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On Friday, February 3, 2017, the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce held it’s 100th Year Awards Dinner Gala. Fringe Benefit Analysts was one of three finalists for the 2017 “Small Business of the Year” based on criteria of business growth, involvement in the community and participation in the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce. It is exciting to […]
Chicago, IL – Scott Deru, RHU, REBC was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of United Benefit Advisors (UBA) in addition to representing the West Region. UBA is an international organization with over 200 offices in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. UBA is the nation’s leading organization of independent benefit advisors who […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released a final rule on the procedures for the handling of whistleblower complaints under Section 1558 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The regulations protect employees (which includes former employees and applicants for employment) who may have been subject to retaliation for seeking assistance under certain […]
Measuring program value, or return on investment, is critical and imperative in managing a healthy wellness program. Further, clearly identifying and objectively evaluating the impact helps keep the vendor focused on what is critical for the employer. If these programs are not having the impact intended, then the cost of those services is only adding […]
I really need to stop spending so much time reading the news. I subscribe to several news aggregators, plus a number of content sources: blogs, industry experts and other publications. I pore through news about politics, world affairs, and information related to HR, benefits, and technology – the field I work in. I sometimes do […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued interim final regulations that adjust for inflation the maximum civil monetary penalties (CMP) that fall under HHS’s jurisdiction. The regulations reflect changes required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the Act). Adjustments under the Act were effective on August […]
Recently, the Department of the Treasury, Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (collectively, the Departments) issued FAQs About Affordable Care Act Implementation Part 34 and Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Implementation. The Departments’ FAQs cover two primary topics: tobacco cessation coverage and mental health / substance use […]
Wearable fitness devices have been a hot topic in health and wellness for a few years now, but what kind of impact have wearables really had on improving health outcomes? Wearable fitness devices can be used to track physical activity, sleep, heart rate, and even provide on-screen workouts. They are most often paired with a […]
January 20, 2017 we will have the inauguration of our 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. During his campaign he stated that he would repeal Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act or ACA) his first day in office. So what is the political reality of having the ACA repealed on January 21st? The […]
VolkBell began the exploration into health and wellness about eight years ago. It was something our partners would say, “Just made sense.” At the time, health care costs were skyrocketing across the nation, particularly in our home state of Colorado, and the nation’s obesity rates were at an all-time high. In our research, we observed […]
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 […]
Most Partners of United Benefit Advisors (UBA) and their clients have benefits enrollment down pat. They know what to communicate to employees, and when. Employees, too, are usually familiar with the process. For example, they know what to expect when they start comparing their medical plan options to their 401(k) contributions. But not all benefits […]
Historically, employers have utilized health risk assessments (HRAs) as one measurement tool in wellness programs design. The main goals of an HRA are to assess individual health status and risk and provide feedback to participants on how to manage risk. Employers have traditionally relied on this type of assessment to evaluate the overall health risk […]
Christian Health Sharing Ministries 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) […]
In a previous blog, we discussed the exorbitant cost of drugs, even generics and the tactics that the pharmacy industry employs to keep the costs high. Well, as the 1974 Bachman Turner Overdrive hit song goes, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!” Over the past few months, having participated in over a half-dozen health insurance meetings, […]
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a federal requirement of group health plans to provide COBRA insurance continuation coverage to participants who lose coverage due to a qualifying event, when the employer has 20 or more full time employees. Over the years, many states enacted additional requirements similar to COBRA, either for small employers, […]
Over the past few years, we have seen the cost of health care steadily increase – a trend supported by the latest data from the 2016 UBA Health Plan Survey. During the recession, employers implemented health plans with higher copays, higher deductibles, or offered multiple plans with a variety of deductibles and pushed the cost […]
A friend recently recounted to me his recent visit to the pharmacy needing to fill his Crestor® prescription to control his cholesterol. He was excited by the prospect of saving some money because Crestor® had recently gone generic and the cost should have dropped dramatically. He was shocked to find out that a 90-day supply […]
The transitional reinsurance fee (TRF) applies to fully insured and self-funded major medical plans for 2014, 2015, and 2016. The purpose of the fee is to provide funds to help stabilize premiums in the individual insurance market in view of uncertainty about how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) would affect claims experience. […]
Following the November 2016 election, Donald Trump (R) will be sworn in as the next President of the United States on January 20, 2017. The Republicans will also have the majority in the Senate (51 Republican, 47 Democrat) and in the House of Representatives (238 Republicans, 191 Democrat). As a result, the political atmosphere is […]
