<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>WGA InsureBlog &#187; employee benefit plans</title>
	<atom:link href="http://blog.wgains.com/tag/employee-benefit-plans/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://blog.wgains.com</link>
	<description></description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:42:18 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.com/</generator>
<cloud domain='blog.wgains.com' port='80' path='/?rsscloud=notify' registerProcedure='' protocol='http-post' />
<image>
		<url>http://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.png</url>
		<title>WGA InsureBlog &#187; employee benefit plans</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com</link>
	</image>
	<atom:link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="http://blog.wgains.com/osd.xml" title="WGA InsureBlog" />
	<atom:link rel='hub' href='http://blog.wgains.com/?pushpress=hub'/>
		<item>
		<title>Rewarding patients for cheaper care</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/12/21/rewarding-patients-for-cheaper-care/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/12/21/rewarding-patients-for-cheaper-care/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:16:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Moran</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=3473</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the continuing effort to make the cost of healthcare more transparent, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care recently announced a new program which they hope to roll out to Massachusetts members called SaveOn. This program provides cash rewards ranging from $10 to $75 for members that seek lower cost care for non-emergency outpatient procedures such as [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=3473&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/12/21/rewarding-patients-for-cheaper-care/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">michaelhmoran</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/harvardpilgrim.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">HarvardPilgrim</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/authors/MikeMoran.jpg" medium="image" />
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Vermont’s single-payer system: model for healthcare reform?</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/12/15/vermonts-single-payer-system-model-for-healthcare-reform/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/12/15/vermonts-single-payer-system-model-for-healthcare-reform/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Priya Setty</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[This Week in Health Care Reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=3445</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With health care costs escalating and the number of uninsured Americans estimated at 50 million, private entities as well as state and federal governments are trying to find effective solutions to ongoing health care problems. Earlier this year, Vermont passed legislation creating a single-payer healthcare system to be operational in 2017, potentially being the first state in the [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=3445&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/12/15/vermonts-single-payer-system-model-for-healthcare-reform/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">priyasetty</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/vermont.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">vermont</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/authors/PryiaSetty.jpg" medium="image" />
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The economic and strategic advantages of tiered network health plans</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/11/30/the-economic-and-strategic-advantages-of-tiered-network-health-plans/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/11/30/the-economic-and-strategic-advantages-of-tiered-network-health-plans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:02:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sara LaVallee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tiered health plans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=3401</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Boston Globe ran an article this week on “Tiered health plans cutting costs, restricting options”. Tiered health plans, now offered by all of the local Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), are plans that stratify member cost-share by the providers used. The member generally pays a lower co-payment or deductible if they use a low-moderate cost healthcare facility [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=3401&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/11/30/the-economic-and-strategic-advantages-of-tiered-network-health-plans/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">sslavallee</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/medicalbills.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">medicalbills</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/authors/SaraLaVallee.jpg" medium="image" />
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>W-2 reporting for employer-sponsored healthcare will start in 2012</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/24/w-2-reporting-for-employer-sponsored-healthcare-will-start-in-2012/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/24/w-2-reporting-for-employer-sponsored-healthcare-will-start-in-2012/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:22:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sara LaVallee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employer-sponsored health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=3241</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The IRS is holding an online webinar on October 31st which reviews the new requirement for employers to report the value of employer-sponsored healthcare coverage on employee’s Form W-2 beginning in 2012. The cost of health insurance coverage that is made available to an employee by an employer and is excludable from the employee&#8217;s gross income [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=3241&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/24/w-2-reporting-for-employer-sponsored-healthcare-will-start-in-2012/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">sslavallee</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/w2.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">W2</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/authors/SaraLaVallee.jpg" medium="image" />
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>New 401(k) rules require hard questions</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/12/new-401k-rules-require-hard-questions/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/12/new-401k-rules-require-hard-questions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:56:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert Swails</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[401(k)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirement planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=3186</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Historically, the Retirement Services Industry hasn’t been required to disclose all of the fees and expenses associated with 401(k) plans…That’s about to change! The Department of Labor (DOL) noticed that the majority of 401(k) plan sponsors (Employers) are “not well-informed” regarding the fees they’re paying for their retirement plan. It’s also no surprise that the [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=3186&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/12/new-401k-rules-require-hard-questions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">robswails</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/nestegg.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Retirement Nest Egg</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/authors/RobSwails.jpg" medium="image" />
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>IRS safe harbor test to determine affordability &#8211; comments encouraged</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/04/irs-safe-harbor-test-to-determine-affordability-comments-encouraged/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/04/irs-safe-harbor-test-to-determine-affordability-comments-encouraged/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:31:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott Kirschner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PPACA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[This Week in Health Care Reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=3173</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The affordability provision of the shared responsibility section of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires employers that offer health insurance to provide coverage that costs less than 9.5% of the modified adjusted gross income of an employee’s household. That’s a lot of technical speak, but for many, the big question is “How [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=3173&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/10/04/irs-safe-harbor-test-to-determine-affordability-comments-encouraged/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">scottkirschner</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/irs.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">IRS</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/authors/ScottKirschner.jpg" medium="image" />
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tufts Health Plan leads with Steward discount network offering</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/09/27/tufts-health-plan-leads-with-steward-discount-network-offering/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/09/27/tufts-health-plan-leads-with-steward-discount-network-offering/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:39:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Nadeau</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthcare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthcare risk management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tuft Health Plan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=3137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Earlier this month, Tufts Health Plan and Cerberus-backed Steward Health announced a new insurance product promising discounts of 15% or more for Massachusetts companies that buy group health insurance with a limited network of Steward providers. Steward has acquired a number or primary and tertiary care providers in Eastern Massachusetts. While Steward had been considering [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=3137&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/09/27/tufts-health-plan-leads-with-steward-discount-network-offering/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Christopher Nadeau</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/steward.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">steward</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/authors/chrisnadeau3.jpg" medium="image" />
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Connecticut Sick Pay Law presents more questions than answers</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/06/24/connecticut-sick-pay-law-presents-more-questions-than-answers/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/06/24/connecticut-sick-pay-law-presents-more-questions-than-answers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:13:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Trip McGarvey</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connecticut paid sick leave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paid sick leave]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=2762</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Beginning New Years Day 2012, many Connecticut employers will provide paid sick leave benefits to employees. At first glance, the new requirement seems to be rather simple: employers must provide employees as much as forty (40) hours of paid time away from work for illnesses, accidents, family issues, preventive care, etc. in each calendar year.  As is often [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=2762&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/06/24/connecticut-sick-pay-law-presents-more-questions-than-answers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">tripmcgarvey</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/connecticut1.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">connecticut</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>McKinsey survey: Employers looking to stop providing healthcare come 2014</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/06/13/mckinsey-survey-shows-some-employers-looking-to-stop-providing-healthcare-come-2014/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/06/13/mckinsey-survey-shows-some-employers-looking-to-stop-providing-healthcare-come-2014/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:35:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott Kirschner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ask the Experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PPACA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[This Week in Health Care Reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=2691</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A recently released survey of 1,300 employers by the management consulting firm, McKinsey &#38; Company, found that 30 percent of them will probably or definitely stop providing health insurance to employees in 2014. At that time, exchanges will be operating and employers may pay a penalty whether they offer health insurance or not (go here [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=2691&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/06/13/mckinsey-survey-shows-some-employers-looking-to-stop-providing-healthcare-come-2014/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">scottkirschner</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/healthcarereform.png?w=150" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">HealthCareReform</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Employers would be smart to examine the costs of eldercare</title>
		<link>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/03/30/employers-would-be-smart-to-examine-the-costs-of-eldercare/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/03/30/employers-would-be-smart-to-examine-the-costs-of-eldercare/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:52:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Cavanaugh</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Employee Benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eldercare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employee benefit plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Long Term Care]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.wgains.com/?p=2344</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you reviewed the reasons for your employees Leave of Absence (LOA) lately? If you have, you have most likely noticed an increase in lost days due to an employees need to care for an ill parent. Until I saw the actual numbers for myself, presenteesim and absenteeism were just buzz words used to describe [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=blog.wgains.com&amp;blog=9867145&amp;post=2344&amp;subd=wgains&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.wgains.com/2011/03/30/employers-would-be-smart-to-examine-the-costs-of-eldercare/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">jamesscavanaugh</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://wgains.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/eldercare.png?w=150" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">eldercare</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/share.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Share</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/linkedin.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">share on linkedin</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/twitter.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">twitter</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://www.wgains.com/assets/blog/email.png" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Share on Email</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
