Insurance

4 tips for talking to employees about rising health benefits costs

09/04/2013

If employees will have to bear a larger share of health benefits in your next plan year—whether in higher premiums, deductibles or copays—you can expect to get an earful during your upcoming open enrollment period. Here are four ways to prepare employees for changes and—perhaps—soften the sting:

Cursing car salesman can’t get unemployment benefits

09/03/2013

A car salesman fired after he cursed and threatened a customer has been denied unemployment benefits.

Corporations can’t object to ACA based on religion

09/03/2013

In July, the Obama administration gave employers with 50 or more employees until January 2015 to begin providing health insurance coverage for full-time employees. Some companies challenged parts of the law in court because of their owners’ religious beliefs. They lost in the 3rd Circuit.

Social Security eligibility won’t automatically qualify worker for company disability plan

08/28/2013

An employee who files for Social Security disability benefits based on the inability to work doesn’t automatically qualify for her company’s ERISA disability benefit plan when her federal benefits come through.

Does a natural disaster make former employees eligible for unemployment benefits?

08/22/2013

Q. We had to close down our business because of the damage caused by a natural disaster. Are our employees entitled to unemployment benefits?

Beware manipulating head count to dodge ACA employer mandate

08/19/2013

Trimming staff or cutting employee hours solely to dodge the employer mandate could run afoul of ERISA.

ACA regs modify HIPAA

08/16/2013

Long before the Affordable Care Act, there was the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Among other provisions, HIPAA sets rules for wellness programs, limits pre-existing condition exclusion periods to no longer than 12 months and requires plans to provide employees with certificates of coverage. The ACA and its implementing regulations amend several HIPAA provisions.

ACA’s employer mandate postponed one year, until 2015

08/14/2013

The IRS has postponed until 2015 the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for large employers to provide health insurance to full-time employees or pay a free-rider penalty. Not postponed: The Oct. 1, 2013, opening of the individual exchanges and the small business exchanges, or SHOPs. Also not postponed: W-2 reporting of employees’ health benefits. Crucial: You also need to provide the exchange notices to all employees by Oct. 1

Here’s an alternative source for health insurance info, options

08/12/2013

There’s an alternative to www.Healthcare.gov for small employers that need information about their options for buying health benefits for their employees.

Slower health care cost growth may be lasting trend