What You Need to Know About COVID Test Kit Rules for Group Health Plans
Starting Jan. 15, the nation’s health insurers have been required to cover the cost of up to eight at-home rapid COVID-19 tests per month for their health plan enrollees. Insurers are taking different approaches to the mandate and, as an employer,
Long-Haul COVID Can Be Covered Under ADA
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued guidance stating that employees suffering from "long COVID-19" may be protected under workplace disability discrimination statutes. The guidance states that someone suffering from impairments resulting from long-haul COVID-19 symptoms can be considered "disabled" under
Health Expenses a Major Source of Mental Health Issues for U.S. Workers
A new study has found that more than one in four U.S. workers say expensive medical bills are having a major impact on their mental health. Mental health issues have come to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic, spurring employers to
IRS to Get Tough on ACA Reporting Form Mistakes
The time when the IRS offers relief from financial penalties to employers that make errors on their group health insurance reporting forms has come to an end. Starting this year, the IRS will no longer offer protection against reporting error penalties
Employers Curtail Health Cost-Shifting to Workers
One of the health insurance trends that went largely unnoticed in 2021 was that employers halted cost-shifting to their employees by reducing or holding steady workers’ deductibles and other cost-sharing. That’s according to a new study by consulting firm Mercer, which
Pandemic Fallout: Employers Boost Mental Health, Substance Abuse Benefits
The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on health insurance in the U.S., with many employers improving mental health and other benefits to help their workers during this trying period, according to a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Despite
Hospital Indemnity Insurance a Key Voluntary Benefit
Most employers offer major medical coverage to their full-time employees. But that still leaves workers and their families with significant exposure to financial hardship in the event of a serious medical emergency.For example, even with insurance, treating a broken leg
How to Coax Your Employees to Enroll in an HDHP
Employers looking for ways to decrease their group health insurance outlays over the past decade have been turning to high-deductible health plans as they offer lower up-front premiums. In 2021, 51% of the U.S. workforce was enrolled in one of these
2022 Health Insurance Outlook, Changes
As we enter 2022, there are a number of changes on the horizon that plan sponsors need to be aware of as they will affect group health plans as well as employees enrolled in those plans. Some of the changes concern