May 7, 2025
Compliance Recap | April 2025
The Maryland Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program is delayed, and the definition of “Employer” under Maryland’s Parental Leave Act gains clarification. The DOL released an updated version of the CHIP Model Notice and covered employers under the San Francisco Health Care Security ...
May 6, 2025
Employee Benefits | Rethinking What Modern Benefits Mean
You may feel that your benefits offerings are up to date—but your employees might disagree. Nearly 3 in 4 employees say they struggle to afford anything beyond basic living expenses. As day-to-day living costs increase and personal responsibilities grow, the gap between what companies offer and ...
April 29, 2025
Dear HR Manager from Managing a Stretched Team
Dear HR Manager, Over the past year, several team members have stepped up—leading meetings, mentoring junior colleagues, and driving critical projects. Despite this, their titles and compensation remain the same. A few have started to voice concerns, and I’m sensing growing frustration. Failing ...
April 24, 2025
Advocacy in Action | Requiring Proof for Denied Claims
A member contacted her Patient Advocate for help with 4 bills being denied by the insurance carrier as not covered under the plan. The Patient Advocate reviewed the bills and plan details and then contacted the insurance carrier to find out why they were denying coverage. The carrier told the ...
April 22, 2025
Employee Benefits | Prioritizing Pet Insurance
Offering pet-related benefits—especially pet insurance—is becoming a meaningful way for employers to attract and retain talent. As more employees advocate for support beyond traditional employee benefits, pet insurance has emerged as a sought-after perk that reflects a modern, responsive ...
April 22, 2025
CMS Updates Simplified Method for Determining Creditable Coverage Status for 2026
This month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced final instructions for the changes to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) which will affect employer-sponsored plans in 2026. The changes are intended to ...
April 15, 2025
Workplace Culture | Rethinking Career Progression Paths
Internal promotions have long been considered the primary route for professional advancement, but new data shows that job-hopping has become the dominant method for career growth. As traditional corporate ladders flatten and development stalls, employees choose to leave rather than wait. To ...
April 7, 2025
Compliance Recap | March 2025
In March, employers submitted their electronic filings to the Internal Revenue Service for the Affordable Care Act reporting requirement. Medicare Part D disclosure to CMS, certain reporting on HIPAA breaches, and MEWA Form M-1 were due in March. ACA Reporting Affordable Care Act (ACA) ...
March 25, 2025
Advocacy in Action | Hospital Delivery Claims Investigation
A member contacted her Patient Advocate to request an audit of delivery bills for her newborn baby. The PA reviewed the EOB’s and discovered that the insurance carrier had over-applied her deductible. It appeared that the member had met her deductible and out of pocket expenses of $3,125.00 on ...
March 21, 2025
2025 Penalties for Health and Welfare Plans
In January, the Department of Labor (DOL) published the inflation-adjusted penalties for ERISA violations in 2025. The following table summarizes the new penalty amounts and reminds employers of filing deadlines to avoid incurring penalties. Employer Action Items Prepare for annual filing or ...
