Employer Sponsored Health Plans

22% of Employers Waver on Adhering to ACA Preventive Care Rules

by Kelsey Waddill

The coronavirus pandemic brought underscored the role of preventive care services in employee health, but in light of recent litigation, 28 percent of employers were either unsure of whether they would...

Payers Fall Short of Employer Expectations on Behavioral Healthcare

by Kelsey Waddill

Employers agree that behavioral healthcare is a critical element of employer-sponsored health plan benefits, but more than three in ten found their payer’s behavioral healthcare benefits...

Employees Turn to Health Savings Accounts to Manage Healthcare Costs

by Kelsey Waddill

Employees—particularly in younger generations—are investing in health savings accounts to manage their healthcare spending and find their employer-sponsored health plans are not enough to...

Study Finds Racial Coverage Disparities Following Unemployment

by Victoria Bailey

After becoming unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid coverage gains helped offset private insurance losses for White individuals but not for Black and Hispanic individuals, highlighting...

How One Payer Redesigned Wellness Program Rewards Around Choice, Tech

by Kelsey Waddill

UnitedHealthcare was well-supplied in fitness and wellness programs, but payer executives knew its rewards program was lacking. The major payer organization already offered Motion, Real Appeal, Quit for Life, and other programs dedicated...

National Alliance Playbook Guides Employers on Biosimilar Adoption

by Kelsey Waddill

The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) has announced the publication of its playbook which aims to encourage biosimilar adoption among employers. “If...

Americans Who Lose Medicaid Post-PHE May Choose Employer-Sponsored Coverage

by Kelsey Waddill

In most states, beneficiaries who lose Medicaid coverage when the public health emergency ends are likely to transition into employer-sponsored health plans, according to a study funded by AHIP from...

AHIP Reveals Org to Support Stakeholders during Medicaid Redetermination

by Kelsey Waddill

AHIP has introduced a new outlet for healthcare industry collaboration around the Medicaid redetermination process: the Connecting to Coverage Coalition (CCC). The payer organization and its partners...

Women Face High Out-of-Pocket Costs for Breast Cancer Treatment

by Victoria Bailey

The annual out-of-pocket cost for women with an invasive breast cancer diagnosis receiving insurance coverage through an employer-sponsored plan was $1,502.23, a study published in JAMA Network Open...

Top Threats, Priorities in Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Benefits

by Kelsey Waddill

Employers shared the main threats and priorities that they encounter as they try to manage employer-sponsored health plan benefits, according to a survey from the Midwest Business Group on Health...

Humana Will Leave Employer Group Insurance Business to Focus on Public Plans

by Victoria Bailey

Humana has announced plans to leave the employer group insurance business and direct its focus toward its government-funded health plan offerings. The payer’s employer group commercial medical...

Why Employers Prefer Employer-Sponsored Health Plans Over Exchanges

by Kelsey Waddill

Large employers find that employer-sponsored health plans allow them to maintain control over employee health plan choice and healthcare spending in order to streamline coverage for their workforces,...

How to Fix ERISA Waivers to Pursue Employer Sponsored Health Plan Reform

by Kelsey Waddill

Preemptions in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) present barriers to healthcare reform in employer-sponsored health plans, but Congress can take steps to rectify these barriers, a...

2022 Key Enrollment Trends For High Deductible Health Plans

by Kelsey Waddill

High deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollees may have a broader selection of health plans and may view pre-deductible coverage for chronic disease prevention care as a deciding factor in health plan...

Employer-Sponsored Health Plans Pay More for Drugs than Medicare

by Victoria Bailey

Employer-sponsored health plans paid more than Medicare for most physician-administered drugs with the highest use and the highest spending, according to data published in JAMA Health Forum. In...

High Deductible Health Plan Enrollment Hit Record High in 2021

by Kelsey Waddill

High deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollment hit a record high in 2021, with nearly six out of ten employer-sponsored health plan members enrolled in a high deductible health plan, according to a...

Most Employers Will Enhance Services to Improve Employee Wellbeing

by Victoria Bailey

Nearly nine in ten employers plan to adjust their vendor partnerships over the next two years to improve employee wellbeing benefits, according to a survey from Willis Towers Watson (WTW). The survey...

Employers Emphasize Quality of Care When Assessing Health Plans

by Kelsey Waddill

Two big shifts occurred among employers between 2020 and 2022: more employers reported that their health plans shared safety and quality of care data and more employers did not find their health...

Health Savings Account Balances, Contributions Grew in 2021

by Victoria Bailey

The average health savings account (HSA) balance increased in 2021, with most account holders contributing more money than they withdrew, according to a report from the Employee Research Benefit...

Cigna’s Integrated Health Plan Reduced Care Costs for Employers

by Victoria Bailey

Employers saved more than $1,400 per member per year when employees enrolled in Cigna’s integrated health plan that coordinates medical, pharmacy, and behavioral benefits, according to a study...