Tag: Employee Benefits
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Do I Really Need Employee Benefits Counsel?
When it comes to group health plans, many HR managers rely on their insurance broker and account teams to guide them through the complexities of regulatory requirements and best practices. While an insurance broker should provide valuable support and direction, an implicit (or sometimes explicit) question can arise when complex issues are encountered: “Do I…
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What to Look for in a TPA for Your Flexible Benefits and COBRA Administration
It may seem as if all third-party administrators (TPAs) are essentially the same, but, surprise, they aren’t! A flashy website can make a subpar TPA look and sound great, but what truly matters is how well the TPA does what it is entrusted to do. This article highlights important considerations beyond first appearances when selecting…
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Why You Should be Auditing Your Monthly Carrier Invoices: Bill Reconciliation from a Compliance Perspective
Have You Reviewed Your Bills Lately? While conversations about finances are always first on the agenda at annual renewal meetings, there are a variety of reasons why plan sponsors and HR should be paying attention to carrier invoices year-round. As a former account manager, I cannot count the number of times that a client who…
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Building a Culture of Wellness and Safety
It is not uncommon to hear that while many employers have both safety and wellness committees, they rarely interact with one another. Employees, managers, and leaders may inherently realize that there are benefits to combining safety and well-being efforts, and quite a bit of overlap, but they also may encounter difficulties when it comes to…
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Get Results from Your Wellness Program Instead of Just Giving Away Money
A common problem with employer wellness programs is that they don’t really drive behavior change that improves health outcomes. In a typical homegrown wellness program, an employer incentivizes their employees to complete basic health activities like an annual physical and lab work. The rewards often range from $150 to over $2,000 per year in some…
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The Early Bird Gets the Worm – And Other Lessons for Better Recruitment Results
In case you haven’t noticed, we are in the midst of the greatest advancements in technology in the history of humankind. No longer burdened by “snail mail,” “in-person applications,” “letter writing,” “paper checks” and hundreds of other time-consuming tasks, technology has changed our world. Mostly for the better (although I know I will get some…
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How Artificial Intelligence is Improving Ben Admin Technology Platforms
Benefits administration (ben admin) technology platforms are often miscategorized as merely “enrollment systems.” As a result, the innovation focus has primarily been on the employee annual enrollment experience. But now, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), ben admin technology providers are bringing year-round value and efficiency to both HR administrators and their employees. System Configuration and…
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A Cautionary Tale: Version Control and Benefit Guides
While companies are increasingly adopting microsites, apps, HRIS systems, and other technologies to communicate their plans to employees, the benefits guide remains a common practice for organizations to showcase their insurance options and rewards or to use as a recruitment tool. But there’s a common dilemma when it comes to benefits guides—one I often…
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Are Chronic Conditions Driving Up Your Workers’ Comp Spend?
There is a direct correlation between employee well-being and workplace safety. Healthier employees tend to be safer, leading to fewer on-the-job accidents. However, the presence of chronic and often co-morbid conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, arthritis, asthma, hypertension, depression, and anxiety, can impact employees’ ability to perform their jobs safely and add significant complexity to…
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New Simplified Rules for Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage—What HR Professionals Need to Know in 2025
A New Era of Simplicity for Creditable Coverage Notices In the first and second quarters of 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized changes to how employer-sponsored group health plans determine if their prescription drug coverage is “creditable” for Medicare Part D purposes. For HR professionals, this marks a shift to simplified…