Chris Vogel, CEBS, Author at Word on Benefits

DOL Worries About Benefit Plans’ Cybersecurity

Chris Vogel, CEBS

22 Sep 2015

If some of the largest insurance companies in America struggle to keep sensitive data safe from hackers and other thieves, what is the trustee of a 3,000-life health plan supposed to do to protect plan participant information? Wyatt J. Holliday, CEBS, and […]

The Haze of Medical Marijuana and Benefits

Chris Vogel, CEBS

01 Sep 201518 Sep 2015

From an employee benefits perspective, medical marijuana, in a way, is in the same place same-sex marriage was not so long ago—Laws in a number of states said one thing and federal law said something altogether different. The federal government still considers […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits ERISA HIPAA

Fiduciaries, Are You Covered?

Chris Vogel, CEBS

02 Jun 2015

So, your number has come up—The Department of Labor (DOL) is auditing your employee benefit plan (it’s happening more often these days). It may go on for a long time and get expensive. DOL auditors will interview plan officials and request scads of […]

Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) Mental Health Wellness

Are Wellness Efforts Aimed at the Right Risks?

Chris Vogel, CEBS

30 Apr 201530 Apr 2015

What’s your workplace like? Are co-workers generally kind and considerate to one another, with managers willing to listen and striving to make it easier for everyone to do his or her job? Are co-workers confident they’ll be heard if they talk about […]

Employee Benefits Health Care

Two Sides to Health Care Cost Sharing

Chris Vogel, CEBS

27 Jan 201527 Jan 2015

Most people with health insurance pay little attention to the cost of a medical procedure they need or perhaps want—unless they’re going to have to pick up part of the tab. Then they may think twice about going ahead with it. Ideally […]

Communication Education Employee Benefits HIPAA Multiemployer

Who Needs Another Policy? Maybe You Do

Chris Vogel, CEBS

31 Oct 201417 Jan 2015

By: Chris Vogel, CEBS It’s too bad board policies fall under the category of “blah, blah, blah” for some folks. Like many attorneys who work with boards of trustees, Rachel R. Parisi, CEBS, must see a few stifled yawns when she mentions […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Regulatory

DOL Taking Hard Look at ERISA Health Plans

Chris Vogel, CEBS

16 Oct 201417 Jan 2015

By: Chris Vogel, CEBS If you’re a trustee or administrator of a self-funded or fully insured health and welfare plan covered by ERISA, be forewarned: The Department of Labor is ramping up audits of health plans. Ian Dingwall, chief accountant in the […]

Health Care Wellness

When Comfort Food Is Part of the Job Description

Chris Vogel, CEBS

11 Sep 201417 Jan 2015

By: Chris Vogel, CEBS Work and a healthy lifestyle often seem mutually exclusive, and that’s true for members of the clergy. Besides the stresses of frequent moves and being on call 24/7 to deal with congregation members’ problems and anxieties, clergy have […]

Communication Disease Management Employee Benefits

A Conversation That’s Hard to Have, but Worth It

Chris Vogel, CEBS

17 Jul 201417 Jan 2015

By: Chris Vogel If you were in no condition to tell medical personnel how much treatment you’d want in the final stages of a chronic illness, would your loved ones have to guess? Or have you had conversations about end-of-life wishes? […]

Chris Vogel, CEBS

DOL Worries About Benefit Plans’ Cybersecurity

The Haze of Medical Marijuana and Benefits

Fiduciaries, Are You Covered?

Are Wellness Efforts Aimed at the Right Risks?

When to Claim Social Security Deserves Some Thought

Two Sides to Health Care Cost Sharing

Who Needs Another Policy? Maybe You Do

DOL Taking Hard Look at ERISA Health Plans

When Comfort Food Is Part of the Job Description

A Conversation That’s Hard to Have, but Worth It