In the midst of the HIPAA Phase II audits, it is more important than ever to understand your obligations as a group health plan to comply with HIPAA. HIPAA sets out a complex framework of compliance mandates for securing protected health information (PHI) and electronic protected health information (E-PHI). While many of these requirements are intuitive, others are not, but the penalty risk for noncompliance is all the same.

Businesses that employ interns or other temporary workers may question whether they are obligated to offer health insurance and other employee benefits to these employees. The answer to this question may depend on several factors, including whether the intern or temporary work is paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, whether the employer is an applicable large employer under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the terms of the employer’s HR policies and procedures.

"Duty of care" is the obligation of employers to protect the safety of their employees who are traveling for business globally. Business travelers can be put into situations that expose them to a range of health, safety and security hazards. Corporations increase their liability exposure because they have a legal and moral duty of care to every employee.

Business reorganizations, such as mergers and acquisitions, can raise a myriad of issues for employers and their employees if certain factors are not properly considered and addressed. Performing due diligence is one of the most important parts of the M&A process to determine the buyer and sellers employee benefits obligations in the transaction.

Today’s workforce is diverse. How is your company affected? How can you get your culture on the right path? Maximize your resources by understanding your workforce. Learn how your company can benefit from diversity and inclusion.

Two years into the push to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA), some key features of the monumental Health Care Reform bill are standing strong, while others have been chipped away piece by piece over time.

Leave laws continue to gain momentum through 2019. More states and localities are enacting leave protections for workers.

To encourage employee health and add value to health and wellbeing benefits offerings, there is an increasing number of employers exploring benefits such as wellness programs, telemedicine, employee assistance programs, on-site clinics, and specified illness and disease.

Millennials recently became the largest generation in the U.S. workforce and some employers are clamoring to cater to them. The best strategy, however, is to consider your specific workforce and how to target your total rewards strategy to address the needs of each generation ranging from Millennials to Baby Boomer.

As your company grows from a one-person shop to 15+ employees, 20+ employees, 50+ employees, 100+ employees, 250+ employees or even 500+ employees, there are new legal requirements to adhere to each step along the way. It almost seems as though every round number comes with additional legal requirements that apply.

HR’s insight into business operations can provide a strategic component to a company’s success. Culture, workforce efficiency, and employer cost all affect a company’s return on investment (ROI). Become the strategic partner your employer needs you to be.

Employee benefits compliance is ever-changing with the introduction of new legislation and regulations. Join us for our quarterly update on recent legislative and regulatory proposals and changes.

Open Enrollment can be a stressful and confusing time for employees as they try to decipher complicated insurance information they might only look at once a year. You’ll learn more about how employees process information about their benefits and respond to communication from their employers. Do your future self a favor and get a jump on your communications now, while there’s still time to try something new! *This activity has been approved for 1 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward…

So, open enrollment isn’t your favorite time of year? That’s alright! We have you covered with all the tips and tricks you will need to handle open enrollment hiccups like a pro.

Each year we hear about disasters companies are recovering from due to weather, fire, cyber threats and sabotage. Don’t be caught off guard. You’ll learn best practices and successful ways to deal with a crisis and how to constructively develop essential crisis management skills, plan for a crisis, manage damage control and survive the aftermath. Be proactive when it comes to crisis management!

For many of us, the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. For those overseeing employee safety and meeting compliance requirements, the holidays can be fraught with risk, danger, and even ignorance. As an employer, you need to be prepared with your HR and benefits responses when these issues impact your employees and your health plan.  

Telemedicine is a convenient and cost-effective form of healthcare for both the consumer and insurance plans. 
While the traditional healthcare model has slowly progressed to adopt this form of healthcare, the consumer has been demanding a more personal experience that leverages technology, making it easy to use.  If Telemedicine is the future of healthcare, what are the next steps to make it more personal for the consumer?  How can artificial intelligence broaden diagnosis capabilities to make telemedicine a more consistent form of healthcare that can be used from Pediatrics to Medicare?