May 11, 2021
Advocacy in Action | Anesthesia Bill Assistance
A member contacted The Purple Card® because she received an anesthesia bill showing she was being balanced billed for $900. The member sent a copy of the bill to her Patient Advocate because she wanted to understand why the provider was sending her a bill. The procedure had been pre-authorized ...
April 28, 2021
Employer Tax Credit for Vaccination Leave
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) allows small and midsize employers, and certain governmental employers, to claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees due to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to ...
April 23, 2021
Is Multitasking Dead or Alive?
Multitasking was once a characteristic touted by savvy workers who claimed to be highly efficient and productive. Women are particularly adept at this skill that requires bouncing from one task to another quickly. An onslaught of articles a few years ago told readers that multitasking ...
April 23, 2021
Telemedicine: Just a Phone Call Away
Prior to the pandemic, the idea of scheduling a virtual doctor appointment was about as novel as online dating was in the late ‘90s. Telemedicine was used by less than 5% of the U.S. population, primarily in the area of mental health with the emergence of new apps like Better Help and Talk ...
April 23, 2021
Virtual Onboarding: Welcome from Afar
In real life (IRL), a good first day at a new job may include donuts in the break room, a slew of in-person introductions and a load of branded company swag (mouse pad, coffee cup and pens). Companies have had to rethink their orientation process due to the increase in new hires starting day ...
April 23, 2021
DOL Guidance on Fiduciary Cybersecurity for Employee Benefit Plans
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced new guidance for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, record keepers and plan participants on best practices for maintaining cybersecurity. Although much of the guidance is intended to protect retirement benefits, the rules also generally apply ...
April 23, 2021
Unpacking Severance
The global economy has suffered since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many businesses have had to come up with creative solutions to address declines in business such as furloughs, pay cuts or freezes on matching retirement contributions. The goal is that a temporary change ...
April 21, 2021
Benefits Alert | Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation Settlement
On October 16, 2020, a class action legal case involving Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) was settled. At a high level, the core element of the case was the accusation that BCBS was violating antitrust laws by entering into an agreement amongst its various geographic based organizational groups to ...
April 14, 2021
DOL Issues FAQs about COBRA Premium Assistance under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
On April 7, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL), in consultation with the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), issued FAQs written for the benefit of participants and beneficiaries regarding the temporary 100% COBRA Subsidy mandated by the American Plan Rescue Act of ...
April 9, 2021
DOL Issues ARPA COBRA Subsidy Forms
On April 7, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued the much-awaited COBRA Model Notices required under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), implementing the 100% COBRA Subsidy for eligible individuals. In order to assist plan sponsors with implementing the subsidy as required under ...
