March 18, 2019
Compliance Recap | February 2019
February was a quiet month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released an information letter addressing when an employer may seek recoupment of contributions made to an employee’s HSA. A U.S. District Court held that the State of Maryland could not ask for a ...
March 5, 2019
In Pursuit of a Better Meeting
Groans and sighs often greet the ping of a meeting invite hitting an inbox. While it may be impossible to make meetings more fun than the office holiday party, it is possible to lessen the dread, increase morale, and improve the results of a meeting. Complaints about meetings are often ...
March 5, 2019
Sharpen Those Soft Skills
Knowing how to code or being well versed in Artificial Reality is one way for a recruit or employee to set themselves apart. In many companies, though, it’s soft skills like time management, public speaking and oral communication, leadership, and even emotional intelligence that is ...
March 5, 2019
Who’s Ghosting Who?
Ghosting is a term coined by millennials to describe someone who disappears or is unresponsive without explanation. It may be in the online dating world or even after meeting IRL (that’s in real life). Or, it may be leaving a party without letting anyone know. And now, it’s popping ...
March 5, 2019
Tackling Workplace Bullying
A recent study reports more than half of employees in global businesses witnessed or experienced workplace bullying. While that’s alarming, research focused on the U.S. says closer to 75 percent of employees have been impacted by workplace bullying. What are some of those impacts? ...
February 18, 2019
Advocacy in Action | Lab Work Claims
Our Patient Advocates are serious about service. As an independent resource, they are available to our members to help them resolve any concerns about their benefit program. They can assist with concerns about claims, patient referrals, balance bills, enrollment delays, or any benefits issue. ...
January 23, 2019
Proposed 2020 Benefit Payment and Parameters Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule for benefit payment and parameters for 2020. CMS also released its draft 2020 actuarial value calculator and draft 2020 actuarial value calculator methodology. According to CMS, the proposed rule is intended to ...
January 12, 2019
Compliance Recap | January 2019
January was a relatively quiet month in the employee benefits world. The Department of Labor (DOL) issued its annual adjustment of federal civil monetary penalties. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a proposed rule for benefit payment and parameters for 2020. The ...
January 3, 2019
Court Modifies Order Regarding EEOC Wellness Rules
In August 2017, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia held that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its decision to allow an incentive for spousal medical history and adopt 30 percent incentive levels for ...
January 1, 2019
Compliance Recap | December 2018
December was a relatively quiet month in the employee benefits world. A U.S. District Court issued an order declaring that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued two final rules to remove certain ...
