Story indicated that some small businesses hesitate to offer stronger benefits packages due to several common concerns: “…from the time it takes to administer them, to the lack of perceived value, to the return on investment Continue reading
As smartphones become more entrenched in our daily lives, the wellness technology industry has exploded to more than $8 billion, driven largely by wearable devices and more than 160,000 wellness-related mobile apps.
Employers are capitalizing on the tech advances, making workplace wellness programs more digital, social, and connected. Continue reading
When trying to fill a vacant position, it can seem impossible to find the “right” person in an inbox full of resumes. A recent study from ADP states that mid-sized companies are not only concerned with recruiting top talent, but with keeping them – a challenge usually addressed in an employee retention strategy. If you have this concern, you are certainly not alone. Continue reading
Uncertainty is a latent variable. It is difficult to quantify however, if you are a small business owner and looked into alternatives to traditional group health insurance for your business over the last few years, you have no doubt experienced your fair share of elevated uncertainty. Continue reading
Worker’s Compensation claims are already a headache to deal with. Between completing the correct paperwork in a timely manner to OSHA breathing down your neck; it can be tremendously stressful for employer, employee, and carrier. To make things more difficult, 90% of independent medical reviews done by an independent party in California upheld the modification or denial of medical treatment as unnecessary. Continue reading
Increases to premium for individual health insurance may be on the horizon for 2017. Insurers everywhere are citing financial losses under Obamacare or ACA. The rates of these increases vary from state to state. In North Carolina, for example, Aetna is requesting 24.5% increase and Blue Cross by 18.8% while United Healthcare has decided to withdraw from the exchange market entirely. Many should not feel the hit of these increases due to the numerous tax credits available on the exchange. Continue reading
Too many Americans graduate high school, earn their college degrees, and land a job, yet still lack basic education or experience in financial planning. Additionally, large numbers of Americans have accumulated massive debt for a variety of reasons, including education, car repairs, or medical bills. This combination of excessive debt and financial illiteracy creates stress and decreases an employee’s ability to properly focus on and engage in his or her work. Such stress also contributes to increased healthcare costs. Companies have the power to mitigate the consequences of this financial illiteracy by providing financial education and guidance – in addition to typical work benefits – to their employees. Continue reading
The Affordable Care Act gives small businesses the option to offer a group healthinsurance plan through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace. Certain small businesses participating in the Marketplace are eligible to receive a tax credit. This Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, which can be obtained solely through the SHOP Marketplace, is only available for two consecutive taxable years. While the use of the SHOP Marketplace has been attractive to some small businesses, it is possible that coverage procurement through the Marketplace will drop after the expiration of the two-year tax credit. Continue reading
