On September 30, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), released an interim final rule (IFR) under the No Surprises Act (Act) to help protect health care consumers from surprise billing and excessive…
Many of us have heard of Alzheimer’s disease but may not know much more than it is a disease that causes memory loss. Experts suggest that more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s. This disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in…
Theories abound about why workers are leaving their jobs in record numbers in 2021 and thus creating what pundits are calling the Great Resignation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August. These resignations continue to be higher in food service, retail, and education. One popular opinion…
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Despite its broad coverage, there’s a lot of confusion about what the law requires and what its terms entail. A big reason for this confusion is the language of the law itself; the ADA speaks of nebulous concepts like undue hardship…
The end of the year is drawing near which may mean you have some extra money to spend. No, you didn’t read that wrong. Many Americans have money in their Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs) that they need to use up before the end of the year. FSAs provide the benefit of putting pre-tax money aside…
Malicious Email A malicious email can look just like it comes from a financial institution, an e-commerce site, a government agency or any other service or business. It often urges you to act quickly, because your account has been compromised, your order cannot be fulfilled or there is another urgent matter to address. If you…
Trying to figure out Medicare can be one of the most frustrating aspects of retirement. Even the savviest of retirees struggle with figuring out when to enroll and which parts to enroll in – there’s Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D, Medigap plans and so on. And, what in the world is a…
The Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility provision — often called the employer mandate or “play or pay” — requires large employers to offer health coverage to their full-time employees or face a potential penalty. (Employers with fewer than 50 full-time and full-time-equivalent employees are exempt.) Large employers can avoid the risk of any play…
If you are concerned about your cyber security – and you should be – it’s essential to know the biggest threats to you right now. So, what is cyber security anyway? And how can you protect yourself? Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious…
Are you an employer that offers or provides group health coverage to your workers? Does your health plan cover outpatient prescription drugs — either as a medical claim or through a card system? If so, be sure to distribute your plan’s Medicare Part D notice before October 15. Purpose Medicare began offering “Part D” plans —…
