Companies move to make adjustments in workers' health benefits

The Washington Post reports that, while few employers are likely to stop providing employee benefits, many will likely shift costs onto workers in the form of higher out-of-pocket expenses and reduced subsidies. Wellness programs also continue to pick up momentum.

The Washington Post: Companies Race To Adjust Health-Care Benefits As Affordable Care Act Takes Hold
Large businesses expect to pay between 4 and 5 percent more for health-care benefits for their employees in 2015 after making adjustments to their plans, according to employer surveys conducted this summer. Few employers plan to stop providing benefits with the advent of federal health insurance mandates, as some once feared, but a third say they are considering cutting or reducing subsidies for employee family members, and the data suggest that employees are paying more each year in out-of-pocket health care expenses (Gregg, 9/7).

The Washington Post: Businesses Are Testing Employees' Body Fat And Paying Them To Lose Weight
Wellness programs have slowly gained traction with large employers over the past decade, as businesses find that healthier employees are cheaper to insure. Initially, these programs had little impact on an employee's finances: A company might sponsor a weight loss seminar or offer a $20 gift card for filling out a health questionnaire (Gregg, 9/7).