Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Employers are always looking for ways to enhance benefit plans and reduce risk. Combining group long term disability (LTD) and individual disability insurance can result in a more comprehensive disability program that maximizes protection for the employer and employees.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
We have all heard the term, “Millennial.” Many of us think of a twenty-something, video gaming, non-starter who is still living in mom and dad’s basement. As a Generation X’er, I have often wondered, are we so different?
Monday, June 4, 2018
Every day, businesses look at where their strengths lie and decide which areas of expertise should be hired in house, or outsourced to a third party. The result of those decisions boils down to where their resources are best spent.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Times are good! The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the current ratio of unemployed Americans to open jobs is 1.1 to one, contrasted to 6.6 to one during the recession in 2009. It is no surprise to anyone in the Northwest looking to hire qualified people.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Last week the IRS released the 2019 health savings account (HSA) annual contribution limits, as well as the corresponding high deductible health plan (HDHP) minimum deductible and maximum out-of-pocket (OOP) requirements.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Employers who sponsored self-funded medical plans ending sometime during 2017 must report and pay the ACA Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fees no later than July 31, 2018. Health insurance carriers will pay the fee directly in the case of fully-insured plans.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
When you meet someone in your field who causes you to reconsider your thoughts in an entirely new way, you take note. I had just that experience at the National Employer Summit held in Seattle in March of 2018, where I had the chance to hear and meet Karen Wren.
Monday, May 21, 2018
There has been a great deal of anticipation to see what materials and products will be added to the contentious U.S. tariff list, many Northwest organizations, from manufacturing to food processors, are calculating the potential impact on their business.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
We’ve had an outpouring of media attention on the issue of sexual misconduct in the workplace. The world has heard actors, models, congresswomen, as well as business women come forward to say, “Me too”, but what about those individuals in the healthcare industry?
Monday, April 30, 2018
IRS just released Rev. Proc. 2018-27 modifying (again) the HSA contribution limits for family coverage for 2018, returning the contribution limit to $6,900.
Monday, April 23, 2018
There has been a significant uptick in the number of new apartments under construction in the Northwest and there has been speculation over time about whether owners will start to convert some of these properties from apartments to condominiums.
Monday, April 9, 2018
On Friday, March 30th, just hours before a deadline imposed by the U.S. District Court of D.C., the EEOC filed a required status update with the court stating that, at this time, it has no plans to issue new wellness regulations by a specific date as instructed by the court.