Article: The perks: voluntary benefits can help the sting of health-plan costs.(EMPLOYEE BENEFITS)

"WHEN YOU HAND OUT (health-plan) rate increases, employers just shake their heads at me and say, 'Your business is going to implode on you,'" says Leah Fouts, vice president employee benefits at Forrest Sherer, a Terre Haute insurance broker. "We've seen $1,600 a month family rates. Is that not criminal?"

With this priciest benefit getting pricier every year, it's a constant struggle for employers to make health-plan adjustments as painless as possible and other benefits as pleasing as possible.

Voluntary benefits. A definite trend is the expansion of voluntary benefits, those paid for by the employee, but offered with a discount that comes from group ...

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