Health plans - info for employees (BenefitsLink.com)Headlines re Health plans - info for employees, gathered by BenefitsLink.comA Benefits Primer for Young People Starting Their First Job- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Excerpt: "I offer a proper primer on health insurance, taxes and retirement plans for employees starting their very first jobs." (The New York Times; free registration required)http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/business/yourmoney/14money.html?partner=rssuserland&... Ranking Health Plans on Member Satisfaction- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Excerpt: "The mammoth study from J.D. Power and Associates can be summed up pretty easily. Health plans do a bad job communicating with members, and they're getting worse at it." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)http://ebn.benefitnews.com/asset/article/603271/staying-current/ranking-health-plans-satis... Retirement to Costa Rica Retirement Bliss Can Be Dear in Developing World- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Health care is another revelation. What would it cost for non-citizens to purchase a health policy in Costa Rica Now you are getting into the heart of how much it costs to retire to a developing country. Unless you are a citizen of Costa Rica, you may need to buy an overseas policy issued by an insurer in your home country. For U.S. citizens, Medicare generally doesn't cover treatment in foreign countries, so you may have to come back for medical care." (John Wasik on...http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_wasik&sid=azbjTRWM... Study Reveals Pre-Retirement Attitudes Reinforce Inadequate Preparation for Retirement- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Excerpt: "The survey evaluated a cross-section of Americans on their awareness of potential financial risks in retirement and how the awareness impacts the management of their finances before and during retirement." (Wolters Kluwer)http://hr.cch.com/news/pension/050908a.asp Study of Employee Benefits Trends: Findings from the 6th Annual National Survey of Employers and Employees (PDF)- (Found June 19, 2008 ) 65 pages. Excerpt: "The 6th annual MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends examines the attitudes of an increasingly diverse workforce toward financial and benefits-related issues. The Study also captures the benefits practices and perspectives of both small and large companies across a wide array of industries. Over a one-month period, MetLife surveyed 1,380 full-time employees and 1,652 benefits decision-makers nationwide about employee benefits and marketplace trends." (MetLife,..http://whymetlife.com/trends/downloads/MetLife_EBTS08.pdf Findings From the 2007 EBRICommonwealth Fund Consumerism in Health Care Survey: Implications for Plan Sponsors (PDF)- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Pages 1-5 of 12 pages. Excerpt: "This article provides reaction to and analysis of the 2007 EBRICommonwealth Fund 'Consumerism in Health Care Survey,' published in the March 2008 EBRI Issue Brief and available online at www.ebri.org" (Employee Benefit Research Institute)http://www.ebri.org/pdf/EBRI_Notes_04-20081.pdf Family Insurance Coverage Declines, Dependent Coverage Better in Large Firms, Says SBA Study- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Family health insurance coverage among all employers is declining and firms are shifting costs for their workers' coverage to other employers, both large and small, according to a survey recently released by the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Advocacy." (Wolters Kluwer)http://www.hr.cch.com/news/benefits/041608.asp The Erosion of Employer-Provided Health Care in the United States and California, 1995-2006- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Excerpt: "This report examines what role changes in the composition of employment have played in this decline. To what extent, for example, has this negative trend been driven by the loss of jobs with high rates of coverage Conversely, what has been the role of diminished coverage rates within existing jobs" (Economic Policy Institute)http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/bp209 Multicultural Marketing of Employee Benefits (PDF)- (Found June 19, 2008 ) 12 pages. Excerpt: "This article examines how cultural studies that explore the way different demographic groups tend to approach issues of health, wealth, and career have important implications for the design, development, and delivery of HR products and services." (Hewitt Associates)http://www.hewittassociates.com/_MetaBasicCMAssetCache_/Assets/Articles/2008/Multicultural... Another Reason to Get Married - Health Insurance- (Found June 19, 2008 ) Excerpt: "In a poll released today, 7% of Americans said they or someone in their household decided to marry in the last year so they could get healthcare benefits via their spouse. 'It's a small number but a powerful result, because it shows how paying for healthcare is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions,' said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which commissioned the survey as part of its regular polling on healthcare." (Los Angeles...http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-health29apr29,1,7911757.story |