Insurance

Supreme Court to rule again on ACA birth control rule

11/11/2015

In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that closely held private companies with religious objections to the Affordable Care Act’s birth-control mandate cannot be forced to pay for employees’ contraceptives. But some groups want a full exemption.

Congress repeals ACA’s auto-enrollment mandate

11/09/2015

As part of the congressional budget deal signed by President Obama on Nov. 2, lawmakers agreed to repeal the automatic enrollment provision of the Affordable Care Act.

Health coverage up, but not because of benefits

10/29/2015

More working-age Americans had health insurance in last year, even though the rate of coverage through employment-based health plans remained essentially flat. That’s according to a new report by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Half of employers invested more on health care in 2015

10/23/2015

Spending on health care benefits was up in 50% of organizations surveyed this year. In contrast, only about a quarter of employers reported spending more on wellness programs and career development.

Health premiums steady, out-of-pocket costs spiral

10/05/2015

Single and family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 4% this year, continuing a decade-long period of moderate growth, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust 2015 Employer Health Benefits Survey released Sept. 10.

Can we require proof of a same-sex marriage?

09/07/2015

Q. We received our first request for a same-sex spouse to be covered under our insurance. We’re fine doing this, as long as they are actually married. (We don’t cover domestic partners.) Can we ask for proof of marriage even if we don’t ask it from opposite-sex spouses? I’d like to create a policy that says if your last name is different than your spouse you wish to cover, we need proof of marriage. Is that legal?

Consumer-driven health plan satisfaction rising

08/20/2015

People with health insurance continue to express higher satisfaction with traditional health plans compared with so-called “consumer-driven” plans, but the satisfaction gap appears to be narrowing, according to new research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Revisiting domestic-partner coverage after Obergefell

08/13/2015

When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, plenty of HR pros started to wonder: Do we even need to offer health benefits to employees’ domestic partners anymore?

Cutting hours to dodge ACA may violate ERISA

08/11/2015

In the brave new benefits world defined by Obamacare, a new creature has sprung forth: the ERISA challenge.

IRS releases 2016 HDHP/HSA limits

08/10/2015

In 2016, IRS rules will allow employees with self-only coverage under high-deductible health plans to continue contributing up to $3,350 to health savings accounts. The minimum annual deductible for an HDHP remains $1,300. Maximum out-of-pocket expenses increase $100, to $6,550.