Insurance Archives - Word on Benefits

Five Tips for a Successful Benefits Open Enrollment

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

07 Sep 202307 Sep 2023

The arrival of fall signals the start of benefits open enrollment season for many organizations. A 2020 International Foundation survey found that benefits open enrollment periods most often begin in October and November—which means open enrollment starts in just a few weeks […]

Communication Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Insurance Wellness

Health Insurance Caught in a New Pickle

Jonas Leyrer, CEBS

05 Jul 202305 Jul 2023

For anyone familiar with retirement communities, the rise in the popularity of pickleball is nothing new. The tennis-like game which was played by 3-4 million (mostly older) Americans in the late 2010s, has exploded in popularity to nearly 9 million US players […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance Prescription Drugs

PBM Reform Momentum Heats Up

Amanda Wilke

08 Jun 202308 Jun 2023

The fight to lower prescription drug costs is underway. Congress has introduced a handful of bipartisan bills aiming to tackle drug prices by increasing transparency on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their practices that increase drug prices for group health plans. Congressional […]

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The Rise of Gender-Affirmation Health Care Benefits

Anne Patterson

11 May 202311 May 2023

Gender-affirmation health care benefit offerings have been on the rise over the past seven years, according to survey data from the International Foundation. Up from 12 percent in 2016, 30 percent of U.S. employers now offer the benefit. I spoke with Julie […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Compliance DOL Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Insurance Prescription Drugs

**ACA Preventive Services Requirements Struck Down: Braidwood Management v. Becerra Explainer**

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

26 Apr 202326 Apr 2023

As a result of ongoing litigation, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (the departments) cannot enforce some Affordable Care Act (ACA) preventive care requirements, but the departments strongly encourage plan sponsors to keep coverage without […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits HIPAA Insurance Legislative Regulatory

The End of the COVID-19 Emergencies Arrives Early

Amanda Wilke

12 Apr 202318 Apr 2023

This blog has been updated with new information from the previous version published on April 12, 2023. President Biden signed H.R. Res. 7 on Monday, April 10, 2023, to end the national emergency (NE) for COVID-19, effective immediately. Although the NE ended […]

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It’s Coming—The End of the COVID-19 Emergencies

Amanda Wilke

21 Mar 202321 Mar 2023

After nearly three years, the time has finally come. The Biden administration announced that both the COVID-19 national emergency (NE) and the public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023. Now it’s time for employers to prepare to unwind the […]

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Rethinking Gender: How Benefit Plans, Sponsors and Trustees Can—And Must—Adapt

Alyssa Hodder

15 Mar 202315 Mar 2023

How does the move toward greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) impact benefits plans? It’s a game changer, but there are still hurdles that the group insurance industry needs to overcome. A panel at the International Foundation’s Canadian Health and Wellness Innovations […]

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What to Know About Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements

Anne Newhouse

02 Mar 202310 Mar 2023

Health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) have traditionally been used for medical cost sharing purposes to help employees with copays, coinsurance and deductibles. On June 13, 2019, the Departments of Labor, the Treasury, and Health and Human Services issued a final rule creating a […]

Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey Insurance Voluntary Benefits

Employee Attraction and Retention Through Voluntary Benefits

Justin Held, CEBS

21 Feb 202310 Mar 2023

From traditional benefits like life insurance and vision care to trendier offerings such as insurance to cover pets or protect against identity theft, voluntary benefits can serve as a cost-effective method to attract and retain workers. Voluntary benefits are administered by the […]