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An RSM McGladrey study that asked how companies are trying to hold the line on costs found only a slight increase in those passing costs on to employees, rising from 61 percent of those surveyed for 2008 to 62 percent for 2009. Only 2 percent of respondents said their companies did not offer any health plan. Those with annual revenue of less than $100 million are shifting to self insurance while those with greater revenue are moving slightly to fully insured plans. The biggest change was the 4-percentage point drop in companies providing wellness programs. Again, the larger companies were more likely to have such offerings.  The findings were part of the firm's fourth annual Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution National Survey. The online survey drew responses from 923 executives.

 

Cost Containment Strategies

	2008	2009
Passing Cost to Employees	61%	62%
Wellness Programs	40%	36%
Changing Carriers	26%	25%
Disease Management	14%	11%
Becoming Self-insured	8%	6%
Joining Purchasing Association	6%	4%
Multiple answers were permitted

 

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Sales-and-use-tax vendor Avalara is going mobile via a third-party app. The product, which will incorporate the company's geo-location technology, will be introduced early next year by developer Inner Fence. Geo-location is designed to determine taxing jurisdictions for other locations, including those under construction or with no address. Inner Fence markets mobile credit-card processing apps.

 

 

 

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