News/Blog

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ACA: Bad News for State Government Finances

With the impending collapse of the Affordable Care Act’s state exchanges and the belief that Medicaid or some other form of government-sponsored plan will replace private insurance now used in the exchanges, the outlook for state finances appears to be grim. Since the end of the Great Recession, most states have benefited from economic growth…

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4th Quarter 2016 – Benefits Bulletin

    Overview: Benefits Bulletin is a quarterly newsletter that covers hot benefit topics in depth. This issue includes information about the new overtime rule, penalties for health plan violations, changes proposed to Form 5500 and the 2016 election.

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Employers Want Cost Savings/Benefit Brokers Look to Improve Service and Relationships

Prudential Insurance recently released its employee benefits report Ninth Study of Employee Benefits: Today and Beyond. I found it very curious that the study/ survey found that benefit brokers top business objectives in 2016 are:   Retaining current customers Increasing productivity and efficiency Increasing customer satisfaction Providing high quality service Deepening relationships with current customers…

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Future Thinking: Coupling HDHPs and Telemedicine

Switching to a high deductible health plan can save a group serious money today, but what is the long-term impact tomorrow if low-income employees are not utilizing their plan when they need it most? A recent analysis by EBRI revealed a large disparity in HDHP plan utilization between low income and high income employees. Research found…

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HR Brief – August 2016

HR Brief – August 2016 This month’s HR Brief clarifies some of the differences between the FMLA, ADA and short-term disability, highlights the importance of enforcing employer policies as written and alerts employers about Exchange subsidy notices.   Employee Leave:  Clarifying STD, FMLA and ADA In addition to the federal requirements under the Family and…

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Summer Wellness 2016

OVERVIEW SUMMER WELLNESS: Tips for Weathering the Sun and the Heat In This Issue: Making Sense of Sunscreen Go Outside and Play Recipe: Chicken Stir-fry  

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Compliance UPdates

Benefits Buzz March 2016

Recent Court Rulings Raise Questions about FMLA The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) clearly states that when an employer knows that a worker taking leave qualifies for FMLA, it must designate the worker’s absence as FMLA leave. Despite this requirement, some employers let employees choose whether to designate their leave as FMLA leave. Two…

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HR Insights February 2016: 5 Important HR Issues to Monitor for 2016

5 Important HR Issues to Monitor for 2016  Employers have new challenges to contend with in 2016, resulting from Supreme Court decisions, federal and state legislation, and actions by federal regulatory agencies. There is a real cost for employers who fail to comply with new laws. For example, the most recent Performance Accountability Report for…

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The Wellness Edge: LWWW Newsletter February 2016

Live Well Work Well: Health and wellness tips for your work and life— brought to you by the insurance professionals at Axion Risk Management Strategies February 2016   FDA Aims to Ban Minors from Tanning Beds Due to concerns about the rising number of skin cancer cases, in December 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

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