Enrollment

Analysis

Benefits satisfaction increasing, but health care costs still vex employees

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | October 12, 2018

The percentage of workers who are extremely or very satisfied with their benefits is at its highest since 2011, according to one study.

Analysis

Employers want telemedicine but employees still unsure

Joel Kranc | October 08, 2018

Overall, employers are showing more interest in telemedicine services, but worker adoption is still lagging.

Analysis

Employees’ health care burden growing 8 times faster than wages

Emily Payne | October 03, 2018

“Rising health care costs absolutely remain a burden for employers, but they’re a bigger problem for workers," says KFF president Drew Altman.

Market Insights

Millennial education, finances driving plummeting divorce rate

Ben Steverman | September 27, 2018

Generation X and especially millennials are being pickier about who they marry, tying the knot at older ages when education, careers and finances are on track.

Best Practices

To attract top talent, create a holistic benefits plan

Karen Crone | September 24, 2018

A solid benefits plan is often at the top of the wish list when candidates are job hunting, so make sure yours stands out.

Best Practices

5 ways benefits educators can ease the open enrollment process

Gil Murdock | September 21, 2018

To deliver a more personal, empowering experience, organizations can look to benefits educators to supplement strapped HR teams.

The voluntary status-quo isn’t acceptable, either

Eric Silverman | September 11, 2018

Group health brokers who sell themselves as being innovative and non-status quo continue to ignore enhanced voluntary benefits, thus serving only half their clients and arguably snubbing those who need their cost-saving strategies the most: the employees.

Best Practices

Fixing employee engagement with AI

Dan Cook | September 11, 2018

By analyzing the data they have, industry leaders are pinpointing ways that benefits packages can better serve the individual--and then delivering.

Expert Opinion

5 tips to help recent graduates make the most of their benefits options

Lindsay Astle | September 11, 2018

Here are 5 tips to help set the newest members of the full-time workforce up for success in their new roles.

Market Insights

PEO growth is soaring

Marlene Satter | September 07, 2018

Professional employer organizations are seeing employment growth that is 14 times higher than the growth rate in the U.S. economy overall.

Commentary

The appeal of a half-empty glass

Marty Traynor | September 07, 2018

A half-empty glass can actually be a great marketing opportunity.

Best Practices

Bridging benefit communication gaps

Scott Wooldridge | September 06, 2018

It certainly takes work, but with the proper resources and strategies, brokers and their clients can find the tools to both offer and implement quality benefits.

Analysis

How does TV advertising affect health insurance enrollment?

Jack Craver | September 05, 2018

While TV ads can help boost enrollment for an insurer, the gains may not be great enough to offset the cost of the ad campaign.

Best Practices

Transitioning small employers to self-funding strategies

Cort Olsen | September 04, 2018

How do you make clients understand that fully insured plans are costing them hundreds of thousands dollars a year?

News

Demand for life insurance outpaces supply

Scott Wooldridge | September 03, 2018

While 27 percent of respondents in a recent survey reported having life insurance, 68 percent of those who don't say they would purchase it—if their employer offered it.

News

GAO report urges Trump administration to do better on ACA

Marlene Satter | August 23, 2018

The action was a result of the changes HHS made to its 2018 outreach that prompted concerns about enrollment and the stability of ACA exchanges.

Expert Opinion

3 strategies to encourage wiser benefit selection

Dave Kapustka | August 21, 2018

When helping clients plan their member communications strategies, keep these three approaches in mind.

Infographic

Infographic: Employees’ open-enrollment struggles

Emily Payne | August 16, 2018

What are the top trends benefits educators see when it comes to health care enrollment?

Commentary

Educating before enrolling

Marty Traynor | August 16, 2018

A key part of the open enrollment education and communication process is often overlooked until just before open enrollment, when it’s often too late.

News

Feds push states to offer cheaper off-exchange plans

Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News | August 15, 2018

Some analysts say they’re unsure if a new federal policy will make a difference since states have already implemented similar strategies.

Analysis

Half of employees spend 30 minutes or less reviewing benefits

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | August 15, 2018

A fair amount of workers say they feel stressed, confused or anxious when enrolling in their benefits.

Analysis

Hot voluntary products and platforms

Bonnie Brazzell and Nick Rockwell | August 14, 2018

When looking at voluntary sales by product platform, group product sales continued to dominate individual products.

Expert Opinion

Harnessing the power of sentiment analysis to streamline benefits

Armen Berjikly | August 10, 2018

Increasing the benefits available to your employees may sound like a smart move, but it’s crucial that businesses consider whether their benefits offerings actually meet their employees’ specific needs.

Expert Opinion

Taking the facts OUT of benefits communications

Dan Johnson | August 07, 2018

When it comes to enrollment, employees are responding and acting based more on emotional cues than factual ones.

Q&A

Employees still searching for connection, empowerment

Dan Cook | August 07, 2018

Meredith Ryan-Reid, senior vice president for group benefits at MetLife, shares some insights into employee benefits.

Life follows employees to work every day – with Anna Mittag

David Saltzman | August 06, 2018

In the 40s, we hired hands. In the 80s, we hired hearts and minds. Today, we hire every bit of every employee — and that includes issues they deal…

Investigation

Inside Google's invisible workforce

Mark Bergen and Josh Eidelson | August 01, 2018

Earlier this year, the number of contractors outnumbered direct employees for the first time in Google’s 20-year history,

News

Uber drivers win victory on unemployment insurance

Marlene Satter | July 23, 2018

A New York State labor review board has ruled that three former Uber drivers were employees when it came to the issue of unemployment insurance.

Best Practices

Using AI for eligibility file management

Rick Ramos | July 18, 2018

Eligibility files are a source of frustration for HR departments and brokers, but new AI tools can help alleviate some of the headache.

Best Practices

How data analytics can help you reposition benefits offerings

Scott Evans | July 17, 2018

Data analytics are beginning to be used in innovative ways that can make your job as a benefits broker easier.

Is the largest enrollment firm hiding in plain sight?

Eric Silverman | July 13, 2018

Most 1099 contractors mistakenly believe they are beholden to one insurance carrier for enhanced benefit enrollment services.

Analysis

Agents, brokers abandoning ACA exchanges

Marlene Satter | July 06, 2018

In 2018, and brokers and agents accounted for 42 percent of overall enrollment in federal platform exchanges.

Expert Opinion

3 ways millennials and Gen Z will put pressure on benefit costs

Michael Showalter | July 06, 2018

As these generations make up a greater percentage of the workforce, employers will need to re-evaluate their health and employee benefits offerings.

Analysis

ACA enrollment declines greatest among non-subsidized plans

Marlene Satter | July 05, 2018

Between 2016 and 2017, about a million Americans dropped coverage, likely put off by 20-percent-plus premium hikes.

Analysis

Millennials drive interest in long-term care benefits

Allison Bell | July 04, 2018

Carriers may be afraid to sell it, but workers seem to like it almost as much as life insurance.

Best Practices

A tipping point for LGBT policies in the workplace

Alan Goforth | July 03, 2018

Evolving policies and societal attitudes about LGBT benefits create opportunities for brokers.

Expert Opinion

3 ways to reshape how you communicate about benefits with millennials

Mike Dahlinger and Cy Moser | June 27, 2018

When you’re talking about benefits to millennials, things should be a little different.

ACA navigator groups left hanging on grants

Marlene Satter | June 21, 2018

The groups that help people sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act are left wondering when or if they will get funding from the federal government to continue their work this year.

Podcast

Today’s TPAs must deliver much more – with Jeff Bernhard

David Saltzman | June 12, 2018

In today’s fast-paced and rapidly growing self-funding world, a TPA has to be flexible, nimble and multi-faceted.

Analysis

How ACA 'dine and dashers' affect the market

Jack Craver | June 06, 2018

People who sign up for insurance plans and then drop coverage after their health care needs are satisfied leave the remaining insured holding the bill.

Analysis

The multi-generational workforce is becoming increasingly separated

Marlene Satter | May 31, 2018

The percentage of the workforce aged 55 and older is increasing, but Millennials and Gen Z are also increasing in number.

Expert Opinion

Your employees want their financial benefits to be more personal

Chris Whitlow | May 25, 2018

The way employees interact with their jobs, as well as their workplace benefits, is no longer limited to working hours or open enrollment season.

Expert Opinion

Recommendation tools drive adoption of HDHPs, HSAs

Alan Silver | May 23, 2018

Employers who wish to steer more employees to HDHPs will be well served by offering educational resources explaining how these plans work to help employees fully assess their options.

5 way brokers can maximize voluntary benefits portfolios

Denise Szott | May 22, 2018

To meet increasing demands and save themselves time and effort in expanding a voluntary portfolio, brokers should follow these five guidelines.

Expert Opinion

Why TPAs need to embrace virtual assistants

Rick Ramos | May 16, 2018

A chat bot is perfectly equipped for a range of low-level customer service functions, such as confirming and gathering information.

Expert Opinion

Addressing the millennial engagement epidemic

Lorna Borenstein | May 15, 2018

Half of your workforce is only feeling engaged with your company one third of the time. What are you doing about it?

Best Practices

3 ways to better manage benefits for high-turnover employers

Sam Odishoo | May 10, 2018

Some companies hire and fire 40 people a week. They need benefits, too.

News

Full benefits for contract workers? One company says yes.

Marlene Satter | April 27, 2018

SurveyMonkey responded to concerns from its full-time employees that it hasn’t been doing enough for its contract workers by instituting benefits offerings for all contractors at its San Mateo headquarters.

Be coachable: how brokers can stay out of their own way

Eric Silverman | April 25, 2018

Trust the experts to know how to overcome objections and close the sale.

Analysis

What are the biggest challenges of benefits engagement?

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | April 12, 2018

“The more the merrier” does not always apply when it comes to benefits, especially if it results in confusion and low employee engagement.