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Dave Chase recently wrote for Forbes about how the irrational set of circumstances in which the healthcare industry finds itself have certain implications - the continued hyperinflation of premiums would accelerate the employer realization that they need to take matters into their own hands and disintermediate healthcare plans. A growing number of employers are doing exactly that.

It’s the season for mid-year healthcare plan renewals. As such, many organizations are likely re-examining their current healthcare plans (and possibly brokers) to determine if there’s any room for improvement and/or more savings. But while a large percentage of small-to-midsize nonprofits typically opt for traditional fully-funded employee healthcare, partially self-funded healthcare might actually be a better option.

Photo: HCW Benefits

This week the Kaiser Family Foundation released an insight brief on actual employee cost-sharing data for healthcare spending as reported between 2004-2014. By analyzing a sample of health benefit claims over that decade, researchers were able to identify how consumer spending on deductibles, copays, and coinsurance has changed.

Photo: verticalresponse.com

Physician shortages. High turnover rates. Noncompetitive compensation packages. These are just some of the challenges community health centers face when trying to staff their valuable and much-needed clinics. And when challenges like those listed above interfere, the communities served by these health centers don’t receive the healthcare they so desperately need. In fact, health centers estimate that if staffing needs were met they could collectively serve an additional two million people.

The dilemma of providing competitive employee healthcare while adhering to strict overhead budgets can be a never-ending challenge for many nonprofits. This is especially true for community health centers, which often struggle to provide their staff with the very thing their missions stand for – quality, affordable healthcare.

Photo: NACHC CHV

Today’s competitive job market makes recruitment and retention tricky for many organizations, but even more so for community health centers (CHCs) as they battle against physician shortages, high turnover, and an inability to compete with compensation. And while employee healthcare is a highly-valued benefit, many CHCs struggle to find the budget to accommodate a high-quality, affordable plan that appeals to the staff most needed at these organizations.

Photo: NACHC Community Health Ventures

This month Nonstop announced a partnership with Community Health Ventures (CHV), business affiliate of the National Association of Community Health Centers, to offer its risk-free partially self—insured program Nonstop Wellness to community health centers (CHCs) around the US as part of CHV’s Value in Benefits (ViB) pilot program. Nonstop Wellness provides an immediate reduction in premiums and employee out-of-pocket costs, as well as improved and customized benefit plans.  

Photo: Villanova.edu

When a new hire is made, there is often a litany of paperwork and to-dos that need to be completed, especially around tax and healthcare-related activities. With the ACA, it’s even more imperative to be compliant with documents and timing.

Photo: Dallas CTC

Mindfulness has become the new buzzword of late, touted by Fortune 500 companies, parents, the US military, and schools (just to name a few) as the answer to burnout, behavior problems, and anxiety. But the thing is – it’s more than a buzzword or the latest trend. On top of thousands of years of history, we now have thousands of pages of research proving that mindfulness actually is a solution to many of the woes of modern day society.

Photo: Leblanc Law and Mediation

A recent CFO survey by Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) highlights the importance of CFO involvement in employee healthcare decisions. While cost control tops the list of CFO goals around healthcare at 44%, other top-of-mind goals include recruitment and retention (36% rank this as the most important goal), helping employees make smarter healthcare choices, and increasing worker productivity. Of those surveyed, 43% say they are equal partners with their HR department in making healthcare decisions.