If Medicare Starts Covering Wegovy, Will Private Insurers Follow Suit?
There is a general truth in the health insurance sector: If Medicare and Medicaid are given the green light to cover a certain drug, insurers in the group health and individual health insurance market usually follow suit. The Centers for Medicare
More Workers Miss Work Due to Depression, Anxiety; Employers Can Help
Each year, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety lead to a staggering 12 billion missed workdays globally, according to a new study by Resolute Psychiatry, an online platform that provides virtual counseling. This absenteeism not only affects personal well-being
Specialty Drugs, Expensive Surgeries Driving Stop-Loss Insurance Costs
Companies that self-insure their group health benefits, or are in partial self-insured plans called level-funding, are likely to see higher stop-loss insurance renewal rates due to the rapidly increasing costs of specialty drugs and cancer surgery claims. Stop-loss insurance steps in
Most Workers Uncomfortable with Cash-for-Coverage Plans
A recent survey found that the majority of employees prefer traditional employer-sponsored health insurance over receiving cash through an individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (ICHRA) to buy their own coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The survey, conducted by Softheon,
Employers Wrestling with Fiduciary Benefits Compliance Issues, Leave Laws
A new report has found that employers are increasingly wrestling with two challenges in their human resources departments: growing employee benefits fiduciary liability issues, and administrative difficulties in managing employee leaves. Employers are facing lawsuits by employees who allege they mismanaged
Employee Surveillance Doesn’t Boost Productivity, but Breeds Resentment: Study
As more people have been working remotely over the last few years, some employers have turned to employee-tracking software to ensure that these staff are working while on the clock, and to boost productivity. Tools like activity monitors and locations trackers,
The Top Five Health Conditions Driving Insurance Costs
A new study has identified the top five health conditions that are driving the overall cost of group health plan outlays.
Many Group Health Plan Users Make Costly Mistakes
Employees who are unfamiliar with how to access care using their group health insurance can inflate your plan costs and how much they pay out of pocket. Those who may not use their health plan much, or at all, may end
Group Health Plan Trends for 2025
As health insurance costs continue to rise at an uncomfortable pace, employers in 2025 plan to shake up the status quo with their health care vendors, particularly those focused on reducing pharmacy spend, a main cost driver, according to a
Laws Reduce Plan Sponsor ACA Reporting Burden
Two new laws which took effect Jan. 1, 2025 will ease the Affordable Care Act annual tax reporting burden on health plan sponsors. In a bipartisan effort, Congress recently passed the Employer Reporting Improvement Act and the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act,