News

Are U.S. employees at last beginning to realize that insurance premiums may not be the best, or only, way to pick a health plan? An Aflac study suggests that is exactly what is happening. As enrollment time rolls around, Alfac reports that while most employees continue to evaluate plans based upon premiums, more are starting […]

A new study suggests offering employees free food is an easy way to keep them happy and productive. In a survey of 1,000 office employees conducted by Peapod, a grocery delivery company, only 16 percent of workers report having access to free food at work. However, those who are offered snacks on the job report […]

You’ve mastered the complex guidelines on how to identify which employees must be treated as full-time and offered health insurance coverage to avoid the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer shared responsibility penalties. Now there is an ERISA requirement to communicate the guidelines with participants in your summary plan description (SPD). The SPD is an easy-to-read statement describing […]

Large employers are apparently still harboring recession-related reservations about writing big bonus checks, despite difficulties in attracting and retaining top talent. A survey of representatives of 170 major U.S. companies by Towers Watson finds that the majority of respondents say that they have no plans to fully fund their bonus pools when that magic season […]

Yes, the doctor visit was outrageously expensive. But did you even try to find a cheaper one? A survey by HealthMine, a wellness group, suggests that three-quarters of Americans don’t compare prices when seeking medical services. The survey included 569 people enrolled in wellness programs. If people assume that the cost of services is relatively […]

Workers value personalized benefits information yet few employers have implemented a tailored communications approach. Six in 10 employees say their benefits meetings would be more relevant if the communications were targeted by age, finds the Guardian Workplace Benefits Study, released Wednesday. Moreover, those within the first five years of employment feel that they need more […]

(Bloomberg) — A new bipartisan effort to cancel Obamacare’s Cadillac tax–the 40 percent levy on high-cost health insurance plans–adds a wrinkle to an impending fight in Congress. The repeal bill unveiled Thursday in the U.S. Senate by Nevada Republican Dean Heller and New Mexico Democrat Martin Heinrich stands little chance of becoming law soon, especially […]

As the unemployment rate continues to decrease (5.3 percent in June), employers report finding it more difficult to recruit high-quality workers to hire. Small businesses are particularly challenged by this trend, since they don’t have the same resources as larger businesses do in terms of recruiting departments, the ability to offer wages and benefits packages […]

Overview As employers prepare their health benefit packages for 2016, they must be up-to-date with current ACA and other developments that impact health plans. Here are the top 10 compliance-related issues employers should address during their planning, according to Mercer: 1) Employer shared-responsibility (ESR) strategy Ensure the intended goal of avoiding or paying ESR assessments […]

Very few of us are ready for the new PPACA reporting requirements. Many of us are aware that reports are due at year end, but haven’t even looked at the rules. Should we be concerned? The answer depends upon your company size and how your organization funds its group health benefits. What are we talking about? […]