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Small Business Health Care Mistakes

"Here are seven mistakes to avoid when it comes to buying health insurance for your small business. [1] Not examining all the options.... [2] Not hiring an experienced broker.... [3] Not doing homework.... [4] Not sticking to a budget.... [5] Not shopping around.... [6] Not asking about tax-friendly accounts.... [7] Not offering more than one health insurance option."

One Frightening Statistic on Small Business Health Insurance

"Since 1999 the average cost of employee health insurance premiums (for family coverage) has risen 84 percent in inflation adjusted terms (148 percent in nominal terms).... [B]etween 1999 and 2008, the revenues at the average American company fell 5 percent in inflation-adjusted terms. Over the same period, employee health care premiums went up 64 percent[.]"

SEC Adopts Insider Trading Blackout Rules

Excerpt: The new rules [went] into effect January 26, 2003.... For purposes of the prohibition a blackout period is period of more than three consecutive business days during which there is a restriction of the ability of at least 50% of the participants or beneficiaries under all defined contribution plans the issuer maintains to purchase, sell or otherwise acquire or transfer an interest in employer securities under the plan.

Market Disruption Is Coming to the Benefits Business -- It Will Come from the Outside, Not Inside

"[It] is the underlying costs of health care that drive health insurance costs.... You can eliminate the insurance companies but not reduce health care costs to any significant degree.... The true disruptors are going to impact the market in ways many of us may not yet even imagine. But they will come, because there are many people interested in bending the cost curve including the government, employers, employees, and any individual paying an insurance premium."

As Virus Spreads, Insurers Exclude Ebola from New Policies

"As fear of Ebola infections spreads to developed economies, U.S. and British insurance companies have begun writing Ebola exclusions into standard policies to cover hospitals, event organizers and other businesses vulnerable to local disruptions. As a result, new policies and renewals will become costlier for companies opting to insure business travel to West Africa or to cover the risk of losses from quarantine shutdowns at home[.]"

Offering Too Many 401(k) Options Hurts Plan Participation and Asset Allocation

"When a 401(k) plan offered only two investment options, 75% of employees participated. When 59 investment options were available, however, the participation rate dropped to 61%. Expanding on this study, [Sheena Iyengar, professor of business at Columbia University] examined the impact that more investment options had on the 401(k) participants' asset allocation. For every additional 10 investment options available, the average 401(k) participant's equity allocation fell by 3.28%. Some neglected equities altogether."

Cleveland Clinic's Incredible Vision for the Future of Health Care

"For costs to come down, hospitals need to embrace innovation in how they do business, and start to change some of the behaviors that have made healthcare more and more expensive without making it any better for patients.... 98 percent of the people that request a same day appointment at the Cleveland Clinic get one, and there were over one million such appointments last year. Focusing on costs doesn't have to come at the expense of the patient."

Private Employers in U.K. to Begin Freezing Salaries to Pay for Mandatory Pension Coverage

"The Department for Work and Pensions set up its auto-enrolment scheme this month. The policy obliges companies to enroll all staff into work pensions and is designed to give up to 11 million employees a private pension for the first time.... Estimates from the department suggest that companies will look to save 2.6 billion GBP of the annual cost of the pensions by capping wage rises for their staff.... Although auto-enrolment began this month, it will be years before all companies use the scheme. The Government has staggered its roll-out, starting with the largest firms. Small and medium-sized businesses have until 2018 to start, depending on their size."

Health Care Will Get Cheaper When We Hold CEOs Accountable for Costs

"[E]mployee health costs have now become the third largest expenditure for U.S. businesses, comprising 8 percent of total compensation today. And they are rising sharply -- more than doubling in just the last decade to over $15,000 per year for family coverage, 73 percent of that paid by the employer.... Yet most CEOs remain strangely passive ... Here are seven things CEOs can do to make a difference[.]"

Inside the Post-Pandemic Retirement Benefits Landscape for Small Businesses

"Employee demands for improved benefits have coincided with an increase in legislation combatting the elusive retirement crisis. It's particularly pronounced at the state level, with automatic IRA provisions increasingly adopted across the country."