Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The kind of information exchange that’s necessary before and during a merger or acquisition can raise thorny HIPAA privacy issues, and federal guidance on the subject is sparse at best — especially for employers and other plan sponsors, Senior Editor David Slaughter writes. In such a transaction between companies that are themselves covered by HIPAA […]
In giving SHRM attendees four tips to promote healthy living among employees to help them lose weight, I’m sure corporate health strategist Adam Bordes was aware that many attending his session, “Lighten Up: Daily Strategies for a Lighter, Healthier Workplace” will be using these steps themselves – I certainly will. Bordes’ tips can be divided […]
Weight loss is the most searched term on Google, says corporate health strategist Adam Bordes, and similarly, helping employees lose weight is the most sought-after goal of corporate wellness programs. In “Lighten Up: Daily Strategies for a Lighter, Healthier Workplace,” he gave SHRM attendees several steps to help employees trim fat from their waistlines. Bordes, […]
New York State will become the sixth state where same-sex marriage is legal on July 24. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on June 24 signed the Marriage Equality Act (MEA) into law. Same-sex marriage already is legal in Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and the District of Columbia. The measure goes into effect one month […]
If you have not updated your plan documents to conform with the new rules for reimbursing the cost of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), time is almost up. You only have till June 30! Under the PPACA, only OTC drugs that have been prescribed may be reimbursed through […]
Plans and insurers will have an easier time complying with health reform’s internal appeals and external review rules, under rules issued today by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services. The changes, such as dropping the requirement for plans to display diagnosis and treatment codes on initial and final notifications of […]
From a bird’s-eye view, Comcast is probably a lot like your company. Employees run the gamut from management to administrative staff to field technicians. But with more than 100,000 employees, Comcast does everything on a larger scale than most companies do. However, size alone does not guarantee that employees understand and appreciate their benefits. Comcast, […]
Employer sponsored health plans that set low annual limits on “essential” benefits have been able to apply to HHS for a waiver if they can demonstrate that compliance with June 28, 2010 interim final rules phasing out such caps would cause a “significant decrease in access to benefits or a significant increase in premiums.” Waivers […]
Employers in Illinois that have not done so may need to adjust their plan documents to reflect the new legality of civil unions in that state. Civil unions are legal in Illinois, Hawaii and New Jersey — and will be available in Delaware next year. The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act went […]
Your wellness program is going well, with happier and healthier employees. But then, an employee sues the company alleging that the wellness program violates his rights. So your employees are healthier, but your company’s pocketbook is not in the best of condition, as it puts out money for legal fees. Do not let this happen […]