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Covered California Announces Expanded Small-Business Options for 2015

"Covered California will offer the same six health plans next year in its Small Business Health Options Programs [SHOP] ... but add flexibility for employers, greater choice for employees and the option of buying adult dental coverage.... Starting Oct. 1, employers can offer workers a choice of plans in two benefit levels. Currently, business owners can offer only one benefit level, although workers can choose from a variety of plans at that level."

An Internal Revolt at the Business Roundtable Over Support for ObamaCare

Excerpt: One lesson that Democrats learned from the failure of HillaryCare in 1994 is that they had to buy the silence, if not the outright support, of the business class. They've done this brilliantly by peddling the illusion that ObamaCare will 'lower costs' for employers. But slowly as the legislative details become clear, it is dawning on executives of businesses large and small that reform is boiling down to a huge tax increase to finance a gigantic new entitlement. The cost and quality of care are afterthoughts that will both suffer, as a growing roll of medical experts have been writing on these pages. The tragedy is that ObamaCare is not inevitable and far better reforms are still possible -- but only if the current version is defeated and Democrats are forced back to the drawing board.

Phantom Stock Provides Key Employee with a Benefit Equivalent to Being a Part Owner in the Business

Excerpt: For family businesses and other closely-held companies it is a common problem for the family owners to compensate fairly and motivate essential, nonfamily key employees. A phantom stock plan is an excellent way to give employees an opportunity to share in the family business' success and give them a stake in the business.

More Small Businesses Turn to Level Funded Health Plans to Manage Health Care Benefit Costs

"Level funded plans ... are designed to pair with any standard medical plan  ... but with lower rates and more financial flexibility, in part resulting from employers being rated on the health status of their employee population, as opposed to community-rated. Thirteen percent of small firms (with three to 199 employees) are in a level funded plan, which combines a relatively small self-funded component with stop-loss insurance that protects an employer from excessive claims[.]"

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico Will Not Offer Individual Products on the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange in 2016

"According to the insurer, the premium rates BCBSNM charged for individual insurance products in 2014 and 2015 did not cover the claims costs the insurer incurred -- ultimately resulting in a $19.2 million loss.... The decision comes after the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) formally denied the insurer's 51.6 percent premium rate increase earlier this month."

Health Alliance Pushes for Expanded Obesity Care in Insurance (PDF)

"The EveryBODY Covered campaign encourages employers to prioritize obesity within workplace healthcare and equity strategies by: [1] Recognizing obesity as a chronic disease with causes that include those outside of an individual's control.... [2] Reviewing your benefits offerings for opportunities to better support obesity care for your employees and communicate coverage as a priority to your benefits administrators.... [3] Working against weight bias at every level of your company and making sure that this is demonstrated through your company's culture."

GLP-1s: Employers Need to Understand Their Impact

"While the majority of U.S. employers are covering these drugs on the health plan for diabetes management, roughly one-third of employer health plans now cover them for both diabetes management and obesity, according to International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans employer survey June 2024. Many more are considering adding GLP-1 coverage for weight loss in the coming years due to increasing public health awareness, employee requests and a desire to mitigate heart disease, strokes and other conditions."

Employee Sues Over Retirement Plan Losses as Arch Coal Stumbles

"A former Arch Coal employee is suing the trustees of the company's retirement plan, alleging they invested retirement savings in Arch stock though they should have known it was a risky investment.... The suit comes as Arch, like other coal companies, is dealing with the effects of a depressed coal market; it reported a first-quarter loss of $113.2 million on revenue of $677 million and was recently warned by the New York Stock Exchange that it is out of compliance with the market's rule requiring an average price of $1 per share of common stock for 30 consecutive trading days."

D.C. Health Link Launches New Physician Directory to Make Finding a Doctor Easier

"Called the Universal Doctor Directory 1.0, the new tool available on D.C. Health Link allows consumers to search individual and family plans to figure out which doctors participate in particular plans. The directory also allows consumers to find a new doctor by ZIP code, last name or specialty and then see which marketplace insurance plans the doctor accepts."

Employer Health Plans Find Savings Through Data-Driven Insights and Personalization

"Increasing engagement in benefits takes a blend of human-and-technology intervention. Artificial-intelligence-powered software notifies members of programs that may benefit them, using texts, emails or phone calls. The technology learns from data, such as the types of care a member uses, whether they adopt benefits like second-opinion services, and how and how often they engage with Accolade, Humana, or their health care provider.... Personalized, data-driven health care applications and services can create savings for employers and employees by helping members find affordable, quality care when they need it or before they do."