News

Though retirement plans were in the spotlight during the annual NAPA 401(k) Summit in Nashville, another workplace perk got some attention as a key way to attract and retain talent. Harry Conaway, the newly appointed chief executive officer of the Employee Benefit Research Institute, underscored the growing popularity of workplace flexibility this week during a […]

(Bloomberg) — UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest U.S. health insurer, said it will drop out of all but a “handful” of state exchanges where it sells individual Obamacare plans, acting on concerns it raised last year that the government program that has brought coverage to millions isn’t profitable enough. Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hemsley said […]

Student debt is not only affecting millennials who are stressed about their finances and distracted by money issues when they are at work. Outstanding student loans are also affecting baby boomers who may be helping their kids to pay down balances owing instead of saving enough money to fund their own retirement. A new study […]

A new study of public opinion on the Patient Protection and Affordable Act (PPACA) suggests the landmark health law is more popular than is generally assumed. The analysis that was published in Health Affairs is based on polling data from the first four years after the PPACA was adopted by Congress in 2010, so the […]

Media hype made us think it would happen overnight. But while private benefits exchanges still haven’t gone mainstream, there has been a tremendous explosion in the adoption of automated enrollment systems. Just notice how many clients now have some type of benefits administration platform in place today. When it comes to private exchanges, employers across […]

Since the Department of Labor released its final fiduciary compliance rules, there has been a tremendous amount of media coverage devoted to what plan sponsors need to know. Although much of it has been well written with good intentions, most of it has only served to confuse plan sponsors. Based upon what I am hearing […]

Employees are the heart of any business no matter the size, and a productive and loyal workforce will position a business for success. This is good news, especially for small to mid-sized companies, who are looking to expand. In fact, according to MetLife’s 13th annual U.S. Employee Benefits Trends Study, fully half of small to medium-sized […]

California’s paid family leave benefits will increase to 60% or 70% of weekly normal earnings beginning in 2018, but as a result of a city ordinance, San Francisco employers will have to top up these benefits to 100% of salary for some workers. “The California PFL provisions do not provide a job-protected leave. That’s governed […]

Businesses in California are going to war with one of the Golden State’s largest medical providers over the cost of care. A group of companies is suing Sutter Health, a nonprofit network of hospitals, clinics, and doctors in northern California, accusing it of anticompetitive practices and price gouging. The suit, which a number of major private and […]

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights has announced it will be launching phase two of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act audit program. Advisers can help clients prepare by updating policies and procedures, among other steps. HIPAA provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions […]