’s according to a new PwC US report that says the notion of withdrawing 4 percent per year in retirement may work for the wealthy but could be disastrous for everyone else. If Americans stick to the idea of […]
Driven by the developmental and retail costs of specialty drugs and a less-than-robust generic drug market, pharmaceutical price increases will move into the double-digit range by 2016. That’s what an analysis of cost factors by Aon Hewitt forecasts. The results emerged from an actuarial analysis of medical trend cost information from various sources, from client experience, […]