Insurance

Report: Higher 2015 health costs aren’t long-term trend

07/14/2014

Employers’ health costs will accelerate next year, but a 6.8% increase in 2015 won’t signal a coming cost spiral, PricewaterhouseCoopers says in a new report.

IRS limits dumping employees on ACA exchanges

07/07/2014

Employers contemplating simply giving employees tax-free cash to purchase health insurance on public exchanges will have to rethink that plan in light of new IRS regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Thinking about skipping workers’ comp? Get ready to risk unlimited liability

07/07/2014

Here’s something to consider before you choose not to be a part of the Texas workers’ compensation system. Employers that forego coverage—as they are permitted to do—leave open the possibility of unlimited liability and have few defenses available.

Employers still committed to health benefits

07/01/2014

Despite persistent worries that the Affordable Care Act will raise costs for employer-provided health insurance, less than 1% of companies responding to a new survey say they plan to stop offering coverage to their employees.

Supreme Court OKs religious exemption to birth-control mandate

06/30/2014

The court said closely held private companies can’t be forced to cover certain types of contraceptives for their workers.

Retirement trumps health in benefits survey

06/23/2014

Employees are more satisfied with their company-sponsored retirement benefits than they were five years ago, but satisfaction with health care benefits, especially the cost of medical benefits, has declined, according to a new survey by the Towers Watson consulting firm.

America’s Top 5 benefits

06/18/2014

U.S. workers value health care and medical benefits above all other workplace perks. A new SHRM poll found these benefits were rated most important.

Family-coverage health premiums up 5.4% this year

06/17/2014

Employer-provided health insurance for a family of four now costs $23,215, according to a new report by the actuarial firm Milliman. This can be seen as both good and bad news.

State exchange premiums compete with employer-provided plans

06/03/2014

Premiums for health plans offered on state exchanges under the ACA this year are comparable to those of employer-provided plans offering similar coverage—and in some cases they’re much lower.

Proposed model COBRA notice pushes health insurance exchanges

05/28/2014

The Department of Labor has issued a new proposed model notice of continuation coverage rights under COBRA. It’s similar to previous versions you may have used, but emphasizes that separated workers might be better off seeking health insurance from state or federal Health Insurance Marketplaces than purchasing COBRA coverage through your plan.