Who’s the Boss?
You’re an employer. You are the buyer. You hold the cards in deciding which medical and prescription drug plan vendors you work with, and the price you’re going to pay. You are the boss, right? (more…)
3 Things to Watch in Rx Plan Design
The prescription drug space is making headlines everyday with stories ranging from novel drug approvals to political and legislative proposals that have PBMs and drug manufacturers on edge. Here are three current issues that should be on every plan sponsor’s radar. (more…)
Dependent Care FSA: Is Your Plan in Compliance?
Many employers offer a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for Dependent Care, but did you know that this benefit is the most likely to fail non-discrimination testing under the IRC Section 129(d)? (more…)
Maintaining Active Health Coverage for Disabled Employees
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers to continue coverage for certain employees as if they are still actively at work. But disability leaves outside the FMLA’s purview are a completely different story. There are no laws requiring employers to provide group health benefits in these other situations. So how do employers address this? (more…)
Employers and the Future of Healthcare Data
Everybody seems to agree that “big data” holds much promise (or potential) for better healthcare. To this end, the Affordable Care Act made it a priority to create more, and presumably, better health care data. However, with the rapid development of devices, tracking systems and data tools, who will benefit from this data: Patients? Plan sponsors (or payers)? Insurance companies? Healthcare providers? PBMs? Pharmaceutical and device manufacturers? Other enterprising service providers? (more…)
Spousal Coverage Audits Make Sense
With spousal exclusions or surcharges gaining popularity as a best practice to help organizations control the cost of benefits for everyone, the growing interest in spousal coverage audits (SCAs) makes sense. (more…)