Traverse Benefits

12/31/2025

Wishing you a bright, healthy and happy new year!!

12/27/2025

The data chaos that has kept employers in the dark may finally be ending.

The Trump administration last week proposed a new rule aimed at forcing healthcare price transparency toward something usable: streamlining insurer pricing files, clearly defining provider networks and expanding access to cost information.

The proposed rule would require insurers and health plans to better track price changes for certain in-network services, reorganize how pricing data is presented, and reduce bloated reporting requirements that have produced massive, unwieldy files few can realistically use.

I will be watching closely!! Employers and plan sponsors do not need more files ... they need pricing clarity they can actually use!!!

The proposed rule aims to tamp down on unwieldy price data files and change how some prices are reported.

12/24/2025

❄️ Wishing you a peaceful holiday and a healthy & happy new year! ❄️

11/27/2025

10/17/2025

Up North, winter storms don’t scare us.

But open enrollment? That still catches a few employers off guard.

It shouldn’t. Handled right, open enrollment isn’t a scramble — it’s a leadership moment.

Dive into our latest blog to learn how to turn this season into a business advantage with guidance. https://bit.ly/47cpvph

10/01/2025

A first-of-its-kind deal with Pfizer is bringing U.S. drug prices down to match the lowest paid globally. That means lower pharmacy costs, stronger benefit strategies, and real savings for both employers and employees. FACT SHEET:

ADVANCING MOST-FAVORED-NATION PRICING: Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the first agreement with a major pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, to

09/22/2025

Major healthcare benefit changes are coming in 2026, and they’ll reshape how you support employees and manage costs. From expanded Dependent Care FSAs to new tax credits, HSA flexibility, and student loan repayment assistance—this is a shift you can’t afford to ignore.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3HUMdtB

08/19/2025

Nonprofit hospitals are under new scrutiny: while CEO pay jumped past $1M on average by 2023, frontline wages barely budged. A new Health Affairs study shows executive pay is outpacing worker pay — raising tough questions about fairness, community impact, and what it means to be a “nonprofit” in healthcare today.

The average wage of chief executives rose by 27.5% from 2009 to 2023, while the average pay for all hospital employees rose 9.8%, according to research in Health Affairs.

08/02/2025

This marks the largest coordinated push to connect health data across the country under open standards.

The Trump administration’s new CMS initiative is a first-of-its-kind, large-scale public-private effort to modernize U.S. healthcare through real-time data sharing and digital health tools.

Over 60 tech companies, health systems, and insurers—including Amazon, Google, Epic, and Cleveland Clinic—have pledged to follow a voluntary federal interoperability framework.

The goal is to create a unified digital health ecosystem that gives patients easier access to their records, supports chronic care management, and streamlines clinical workflows.

YES, while it builds on past efforts like Blue Button and FHIR standards, this marks the largest coordinated push yet to connect health data across the country under open standards.

More than 60 companies, including Amazon, Google, UnitedHealth and Epic, have pledged to participate in the initiative, which the CMS said would “deliver results” early next year.

07/27/2025

Prayers to the injuried and our responders. Prayers to our small, yet mighty town.

Eleven people were injured in what authorities called a “random” mass stabbing attack at Walmart Saturday afternoon in Traverse City. The suspect, a 42-year-old Michigan man, was taken into custody. As of press time late Saturday, six of the victims were in critical condition at Munson Medical C...

04/29/2025

Nimble strategies to modernize your wellness approach, keep pace and improve retention.

Read More (Also featured in the May 2025 issue of Traverse City Business News): https://www.traversebenefits.com/empower-your-employees-to-wellness-strategies-for-a-healthier-workforce/