In the year since the Federal Reserve brought interest rates to a more than two-decade high, the central bank has succeeded in taking the steam off of an overheated US economy. But higher borrowing costs have also had some unexpected effects.

"A 1% increase in health care prices caused by a hospital merger lowers both payroll and the number of employees at firms outside the health sector by approximately 0.4%," according to the study.

In this episode of Shift Shapers, David Saltzman sits down with Alycia Riedl, the new National President of NABIP, to discuss the future of the health care advisory industry.

With recent changes to the design of health care plans, there is more room for employers to violate their fiduciary obligations; however, they can take steps to ensure that they are meeting those responsibilities.

Encouraging HSA participation isn't just about offering a benefit – it's about empowering employees with the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions.

Nearly 50% of consumers said high quality care, including effective treatments, access to skilled professionals and positive outcomes as most important to their health care experience.

With strategic and intentional effort you can help your employees feel better at work, engage more deeply in their work, increase productivity, and feel an increased sense of wellbeing.

By decreasing the demand for more-expensive acute care relative to outpatient care, cash benefits have the potential to save the health care system money, the study said.