ASHHRA Health and Wellness Pulse
BENEFITS
Projected cost increases for all types of medical plans are anticipated to be down by between 0.1 percent–0.5 percent in 2014, according to a survey by Buck Consultants. This continues the favorable trend of slow, steady declines generally experienced since 2010. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=75308&from=Benefits%20News%20All to view the full article online.
By Michelle Andrews People may think that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to tobacco, but insurers might not agree. Tobacco use is one of just four things that insurers that sell health plans on the individual market can take into account when determining someone's premium: age, geographic location and family size are the other three. People who use tobacco can be charged up to 50 percent more than nonsmokers. SOURCE: NPR
Visit http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/05/20/314228497/e-cigarette-users-may-end-up-paying-more-for-insurance to view the full article online.
A lack of money to cover expenses is affecting employees at their organizations, 41 percent of human resources professionals reported in a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and almost as many HR representatives said employees are faced with more financial challenges today than early in the recession. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=75312&from=Benefits%20News%20All to view the full article online.
By Dan Cook Physical therapy, in many instances, can get injured workers back on the job on a fairly predictable timetable. But, experts say, physical therapy works best when the injured individual is covered by an insurance plan that includes a specific treatment regimen. Too often, a study by the Network Synergy Group suggests, that doesn’t happen – and it extracts a considerable price from employers.
SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2014/04/28/poorly-managed-therapy-costs-employers-millions?t=wellness to view the full article online.
Work-family conflict is increasingly common among U.S. workers, with about 70 percent reporting struggles balancing work and non-work obligations. A study by University of Minnesota sociologists Erin L. Kelly, Phyllis Moen, Wen Fan and interdisciplinary collaborators from across the country, shows that workplaces can change to increase flexibility, provide more support from supervisors and reduce work-family conflict. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=75301&from=Work-Life%20News%20All to view the full article online.
The cost of providing employee health care benefits has stabilized around the globe, although a new round of increases may be on the horizon for employers, according to a survey by Towers Watson. The survey also found that health promotion and wellness programs are becoming more widespread in all regions as employers look to supplement traditional cost-management tactics to contain rising costs. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=75307&from=Benefits%20News%20All to view the full article online.
By Christian Schappel As you’ve probably noticed, more employees are relying on their employers to help them navigate the financial jungle and better save for retirement. The challenge: Coming up with advice to pass along to workers that won’t take your company from concerned educator to full-blown fiduciary. SOURCE: HR BENEFITS ALERT
Visit http://www.hrbenefitsalert.com/6-hacks-employees-financially-responsible/ to view the full article online.
While four in ten employees identify themselves as do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) when it comes to making financial decisions, they are significantly falling behind their peers on prioritizing and meeting key financial objectives. According to the "Guardian Workplace Benefits Study" from the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, this is especially true for Millennials, who may need professional advice to achieve their long-term financial goals. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=75273&from=Benefits%20News to view the full article online.
More U.S. employees are satisfied with their company-sponsored retirement benefits now compared with five years ago, but satisfaction with health-care benefits, especially the cost of medical benefits, has declined, according to a survey by Towers Watson. The "Global Benefits Attitudes Survey" also found that a growing number of employees are willing to sacrifice pay for more secure and generous retirement benefits, while fewer would give up pay for better health benefits. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=75256&from=Benefits%20News to view the full article online.
401(k) participants who get professional investment help in the form of managed accounts, target-date funds or online advice earned higher median annual returns than those who go it alone, according to a study from Financial Engines and Aon Hewitt. However, the study also found that many workers investing in target-date funds are not using them as intended, ultimately lowering their investment returns. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=75288&from=Benefits%20News to view the full article online.
WELLNESS
By Jared Bilski If your wellness program is falling well short of the results you anticipated, the problem may be much bigger than you think. Health and wellness programs are essentially doomed to failure if the companies rolling them out have a toxic workplace culture. That’s one of the eye-opening findings from a new report by Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University’s graduate school of business. SOURCE: HR BENEFITS ALERT
Visit http://www.hrbenefitsalert.com/are-toxic-workplaces-killing-employers-wellness-efforts/ to view the full article online.
By Carrie Pallardy A health care organization is only as strong as its people. At the Becker’s Hospital Review 5th Annual Meeting, Stephanie Reid, RN, BSN, MBA, chief nursing officer and vice president of quality at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, Md., and Vicki Hess, RN, MS, CSP, principal of Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc., in Chicago, Ill., examined an oncology unit’s ailing employee engagement and supplied the three must-haves for creating a culture of employee satisfaction and commitment. SOURCE: BECKER’S HOSPITAL REVIEW
Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce-labor-management/3-keys-to-engaged-satisfied-healthcare-employees.html to view the full article online.
By Alson Martin Implementing and expanding employer wellness programs are critical parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and are intended to not only improve the health of Americans but also help control health care spending. Starting Jan. 1, 2014, the law created new incentives designed to promote employer wellness programs with the idea of creating and supporting a healthier workplace. SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2014/05/19/6-things-to-know-about-wellness-under-ppaca to view the full article online.
By Jared Bilski To get any worthwhile results from a wellness program, it’s virtually impossible to go it alone. But with so many wellness vendors out there, picking the right one can be a daunting task. So how do employers find the right wellness vendor for their unique company needs? SOURCE: HR BENEFITS ALERT
Visit http://www.hrbenefitsalert.com/7-questions-answer-before-picking-wellness-vendor/ to view the full article online.
By Dan Cook Americans are an unhappy bunch. Studies that assess happiness on the job, happiness at home, community well-being, physical health and emotional health all paint a portrait of Americans as dissatisfied, often depressed, going through life with unmet expectations and perhaps unrealistic goals for themselves, their workplaces and their families. SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2014/05/14/10-ways-to-get-happy-successful to view the full article online.
By Alicia Caramenico A few years ago, employee wellness was a nice-to-have program. But now, more than 50 percent of health care dollars are associated with lifestyle conditions, making it a must-have for today's employers. And with this must-have mentality, companies increasingly look to start or expand wellness programs. SOURCE: FIERCE HEALTH PAYER
Visit http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/story/wellness-programs-more-nice-have/2014-05-08 to view the full article online.
By Jared Bilski For HR and benefits pros who need some help convincing upper management that wellness is a worthwhile investment, these stats may come in handy. Wellness programs can cut the health risk factors of employees – factors that often lead to costly chronic conditions – by 25 percent or more. SOURCE: HR BENEFITS ALERT
Visit http://www.hrbenefitsalert.com/report-wellness-reduces-health-risks-25-cuts-comp-claims/ to view the full article online.
By Bruce Jacobs Each year, for the past nine years, the American Psychological Association has bestowed four companies with its Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award, a recognition of those organizations that seem to best understand the importance of emotionally healthy employees, and factor it into their business model, both with concrete, measurable programs and a culture of caring that recognizes the value of addressing employee problems before they have a chance to derail the individual or the business. SOURCE: BENEFITS PRO
Visit http://www.benefitspro.com/2014/05/05/healthy-minds-healthy-profits?t=wellness to view the full article online.
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