Telemedicine services can lower employers' health-care costs, but only if employees use them — and few do.
If companies were allowed to fund HRAs for the purpose of allowing workers to buy their own insurance, some companies might do it, research suggests.
However, employers' disdain for several aspects of the law, and their wish for changes to it, remain intact.
The average increase was only 2.4%, a historically low rate, according to Mercer data.
Following this week's elections, CFOs are again in the dark about the outlook for the cost, delivery, and quality of company-sponsored health care.
Annual hikes remain historically low for a second consecutive year, partly in response to corporate benefits strategies.
No, say their human-resources leaders. Not even the individual mandate is having an impact.
Looming costs related to health-care reform keep the pressure squarely on companies to find ways to spend less.
