Analysis

Is health coverage affordable? Depends on who you ask.

Heading into the new year, perceived coverage gaps, flexibility, and affordability receive more attention as companies weigh prioritizing value versus shifting costs. 

Employees give high marks overall to their voluntary benefits enrollments, but employers and theier benefits advisors may be missing opportunities to increase satisfaction and participation.

By aligning employers, providers and health plans around shared goals, benefits advisors can help reshape a spiraling system, incentivize quality and improve affordability.

Given recent increased litigation and its impact on the regulatory environment, benefits consultants and plan sponsors should rethink their past decisions to simply comply with the No Surprises Act (NSA).

You can avoid the most common pitfalls of ACA noncompliance if you understand the most common types of violations and then implement three strategies to prevent falling victim to them.

Using Blue Shield of California as a precedent, more health entities may scale back their reliance on their PBMs in favor of centers of excellence that provide specific services. But this new approach to pharmacy benefits needs an organized and connected way for information to be shared.

Benefits advisors can elevate these concerns and be problem-solvers for struggling SMBs at the open enrollment table this year.