Employer Insights

The No Surprises Act was signed into law at the end of 2020 signifying major federal reform of the surprise and out-of-network billing issues that have weighed upon the US healthcare system. Despite much progress, however, there are still some lingering issues that remain unaddressed by the new regulations, as well as...

Employment conditions in the US mostly leveled off while arguably taking a slight turn for the worse in December after having improved continuously since the mid-summer unemployment peak. In the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total unemployment remained at 6.7% – exactly where it had been...

Are Out-of-Network Billing Problems About to be a Thing of the Past?   MployerAdvisor had planned to launch a new monthly series covering out-of-network billing issues, specifically highlighting some case studies as well as any proposed legislation on the matter – whether state or federal –  and how that legisla...

Employment conditions in the US continued improving through November to close out the fall season of 2020, but the rate of recovery has continued slowing down, as well.   Part-time employee unemployment spiked to 24.5% percent when the pandemic hit in April with full-time unemployment “only” rising to 12.5%.  Th...

Does Health Insurance Cover Chiropractic? The majority of health insurance plans cover chiropractic care. However, there are often limitations on the scope of coverage, and in many cases a referral is required. Learn more about the extent to which health insurance covers chiropractic.      What is Chir...

What Does Pet Insurance Cover? Pet insurance covers unexpected expenses relating to your pets, such as accidents, illnesses, and injuries. Primarily designed for dogs and cats, pet insurance normally does not cover routine expenses like annual checkups, teeth cleaning, or grooming. More comprehensive coverage is av...

What is Short Term Health Insurance? Short term health insurance provides coverage to individuals who are in an interim period between longer term plans. Also called temporary health insurance, this type of health plan gives an individual peace of mind that they will be covered in case of an emergency or catastroph...

From “policyholder” to “premiums” and “providers,” much of the jargon used in the insurance industry isn’t easy to keep straight. For those unfamiliar with the difference between an insurance broker and carrier, Mployer Advisor outlines the distinction below.     What is an Insurance Broker? An insuran...

What is Short Term Disability Insurance? Short term disability insurance provides payments directly to policyholders in the event that a covered illness or injury prevents them from working. This type of coverage is typically classified as a voluntary benefit when offered through an employer, but such coverage is a...

Types of Life Insurance For people who may be interested in a greater degree of life insurance coverage, whether through their employer or independently, there are two main types of insurance offerings that they’re likely to encounter: term life insurance and permanent life insurance. When it comes to life insur...

What is Cancer Insurance? With cancer insurance coverage, policyholders are paid out a lump sum after being diagnosed with cancer and filing a claim. Policyholders can use the payout in whatever way they need it the most, whether it’s paying the remainder of a deductible or covering personal expenses. With premi...

Critical Illness Insurance Overview Critical illness insurance provides a lump sum payment to policyholders who experience one of a few serious medical conditions, like a debilitating stroke or certain cancers, that are specified in the policy. These medical conditions often create significant financial burdens bey...

What is Hospital Indemnity Insurance? Hospital indemnity insurance is a type of voluntary benefit that provides fixed payments directly to policyholders for events like emergency room visits, hospital stays, certain surgical procedures, and ICU care.     Hospital indemnity policies typically will also ...

What is Accident Insurance? Accident insurance is a voluntary benefit that many employers offer their employees to help provide financial support in the event that they or a member of their family are accidentally injured.     Also called voluntary accident insurance, this type of insurance is paid out...

Is It Possible to Negotiate Insurance Broker Fees? Negotiating the fees you pay to your business insurance broker may be possible, and is largely dependent on the size of your company, as well as the specific internal incentive policies of your insurance provider. Anytime that fees and especially commissions are...

Finding a New Health Insurance Broker Businesses may choose to look for a new health insurance broker for a number of reasons, such as cost, customer service, or another factor. However, changing brokers can be a challenging process, especially for employers who have never had to search for a new insurance broke...

Why Do Small Businesses Offer Health Insurance Coverage to Their Employees If They Don’t Have To? Companies that have fewer than 50 full time employees are not presently required by the Affordable Care Act (or any other Act we’re aware of, for that matter) to offer group health insurance to their employees as of th...

What is a PEO? PEOs, or "Professional Employer Organizations," are businesses created to take over several of the administrative duties that typically fall within a company’s HR department. Sometimes called “employee-leasing firms,” PEOs can be a good fit for smaller companies, but there are reasons that most mediu...

Insurance Broker & Carrier Analytics Access Introduction The type, depth, and breadth of analytics that clients can expect to receive back from their insurance broker and insurance provider (in addition rate adjustments explanations, etc.) depends largely on the size of the client’s company, whether the client is f...

Buying Insurance (or anything really) Online Buying insurance online has become more common in today’s world. However, how do online insurance companies compare with insurance brokers when it comes to cost and value? The Geico Gecko first graced our televisions screens over 21 years ago. That’s right – if that b...