How to sign up for healthcare through the ACA marketplace
Employee Benefit News
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HEALTHCARE: While half of Americans get healthcare coverage from their employer, a rocky job market and increasing healthcare costs may push more people toward government-backed plans — and there are just two weeks left to enroll.??
Whether you're out of a job, losing coverage from your parents or find your employer-sponsored health plans to be unaffordable, the ACA marketplace is available as a resource. December 15 marks the last day to enroll if the buyer wants their coverage to start as early as January 1. However, Americans can still enroll until Jan. 15, but their coverage won't kick in until Feb. 1.?Robert Spector, senior director of growth and strategy for individual and family plans and state public programs at Blue Shield of California , walks through the marketplace and what individuals need to know to maintain their healthcare coverage:
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS: Whether you've done your performance reviews already or you're squeezing them in before year's end, odds are they aren't as effective as they could be.?To achieve a more holistic look at an employee's effectiveness and potential — and to make them feel more valued — employers should look beyond their technical performance and embrace soft skills, too.
"Employees have realized that skills like creativity, problem solving, advanced communication are going to future-proof their pathway and their growth within the position they have," says Tim Taylor, president of research organization America Succeeds . The company partners with business leaders to promote workforce readiness, and emphasizes soft "durable" skills as a critical element of job preparation and retention.?Taylor shares his tips for evaluating these types of skills:
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PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: As the science of obesity evolves and more treatment options become available, employers have a real opportunity to positively influence the health and well-being of their employees and covered family members. This starts with a willingness to fully address obesity as a health issue and to cover treatment for the condition — however, it must be supported by evidence, writes Cheryl Larson and Dawn Weddle from Midwest Business Group on Health .
Now that glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists are available and proven to be effective, employers should consider covering them if they have not already. These products have been on the market for over a year with other manufacturers currently seeking FDA approval, and new research continues to be released on the effectiveness of these medications. Here's what to consider for your healthcare plans in 2024: