New Class-Action Lawsuits Target Group Health Plan Tobacco Surcharges
A new wave of class-action lawsuits is targeting employers that apply health insurance premium surcharges to employees who use tobacco, accusing them of discrimination and violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), according to two new blogs by prominent
Open Enrollment Prep: Identify Workers’ Needs, Consider Costs to Plan Benefits
It's almost time for year-end small group open enrollment and you need to drive engagement so that your employees can make informed decisions about their health insurance options. We want to help you help your employees understand all of their options
Study: More Than Half of Workers Regret Open Enrollment Decisions
More than half of employees regret the coverage decisions they make during open enrollment, according to a new study. Part of the problem may be that the average employee spends only 30 to 60 minutes selecting their benefits during open enrollment,
Are Your Benefits Enough to See Employees Through a Crisis?
Middle class families — those with incomes of between roughly $50,000 and $100,000 per year — are becoming increasingly reliant on workplace benefits to ensure their financial well-being in case of a disability or critical illness. Simple health insurance is insufficient
Your Last-Minute Open Enrollment Checklist
By now you should be prepared and ready to go for your 2025 policy year employee benefits open enrollment. You should have all your plan documents and have prepared or held presentations for your staff to explain the benefits package
3 in 4 Workers Would Accept Lower-Pay for Better Benefits: Survey
A new study has found three out of four U.S. workers would accept a job with a slightly lower salary if it offered better health care and medical coverage. The main driver in workers prioritizing benefits is the rapidly rising cost
Reminder: Employers with 10 or More Staff Must File ACA Forms Online
With 2025 just a few months away, it's important that small employers understand their group health insurance reporting obligations under the Affordable Care Act as they changed at the start of 2024. Before 2024, only employers that sent out 250 or
ACA Group Health Plan Affordability Level Up Sharply
The IRS has significantly increased the group health plan affordability threshold — which is used to determine if an employer's lowest-premium health plan complies with the Affordable Care Act rules — for plan years starting in 2025. The threshold for next
How Your Staff Can Save on Childcare, Health Services
One of the most underused employee benefits available is the "cafeteria" plan ― which can benefit both the employer and the employee. These plans allow workers to withhold a portion of their pre-tax salary to cover certain medical or childcare expenses.
Get an Early Start on Open Enrollment
As open enrollment is right around the corner, now is the time to make a plan to maximize employee enrollment and help your staff select the health plans that best suit them. You'll also need to make sure that you comply