On June 13, 2019, The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury issued the final rule expanding health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) which allows employers greater flexibility in the breadth and scope of HRAs available for their employees. Background: Since 2013, regulations have prohibited employers from paying for an employee’s individual health insurance policy [...]
Researchers hope the study will give private payors a better grasp of what health care costs are, and allow them to compare prices within a state and across states. (Photo: Shutterstock) This article was published on May 13, 2019 on BenefitsPro written by Scott Wooldridge. Prices range from 150 percent of Medicare prices [...]
According to a public-private partnership launched by HHS, the percentage of U.S. healthcare payments tied to value-based care rose to 34% in 2017, a 23% increase since 2015. Fee-for-service Medicare data and data from 61 health plans and 3 fee-for-service Medicaid states with spending tied to shared savings, shared risk, population-based payments and bundled payments [...]
Now that the makeup of the new Congress has been decided, many employers are hoping Washington can work together to address a few of their important concerns. High on many lists, especially those belonging to large employers, would be doing away with the Cadillac Tax on high-cost health plans once and for all. While implementation [...]
This article was published on February 25, 2019 on Employee Benefit Adviser written by Kayla Webster. Younger generations are often characterized as entitled and demanding — but that self-confidence in their work is pushing companies to adopt benefits outside the traditional healthcare and retirement packages. By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the U.S. [...]
While the Department of Health and Human Services has asked drug manufacturers to disclose list prices for most drugs they feature in television commercials, the industry’s largest trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), has countered with an offer to include content directing consumers to a new website where pricing information could [...]
This article was published on March 13, 2019 on BenefitsPro written by Max Nisen. OptumRX, UnitedHealth's PBM, will mandate that all new employer health-plan clients pass the drug discounts it obtains directly to plan participants. The health-care policy environment is shifting in a dangerous way for insurance giants. A seemingly small change in how drugs [...]
You might be surprised to hear that millennials represent one third of the American workforce, but Pew Research Center confirms it. If your health benefit plan hasn’t adapted to the needs and lifestyles of these young people, you’re missing an opportunity to boost retention, build loyalty and enhance wellness. For starters, it’s important to realize [...]
With unemployment for college-educated people age 25 and above at just 2.2%, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a jobs market this tight. To attract and retain workers in this environment, growing companies are offering more than just competitive health benefits, and this is especially true for smaller companies forced to compete with [...]
In late Fall, the President signed two bills that should make it easier for pharmacists to help customers find the lowest cost, appropriate medications. The “Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018” and “Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act” bills are designed to crack down on “gag clauses” that prevent pharmacists from telling patients [...]
