Employee Benefits Report – July 2020
How to Keep Employees from Raiding Retirement Funds
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc upon the finances of many employees, and some have been forced to use funds from their retirement plans.
Read on for details.
3 Challenges for Benefit Managers During the Pandemic
Providing benefit portability, helping employees manage their work/life balance and maintain financial stability can help employees during this difficult time.
Read on for details.
Mustering Employer Resources to Combat Mental Health Issues
Unfortunately, as a consequence of the work-from-home, shelter-in-place and quarantine initiatives put in place to keep us safe from COVID-19, there has been a rise in emotional distress.
Read on for details.
What to Consider Before Employees Fly the Friendly Skies Again
Now that restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are being lifted, some businesses are allowing employees to travel for work again.
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – June 2020
Retirement Plans: Cash Flow Problem Solver
Cash flow is a big concern for both employers and employees, and the $2 trillion coronavirus economic relief bill and existing regulations provides an unlikely beneficiary — retirement plans.
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Benefits and Challenges of Telehealth Begin to Emerge
Telehealth’s convenience and value were highlighted when fears about the coronavirus pandemic prompted individuals to look for a way to get medical advice without having to go to a doctor’s office.
Read on for details.
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States Taking Action to Control Rising Drug Costs
States are taking action to keep prescription drug costs from rising uncontrolled.
Read on for details.
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What Employees Need to Know About COVID-19 and Life Insurance Benefits
With COVID-19 still in the forefront of everyone’s mind, your employees may be wondering if the life insurance they purchased or that you provided will pay their beneficiaries if they die from the disease. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – May 2002
What the Coronavirus Taught Us
Wash your hands and check your health care benefits to see what’s covered! Read on for details.
What Credit Insurance Can and Cannot Do for You
Credit insurance and credit protection can be prudent options for avoiding financial ruin. Read on for details.
Know Your Rights: How to Appeal a Denied Health Plan Payment
The first step is making sure the denial wasn’t made in error. Read on for details.
How Life Insurance Companies Get to the Truth
Life insurance companies need honest answers to questions about your health to determine appropriate premiums and coverage levels.Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – April 2020
SECURE Act’s Effect on Retirement Plans
Here’s a review of the changes that affect small employers and some large ones.
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ERISA Compliance for Small and Large Employers
Despite its name, Employee Retirement Income Securities Act (ERISA) regulations apply not only to retirement plans, but to all “welfare” plans, including health benefits.
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How to Conduct a COBRA Self Audit
To help avoid an audit, or to be prepared in case an audit is ordered, it’s best to conduct a self audit.
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Giving Benefits the Respect They Deserve (and the Law Requires)
If you offer your employees health benefit coverage, your substance abuse and mental health benefits should be comparable to the other medical benefits in your plan.
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Employee Benefits Report – March 2020
States Actively Working to Reform Health Care
Health care reform continues to be a hot topic during the 2020 presidential election.
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Background Checks: The Fine Line of Staying in Compliance
Background checks allow employers to get a clearer picture of an applicant’s job and personal history. So, what happens if you find out that the applicant has a criminal background or has been convicted of drug use? Read on for details.
How to Stay in Compliance When Employees Work Remotely
As telecommuting continues to gain popularity with it comes a new set of compliance challenges for businesses.
Read on for details.
The Role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Does your health benefit plan have a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM)? If so, it’s important you understand how a PBM affects your and your employees’ access to prescription drugs, as well as controlling your out-of-pocket costs. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – February 2002
How Life Insurance Works in Divorce Settlements
Of the two main types of life insurance, permanent and term, only permanent is usually a significant part of a divorce settlement. Read on for details.
Life Insurance and the High Cost of Vaping
Is vaping safer than cigarettes? Insurance companies don’t think so. Read on for details.
Retirement Financial Planning: How to Set Realistic Goals
As you get close to retirement, it makes sense to switch your mindset from saving for retirement to creating a financial plan that coordinates your spending and saving habits to achieve your retirement goals.
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How Accident and Disability Insurance Differ
Accident insurance and disability insurance might sound similar, but they have different, though complementary objectives. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – January 2020
Value-Based Care Gains Favor as a Provider Reimbursement System
Health care experts believe value-based care could lower costs and improve patient outcomes.
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Rules and Exceptions When Providing Benefits to Same Sex Couples
Employers who offer benefits to spouses must also offer them to same-sex couples though there are exceptions. Read on for details.
IRS Sets 2020 Retirement Plan Contribution and Benefit Limits
Nearly all of the dollar limits currently in effect for 2019 will experience minor increases for 2020. Read on for details.
Dental Insurance Promotes Overall Health
Providing employees the opportunity to purchase dental insurance is not enough. Employee education is an important element when you offer voluntary benefits. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – December 2019
President Trump Issues New Health Coverage Responsibilities for Employers of Immigrants
New and proposed immigration requirements for documented and undocumented immigrants could impact employers who offer health care coverage.
Read on for details.
How Employers Can Avoid FMLA Pitfalls
The FMLA has been law since 1993 but employers can still find the rules confusing. Read on for details.
When is Indemnity Health Insurance an Acceptable Alternative to a Fully-Insured Plan?
Here’s a look at the advantages and disadvantages.
Read on for details.
Are Your Workplace Policies Up to Date about Vaping?
The popularity of vaping is sending some employers scrambling to craft workplace policies governing the use of electronic cigarettes. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – November 2019
A Beneficiary’s Guide to Filing a Life Insurance Claim
A life insurance policy can be a thoughtful way to provide for loved ones after you die. But what happens if you are the beneficiary of someone’s life insurance policy?
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Two Medicare Enrollment Periods for 2020 Benefits
Happy with your Medicare benefits? Not interested in making changes for 2020? Great! You don’t have to do a thing.
Read on for details.
The Case for and Against Universal Health Care
One of the hot topics of the 2020 presidential election is universal health care– especially among progressive Democrat candidates.
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The Benefits of Purchasing Life and Disability Insurance Together
Most people easily grasp the importance of having a life insurance plan. Death is inevitable and life insurance can provide a surviving spouse, children and other dependents with the funds to maintain their standard of living.
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – October 2019
Health Savings Accounts — One Key to a More Comfortable Retirement
Here’s what your employees need to know about health savings accounts
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Genetic Testing Protections and Limitations
When the federal government passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) in 2008, the law provided a starting point and baseline to prevent insurance carriers from using genetic testing information to determine rates. Read on for details.
When Life Insurance Isn’t Enough
Disability, not death, is much more likely to cause a person to lose their home.
Read on for details.
Access to Preventive Care Eased for Some HDHPs
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has made it easier for people who have high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) with health savings accounts (HSAs) to get preventive care services to treat chronic diseases even if the insured hasn’t yet met the deductible. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – September 2019
Technology’s Growing Importance in Providing Quality Health Care
Whenever you sign up for a new group health care benefit plan for your company or receive communications from your insurance carrier about new benefits, there’s a good chance the insurer is using technology to provide you with better service.
Read on for details.
New Rule Offers New HRA Options
Business owners now have a way to help their employees get individual health care coverage. Read on for details.
Legal Plan Representation: Peace of Mind at an Affordable Cost
Your employees face legal issues far more often than you might think, and a group legal plan could relieve employees’ financial and legal concerns while increasing loyalty to your company.
Read on for details.
The Confusing World of Cannabis Regulation and Insurance
Although 33 states and the District of Columbia passed laws legalizing marijuana in some form, don’t assume your group health insurance covers the use of medical marijuana (cannabis) or CBD oil. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – August 2019
Benefits of Hospital Indemnity Insurance
Hospital indemnity insurance is gaining in popularity as a way to deal with increasingly higher out-of-pocket expenses.
Read on for details.
Important Changes to Medicare Part D
If you’re retired and have health care coverage through Medicare Advantage Part C or Original Medicare and a Part D plan, you should know that a few changes have been made.
Read on for details.
What to Know: Long-term vs. Short-Term Disability Insurance
No one really expects to become disabled, but it does happen.
Read on for details.
Travel Insurance for Peace of Mind
The last thing you want to think about when planning your dream vacation is canceling your trip. Still, it pays to plan ahead and travel insurance can be one of the most important items you take.
Read on for details.