Employers Wrestling with Covering Weight-Loss Drugs
The explosion in demand for new, costly and highly effective weight-loss and diabetes drugs is poised to play an outsized role in increasing the cost of health care, and in turn, health insurance in America. These groundbreaking drugs — the most
Flexible Spending Account Contribution Limit Climbs
The IRS recently announced that the annual contribution limit for flexible spending accounts will rise to $3,200 in 2024, up $150 from this year. Also, employees will be able to carry over up to $640 next year into 2025 if they
American Workers Are Burned Out; Employers Can Help
American employers are trying to meet their workers' mental health needs as they struggle with burnout and stress from their jobs and finances, according to a new report. The annual "Aflac WorkForces Report" found that more than 50% of American
EEOC Ramping Up Workplace Anti-Discrimination Efforts
Employers should brace for increased enforcement by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after it received a budget boost and has a new board member, breaking a deadlock that's been going on for nearly a year. Here's the latest EEOC news
More Employers Offering Deductible-Free Plans
As more Americans struggle with medical costs and rising out-of-pocket expenses, more employers are starting to offer deductible-free plans, according to a new report.Mercer's "2023-2024 Inside Employees' Minds" survey results jibe with other reports that some insurers' fastest growing group
Chronic Conditions Driving Health Care Costs
A new report has found that the top driver of health care costs in the U.S. is chronic conditions, emphasizing the role that employers can assume in helping their employees better maintain these ailments. Chronic diseases are a major strain on
Open Enrollment: Help Younger Workers Understand Their Coverage
A new study's findings that many workers have a poor understanding of their employer-sponsored health insurance benefits, presents an opportunity for businesses to extend targeted support to staff during open enrollment.The "2023 Optavise Healthcare Literacy Survey" found that 32% of employees are
Retaliation Accounts for 35% of All EEOC Complaints
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is seeing a wave of retaliation complaints by employees. Retaliation charges accounted for more than 35% of all charges filed with the commission in fiscal year 2022. Retaliation means any adverse action that you or someone
How to Handle Spousal Coverage for Your Staff
While the Affordable Care Act requires employers to offer coverage for employees’ adult children until the age of 26, it does not require them to offer coverage to their workers’ spouses. As employers try to balance the costs of offering health
Diabetes Wellness Programs Can Boost Productivity, Reduce Costs
Physicians and employee health experts are increasingly recommending that employers include diabetes screening, prevention and management in their company-sponsored wellness programs.Diabetes — known as the "silent killer" — afflicts more than 29 million Americans, or 9% of the population.Type 2