Benefits Broker

A round-up of the week’s employee benefits news, reports and controversy from around the web

Employers are taking advantage of health care reform’s retiree medical options to help employees prepare for retirement and enable current retirees to obtain more cost-effective health care coverage, according to the Sixth Annual Employer Survey on Retiree Medical Strategy.

As employers work to comply with some initial health care reform mandates, many are confused about a provision that could have significant impact on their future health benefit spending. That’s why Mercer asked nearly 800 employers about what’s offered in a “typical” plan.

Americans, regardless of generation, are deeply conflicted as they wrestle with the legality and morality of abortion, with a substantial majority identifying themselves as both "pro-choice" and "pro-life," according to a sweeping new survey.

Texas lawmakers passed major changes to Medicaid on Wednesday that would privatize the health program in South Texas and allow the formation of health care cooperatives.

NFL owners and players have met for a second straight day in New York, with Judge Arthur Boylan joining Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith.

Judges on a federal appeals court panel on Wednesday repeatedly raised questions about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, expressing unease with the requirement that virtually all Americans carry health insurance or face penalties.

In the year since health care reform became law, a new survey finds that employers across the U.S. are maintaining their health care benefits, implementing cost-sharing methods and assessing the long-term impact of reform on their organizations.