Employee Benefits Report – June 2018
Could Paid Family Medical Leave Be in Your Company’s Future?
Although the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires some employers to provide unpaid leave to workers for family or medical reasons, several states now mandate employers to provide paid leave.
Read on for details.
ACA Compliance Issues for 2018
Even though the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is in its eighth year, many employers are not especially confident they know how to stay in compliance with the controversial health care reform law.
Read on for details.
What’s The Best Health Care Account for Your Employees?
Help your employees achieve more control over their health care decisions and expenses by providing them with a savings account for medical expenses.
Read on for details.
New Disability Insurance Regulations Designed to Provide Safeguards for Policy Holders
New regulations will affect employers and plan administrators who offer short-term and long-term disability plans.
Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Summer 2018
Life Insurance for any Age — Especially During Retirement
There are many reasons why life insurance can make sense in retirement.
Read on for details.
Annuity Sales to Pick-Up in 2018
Rule changes in 2017 caused a decline in annuity sales. Still, annuities remain popular with investors for a number of reasons.
Read on for details.
Insurance Terminology 101 — What You Don’t Know Could Cost You
Health insurance protects you from financial ruin should you have a serious health issue and makes it more likely you’ll seek treatment when you’re ill.
Read on for details.
Convert a Roth IRA Once? Yes. Twice? No.
With the passage of the tax reform bill late last year, you can no longer undo Roth IRA conversions.
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – April 2018
Don’t Let a Flu Epidemic Take Your Business Down
A particularly virulent influenza strain, H3N2, was responsible for a record number of illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths this winter.
Read on for details.
Tuition Assistance for a Better Future
Tuition assistance not only benefits your employees, it helps your company.
Read on for details.
Making a 401(k) Plan a Reality for Your Employees
A 401(k) retirement plan is one of the most desirable and valuable benefits you can provide your employees. Having an employee retirement plan shows you care about their future and helps employees create a nest egg for a comfortable retirement.
Read on for details.
A Partnership with an Eye To Better Health Care
Three successful American companies decided to see if the status quo of rising health care costs and decreasing patient satisfaction can be improved.
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – March 2018
Stepping into Lower Drug Costs
Step therapy can save money but some say there can be a downside.
One way to keep your health benefit plan’s overall costs lower is to encourage employees to choose generic drugs whenever possible. The U. S. healthcare system saved $1.68 trillion from 2005 to 2014 by using generic drugs, according to the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.
Read on for details.
Ten Reasons to Motivate Employees to Use Their Employee Health Benefit Portal
It’s not enough to give your employees the right health plan if they don’t understand it. An online employee portal or self-service site can help — if employees are motivated to use it.
Kicking it Up a Notch — Retirement Contribution Limits Increased
That’s just one of the many changes to retirement plans for 2018.
This year employees can contribute $500 more to their federally legislated retirement funds. The federal government raised contribution limits to $18,500 for 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the Thrift Savings Plan. The adjustment was made to keep up with the cost of living. Participants age 50 or older, by the end of 2018, may make additional catch-up contributions of $6,000, meaning older savers may defer up to $24,500 into their retirement plan.
Read on for details.
Ways to Proactively Combat Mental Health Issues in the Workplace
Do you have employees who are depressed, anxious or addicted to alcohol or drugs? If so, do you know what to do?
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Spring 2018
Watch for Health Insurance Premium Increases
Reinstating the Health Insurance Act and repealing the individual mandate to purchase insurance could both contribute to a rise in premiums.
Read on for details.
Haven’t Saved Enough for Retirement? Here’s a Few Ideas
If you aren’t on course to save $1 million by the time you retire, you’ll have to get creative. The Motley Fool, a multimedia financial-services company, says that’s the amount of money a couple will need to live comfortably after they retire.
Read on for details.
Life Insurance: When Free isn’t Enough
Employer sponsored life insurance may not meet all your needs.
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. Some applicants are tempted to leave out or misstate information they don’t see as important — or think will adversely affect their benefits.
Employee Benefits Report -January 2018
Pharmacogenomics: Better Health and Cost Savings
Drugs are formulated for normal physiology. Physicians with knowledge of a person’s unique genetic makeup can better determine which drugs will be most effective. Read on for details.
Short- or Long-Term? Which Disability Policy is Best for Your Employees?
Long-term disability coverage offers employees better financial security. Yet most workers choose short-term coverage
Read on for details.
The Benefits of Offering Supplemental Life Insurance
Supplemental insurance allows employees to customize their coverage to meet their individual needs. Read on for details.
Voluntary Benefits Now Almost Mandatory
>More employers are turning to voluntary benefits as a cost-effective way to help employees protect their financial assets. Employees, too, are looking for more robust benefit packages.
Employee Benefits Report -December 2017
Changes to 401(k) Plans Under Consideration
Congress is debating possible changes to the 401(k) retirement plans employers offer their employees. Some of the ideas being discussed by Senators and Representatives would favor employees, some would benefit the federal government. Read on for details.
Vision Insurance Trends to Incorporate in Your Benefit Plans
Employees increasingly rank vision insurance as one of the most important benefits. Here’s how to get the right plan for your employees:
Read on for details.
Proposed Changes to Group Health Insurance for Small Employers
The president and congress continue proposing changes to healthcare laws and the country continues to debate what the effects of those proposals will be. Read on for details.
Getting the Most Out of Disability Benefits
You spend valuable time and money to offering benefits to your employees. So imagine how frustrating it would be for you and your employees if they were unable to enjoy the benefits they deserve.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Winter 2017
Financially Sound Ways to Give to Minors
There are many options for helping a child secure his or her financial future.
Read on for details.
Is Short-Term Medical Insurance a Good Fit for Your Situation?
If you missed open enrollment or have certain “life events” short-term insurance can keep you covered.
Read on for details.
Take Steps to Improve Your Financial Retirement
Most baby boomers have less than half the assets they expect to need in retirement
Read on for details.
Will Your Health Insurance Cover Your Trip Overseas?
The day has come! You’re headed overseas for the trip of your lifetime. But what happens if you get sick on the trip? Really sick?
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – October 2017
The What, Who and How Much of Offering Life Insurance
As an employer you are in a unique position to offer your employees an easy way to purchase a valuable benefit, costing them less than if they purchased it on their own. Read on for details.
Strategies for Making Your Wellness Program Pay Off
Wellness programs are promoted as win-win. Employers save money on health care benefit costs. Employees improve their health.
Read on for details.
New Ways to Keep Health Care Benefit Costs Down
After salaries, Health care benefits are an employer’s largest employee-related expense, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A 2016 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) pegged the annual cost in 2016 at $8,669 for each employee. Read on for details.
Group Health Costs Continue to Climb
It could cost you five percent or more to provide your employees with health care benefits in 2018.
After surveying large employers, the National Business Group on Health released a report on plan design costs this summer.
Employee Benefits Report – September 2017
Could Direct Primary Care Control Your Health Care Benefit Costs?
Affordable Care Act marketplaces are closing at an alarming rate. Health care benefit costs are soaring. Some Republicans are trying to repeal and replace the current Affordable Care Act and others in Congress just want to make changes before it implodes. Meanwhile, coverage isn’t getting any cheaper, and many Americans are left wondering what options they have for affordable health care coverage. Read on for details.
Opioid Addiction in the Workplace: How to Help Employees
Opioid addiction is on the rise and is affecting the workplace. The National Safety Council reported that nearly 70 percent of the employers they surveyed said prescription drug abuse has negatively impacted their companies.
Read on for details.
Switching to a High-Deductible Health Plan? Here’s How to Explain the Change
High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are gaining in popularity as a way for employers to save money and to give employees more say on how their health care dollars are spent. Read on for details.
Great Reasons to Offer a 529 Savings Plan
A 529 college savings plan is considered one of the best ways for parents to save for their children’s’ higher education. Similar to a 401(k) savings plan or an Individual Retirement Account, contributions to the state-run plan grow tax free. In many states, participants get a tax deduction or credit for their contributions.
Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Fall 2017
Individual Health Care Marketplace Faces Serious Hurdles
There is good news and bad news on the individual health care front. First the bad news.
Read on for details.
Smart Ways to Plan for Retirement Savings
If you have already started saving for your retirement, congratulations! You’re on the right path. However, just saving money will not be enough to ensure a comfortable retirement if you don’t make the right decisions concerning your plan.
Read on for details.
Critical Questions to Consider When Designating a Life Insurance Beneficiary
Life insurance is a wonderful gift to leave your beneficiaries. They can use the proceeds to meet their financial needs, such as paying for housing, or helping them to reach their goals, like going to college.
Read on for details.
Should You Insure Your Loan Payments?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows you to deduct medical expenses on your tax return — potentially saving you a significant amount in taxes. To get these savings, you must keep detailed records. Therefore, it’s never too soon to start planning for the April 17, 2018, tax deadline.
Employee Benefits Report – July 2017
The American Health Care Act: A Bill in Transition
Wondering how the changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will affect you? You’ll have to be patient. The American Health Care Act (AHCA) bill is still in flux. Possible enhancements or repercussions are only educated guesses at this time. Read on for details.
Voluntary Benefits: The Upside of Giving Employees a Choice
Many employers rely on a robust benefit package to attract and retain employees. The challenge is determining which benefits will appeal to a diverse employee base.
Read on for details.
It’s the Law: Benefits You Must Provide Employees
Employers have a lot of options for increasing the appeal of their benefits plans. But there are also certain minimums to comply with — benefits required by law. Read on for details.
Want an Edge Attracting and Keeping Millennials? Consider Offering Pet Insurance
The Nationwide insurance company estimates that 65 percent of Americans own at least one pet. Of those pet owners, the American Pet Products Association estimates 24 percent are millennials.
Read on for details.
