Upcoming Webinars
End of the Year Wrap-Up
As 2024 is coming to an end, we’d like to highlight some of the important employee benefits compliance issues and changes that have taken place during the year and then look forward to developments expected in 2025 that may impact your benefit plans.
December 12th, 2024 @ 2pm
Registration link: https://assurexglobal.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ifsx9r8wSfWHhG-IgjqYBw#/registration
Presenters: Bob Radecki, Principal, Benefit Comply LLC & Regan Debban, J.D. MBA, Principal, Benefit Comply LLC
Compliance Corner
By: Benefit Comply
State Paid Family & Medical Leave Guide
Historically a handful of states had mandatory employee disability programs, where employees and employers were required to contribute to a state program that paid benefits similar to short-term disability (STD) benefits if the employee was unable to work because of a non-work-related injury or illness. However, over the last several years, many of these states have expanded their programs to cover other types of leave, such as birth of a child or caring for a family member with a serious health condition. Numerous other states have adopted comprehensive paid leave programs that likewise cover a wide variety of leaves, including leaves due to the employee’s own medical condition. We refer to these programs collectively as state paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs.
Benefits Buzz
By: WA Group
What can an Advocate do for your employees and their families?
One of the biggest problems in the health care AND health insurance industry is complexity.
- Where should I go for my surgery?
- How much is it going to cost?
- Should I get a second opinion?
- Is there a different Rx drug that is less expensive?
- How will my plan pay?
- What’s coinsurance?
- Do I need to get a pre-authorization?
- How do I know my bills are correct?
The list goes on and on. Is it this way on purpose? That’s for another time. For now, consider adding an Advocate to your benefits package. A single point of contact who has your back and not the back of the health care system or the health insurance industry.
Advocates help employees get the most out of their benefits. They offer ongoing benefits navigation and HR support to improve utilization, member experiences, group savings, and health outcomes. They deliver an industry leading level of customer service by following the golden rule of customer service – we treat your employees like they want to be treated.
Advocates help employees;
- Understand benefits coverage
- Find in-network, high-quality doctors, hospitals, and other providers for initial visits and second opinions
- Coordinate acceptance with providers prior to appointments
- Answer prescription drug coverage questions
- Provide guidance through the prior authorization and appeals process
- Understand medical bills and facilitate scheduling or payments
- Answer eligibility and benefit questions and resolve corresponding issues
- Resolve billing issues and errors with providers and health plans
- Coordinate the transfer of medical records, X-rays, and lab results
- Coordinate benefits between doctors and insurance companies
- Save time by providing one place to contact for benefit questions for medical and prescription drugs
- Support for denied medical and pharmacy claims
- Identify ways to make healthcare more affordable (payment plans, prescription manufacturer coupons)
HR Question of the week
Powered by: Mineral
We’ve decided to bring employees back into the office a few days each week and change our remote work policies. Some employees have been grumbling about this change. What should we do?
Any time you make a change like this, you can expect a certain amount of employee complaints. People aren’t inherently great with change, and the benefits of remote work can be hard to part with. Given that, instead of trying to shut down complaints (which could potentially run afoul of employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act), we recommend a few things you can do to help bring employees onboard with the idea.
One way to do this would be to hold a virtual meeting where you share your reasons for returning to the office and invite employees to share—during the meeting or afterwards—what support they may need to make the return as smooth as possible.
During this meeting, be transparent about why you’re adopting a hybrid policy, noting both the benefits to the organization and to employees. Let them know that you understand that this change will cause some disruption to their lives and that you want to support them during the transition.
To help employees feel better about returning to the office, you might also consider offering perks such as a stipend for parking and commuting costs, a well-stocked fridge and snack drawer, or a more flexible in-office dress code.