Voluntary Benefits

More effective benefits communication can translate into greater participation in workplace supplemental life programs.

The U.S. market for electronic health records is expected to reach about $6 billion by 2015, up from about $2.2 billion in 2009, according to a report from research and consulting firm MarketsandMarkets.

U.S. physicians continue to sell their private practices and look for work with health care systems, according to a new Accenture survey. By 2013, less than one-third of physicians are expected to remain truly independent.

Digital Insurance, an employee benefits agency specializing in insurance for small businesses and mid-sized companies, acquired Employee Benefits by Design in Chicago and Strategic Benefits Consultants in Scottsdale, Ariz.

While the recent McKinsey survey has received attention for stating one third of employers will drop health coverage after 2014, research from the Benfield Group offers a different perspective—that most employers will continue to offer comprehensive health insurance benefits to their employers.

Some Democrats are up in arms over a McKinsey survey reporting one third of employers will drop health coverage in 2014.