YourForce: Exchanging Information

To exchange or not to exchange, that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of increasing benefit costs Or to take arms against a sea of plan choices

And by signing up simplify them.

When it comes to mental anguish, Shakespeare’s Hamlet had nothing on HR. Try administering a benefit plan. Talk about a thousand natural shocks.

So it’s no surprise that private health insurance exchanges are an attractive proposition. They promise to help benefit managers shuffle off their administrative coil and save a few bucks in the process.

The rub? Not everybody is convinced private exchanges are the way to go, as our story explains. Easier administration and reduced costs are a consummation devoutly to be wished, but that requires cutting through the hype.

CLEANING UP COPPELL

Deborah Whitley, left, and Stephanie Whitley were two employees from global relocation company Paragon Relocation who participated in Clean Coppell, Keep Coppell Beautiful's annual citywide cleanup event. Paragon's headquarters are in Coppell, Texas, and this is the fifth year the company has participated in the event to celebrate Earth Day.

Photo courtesy of Paragon Relocation

READER FEEDBACK

Readers reacted to the May Special Report, ‘The New Recruits in E-Recruiting’:

Said Ward Christman:

The “mobile first” approach you mention is not new but gaining traction; it’s certainly key in the U.S. and even more so in most other markets. I’m wondering what sacrifices we are making when abandoning the rich desktop user experience?

Reader Justin Dennis added:

Couldn’t agree with Workday’s Amy Wilson any more! There’s a disruption coming, but also a huge new sector of buyers. The huge contract is terrible for the modern HR pro. It also denies businesses that want to hire faster but can’t afford the dinosaur pricing model.

Workforce.com/NewRecruits

Readers also commented on the May issue’s “Last Word” column headlined ‘Affordable Care Fact: No Plan B’: 

Said reader grannybunny:

No need to be shocked. Sylvia Burwell is correct. There is no administrative action that could — effectively — counteract a negative ruling from the Supreme Court. Congress passed the language the case revolves around, and only Congress can amend it. In the alternative, some of the states that — for political reasons — declined to establish their own marketplaces may now find it politically expedient to do so.

Reader Kansas Blutbad also sounded off:

GOP backing to bring this case in the first place is politicking of the highest order. Having a plan B is great, but if the justices rule against the administration here, the Supreme Court’s credibility will be zero. Why do you think Chief Justice John Roberts came out last minute and ruled against the prior and much better challenge to the ACA? If he did not, the court would be seen as a conservative rubber stamp. Precedent, law, facts and arguments must decide cases, not political points of view.

Workforce.com/PlanB'

And finally, reader Ray Baumruk voiced an opinion on the Rick Lindquist interview: ‘Employee, Help Heal Thyself’:

As the employer-employee relationship related to health shifts, it will be important for employers to address the perception that they “no longer care about employee health” — as that is far from the truth, but can be a perception from employees when changes such as these occur.

Workforce.com/healthyself