May 25, 2021
Yes, I’d like to understand my claims data and reduce my health care costs Over the past decade, health care spending has been rising year-over-year by 4.6 percent, with costs rising faster than the annual rate of inflation. Driven by rising health care costs, employers now offer high deductible health plans (HDHPs) at a much …
May 19, 2021
For the average American worker, wages have barely increased over the last 40 years, according to the Economic Policy Institute. This is despite consistent productivity gains, leading to a decoupling between wages and productivity. This most significantly affects middle- and low-wage workers, despite the historical connection between productivity gains and income growth. There are many …
May 12, 2021
Click here to discuss your workplace mental and behavioral health! We’re about halfway through Mental Health Awareness Month. Seeing as how employers provide health insurance to about half of American adults, we think it’s important for employers to think about their own role in the mental and behavioral health of their employees. With so much …
May 5, 2021
American health care is in a crisis today. By most measures, we are getting a relatively average product even though we spend some of the most money in the world on it. Given that about half of Americans receive their health insurance coverage from the workplace and that costs are doubling every 10 years¹ for …
April 13, 2021
As benefits consultants, we’re always looking for ways to streamline our clients’ operations and systems. We’ve been big proponents for our clients to move from paper to online systems and seen firsthand the benefits of virtual administration of benefits. Technology like this can be great… but at a certain point, employers can get overwhelmed …
April 7, 2021
Much has been made of the potential for price transparency tools in health care to solve the high costs of health care that affect Americans. Washington and state legislatures have demonstrated a belief in the potential of these tools and the industry expects many ripple effects from the price transparency rule that became effective the …
March 29, 2021
Two big names in the health insurance industry, with very different backgrounds, have formed a partnership and are now working together to provide medical insurance to employers in select regions. The crux of this partnership is Oscar’s technology and member focus built on top of Cigna’s strong provider network. Cigna brings its affordable and …
March 11, 2021
The $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law this week. The bill is enormous and includes funding and provisions for many facets of the U.S. economy. Specifically, this post will cover the key provisions that support …
March 11, 2021
KFF Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator The Kaiser Family Foundation (Kaiser Permanente) provides helpful interactive tools and has updated their Subsidy Calculator. with subsidy changes in the American Rescue Act of 2021 (COVID-19 Relief). Check it out through the above link to find out if you qualify for a 2021 premium subsidy after the changes to …
March 9, 2021
Mental health is one of the thorniest issues in health care today. Undiagnosed and untreated mental health conditions are at epidemic-level proportions in this country. During the COVID pandemic, anxiety and depression rates have increased significantly. According to CDC surveys, rates of anxiety and depression rose to levels of 25 to 30 percent in 2020. …
