When your medical care provider charges more than your insurance company is willing to reimburse, you may get a bill asking you to pay the difference - a practice called "balance billing." The Trump administration is moving to put a stop to the practice. In a recent...
A new study has found that people enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) actually are more likely to consider costs and quality when considering non-emergency care. The 14th annual “Consumer Engagement in Health Care” study by the Employee Benefits Research...
As more employers adopt high-deductible health plans, which leave their employees with more “skin in the game,” it’s important that you educate them on how to get the most out of the attached health savings accounts. Unfortunately, your employees may not be using the...
As promised, the Trump administration has issued proposed rules that would allow individuals to skirt Affordable Care Act regulations and buy short-term, low-coverage health plans. Under the proposal, individuals would be able to purchase short-term plans that last up...
With multiple generations working side-by-side in this economy, the needs of your staff in terms of employee benefits will vary greatly depending on their age. You may have baby boomers who are nearing retirement and have health issues, working with staff in their 30s...
In recent years, employers and self-employed Americans have been migrating to high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) but, if they are not attached to a health savings account (HSA), they can end up costing the plan participant more than they can afford and create health...
As the job market tightens and competition for workers becomes fiercer, a majority of employers are boosting their employee benefits offerings and are paying less attention to reducing associated costs, according to a new study. The changes reflect the shifting...
Business leaders are constantly monitoring the financial performance of their organization. If costs start to escalate in a particular area, the CEO or CFO likely dive into the numbers to find out what the root cause is. If the sales budget was out of line and a...
An audit carried out for Ohio Medicaid found that large pharmacy benefit managers that contract with the state's Medicaid program have been pocketing a larger and larger share of drug pricing. In fact, PBMs charged Ohio Medicaid plans 31% more for generic...
The IRS has proposed new regulations that could let employers avoid Affordable Care Act employer mandate-related penalties by allowing them to reimburse employees for insurance they purchase on health insurance exchanges or the open market. The regulations are not yet...