healthcare
October 16, 2025
Small Business Health Plans Could See 11% Increase in 2026
Every year, health insurance companies inform state officials of their expected cost changes and propose new prices for plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act regulations. A report from KFF, an independent source for health policy research, focuses specifically on plans for small businesses, typically those with 50 or fewer employees. These plans can...
August 21, 2025
Preparing for Open Enrollment: Common Questions and Answers
As open enrollment season approaches, it’s never too early to start preparing so that you can make educated choices on benefits enrollment for the upcoming year. This annual window offers the opportunity to enroll in, change or update coverage options such as health insurance, dental plans, and voluntary benefits like life and disability insurance. The...
August 7, 2025
Navigating Health Plan Notice Changes in 2025 and Beyond
Employers should be aware of updates to several model notices that can be used to comply with certain disclosure requirements for their group health plans under federal laws. Federal agencies provide these model notices to aid compliance and periodically update them to reflect changes to the law or the information contained in the notices. While...
July 21, 2025
Survey Finds One-third of Employers to Expand Voluntary Benefits by 2027
A recent survey from Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firm, found that nearly one-third of employers are expected to expand voluntary benefit offerings by 2027. The survey demonstrates the significance of voluntary benefits in modern benefits packages, with over two-thirds (70%) saying they are driven to offer these perks to ensure...
July 1, 2025
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds ACA’s Mandate for Free Preventive Care
On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a key component of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive care mandate (Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc.). The Court’s decision requires health plans and health insurance issuers to continue covering, without cost sharing, the full range of recommended preventive care services. ACA’s Preventive Care Mandate The...
June 17, 2025
U.S. Prescription Drug Spending Rose 10.2% in 2024
A new report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists revealed that prescription drug spending in the United States reached nearly $806 billion in 2024, up 10.2% from 2023. The increase was largely driven by the demand for weight loss medications, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs. GLP-1 medications are prescribed for diabetes and obesity and...
May 1, 2025
OSHA Releases 2024 Injury and Illness Data
On April 17, 2025, OSHA released its 2024 workplace injury and illness data that was collected from its Injury Tracking Application (ITA). The data came from 370,000 reports submitted on the OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. In addition, OSHA has posted partial data from more than 732,000 OSHA Forms 300 Log...
April 17, 2025
One-quarter of Federal Spending in FY 2024 Was on Health Care
A KFF analysis found that $1 of every $4 in the federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 (Oct. 1-Sept. 30) was used to pay for health programs and services. The government spent $1.9 trillion (27%) on health care programs and services, while other large spending categories included Social Security (21%), national defense (13%) and interest payments...
April 11, 2025
Mental Health Care Benefits Strategies
In today’s work environment, employees are increasingly grappling with common mental health challenges such as burnout, stress and anxiety, as well as other diagnosable mental health disorders and conditions. These issues not only affect personal well-being but also impact workplace productivity and morale. While creating a healthy workplace culture, equipping managers to support workers and...
April 1, 2025
The Critical Role of Employee Feedback in Developing Benefits Packages
In today’s competitive labor market, offering the right benefits package can make all the difference in attracting and retaining top talent. While employers often focus on benchmarking against industry standards or following trends, one of the most effective tools for building meaningful benefits programs is something much closer to home: employee feedback. Why Employee Feedback...