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In a new online posting, the Department of Labor (DOL) reiterated that employers may not use a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or other means to reimburse employees for purchasing nongroup health insurance coverage, including policies available on an Affordable Care Act (ACA) public exchange.

Among the points addressed by the DOL in a set of Frequently Asked Questions posted on Nov. 6, 2014, were the following:

During open enrollment, be mindful of age-based differences
 

With four generations working side by side in the labor force—Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers and Traditionalists—employers are challenged during open enrollment season to meet each group’s distinctive needs and expectations. These differences become especially relevant when honing ways to communicate health care options.

Millennials Embrace Technology

Despite continuing efforts to rein in rising health care costs, roughly half of large U.S. employers will begin to hit the thresholds triggering the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) excise tax on high-value plans in 2018, and the percentage is expected to rise significantly in subsequent years, according to an analysis by consultancy Towers Watson.

Rising costs and regulatory demands could fuel growth of private health exchanges  
 

Private health insurance exchanges could funamentally alter how employers provide health care to their workers, according to a September 2014 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC’s) Health Research Institute, The Rise of Retail Health Coverage.

During open enrollment, encourage use of benefits information resources  

This open enrollment season, employees have a message for employers about their benefits: Tell us more, please.

Best performers emphasize stock options, targeted performance measures.

High-performing companies design their executive compensation programs differently from many other organizations, according to a new study by consultancy Towers Watson.

Although 63 percent of employees at small businesses say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job, many think there's room for improvement when it comes to their benefits packages. Only 12 percent are extremely satisfied with their benefits and only 14 percent believe their benefits package meets their current family needs extremely well, according to the 2014 Aflac WorkForces Report for Small Businesses.

ORLANDO, FLA.—“Now is the most exciting time to be in HR. So many challenges!” observed Jennifer Barton, SPHR, as she addressed issues relating to “Designing the Right Total Rewards Strategy” during her June 23 concurrent session at the 2014 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference & Exposition.

ORLANDO, FLA.--An “HR business partner” is a strategic contributor who understands and plays a role in achieving the vision, mission, goals and results of the organization, explained Louisville-based consultant Sandy Allgeier, SPHR, at the start of her seminar, “HR Business Partners: A Consulting Skills Model,” on June 21 at the 2014 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference & Exposition.