READ TIME: 4 MINUTES Healthcare spending continues to rise, prompting employers to evaluate how benefit plans are designed and managed. As 2026 approaches, cost control is being paired with a stronger focus on preventive care, cost transparency, and long-term employee health. The Challenge: Costs That Keep Climbing A recent survey projects a 9% increase in […]
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Kentucky HB 457 – $2.6 Billion in Additional Healthcare Costs for Kentucky Employers and Patients
Kentucky House Bill 457 applies to both fully-insured and self-funded ERISA/non-ERISA plans and places several new, costly mandates on employers that will restrict their ability to design and offer affordable prescription drugs benefits for their employees. These new mandates include provisions to restrict the use of preferred pharmacy networks (including mail-order options), management of specialty […]
Read moreHR Elements: Marketing a Modern Benefits Package
Each year can bring new challenges for successfully implementing and marketing a modern employee benefits package. Participation is critical—without it, companies cannot offer the kind of benefit savings that they are expected to. Add this to the state of the “talent crisis” as it stands with the current job market, and your HR team has […]
Read moreWebinar: Group Health Plan Tasks that Employers Should Complete by the Plan Year-End
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT Register Now This webinar will discuss tasks that employers should complete by the end of the plan year: Determine whether an employer’s size during the year will require it to offer coverage in the subsequent year Describe the information an applicable large employer will […]
Read moreWebinar: How to Capture Your Employees’ Attention in 60 Seconds or Less
Today, HR has to be front and center, driving employee engagement in countless programs, benefits and other activities aimed at boosting productivity and containing costs. As an HR leader you know that modern HR programs depend on employee engagement (and comprehension) to actually work. Bottom line is… HR Programs + Employee Communication = ROI Unfortunately, […]
Read morePerfect Attendance! How to Handle Leaves of Absence under the ACA
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires applicable large employers (ALEs) to offer full-time employees health coverage or pay one of two employer shared responsibility penalties. An ALE is an employer with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees. A full-time employee is an employee who works 30 hours or more a […]
Read moreHealth Savings Accounts: What You Need to Know
A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-exempt trust or custodial account set up with a qualified HSA trustee (such as a bank or insurance company) that is used to pay or reimburse certain medical expenses. HSAs were first available as of January 1, 2004, and have grown greatly in popularity. An eligible individual (with […]
Read moreEguide: Choosing the Right Benefit Advisor
A Benefit Broker Prepares Cost Estimates. A Benefit Advisor Performs Cost Management. Print Version Many employers look at employee benefits as a commodity, bidding out their plans annually — and who can blame them? Rising health care costs, coupled with a challenging economic environment, have forced many human resources decision-makers to focus heavily on cost. […]
Read more5 Healthcare Plan Trends to Watch in 2019
The UBA Health Plan Survey results are in and showed premiums continued to increase in 2018. One positive to note is that, as costs rise, so too does innovation in plan choice, cost structure, and other plan arrangements. According to the survey, many employers are turning to plans which can share costs with their employees […]
Read moreE-Guide: Managing Your Benefits Plan Costs Can Be a Quick Fix, But Should Be a Long-Term Strategy
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers spend more than 30 percent of payroll on employee benefits — and every well-informed employer knows that this number is growing. As health care premiums continue to rise, employers are struggling to find creative, strategic ways to control costs while maintaining competitive benefits to attract and retain […]
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