Although organizations are concerned about costs when deciding which health benefits to offer employees, less than half offer cost-saving Consumer-Directed Health Plans (CDHPs). The poll showed that more than half of respondents are not comfortable with their knowledge of CDHPs. Still, the greater investment in implementation and communication can be well worth it for both employees and organizations.

Voluntary Benefits Survey: Tips To Inspire Employees

A national survey on voluntary benefits concludes that employers can raise the level of informed participation in voluntary benefits by providing the right kind of assistance to employees. For example, delivering a clear message on the risks of suffering a disability.

Surging Employee Benefits Costs Force Employers To Make Difficult Trade-Offs To Maintain Benefit Levels

In the year since health care reform became law, what steps have employers taken? A new survey of employers across the U.S. uncovers actions employers have taken in the last 12 months and explores their plans for the upcoming year.

Employers Stress Healthier Habits And Behavior Change In An Effort To Lower Health Care Costs

Employers are beginning to rely more on employees to stem the tide of rising health care costs, but the inability to motivate and change habits has prompted concern.

The Impact Of The Recession On Occupations And Employer-Based Health Coverage

How did the recent recession affect the health coverage of workers in various job categories? According to a new report workers in nearly all broadly defined occupations experienced a statistically significant decline in health coverage between 2008 and 2009.

ER Visits Increasing With Health Care Reform

More than 80 percent of emergency physicians responding to a poll said emergency visits are increasing in their emergency departments, with half reporting significant rises, and more than 90 percent expecting increases in the next year. Almost all (97 percent) reported treating patients on a daily basis who were referred to them by primary care doctors, going against a widely-held assumption that people are choosing to go to the emergency department instead of seeking primary care.

Most large employers are now beginning to rethink their retiree health care strategy as a result of federal health care reform. A survey of 344 companies, representing 2.2 million retirees nationwide found that 61 percent were either already evaluating or were expected to evaluate their long-term retiree medical strategy by the end of 2011, due to health care reform.

Do Employees Recognize The Value Of The Benefits You Provide?

Do employees know the true value of their benefits packages?  Most likely they don’t. Current estimates show that benefits comprise 30 to 40 percent of an employee’s total compensation package.  Yet most employees don’t have any idea how valuable their benefits are as part of their overall compensation.  

What HR Saw: Recession Brought Benefits Changes, Engagement Challenges

As they weathered the tough economy of the past two years, nearly 40 percent of human resources leaders saw changes in their company’s medical benefits plan design or carrier. As businesses rebuild, showing employees they are valued – while dealing with the impact of health care reform – will be top challenges.

Only One In Six Employers Favor A Universal Health Care System

Despite concerns about the impact of rising health care costs on their businesses and employees, only one in six employers (16.3 percent) say they favor a federally tax-funded universal health care system.

An analysis of data from nearly 450 employers documents a clear correlation between senior management support and higher levels of employee participation in programs ranging from blood pressure screenings to ongoing diabetes management. The survey rated an organization’s employee health management (EHM) program based on the extent to which it incorporated best practices.

Benefit Costs, Employee Engagement Are Top Challenges As Businesses Recover From The Recession

As they recruit and rebuild after the economic crisis, what concerns top the priority list for human resources leaders? Managing benefit costs followed by improving employee engagement, according to a new survey. Next on the list are improving recruitment of quality employees and dealing with the impact of health care reform.

Survey Shows Personal Benefits Counseling Rates High With Employees

Employees who participate in one-to-one benefits counseling sessions during enrollment say they have a greater understanding of the benefits their employers offer. Ongoing post-enrollment surveys show that 97 percent of employees who take part in individual benefits counseling sessions say they better understand their benefits.  Forty-four percent of employees say the sessions significantly improve their understanding.

Reporting Cost Of Group Coverage Is Voluntary For All Employers For 2011

The Internal Revenue Service last month issued interim guidance to employers on informational reporting on each employee’s annual Form W-2 of the cost of the health insurance coverage they sponsor for employees. The IRS emphasized that this new reporting to employees is for their information only, to inform them of the cost of their health coverage.

A study released last month found that financial incentives have taken on greater importance in the drive to increase employee participation in health improvement programs. The survey, which looked at the behaviors and offerings of 147 mid- to large-size companies in various industries nationwide, is a follow-up to research conducted in 2009.

Coordinated Medical and Pharmacy Benefits Reduce Costs, Improve Health

Recent multiple studies demonstrate that individuals improve their health and lower their annual medical costs when their medical and pharmacy benefits are supplied by one company. The analyses were conducted independently from one another and involved a review of claims for over 11 million individuals in total.

American Workers Say Wellness Works to Improve Health, Save Costs

Achieving better overall health is the top reason American workers (43 percent) report they participate or would participate in a wellness benefit program according to the latest data. Others include reduced personal health care costs and a greater chance of living longer and healthier lives. The index surveyed American workers at growing businesses with 10-1,000 workers.

Companies Must Manage Employee Health - Not Just Benefits

Millions of workers will see their take-home pay rise during 2011 because the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 provides a two percentage point payroll tax cut for employees, reducing their Social Security tax withholding rate from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent of wages paid. The Internal Revenue Service released instructions to help employers implement the 2011 cut in payroll taxes, along with new income-tax withholding tables that employers will use during 2011.

Employee Productivity is a Critical Component of Overall Benefits Strategy

As uncertainty rises surrounding the potential impact new health care legislation will have, companies are reprioritizing business objectives to limit their exposure to increasing costs associated with providing health-related benefits.

Majority of Employers to Maintain Health Plans Rather Than Encourage Employees to Use State Exchanges

Employers appear poised to keep their employer-sponsored group medical plans intact, rather than encourage employees to use state health insurance exchanges when they become available in 2014, according to a new Health Care Reform Survey.

The results of a recent annual survey of FORTUNE 1000 companies reveals key trends in employee communication and employer compliance with Health Care Reform and other recent legislation, including data that 75% of employers plan to address the impact of Health Care Reform in their open enrollment materials.

National Dialogue on Health Care Spurs More to Review Their Benefits More Closely

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the national dialogue on health care has encouraged them to review their health benefits more closely during this year’s open-enrollment period. Survey respondents said that in the past they only spent an hour or less reviewing their benefit options, which affect some of their most important health care needs.

Employee Benefits Season Offers Chance to Boost Engagement

As employee benefits enrollment season approaches, there’s some good news for employers seeking cost-effective ways to help boost engagement in the workplace. Understanding benefits can offer a key to employee satisfaction.

IRS: Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions

The Affordable Care Act was enacted on March 23, 2010. It contains some tax provisions that take effect this year and more that will be implemented during the next several years. The following is a list of provisions now in effect.

While financial uncertainties drove many Americans to rein in their consumption of health care services during the recession, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will remove patient out-of-pocket costs for preventive care services under many plans beginning in 2011 and drive an increase in the use of these services, according to a new study.

Nine of Ten U.S. Companies Anticipate Losing Grandfather Status Under Health Care Reform

While many U.S. companies hoped to preserve much of their existing group health plans under the new grandfather provision, a new survey shows that almost all now believe they will not. Ninety percent of companies said they anticipate losing grandfathered status by 2014, with the majority expecting to do so in the next two years.

New Preventive Care Benefits Survey Reveals Increased Popularity with Employers

Last month the results of a recent employer survey on preventive care benefits was released. The study was conducted to determine the extent to which employers are adopting approaches that support the use of screenings, vaccinations, and education. The findings are timely because the White House recently announced the Affordable Care Act, which goes into effect on September 23, requires new insurance plans to provide preventive care without cost-sharing.

Typical First Year Income Loss for a Critical Illness is More Than $12,000

The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury issued new regulations last month, requiring new private health plans to cover evidence-based preventive services and eliminate cost sharing requirements for such services. 

New Affordable Care Act Regulations to Establish Appeals Process

Last month the Obama Administration announced new regulations, issued by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury, to standardize both an internal process and an external process that patients can use to appeal decisions made by their health plan.

U.S. Businesses Say Health and Productivity Management Programs Work

A leading non-profit research group released its analysis of the health and productivity management (HPM) practices of 450 U.S. employers. The study shows that HPM has a positive impact on their health and productivity goals.

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury last month issued a new regulation that claims to make good on President Obama’s promise that Americans who like their health plan can keep it.

Proponents claim grandfathered health plans will be able to make routine changes to their policies and maintain their status.  These routine changes include cost adjustments to keep pace with medical inflation, adding new benefits, making modest adjustments to existing benefits, voluntarily adopting new consumer protections under the new law, or making changes to comply with State or other Federal laws.  Premium changes are not taken into account when determining whether or not a plan is grandfathered.

The Affordable Care Act requires plans and issuers that offer dependent coverage to make the coverage available until a child reaches the age of 26. The law says that the extension of dependent coverage for children is effective for plan years beginning on or after 6 months after the enactment of the law - that means plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010.

Over One-in-Three Employers Expect Health Reform’s 2011 Requirements to Add 3% or More to Next Year’s Cost

Voluntary benefits — insurance coverage available through employers and usually paid for by employees — will continue to be an important part of employees’ benefits packages as health care reform measures are implemented. Typical voluntary benefits include short-term disability, life, accident, hospital confinement, cancer and critical illness insurance. Most voluntary coverage won’t be affected by health care reform.

Public Employers Find Wellness, Disease Management and Voluntary Benefits Enrich Overall Benefit Packages

A new survey examines how public employers are addressing rising health care costs and how they foresee reacting to health care challenges in the future. Survey findings show that half of public employer health plans have been able to avoid double-digit premium rate increases in 2010, and that the majority of employers are stepping up health care cost control and quality care efforts using wellness initiatives

Study Finds Income Protection Important During Disability

Three in five individuals who were out of work for at least six months because of a disability did not have disability income protection, according to findings from a new study. In general, people with disability income protection coverage return to work three months sooner than the people without coverage.

Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Many small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that provide health insurance coverage to their employees now qualify for a special tax credit, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The credit is designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they already have. In general, the credit is available to small employers that pay at least half the cost of single coverage for their employees.

After more than a year the United States Congress passed extensive health care reform legislation, which President Obama signed into law. In the process there has been much confusion on just what is contained in the 2,000+ pages of the legislation, which actually required passage of multiple bills.

Six Questions to Prepare for Critical Illness

According to the American Heart Association, about 1.2 million Americans suffered a first or recurrent coronary attack in 2007. Survival rates for heart attacks are 67% today.  A new report shows 61% of those that have experienced, or had a spouse experience, a critical illness such as a heart attack encountered significant unanticipated expenses.

Since the vast majority of Americans who have health coverage get it through their jobs, one obvious question raised by the health reform legislation pending in Congress is: How might it affect the U.S. employment-based health benefits system?

Survey Finds Both Employers and Employees Focusing on Health Costs

New research indicates some employees, motivated by financial concerns and job security, are getting their financial houses in order while participating in wellness and disease management programs more frequently. Simultaneously, the research indicates employers, faced with annual rising health care costs, are increasing emphasis on disease management and wellness programs designed to reduce costs. This is the strongest alignment of employer-employee interests to date, demonstrating a shared focus on health, responsibility and cost reduction that could be mutually beneficial in the long-term.

Company Realized $30 million in Avoidable Expenses by Focusing on Preventive Care

Last month Lafarge North America Inc., was honored with the Healthy Workforce Productivity Award which recognizes leadership in the area of health and productivity and honors an employer that has worked with its employees to develop, implement and measure an innovative health and productivity initiative.

Study Reveals Risk of Having A Critical Illness Before Age 65

A 25-year-old male non-smoker has a 24 percent chance of having a critical illness (cancer, heart attack or stroke) prior to turning age 65.  The same-aged male who smokes has a 49 percent chance according to the first National Critical Illness Risk Assessment Study. “Survival comes with a high cost even for those with health insurance which often is accompanied by co-pays, high deductibles and exclusions for various new treatments.”

U.S. Businesses Consider Health & Productivity Programs Critical to Maintaining Employee Health and Containing Costs

According to recent research findings, health and productivity programs are critical to U.S. businesses burdened with the declining health of their employees, growing pressures of lost worktime, increasing health care costs and global competition, and the uncertainty of health care reform. The survey of nearly 500 employers details the employers’ perspective on health and productivity management (HPM) programs being implemented, their plans over the next two years, and measurement of key outcomes.

New Study Finds Most Employers Spend Nearly 2% of Health Care Claims Budget on Wellness Programs

Most mid- to large-size companies in the United States are strongly committed to continuing to invest in health improvement programs for their employees in 2010, according to a new employer survey. Survey results showed that employers overwhelmingly (91%) agree that their willingness to invest in these programs will remain regardless of any health care reform changes in Washington.

Individuals in consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) are more likely than those with traditional coverage to exhibit a number of cost-conscious behaviors, to be more engaged in wellness programs, and to be more inclined to think that financial incentives matter in holding down costs.

Employers Can’t Afford Not to Have Health and Productivity Programs

Uncertain employment conditions may contribute to greater lifestyle-related health risks among employed persons, according to new data. Employees are more likely to engage in hazardous health behaviors when employment conditions are uncertain and risky health-related behaviors reduce employee productivity. Now more than ever, employers stand to benefit from encouraging healthy lifestyle choices for workers.

First National Study Examines U.S. Buyers Of Critical Illness Insurance

Nearly half of individuals purchasing critical illness insurance protection were under age 45 according to the first national study of buyers. The study examined sales data for over 130,000 individual and voluntary worksite policies and certificates issued.

Costs For Long-Term Care Insurance Rise Slightly

Costs for long-term care insurance have risen slightly, about two percent, compared to the prior year according to the just-concluded study, Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index.