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Insurance

Ensure layoffs don’t target ‘costly’ workers

09/30/2024
When employers decide to reduce their workforces, it’s often because they need to save money. Laying off highly paid employees is one thing. It’s entirely another matter to target employees with costly medical problems that strain your self-insured health plan. That’s an almost foolproof way to trigger a lawsuit.

With health-care costs rising, employers prioritize affordability

09/30/2024
As the cost of health care rises to a record post-pandemic high, nearly half of employers expect that their health-care costs will exceed budget projections this year. In response, employers are focusing on more competitive, cost-effective plan designs to control costs, according to a new survey by the Willis Towers Watson consulting firm.

Smart strategies for surviving this fall’s open enrollment

09/30/2024
Open enrollment for health insurance benefits is an inevitable autumn ritual that can cause great stress for HR and for your employees. It usually comes at the busiest time of the year, when HR pros—along with everyone else—are tending to year-end deadlines. Smooth the process by implementing these strategies.

Reproductive health benefits: A report card on the top 100 companies

09/25/2024
A new report sheds light on the reproductive and maternal health benefits offered by America’s largest employers, which offers insights for companies of all sizes. The report found that major employers now provide family-formation benefits and paid parental leave. Many are also taking innovative approaches to make health coverage more accessible and affordable for workers.

10 low-cost communication tips to start open enrollment right

09/23/2024
With benefits election open-enrollment season looming at organizations across the country, make sure you avoid the mistake too many employers make: plopping a benefits booklet in front of employees and telling them to figure it out. That just doesn’t work anymore. Benefits have become too complex for employees to figure them out on their own. Here are 10 ways you can do a better job of communicating with your employees.

COBRA 101: Your obligations under the law

09/09/2024
Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, employers are required to continue offering health insurance benefits to workers and their covered dependents for a specified period after they terminate employment with the organization.

Survey: Employer health-care costs to rise 8% in 2025

09/03/2024
U.S. employers project a median health-care cost increase of 8% for 2025, according to International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans survey results. This is an increase over similar surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023, which projected a 7% rise in costs.

Can you make access to drugs contingent on meeting health goals?

08/22/2024
According to a recent survey, one of the biggest headaches for HR professionals in charge of planning employee compensation and benefits is dealing with the increasing cost of new drugs designed to treat common medical problems like diabetes and obesity. According to the report, 44% of those surveyed ranked specialty drugs as their top health-care management challenges.

By the numbers: Workers’ comp claim causes and effects

08/19/2024
The most common workplace accidents account for the most expensive workers’ compensation claims, according to a new report by Travelers, the nation’s largest workers’ comp insurer.

Court: Denying transgender-care coverage violates Title VII

06/17/2024
For the first time, a federal appeals court has ruled that an employer that provides health insurance for its employees violates Title VII if it refuses to cover transgender care. That, in the words of the court, violates Title VII’s sex-discrimination provisions because it denies transgender workers the same benefits other employees are entitled to.