Benefits and Health Topics

As employers continue to struggle in the uncertain U.S. economy and deal with the consequences of the Affordable Care Act, many are implementing innovative strategies to control costs and provide employees with crucial health and wellness benefits.

Employers estimated an average increase in health care costs to be 7.4% for 2011, with reported estimates ranging from no increase to a 15% increase. For 2012, employers are estimating a similar increase of approximately 7.2%. At twice the rate of inflation, these increases are eroding business profitability and hampering global growth.

At the same time, employers are increasingly concerned about the impact of poor health on health care costs and productivity. Many companies today have invested in programs that aim to improve the health and productivity of employees. Programs frequently offered include those for disease prevention, disease management, employee assistance and occupational medicine.

Employers who aggressively manage their health plans have notably lower and more predictable cost trend. The National Business Group on Health provides members with practical benefits solutions to control health care costs while improving patient safety and care quality.

Business Group benefits and health topics include:

• Major strategic initiatives like consumer-directed health care (CDHC), healthy lifestyles and retiree health;
• Plan design best practices, including evidence-based benefits, disease management and on-site medical clinics; and
• Tactical approaches, such as dependent coverage, imaging management and personal health records.

Business Group products give you insights and information on the benefit practices that are right for your company.

A-Z Index (to search all Benefits & Health Topics)
Benchmarking Tools
Cost Calculators
Employer Case Studies
Employer Toolkits
Solutions Online
Survey Reports