While the overall future of U.S. healthcare is unclear, advocates of child healthcare are especially wary.

A recent study found several disparities between low and high income workers when it comes to utilizing their job-based health insurance.

Running a business, large or small, is challenging. Navigating health insurance to find the right fit for your company without breaking the bank can be even more so. Luckily, with a bit of guidance, this seemingly daunting task can be managed.

With the ever-changing healthcare landscape, employers constantly struggle to meet the benefits needs of their companies. Doing “more with less” seems to be the trend as employers scramble to meet the regulations on laws concerning the Affordable Care Act, Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and paid parental leave.

As you set out to select a health plan, sifting through the sea of options can be overwhelming. With so many plans to choose from, how are you supposed to distinguish between those that will deliver quality care and those that won't? Sometimes it can feel like you'd need a crystal ball to tell whether a given plan will end up meeting your expectations or falling flat. 

Many plans try to convince you of their worth by simply inundating you with information. To identify the highest-quality health plans in your lengthy list of options, however, just a few characteristics end up making all the difference. As you evaluate potential health plans, look closely at these indicators, as they can point you toward the highest-quality option:

Businesses will spend six percent more on healthcare benefits in 2017 than they did this year, according to an annual survey by the National Business Group on Health. To the casual observer, this might appear to be good news, since the upcoming price hike is no greater than last year's. However, despite this relatively steady growth rate, healthcare costs continue to climb faster than wages on average, suggesting consumers will be forced to put even more of their paychecks toward medicine. 

"While employers have been able to keep increases in checkfor the past few years, costs are still running at more than twice the rate of inflation and general wage increases, thereby threatening affordability," said Brian Marcotte, president and CEO of NBGH in a press release. "These cost increases, while stable, are both unsustainable and unacceptable."

Nearly one-third of the 133 surveyed employers indicated that specialty pharmacy costs were the number one driver behind this spike in spending - up from just 6 percent in 2014. Rounding out the list of the three biggest culprits were high cost claimants and specific diseases and conditions. 

As healthcare costs continue to climb, employers are considering creative ways to curb spending and protect their profits. In many cases, companies simply end up shifting these expenses onto their employees, Plan Sponsor reported. However, new research suggests employers are leaving options unexplored that could help limit overall healthcare spending. 

If you operate a business, employee satisfaction should be at the top of your list of concerns. The happier your employees are with their jobs and your company, the more productive, efficient, cooperative and creative they will be in their roles. It's crucial for an organization's financial and operational well-being to promote high retention rates, and quality healthcare does just that.

Here are some reasons job-sponsored healthcare plans should be your first concern as an employer:

Employee-sponsored health insurance has long been considered a crucial benefit by both job seekers looking for stable employment and employers looking for a high quality workforce. Even after major reforms — such as the Affordable Care Act, which created a framework by which individuals can purchase insurance through state-based markets, often with subsidies — the vast majority of working Americans still receive their insurance through their employer. And they're quite attached to it.

Corporate wellness programs seem to be getting more popular recently, with businesses of all sizes reaping the benefits of a healthier workforce and bottom line. For many employers, however, starting a wellness program can be a daunting task. Even more challenging is getting employees to participate and stick with it.

Here are some essential steps to get you there: