Gibson’s Wes Mantooth, Principal and Consultant in the Employee Benefits Practice, shares his insight on what 2017 may bring for the world of health care.

The elephant in the room, no pun intended, remains the impact of the new presidential administration. Anything said to be more than speculation is just that…more speculation. As of the time this outlook went to press, there was nothing concrete about the adjustments, if any, that will be made to health care reform. However, one thing does remain constant…whether the ACA stays or whether it goes, it will continue to cause disruption among consumers, employers, and the health care industry.

How do you create a new wellness initiative for your organization? What should you be considering before launching the effort? What strategies should you be using to make it most effective and engaging to your workforce?

There is no doubt that the wellbeing of your employees impacts the wellbeing of your organization. According to research by Gallup, employees whose wellbeing is thriving are less likely to look for a new employer or be involved in a workplace accident, and they have fewer sick days. But implementing an effective wellbeing strategy isn’t easy. The effectiveness of any wellness program or initiative depends on the culture of an organization and then extends to the workplace climate.

From all of us at Gibson, we wish you peace, prosperity, and a happy new year!

Maintaining compliance is important for every organization. But it can be difficult to keep up with the changing regulations. And especially with a new president taking office soon, there are currently a lot of questions about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and what it will mean to you as an employer.

As 2016 draws to a close, we’d like to highlight a few important updates regarding the ACA as well as considerations regarding its future.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness in the U.S. And 1 in 25 experiences a serious mental illness that substantially interferes with or limits major life activities. You have a greater likelihood of encountering someone in a mental or emotional crisis than someone having a heart attack. This prevalence of mental illness means it is likely impacting many individuals in your workforce.

Halloween is a time to watch scary movies, visit frightening haunted houses, and dress up as ghosts, witches, and zombies. As we prepared for this day of spooky things, we asked our team to share what they consider the scariest risks facing businesses today.

Every organization is different. What you consider the biggest risks will vary from industry, size, and region. While not all inclusive, here are 7 scary risks currently haunting many businesses:  

In several of our blogs we’ve suggested surveying your employees as a starting point for future wellness initiatives. Your best chance at employee engagement in your workplace wellbeing programs begins with asking your employees what they want!

Whether it has to do with workplace safety, financial wellbeing, internal work processes, or other factors that influence wellbeing, it’s always a good idea to see what your employees think about it first.

It’s officially fall! Cooler weather is on its way, leaves will be changing colors, football season has begun, and the highly coveted pumpkin-flavored items have returned to menus everywhere!

But fall also means the start of flu season...

How can the flu impact your workforce? What can you do to help prepare your employees and encourage wellbeing?

Whether you sponsor a self-funded or a fully-insured medical and prescription benefit plan to your employees, there is a good chance you purchase drugs through a Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM). There is also a high probability you are completely unaware of what a PBM is and how it operates. You’re not alone!