Can You Change One Part of Your Health Plan Without Changing Everything?
If one component of your health plan — such as pharmacy benefits or a wellness program — no longer meets your needs, can you replace it without disrupting the rest of the plan? The answer often depends on whether you use an insurance carrier for administrative...
New Pharmacy Transparency Requirements Reach Plan Sponsors Too
Federal reforms are putting plan sponsors’ oversight duties in sharper focus. The 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act (signed February 3) adds PBM reporting rules that cover drug spending, pass-through rebates, and vendor compensation. Major provisions will generally...
Multimillion-Dollar Claims Are Driving Stop-Loss Changes
Stop-loss insurance protects self-funded employers from catastrophic claims, but multimillion-dollar claims from complex cancer care, premature births, and specialty treatments are hardening the market by driving higher premiums and tighter coverage terms. Recent...
MedBen Team Members Celebrate 25th Anniversaries
A quarter century of service is something to celebrate! In 2026, three MedBen associates reach their 25-year anniversaries, and we’re pleased to recognize the talent, dedication, and care they’ve shared with co-workers and clients along the way. Below, this year’s...
Finding the Right Prescription for Rising Drug Costs
Self-funded pharmacy plans rarely have just one cost concern. High-cost brands, combination products, specialty medications, and prescriptions that could be handled over the counter can all drive spending in different ways. Solutions exist, but many PBMs rely on...
A Growing Role for Direct-to-Employer Contracting
While PPO networks remain a core part of how self-funded employers provide access to care, a growing share of MedBen clients have added direct-to-employer contracting and other alternative reimbursement strategies — 42% of clients in 2025, up from just 17% in 2018....
Reminder: Gag Clause Attestation Deadline is December 31st
An important reminder that group health plans must attest compliance with the gag clause prohibitions mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Attestation is required online by December 31, 2026. The law requires plan sponsors to file an...
MedBen Employees Celebrate 30+ Years of Serving Clients
At MedBen’s annual employee recognition event on October 2, employees who reached milestone anniversaries in 2026 were honored. Three employees are celebrating 35 years with MedBen: Kurt Harden, Chairman & CEO; Monica Jackson, Claims Examiner III; and Cathy...
MedBen Representatives Share Cost Management Strategies at Conference
The 13th Annual Sherrill Morgan Healthcare Innovation Conference, held September 17-18, brought together employers from Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee to discuss practical ways to manage health care costs. Chairman & CEO Kurt Harden, Vice President of Sales &...
MedBen Closing Early October 2 for Employee Recognition Event
MedBen’s home office and Client Services will close at noon EDT on Friday, October 2, so our team can take part in an employee recognition event. Normal business hours will resume at 8:00 a.m. EDT on Monday, October 5. In the meantime, MedBen Access is available...
Reminder: Medicare Part D Deadline is October 15
The annual deadline to distribute Medicare Part D notices to plan members is October 15. These notices indicate whether a plan's prescription drug coverage is considered creditable or non-creditable and can affect a Medicare-eligible individual's decision about...
What’s Driving 2027 Trend — and Hardening Stop-Loss
MedBen recetly noted that matching national trend in 2027 still means absorbing a large increase. A Fortune article points to the forces behind another year of elevated growth, including expensive drugs, high-cost treatments, and AI-enabled medical billing. Those same...