Erin Murphy, Aflac

02/26/2015

Employer-paid premiums are rising again, with an increase of 5.5 percent forecasted for 2015. Worker-paid premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses – which, again, have doubled since 2009 – are accelerating at an even faster clip.

One way many companies are helping employees cope with the new health care reality is with voluntary insurance options.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “It would be cheap at twice the price.” In general, it applies to goods or labor so inexpensive you wouldn’t mind paying double the asking amount. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to health insurance, which has doubled in cost for U.S. workers over the past five ye…

02/24/2015

At one point or another, you’ve probably been told “you can’t take it with you.” If you’re talking health insurance, go ahead and disregard that advice – because it turns out you actually can.

Eligible employees can now elect COBRA coverage OR purchase coverage through their state’s government-facilitated health insurance marketplace.

Earlier this year, the Department of Labor released revised model COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) election notices.

02/19/2015

The way companies react to and implement the Affordable Care Act’s 1,000-plus pages of guidance, regulations, and notices depends on how many full-time-equivalent employees they have on staff.

Here’s good news: Aflac has made things easy for businesses large, medium, and small by compiling targeted health care reform checklists. One of them is, to quote Goldilocks, “just right” for your company:

Remember Goldilocks, the fairytale home invader who rifled through the three bears’ belongings before settling down for a comfy nap? Goldie assessed the items in the bears’ home as too big, too small or just right – and business decision-makers are doing the same when it comes to implementing change…

02/17/2015

Out-of-pocket medical costs are a reality – regardless of changes related to health care reform – and can add up quickly. Some can be very much unexpected, so it is important to consider how they might arise:

Out-of-pocket medical costs are a reality – regardless of changes related to health care reform – and can add up quickly. Some can be very much unexpected, so it is important to consider where they arise:

02/12/2015

A recent survey found that Americans really hate shopping for health insurance. In fact, 75 percent of survey participants said comparing health plans is as bad as or worse than doing their own taxes.

Fortunately, Aflac has made shopping for health care insurance a lot easier by developing quick, easy-to-read articles that make it simple to determine which types of coverage are needed.

Everyone knows shopping for health insurance isn’t fun, but it’s not as bad as doing your own taxes, right? Wrong. A recent Bankrate survey found that Americans hate shopping for health insurance. Make that really hate shopping for health insurance. They hate it so much that 75 percent of survey par…

02/10/2015

Sometimes things go wrong, even when you’re doing everything right. That's why you should learn more about the protection of voluntary insurance.

Sometimes things go wrong, even when you’re doing everything right. Consider the case of Sandra Mitchell: Although she carefully monitored her health by having annual mammograms for 25 years, the mammograms didn’t detect her cancer. Instead, she found a lump herself, and by that time her cancer was…

02/05/2015

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and romantics throughout the nation will soon have hearts and flowers on their minds. Perhaps it’s only appropriate that February is also American Heart Month.

Did you know that about 715,000 Americans have heart attacks each year, and another 600,000 die of heart disease? That’s one out of every four deaths, making heart disease the No. 1 cause of death for both men and women.

Heart treatment is also expensive, totaling $312.6 billion per year in health care services, medications and lost productivity.

02/03/2015

New W-2 requirements this year may help your company to leverage tax time as an opportunity to discuss total compensation and the value of health care benefits with workers.

As the health care landscape shifts, employees will increasingly look to their employers to help understand the health care changes and how they are affected. Take advantage of this new opportunity to discuss benefits, and educate employees about your company’s valuable investment in their health and well-being.

Here are 3 ways to make tax time part of your benefits strategy:

http://www.aflac.com/small_business/articles/3_ways_to_make_tax_time_part_of_your_benefits_strategy.aspx

01/29/2015

Whether your business hosts a breast cancer screening or encourages employees to schedule one with their physician, here are three important reasons to promote screenings to your workforce.

When it comes to breast cancer, early detection is one of the best forms of prevention. Clinical breast exams and mammograms can help detect breast cancer in early stages — when it is easiest to treat. Still many workers don’t actively seek these preventive steps to protect their health. Whether you…

01/27/2015

The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace is a key provision of the Affordability Care Act (ACA).

Here is a list of common questions and answers to help small business leaders understand some basics of the SHOP Marketplace and how they will impact benefits available to employees:

http://www.aflac.com/insights/articles/six_key_facts_small_businesses_need_to_know.aspx

01/22/2015

There has been much speculation about the impact of health care reform. Here are 10 key facts about health reform uncovered in the 2014 Aflac Workforces Report:

01/20/2015

Knowing that holiday intake-control ambitions generally fall as flat as leftover New Year’s champagne, here are 12 health tips you can turn to now that the 12 days of Christmas have come and gone. :)

Each year, we start the season with the best of intentions: We tell ourselves we won’t overeat, drink to excess or embarrass ourselves at the company office party. Most of us fail miserably on the first two counts but, if we’re lucky, avoid slinking shamefacedly to our workstations after dirty danci…