Insurance

New contract: Pay up, insurance costs down for AT&T employees

03/01/2010

The Communication Workers of America union has inked a new collective-bargaining agreement with AT&T, bringing 9% pay increases over three years to some 35,000 phone company employees in the Southeast.

Obama’s last-ditch health care reform proposal would affect HR

02/23/2010

Ahead of this week’s summit between the White House and Congressional Republicans and Democrats, President Obama has released his last-gasp proposal for reforming the nation’s health care system. Several elements of the new plan could affect HR—if the proposal ever becomes law.

Aurora trucking firm sued for bilking employees on benefits

02/16/2010

The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Mid-State Express, alleging that the trucking company collected health care premiums from its employees, but never actually used them to buy insurance. As a result, employees face more than $3 million in unpaid medical bills.

New Jersey Senate rejects gay-marriage bill

01/21/2010

Gay marriage proponents suffered a major setback when the New Jersey Senate rejected a gay marriage bill in a 20-14 vote. Supporters had hoped to get the bill passed before Gov. Jon Corzine left office on Jan. 19. Newly sworn-in Gov. Christopher Christie opposes it.

10 ways to welcome vets into your workforce

01/19/2010

More than 400,000 U.S. citizens retire or separate from the military every year—and most of them look for jobs when they do. Companies such as Union Pacific Railroad, GE and Home Depot actively recruit veterans. Your organization could probably benefit from hiring military veterans. To attract them, align your recruiting and employee benefits with their needs.

New law: You must report any payments to Medicare beneficiaries

01/14/2010

Failing to comply with a new law could wind up costing some employers lots of money—if they’re self-insured or pay deductibles on Employment Practices Liability Insurance coverage. As of Jan. 1, entities that pay Medicare-eligible individuals to resolve claims involving medical expenses must report those payments to Medicare. The penalty for noncompliance: $1,000 per day.

How should we reconcile competing demands of insurance plan, COBRA?

01/07/2010

Q. Our health maintenance organization contract calls for terminating coverage for anyone who moves outside the HMO service area. COBRA requires us to offer continuation coverage to qualified beneficiaries even if they move outside the HMO service area. How do I comply with these requirements?

IBM ponies up 100% of employee premiums

01/06/2010

Starting this month, IBM will begin paying all of its employees’ primary care health costs—with no co-pays or deductibles. At the same time, the organization is offering new cash incentives to encourage employees to eat healthier and exercise. Employees can receive up to $300 in cash a year.

Health insurance cost-shifting expected to accelerate this year

01/05/2010

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to an average $13,375 annually for family coverage and $4,824 for single coverage in 2009, and employers are likely to pass even more of the cost to employees this year, according to an annual benchmark survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Health insurance cost-shifting expected to accelerate in 2010

01/04/2010