Employers Expect Higher Premiums, Little to No Cost-Shifting
Employers who were surveyed for a new report expected that group health insurance premiums would increase 5.4% this year and at a faster clip in 2024 as inflation hits medical costs. Employers said they are looking to manage growing group benefit
More Insurers Pushing Virtual Care for Cost Savings
More and more insurers are expanding the use of telemedicine, just as a new study shows promising cost savings of up to 25% from virtual care when implemented properly. The latest insurer to announce an expansion of its telemedicine offerings is
Insulin Makers Cap Prices for Insured Individuals
Three drugmakers, which account for roughly 90% of the insulin in the U.S. market, in March 2023 announced that they will cap the cost of insulin for people with private insurance plans. That includes those on employer-sponsored group health plans and
New Anti-Obesity Drugs Put Employers in a Quandary
A surge in demand for pricey, new and highly effective anti-obesity medications could put a financial strain on employers who sponsor their employees' health plans. Employers have long offered coverage for certain weight loss tools, such as bariatric surgery if employees
2024 HSA Contribution Limits, HDHP Minimums, Maximums Set
The IRS has raised the maximum amount employees can funnel into their health savings accounts by 7.8% for 2024, the largest increase ever, brought to you by inflation. The IRS updates this amount annually, along with minimum deductibles as well as
16 Surprising FSA and HSA Eligible Expenses Your Employees Should Know About
Employers offer flexible savings accounts and health savings accounts to their employees so they can build up funds with pre-tax dollars to pay for health care and related expenses. For the most part, people use their funds in FSAs and HSAs
PBMs Feeling the Heat on All Fronts
While drugmakers have been assailed for years for increasing their prices and driving the cost of medications higher and higher, there is another player in the health care space that is receiving increased scrutiny: pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs are intermediaries, acting
HDHP Enrollees Less Satisifed with Their Health Plans
A new study has found that people enrolled in traditional PPOs and HMOs are more satisfied with their plans than those who are enrolled in high-deductible health plans. But satisfaction greatly increases when HDHP enrollees stick with their plan for
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,