Cost-Containment

The case of a man who was stuck with a $14,419 bill that he calls inflated and unreasonable after three days of care in a Charlotte hospital is going to be heard by the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Nearly 1 in 20 Americans older than 50 have artificial knees, or more than 4 million people, according to the first national estimate showing how common these replacement joints have become in an aging population.

The South Carolina House has approved a bill Republicans say further strengthens the state's already tough anti-union law.

An estimated 37,000 state of Michigan workers represented by unions won't have to take unpaid furlough days this fiscal year because of a budget surplus, state officials said Wednesday.

A major generic drugmaker has paid Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Sanofi SA more than $445 million to end a decade-long patent infringement case over blockbuster blood thinner Plavix, the world's second-best-selling drug.

Negotiators on Capitol Hill agreed Wednesday to try to extend a payroll tax cut worth about $1,000 this year for a typical worker through the end of the year.

A new study by Prudential shows that many companies are turning to third party administrators to outsource their benefits administration.

More human resources departments are focusing on new directions in 2012 because of new technology, the continued jobless recovery, and the influx millennials in the work force, according to consulting firm SIS International Researchs white paper on human resources trends in recruitment and talent management.