Employee Benefits
Think you know how your small business clients feel about healthcare benefits? As their trusted advisor, you probably have the best perspective. But, some of the findings from the latest MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index may surprise you.
It’s no surprise that more and more employers are offering qualified high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to their employees, and some employers are combining Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to alleviate a portion of the deductible and/or out-of-pocket expenses that employees are exposed to. However, you have to be very careful with the HRA plan design in order to preserve HSA eligibility for employees.
Showcase the Power of Bundling
A strategic approach to benefits is essential as your clients compete to attract and retain top talent. While that’s a given, each client’s objectives and benefit offerings are different. Here are five fresh angles to help you tee up the right conversation about the benefits of bundling at your next client consultation...and the one after that.
The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) released new guidance on June 13, 2019 which permit a new type of Health Reimbursement Arrangement, referred to as an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA).
For employees, achieving financial wellness is a journey…and the workplace can be the starting point
Happy employees are better employees. They're more engaged in their work, more loyal to their employers, and make more meaningful contributions toward company goals. That's not surprising.
Simple Cafeteria Plans were created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and have been an option for eligible employers since 2011. This type of plan provides eligible employers with an automatic pass for many of the non-discrimination tests that apply to Cafeteria Plans and its component benefits. This is the primary difference between a Simple Cafeteria Plan and other more traditional Cafeteria Plans.
A stand-out strategy for small businesses: Voluntary benefits enable small companies to do more with less
The competition for talent is fierce for small businesses. One in four say the talent pool for their open positions is poor, [1] and the Society for Human Resource Management lists retaining employees as one of the top three issues facing companies with 3-99 employees (along with employee productivity and controlling health insurance costs).[2]
Many employers offer a cash payment to employees who waive health insurance coverage. These cash payments are always taxable to employees who waive health insurance coverage, but did you know employees who elect the health insurance coverage may be subject to paying taxes on the cash payment that they didn’t receive?
Wait! What?
It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the trees are mostly bare, the holidays are just around the corner and open enrollment is in full swing. If you’re like most benefits professionals, you probably head into open enrollment with a mixture of enthusiasm and dread.
Benefits Buzz
Enter Your Email
Join Our Mailing List
Benefits Buzz RSS Feed
