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The Cadillac Tax: How It's Threatening Health Care Consumerism

"[A]lmost 19 percent of large companies have already curtailed or canceled their FSA programs and 13 percent have dealt similarly with their HSAs. It is obvious that the tax is already having an impact, despite the two-year delay.... This number of companies dropping consumer-directed accounts will likely grow over time because after 2020, the limits will be adjusted for future changes in the consumer price index. While employers plan for these long-term changes, many are also considering imposing additional fees to cover employees' spouses or even exclude them from coverage completely."

Meeting Employers' High Expectations for Health Care Consumerism

"Self-funded employers have high expectations for health care consumerism. As part of those expectations, they want their employees to have an easy-to-use tool to become active consumers who find out what health care costs before getting treatment. They want to effectively promote the tool so employees know they have options. And they want to know how and when consumers are using cost information as part of their decisions about where and when to seek care."

The Consumer Factor: Four Elements to Consider with Private Exchanges

"The advent of private exchanges will accelerate [the] consumer-centric shift in the employee benefits sector. Individuals and their family members can now select the combination of benefits that is right for their circumstances and budget. The days of one-size-fits-all is over.... [1] Haven't We Seen This Before?... [2] Look Beyond the Software.... [3] Beware of Advisors Steering You Away from Exchanges.... [4] Keep an Eye on Carriers."

The ACA 'Cadillac Plan' Tax and Its Impact on the Market

"In your planning process, if you have a collectively bargained contract, ask the following questions, as they will most likely influence your actions: Does the term of the agreement straddle the Cadillac Tax implementation date or is a new agreement negotiated prior to the effective date of the Tax? Will the projected cost of the negotiated benefit plan exceed the threshold where a tax will be levied against the plan?"

Private Exchanges: A Breeding Ground for Transformational Innovation

"Fixed expenses, reduced administration and greater choice for employees and their families provide distinct advantages. Yet futurists envision innovation that not only matches individual needs and incentives with the best solution but also creates marketplace transformation that generates even greater consumer advantage. When educated health care consumers begin to force market changes and private exchanges expose costs and create more competition, health systems will be compelled to compete on price. The effect can finally begin to lower the nation's health care costs."

Three Predictions for Private Exchanges: Version 2015

"The consumer learning curve will spike upward.... Employers and brokers will graduate from 'Private Exchange School' and start to deploy.... Benefits shopping technology will trailblaze, especially for self-funded plans."

Are You Asking the Right Questions About Health Benefits Provided Through a Private Exchange?

"[An] employer must ensure that the fees charged for partnering with the private exchange are reasonable. If commissions are paid (in the case of a fully-insured private exchange), the employer should weigh whether these commissions are reasonable, and the employer should ensure that 'steering' is not occurring ... If an employer decides to partner with a single-carrier private exchange, the employer should ensure that the premium rates for plans inside the private exchange are competitive with plans sold outside of the exchange. Finally, regardless of whether the employer will offer fully-insured or self-insured plans, an employer must weigh whether a conflict of interest is present in cases where a benefit consulting firm is seeking to offer its private exchange capabilities to the employer's employees."

Private Exchanges: Do You Really Know All the Questions to Ask?

"The private health insurance exchange market is very complex, and each exchange or marketplace is different. In fact, many employers remain largely unaware of the variety of solutions available today under the 'private exchange' label.... [Is] the exchange you are considering a technology company or a marketplace offered by a broker, consultant, association or health plan?"

How the ACA and Exchanges Are Driving a New 'Whole Workforce' Strategy

"One of the more prevalent and potentially game-changing perspectives is what [the authors] refer to as 'benefits for the whole workforce.' ... It's an incredible -- and incredibly complex -- challenge to address the needs of each type of employee. But new technology and connectivity options through private and public marketplaces are making it possible to not only meet the needs of a company's whole workforce, it's making it easy to thrive as a broker and as a consumer in this new world order."

State of Self-funding and the TPA Industry

"[W]ill insurers decide that participating in exchanges or even the U.S. health insurance market is simply not a viable business plan and pull out, but keep administrative services only contracts, assuming no risk for claims payment?"