Word on Benefits

Changes in Health Care Claims Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Justin Held, CEBS

10 Jun 202109 Jun 2021

Over the past year, the International Foundation has surveyed U.S. organizations on three separate occasions to examine the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the most recent edition, respondents were asked about changes in the number of health care claims over this […]

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care Multiemployer Regulatory U.S.

How Do Multiemployer Plans Claim COBRA Premium Assistance Credit?

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

09 Jun 202108 Jun 2021

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued Notice 2021-31 which provides guidance for multiemployer plans and plan administrators regarding the new credit available to them for providing continuation health coverage to certain individuals under COBRA. We summarized the COBRA changes under American […]

Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey Health Care Prescription Drugs U.S.

18 Prescription Drug Cost-Containment Strategies For Your Plan

Justin Held, CEBS

08 Jun 202107 Jun 2021

Benefits practitioners have grown accustomed to headlines addressing the escalating costs of prescription drug spending. Despite concerted efforts, the cost of commonly prescribed brand-name drugs continues to grow at alarming rates. A recent study from the University of Pittsburgh stated that over […]

Canada Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cybersecurity Employee Benefits Fraud U.S.

Cybersecurity Risks: Protecting Your Data from Cyberattacks

Alyssa Hodder

07 Jun 202103 Jun 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly accelerated the use of technology at work, and the risk of cyberattacks has grown exponentially. Katharine Hall, senior VP, cyber practice leader with Aon, and Hugh Wright, partner with McInnes Cooper, discussed the risks and how to […]

Apprenticeship Programs Employee Benefits Legislative Multiemployer U.S.

New Apprenticeship Bills 2021 Roundup from the U.S. Legislative Tracker

Justin Held, CEBS

03 Jun 202102 Jun 2021

The 117th session of Congress began on January 3, 2021, and was marked with a flurry of newly introduced legislation. The past five months have seen the introduction of several bills in the areas of apprenticeship and workforce development. Below is a […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Flexible Work Options Human Resources (HR) Mental Health U.S. Work Life Balance

While Most Employers are Preparing to Head Back to the Office, Some are Hoteling It

Staff

02 Jun 202102 Jun 2021

A new report released today by the International Foundation, Employee Benefits in a COVID-19 World—One Year Update, provides a snapshot of the latest COVID-19 workplace issues including the future of remote work and vaccines. How Are Employers Handling the COVID-19 Vaccine? The […]

What You Need to Know About Sleep and the Pandemic

Canada Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits U.S. Wellness

What You Need to Know About Sleep and COVID-19

Alyssa Hodder

27 May 202127 May 2021

We’ve heard a lot about the importance of sleep in recent years, but during the pandemic, it is a pillar of health and wellness, said Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a professor with the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, in […]

Canada Defined Contribution (DC) Plans Employee Benefits Financial Wellness Retirement

Variable Benefits—Have We Reached Critical Mass?

Bryan Zoran, CEBS

26 May 202125 May 2021

Defined contribution (DC) plans are focused on saving for retirement. But from a plan member’s perspective, what’s missing is how to effectively manage and spend these savings during retirement. In the recent webcast, Are Variable Benefits the Right Solution for Your DC […]

Canada Diversity and Inclusion Employee Benefits U.S.

Stronger Organizations: Your Role in Diversity and Inclusion

Stacy Van Alstyne, CEBS

25 May 202123 Jul 2021

Today marks one year since George Floyd was killed. His death sparked nationwide protests and renewed social justice movements and conversations around race. For organizations across the U.S. and Canada, the last 12 months have been a time to examine how to embrace […]

Employee Benefits ERISA Investments Multiemployer Regulatory Retirement U.S.

Know Your Plan Custodian: What Does a Benefits Plan Custodian Do?

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

24 May 202120 May 2021

As the safekeeper of plan assets, custodians are among the service providers that multiemployer benefit plan trustees have a fiduciary duty to monitor. Yet plan custodians are not discussed as often as other service providers—especially those referred to as the A-Team: the […]