January 6, 2022
DOL Announces Good Faith Enforcement Standard, Provides Guidance on Compensation Disclosures
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) amended Section 408(b)(2) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to require service providers (including brokers) to disclose direct and indirect compensation to group health plan fiduciaries. Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2021-03 ...
December 28, 2021
Tiny Habits: How Lowering Your Expectations Can Lead to Change
The New Year is right around the corner. Many take this opportunity to set a big, hairy goal to work on their health, professional development, or relationships. These goals can look like losing 20 pounds by year end or read 3 new books a month. This renewed commitment to a goal is why gyms ...
December 22, 2021
Advocacy in Action | Unexpected Bill
A member received a bill from the lab for $2,152.89. The member did not understand why he was receiving the bill and mentioned the issue to his co-worker. His co-worker mentioned her Patient Advocate had helped her resolve a similar issue. The member called his Patient Advocate about the lab ...
December 21, 2021
How To Responsibly Recruit for “Cultural Fit”
Your first candidate interview of the day just flew by and you didn’t even pick up your pen. You have so much in common with the candidate that you chatted effortlessly. You both have two daughters, a love for hockey and you both grew up in a small Midwest town. You leave the interview ...
December 21, 2021
Sixth Circuit Lifts Stay of OSHA Emergency Vaccine Mandate for Large Employers
On late Friday December 17, 2021, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reinstated the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers, lifting the Fifth Circuit’s earlier stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) ...
December 14, 2021
Delegation: Turn Task Management into a Teaching Moment
In theory, delegation sounds amazing. Do you want to pass off work to someone else so you have more time for other projects? Yes, of course you do. In practice, delegation is more complicated. It involves giving up control, something that may feel difficult for a new manager or someone with ...
December 7, 2021
Sponsorship: The Key Ingredient to Advancement
Mentorship programs have been in the corporate arena for years. You know the drill. A more experienced employee offers advice and support to a fledgling heading up the career ladder. The mentor acts as a sounding board for the junior staff member and offers recommendations on a periodic basis. ...
December 6, 2021
Compliance Recap | November 2021
November saw quite a bit of activity in the compliance space. Although OSHA’s vaccine-or-test mandate for private employers was issued, it was immediately met with resistance in the form of lawsuits and a stay from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The mandates for federal contractors and ...
November 30, 2021
Advocacy in Action | Accident Claims
While out of state on a vacation, a member had a collision with a tree while skiing…all at about 30 mph! Thankfully, he survived but not without major damage to various body systems. He was flown to the closest trauma center, had multiple surgeries and afterwards, had intense therapy. In total, ...
November 23, 2021
Grief: The Underbelly of Change
A big raise, a colleague relocating to a different office, and training on a new client onboarding system… all three of these items have one thing in common: change. Initial reactions run the gamut. A big raise may mean you rally the troops for a celebratory happy hour, while losing an ...
