Americans are working longer hours and facing more demands for productivity, leading to stress and burnout, which in turn can affect workplace safety, according to risk management experts. Understaffing plays a part in this, they found. When workers are stressed or required to work quickly, they are more prone to making mistakes that can injure…
While the Affordable Care Act requires employers to offer coverage for employees’ adult children until the age of 26, it does not require them to offer coverage to their workers’ spouses. As employers try to balance the costs of offering health coverage, spousal coverage is often on the table for cutting when making cost decisions.…
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a measure that will require nearly every employer in California to have in place a workplace violence prevention plan. The expansive new law, which takes effect July 1, 2024, will require any company with at least one worker to “establish, implement and maintain” a workplace violence prevention plan,…
Physicians and employee health experts are increasingly recommending that employers include diabetes screening, prevention and management in their company-sponsored wellness programs. Diabetes — known as the “silent killer” — afflicts more than 29 million Americans, or 9% of the population. Type 2 diabetes — or adult-onset diabetes — accounts for about 90% to 95% of…
Fleet operators face an increased risk of potential liability if they are not diligent about checking their drivers’ moving violation records with the state Department of Motor Vehicles in addition to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. To ensure the safety of our roadways, as of 2020, it became mandatory that…
While cyber threats grow and the cyber insurance market evolves, insurers are regularly adjusting their policy terms and conditions in response to new threats and exposure. Carriers have amassed nearly a decade’s worth of data and are getting more stringent about underwriting and demanding that policyholders do their share by implementing best practices aimed at…
More hospitals and insurers have started charging patients for virtual care services as they have grown in usage and providers are spending more time meeting patients in telehealth appointments and responding to their e-mails. Many hospital systems have started billing patients for e-mails they send to their physicians and, depending on the level of out-of-pocket…
It’s almost time for group health insurance open enrollment and your top priority should be to drive participation by helping your employees make informed decisions about their options. You’ll want to help your staff understand all of their options so they can choose plans that are best for their age, health and life situation. This…
Workers’ compensation fraud costs the insurance industry roughly $5 billion each year, according to estimates by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Depending on whom you ask, fraud accounts for as much as 10% of the costs of all workers’ comp claims. This type of fraud is typically associated with malingering employees who fake injuries in…
Some of the nation’s largest insurers have announced plans to roll back their prior authorization requirements for medical services. Prior authorization — or prior approval — has always been a thorn in the side of patients, often keeping them from accessing care in a timely fashion. The moves by these insurers come after the Centers…