Benefits Manager

"These are multisided giants that are accumulating assets at an alarming rate and are becoming the new intermediaries and gatekeepers of our health care system," said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Jonathan Kanter.

A big part of the solution is for employers to advocate for themselves and probe for deeper information when comparing plans.

The agency has stepped up its campaign against drugmakers' improper listing of patents in the FDA's Orange Book, which it contends are ploys intended to delay generic competition, by disputing junk patent listings for 300 drugs.

Providers, insurers and regulators need to come together to ensure the safe use of these drugs, mitigate failed treatment attempts, reduce side effects and provide better insurance plans to support patients in need.

More than three-quarters of respondents said they feel more comfortable talking about family-related responsibilities with their employer than they did previously.

Nearly 80% of employers expect a moderate or significant impact from the DOL over the next year, as the presidential election looms. 

The BIOSECURE Act seeks to sever ties with some Chinese biotech players, however, these firms are heavily embedded in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, which is already struggling with widespread drug shortages.

The investment firm is among 600 organizations worldwide whose pension funds and benefits plan providers had their participants' data breached recently, and should be "a wake-up call" to all plan sponsors, say industry experts.