California Employee Benefits

ACA, Benefit plans, Benefits, Blog, California Benefit Advisors, California Employee Benefits, Communication, DOL, Employees, Employers, ERISA, Health, Health care, Health insurance, HMO, Human Resources, Insurance, MLR

Ask the Experts: Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Rebates


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Question: Our company received a rebate check from our health insurance carrier. As the employer, we pay the bulk of premiums, although employees who enroll for coverage do pay a portion of the cost. Are there restrictions on how we can use the rebate money? Answer: Yes, there are restrictions on using the rebate. The

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Cybersecurity, Human Resources, technology, Workplace

Cybersecurity: Employees Are the First Line of Defense


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Cybercriminals are becoming more focused on users of company networks as a weak link in the security infrastructure chain. Secure web gateways, anti-virus tools, malware scanners, spam quarantines, and other technologies help filter out malicious content and defend against a growing variety of threats, but technology alone cannot stop humans from clicking on the wrong

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Benefit plans, Benefits, Blog, Communication, Employee benefits, Employee Communication, Employees, Health, Health insurance, Health plans, Insurance, prescriptions, Videos

Looking Backward to Plan Forward


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As you look through enrollment options for 2019, remember to look back on 2018. Check out your spending on procedures and prescriptions, and which providers are in your network. This short video will give you some tips on how to plan forward for 2019.

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Benefits, Blog, Communication, Coverage, Employee benefits, Employees, Employers, Health, Health care, Health plans, Insurance, Workplace

Do You Have Mixed Emotions about Open Enrollment?


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It’s typical to have mixed feelings about the annual benefits open enrollment period. Dread for the additional administrative workload and potential benefits cost increases… Anticipation of newer, more attractive, and easier to administer plans… It makes for a fall season that causes many HR professionals and benefits brokers to drown their misery in pumpkin spice lattes.

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ACA, HRA, HSA, IRS, PCORI, QSE HRA, self-insured

PCORI Fee Increase for Health Plans


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On November 5, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2018-85 to announce that the health plan Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019 will be $2.45 per plan participant. This is an increase from the prior year’s fee of $2.39 due to

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Blog, Employees, Employers, HR, Human Resources, Motivation, Workplace

8 Tips for Handling Tough Employee Conversations


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We all get cold feet when it comes to addressing difficult issues with colleagues in the workplace. It’s stressful, and you just can’t help but think of all of the ways that a well-meaning conversation could go sideways. You worry about the longer-lasting effects of a damaged work relationship but know that you must correct

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Blog, Employees, Employers

Are You Ready for Election Day?


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Election Day is next Tuesday, November 6. Do you know what provisions, if any, you must make to accommodate your employees’ rights to vote? Time off for voting is not a federal requirement; however, 30 states have voting leave laws impacting the workplace. These state laws vary significantly. Not all leave is required to be

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Blog, employer news, Employers, NLRB, Workforce management, Workplace

The 80s Are Back, According to the NLRB


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On September 14, 2018, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced in the Federal Register a proposed rule to return its joint-employer standard to its 1984 standard — a standard that stood until 2017. It’s returning to the days of Footloose dancing, Sixteen Candles high school sweethearts, Karate Kid champions, and the principle that a

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