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  • Compliance Recap June 2023 | VA Employee Benefits Group

    PCORI FEE DUE DATE APPROACHES Employers offering self-funded medical plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) must report and pay fees to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) by July 31. If the plan was fully insured, employers can rely on their insurance carriers to handle the fee payment. The current annual fees are: For plan years…

  • Financial Safety Nets: Don’t Let Your Employees Fall Through the Cracks! | VA Employee Benefits Agents

    In the wake of the Great Depression and WWII, employers started to add benefits packages.  Healthcare had fallen by the wayside for families working to access the basic necessities of life.  The idea was to support the employee’s personal needs while keeping and attracting the best talents in the workforce. This trend of offering benefits…

  • Benefits 101: What Is an EAP?| Virginia Benefits Team

    As much as employers might prefer that employees’ personal affairs do not interfere with their work, the reality is that problems outside of the workplace can and do impact job performance.  Many of these issues go unaddressed due to fear of stigmatization, leading to further declines in employee health and productivity.  Anxiety and stress, financial…

  • What Is a Total Rewards Package? | VA Benefits Advisors

    Total rewards packages refer to the compensation and benefits plans that companies offer. This phrase, however, extends beyond mere salary or wages and traditional benefits, like health insurance, to provide both recruits and employees with a rundown of what makes the employer special. Some in Human Resources might regard the total rewards package as the…

  • Compliance Recap May 2023 | Virginia Benefits Group

    CLAIMS SUBSTANTIATION FOR PAYMENT OR REIMBURSEMENT OF MEDICAL AND DEPENDENT CARE EXPENSES A memorandum released by the IRS Chief Counsel responds to a request for assistance regarding the reimbursement of medical and dependent care expenses. Addressed is whether reimbursements of medical expenses from a health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) provided in a cafeteria plan should…

  • Employee Engagement: 8 Ways to Reward a Job Well Done | Virginia Employee Benefits Advisors

    At a time when many companies are trying to “do more with less,” employees are feeling overworked and underappreciated. To remedy this problem, Human Resources can help organizations foster robust rewards programs. When budgets are tight, bonuses might not be possible. Recently, however, HR Exchange Network asked users of Terkel.io to share their suggestions for rewards, and they…

  • Up and Away – Healthcare Costs Are Taking Off | VA Employee Benefits Consultants

    Healthcare costs, and consequently employee health benefit costs, have been growing at an alarming rate in recent years. The U.S. as a nation spends more on health care than any other developed country but has worse health outcomes.  How is this possible? Four Key Factors Driving U.S. Healthcare Costs: Aging Population Healthcare gets more expensive…

  • Burnout: Biggest Threat to Employee Engagement | Virginia Employee Benefits Agency

    The biggest challenge to employee engagement is burnout, according to the more than 400 respondents to the HR Exchange Network State of HR survey. Burnout, with 23% of the vote, was the top concern for motivating employees. WHAT IS BURNOUT? Burnout is a psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors on…

  • Compliance Recap April 2023 | VA Employee Benefits Consultants

    2024 BENEFIT PARAMETERS FOR MEDICARE PART D CREDITABLE COVERAGE DISCLOSURES ANNOUNCED The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Fact Sheet announcing the 2024 benefit parameters for Medicare Part D. These factors are used to determine the actuarial value of defined standard Medicare Part D coverage under CMS guidelines. Each year, Medicare Part D requires…