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Reference-Based Pricing: The Key For Reducing Your Healthcare Spend?
/in Employee Benefits /by Andy NearyAccording to a 2016 Glassdoor survey, a company’s health insurance has the most significant effect on how employees rate their benefits. This statistic makes perfect sense if you know the exorbitant costs of healthcare in America. In 2016, U.S. healthcare costs totaled $3.3 trillion, or $10,348 per person. But it’s not just employees who are […]
What Employers Need to Know About ACA Compliance for 2018
/in ACA Compliance, Obamacare /by Travis MartinTwo years into Donald Trump’s presidency and the Affordable Care Act is still, somehow, alive. Despite the push to repeal and replace the ACA, the law remains intact. So, let’s check out what you need to know, as an employer, about ACA compliance for 2018. What’s Staying the Same (For Now)? Employer Mandate The […]
How Trump’s New Plan Will Influence Drug Prices
/in Employee Benefits /by Adam HallIn early May 2018, President Trump gave a speech outlining his administration’s plan to combat pharmaceutical pricing. In his remarks, the president promised action that will spur immediate impact on drug prices. Whether these changes have the effect promised, it’s clear something in the industry needs to change. A 2017 government investigation found the amount […]
Health Insurance Companies Don’t Want to Help You Save Money [Part 1]
/in Employee Benefits /by Andy NearyThere is still a myth out there amongst employers that health insurance companies truly want to help companies reduce premiums. Folks, we need to bust this myth and there are two very simple reasons why. The first reason is the rule known as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR). The government enacted the Medical Loss Ratio […]
Student Loan Debt: Solving Your Company’s Next Big Problem
/in Financial Wellness, Work Stress /by Travis MartinStudent loan debt, in 2018, has continued its climb. This month the Federal Reserve Bank of New York announced student debt now totals over $1.41 trillion in outstanding loans. Student debt is now the second largest source of household debt. In fact, student debt is the only form of consumer debt to grow preceding the Great […]
Is Pet Insurance Worth it For Your Employees?
/in Pet Insurance /by Adam HallHappiness, according to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, is a warm puppy. And while you may not agree with Charlie Brown himself, many Americans do. The 2017-18 National Pet Owners Survey concluded 68 percent of American households own at least one pet. In total, 84.6 million U.S. homes have a pet. Last year these 84.6 million […]
When it Comes to Healthcare, Your Employees Aren’t Different
/in Employee Benefits /by Andy Neary“Yeah, but our employees are different” is a response I often hear when chatting with an employer about various healthcare strategies to improve employee interaction with the healthcare system. I know it is easy to think that your employees are unique but I am here to tell you otherwise. Your employees are not different. They’re […]
What is the Latest DOL Fiduciary Rule News?
/in Retirement /by Tim Olson*This article is an update of a previous post. Strike the bells! The Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiduciary rule is (as of now) dead. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied two motions to intervene to defend the DOL’s fiduciary rule. AARP and three state Attorney Generals filed these motions, respectively. Last week, […]
How Can You Use Employee Benefits to Eliminate Presenteeism?
/in Employee Benefits /by Travis MartinIt’s easy to understand how an absent employee costs a business. If you’re expecting an individual to be at work, doing work, it creates a distinct gap when they’re not there. Absenteeism is easily identifiable and trackable. Presenteeism, on the other hand, is not. This issue is more challenging to understand, track, and alleviate than […]
What are the Keys to Driving Domestic Utilization?
/in Employee Benefits, Employee Health /by Andy NearyDomestic utilization is how a health system’s employees (and their dependents) utilize domestic providers within this system. One of the most important factors for a hospital’s success is figuring out how to drive domestic utilization to your own health system. When done correctly, increasing domestic utilization reduce income leakage to non-domestic providers, lower high-cost utilization, […]
How Alzheimer’s Care Benefits Can Improve Your Business
/in Employee Benefits /by Adam HallWithout looking it up, can you name the most expensive disease in America? It’s not heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. The costliest disease in the U.S. is Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the cost of care for Alzheimer’s and other dementia’s will reach $277 billion this year. So, whether you know or not, […]
Help Your Employees Make Effective Healthcare Decisions
/in Employee Benefits, Employee Health /by Andy NearyFor the past three or four years, I’ve had in-depth conversations with a multitude of cost-containing healthcare solutions that create predictably good outcomes for employer-sponsored health plans. Many of these solutions are helping employees change the way they purchase the healthcare services they need reducing consumer frustration while putting money back in their pocket. Utilizing […]