July 23, 2019
New HDHP Preventive Care Benefits
In response to the President’s Executive Order 13877 “Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First,” the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2019-45 to expand the list of preventive care benefits that a high deductible health plan (HDHP) can ...
July 16, 2019
Plan Type by Region | 2018 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
When looking at plans by region, PPO plans are most prevalent in the Central U.S., however they generally dominate nationwide, except in the Northeast where CDHPs are most prevalent. As a member of United Benefit Advisors, we can provide you with data from the nation’s most comprehensive ...
July 9, 2019
Costs by Organization Size | 2018 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
Generally, larger groups (those with 200 to 1,000+ employees) pay more than average per employee due to more generous benefit levels. Despite these employers’ ability to negotiate better rates (and the fact that, unlike small groups, they are not required to comply with age and community ...
July 8, 2019
Compliance Recap | June 2019
June was a relatively busy month in the employee benefits world. The Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Treasury published final rules that removed the prohibition against integrating a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) with ...
June 17, 2019
Costs by Industry | 2018 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
The government/education/utilities sector has the priciest plans, at $11,943 per employee, virtually unchanged from last year. Total costs per employee for the construction/agriculture, retail, hospitality, and health care sectors are all lower than average, making employees in these industries ...
June 12, 2019
Get Ready for the Class of 2019
It’s June, and that means that across the country college seniors have donned caps and gowns and are preparing to enter the workforce. They’ve got good reason to be optimistic. CNBC reports that companies are looking to hire 16 percent more graduates than they did in 2018. In fact, ...
June 12, 2019
Sabbaticals Can Benefit Employees and Employers
While many employees may be dreaming of a short summer vacation, others could have a longer block of time off in mind. Sabbaticals, whether paid or unpaid, are extended breaks from work without leaving a position. A sabbatical gives an employee the opportunity to take time to travel, spend time ...
June 11, 2019
Mentorship Matters
Imagine highly tailored, expert advice for both professional and personal life goals and transitions being readily available. That’s what a skilled mentor can provide. Having an engaged, intentional, and present mentor helps support and build talent. Beyond talent and skill building, ...
June 10, 2019
Compliance Recap | May 2019
May was a busy month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released health savings account annual contribution limits and high deductible health plan minimum annual deductibles and annual out-of-pocket maximums for 2020. The Department of Labor (DOL) released ...
June 10, 2019
Costs by Region | 2018 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
Overall costs per employee rose 3.8%, from $9,934 in 2017 to $10,313 in 2018 (compared to the 2.1% increase from $9,727 in 2016 to the 2017 cost). Regional cost averages vary even more significantly, making it essential to benchmark both nationally and regionally. For example, a significant ...
