October 21, 2019
Update on Nondiscrimination Regulations for Health Care Providers
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Section 1557 provides that individuals shall not be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any health program or activity which receives federal financial assistance from the Department ...
October 17, 2019
HSA and HRA Contributions | 2019 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
The health savings account (HSA) average contribution for singles rose to $989 in 2019 compared to $763 in 2018 and $477 in 2017, approximately a 30% increase over last year and 107% from two years ago. The health savings account (HSA) average family contribution is $1,632 in 2019. ...
October 15, 2019
4 Steps to a Pet-Friendly Workplace
If your team is waving goodbye to doggy day-care and the days of leaving furry friends at home, congratulations! The trend of bringing dogs to work started soon after what is widely considered the most influential research on dog-friendly offices, published in the International Journal of ...
October 10, 2019
Deductible Costs | 2019 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
While employers have largely kept in-network single and family deductibles flat in 2019, rising out-of-network deductibles for families and singles continue to discourage use of non-participating physicians. For example, singles who go out of network for care face a $4,000 deductible, up from ...
October 8, 2019
How to Take your 2020 Benefit Change Rollout to the Next Level
With open enrollment right around the corner, employers are faced with the annual question: how are we going to get employees engaged while helping them make the smartest benefit decisions for their individual situations? This year, instead of plain old printouts and email, try a new method. ...
October 4, 2019
Compliance Recap | September 2019
September was a busy month in the employee benefits world. The U.S. Senate confirmed Eugene Scalia as the new Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published proposed rules regarding affordability safe harbors and Section 105(h) nondiscrimination rules ...
September 24, 2019
Self Funding | 2019 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
Historically, self-funding has been most attractive to the large group market, with approximately 60% of these groups choosing to self-fund, a number that has remained virtually flat over the last five years. Similarly, in the middle market (100-499 employees), approximately 30% of employers ...
September 24, 2019
Expansion of the Remote Workforce
According to one Cision study, more than 50% of the working works from home at least half of the week. Remote work is exploding in popularity, expanding by 91% over the last ten years and 159% over the last 12 years. Thanks to ever-evolving digital and cloud-based technology, employees can ...
September 24, 2019
Fighting Unconscious Bias In the Workplace
We are all familiar with overt biases in the workplace. From off-color jokes to discriminatory hiring practices, the experience of conscious bias is an unfortunate reality for many women and men at all levels of corporate hierarchy. But what about unconscious bias? These are the covert thoughts ...
September 24, 2019
Addressing Marijuana Usage and Testing
Recreational cannabis legalization is rolling out across the United States, and many employers are faced with a big, hazy question: how should they address drug testing in the workplace? Eleven states have legalized recreational marijuana and 33 others have legalized medical marijuana. It’s ...
