Word on Benefits

Three Reasons You Should Consider One-On-One Benefits Communication

Staff

29 Feb 2016

In a new International Foundation Benefits Communication survey, only 19% of employers reported their employees have a high level understanding of their benefits. When asked why this is, employers overwhelmingly said their employees do not read the information they provide or they […]

Communication Employee Benefits

Benefits Communication Growing in Importance and Difficulty

Neil Mrkvicka

25 Feb 201625 Feb 2016

Half of all organizations responding to the Benefits Communication Survey say the number of participant questions they receive regarding benefits has increased in the past two years. Adding to the frustration, organizations identify their top challenge with benefits communication as participants not […]

Employee Benefits Wellness

Seven Ways to Combat Sitting at Work

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

22 Feb 201603 Jan 2018

Most adults spend too much time sitting, shortening their life span and increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. But today’s lifestyle is not conducive to being physically active. People may have a long commute, a desk job or a nightly TV-watching […]

Employee Benefits Financial Wellness Retirement

Cupid Aims for Retirement Security

Anne Patterson

12 Feb 201612 Feb 2016

This Valentine’s Day, light some candles, crank that Barry White and . . . discuss retirement security? Though it might not seem like the most romantic topic, getting your partner involved with retirement planning will help secure a financially happy future, for […]

Employee Benefits Health Care HIPAA Regulatory

HIPAA Phase 2 Audits Include Business Associates

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

10 Feb 201605 Apr 2016

The short turnaround time to answer a HIPAA audit request puts pressure on you to be ready at any time. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act requires the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to perform […]

Employee Benefits ERISA Health Care Insurance Regulatory

SCOTUS Decision Means It’s Time to Review Benefit Plan Subrogation and Reimbursement Practices

Kelli Kolsrud, CEBS

04 Feb 2016

A recent decision from the U.S. Supreme Court may make it harder for ERISA health care benefit plans to recover benefits paid when a plan participant receives a settlement from a third party. As a result, plan sponsors and administrators may wish […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Communication Employee Benefits Regulatory

Employees Impatient for 1095-Cs

Lois Gleason, CEBS

01 Feb 2016

You may still be working on your 1095 forms, knowing the IRS gave you an extension until March 31 to send the 1095-Cs to employees, as required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Some of your employees, however, are doing their taxes now […]

Employee Benefits Financial Wellness Retirement

Retirement: Golden Years or Nightmare?

Pat Bonner, Ph.D., CEBS

29 Jan 201609 Nov 2017

Retirement used to be heralded as the “golden” period of our lives. After a lifetime of work, people earned the right to take it easy for the rest of their lives. But pick up any news story on retirement these days and […]

Communication Defined Contribution (DC) Plans Employee Benefits Retirement

Communications Key in Unique 457 Plan Reenrollment Program

Chris Vogel, CEBS

27 Jan 2016

Concerned about how aggressively many Illinois state employees had invested 457 plan assets, plan trustees decided in late 2014 on a bold move: Investments of all 53,000 participants would be moved into a lifecycle fund unless a participant opted out of reenrollment. […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Communication Employee Benefits

Seven Questions Employees Will Ask About the ACA 1095s

Lois Gleason, CEBS

22 Jan 201631 Jan 2017

For an updated version of this post for your 2017 1095 season, including a bonus eighth question, click here. You did it! The 1095 forms are ready and going out to employees. Now what? You guessed it: Rampant employee confusion. You’re going […]