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The Health Care Cost Institute found in their most recent Health Care Cost and Utilization Report that per capita healthcare spending increased by 4.4% in 2018 over 2017 spending, a slight increase in trend which was 4.2% in the prior year; however, from 2014 to 2018 healthcare costs increased at rates slightly lower than the general rate of inflation. Increases in health spending are impacted by our aging population, but the biggest increase is due to higher prices for drugs and medical services. Notably in the report, healthcare cost trends exclude the impact of manufacturer’s drug rebates …

… thus better able to serve the business and clients. You’ll want to keep them around and attract new top talent with your benefits. Consider this when writing your maternity and paternity leave policies and voluntary benefits offerings. STD offered on a post-tax payout schedule (meaning that when the employee receives the benefit, they do not have to pay taxes on it) is definitely something that all employers should think about. Viewpoints from Allison Hasday As I get farther along into my pregnancy, I’ve been thinking more about family leave benefits and policies and how they affect not …

Last week, the Trump administration released its new Healthy Adult Opportunity plan. This plan is an effort by Republicans to ease Medicaid rules and allow states better control of the cost of providing indigent care. Medicaid is a shared funding obligation of the federal government and states and accounts for just under 30% of state spending and around 10% of the federal budget. It is an open-ended program, which requires payment for all needed care. This new plan allows states to opt out of the current funding program and in its place receive a block grant with spending caps …