Tag: benefits

ACA Employer Responsibility Requirement (‘Play or Pay’)

We offer 100% of our employees health benefits. Are we still required to track Full Time Equivalents? The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer responsibility requirement (or the “play or pay” provision) does not require employers to provide healthcare insurance for their employees. Instead, it requires employers to share healthcare responsibility by either providing coverage or […]

Will an Independent Fiduciary Help Plans Achieve Retirement Readiness?

A couple of phrases are making the rounds in retirement plan circles; perhaps you’ve heard them. They are “retirement readiness” and “independent fiduciary.” While they have different meanings, they are more connected than you may suspect. We spoke with Jason Chepenik of Chepenik Financial, who advises clients about their benefit programs and specializes in retirement […]

7 Tips to Boost Employees’ Literacy and Engagement in Health Care

To most Americans, health insurance is confusing and just plain unenjoyable. Only 14% of U.S. workers can correctly define common insurance terms like deductible, copay, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximum.1 Even if we were savvier about how health insurance works, we’re less than thrilled by the purchasing process: American consumers rate choosing health insurance as unenjoyable […]

What Federal Contractors Need to Know about Self Insurance

By Nicole Mitchell Contractors often disclose the cost savings of self-insured plans with excitement, but buyer beware. Most contractors are surprised when I don’t immediately commend them on cost savings and instead ask them,“Did you know there are ’special‘ compliance requirements for self-insurance plans and failure to meet the compliance requirements makes the cost unallowable?” Most […]

Outstanding Plan Loan Amounts Grow, Fidelity Reports

The percentage of 401(k) plan participants borrowing from their retirement accounts has remained steady amid record levels of savings in the accounts, but one data point from Fidelity Investments’ latest quarterly analysis of the thousands of accounts it manages could be cause for concern. According to the retirement plan administrator for 13.5 million 401(k) participants, […]

Techniques to Manage and Improve Employee Performance

Perhaps it goes without saying that an organization’s success is largely dependent on how well every employee performs. Yet many organizations struggle with maximizing employee performance while also keeping employee morale high and turnover low. Sound familiar?

Rules for QHP Transparency Soon Will Apply to Employers

Insurers and plan sponsors soon will have to report to the government (and list on a web page) their policies on: out-of-network liability and balance billing; enrollee claim submission; claims and denials; recoupment of overpayments; medical necessity; prior authorization; drug exception timeframes; explanations of benefits; and coordination of benefits. Guidance HHS published on Aug. 12 […]