Health Care | ąű¶ł´«Ă˝ Our Members Bring Choice, Value & Innovation to Agriculture Tue, 19 Oct 2021 18:07:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.4 /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/fema-favicon-75x75.png Health Care | ąű¶ł´«Ă˝ 32 32 Employers Expect Health Care to Rise /shortliner/employers-expect-health-care-to-rise/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 18:07:04 +0000 /?p=15602 Employers expect their health costs to rise by more than 5 percent in 2022 as concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic linger, according to a global firm that helps companies manage risk, optimize benefits, and cultivate talent.

Medical and pharmacy benefit costs are expected to increase by 5.2 percent next year, the report found, a slight decline from the 5.5 percent increase projected in 2021 but significantly higher than the 2.1 percent increase felt in 2020 as many people deferred healthcare services during the pandemic.

Including premiums, total costs per employee are expected to increase from $12,501 in 2020 to $13,360. Employer premium contributions are also set to go up, rising from $3,269 to $3,331.

“Rising costs and increased utilization fueled by a resurgence in deferred care are driving employers to find new ways to control costs while providing employees with affordable, high-quality care,” said Julie Stone, managing director of health and benefits at Willis Towers Watson.

The survey also outlines a number of solutions employers are trying to address rising costs. For example, 22 percent of employers currently structure benefit contributions based on pay or job grade, and 8 percent said they are considering those structures in the next two years.

A quarter of employers said they include surcharges for covering a working spouse, according to the survey. Another 9 percent said they are planning to roll out similar programs or are considering them in the next two years.

Source: Fierce Healthcare

]]> Surrender Flexibility for Savings in Health Plans? /news/surrender-flexibility-for-savings-in-health-plans/ Tue, 05 Jan 2021 19:57:43 +0000 /?p=12578 In pursuit of bringing you greater value, the Association asked in its recent membership survey if companies would consider surrendering flexibility in their employer health insurance plans to gain savings through a plan that brought together several member companies.

The results: on the fence.

Thirty-six percent of members who responded said they would go for such a benefit. Twenty-eight percent said no. The remaining 36 percent were not sure.

Help us get a clearer picture of what you need. If you have not yet submitted your membership survey, send the Association an email with as few as six words: “yes on health insurance member service,” “no on health insurance member service,” “need more info to know about health insurance member service.”

Better yet, if you fall into that “need more info” category, let us know what your challenges are in your current plan or what you like about your plan that you are reluctant to let go.

Call the office at (314) 878-2304, or send emails to Membership Director Matt Rice at Matt@FarmEquip.org.

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