Author: D&S Agency

  • Relax! Vacations are Good for Your Health | VA Benefits Advisors

    American workers are notorious for being workaholics. In fact, The Center for Economic and Policy Research has gone so far as to call the U.S. the “No Vacation Nation.”  Deciding you need a vacation may feel indulgent but in reality, it is a crucial key to our overall health. Why do you need to take…

  • PCORI fees are due by Monday, August 1, 2022 | Virginia Benefits Group

    By way of background, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study clinical effectiveness and health outcomes. To finance the Institute’s work, a small annual fee—commonly called the PCORI fee—is charged on group health plans. Grandfathered health plans are not exempt. Most employers do not have to take any…

  • What Employees Want: On-Demand Pay | VA Employee Benefits Consultants

    Payroll works the same way in almost every full-time job.  Employees earn money by working, and they all receive their earnings on a set date: payday.  However, in an era of same-day shipping, on-demand movies, and unlimited mobile access, individuals are increasingly expecting prompt access to nearly anything they need. For employees, this also means…

  • Can HR Capitalize on Resignation Remorse? | Virginia Employee Benefits Advisors

    The Great Resignation has paved the way for resignation remorse, according to a number of publications. In fact, 72% of the 2,500 U.S. workers surveyed by The Muse said their new role or company was very different from what they had been led to believe. For HR leaders still dealing with a labor shortage or…

  • Benefits Education 101 for Employees | Virginia Employee Benefits Agency

    Companies spend a large amount of time and money creating valuable benefits plans for employees.  But after all that work, they often get low participation.  Good benefit choices require an effort from employers to ensure that employees have help in understanding their benefits options.  To make things even more complex, employers are having to consider…

  • Transparency in Coverage | VA Employee Benefits Consultants

    We recently informed you that the machine-readable file (MRF) requirement under the Transparency in Coverage (TiC) rules goes into effect July 1, 2022. This part of the rule requires that insurers and self-funded group health plans must begin to publicly post machine-readable files with detailed information on the costs of covered services and prescription drugs.…

  • Generational Myths Part 3: Gen X | Virginia Benefits Agents

    Today’s offices potentially span five full generations ranging from Generation Z to the Silent Generation. A coworker could just as easily be raised with a smart phone in hand as they could have used a typewriter at their first job. Some see differences between generational colleagues as an annoyance (“kids these days!”) and many rely…

  • 5 Tips to Save Money on Health Care: Part 2 | VA Benefits Firm

    Smart spending can keep your health care from costing an arm and a leg.  With costs rising on everything from gas to food, every penny counts. It pays to shop smart – that is why it helps to learn how to take steps to limit your out-of-pocket health care costs. Save Money on Prescriptions Go…

  • 4 Ways Inflation and Higher Costs Impact HR | VA Employee Benefits Agents

      U.S. President Joe Biden recently laid out his plans to combat inflation and the high cost of living. The average family is spending an additional $327 per month compared to pre-pandemic costs, according to a CNN broadcast May 10. At the time, the national average price of gas was $4.37. While the Federal Reserve…

  • Best Practices for Employee Appreciation | Virginia Benefits Team

    As HR leaders work hard to retain talent during a historic labor shortage, they are trying to show employee appreciation. At the HR Exchange Network Employee Engagement and Experience online event, Mary Shelley, Chief People Officer at Tango Card, shared best practices for rewarding employees to inform them of their value to the organization. In the session, 5…