Benefits Broker

Two Wisconsin appellate courts bolstered portions of Republicans' contentious collective bargaining restrictions Tuesday, ruling that Milwaukee police can't negotiate their own health care costs and that a county board legally required elected officials to pay more for their benefits.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. will give investors and analysts an initial look at how 2013 is developing for health insurers when it reports first-quarter results on Thursday.

The new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act health insurance fee could add about 1.7 percent to the cost of commercial coverage from a for-profit plan in 2014.

As far as health care coverage goes, it's all about location, location, location.

While the fate of the public exchanges under health reform is still up in the air as states continue to struggle with implementation, private exchanges are gaining momentum among insurers and employers alike.

More than half of Americans say prescription painkiller addiction is a major health concern, and the same amount believe doctors should have limits on the amount and dosage of pain medication they are allowed to prescribe.

As health insurance professionals, you are most likely well aware of your ability to write off certain qualified health care expenses. Remember though not all of your consumers are meticulous itemizers like you. Fortify your customer service approach by informing consumers about their health care cost deduction options.

Deficit hawk Erskine Bowles, who chaired President Barack Obama's deficit commission three years ago, said Monday that Obama's recent budget plan offers the "seeds of hope" for a Washington budget deal.