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Todd Renner writes for Mercer Signal about “a whole new ecosystem of health benefits” that support recruitment and retention of talented staff. High deductible health plans (HDHPs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) are noted as good options even for small businesses to consider.

In this article for MedCity News by Adam Schaefer, we look at the reality employers face when it comes to purchasing fully-funded group insurance (the standard group policy from an insurance carrier).

Loretta Metzger writes for Benefit News about the dramatic change in the healthcare benefits landscape in recent years. Costs are increasing exponentially, actual benefits are decreasing in quality, and employees are paying a greater share of premiums.

Rachel Emma Silverman of the Wall Street Journal examines the rise of high deductible health plans (HDHPs), and how in 2017 84% of large employers plan to offer an HDHP to employees (35% will only offer an HDHP as an option). The average deductible of an employee only plan is now approximately $1500.

Jack Craver writes for Benefits Pro about the increase of self-insuring healthcare benefits among small and mid-size businesses.

Amanda Eisenberg writes for Employee Benefits News about the increasing importance of a good benefits package to people seeking employment.

As the cost of providing employees with healthcare benefits rises (at an average of $500 per employee this year), many employers are choosing to push those costs onto employees in order to maintain budgets.

Image: SHRM

Stephen Miller writes for the Society of Human Resources Management, “On July 1, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published an interim final rule with a list of increased penalty amounts for violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and other employee benefit and pay statutes.

Image: iStock

Jack Craver writes for Benefits Pro about how a recent study by Alegeus demonstrates the stress and overwhelm many consumers feel when faced with healthcare decisions. Topping the list are how to plan for out-of-pocket costs (2/3rds of respondants) and choosing a benefits plan (55%).

Dan Mangan recently wrote about Obamacare for CNBC, stating that "There were no significant differences in the percentages of adults getting or being offered health insurance through an employer."