Insurance

Health-benefits costs jumped 5.2% in 2023 due to inflation, higher pharma costs

11/20/2023

The average per-employee cost of employer-sponsored health insurance rose by 5.2% in 2023 to reach $15,797. That’s a big jump compared to 2022, according to the Mercer consulting firm’s annual National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.

Cost of employer-sponsored health insurance rose 7% this year, totaling almost $24K

10/30/2023

Amid rising inflation, annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance climbed an average of 7% this year to reach $23,968, a sharp departure from virtually no growth in premiums last year, the 2023 benchmark KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey finds.

Benefits: Employers target health-care costs, mental health as they look toward 2024

10/23/2023

More than six out of 10 employers responding to a new Willis Towers Watson survey agree about their primary concerns as they anticipate managing health benefits in 2024.

Brace for higher health-care costs in 2024

10/23/2023

What accounts for the predicted increases? One factor may be Food and Drug Administration approval of several blockbuster drugs officially meant to treat diabetes but used off-label to help patients lose weight.

Is your best benefits move cutting benefits?

09/27/2023

Are you still having trouble attracting enough qualified candidates for crucial open positions? If that’s the case, beware cutting back on benefits—especially those that show you are a desirable place to work.

Open enrollment countdown: Spend this fall educating employees about benefits

09/13/2023

For many HR professionals, the fall open benefits enrollment season is a grueling ordeal for which the best outcome is mere survival. However, that mentality may mean missed opportunities to truly educate employees about your organization’s total rewards program and how they can choose the benefits that best serve them and their families.

It’s almost open enrollment, so let’s talk wellness benefits

09/12/2023

The only tax-free wellness benefit is reducing the monthly premiums employees pay for their major medical coverage. But there’s a darker flipside to wellness benefits that some employees won’t like: surcharges on employees’ major medical coverage for those who smoke tobacco.

77% of employers report greater employee need for mental-health care

09/05/2023

An increase in mental-health challenges was cited as the most significant area of prolonged impact resulting from the pandemic. Last year, 44% of employers saw a rise in mental-health concerns, while 77% of employers reported an increase this year, with another 16% anticipating one in the future.

Employers plan for 7% rise in health-care costs next year

08/28/2023

Higher utilization due to chronic health conditions will be the primary cost driver for 22% of employers surveyed.

Health insurance red tape, claims denials and confusion cause care delays

08/21/2023

Most people with health insurance—58%—say they encountered at least one problem using their coverage in the past year, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey of consumer experiences with health insurance.