With the new year and resolutions upon us, many folks use this season to focus on personal development and self-improvement.  The options for such are wide and varied, and our attempt at “boiling the ocean” makes the subject complex. A simplified and clarifying question regarding that very topic came up on an internal call today.  …

Seneca wrote, “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.” Over the last couple of years, things have really taken unexpected turns for everyone. I do not know anyone whose plans have not been affected by the pandemic. Some are people who plan their day/week/year to the minute, while …

“Follow the Money” is a phrase that became popular following the 1976 film “All the Presidents Men.” So, let’s “Follow the money” in healthcare to help us understand how Medicare and Baby Boomers impact your Employer-based Health Insurance costs. Before doing so, it’s important to understand a few dynamics in our country.  First, consider the …

Our modern culture may define success by job title, monetary wealth, Facebook “likes”, the square footage of our home, the labels on our clothing, a “full” schedule, the symbol on the car we drive, and the shape of our body.   Success in our spiritual life may look like:   The time we spend helping …

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 …

I attended a funeral this past weekend. Two of the eulogists referenced the same Jackie Robinson quote, a favorite of the deceased: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” After hearing the quote, I thought to myself about deep, abiding relationships and how the development of such is …

My dad was not a Boy Scout which, if you know him, is shocking for many reasons, but none more than there has never been anyone more prepared than him – for anything.   His preparedness has sometimes been the butt of some jokes – like when he bought a truckload of toilet paper during the …

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 …

HR Legal Issues/Updates: 14, 2018: The U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas declared that the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional and that the rest of the ACA is unconstitutional, as well. Although this was an interesting order by the Court, at this point in time, the status …