As wearable fitness trackers are gaining traction, the new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rules are asking employers to slow down to make sure that the information being collected through wearables for workplace wellness programs is being used for legal purposes. Wearable […]
It’s summer vacation season. Employees who may spend the rest of the year squirreling away their vacation time are finally getting out of the office to go on a European adventure or take a long-awaited family trek to a theme park. What […]
Summertime. Typically a little quieter at work as vacations commence and a lot quieter in Washington, D.C. Not so much this summer. There is plenty to talk about in this month’s Talking Benefits Podcast. Chill out with a new episode, packed full […]
David Bowie’s song “Changes” comes to mind as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacement morphed into the American Health Care Act and now the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Access to health care could be changing, and employers are reacting to possible workplace […]
Workplace wellness programs have come a long way. From their humble beginnings with a heavy focus on fitness and nutrition, they have expanded to encompass initiatives that contribute to an employee’s overall well-being. An International Foundation survey released last month, Workplace Wellness […]
Employees are increasingly aware of their rights to mental health and substance abuse treatment through employer-sponsored health plans. Are you aware of what your plan needs to do? Below are resources to help. The U.S. government is educating individuals on the Mental […]
In states where medical marijuana is legal, employee benefits administrators sometimes wonder: Must our plan cover it? Can we legally cover it? Should we cover it? Most states have legalized the use of marijuana or cannabis by an individual for medical purposes […]
At a recent meeting to catch up on the week’s ACA repeal and replace happenings, our resident benefit experts Julie Stich, CEBS and Kelli Kolsrud, CEBS were in rapid fire discussion, reminding each other of the many steps it takes to pass […]
Why do many employers offer health risk assessments (HRAs) to their workers? Are they providing an opportunity to uncover unknown, life-threatening health risks such as diabetes or high blood pressure? Or are they hoping to encourage healthy living by pushing workers to […]
Prescription drug fraud is already a billion-dollar problem for insurers in the United States, with estimates for the cost of drug diversion alone at $75 billion annually. The opioid epidemic threatens to exacerbate the problem as drug-seeking behavior is the biggest contributor […]
