Telemedicine got a big boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a number of states have been moving to ensure that health plan enrollees still have access to it and pay for it just as they would in-person visits. During the pandemic, insurers agreed to pay for virtual visits just as they would for a…
If you have staff working from home as a result of changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, you still need to stay on top of your obligations to protect your staff from sexual harassment. Not being physically in the office doesn’t seem to have had an effect on employee sexual harassment as employers paid out…
One way you can give your staff more choice in the employee benefits they receive is to offer them a cafeteria plan, which allows them to put together a benefits package that works best for them. Employers fund these flexible benefit plans with funds that are deducted from their employees’ salaries on a pre-tax basis.…
The deadline is fast approaching for employers with 5 or more workers in California, and who do not already offer their employees a retirement plan, to register their staff for the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program. Only California employers that do not offer retirement plans are required to register for CalSavers and there are different registration…
The Department of Health and Human Services has issued some new “frequently asked questions” for its Affordable Care Act pages, and new guidelines that require health plans to expand what they are required to cover with no cost-sharing. The new FAQ section expands the age group for which insurers must cover colonoscopies and adds some…
With many companies having decided to allow staff to work remotely permanently or split time between working at home and in the office, employers have to be especially careful about timekeeping and complying with wage and hour laws. That includes requiring staff to show they take meal and rest breaks and are compensated for overtime…
Medical-related identity theft accounted for 43% of all identity theft in the United States in 2020, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. And the majority of documents criminals steal are the same ones your employees receive from their group health insurers. If an employee becomes a victim of medical identity theft it can take…
As rising health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs for health care are burdening workers, more employers are looking for ways to help their staff put aside money for those expenses. While health savings accounts have grown in popularity, you can only offer them to employees who are enrolled in high-deductible health plans. Fortunately, there is…
It’s no secret that most employees do not fully understand all of their health insurance benefits, which can lead to worse health outcomes and them spending more money than they need to for some medical procedures. A recent survey of 226 executives by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services concluded that employees and employers could enjoy…
The latest trend in workplace safety best practices is tracking “leading indicators” ― or measuring performance based on the lessons learned from past events ― to reduce the chances of future injuries. Safety professionals are increasingly keeping track of near misses, hours spent on training and facility housekeeping and measuring the impact on the organization’s…