News and Trends on Healthcare, Health Insurance, and Employee Wellness.
Health care costs are projected to increase substantially in 2025. Estimates show a similar growth in spending to 2024, marking multiple years of compounding costs.
Specifically, health care costs in the United States are likely to increase by 7%-8% in 2025, according to the following data from multiple surveys:
Large employers predicted their health care costs would rise about 7.8% in 2025 before plan design changes.
Employers estimate a median 8% increase in health care costs in 2025.
Each year, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducts a survey to examine trends in employer-sponsored health benefits. This article summarizes the main points of the 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey.
Read MoreMFA Bypass Attacks Explained - This article provides an overview of multifactor authentication (MFA) and MFA bypass attacks, discusses common methods used in MFA bypass attacks, and offers strategies that employers can use to mitigate the risk of these cyber incidents.
Read MoreEmployee assistance programs (EAPs) are work-based intervention programs that connect employees with resources to identify and address personal problems. EAPs providing medical care are considered group health plans that must comply with various legal requirements, such as ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA and the ACA. This Compliance Overview summarizes these requirements for EAPs.
Read MoreEmployee well-being refers to the overall state of workers’ physical, mental and emotional health, which can often be influenced by various workplace dynamics (e.g., workload, connections with co-workers and available resources). Although employee well-being is typically considered an HR-related matter, it’s also an enterprise risk that directly correlates with a wide range of key business objectives.
Read MoreIn the pursuit of a productive and thriving workforce, employers often focus on traditional wellness programs targeting physical fitness and mental health. However, one area that is often overlooked but equally vital is digestive health. A healthy digestive system contributes to physical well-being and impacts mental resilience and productivity.
Read MoreAttracting and retaining employees has challenged employers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the labor market is expected to cool slightly; however, competition for talent will remain. As such, employers must remain agile and adapt to developing labor and market trends that will shape the market in 2024. In particular, current labor challenges are forcing employers to find ways to balance rising health care costs and inflation while providing employees with benefits they value and need. Understanding this year’s key employee benefits trends can help employers attract and retain talented individuals in an evolving labor market.
This article discusses seven key employee benefits trends in 2024.
Read MoreAmid ongoing inflation pressures, employees and employers alike can expect their health care costs to increase in 2024. Global professional services firm Aon reported that health care costs for employers will grow by 8.5% in 2024 (to more than $15,000 per employee), nearly double 2023’s figure. In line with those findings, the Business Group on Health’s 2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy Survey predicts a 6% increase in health care costs in 2024.
Read MoreEmployers continue to struggle with rising health care costs and providing employees with affordable and quality care options. Unfortunately, employers expect health care costs to increase significantly in 2024, according to several industry surveys and reports. This article provides guidance to help employers discuss increasing health care costs with their workers and aid employees in mitigating these expenses.
Read MoreThe labor landscape was undoubtedly a roller coaster in the first half of 2023, and employers are still along for the ride. During the past year, the market experienced a record number of employee quits, a jump in talent shortages and increased workplace demands from workers—many of whom had the upper hand in employment negotiations.
Read MoreOn July 25, 2023, federal agencies released a proposed rule to strengthen the requirements of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). This Legal Update summarizes the proposed rule.
Read MoreForm 5500 Filing Exemption for Small Health Plan?
Question: Our company acquired another business at the end of last year, which significantly increased our employee count.
Read MoreEmployers are increasingly looking to consumer driven health plans to help soften the blow of continually rising health care costs. Depending on the model, consumer driven health plans typically include health savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements and flexible spending accounts. This infographic provides a quick and easy comparison of tax-advantaged health care accounts.
Read MoreQuestion: One of our employees recently had a baby and has asked to enroll her newborn child in our health plan. Can this employee add other dependents (such as her spouse and/or other children) to our health plan at the same time?
