Industry News

EEOC to Maintain its Bipartisan Enforcement Plan

  • On May 12, 2017
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) plans to maintain its bipartisan strategic enforcement plan, despite recent White House changes. According to EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum, who recently spoke at the Society for Human Resource Management’s legal conference, the EEOC plans to focus specifically on six priorities in the coming years. It also plans to focus […]
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Industry Trends: Reducing Health Care Spend

  • On May 12, 2017
Health care cost transparency will continue to play a larger role to the many consumers who are now bearing a much larger share of health care costs, but how will this all improve health care consumption and overall spend for the future? Many experts speculate we could save billions on health care this year alone. […]
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IRS Releases Two New Bulletins That Will Impact Plan Design for 2018

  • On May 12, 2017
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released two new bulletins that will help shape employer health plan contributions and plan designs for the year ahead.   One establishes the contribution limits, minimum deductibles, and maximum for out-of-pocket expense limits for qualified high deductible health plans (HDHPs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) for calendar year 2018. Individuals […]
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Health Reform Moves to the Senate

  • On May 12, 2017
Now that the United States House of Representatives has passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), action on repealing, replacing or repairing the current health reform law has moved to the United States Senate.  Instead of just making changes to the House-passed legislation, the leadership of the upper chamber has made it clear that they […]
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Summer Staffing

  • On May 12, 2017
  As summer approaches, many employees may be thinking of submitting vacation requests or may have already done so.  Encourage your staff to submit their vacation requests as soon as possible so that you can plan for any staffing needs.   Although a lot of college students have already found summer internship opportunities, there will still […]
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401(k) and 403(b) Retirement Savings Plans

  • On April 14, 2017
Many employers offer a 401(k) or 403(b) Savings Plan to their employees as a way to save for the employee’s own retirement.  However, employees may choose not to participate because they don’t understand the importance of saving now for the future, are confused about different investments options, or are concerned about the volatility of the […]
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Industry Trends: Big Pharma’s Engagement with Consumers

  • On April 14, 2017
It is not a secret that pharmaceutical companies continue to face an increasingly challenging regulatory and reimbursement environment. However, with the growing trend in consumerism, pharmaceutical companies in 2017(and on) are looking to better engage with patients to justify prices, show value, and satisfy the criticism of regulators who want them to work more closely […]
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Essential Health Benefits Explained

  • On April 14, 2017
As Congress and President Trump continue efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law’s mandate that some health plans cover essential health benefits (EHBs) has become a focal point of health reform negotiations. Proponents of eliminating or changing EHBs argue they are artificially driving up the cost of private health insurance […]
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Health Reform Change May Have Slowed Down, but It Has Not Stopped

  • On March 27, 2017
Last week, President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress halted their immediate efforts to change the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  While we now know that sweeping health policy changes like the elimination of the employer mandate will not occur in the near future, we are hearing that other important health policy actions are still underway.  As […]
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Industry Trends: Lower Costs or Higher Quality?

  • On March 20, 2017
Lower costs, high quality–we should have both!  We have heard this many times, but it is true, the U.S. health care system is the most expensive in the world.  According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, health care accounts for 17 percent of our gross national product—and that percentage continues to grow.  Health […]
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New SBC Template and Glossary Must Be Used Beginning April 1, 2017

  • On March 17, 2017
One ACA requirement for health insurers and employer-sponsored group benefit plans that remains effective is the requirement to provide enrollees and applicants with a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) and a uniform glossary of common health plan terms.  The SBC is a short document that explains all of a health plan’s basic coverage terms […]
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Congress and the Trump Administration Begin Work on Federal Health Reform Change

  • On March 17, 2017
Formal work on national health care reform is well underway now that the congressional leadership of the Republican Party has released draft legislation to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Health policy ideas are flying around Washington, DC, and in the news there is a tremendous amount of chatter and speculation about what […]
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Spring Cleaning – Employee Records

  • On March 17, 2017
Spring is FINALLY here! Personally, I am looking forward to nicer weather, blooming flowers and trees, and “spring cleaning”.  Now is the perfect time to think about cleaning and organizing your employer files.  Before you head for the nearest shredder, be sure to review federal and state retention requirements.  As a general rule of thumb, […]
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House GOP Releases First Draft of Health Reform Repeal/Replace Measure

  • On March 7, 2017
On Monday evening, March 6, 2017 the House Republican leadership unveiled its first official version of legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.  Known as the American Health Care Act, the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees will begin their work on “marking up” the legislation this week. See the […]
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Industry Trends: Narrow Networks Cut Down on Costs

  • On February 17, 2017
As we constantly search for solutions to help manage health care costs and more importantly, strategies that continue to ease the stinging of mounting premiums, another tactic that health care purchasers are continuing to market is narrow provider networks. By limiting health plan enrollees to a narrower network of providers, health purchasers can negotiate lower […]
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Recent Notable Federal Health Plan Guidance

  • On February 17, 2017
In January and early February, federal government agencies issued several key pieces of guidance that may be of help to employer group benefit plans for 2017 administration purposes. The 2017 federal poverty level (FPL) standards were released, which applicable large employers (ALEs) may elect to use to help determine if the coverage they offer to […]
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Health Reform Changes Are A Hot Topic, But No Action Items Yet

  • On February 17, 2017
While there is lots of talk in Washington, D.C. these days about potential repeal, replacement, and/or rebuilding of the health reform law, so far there has been no action that would actually change any current requirements for employer group benefit plans. In fact, employer plans need to be very mindful of some key looming compliance […]
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Company Culture Might Be More Important Than You Think

  • On February 17, 2017
Company culture is the unifying element that holds everyone in an organization together. Culture encompasses the written and unwritten behavioral norms and expectations of those within the company. Why Is Company Culture Important? According to Alternative Board’s 2016 Small Business Pulse Survey, 93 percent of entrepreneurs believe that promoting company culture is good for productivity […]
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President Trump Signs Executive Order on Health Reform

  • On January 23, 2017
On Friday evening, as one of his first acts as President, Donald Trump signed an executive order concerning his Administration’s intentions with regard to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).   The one-page order does not change any existing provisions of the law or its related regulations, or suspend any current requirements for individuals, employers or other […]
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