| Healthcare Reform: What Employers are Considering Survey Results |
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With health care reform legislation now law, employers are attempting to assess the impact and determine how they will respond. A new survey published by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, examines how more than 1,000 employers, representing over seven million lives, are reacting to the legislation and the strategies they are implementing within their organizations.
- 75%, identify extending coverage to adult children until age 26 as the major reform requirement impacting plan costs
- 87% of employers agree that their organizations will continue to offer health care benefits because they are critical to employee recruitment, retention and remaining competitive.
- One in five employers (21%) is planning to add or increase emphasis on high-deductible health plans in the next 12 months.
- 67% of employers agree that their organizations will take advantage of the new legal provision that will offer increased levels of financial incentives available to employees who participate in employer-provided wellness programs.
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| A Step Towards Retirement Plan Fee Transparency |
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Most savers are now aware of the toll the financial crisis has taken on the balance of their retirement plans - but the bite taken by fees is much less visible. A new regulation issued July 16th by the Department of Labor takes a step toward shedding more light on pension plan fees by requiring plan providers to disclose more information to the employers that sponsor these plans. Further regulation on disclosing fees to individuals is expected this fall.
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| Economic Indicators Dashboard |
| Market indicators - Corporate debt remains in its typical range and interest rates remain just inside the high end of typical. Overall, the U.S. equity markets fell in June, with the Russell 3000® Index losing -5.8% for the month.
Economic indicators - These backward-looking indicators are all within their typical ranges. The job market growth rate fell with a lower NF PAY change. Core inflation remains low. The GDP number for 1Q10 was revised to 2.7%, continuing the trend of positive GDP growth. Mortgage delinquencies continue to rise. For the first quarter of 2010, delinquencies rose to 11.36%.
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| 8 Ways to Align Physicians With a Hospital's Financial Goals |
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Physicians on staff can throw their hospital into the red or the black entirely by the way they handle clinical orders, physician preference items and other issues, says Nick Sears, MD, CMO of MedAssets in Alpharetta, Ga. Here Dr. Sears offers some pointers:
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| Critical Access Hospitals: 8 Steps for a Successful Renovation or Replacement Project |
| As many of you know too well, rural hospital and long-term care leaders are often faced with outdated, inefficient facilities that were not designed to accommodate advanced diagnostic technology and the modern array of outpatient services. United Advisors Healthcare offers the expertise needed to address these issues. The following White Paper is prepared by a UAH resource and offers great insight.
Source: Red Capital Group |
