Insurance

Health care costs growing slower than expected

08/28/2014

Spending on health care rose less than 0.3% this summer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a strong sign that the health-cost curve may be flattening over the long term.

Survey: 2015 health costs to grow 6.5% or less

08/25/2014

Large employers’ health care benefit costs are expected to increase 6.5% in 2015, slightly lower than this year’s rate of increase. Most employers, however, say they’re planning changes to their benefits programs that should limit cost growth to 5% or less when all is said and done.

Benefits for terminally ill worker: How can we help?

08/21/2014

Q. A 26-year-old employee has terminal cancer and can’t work any longer. Our company is small and doesn’t offer health insurance, and she is not covered on an individual policy. Is it a correct protocol to lay off this employee so she can receive unemployment and other benefits, such as Medicaid?

Can ‘resign & rehire’ trick bypass open enrollment?

08/19/2014

Q. An employee failed to participate in open enrollment, thereby losing her insurance coverage. Can she resign and be immediately rehired to enroll in our medical plan as a new hire?

New COBRA notice could help workers–and you, too

08/14/2014

You can finally make the Affordable Care Act work for you. The U.S. Department of Labor has updated its model COBRA notice to emphasize that separated employees who qualify for COBRA continuation coverage may want to buy health insurance through the ACA’s exchanges instead.

40% of workers would quit if not for health benefits

08/11/2014

Your benefits program might be an even bigger retention tool than you thought. A new survey says that 40% of employees appear to be experiencing “job lock” because of health benefits.

Which has greater value to employees: Retirement or health benefits?

07/30/2014

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), has declined, according to a new survey by the Towers Watson consulting firm. How big is the satisfaction split?

Single act of disobedience doesn’t always rule out unemployment compensation

07/23/2014

The California Supreme Court has decided that a single act of employee disobedience may not always constitute misconduct within the meaning of section 1256 of California’s Unemployment Insurance Code.

Plan now for 2015 insurance renewal: 4 questions to ask

07/16/2014

Don’t wait for the usual renewal offer from your health insurance carrier—typically 60 days before your plan expires. That gives you no time to explore alternatives, either from your existing plan or from competitors. As you plan for next year, ask these questions.

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.