25 Sep

Posted at 21:05h in COVID-19, Employee Benefits by . .

An unintentional phenomenon is on the rise—pandemic fatigue. Many people are tired of staying at home and want to be the social creatures they inherently are. In short, a lot of people want their “normal” back.

Pandemic fatigue occurs when people show low motivation or energy to comply with safety guidelines. In turn, this makes some Americans—consciously or unconsciously—disregard pandemic guidance such as social distancing, mask wearing and hand-washing. Others may be reaching a mental health breaking point.

25 Sep

Posted at 20:20h in COVID-19, Employee Benefits by . .

The arrival of the fall and winter months signals many things, including the beginning of flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu activity peaks between December and February. This means that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t the only public health concern as we approach the winter months.

This combination has public health experts fearing a potential “twindemic” in surges of COVID-19 cases and another deadly flu season. As such, the CDC is urging the public to take action to avoid another deadly flu season and prevent further spread of COVID-19 cases.

09 Sep

Posted at 19:39h in COVID-19, Employee Benefits, HR and Operations by . .

Fear, worry, and stress are normal responses to perceived or real threats, or when faced with uncertainty. Understandably so, it is normal that people are experiencing worry or stress during the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of daily life. Americans are increasingly suffering from behavioral health issues during the pandemic, including mental health issues and substance abuse. This can have a disastrous impact on workplace productivity. This article provides tips and considerations to help employers support their employees during this challenging time.

08 Sep

Posted at 21:02h in Employee Benefits White Papers by . .
Employers that sponsor group health plans should provide certain benefit notices in connection with their plans’ open enrollment periods. Some of these notices must be provided at open enrollment time, such as the summary of benefits and coverage (SBC). Other notices, such as the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) notice, must be distributed annually. Although these annual notices may be provided at different times throughout the year, employers often choose to include them in their open enrollment materials for administrative convenience.

02 Sep

Posted at 21:33h in Employee Benefits White Papers by . .

Health benefits costs are almost certainly going to rise in 2021. They’ve been trending upward for years—over 50% in the last decade, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation— and the current state of economic uncertainty over COVID-19 won’t slow things down.

Realistically, after enduring months of business closures and managing exhausted workforces, many employers will be lucky to maintain uninterrupted operations. That’s why it’s critical for employers to think about reducing health costs right now—figure out cost-effective benefits first so money can be shuffled as needed later. Having a solid plan going into 2021 will better position organizations facing limited budgets.