Tag: benefits

CMS Releases Healthcare Spending Projections from 2015-2025

By Jennifer Carsen, JD, Senior Legal Editor Total healthcare spending growth is expected to average 5.8% annually over 2015-2025, according to a report published on July 13 by Health Affairs and written by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Office of the Actuary (OACT). Projected national health spending growth remains lower than the […]

Workplace Approaches to Tuition and Student Debt—and Their ROI

Student loan debt weighs heavily on the collective American mind—with good reason. According to MarketWatch, the total outstanding student loan debt as of January 2016 was $1.2 trillion, exceeded only by mortgage debt. It also reports that about 70% of recipients of bachelor’s degrees graduate with debt.

Making Absenteeism Absent from Your Organization

Employers naturally want to have a workforce they can count on, but excessive absenteeism—especially without merit—can be a big detriment to productivity. Business Consultant Bridget Miller has some ideas for keeping your employees in their seats.

retirement

Survey Cites Service Providers’ Uncertainty Over Fiduciary Rule, Next Steps

By Jane Meacham Retirement plan service providers likely will face the most need to change business models among those affected by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final fiduciary rule issued in early April. Although adoption of the regulation is more than a year away, many respondents to an industry survey quickly registered confusion, and […]

Young Workers Are Uncomfortable Navigating the World of Healthcare

Working families and workers under 30 years old are the least comfortable in their personal knowledge and skills when it comes to navigating medical benefits and healthcare systems, according to a new survey. While these workers want more healthcare resources, they aren’t utilizing the tools and programs available to them due to a perceived lack […]

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Wellness Is a Culture, Not a Set of Programs

By Kristine Mullen, segment vice president of Wellness, Humana Many employers are still struggling with low employee engagement in their wellness programs. Too often, employees either do the bare minimum requirements of their wellness program, or they get engaged initially but then interest tapers off. According to one finding, 63 percent of employers cited “low […]

Ask the Expert: Benefits Continuation during Leave of Absence?

If an employee was approved to take an unpaid month long leave of absence, are we required to extend her health benefits during that month? If we are obligated to provide them, is she responsible for the entire premium for that month? Do we treat this like a continuation of coverage, even though she is […]