Month: December 2011

“Employers have been careful not to shift premium costs to employees, but have decided that the better way to shift costs is to require those who use health care services to pay more.”

NO CLASS The Obama administration abandoned its pledge to implement a federal program that would have provided long-term care (LTC) benefits to Americans as part of the health care reform law. The Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Act would have allowed qualified participants to receive a cash benefit to offset the costs of … Continued

Small businesses continue to face steep challenges with health care premiums.

CLASS Act; Transit Taxes; Inflation Limits; Promotion Over Pay; W-2 News; Women at Work.

The new rules would allow employers to base their calculations on wages instead of income, ensuring a more accurate picture of affordability, the IRS stated.

While employee participation in wellness programs might be driven by a sense of personal responsibility, employers benefit from the programs as well. Workers said that, as a direct result of their employer’s wellness programs, they: • Felt motivated to work harder and perform better (43 percent of employees). • Missed fewer days of work (28 percent). • Experienced improved energy and … Continued

  As the September 23 date came and went, plan administrators should be in full compliance mode, making sure they are sending notices, finalizing plan changes and coming up to speed on health care reform packages.  I also think it is a good idea for plan sponsors to keep up to date on what is … Continued

  So how does one decide to self-insure a health plan or go the fully-insured route?  Not an uncommon question in a marketplace where health insurance premiums seem to be rising almost daily.  But on the other hand, self-insuring a plan has its own set of risks.  So what are some of the things to … Continued