Employee Benefits

On Oct. 31, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2017-67 to provide comprehensive guidance on a variety of topics regarding qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (QSEHRAs). Small employers that do not maintain group health plans may establish

Many employee benefits are subject to annual dollar limits that are periodically increased for inflation. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced cost-of-living adjustments to the annual dollar limits for various welfare and retirement plan limits for 2018. Although some

On Oct. 12, 2017, the White House announced that it will no longer reimburse insurers for cost-sharing reductions made available to low-income individuals through the Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), effective immediately; these are considered ACA subsidies. Because

In today’s business climate, managers need benefits solutions as resourceful and cutting-edge as the organizations they run. For many employers, pre-packaged full insurance health plans do not provide the greatest value to their organizations. Employers of all sizes are looking

It costs nearly 20 percent of an employee’s annual salary to replace a current employee. If you are experiencing high turnover, chances are you are experiencing high losses as well. The costs of reviewing applications, processing candidates, conducting interviews, training

Introduced in a June 2017 update, Snap Map allows users to share their exact location with friends within the Snapchat app. Snap Map gathers location data using a smartphone’s GPS sensor and displays the time of day an individual is

Keeping health care expenses to a minimum requires cooperation from everyone. Those who constantly utilize expensive medical services can sometimes raise costs for the whole group. With this in mind, not only is it cost-effective for you to choose a

During my first week at Safegard I had the opportunity to learn from Kelly Wentzel, an account manager in the Employee Benefits Division, about different health insurance options for employees. The four components I was taught about were Health Reimbursement

As employees struggle to balance work, family and social obligations, one thing that is often neglected is sleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get seven to eight hours of sleep on average; however, most

Employer-sponsored wellness programs often incorporate rewards or incentives to encourage employees to participate. Because there are numerous legal requirements for wellness program design, employers sometimes overlook the federal tax implications of a program’s rewards. As a general rule, wellness incentives

Several steps have been taken in 2017 toward repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the introduction of the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Although the AHCA was withdrawn by Republicans, Congress may choose to pursue another ACA repeal and

On Dec. 13, 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act (Act) was signed into law. The Act allows small employers that do not maintain group health plans to establish stand-alone health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), effective for plan years beginning on or