Pharmacy and outpatient care costs are pushing expenses higher — here’s what franchise owners need to know. Healthcare expenses continue to rise sharply. According to the 2025 Milliman Medical Index, the cost of healthcare for a typical family of four has increased to $35,119, with the average cost per individual reaching $7,871—a 6.7% jump from last […]
Nearly half of employers unfamiliar with this health benefit alternative, according to 2025 study. A new report reveals a major knowledge gap surrounding Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs)—a growing alternative to traditional group health insurance. According to the 2025 ICHRA Report – How Employers and Benefits Consultants View ICHRA Today: 5 Key Insights from zizzl […]
Return-to-office mandates aren’t popular with workers for a list of reasons, from child care stress to commuting expenses. But likeability isn’t the only thing employers have to worry about when it comes to RTO. Inconsistent RTO policies could create the perfect legal storm, with employers running the risk of incurring discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination-related lawsuits, underlines Lisa Koblin, […]
Fewer employee benefits are as hotly debated and misunderstood as level-funded and self-insured health plans. There’s no denying an ability to tailor benefits to the workforce for cost savings and a greater level of transparency that also offers control. Concealed beneath their surface, however, lies fiduciary and financial responsibilities as well as risks — all of which benefit advisers […]
President Donald Trump’s proposed $2 trillion cut to mandatory federal spending will likely place Medicaid in the line of fire. But what would this mean for employers who provide health plans through private insurers? The House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that includes an $880 billion cut over a decade to the healthcare and energy sectors. While the […]
1 in 3 American employees say personal financial stress inhibits their ability to focus on their job. For some, this stress means they can’t even make it to work. To tackle costly turnover and absenteeism, many businesses are modernizing their benefits package with a no-cost solution that boosts satisfaction: Earned Wage Access (EWA). Read the […]
As 2025 is well underway, employers are still trying to understand employees’ concerns and priorities when it comes to benefits, in order to promote workplace satisfaction and culture. ADP recently released the seventh edition of its Employee Benefits Survey, with questions about compensation, 401(k) and other savings, flexible work arrangements, mental-health benefits and healthcare, with […]
Rep. Tim Walberg, the lead sponsor, now chairs a key congressional committee, and he thinks the bill can help solve small employers’ insurance problems. A longtime supporter of association health plan proposals has reintroduced his AHP bill — and he’s now in a better position to get that bill through Congress. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., brought back […]
President Donald Trump continues to insist on using tariffs in a bid to create more jobs and bring down the trade deficit. However, this plan has some gaping holes in it — ones that many employers are already well aware of. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on China and all imports of steel and aluminum as of March […]
The FTC’s rule banning most covenants not to compete (widely known as “noncompetes”) nationwide is likely dead. Noncompetes are agreements between employees and employers in which the employee promises not to “compete” with the employer—e.g., take a job with a competitor or start a competing business—– for a specific period of time and/or within […]
