July 13, 2021
Compliance Recap | June 2021
June 2021 was not a busy month in the benefits industry, largely due to the summer vacation season and the Independence Day holiday. Importantly, however, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Additionally, the IRS unveiled ...
July 13, 2021
The Great Resignation
The employment market has taken the American worker on a roller coaster ride over the last year and a half. Unemployment rates hit record highs in 2020 with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Nearly a year later, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey reports new jobs have ...
July 9, 2021
No Surprise Billing Interim Final Regulations Part 1
On July 1, 2021, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, along with the Office of Personnel Management (collectively, the Departments), issued an interim final rule (IFR) to explain provisions of the No Surprises Act (the Act) that passed as part of sweeping ...
July 6, 2021
What Happened to Pensions?
A pension program today is like a valuable gem, rare and hard to find. Looking back 40 years, over 80% of employees at large companies were eligible for a pension upon retirement. It was the “norm.” An employee could plan to work 30 years and be guaranteed a set monthly retirement payment from ...
June 29, 2021
DOL Requires Disclosure of Audio Recordings Under ERISA Claims Procedure
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued Information Letter 06-14-2021 in which the DOL opined that audio recordings of a conversation between a participant and plan representative, and transcripts of the recordings, are subject to disclosure during the claims adjudication process under ...
June 25, 2021
Advocacy in Action | Billing Corrections
Juan had gone in for an echocardiogram. Almost everything turned out fine…everything but the billing! Juan was not expecting to get a bill that was over $2,500! He contacted his dedicated Patient Advocate and they got on the case. In the end, all that Juan owed was less than the cost of getting ...
June 24, 2021
PTO: To Infinity and Beyond
Critics of unlimited paid time off (PTO) policies often believe this flexible approach will create havoc across the company; employees will take advantage of this generous benefit and it will be difficult to get work completed as a result. The research suggests otherwise. The results of a study ...
June 24, 2021
Dealing with the Unknown: Return-to-Office Anxiety
The first day returning to the office after a 14-month hiatus may feel like the first day of school. You don a new outfit (your sweats don’t seem office appropriate!), grab your packed lunch (not sure what restaurants will be open), and jump in your car early to make that 8:30 a.m. meeting in ...
June 24, 2021
FMLA Manager Refresher
Managers have a slew of responsibilities related to supervising employee productivity and overseeing business operations. But it doesn’t stop there. Managers are also tasked with being knowledgeable in a handful of policies and procedures to support their employees. For example, a manager ...
June 24, 2021
The Gratitude Ripple Effect
Positive psychology studies consistently show that giving thanks for the everyday parts of your life will contribute to greater happiness. Something as easy as writing in a gratitude journal daily or joining a 30-day gratitude challenge raises personal awareness of the positive in your life. ...
