More Employers Expand Mental Health Benefits
American workers are more stressed than ever coming out of the pandemic, and an increasing number of people are also struggling with mental health issues. Sadly, the number of people dying from drugs, alcohol and suicide hit record levels in 2022. When
Insurers Promise to Keep Covering Preventative Services
Most health insurers plan to continue offering free preventative care services despite a federal judge having imposed a nationwide injunction on an Affordable Care Act requirement that these services are covered with no out-of-pocket costs on the part of patients,
Smallest Firms See Largest Health Insurance Hikes
A new report has found that small businesses that purchase their group health insurance online or through payroll vendors saw the largest premium hikes in 2022, significantly higher than those that went through brokers. Overall rates for employers with 10 or
Making Your Voluntary Benefits Program a Success
Both employers and employees have much to gain from a solid voluntary benefits program. For employees, being able to enroll in an insurance product through a workplace voluntary benefits program offers them the advantage of group pricing, the convenience of paying
Insurers Make Changes to Prior Approvals Ahead of Rulemaking
After the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed new rules aimed at streamlining the prior approval process for most health plans in the U.S., a number of the country's largest insurers announced their own steps to improve the process. UnitedHealthcare
Judge Deals Blow to Preventative Care Coverage under ACA
A recent decision by a federal judge in Texas to issue an injunction on a pivotal part of the Affordable Care Act requiring insurers to offer certain types of free preventative care, has raised concerns that some health plans will
Moves Afoot to Improve Prior Authorization Times, Efficiency
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed new rules aimed at streamlining the prior approval process for most health plans in the U.S. Under the proposal, starting in 2026, insurers would be required to render a decision within seven
Wellness Programs Grow in Wake of Pandemic
Employers have often long struggled to boost participation in their wellness programs, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed that as people started looking for ways to better care for themselves both physically and emotionally. The pandemic added fuel to the country's mental
Employers ‘Unwavering’ in Providing Group Health Benefits: Research
Large employers are unwavering in their plans to continue offering group health plans to their workers instead of funding individual reimbursement accounts that would allow them to shop for plans on government-run exchanges, according to new research. The poll of 26
Bill Would Pave Way for Stand-Alone Telehealth Coverage
A bipartisan group of House legislators in February reintroduced legislation from 2022 that would pave the way for employer-sponsored, stand-alone telehealth benefits plans. The bill is important as the current law allowing health insurers to cover telehealth benefits sunsets at the