Creative Pairing of HSAs with other Benefits Can Result in Synergies That Deliver Better Benefits and Coverages
June, 2008 - Warner Norcross & Judd, LLP
In the early days of HSAs, employers were trying to get their bearings in order to understand - and then utilize - this new savings vehicle. Now a solid group of HSA devotees has begun pairing other products and programs with HSAs so employees can better maximize the advantages inherent in these plans. These pairings must take into account that HSA-eligible individuals must be covered by a high deductible health plan that meets IRS criteria and can have no other coverage that pays benefits before the IRS-established minimum deductible has been met.
Health Care, Immigration, and Other HR-Related Issues Dominate 2008 U.S. Presidential Election Campaigns
July 2, 2008- Hewitt
Hewitt has updated its comprehensive election reports on Hewitt.com with new content that outlines the presumptive nominees' stances on various HR-related issues and their potential impact on employers. These resources, at www.hewitt.com/2008election, will continue to be updated as candidate positions are added, expanded, or refined.
TalktoaDoc.org Launch Allows Patients to Talk to Doctors Online Using a Webcam
July 9, 2008 - AHIP Hi-Wire
TalktoaDoc.org gives patients the first minute of the conversation free and is $2.98 per minute thereafter. This allows patients to get simple questions answered without having to pay a high flat fee. No insurance? No problem. TalktoaDoc.org does not go through insurance companies so patients know the cost up front. This new innovative service does not intend to replace regular doctor visits but supplement them. Doctors can be found online at anytime, not just during set hours.
BLS Issues Report on Employer Costs for Employee Compensation
July 11, 2008 - Bureau of Labor Statistics
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a report, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, March 2008. Employer cost for employee compensation averaged $28.46 per hour worked in March 2008. Wages and salaries averaged $19.83 (69.7 percent of the costs) and benefits averaged $8.63 (30.3 percent). Legally required benefits averaged $2.24 per hour (7.9 percent). Healthcare averaged $1.92 per hour (7.2 percent).
Dealing with the Original Sin Driving Health Costs
Urban Institute
In budget policy, myths are progress's number one enemy. One silly fiction now making the rounds is that we don't know how to judge the relative value of different types of healthcare, so we can't control healthcare, so we can't control healthcare cost -- at least not for now. Like many myths, this one contains an element of truth-- there is a lot we don't know. So what? It's still a myth that we know too little to act.
