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Benefits

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for Providers & Patients: Part of the Solution to Runaway Health Costs?

Written on 17 Oct, 2011 at 15:51

As in all other businesses, IT is bringing great changes to the area of medical record keeping.... (Continue reading)

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Ruled Unconstitutional — Again

Written on 13 Feb, 2011 at 22:08

Recently, Judge Roger Vinson of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA,” known by its opponents as “Obamacare,” but arguably much more appropriately named “Americare”) unconstitutional. Vinson stated... (Continue reading)

Increase in Part Time Jobs with Benefits Reported

Written on 15 Dec, 2010 at 23:05

A survey found: (1) "a dramatic increase in the number of organizations that offer benefits to part-time employees": and (2) an increase in those offering part time employment. ... (Continue reading)

Major Health Insurance Cost Development: Insurers Willing to Cease Health-Based Price Discrimination

Written on 28 Mar, 2009 at 21:44

A concession by a major health insurance trade group seems to be good news on the road to implementing badly-needed healthcare reforms and controlling health insurance costs. And that’s good news for employers — and everyone else. Health Insurance Cost... (Continue reading)

Charming the Stimulus Act COBRA:
New COBRA Rights and Employer Obligations

Written on 26 Feb, 2009 at 16:47

A federal subsidy of continued health coverage under COBRA is one of the main “ease-the-pain” provisions of the Stimulus Act enacted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009). This provision is intended to keep... (Continue reading)

Not Just a Bailout for the Rich; Mental Health Parity Law Comes Along for the Ride

Written on 6 Oct, 2008 at 22:17

Mental Health Parity Act: One of the “Sweeteners” Added to the Wall Street Bailout Bill Thanks to the mess on Wall Street, over a third of Americans will have better health insurance coverage for mental illness and addiction treatments beginning... (Continue reading)

Benefits Crippling Large and Small Businesses Alike

Written on 10 Jul, 2008 at 11:28

Two New York Times items today create a useful, if discouraging, overview of the way the American reliance on employers to provide health and pension benefits hurts our economy (and health). One explores how collectively-bargained benefit commitments hampered GM... (Continue reading)

Four Supreme Court Employment Decisions in One Day!

Written on 19 Jun, 2008 at 22:58

Score that employees 2, employers 2. High Court rules: disability retirement program did not discriminate on age; employer has burden of proving reasonable factor other than age in age discrimination disparate impact cases; insurer conflict of interest is factor... (Continue reading)

Supreme Court Makes ERISA Sausage

Written on 27 Feb, 2008 at 0:17

"Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made." Otto von Bismarck This quote came to mind as my fatigued late-night-blogging mind struggled through last week's Supreme Court decision in LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Assoc.,... (Continue reading)

2008 Workworld Predictions: Looking into the Crystal Ball, Part I — Big Picture Trends

Written on 10 Jan, 2008 at 0:32

An effort to summarize 2008 workplace trend forecasts from a number of sources and assemble them in one place for quick comparison, followed by a few humble thoughts of my own. ... (Continue reading)

Hospital Comparison Tool May Lead to More Affordable Healthcare

Written on 2 Jul, 2007 at 23:26

In my humble opinion, the health insurance crisis in the U.S. has many causes, and the “solution” is a puzzle with many pieces. I am extremely leery of solutions that merely shift costs (such as to a single government payer),... (Continue reading)

What’s happening with employment opportunities for the “older worker”?

Written on 11 Mar, 2007 at 23:33

The subject of this post was suggested by Granite Solutions Groupe, a recruiting firm specializing in senior-level managers, analysts, and IT contractors in the financial services and high-tech industries. As demand for highly qualified financial services and IT workers continues... (Continue reading)

Health Care Cost Crisis Inspires Sucessful New Strategies

Written on 14 Sep, 2006 at 8:45

Some things to consider in looking for savings. The rising cost of healthcare and unaffordability of health insurance is, of course, a national problem. But with our employer-provided insurance model, it is above all a crisis for employers seeking to... (Continue reading)

Will YOU Be Able to Afford Retirement?

Written on 6 Jun, 2006 at 18:52

Between problems with the social security fund, and the demise of the defined retirement benefit programs, there has been a great deal of discussion lately about retirement and whether people will be able to afford to retire. Now, comes this... (Continue reading)

The FMLA 12-Month Period: How Is It Calculated?

Written on 31 Mar, 2006 at 12:59

Under FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), if you are an “eligible” employee, you are entitled to as much as 12 weeks of leave for certain family and medical reasons during a 12-month period. Question: How is the 12-month period... (Continue reading)

Wal-Mart in the News — A Lot! (Part II)

Written on 6 Mar, 2006 at 22:32

Last week, at a St. Louis bloggers’ lunch, Dennis Kennedy and I were joking about all our uncompleted posts, and all my Part I’s that never got Part II’s. Back in November 2005, when I wrote Wal-Mart in the News... (Continue reading)

Pensions and Distributed Work: An Unlikely Pair of Trend-to-Watch Topics

Written on 16 Jan, 2006 at 1:09

Sometimes I note a flurry of articles on related topics, which may point towards important trends. The other day I was hurrying through a mass of headlines, looking for good stuff to post on the “Recent Reading” page, when I... (Continue reading)

HR/Employment Blogosphere Update for December 12, 2005

Written on 12 Dec, 2005 at 13:17

Hopefully, this week’s update brings a little something for everyone, starting with this delightful winter photo entitled “A Snow Angel.” This great pic attracted many comments on flickr, including: “It brings me right back to being a small child bundled... (Continue reading)

Harvard Rx for Health Insurance Costs — at a Price

Written on 29 Nov, 2005 at 12:23

I’m not gaining anything by pitching this book — and at a hefty $495 it’s clearly “value-priced” based on the notion that it promises business hundreds of times that sum in the cost of providing health insurance to employees. But... (Continue reading)

Wal-Mart in the News — a Lot!

Written on 4 Nov, 2005 at 13:24

Recently there has been a fascinating string of Wal-Mart news, much of it employment-related. I’m not just gratuitously piling on the beat-up-Wal-Mart heap here. Wal-Mart is important — and bears watching — for a number of reasons. First, Wal-Mart Stores,... (Continue reading)

HR/Employment Blogosphere Update for October 1-26, 2005

Written on 26 Oct, 2005 at 16:44

I’ve been so busy switching to the new format and keeping up with the “Our Recent Reading” page that I’ve neglected to do this update for over a month. (New readers: I had been doing it weekly, publishing on Monday,... (Continue reading)

Wanted: Access to Comparative Healthcare Quality and Cost Info.

Written on 16 Sep, 2005 at 22:20

Success of consumer-driven health plans, such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) depends on consumers’ willingness and ability, when their own money is on the line, to “research more about the cost, quality and the underlying necessity of the health care... (Continue reading)