Coping Strategies for Trying Times

Denise GillinHealth Benefits Administration, News

By Michael Diller, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist and Director, Employee Assistance Program, WellSpan Thanksgiving is less than a two-week isolation period away, and the pandemic is worsening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new small household gathering considerations due to their contribution to the rise in COVID-19 cases. The holiday is going to be different this year, but don’t let pandemic fatigue get the best of you. Finding calm Holiday stress coupled with pandemic stress and the resulting uncertainty all contribute to rising anxiety. While natural and to be expected, we want calm in the midst of this uncertainty. Now more than ever it’s important to stay grounded in up-to-date factual information. Get news and facts from reliable …

ACA Form 1095 Deadline Extended

Tom HenschkeHealth Benefits Administration, Human Resources, News

According to BASIC HR Compliance & Technology, the IRS has extended the due date for certain 2018 information-reporting requirements for insurers, self-insuring employers, and certain other providers of minimum essential coverage under section 6055 of the Internal Revenue Code and for applicable large employers under section 6056 of the Code. Read more here.  

More Employers Turn to Outsourcing for Leave Management

Tom HenschkeHealth Benefits Administration, Human Resources

The Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act have been around for decades, but today’s employers continue to struggle with managing employee leave. That’s why, in response to overlapping state and federal laws and expanded mandates for disability leave coverage, more employers are outsourcing their paid leave plans by a rate of double digits in the last two years according to the Website “ebn”. This was the finding of the 2016 DMEC Employer Leave Management Survey, a study of more than 1,100 employers of various-sized American businesses. The study was sponsored by the Disability Management Employer Coalition, and was conducted by Spring Consulting Group. Read the full article >>> For more information, contact Tom Henschke, Assistant Vice …

Benefits Technology: Connecting the Dots

Tom HenschkeHealth Benefits, Health Benefits Administration

I’d like to tell you about my first cell phone – an ancient cell phone by today’s standards.  And no, it wasn’t an iPhone or a Galaxy.  It was a Motorola comparable in size and weight to an old military Geiger counter.  And no, I didn’t carry it around.  It was mounted in my car below the center console.  And no, it wasn’t hands-free.  It came equipped with a very short 18” cord that kinked my neck every time I used it.  Spartan by today’s technological standards, I was elated with my first cell phone.  I could literally run appointments all day long without stopping at pay phones along the way to retrieve my messages.  I was now connected to …