While COVID-19 cases start rising again, more people are once again likely to contract the coronavirus — and that usually involves getting tested. But for employees in your group health plan, they have many options for obtaining a test with no out-of-pocket costs. Under an executive order issued by President Biden, employees in a group…
Cal/OSHA has issued new language that amends its current COVID-19 emergency temporary standard and pushes back the expiration date of the ETS until the end of the year. The extension of the ETS comes as Cal/OSHA pushes ahead on creating a permanent airborne infectious disease prevention standard for general industry, which is expected to be…
Surprise bills and billing errors are driving growing dissatisfaction among Millennials and Gen Zers with their health insurance, a new study has found. HealthCare.com’s “2022 Medical Debt Survey” found that about one in four Gen Zers and Millennials with medical debt skipped rent or mortgage payments because of their debt. That’s compared with 21% for…
California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau is recommending that benchmark workers’ compensation rates for all class codes in the state increase an average of 7.6%. The proposal comes as the economy heats up and, typically during times of growth, workplace injuries also increase. The recommendation, if approved by the state insurance commissioner, would apply to all…
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month for people with group or private health insurance. While the measure still has to face a vote in the Senate, it has broad backing after the cost of insulin has skyrocketed in recent years. People…
A surge in federal government subsidies has led many people to drop their employer-sponsored health insurance and instead seek out coverage on government-run Affordable Care Act exchanges, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Subsidies, which were increased substantially by COVID-19 stimulus legislation, are so large for some who purchase coverage on exchanges…
While ransomware is making the headlines as the major cyber threat for businesses, small and mid-sized organizations are increasingly being targeted by lower fraud that dupes them into wiring criminals funds, according to a new report. These funds transfer fraud crimes involve hackers gaining access to a company’s mailbox and extracting payments that go into…
More employers are using return-to-work programs for injured workers even if they were not injured on the job, according to a study by Prudential Insurance Co. of America. Many employers have a return-to-work program for their injured employees because it cuts down on workers’ comp claims costs and lets the worker get back to feeling…
Telemedicine got a big boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a number of states have been moving to ensure that health plan enrollees still have access to it and pay for it just as they would in-person visits. During the pandemic, insurers agreed to pay for virtual visits just as they would for a…
If you have staff working from home as a result of changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, you still need to stay on top of your obligations to protect your staff from sexual harassment. Not being physically in the office doesn’t seem to have had an effect on employee sexual harassment as employers paid out…