Anne Newhouse, CEBS, Author at Word on Benefits

How COBRA Interacts With HSAs, HRAs and FSAs

Anne Newhouse

13 Feb 201928 Oct 2019

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, better known as COBRA, became law on April 7, 1986. The law provides for continuation of health coverage from an employer-sponsored group health plan after an employee experiences a qualifying event like a job termination […]

Health Care

Medicare and COBRA Coordination: What You Need to Know

Anne Newhouse

17 Dec 201804 Nov 2019

Medicare and COBRA are both complex laws by themselves, but add the two together, and they require even more knowledge. If you’re the plan sponsor and have employees asking you for assistance, you know how difficult this topic is. To help, I’ve put […]

Employee Benefits Health Care

Group Medicare Advantage Plans—Tips for Plan Sponsors

Anne Newhouse

30 Aug 2018

Although the number of retiree health plans has been declining in recent years, there are still plenty of employers looking for cost-effective and flexible options to cover retirees aged 65 and older. Medicare is available beginning at the age of 65, although […]

Employee Benefits Health Care

An Employee Turns 65: How Medicare Enrollment Impacts Their HSA

Anne Newhouse

11 Jun 2018

Although health saving accounts (HSAs) have been available since 2003, for many plan sponsors new situations continue to arise. One of those situations could be having an employee turn 65. Now what happens? Medicare eligibility and enrollment seem simple but in reality […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance

Coordinating Employer Health Plans With Medicare

Anne Newhouse

12 Apr 201809 Aug 2018

You’re a benefits professional—You know your benefits program like the back of your hand. But now, as employees are getting close to the age of 65, they’re starting to ask questions about Medicare, and you’re not always prepared to answer. Here are three […]

Disability Benefits Employee Benefits FMLA Paid Leave Paid Time Off (PTO)

Take Time to Review Short-Term Disability Benefits

Anne Newhouse

24 Jan 201809 Aug 2018

As part of your benefit plan offerings, your short-term disability (STD) plan may not be the most exciting of all the benefits offered at your company, but it sure is important to your employees—the majority of whom may not have even $1,000 saved […]

401(k) Plans Employee Benefits Financial Education Retirement

How to Increase 401(k) Participation With Automatic Enrollment

Anne Newhouse

20 Nov 201720 Nov 2017

One of the great tools available to employers is automatic enrollment to increase participation in the 401(k) plan. The Pension Protection Act (PPA) was signed in 2006, encouraging employers to improve their plans and make it easier for employees to save through […]

Communication Employee Benefits Multiemployer

Instant Benefit Communication Challenge—Just Add Change

Anne Newhouse

26 Sep 201726 Sep 2017

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” —Maya Angelou “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” —Alphonse Karr “Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” —Benjamin Disraeli Not many people get excited […]