The amount of money health plans dispensed to pay for medical and hospital benefits finally slowed.

The world is simply getting biggerin a bad and costly way.

Employees enjoying a flexible work schedule will also bring some enjoyment to their employerstheyll work longer hours and be more productive.

Wellpoint, one of the countrys largest plan providers with around 34 million subscribers, announced its tapping IBMs Watson technology to improve patient care.

Wellness programs are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace. But problem is, a lot of employees dont know about them. Thats because communication regarding benefits isnt nearly as strong as it should be, Colonial Life reports.

The amount of workers enrolling online for their employee benefits has doubled since just a few years ago. Research from Guardian Life Insurance Company of America shows 62 percent of workers now enroll online, compared to 29 percent in 2005.

Writing about companies curbing costs, regulatory messes and just general uncertainty all day doesnt exactly put me in a cheery mood. That, coupled with wondering how Im going to pay for the myriad medical bills Ive racked up recently, makes me really want a drink right now (its Wednesday afternoon)....

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance said Wednesday it has approved a dividend payout of almost $5 billion for participating policyowners for 2012, the second largest payout in company history.