Open Enrollment season can be a stressful time but hopefully these tips will help for a smoother transition into the next year for your business.
Read MoreOpioid addiction is a growing epidemic in the United States, with opioid overdoses killing 91 Americans every day. In 2015 alone, more than 33,000 people died from an opioid overdose. Read on to learn more about opioids and to learn how to recognize the signs of opioid addiction.
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Having a paid family leave policy reinforces an organization's commitment to a family-friendly culture. More importantly, there is more competition these days for talent and with more millennials entering the workforce they are seeking family-friendly policies that will allow them to have more work/life balance.
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With the desperate need to control healthcare costs, employers are eager to have a solution that allows them the advantage of large numbers but the autonomy to create their own destiny. The current constraints and opaque pricing models of the provider-payer relationship as well as “secret” PPO contracts have yielded a healthcare system that is confusing, hard to navigate and, in some situations, bankrupting to healthcare consumers. These days it takes an employee benefits consultant who understands how to think around problems before they ever really become problems.
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Perhaps the most notable change in this movement toward self-funding is the number of smaller employers getting in the game. Although most of these are level-funded arrangements, employers see the value in gaining control of their plan with a focus on what’s important to their specific employee base. Plus, the tax advantage isn’t bad either, as state taxes are eliminated on most self-insured plans.
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Diabetes is affecting over 29 million people in the United States. That's 10% of every man, woman and child and according to the Centers for Disease Control, another 86 million have pre-diabetes and some don't even know it. Of the $245 Billion being spent annually on the treatment of diabetes and its complications you can bet some of that money is coming out of your health plan. At Custom Benefits Solutions, we work with our employer clients to develop a wellness strategy that helps employees with diabetes to better manage that disease and reduce their employer's financial burden associated with it. #custombenefitswork
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Research has shown that employee engagement is clearly linked to an employee's well-being, so it makes sense that companies are focusing on wellness initiatives. But a person's well-being is impacted by much more than their physical health. What about mental and emotional health? Many employees experience near-constant stress because of financial, medical and legal issues that can eat away at their overall well-being and even cause physical issues like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
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As consultants, we know that well educated and informed employees are happier, more content employees and require less servicing. The investment in quality employee enrollments meetings helps to fulfill the objectives of all the constituents: the employer, the employees and the consultant.
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Almost half of American adults have a musculoskeletal condition like back pain, costing employers around $213 billion in annual treatment and employee absenteeism, according to a March 2016 United States Bone and Joint Initiative report. Back pain alone accounts for 10% of healthcare costs and is a major contributor to lost productivity.
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This changed with the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, but now seven years later, employers again mostly have open enrollment standardized. This year brings a new challenge – the Summary of Benefits and Coverage document that was created by the ACA has undergone its first major restructuring since 2012 when employers were first required to provide the SBC.
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Technology makes it easier to do just about everything. It simplifies and speeds banking and paying bills. It allows people to stay connected with colleagues, friends and family in numerous ways. It enables collaboration, creativity and research. But relying on technology alone to solve connectivity challenges can be problematic. Connectivity takes a human touch and that goes the same for employee benefits.
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As Bill Gates once said, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction.”
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