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Efforts to promote DEI in benefits expected to surge

05/04/2021
The number of employers that will promote diversity, equity and inclusion in their benefit programs is expected to jump sharply over the next three years, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson.

Highest health costs paid by mid-sized employers

04/27/2021
Mid-sized employers paid higher per-employee health care costs in 2020 than either small or large employers, according to the Mercer consulting firm’s latest National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.

Snapshot: Which wellness benefits are employers investing in?

04/06/2021
During the pandemic, twin trends—mental health and telemedicine—have dominated employers’ wellness initiatives.

HR reacts to mental health/well-being crisis

03/25/2021
The past year was one of trauma for your employees. And as home life merged with work life for many people, that pulled mental health into a front-burner workplace issue. Amid the crisis, many proactive organizations stepped up to the challenge.

Employers interested in ‘virtual-directed’ health plans

03/16/2021
In a post-pandemic world, more U.S. employers are looking to add virtual care and mental health benefits, according to a new report by the Aon consulting firm.

ARPA effect: Defections from your health plan?

03/16/2021
More Americans could qualify to buy health insurance from the Affordable Care Act’s state health insurance exchanges, thanks to a provision tucked into the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. As a result, millions of workers could start shopping for coverage in the individual marketplace.

New coronavirus relief law affects HR’s work

03/16/2021
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 does more than provide for $1,400 stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits. It reaches into the HR function, extending employer subsidies for paid time off, offering government help to pay COBRA premiums and increasing the amounts employees may shelter from taxes in dependent care accounts.

DOL expands eligibility for pandemic unemployment benefits

03/02/2021
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued guidance to state unemployment insurance agencies that expands the number of instances in which workers may be eligible for pandemic-related unemployment assistance.

Group plans must assure mental health coverage parity

02/03/2021
Tucked innocently into the Consolidated Appropriations Act was a measure that largely escaped notice until now: A new requirement that says group health plans must comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

There’s a new sheriff in town and payroll is on the agenda

01/26/2021
The administration has issued a bunch of executive orders and policy statements, ranging from pandemic relief to immigration reform. Here are highlights.