employee-benefits

A Guide to Reimbursement of Medical Expenses by Employer

Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Family, HR, Human Resources, Mental Health, Wellness

Today’s healthcare consumers often find that they can quickly incur medical expense costs and wonder how to manage them. Some typical medical expenses include diagnosis, treatment, cure, mitigation, or prevention of a particular disease. Whether a patient suspects something is wrong or their doctor discovers a problem during a routine exam, these costs alone can add up quickly and substantially.

by Chris Freitas

Insurance Needs for Each Generation

Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Family, HR, Human Resources, Mental Health, Wellness

Employee benefits are a key consideration when candidates are reviewing job offers. Medical benefits, paid time off, paid holidays, and a 401k or retirement plan are just a few of the benefits employees have come to expect.

In today's world, organizations are faced with the challenge of meeting the benefit needs of a multi-generational workforce: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. How can a business provide benefits to meet the needs of all generations and remain competitive?

Clearly, it's not an option to offer different benefits to different generations due to the risk of discrimination claims. It is possible, though, to personalize benefits so that employees have options for the benefits they have to choose from.

Read on to learn about the differences between what's essential to insurance needs for each generation to gain some insight into approaching employee benefit planning moving forward.

by Chris Freitas

Does Medicare Cover Telemedicine?

Employee Benefits, Family, FMLA, Health Care, HR, Human Resources, Insurance, Wellness, Leave of Absence, PTO, Health Care Cost

Telemedicine became an essential technological tool in the healthcare industry amid the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone’s interactions were restricted, including health patients with pressing needs and their dedicated healthcare providers.

Fortunately, telemedicine was already in place before the pandemic, available to meet the needs of people in rural areas and in other complicated situations where an office visit didn’t work.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), however, telemedicine in the U.S. hadn’t taken off before COVID-19. The interest was minimal. But the pandemic changed everything, opening the healthcare community’s and patients’ eyes to the immense value of remote patient services.

Many patients and healthcare providers are now taking the time to learn more about what telemedicine means in terms of private insurance and Medicare coverage.

As your organization’s benefits manager, it might help to take a deeper look at the now fast-rising telemedicine trend and its vast potential benefits for the healthcare industry, patients, and employers.

by Chris Freitas

Employee Benefits Trends in 2022

Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Family, HR, Human Resources, Mental Health, Wellness

As the new year begins, many employers are faced with a myriad of challenges. The continuing COVID-19 pandemic—which is now into its third year—remains a top-of-mind concern as it wears on employees’ mental, physical and financial well-being and continues to affect all aspects of daily life.

For employers, the pandemic continues to perpetuate the Great Resignation, exacerbating the labor shortage and tight labor market and leading employers to re-evaluate many of their benefits offerings and workplace procedures in an effort to attract and retain top talent. Moreover, the pandemic’s effects are permeating other aspects of the employee benefits world, including health care costs and health care benefits, as well as life, disability, and retirement benefits.

As the pandemic wages on, employees, who are more burned out than ever before, will look to their employers to provide more comprehensive benefits and support. In some cases, if they don’t receive the offerings and support they’re looking for, they may leave. That’s why, in today’s times, you can’t afford to not stay on top of employee benefits trends.

by Chris Freitas

Mental Health in the Construction Industry

Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Family, HR, Human Resources, Mental Health, Wellness

The past few years have taken their toll on people everywhere. Everyone from students to working moms to workplace professionals has struggled to stay afloat, physically, financially, and mentally.

Mayo Clinic confirms that the ongoing worry and anxiety surrounding COVID-19, related vaccinations, and new and emerging variants have proved overwhelming to many people from all walks of life.

by Chris Freitas

When and How Should I Exit My PEO?

Employee Benefits, Health Care, HR, Human Resources, Insurance, Health Care Cost

Engaging a professional employer organization (PEO) — sometimes known as an employee leasing service — has become an important strategy for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) across the United States over the past three decades. With 907 PEOs in the U.S. employing 3.7 million people, PEOs have become a reliable staple in the business world, helping more than 175,000 SMBs enjoy impressive rates of growth in brief time frames.  

by Chris Freitas

Volunteering Time Off, Part 1

Custom Content, Employee Benefits, Volunteer

Volunteering Time Off, or VTO, has become a buzz topic for many companies as of late. It involves encouraging employees to take time off from their job to plug in to their community and the nonprofits that support it. Let’s delve in deeper to understand what VTO looks like.

by Mike Radakovich

What Is Included in an Employee Benefit Package?

Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Family, HR, Human Resources, Mental Health, Wellness

In an employee-driven market like we find ourselves in, employee benefit packages matter more than ever in recruiting and retaining top talent. COVID-19 has also prompted a shift in the importance of certain benefits over base pay alone. Many employees would choose a lower salary over a more robust benefits package.

An employee benefits package includes all the perks and benefits provided when working for a company outside of an employee's wages and salary. Some organizations offer a handful of benefits, with the basics including medical insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, a 401k, holidays, and paid time off. Other organizations offer an extensive benefits package that encompasses the basics and more, from personal holidays and childcare to flexible schedules and student loan debt payments.

by Chris Freitas

What Insurance Technology Do Insurance Companies Use?

Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Family, HR, Human Resources, Mental Health, Wellness

More and more consumers prefer to interact with companies using digital tools. In a PWC survey, 15% of respondents indicated a lack of digital capabilities as the topmost challenge when working with insurers. Therefore, insurance companies need to invest in insurance technology to retain and gain customers. However, many insurance agencies are lagging. In a report by McKinsey & Company, legacy software and infrastructure were indicated as barriers to digitalization by nine out of ten insurance companies.

by Chris Freitas

How Does Working Remotely Affect Insurance?

Employee Benefits, Employee Training, Family, HR, Human Resources, Mental Health, Wellness

Allowing employees to work remotely used to be a perk that employers would only offer on occasion, for example, if an employee had to wait for a delivery at home or if they had car troubles. However, this convenience became a necessity when the pandemic left employers with no choice but to force nonessential workers to work remotely. This was unchartered territory for most employers, illustrated by the fact that close to three-quarters of employees had never worked from home before, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). The influx of remote work created new challenges for employers, especially in terms of employee benefits and liability insurance.

Learn how allowing employees to work remotely affects both the insurance you offer your employees and the insurance you need to protect your business’s assets.

by Chris Freitas