I have been published again in the Business Insurance Feb 20th, 2012 issue. In this article I discuss how using a broker to get you a better deal can actually help save you money. Read more »
Easy-To-Understand Health Plan Regulations
I love it!! The same government that passed a 3,000+ page health bill that “we have to pass to see what’s in it” has now passed requirements for insurers and employers to issue by September an easy-to-understand set of descriptions of the plans. Read more »
The Flap Over Retailers’ Health Care
Remember that old saw about “never believe what you read in the papers (or hear on the TV/radio)?” Well, it’s true.
News stories tend to be based on truth – but they aren’t necessarily true in the way they’re reported. At best you have to read deeply into them. Read more »
Unhealthy Behavior Costing You $623 per Employee per Year
Thomson Reuters has created an index, called the Workforce Wellness Index to measure the collective health of America’s workers. It demonstrates that our increasingly poor health is costing American employers more money every year. Read more »
For You Self-Funded, Larger Employers
Here’s an interesting tidbit. The Wall Street Journal reports that WellPoint is going to cover lung CT scans for heavy smokers. Read more »
Got Employees Who Smoke? Should You Care?
About one in five American adults smoke, so you probably have smokers in your firm.
But so what? Every state tends to have a “pooled” health Insurance product available for smaller employers, and usually there’s no experience component to the pricing. In Massachusetts if you’re below 50 lives, your rate is your rate even if 100% of your employees smoke. For that matter, even if NONE of your employees smoke, you’re going to get the same rate.
So why bother to worry about it? Read more »
Can the Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Coexist?
More and more people are adding the Health Savings Account to their benefit offerings, either in place of or alongside of a traditional HMO product. Where there is an existing FSA it can cause angst, if not trouble. Read more »
PC Alert! Controversial, Disputatious Health Comment Coming Up
I can’t help it. When I find something pithy, I HAVE to report it to you – even if it incenses the PC Police. Sorry if I offend, but here goes: Read more »
Don’t Tell Me the Free Market Won’t Work for Health Care
Two years ago the average health care insurance increase was 16.3% This year, in the second quarter, it’s 1.0%
Holy cow, what the heck happened?? Read more »