health care costs Archives - Word on Benefits

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 Health Care

Benefit Trends—Health Care Cost-Containment Strategies

Justin Held, CEBS

04 Jan 202310 Mar 2023

According to a recent International Foundation survey report, health care costs are expected to increase by 7% between 2022 and 2023. In response to the cost escalation, health care plan sponsors are looking for ways to limit the growth of their health […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance U.S.

Employers Project 7.5% Rise in Health Care Costs for 2023

Cara McMullin

20 Sep 202220 Sep 2022

As industry experts predict that organizations should brace for increased health care costs in 2023, the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans launched a survey of U.S employers to identify the considerations they are contemplating for the coming year. Results show that […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Insurance Mental Health U.S.

What to Expect for Health Care Costs in 2022

Anne Newhouse

22 Nov 202122 Nov 2021

As we get closer to 2022, plan sponsors are wondering what next year will mean for their employee benefits plans, especially group health plans. Health care costs are complicated, and the pandemic made everything even more complicated. COVID-19 continues to impact plans […]

Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey Health Care U.S.

The Pros and Cons of Self-Funded Health Plans

Staff

26 Jul 202126 Jul 2021

Employers providing health care benefits to their employees can choose one of two options: a fully insured health plan or a self-funded health plan. Although there are many similarities between the two, there are striking differences as well—And each approach has its […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Changes in Health Care Claims Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Justin Held, CEBS

10 Jun 202109 Jun 2021

Over the past year, the International Foundation has surveyed U.S. organizations on three separate occasions to examine the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the most recent edition, respondents were asked about changes in the number of health care claims over this […]

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care Multiemployer Regulatory U.S.

How Do Multiemployer Plans Claim COBRA Premium Assistance Credit?

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

09 Jun 202108 Jun 2021

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued Notice 2021-31 which provides guidance for multiemployer plans and plan administrators regarding the new credit available to them for providing continuation health coverage to certain individuals under COBRA. We summarized the COBRA changes under American […]

Canada Employee Benefits Health Care Wellness

Legal and Practical Considerations for Virtual Health Care in Canada

Alyssa Hodder

19 May 202118 May 2021

There’s no question that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual health care in Canada, but we’re now learning that it’s not just a transitional measure. A panel at our recent virtual conference, Today’s Legal and Legislative Landscape Across Canada, explored […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Defined Benefit (DB) Plans Defined Contribution (DC) Plans Dependent Care Employee Benefits Health Care Multiemployer Paid Leave U.S.

Employee Benefits and COVID-19: Changing the Future of Benefits Today

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

17 Feb 202116 Feb 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to bring long-lasting changes to life in the United States, and those changes will be reflected in employee benefits. How COVID-19 could affect health, retirement and other benefits even after the pandemic is over is discussed in […]

Disease Management Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey Health Care Mental Health U.S.

21 Ways Employers Are Combating Escalating Health Care Costs in 2021

Justin Held, CEBS

27 Jan 202126 Jan 2021

Over the next ten years, health care spending in the United States is projected to increase at an annual rate of 5.4%. In response to the cost escalation, plan sponsors in corporate, multiemployer and public employer environments are looking for ways to […]

health care costs

What to Know About Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements

Benefit Trends—Health Care Cost-Containment Strategies

Employers Project 7.5% Rise in Health Care Costs for 2023

What to Expect for Health Care Costs in 2022

﻿The Pros and Cons of Self-Funded Health Plans

Changes in Health Care Claims Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

How Do Multiemployer Plans Claim COBRA Premium Assistance Credit?

Legal and Practical Considerations for Virtual Health Care in Canada

Employee Benefits and COVID-19: Changing the Future of Benefits Today

21 Ways Employers Are Combating Escalating Health Care Costs in 2021

The Pros and Cons of Self-Funded Health Plans