Category: Employer News

Most people today have at least one — if not more — mobile devices. Smartphones, full-size tablets, mini tablets, “phablets” (smartphones that are usually larger in size and can do more functions than a typical phone), hand-held computers, and wearable technology are fully integrated into most people’s lives. Desktops and even laptops are considered relics nowadays by the up-and-coming college graduates.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that insurers, but not employers, must offer the same health coverage to a spouse in a same-sex marriage as they offer to a spouse in a traditional marriage. According to an article in Kaiser …

It seems like it’s easier for people to find a job if they’re already employed. Consequently, it seems like the longer someone is unemployed, then the more unemployable he or she may appear. To combat this perception the Department of Labor has announc…

Many group health plans will need to be amended to reflect the required changes to benefits and waiting periods that take effect in 2014. Employers also should consider whether eligibility language will need to be updated to reduce the number of hours the employee must work to be eligible, to address look-back periods, and/or to base eligibility on actual hours worked instead of the “regularly scheduled to work” standard that is common now.

A U.S. Surgeon General’s Report issued in January marks fifty years since the Surgeon General’s landmark report in 1964 that set in motion a nationwide campaign to reduce and hopefully eliminate tobacco smoking in the United States. Also in January, rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect, enhancing employers’ ability to provide financial incentives to employees to “kick the habit!”

Form 5500 Filing Requirements
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 – 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT

Most employee benefit plans are required to file a Form 5500 annually, and penalties for not meeting this obligation can be costly. During this 90-minute basic-to-…

More than 75 cents of every health care dollar spent in the United States goes toward treating chronic diseases such as arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Becaus…

PPACA brings numerous responsibilities and options to employers. Below is a summary of the PPACA provisions that apply to group health plans and whether the provision applies to insured mid-sized group plans.

Counting employees under health care reform is not as easy as 1 – 2 – 3. The rules are quite complicated, and if not done correctly can have serious repercussions for your business. The final employer shared responsibility (“play or pay”) regulations have been issued and beginning in 2015, larger employers will need to either offer health coverage that meets the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or pay penalties. Although the requirement is not effective until 2015, employers need to be gathering data and making decisions now.