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"Benefits"/
Uncategorized

Benefits Disconnect: Employees Want More Support, Better Communication

by Inoventive Solutions
July 28, 2026

A new report finds that many employers believe they are doing a good job meeting workers’ benefits needs, but employees often see things differently.

The findings in Aflac’s “Workforces Report” highlight growing gaps in communication, financial preparedness and access to benefits information that could affect engagement and retention. The report identifies areas where employers can improve benefits delivery and increase benefit uptake and usage, which can help improve employee retention and attract new talent.

Report findings

  • The report found that 75% of employers believe employees are satisfied with their benefits packages, but only 65% of employees say they are.
  • One of the biggest disconnects involves communication and guidance during enrollment. Nearly 37% of employees said they want to speak with a real person when making benefits decisions, yet only 28% of employers offer that option.
    Similarly, 32% of employees want one-on-one access to a benefits consultant, but only 28% of employers provide it.
  • While 78% of employers believe their workers could handle a major unexpected medical bill, 44% of employees said they could not afford $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs for an illness or injury.
  • More than half of employees reported anxiety about health care costs not covered by insurance. 

Stress and burnout

The report points to rising levels of stress and burnout. Nearly three-quarters of employees reported moderate to very high stress. Burnout reached its highest level in six years.

Gen Z workers reported the highest burnout rates, surpassing millennials. Only 48% of employees said they are confident their employers care about their mental health, down from 54% a year earlier. 

Communication gaps may be contributing to the problem. Only 42% of employees said they fully understand their health insurance coverage, down from 49% the previous year.

Meanwhile, 69% said they want more information about their benefits. Although 46% of employers said they communicate about benefits throughout the year, only 34% of employees agreed that they receive year-round communication. 

Digital access has become increasingly important as well. More than four out of five employees said the ability to manage benefits online is very or extremely important, including 87% of Gen Z and millennial workers. However, 30% of employers still do not offer online benefits management tools. 

What employers can do

The findings suggest that employers do not necessarily need to offer more benefits, but they may need to make existing benefits easier to understand and use. Employers can improve engagement by:

  • Communicating about benefits year-round instead of only during open enrollment.
  • Providing access to benefits counselors or advisers.
  • Expanding digital enrollment and self-service tools.
  • Offering supplemental benefits that address financial concerns.
  • Investing in mental health and burnout prevention programs.
  • Regularly surveying employees to understand which benefits they value most.

Organizations that close these gaps may improve employee satisfaction, reduce stress and strengthen retention in an increasingly competitive labor market. Workers who are highly satisfied with their benefits are more than twice as likely to report high job satisfaction as workers who are less satisfied.

Employers’ top challenges in offering benefits

(Percentage ranking the issue among their top three challenges) 

  • Offering robust benefits while staying within budget or cost constraints: 54%
  • Understanding what employees want in benefits offerings: 56%
  • Determining the benefits that will meet employees’ needs: 48%
  • Finding time to dedicate to benefits selection and administration: 41%
  • Communicating and educating employees about benefits: 37%
  • Understanding options to control benefits costs: 32%
  • Managing benefits administration and regulatory compliance: 31%
"Men's
Uncategorized

Men’s Health at Work: How to Encourage Preventive Care

by Inoventive Solutions
July 21, 2026

For many men, taking care of their health often falls behind work and family obligations. But new research suggests employers have an opportunity to change that and improve workforce health, productivity and engagement in the process.

A recent eHealth survey of more than 900 men found that 42% skipped recommended medical care in the past year, while 82% said they prioritize their family’s needs over their own health. Sixty percent said they tend to put off medical care unless a loved one encourages them to seek treatment. 

Those findings should be a wake-up call for employers. Preventive care can help identify health issues before they become serious and expensive, yet many men are delaying routine screenings, annual physicals and mental health care.

One of the biggest issues is men’s perception of costs, with 33% saying they have delayed care due to cost concerns.

Education can help overcome those concerns. Employers can regularly remind workers about the preventive services available through their health plans, including annual wellness exams, cholesterol and blood pressure screenings, cancer screenings, mental health benefits and dental and vision care.

Men may also need encouragement to prioritize screenings. The eHealth study found that only 26% of men ages 30 and older knew that colonoscopy screenings are now generally recommended beginning at age 45. Awareness of recommended prostate screening timelines was also low. 

Mental health is another area where employers can make a difference. Men have historically underutilized behavioral health services, despite high rates of stress, anxiety and depression.

Employers can encourage utilization by reminding workers that counseling, employee assistance programs and telehealth services are confidential and covered under their health plans. Research has found that employer-sponsored mental health programs can improve productivity and reduce absenteeism while delivering measurable returns on investment. 

Routine dental and vision exams should also be part of any workplace wellness strategy. Oral health problems are associated with chronic health conditions, while untreated vision and hearing issues can affect quality of life, productivity and overall well-being.

What employers can do

  • Promote annual wellness exams and preventive screenings during benefits communications.
  • Consider offering rewards or recognition for completing health screenings or participating in wellness activities.
  • Provide clear explanations of no-cost or low-cost preventive services.
  • Send reminders during Men’s Health Month, Father’s Day and open enrollment.
  • Organize lunch-and-learn sessions or distribute informational materials about the importance of preventive care.
  • Encourage employees to establish a relationship with a primary care physician.
  • Promote mental health benefits, employee assistance programs and telehealth services.
  • Offer flexible scheduling or paid time off for medical appointments.
  • Include dental, vision and hearing exams in wellness campaigns.
  • Train managers to support work-life balance and normalize taking time for preventive care.

Encouraging preventive care today can help reduce future medical costs, improve workforce productivity and demonstrate that an organization values the well-being of its employees and their families.

"no
Uncategorized

Report: No Surprises Act Dispute Process Driving Costs for Planned Procedures

by Inoventive Solutions
July 14, 2026

A new study has found that physicians and hospitals are winning payment disputes for planned procedures like surgeries handled through the No Surprises Act dispute resolution system with awards that are sometimes more than 100 times typical rates.

These awards are adding “tens of thousands of, or in some cases even more than one hundred thousand, dollars in excess costs” per claim, according to the study by Elevance Health. This consequence of a law that was supposed to drive down costs could raise health insurance premiums paid by employers and workers.

Here’s a look at what’s driving these unintended outcomes.

How the law works

The No Surprises Act, which took effect in 2022, was designed to shield patients from so-called surprise medical bills.

A common example occurs when a patient schedules surgery at an in-network hospital but unknowingly receives care from an out-of-network anesthesiologist, radiologist, pathologist or other specialist involved in the procedure. Before the law, those providers could send patients large balance bills for charges not covered by insurance.

Under the No Surprises Act, patients generally pay only their normal in-network cost sharing in these situations. The health plan and out-of-network provider must then negotiate payment.

If they cannot agree after a 30-day negotiation period, either party can initiate the law’s independent dispute resolution process. In this process, an independent arbitrator chooses either the insurer’s payment offer or the provider’s.

The law anticipated that arbitration would be used sparingly and that awards would generally land near prevailing in-network rates. Instead, some studies have found that the system is being abused by providers who often receive awards that are significantly higher than customary charges.

Study finds large awards

Elevance reviewed more than 7,300 payment disputes involving planned procedures such as spine surgery, plastic surgery and colonoscopies that occurred at in-network facilities but involved out-of-network providers. Providers prevailed in nearly 90% of disputed claims.

Even more striking were the payment amounts. The average arbitration award was nearly $40,000. By comparison, the average in-network claim amount for the same services was approximately $1,614, the average contracted price was about $766 and the comparable Medicare payment was roughly $645. Some awards were more than 100 times typical reimbursement levels.

Growing concerns for employers

The findings come as the federal dispute resolution system is already struggling under the weight of millions of cases, far more than regulators anticipated.

Critics argue that the arbitration process may be creating incentives for some providers to remain outside insurer networks because the dispute process can yield significantly higher reimbursements than negotiated contracts.

For employers that sponsor health plans, the concern is that higher claim costs eventually find their way into premiums.

While workers are being protected from surprise bills at the doctor’s office or hospital, the cost of those protections may increasingly appear in employers’ health plan expenses and future renewal rates.

Federal regulators have adopted new rules intended to limit misuse of the process and ensure that only eligible claims enter arbitration. Whether those changes will reduce disputes and bring awards closer to market rates remains to be seen.

"fertility"/
Uncategorized

Proposed Rule Would Let Employers Offer Standalone Fertility Benefits

by Inoventive Solutions
July 7, 2026

Employers may soon have a new way to help employees access fertility treatments without incorporating those benefits into their primary health plans.

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury have proposed regulations that would create a new category of “limited excepted benefits” for fertility treatments under the Affordable Care Act. If finalized, employers could begin offering these benefits in 2027. The proposal is intended to expand access to fertility care while giving employers more flexibility in designing benefit programs.

Like standalone dental and vision plans, excepted fertility benefits would be exempt from many ACA requirements and certain Employee Retirement Income Security Act rules that apply to traditional group health plans.

How the benefit would work

The agencies say the proposal is designed to give employers flexibility to offer fertility benefits for both women and men and to tailor coverage to their workforce’s needs.

Services that may be covered include:

  • Diagnostic testing for infertility and reproductive health conditions
  • In vitro fertilization
  • Intrauterine insemination
  • Fertility medications
  • Cryopreservation and storage of eggs, sperm or embryos
  • Treatment of conditions such as endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, diminished ovarian reserve, male factor infertility and other medically recognized infertility conditions

To qualify, a fertility benefit would need to meet several criteria:

  • Traditional group health coverage must be offered, although employees would not have to enroll in it.
  • The benefit must be under a separate policy, certificate or contract and could not be integrated into the primary group health plan.
  • Substantially all benefits must relate to diagnosing, mitigating or treating infertility or infertility-related reproductive health conditions.
  • Services generally must be provided by licensed medical professionals.
  • The benefit would be subject to a combined lifetime maximum of $120,000 per participant and eligible beneficiary, indexed for medical inflation after 2028.
  • Employers would have to provide a clear written notice describing the coverage and explaining that it is an excepted benefit.

Areas under consideration

The agencies are seeking additional input that may shape the final regulations, including:

  • Whether the lifetime cap should instead be an annual limit with rollover provisions.
  • Whether the proposed $120,000 limit appropriately reflects the cost of fertility treatments.
  • Whether employers should be allowed to charge employee premiums, contributions or cost sharing for the benefit, similar to dental and vision plans.
  • Whether alternative notice requirements would better inform employees.
  • How quickly employers and insurers could implement the new benefit structure.

The takeaway

The public comment period closed July 13, and final regulations could arrive by year-end, allowing employers to begin offering these benefits in 2027.

In the meantime, employers may want to review their current health plan designs, evaluate whether employees are seeking fertility treatments and assess how a standalone fertility benefit could support recruiting and retention goals.

If the rule is finalized, the new option could give employers another tool to provide meaningful family-building benefits while maintaining greater flexibility over plan design and costs.

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