Benefits

52% of employers do not allow spousal coverage if a spouse has health insurance access through their own employer, up from 31% in 2014, a survey finds.

A survey also found employees that use private exchanges value their employers’ benefits more.

"Employers have seen certain ACA provisions have a positive impact on their workforce," says Julie Stich, CEBS, research director at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

While fewer private-sector employers are offering retiree health benefits, nearly all states provide workers access to certain retiree health care coverage.

Small businesses are limited on offering employees health benefits, but they can take action to change that, says Vanessa M. Isaacson with Zane Benefits.

The drop in the number of employers offering health benefits to retirees means employees will need to save more to cover health costs in retirement.

Few midsize employers are using HDHPs, Benefitfocus finds, and this could be at the expense of employee wellbeing and cost control, it suggests.

They want to implement changes that achieve better health outcomes and improve the patient experience.

“An ‘age wave’ is coming that could either make or break America,” says Ken Dychtwald, CEO of Age Wave, and he wonders why presidential candidates are not addressing...

Individual education to employees is a better way for health benefits enrollment.

“Under play or pay, employers have had to modify their plans, track worker hours, manage eligibility and report coverage to prove they are doing something they have been...

Since passage of the ACA, there has been a reduction in health plan designs insurance carriers are selling, says Jim O’Connor with CBIZ.

A TIAA executive says, without more aggressive plan designs, state-run plans will struggle.

Fidelity finds many employers are adding mental and financial well-being solutions to their wellness programs.

A three-year study by Humana suggests engagement in wellness programs lowers health claims costs and improves work productivity.

Between 2012 and 2015, the percentage of workers reporting that they would rather have fewer health benefits and higher wages has doubled, increasing from 10% to 20%, EBRI...

A GAO report says claims of the small employer health tax credit have continued to be lower than thought eligible, limiting the effect of the credit on expanding...

A different breed from stock in a retirement plan, ESPPs can encourage engagement and boost employees’ sense of financial well-being.

While retirees say the cuts are unfair, regulators say without them, the result could be much worse.

While not as prevalent, a similar trend has emerged in health care coverage for employees’ children.