Articles

National Employee Benefits Day is April 4, 2016.    The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEB) founded the observance. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to gathering independent global inf...

June marks the beginning of summer - when sun, sand and water abound. It’s a time of rejuvenation and growth, when fresh vegetables are plentiful and eating light is easy, it’s the perfect time to shake off the winter doldrums and get activ...

What is a consortium?   The consortium model for obtaining insurance is a rising trend in today’s benefits landsc...

Everyone loves a good deal. Whether it’s a sale at their favorite boutique, a coupon for a delicious meal, or an entertainment freebie, getting something for less is always a good thing. For employers looking to recruit talented staff, incentiviz...

Your employers’ wellness program likely offers you access to a Health Coach, someone who is trained to help you reach your health and wellness goals. You may be apprehensive about using this resource if you’re not familiar with what a healt...

Getting Started with a Dependent Eligibility Audit With rising health care costs, many employers are looking for ways to reduce expenditures while still providing their employees with the same or improved benefit options. One way to achieve t...

When we visit the doctor we expect to be listened to, to receive quality care, and to leave the appointment feeling satisfied with the experience and any planned follow-up. And it is, indeed, the doctor’s job to engage us in mutual conversation t...

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 put into place laws that protect the retirement assets of working Americans. Since then, ERISA has evolved. Over the years changes to the law have come about as a result of cases tried through...

According to MetLife’s 2014 Employee Benefit Trends Study, the percent of employers who identify voluntary benefits as a significant part of their company’s benefit strategy has decreased since 2013. Experts contend that this decrease is a ...

Biometric screenings are simple, free health evaluations designed to identify current or potential health issues, and are often offered by employers as part of a wellness program. The intent of a biometric screening is to help employees take charge of ...

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was voted into law in March 2010. The law contains a number of provisions that benefit women by improving access to health care, extending coverage, and requiring providers to cover preventative care...

The best news we have heard in a long time is that Treasury plans to revamp, simplify, and suspend some reporting requirement of employers and insurers for 2014. And since employer responsibility payments can only be assessed based on some of the repor...

Ingredients: The ingredients are listed in descending order. The first five ingredients are the most important to look at because they have the most weight in what you are eating.    Serving Si...

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, you’re aware of the medical maintenance you need to incorporate into your daily routine in order to manage your sugar levels. You probably already own a blood sugar monitor with a stock of test strips, lancets and pre...

It is important for every woman to start having an annual mammogram by age 40 along with monthly breast self-examinations and clinical breast exams. There are some cancers that cannot be discovered in a mammogram, but can be found wit...

You see it when you’re flipping channels and on billboards as you’re driving down the highway – conservation ads that refer to “Going Green” or “Saving the Planet.” After a moment’s pause, you think, &ldq...

According to Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. It is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. Poor dental hygiene that leads to gum d...

We are all aware that exercise is good for your health, but how? This article will break down the different forms of exercise and explain how each type is beneficial to your health.   Strength Training: ...

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are employee benefit programs designed to benefit both employers and employees. EAPs can help businesses address productivity issues by helping employees identify and resolve personal concerns that could affect their...

Identity theft is a crime where someone wrongfully obtains personal identifying information such as Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers and uses it for his or her personal gain. This can occur when a wallet is lost or stolen, when mail...

An American Cancer Society study says that one in two men and one in three women develop cancer in their lifetime. This shows that many people are at risk of getting this disease, and the risk is even higher if you have a family history of cancer. The ...

Because of advancements in medicine, people are now living longer. Yet, each day 4,000 people are diagnosed with cancer, 2,100 have a heart attack, and 2,000 people have a stroke. According to the MetLife Financial Impact of Critical Illness Study, a p...

We all come across many situations where a lawyer is necessary. According to ARAG, 70% of Americans had a legal matter in the past year. Some common situations include: Buying a home and personal finances Driver license issues ...

The purpose of disability insurance is to provide financial protection for people that are too ill, injured or disabled to work for a period of time. This isn’t something just for the older generation. It can even cover pregnant women who need ti...

Annual check-ups are an important step to leading a healthy life. Ignoring health problems can turn a treatable medical condition into one that may require surgery or even hospitalization. Preventative measures can actually increase an entire populatio...

Taking care of your eyes is important in preserving your vision. The World Health Organization says that 80% of serious visual impairment around the world can be avoided or cured. Eyes exams not only find vision problems, but they can also reveal other...

Listed below are links to General Health Resources that we found particularly beneficial.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a federal law that gives employees the opportunity to continue to receive coverage under their employer’s health care plan while out of work. Basically, if someone loses their job, the...

When to Start Saving Many people don’t begin to think about retirement until they start getting close to retirement age. That’s when they realize that they haven’t set enough money aside to live comfortably after leaving the...

401(k) plans allow employees to plan and save for retirement. After years of new IRS rulings and other governmental changes they are considered by many to be among the best options for this purpose. Considered a better option than pension plans, many e...

Reduce Your Workplace Stress Regardless of what we do for a living or how well we do it, we’re bound to develop stress at some point during our workweek. We are all tasked to efficiently perform all aspects of our jobs, usually while re...

Managing Your Prescriptions If you’ve got more than one prescription and medical supplies to fill on a regular basis, keeping track of it all can be a chore. And as you develop needs for additional medications as you age, it can be diff...

They’re always there when you need them, they love you unconditionally and they never ask for money. If that weren’t enough, research has shown that owning a pet can provide health benefits.    Feeling stressed at ...

A Simplified Approach to Proper Nutrition Whenever we overindulge during meals, we tend to wince later as we reflect on the amount of calories, carbohydrates and fat we packed into our bodies. It can be very difficult to resist our temptation...

No one really likes to commute to work. Between the road congestion, air and noise pollution, rude drivers and time constraints, commuting stress now has a major impact on an individual’s health.   However, just because commu...

Commuter Benefits Commuter Benefits (also known as Qualified Transportation Benefits) are used to save participants money when they travel to and from work. Pre-tax coverage is available for transit, parking and/or bicycling* expenses. Employ...

Benefit FSA HSA HRA

Cafeteria Plans are employer sponsored employee benefit plans that allow employees to elect certain qualified benefits on a pre-tax basis.  Authorized under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code, the IRS determines the benefits that are eligibl...

A Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) is an IRS approved tax-favored benefit, exclusively funded by the employer, which reimburses employees for qualified medical care expenses not reimbursed under other plans.  A written plan document is requi...

Since their creation as part of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, Health Savings Account s (HSAs) have become increasingly popular by employees who participate in High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) arrangements as a way to pay for current out of poc...

Introduction: A Flexible Spending Arrangement, commonly referred to as Flexible Spending Account or FSA, is an IRS approved mechanism to pay for eligible expenses with pre-tax dollars.  Accounts are set up annually and may be funded by e...

Feed Your Mind and Spirit There’s plenty happening around us to tax our spirit. Local news reports daily sad stories of misfortune as national news shares the scope of our struggling economy. We drive out of our own neighborhoods past f...

Medical Insurance Medical insurance coverage, often referred to as Health insurance, is the cornerstone of most group benefit plans. The majority of Americans are covered by plans offered by their employers. The employers generally pay for al...

Taking care of our families and loved ones is important, and one of the best ways to do this is by purchasing a life insurance policy. It isn't a complicated process, and it doesn't have to cost you a lot of money, but it's best to have some knowledge ...

Health Care Reform is has brought many changes to the way Tax-Favored Accounts work.  Effective January 1, 2011, OTC medicines and drugs were no longer eligible for reimbursement under a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Reimbursement Acco...

Effective January 1, 2011, Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs and medicines are no longer eligible for reimbursement under an FSA or HRA without a prescription from your attending provider. This includes OTC items like: digestive aids&nbs...

Most people consider a Long-Term Care (LTC) policy as a benefit to help senior citizens pay for residency at a nursing home when it is, in fact, a benefit for anyone who is in need of assistance with daily living activities. This includes people who ca...

Legislative Overview The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010 and has changed and will continue to change many aspects of the health care industry in the United States through 2018 when all ...

Identity theft is an increasing problem, and the perpetrators are getting better at getting a hold of personal information. Once they get a few details, it doesn’t take them long to cause you big headaches.   Here are some ti...