Word on Benefits

If ACA Is Repealed, Will Employers Keep Mandated Provisions?

Staff

18 May 201619 May 2016

Health care and the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have been defining issues for presidential candidates this election season. A new report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans finds that if ACA is repealed, just over three in […]

Employee Benefits Multiemployer Pensions Regulatory Retirement

Central States Benefit Reduction Application Denied—Now What?

Julie Stich, CEBS

13 May 201618 May 2016

On May 6, 2016, the Treasury Department announced that it—along with the Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation—was rejecting the application the Central States Teamsters filed for benefit reductions (a.k.a. suspensions), as submitted in September 2015. In rejecting the […]

Apprenticeship Programs Canada Financial Education Financial Wellness

What Kim Kardashian Can Teach Us About Financial Literacy Programs

Justin Held, CEBS

11 May 201619 May 2016

Financial literacy continues to be a challenge throughout the United States and Canada. Plan sponsors struggle with the most effective methods to educate their workforces regarding the management and use of money. These challenges were addressed at a recent presentation by Grant […]

Canada Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Mental Health Wellness

PTSD: An Often Hidden Workplace Issue

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

03 May 201606 Jun 2016

Many people think of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an issue for war veterans, but it is increasingly gaining attention as a workplace issue. Some Canadian provinces are passing what’s called presumptive legislation around PTSD, which means that when a worker has […]

Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Retirement

Employees’ Biggest Financial Influence? (Sorry, It’s Not You)

Anne Patterson

28 Apr 2016

One-hundred and fifty employee benefit industry leaders walk into a room . . . and, of course, the International Foundation polled them with a couple questions about their thoughts on retirement security and financial education. This gathering occurred at a recent International […]

Defined Benefit (DB) Plans Employee Benefits Pensions Retirement

How to Reach Out to Missing Pension Participants

Lois Gleason, CEBS

27 Apr 201627 Apr 2016

You already know you need to find and pay your lost or missing pension participants who’ve reached their Required Beginning Date (usually the April 1 following age 70½). But what do you say in the notice you send to missing participants, whether by […]

Communication Employee Benefits

Benefit Communication: Losing Can Be a Winning Strategy

Pat Bonner, Ph.D., CEBS

22 Apr 201609 Nov 2017

If you are a baseball fan, you are probably familiar with this quote often credited to legendary baseball coach Sparky Anderson—”Losing hurts twice as bad as winning feels good.” I’ve got to wonder whether Sparky knew how right he was. His words […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Health Care Regulatory

Final SBC Guidance—The Sequel to the Sequel

Kelli Kolsrud, CEBS

20 Apr 201620 Apr 2016

Wow! That was fast! Less than a month ago, on March 28, 2016, to be exact, federal agencies closed the comment period for the proposed revision of the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) template and its related documents. On April 6, […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Mental Health Wellness

Which Benefits Make Employees Happy? Ask.

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

15 Apr 2016

Supplying a regular paycheck is an obvious role employers play in supporting their employees’ happiness, but there are other ways organizations can help their employees and plan members be content. The World Happiness Report 2016 Update came out last month, ranking happiness levels […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Care Regulatory

ACA 1095s Round One, Complete

Staff

08 Apr 201618 Aug 2016

You may have dreaded the process, rejoiced over extensions and delays or even lost sleep as the March 31 deadline approached to provide the Affordable Care Act (ACA) 1095 forms to employees. But you did it—Your health plan participants are in possession of […]