October 13, 2021
Compliance Recap | September 2021
September saw a lot of activity in the compliance space, especially coming from the federal government. Vaccine Mandate Guidance Still Pending Vaccine mandates were on everyone’s mind, especially after Delta Airlines announced its $200 monthly surcharge and weekly testing program for ...
October 7, 2021
Departments Issue Guidance on No Surprises Act
On September 30, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), released an interim final rule (IFR) under the No Surprises Act (Act) to help ...
September 29, 2021
Advocacy in Action | Help with Short Term Disability Benefits
HR reached out because they had a pregnant member who was being denied her short term disability. Miranda was a new hire whose new hire benefits and open enrollment ran very close together. Miranda did not elect her coverage during her new hire period and instead elected during open enrollment. ...
September 21, 2021
Write Your Way Through the “Sunday Night Scaries”
Eighty percent of working adults in the USA have experience with this. It occurs at the end of the week and usually shows up around 4:00 p.m. No, it is not a special dinner guest. It is the “Sunday Night Scaries.” Symptoms may include stomach issues and sleeping difficulties. This version of ...
September 20, 2021
Medicare Part D Notices
If your health benefit plan covers any employee, or their covered dependents, who is eligible for Medicare, this applies to you. If you know that your plan does not cover any Medicare eligible individuals (employee or dependent) then you do not need to send this notice. If your medical plan ...
September 14, 2021
A New Approach to Tuition Aid: Student Loan Repayment Plans
Employers wanting to expand benefit packages, take note! Last December, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This new provision makes it easier than ever for private employers to offer student loan repayment plans. Yes, you heard that right – STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT ...
September 8, 2021
Sample Open Enrollment Notices Packet
Including: Important Notice About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare: Provide this notice by October 14 to all participants and dependents who are or may become eligible for Medicare Part D in the next 12 months if the prescription drug coverage provided by the plan is “creditable.” ...
September 7, 2021
Health Savings Accounts: What You Need to Know
A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-exempt trust or custodial account set up with a qualified HSA trustee (such as a bank or insurance company) that is used to pay or reimburse certain medical expenses. HSAs were first available as of January 1, 2004, and have grown greatly in popularity. ...
September 7, 2021
Pack Your Emails with Power
How many times have you finished reading a lengthy email only to discover you did not retain a single piece of information? You have no idea why the writer sent it to you or what you are supposed to do as a result. Instead, you are left trying to decide whether you should casually move...
September 7, 2021
Six Employer Questions to Answer Before Imposing a Surcharge on Unvaccinated Workers
Many employers are struggling to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among their workforce, concerned not only about both the safety of the workforce but also the costs of COVID-19 treatment that could be avoided through vaccination. Some are now turning to the possibility of a higher premium ...
