The latest Employee Benefits Survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) revealed that just one in five employers (20.1%) use spousal surcharges or carve-outs for health care coverage when other employer-provided health… more »

To our customers, consultants, and brokers: Happy new year from MedBen! In 2018 we celebrated our 80th anniversary, which gave us a chance to reflect on our beginnings and growth as a health benefits manager. It's great to reminisce but we prefer to… more »

There are plenty of benefits for employers who make the switch from fully-insured health care coverage to self-funding – and we’d be happy to share them all with you anytime – but perhaps the best reasons can be summed up quite simply: Savings,… more »

"Healthcare costs increasing at unsustainable pace" a recent Modern Healthcare headline reads. In a new study, PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts a 6% medical cost trend in 2019, as expensive new medical services and drugs and market consolidation make it… more »

On June 19 and 20, MedBen Vice President of Compliance Caroline Fraker revisited Washington, D.C. with fellow members of the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA) Board of Directors, to speak with government officials on matters of… more »

In a new Columbus Business First article, reporter Carrie Ghose interviewed MedBen President Kurt Harden and Executive Chairman Doug Freeman about Harden's recent promotion to CEO as well as the company's recent activities and future plans. Freeman… more »

Plan language carve-outs don’t have to be limited to medical procedures or drug classes. If a provider charges above reasonable and customary prices, then an employer can amend their plan to direct that the provider’s claims should be processed using… more »

May 8 marks MedBen’s 80th Anniversary. Originally Hospital Service Association (HSA) of Licking County, we started out with two employees and a goal to provide employers and individuals with affordable health care coverage. And while our numbers have… more »

In a recent Modern Healthcare editorial, writer Merrill Goozner poses the question, "Is the era of healthcare cost control ending?" With the individual mandate dead, the Independent Payment Advisory Board shuttered, and Congress in no apparently hurry… more »

A new Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) report highlights the wide disparity of health care costs in U.S. states, with average costs ranging from 17% above comparable populations in Colorado to 16% below in Maryland. The report notes… more »

In recent years, U.S. health care spending has slowed significantly compared to the double-digit cost spikes we saw a decade ago. But there’s still room for improvement, so MedBen uses multiple containment strategies to keep client claim costs under… more »

Among the distinctive features of the MedBen reporting package is a series of reports that examine a group's "care gap." The idea behind a care gap measurement is straightforward: Individuals who get recommended exams and follow their doctor’s advice… more »

MedBen's claims surveillance system, which screens and selects claims for specialist review, saved clients, on average, an additional 38% per selected claim in 2017... savings produced after network discounts are applied, but before claims are paid.… more »

To our customers, consultants, and brokers: Welcome to 2018! For MedBen, the coming year carries a special significance, as we will celebrate our 80th anniversary in May. As with any benchmark anniversary, it gives us a chance to look back at how we’ve… more »

MedBen Vice President of Compliance & Chief Privacy Officer Caroline Fraker will serve as Board Secretary/Treasurer of the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA) for the 2018 year. Fraker joined the board in 2015. As… more »

With all the uncertainly in the fully-insured market nowadays, it's little wonder that the popularity of self-funding continues to grow. Today, nearly 70% of U.S. employees are covered under employer-funded plans, as more businesses are seeing for… more »

Medical plan trend has kept stable over the last few years. Even so, MedBen has consistently remained under national trend by emphasizing the highest driver of plan costs – claims. According to the 2018 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey, medical… more »

MedBen Vice President of Compliance & Chief Privacy Officer Caroline Fraker was among the session moderators at the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA) Fall Conference on September 13-15, 2017. Fraker has served as a SPBA board… more »

MedBen cost containment technology, coupled with professional analysis, is saving a MedBen client almost $100,000 annually. Recently, MedBen's claim surveillance system flagged a claim from a hospital billing for an injectable specialty drug to treat a… more »

The health care landscape may continue to shift, but MedBen remains focused on providing clients with cost-effective, employer-directed administrative services. In our 2017 MedBen Client Report, we look at the various way we're working with employers to… more »