Medicare Archives - Word on Benefits

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 Prescription Drugs

RxDC Reporting Due June 1: Here’s What to Know

Anne Newhouse

16 May 202316 May 2023

Prescription drug data collection (RxDC) is the new reporting process required by Section 204 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). The reporting is meant to capture data on prescription drug (Rx) pricing trends, reimbursement amounts including rebates, identify how Rx costs […]

Employee Benefits Insurance Legislative U.S.

Legal & Legislative Reporter: A Kidney Case

Guest Contributor

22 Sep 202222 Sep 2022

Every month, the International Foundation releases the Legal and Legislative Reporter, a compilation of new employee benefits-related case summaries. Below is a summary we thought you’d be interested in. Content provided by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. The U.S. Supreme Court reverses and […]

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

Medicare and COBRA Coordination During COVID-19

Anne Newhouse

04 Aug 202004 Aug 2020

Maintaining access to health insurance is a huge priority for both employers and employees right now. With some employers having to make hard decisions about layoffs, furloughs and terminations, one of the situations plan sponsors should be mindful of is the integration […]

Health Care

Medicare and COBRA Coordination: What You Need to Know

Anne Newhouse

17 Dec 201804 Nov 2019

Medicare and COBRA are both complex laws by themselves, but add the two together, and they require even more knowledge. If you’re the plan sponsor and have employees asking you for assistance, you know how difficult this topic is. To help, I’ve put […]

Employee Benefits Health Care

Group Medicare Advantage Plans—Tips for Plan Sponsors

Anne Newhouse

30 Aug 2018

Although the number of retiree health plans has been declining in recent years, there are still plenty of employers looking for cost-effective and flexible options to cover retirees aged 65 and older. Medicare is available beginning at the age of 65, although […]

Employee Benefits Health Care

An Employee Turns 65: How Medicare Enrollment Impacts Their HSA

Anne Newhouse

11 Jun 2018

Although health saving accounts (HSAs) have been available since 2003, for many plan sponsors new situations continue to arise. One of those situations could be having an employee turn 65. Now what happens? Medicare eligibility and enrollment seem simple but in reality […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance

Coordinating Employer Health Plans With Medicare

Anne Newhouse

12 Apr 201809 Aug 2018

You’re a benefits professional—You know your benefits program like the back of your hand. But now, as employees are getting close to the age of 65, they’re starting to ask questions about Medicare, and you’re not always prepared to answer. Here are three […]

Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Retirement

What I Learned From My Mother About Retirement Security

Pat Bonner, Ph.D., CEBS

07 May 201509 Nov 2017

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. It’s a day when many of us reflect on how our mothers, grandmothers and other special women have influenced our lives. I’m no different. As I worked on the recently released International Foundation report, The […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Health Care Regulatory

Cromnibus Keeps ACA in the Spotlight

Lois Gleason, CEBS

22 Jan 201522 Jan 2015

If the Affordable Care Act were a celebrity, it would be that really big star you either love or hate—or maybe love to hate. Since 2010, ACA has commanded the U.S. employee benefits spotlight. However, not even the most famous celebrity can hold […]