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Financial stress is a silent epidemic plaguing workplaces everywhere. It impacts employees at all levels, leading to decreased productivity, lower morale, and increased absenteeism. But there’s good news: employers hold the key to building a financially healthy workforce. Stress and Financial Well-Being Cultivating your employees’ financial well-being is a necessity in creating a productive and…

At the close of 2024, Congress passed two new pieces of legislation: the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act and the Employer Reporting Improvement Act. These laws simplify the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting requirements for employers and introduce new limits on the IRS’s authority to enforce “pay-or-play” penalties, among other changes. Under the ACA, applicable large…

Managing healthcare costs can feel like deciphering a complex code. Three acronyms frequently pop up: HSAs, HRAs, and FSAs. But what exactly do they mean, and which one is right for you? Let’s break down these accounts and explore how they can help you save on qualified medical expenses. Understanding the Accounts: Who Can Use…

In today’s world of complex health insurance options, High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) have become increasingly popular. But with a name like “high deductible,” it’s natural to have questions. Let’s break down the basics of HDHPs: What is an HDHP? An HDHP is a health insurance plan with a higher deductible than traditional plans. This means you…

Final Forms and Instructions for 2023 ACA Reporting Released The IRS has released final 2023 forms and instructions for reporting under Internal Revenue Code Sections 6055 and 6056: No major substantive changes were made to the final forms and instructions for 2023 reporting. However, the 2023 instructions include information on the new electronic filing threshold…

The connection between employee wellness and the benefits of the job might seem obvious. But the conversation should be more nuanced than merely a discussion about health insurance, access to mental healthcare like employee assistance programs (EAPs), and well-being apps to reach zen. Indeed, Human Resources professionals must reconsider their definition of benefits. It must extend to all the pros of…

Not understanding benefits terminology is near the top of the list of ways that open enrollment and benefits selection can stress you out.  Open enrollment is coming quickly and soon you will be talking about benefit options. The world of benefits and insurance can be confusing. In-network, out-of-network, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance? What? Let us…

As the flu and RSV season gets underway, companies are asking themselves how they can support employees who need to stay home to care for their children.  In fact, last October, 104,000 Americans missed work because of “childcare problems” – the highest total since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the figure in 2003.  Although that…

Artificial intelligence, including so-called “large language models” like ChatGPT, has rapidly become a major talking point in the press, amongst governments, and maybe even in your office! While AI has been a subject in the background for decades, everyday web users can now engage with AI like never before.   But whenever there is a sea…

Highlights: Each year, Medicare Part D requires group health plan sponsors to disclose to individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part D and to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) whether the health plan’s prescription drug coverage is creditable. Plan sponsors must provide the annual disclosure notice to Medicare-eligible individuals before Oct. 15, 2023—the…