MedBen “2025 ACA by the Numbers” Summary Available for Download
Is it time to start work on your 2025 employee health plan budget – or are you wondering about the 2025 Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plan's limitations and affordability percentages? MedBen can help. Our Compliance team has compiled "ACA by the Numbers," a...
TV Drug Ad Spend Focuses on Low-Benefit Medications
KFF Health News warns consumers not to take TV drug ads at face value: "A 2023 study found that, among top-selling drugs, those with the lowest levels of added benefit tended to spend more on advertising to patients than doctors. 'I worry that direct-to-consumer...
Have You Reminded Plan Members to Get Their Wellness Exam?
We've got some news that you may need to sit down for: 2024 is officially three-quarters over. So, if you haven't reminded your plan members about getting their annual wellness exam, now is the time to do it! Many plans may require members to get a wellness exam by...
Final Mental Health Parity Compliance Rules Released
On September 9, 2024, the federal Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released information and a preview of the Department of Labor’s final Mental Health Parity regulations. The Final Rules are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register within the...
MedBen Passes Semiannual ISO 9001 Audit, Confirming Quality Commitment
On September 10, MedBen passed the semiannual audit of its ISO 9001:2015 quality measures. Independent auditors from consulting firm Intertek recommended that our ISO Certification continue. “[The] Audit was successfully completed in accordance with the Audit Plan as...
Employers Anticipate 7.8% Health Care Cost Hike in 2025
Employers say they expect their health care costs to rise 7.8% next year — the highest estimate in more than 15 years — according to the latest Business Group on Health member survey. Even factoring in cost-reducing plan design changes, respondents project costs to...
Over Half of U.S. Adults with Uncontrolled Hypertension Unaware of It, Study Indicates
More than half of U.S. adults with uncontrolled hypertension are unaware of it, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Uncontrolled hypertension is defined as blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg, which is either untreated or treatments have been...
Humira Costliest Drug for Self-Funded Plans, But GLP-1s are Gaining Ground
Humira continued to be the costliest prescription drug for self-funded health plans in 2023 by a comfortable margin, according to a recent Milliman commercial drug trends review. Used to treat a variety of conditions from Crohn’s to rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic...
ERISA Turns 50!
50 years ago – on September 2, 1974 – ERISA was signed into law by President Gerald R. Ford. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act has had a profound impact on how health benefits are provided to most working Americans. Despite its impact, the legislation...
Want “JOY”? Get MedBen Connect!
There's been a lot of talk this political season about the importance of "joy." Well, MedBen is all about joy... and we offer it in all caps, no less. "JOY" is an AI-powered virtual assistant available to users of MedBen Connect (powered by HealthJoy), our...
Dental Exams Reveal More Than Meets the Mouth
“A lot about someone’s overall health can be observed just by looking in their mouth,” says dentist and author Dr. Kami Hoss. “In fact, over 100 systemic conditions and many medications can have oral manifestations. This means that what happens in the mouth can often...
National Cost Trends Rising, But MedBen Consistently Outperforms Them
From PwC's "Behind the numbers 2025": "PwC is projecting an 8% year-on-year medical cost trend in 2025 for the Group market and 7.5% for the Individual market, driven by inflationary pressure, prescription drug spending and behavioral health utilization." The report...