Wouldn’t it be nice if COVID-19 was the only thing you had to deal with right now? This time last year, our family was in the middle of nine solid weeks of going to the hospital every day. We visited with and cared for our daughter, who had broken her neck and was now paralyzed. …

The buzz is growing around the mental health effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Financial stress, social distancing, unemployment and job insecurity, concern for family and friends, and fear of the illness are now piled on top of the challenges facing us prior to ever hearing of COVID-19. In a previous post we shared the importance …

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. It delivers $2 trillion in fiscal stimulus to the economy including preferred loans to small businesses, capital for distressed industries, direct cash payments to many Americans, unemployment insurance enhancements, as well as various provisions affecting employee …

In life, transitions can be difficult.  There can be fear and anxiety surrounding what might be next.  Yet transitions are necessary for professional and personal process. Six months ago, I changed careers.  After working in college athletics for 16 years, I accepted an advisor role at The Benefit Company.  This transition was filled with personal …

Balance billing, COBRA, co-insurance, donut hole, EAP, urgent care, formulary… is your head spinning yet?  I’m just getting started.   In about the year 2242BC, according to The Bible in Genesis 11:1-9, following the great flood, the descendants of Noah migrated westward into the land of Shinar.  Some Biblical scholars believe that the people, wanting …

A growing number of companies are offering student loan repayment assistance programs as an employee benefit. In fact, the number of employers offering student loan-related benefits doubled to 8% over the past year, the 2019 Employee Benefits Report by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) found. There are two primary reasons employers are increasingly …

It is estimated that more than one-quarter of all employers with at least 50 employees now offer a student loan repayment benefit. Why? Got millennials? Want to keep them? Need more? Some 70% of millennials graduate with more than $37,000 of student loan debt. The average for metro Atlanta residents is $22,000. That’s why. Unless …

“The Benefit Company is Committed to Remaining Privately Held”, one brochure stated.  We recently had an internal discussion about employers being better off as a client of our firm because we are Privately Held. One of our team members asked, “Do employers care if we are Privately Held?”  An immediate response included, “…nimble, flexible, entrepreneurial – …

With the beginning of each New Year, many individuals contemplate a set of New Year’s resolutions. Webster’s Dictionary defines a resolution as a firm commitment to do or not to do something. In what ways can employers develop resolutions for employees and their benefits package?  To identify what I believe is a priority in this …

It’s no secret that health insurance premiums have been steadily rising for many years. For employers, this means an ongoing search for ways to save money while continuing to offer quality benefits for employees. One innovative concept for self-funded employers that is rapidly growing in popularity is Reference Based Pricing, or “RBP”. RBP strategies have the potential to save significant amounts of money for both employers and employees. However, they also require special care to ensure success for both parties. Let’s take a look at how these plans work, as well as some of the pros and cons for employers considering this strategy.