Employers, Office Health and Culture

Fully Insured vs Self-Insured vs Level-Funded: What Does It All Mean To The Small Employer?

By: Ernie Sweat | July 14, 2020
Account Coordinator - Fringe Benefit Analysts
Fully Insured vs Self-Insured vs Level-Funded: What Does It All Mean To The Small Employer?

 Small employers looking for ways to control their group health insurance costs are more closely examining what it means to be “fully insured.” These days, employers with as few as 10 full-time employees are exploring other funding arrangements which can allow them more control—or at least more accountability—over their annual premium increases. What Is a Fully Insured Health […]

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Employment Eligibility: How to Handle Questions about Worker Identity

HR Practice Leader at United Benefit Advisors
Employment Eligibility: How to Handle Questions about Worker Identity

Reports submitted to the U.S. government that include both names and Social Security numbers (SSNs), such as 1095 and W-2 forms, are filtered through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In some cases, employers will receive a No-Match Letter or an Employer Correction Request from the […]

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Why Care About Diabetes and What You Can Do as an Employer

Managing Director for Vital Incite, A UBA Partner-Provided Solution
Why Care About Diabetes and What You Can Do as an Employer

Diabetes is an expensive disease: $322 billon in America! Costs are compounded because diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, lower limb amputation, and blindness, and also has connections with some cancers, arthritis, gum disease and Alzheimer’s disease. To add some perspective, consider these facts: Today, 3,835 Americans will be diagnosed with […]

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Top Wellness Program Components

Population Health Strategist at LHD Benefit Advisors A UBA Firm
Top Wellness Program Components

While employee wellness benefits programs and offerings continue to evolve among new trends and regulations, there are seven key components that tend to drive the most successful and effective programs we have seen with our clients.more Biometric Data Collection Whether in the form of a biometric screening event or annual physical exam with a primary […]

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Striving for a Culture Change in Your Wellness Program (Part 2)

Wellness Program Manager at VolkBell, a UBA Partner Firm
Striving for a Culture Change in Your Wellness Program (Part 2)

Many wellness programs start off with good intentions, offer some education and fun, but even after several years, have failed to meet their original goals or produce real culture change. We recently reviewed the first three steps to a successful, sustainable workplace program. Here we conclude with steps four through six for setting up a […]

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Enrollment Deadlines Are NOT Just Guidelines

By: Ernie Sweat | June 24, 2016
Account Coordinator
Enrollment Deadlines Are NOT Just Guidelines

Due to increased federal oversight, health insurance carriers currently have a lot less “wiggle room” than in the past to enroll employees beyond their official new hire enrollment periods. Local and national carriers frequently find themselves audited by one of several federal and state agencies to ensure that the carriers are consistently applying policies regarding […]

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What Employers Need to Know about the IRS-SSA-CMS Data Match Program

Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors
What Employers Need to Know about the IRS-SSA-CMS Data Match Program

Beginning in early 2016, many employers received letters from the IRS-SSA-CMS Data Match program. These letters are addressed to the employer and begin by stating that “Medicare needs your cooperation.” Employers are directed to report information on the IRS/SSA/CMS Data Match Secure Web Site (https://www.cob.cms.hhs.gov/DataMatch/). The data being requested is often extensive, and can cover […]

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Employer Liability Under Health Care Sharing Ministries Plan

By: Ernie Sweat | May 20, 2016
President of Fringe Benefit Analysts, LLC.
Employer Liability Under Health Care Sharing Ministries Plan

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), members belonging to a certain number of organizations known as Health Care Sharing Ministries – sometimes called Christian Health Plans or Christian Ministries Plan were granted an exemption from the personal tax penalty (up to 2.5% of one’s household income in 2016 and beyond) for not having a qualified […]

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Employers Ask: What Prevents Me from Reimbursing Individual Health Insurance Policies?

Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors
Employers Ask: What Prevents Me from Reimbursing Individual Health Insurance Policies?

In serving 36,000 employers and 5 million employees, our UBA Partners get this question frequently: What federal guidance prohibits employers from reimbursing individual health insurance policies? Answer: The IRS has issued extensive guidance prohibiting employers from reimbursing individual health insurance policies on an individual basis. It issued two notices in 2015 that addressed this issue. […]

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Seven Common Mistakes That Could Trigger a DOL Audit

Chief Marketing Officer at United Benefit Advisors
Seven Common Mistakes That Could Trigger a DOL Audit

Not many things incite more fear than receiving a notice that you’re about to have an audit, especially from the Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL is a cabinet-level department of the U.S. federal government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. It is headed […]

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