The main difference between Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) lies in the way they deliver care. HMOs provide comprehensive healthcare coverage for their members within a managed network of providers—for example, your primary care provider must be an in-network doctor and you will need to get referrals from them before seeing… Continue reading Difference between HMO and PPO

What Your Human Resources Department Should Know   US Healthcare costs are expected to rise about 5 percent on average in 2022, to an average over $13,000 per employee. These numbers are up substantially from costs in 2021. For employers, this means higher premiums and greater expenses for the same medical coverage for your employees.… Continue reading 2022 Projected Health Insurance Premium Increases

As an employer who goes to great lengths to ensure they take excellent care of their team members, you know that employee health extends well beyond everyday health benefits like medical insurance, dental coverage, and health savings accounts. Healthy employees are happy, productive employees, so it makes sense that providing whole coverage for employee wellbeing… Continue reading How to Boost the ROI of Your Employee Wellness Programs

Your organization’s Human Resources Department understands the importance of recruiting and retaining the best talent. While a competitive salary certainly attracts excellent candidates to a position, the benefits a company offers as part of a compensation package can play a big part as well. Do you know when you should offer which benefits? Read on… Continue reading When Does a Company Have to Offer Benefits?

What is an MEC Plan? Under the Affordable Care Act, employers who have fifty or more full-time employees must provide a plan that meets MEC requirements for all eligible employees and their dependents. MEC stands for “Minimum Essential Coverage,” and these requirements mandate what the health plan you offer should cover, at a minimum. What… Continue reading What Does a MEC Plan Cover? MEC Plan Basics for Employers:

If your organization has an internship program, that’s awesome! Not only are your interns gaining valuable experience and hands-on learning opportunities, but you have built yourself an amazing talent pool to choose full-time hires from, and in the meantime, your company benefits from a fresh, new perspective. If you have hired, or are considering hiring… Continue reading Do Interns Get Health Insurance?

What is a Wrap Document?   The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) requires every employee welfare benefit plan an employer offers to be described in a document that provides participating employees with an accurate and comprehensive summary of the plan. You may hear this requirement referred to as an “SPD,” or Summary Plan Description… Continue reading How Often Does a Wrap Document Need to Be Updated?: A Short Guide to Wrap Document Require

When designing and reviewing your organization’s paid time off policy, it’s important to understand the distinctions between sick days and vacation days. Although some companies have a general, all-encompassing paid time off or “PTO” policy applying to both sick days and vacation days, there are definitely some benefits to keeping the two categories separate. Read… Continue reading The Difference Between Sick Days and Vacation Days: A Guide for Employers

Perfect compliance with workers’ compensation requirements can seem tricky for even the most experienced human resources professionals. Many laws in the human resources space are federal, meaning they’re mandated and enforced by government agencies nationwide. Workers’ compensation requirements, however, are state-specific.    Our team of HR and compliance experts is here to help make sense… Continue reading Workers Compensation Insurance Requirements by State