COBRA enrollment remains high after subsidy ends
(August 19, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
COBRA enrollment rates remain high even though laid-off workers aren’t receiving any more federal help to pay for premiums.
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NAIC to lawmakers: Save health insurance agents
(August 18, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners urged federal lawmakers this week to make sure health insurance agents and brokers have a secure future as health care reform moves forward.
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Big companies bend to reform mandates
(August 17, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Most large employers will make changes to their health benefits next year to comply with health care reform and to manage anticipated cost increases.
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Reform questions answered?
(August 17, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Guess that’s what you get when you throw a bunch of insurance commissioners in a room and tell ’em to figure what Congress meant when they passed health care reform.
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Large employers brace for higher health care costs
(August 17, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
The nation's largest employers expect health care costs to jump 8.9 percent in 2011.
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Workers shift retirement focus
(August 16, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Experts at MetLife say workers are in a state of shift with how they approach saving for retirement. Research shows employees in defined contribution plans are now focused on preserving lifetime income, rather than a singular focus on asset accumulation.
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HHS grants $46 million for health premium oversight
(August 16, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Forty-five states and the District of Columbia will each receive $1 million to help improve health premium oversight, the Department of Health and Human Services announced this week.
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Reform boosting medical tourism?
(August 16, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Seventy-one percent of carriers and employers insist health care reform is ‘extremely positive’ for the medical tourism industry. But obstacles remain.
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“Checking the Label” on Dental Benefits Plans
(August 12, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
A grocery store is an ideal place for comparison shopping, allowing consumers to select from multiple versions of similar products. As consumers peruse the aisles, each product’s package is an attempt to entice them to buy.
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Wellness programs likely to fall short
(August 11, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Wellness programs likely won’t produce results for companies and their employees unless planned and executed correctly
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Why are health insurance premiums so high?
(August 11, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
So, why have the rates doubled over the last 10 years? And why are they expected to double again in the next six?
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High deductible plan design attracts employers
(August 11, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
HDHC
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Mercer: Pension plan deficits down nearly $20B
(August 11, 2010 2:35pm) Courtesy of ProducersWEB

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How employees enroll in benefits
(August 10, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
how employees enroll in benefits
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Is the end of group insurance a bad thing?
(August 10, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Is the demise of group insurance imminent? Without significant changes in the health reform bill the evidence points to yes. But is that a bad thing?
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Survey: Most health plans will lose grandfather status
(August 10, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
Almost all (90 percent) of U.S. companies surveyed recently by Hewitt Associates say they anticipate losing their grandfathered health plan status by 2014, with the majority expecting to do so within the next two years.
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Recovery...or relapse?
(August 10, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
I’m told we’re in recovery.
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Fast facts: Distribution of enrollment materials
(August 10, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
68 percent of benefits managers mail enrollment kits to the homes of employees and 65 percent post enrollment information on an Intranet.
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Fast facts on consumer-driven health plans
(August 10, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
The nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute sums up what is known about CDHPs and examines trends in offer rates and enrollment.
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Employers could receive billions in pension funding relief
(August 09, 2010 8:00pm) Courtesy of Benefits Selling
New research from Towers Watson finds recent federal pension funding relief will ease financial pressures employers had been facing – at least for two years.
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