Health and Fitness
February 8, 2024
Health Care Industry Trends to Watch in 2024
In recent years, the health care industry has been navigating a landscape fraught with volatility. Shifting market demands, supply chain struggles and medical inflation issues have driven many key challenges. In 2024, several additional trends could impact the health care sector. These include labor shortages propelled by demographic shifts and changing skills requirements; technological advancements...
January 31, 2024
Celebrate American Heart Month With These Healthy Lifestyle Tips
In 1963, the United States designated February as “American Heart Month.” Since then, the medical community has banded together during this annual campaign to raise awareness about heart disease and cardiovascular conditions and provide advice to help Americans reduce their risk of these health issues. How to Keep a Healthy Heart Heart attacks and strokes...
January 17, 2024
Mitigating Mental Health-Related EPLI Claims
During the past few years, mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder have been driving more Americans with Disabilities Act charges, according to data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In 2022, around 11% of ADA charges were related to anxiety disorders. This is up from 7.6% five years earlier. PTSD-related charges...
January 12, 2024
Driving Down Health Cost Spend in 2024
As business leaders begin budgeting and strategizing for 2024, many are faced with balancing two items when it comes to benefits: ensuring low costs and prioritizing employees’ requests to offer better health benefits. With benefits slated as the second largest people expense for businesses, next to payroll, and health care costs across the nation estimated...
December 18, 2023
4 Key Trends Driving Employer Health Care Costs in 2024
Amid ongoing inflation pressures, employees and employers alike can expect their health care costs to increase in 2024. Global professional services firm Aon reported that health care costs for employers will grow by 8.5% in 2024 (to more than $15,000 per employee), nearly double 2023’s figure. Here are four key trends driving employer health care...
December 5, 2023
High Health Care Costs Are Impacting Americans’ Physical and Mental Health
More than half of consumers feel stressed when paying their medical bills, and more than 9 in 10 say these payments have impacted their physical and mental health, according to a study from health care payment processing company PayMedix. Unaffordable medical bills, higher deductible health plans and confusing bills have increased physical and mental health...
November 28, 2023
Why Holiday Stress Doesn’t Need to Derail Productivity
While the holidays should be a time of festivities and fun, high expectations paired with the end-of-year work push can cause many employees to feel burned out before the new year even starts. Forty-five percent of employees are worried about their stress levels during the holiday season, according to mental health platform, BetterHelp. Finances, shorter deadlines,...
November 1, 2023
More Individuals Downgrading Insurance Plans Due to Rising Health Care Costs
The most recent Nationwide Retirement Institute Health Care Costs in Retirement survey found that many Americans are not confident in their ability to pay health care costs as they age. According to the survey, over half of respondents said they’d be unable to pay off an unexpected $5,000 health care expense, and a similar number...
July 25, 2023
Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace
Work environments can significantly impact the mental health of employees. In fact, research by the American Psychological Association found that 2 in 5 employees report that work negatively affects their mental health. Workers’ poor mental health can, in turn, negatively impact employee communication, performance, morale and productivity. According to a recent report by Mental Health...
June 8, 2023
Ongoing Wildfires Impact Health of Millions in U.S.
Wildfires in Canada continue to create poor air quality conditions throughout the United States. As of June 7, 2023, air quality advisories are in effect for nearly 110 million Americans in parts of 18 states from New Hampshire to South Carolina. The air quality is currently considered “unhealthy” for millions of Americans, and as a...