August 29, 2022
Health Plan Disclosure Requirements for Prescription Drugs
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) transparency-in-coverage (TiC) rules and provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), group health plan sponsors must both disclose and report detailed information regarding a plan’s prescription drug coverage and costs. There is significant ...
August 15, 2022
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Reorganizing Your Hiring Process to Avoid Groupthink
Humans have an innate drive to “fit in,” and it shows up in all shapes and sizes. The cognitive bias, groupthink, is influenced by the desire to conform and may result in a poor or irrational group decision. Subconsciously, individuals may be swayed by popular opinion or status and fear others ...
August 12, 2022
Compliance Recap | June & July 2022
The summer has seen a flurry of compliance-related activity, most notably the landmark decision issued by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. As we move into the second half of the 2022 employee benefits compliance calendar, there are a number of important issues to note. SCOTUS ...
August 9, 2022
Workplace Culture | Bringing Purpose to Your People
Your individual purpose is a driving force that brings value to your life. It may influence your decisions and motivate you in certain situations. McKinsey research shows that 70% of employees believe their jobs express their individual purpose. This is good news because employees with a clear ...
August 2, 2022
Dear HR Manager from Work-Life Balance Advocate
Dear HR Manager My team worked overtime during the pandemic to meet production goals and did not complain about the extra hours. However, now that we are back to “normal,” I noticed that a few of them will respond to emails outside of business hours and stay late at the office. I worry they ...
July 27, 2022
HHS Issues Proposed Rules under ACA Section 1557 to Clarify Scope of Discrimination Protections
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in certain health programs and ...
July 19, 2022
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | The Power of Pronouns
Words are powerful. Names and pronouns, in particular, represent an important part of a person’s identity. LGBTQ+ colleagues are validated every time a colleague uses their appropriate pronoun. Inclusive employers send a strong signal to employees by asking and using their preferred pronouns. ...
July 15, 2022
Advocacy in Action | Specialty Pharmacy Prescription Drug
A member’s daughter has a chronic illness and needed help obtaining a special prescription drug to treat the condition. The child had been taking another prescription drug but had experienced an adverse reaction causing the child to be hospitalized. The member needed the daughter’s new ...
July 12, 2022
Workplace Culture | Building a Positive Workplace Culture
American workers were willing to depart their jobs for greener pastures during the “Great Resignation.” Unfortunately, one of the contributing factors to the record quit rate was toxic workplaces. For many companies, this reshuffle was a wakeup call to re-examine workplace culture and create an ...
July 5, 2022
Dear HR Manager from Hindsight
Dear HR Manager, I was promoted to management three months ago and have decided it was a mistake to accept this leadership role. I initially thought managing a team of salespeople was the next logical step in my career, but I miss being the person to make the sale. I enjoy the client ...
